JP4854077B2 - Transport device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is an invention relating to a transport apparatus provided with a single conveyor across a plurality of stations.

For example, in a screen printing apparatus, as described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-62971), a carry-in conveyor, a main conveyor, and a carry-out conveyor are arranged in a line, and a circuit board is disposed from the carry-in conveyor. In some cases, a circuit board is carried into a main conveyor, a wiring pattern is screen-printed on the circuit board on the main conveyor, and then a printed circuit board is carried out from the main conveyor to the carry-out conveyor.
JP 2003-62971 A (page 3 to page 5, FIG. 1 etc.)

  In the above configuration, since the transfer device of the screen printing apparatus is configured by three conveyors (a carry-in conveyor, a main conveyor, and a carry-out conveyor), there is a drawback that the configuration of the transfer device is complicated.

  Therefore, a loading station and a work station (main station) of the screen printing apparatus and a single conveyor are provided across the stations, and the circuit board on the conveyor is lifted and floated from the conveyor at each station. There are some which are provided with a lift device for holding. This is a combination of the lifting and lowering operations of one conveyor and three lifting devices, and realizes a transport function equivalent to that of a conventional carry-in conveyor, main conveyor, and carry-out conveyor as follows.

  For example, the circuit board transported to the work station is lifted by a lift device (hereinafter referred to as “main lifter”) of the work station and floated from the conveyor to perform screen printing or the like on the circuit board. Next, the conveyor is rotated, the next circuit board is transported to the loading station, and the next circuit board is lifted by the lifting device of the loading station (hereinafter referred to as “loading side lifter”) and is suspended from the conveyor. Let Thereafter, when the work on the circuit board of the work station is completed, as shown in FIG. 4, after only the main lifter is lowered (unclamped), the conveyor is rotated and the work-finished circuit board is conveyed to the discharge station side. To do. As a result, when it is confirmed by the sensor that the worked circuit board has been conveyed by a predetermined distance, the conveyor is temporarily stopped and the carry-in side lifter is lowered, and then the conveyor is rotated again to bring the carry-in side The circuit board and the worked circuit board are simultaneously transported.

  However, in this transport method, the work circuit board is transported for a predetermined distance after the work on the circuit board of the work station is completed and the main lifter is lowered, and before the transport of the circuit board on the carry-in side is started. Time T1 and time T2 for stopping the conveyor and lowering the loading-side lifter are required, and as a result, after the completed circuit board is unloaded from the work station, the next circuit board is loaded into the work station. There is a problem that the time (loading time) becomes longer and the production efficiency decreases.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances. Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to greatly reduce the loading time and improve the production efficiency in a case where one conveyor is provided across a plurality of stations. It is in providing the conveying apparatus which can improve.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with one conveyor across at least the first station and the second station downstream thereof, and each station is provided with a conveyor on the conveyor. In the transport apparatus provided with a lift device for lifting and holding the transported object in a state of being lifted from the conveyor, the transport apparatus includes a control means for controlling the transport operation of the conveyor and the lifting operation of the lift apparatus. When the lifting devices of both the first station and the second station lift the conveyed product and hold them in a state where they are lifted from the conveyor, and when the work on the conveyed product of the second station is completed, The lift devices of both the first station and the second station are simultaneously lowered to move the first station. The transport of both of said second station and put on the conveyor is obtained so as to convey at the same time. In this configuration, when the work on the transported goods at the second station is completed, the lift devices at both the first station and the second station are simultaneously lowered to move the transported goods at both the first station and the second station. Since they are transported simultaneously, the loading time can be greatly shortened and the production efficiency can be improved.

  In this case, as in claim 2, the work to be carried on the conveyed product is carried out by lifting the conveyed product at the second station by the lift device of the second station and floating it from the conveyor. The next transported object is carried into the first station by rotating the first transport station, and the next transported object is lifted by the lift device of the first station and is kept waiting from the conveyor. If it does in this way, in the period when the operation | work with respect to the conveyed product of a 2nd station is performed, the next conveyed product can be carried in in a 1st station and can be made to wait.

  Further, as in claim 3, the third station is disposed downstream of the second station, and a single conveyor is provided across the first, second, and third stations, and the third station The station is also provided with a lift device for lifting the conveyed product on the conveyor and holding it in a floating state. The lift device of the third station has conveyed the conveyed product to the third station. Sometimes, when the downstream apparatus is not ready to receive the transported object, the third station lift is lifted from the conveyor until the downstream apparatus is ready to receive the transported object. You may make it stand by. In this case, when the transported object is transported to the third station and the downstream device is in a state where it can receive the transported object, the lift device of the third station is not lifted (clamped), What is necessary is just to carry a conveyed product from the 3rd station to the downstream apparatus as it is. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately switch the carry-out / standby of the conveyed product at the third station (lowering / raising of the lift device at the third station) according to the operating state of the downstream device.

Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described.
In the present embodiment, one conveyor 14 is provided across the carry-in station 11 (first station), the main station 12 (second station), and the carry-out station 13 (third station). Each of the stations 11 to 13 is provided with lifters 16 to 18 (lift devices) for lifting the circuit board 15 that is a conveyed product on the conveyor 14 and holding the circuit board 15 in a state of being lifted from the conveyor 14.

  Although not shown, the conveyor 14 is provided, for example, so that two conveyor belts extend in parallel with each other and straddle the three stations 11 to 13, and the conveyor belt is rotationally driven by a motor. It is configured. The lifters 16 to 18 are configured to move up and down by actuators 16a to 18a such as air cylinders. In this case, when each lifter 16-18 is lowered to the lowest position (unclamp position), the height position of the upper surface of each lifter 16-18 becomes lower than the conveying surface (upper surface) of conveyor 14, and on conveyor 14 The circuit board 15 on the conveyor 14 can be transported by the rotation of the conveyor 14. On the other hand, when the lifters 16 to 18 are raised to the uppermost position (clamping position), the circuit board 15 on the conveyor 14 is lifted by the lifters 16 to 18 and is lifted from the conveyor 14. In this state, even if the conveyor 14 rotates, the circuit board 15 lifted by the lifters 16 to 18 is not conveyed, but the circuit board 15 newly supplied onto the conveyor 14 is conveyed.

The conveying operation of the conveyor 14 and the lifting / lowering operations of the lifters 16 to 18 of the stations 11 to 13 are controlled by a computer (control means) as follows.
As shown in FIG. 1A, first, the lifters 16 to 18 of the stations 11 to 13 stand by at the lowest position (unclamp position), rotate the conveyor 14, and newly supplied circuit boards. 15 is carried to the carry-in station 11, and if there is no circuit board 15 at the main station 12 at that time, the lifter 16 (loader-side lifter) of the carry-in station 11 is not raised, as shown in FIG. Then, the conveyor 14 is transported to the main station 12 and the conveyor 14 is stopped.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 1C, the lifter 17 (main lifter) of the main station 12 is raised to the uppermost position (clamping position), and the circuit board 15 on the conveyor 14 is lifted by the lifter 17 and floated from the conveyor 14. And clamped. In this state, work such as screen printing is performed on the circuit board 15 of the main station 12, and the conveyor 14 is rotated during this work, and the next to the carry-in station 11 as shown in FIG. The circuit board 15 ′ is carried in and the conveyor 14 is stopped. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2 (e), the next circuit board 15 ′ is lifted by the lifter 16 of the carry-in station 11 and is kept in a state of being lifted from the conveyor 14.

  Thereafter, when the work such as screen printing on the circuit board 15 of the main station 12 is completed, the lifters 16 and 17 of both the carry-in station 11 and the main station 12 are simultaneously placed at the lowest position as shown in FIG. The circuit board 15 and 15 ′ of both the carry-in station 11 and the main station 12 are returned to the state where they are simultaneously placed on the conveyor 14. In this state, the conveyor 14 is rotated, and as shown in FIG. 2G, the circuit boards 15 and 15 ′ of both the carry-in station 11 and the main station 12 are conveyed to the next stations 12 and 13, and the conveyor 14 is stopped.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2 (h), the circuit board 15 'on the conveyor 14 is lifted by the lifter 17 of the main station 12, lifted from the conveyor 14 and clamped, and screen printing or the like is performed on the circuit board 15'. Do the work.

  In addition, when the circuit board 15 is transported from the main station 12 to the carry-out station 13 and the downstream apparatus is not ready to receive the circuit board 15, the downstream apparatus removes the circuit board 15. The circuit board 15 on the conveyer 14 is lifted by the lifter 18 (unloading side lifter) of the carry-out station 13 until it can be received, and is kept in a state of being lifted from the conveyer 14. At this time, if the lifters 17 and 18 of both the main station 12 and the carry-out station 13 are lifted from the conveyor 14 by lifting the circuit boards 15 and 15 ', the conveyor 14 is rotated and newly supplied. The incoming circuit board is conveyed to the carry-in station 11, the conveyor 14 is stopped, the circuit board is lifted by the lifter 16 of the carry-in station 11, and is put on standby in a state where it is floated from the conveyor 14.

  On the other hand, when the circuit board 15 is transported from the main station 12 to the carry-out station 13, when the downstream apparatus is ready to receive the circuit board 15, the lifter 18 of the carry-out station 13 is moved. Without raising (clamping), the conveyor 14 is rotated as it is to carry out the circuit board 15 from the carry-out station 13 to the downstream apparatus. At the same time, the newly supplied circuit board is transported to the carry-in station 11, the conveyor 14 is stopped, the circuit board is lifted by the lifter 16 of the carry-in station 11, and is made to stand by in a state where it is floated from the conveyor 14. .

  In addition, when the operations such as screen printing on the circuit board 15 ′ of the main station 12 are completed, if the lifters 16 and 18 of the other stations 11 and 13 are located at the uppermost position (clamping position), all of these are performed. The lifters 16 to 18 of the stations 11 to 13 are simultaneously lowered to the lowest position (unclamping position) to return the three circuit boards 15 and 15 ′ to the state of being placed on the conveyor 14. If the apparatus on the downstream side of the carry-out station 13 is ready to receive the circuit board 15, the conveyor 14 is rotated to simultaneously convey the three circuit boards 15, 15 '. On the other hand, if the downstream device of the carry-out station 13 is not ready to receive the circuit board 15, the apparatus waits until the downstream device is ready to receive the circuit board 15.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the conventional system, when the work on the circuit board of the main station is completed, the lower lifter (main lifter) of the main station is first lowered, and then the conveyor is rotated so that the worked circuit board is moved. Transport to the discharge station. As a result, when the sensor confirms that the worked circuit board has been conveyed by a predetermined distance, the conveyor is temporarily stopped and the lifter (loader side lifter) of the loading station is lowered. The circuit board on the carry-in side and the worked circuit board are simultaneously conveyed by rotating. However, in this transport method, the work until the transported circuit board is transported a predetermined distance after the work on the circuit board of the main station is completed and the main lifter is lowered, and the transport of the circuit board on the carry-in side is started. Time T1 and time T2 for stopping the conveyor and lowering the loading-side lifter are required. As a result, the work circuit board is unloaded from the main station until the next circuit board is loaded into the main station. There is a problem that the time (loading time) becomes longer and the production efficiency decreases.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, when the work on the circuit board 15 of the main station 12 is completed, both the carry-in side lifter 16 and the main lifter 17 are simultaneously lowered to carry in the carry-in station. 11 and the circuit board 15 and 15 'of the main station 12 are simultaneously put on the conveyor 14, and the conveyor 14 is immediately rotated so that the circuit boards 15 and 15' of the loading station 11 and the main station 12 are simultaneously Transport. Thereby, the loading time can be greatly shortened, and the production efficiency can be improved.

  In addition, in the conventional conveyance method, when the conveyance of the second circuit board is started during the conveyance of the first circuit board, it is necessary to temporarily stop the conveyor, so the conveyance speed of the conveyor is increased. There were limits.

  On the other hand, in the conveyance method of the present embodiment, since the stop process of the conveyor 14 as described above does not interrupt during the conveyance of the first circuit board 15, the conveyance speed of the conveyor 14 is increased as compared with the conventional method. This makes it possible to further reduce the loading time and improve the production efficiency.

  In the present embodiment, the carry-out station 13 (third station) is provided. However, only the carry-in station 11 (first station) and the main station 12 (second station) may be used.

It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the conveying apparatus in one Example of this invention (the 1). It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the conveying apparatus in one Example of this invention (the 1). It is a time chart explaining operation | movement of the conveying apparatus in one Example of this invention. It is a time chart explaining operation | movement of the conventional conveying apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Carry-in station (1st station), 12 ... Main station (2nd station), 13 ... Carry-out station (3rd station), 14 ... Conveyor, 15, 15 '... Circuit board (conveyed material), 16 ... Carry-in side Lifter (lift device), 17 ... main lifter (lift device), 18 ... unloading side lifter (lift device)

Claims (3)

A conveyor is provided across at least the first station and the second station downstream thereof, and each station lifts the conveyed product on the conveyor and holds it in a floating state from the conveyor. In the transfer device provided with the lift device of
Control means for controlling the conveying operation of the conveyor and the raising / lowering operation of the lift device is provided, and the control device lifts the conveyed product by the lift devices of the first station and the second station respectively and lifts them from the conveyor. And when the work on the transported object at the second station is completed, the lifting devices at both the first station and the second station are simultaneously lowered to move the first station and the A transporting apparatus for transporting both transported objects of the second station on the conveyor and transporting them simultaneously.   The control means lifts the transported object of the second station with the lift device of the second station and lifts the transported object from the conveyor to perform the work on the transported object, and rotates the conveyor during the work. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the next transported object is transported to the first station, and the next transported object is lifted by the lift device of the first station and suspended from the conveyor. Conveying device. A third station is disposed downstream of the second station, the one conveyor is provided across the first, second, and third stations, and the third station also includes the A lift device is provided for lifting the conveyed items on the conveyor and holding them in a floating state from the conveyor,
The lift device of the third station is configured such that if the downstream device is not ready to receive the transported product when the transported product is transported to the third station, the downstream device removes the transported product. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transported device of the third station is lifted up and suspended from the conveyor until it can be received.

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