JP5122294B2 - Automatic jig changer - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[Description]
The present invention relates to an automatic jig exchanging apparatus for forming a press having an automatic parts conveying system, and relates to a quick and fully automatic jig exchanging apparatus.

[Background technology]
In manufacturing, for example, a workpiece that requires some work such as molding or cutting is usually manufactured on a so-called multi-conveyor press or a press line. The number of tools corresponds to the number of work tables required for manufacturing. There is a transfer device between the work tables, and the transfer device transfers the workpiece from one processing step to the next. In the case of the conventional design of these conveying apparatuses, the gripping part or the conveying rail extends over the entire length of the press, and the gripping part or the conveying rail is driven by a driving device controlled by a cam. On these rails there are gripping elements or holding elements, which hold the workpiece during transport of the workpiece.

The feature of this design method is that, while the driving reliability is high, the driven mass is very large, and the driving device is correspondingly large.
The high cost of these conventional transfer devices is one of the factors for developing a so-called electronic transfer device. According to the design method of the electronic conveyance device, it is not necessary to use a drive device controlled by a cam and a continuous gripping portion or a continuous conveyance rail. Instead, a conveying device having a power source is installed near the support column in each processing step.

  Such a conveying device is described in detail in German Patent Publication DE 100 09 574 A1. In the case of this type of component conveying apparatus, it is possible to omit an intermediate magazine that is still standard in the case of a conventional conveying system. The function of this intermediate magazine, also called the positioning process, is the direction of the workpiece between processing steps so that the next transport device can transport the workpiece to the next tool without changing the direction of the workpiece. Was to change.

In the case of newer generation transport systems, such repositioning of the workpiece between processing steps can be performed during transport. This rearrangement can include the following axial movements.
1. 1. Horizontal movement in the conveyance direction and horizontal movement in the opposite direction of the conveyance direction 2. Movement crossing the transport direction. 3. Turn in the transport direction and turn in the opposite direction of the transport direction 4. Turning that intersects the transport direction Change of vertical height Inclination in the transport direction Various jig systems are used to realize these functions. Details of two common systems are described in German Patent Publication DE 44 18 461 C2 and German Patent Publication DE 195 34 386 C2. In these two systems, the method of attaching the jig to the lateral feed base is mainly different.

  In the case of a press line and a conveyance press having an automatic parts conveyance system, since the procurement cost is high, the usefulness of installation is an important criterion. Specifically, installation downtime occurs due to tool replacement. In order to keep this downtime as short as possible, it has become a common practice in recent years to include a tool changing means that operates in a fully automatic manner and a tool holding means called a jig. In many installations currently in operation, while the tool is being removed from the so-called sliding table, at the same time, the transverse feed table with the jig is also removed from the press.

  In the case of new generation press lines and conveyor presses, the traverse platform remains in the press during tool change. Only the tool holding means is removed from the press and replaced with the tool. German patent publication DE 198 08 968 A1 discloses an apparatus for replacing parts being processed in a molding facility. This patent publication describes a transport device capable of biaxial movement and having a continuous transport rail to which a lateral feed base is attached. When the tool is changed, the lateral feed base having the jig is moved to a gripping device mounted on the slide table. And a jig | tool is actively arrange | positioned with a holding | grip apparatus, and is isolate | separated from a horizontal feed stand.

  The disadvantage of this design is the complex structure of the gripping device with a large number of driving parts and a large number of moving parts. The large number of parts and the wide range of control applications add cost and make the device uneconomical.

  German patent publication DE 197 40 293 A1 discloses a jig changer in which a jig holding part is passively designed and no active parts are present in the jig holding part. The disadvantage of this device is that the jig can only be placed on the holding part. The jig is not fixed on the holding portion, and is attached at a predetermined position only by its own weight. Therefore, since the space is limited, the holding portion cannot be turned.

[Objectives and Advantages of Invention]
The present invention is based on the object of providing an automatic jig changer having a simple structure that is cost effective, has high functional reliability, and has a low failure rate, and has been developed from the prior art. .

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1 and develops from the automatic jig changer claimed in the preamble of claim 1.
Advantageous developments and improvements of the automatic jig changer specified in the independent claims are realized in the dependent claims.

  The present invention is based on a central concept that realizes all functions for fastening a jig or fixing a jig on a lateral feed base or a jig holding part simply through the operation of the component conveying system. The clamping and fixing functions are purely mechanical and do not require any kind of additional drive. The automatic jig changer claimed in the present invention performs the following functions.

1. Remove the jig on the horizontal feed base.
2. Place the jig on the holding device.
3. Fix the jig on the holding device.

The following is replacement of the jig on the holding device.
4). Remove the jig on the holding device.
5). Hold the jig by the horizontal feed base.

6). Fix the jig on the horizontal feed base.
The fixing function and the detaching function are realized by a movable pin. The fixing operation is generated by the operation of the lateral feed base via the drive unit. The opposite separation action is generated by a spring that provides a biasing force.

  A manual operation for fixing the jig to both the lateral feed base and the holding device and detaching the jig from both the lateral feed base and the holding device is prepared. Specifically, the fixing operation and the detaching operation of the jig are necessary when the jig is exchanged outside the press and the “old” tool set is subsequently removed.

  A substantial advantage of the automatic jig changer claimed in the present invention is that the automatic jig changer can be used in all known component transport devices. This is a system in which mirror images are arranged on both sides of the column, and in the case of a system in which the horizontal feed table is held at both ends on the outside, the transfer device is mounted on the press at the center in the path direction, and the horizontal feed table is held in the center The jig changer claimed in the present invention can be used both in the case of the proposed system.

  The holding device for the jig is either mounted on a sliding table or realized as an active carriage that can move in and out of the press during tool change. If the holding device is attached to a sliding table, the holding device must swivel outside the collision area of the component transport device during manufacture. Instead of being attached to a sliding table, the holding device may be realized as an active carriage as described above. When implemented as an active carriage, the jig exchange carriage returns to the outside of the press when the tool is changed following the jig exchange. Also has the advantage of not bringing It is possible for the jig change carriage to not cause any problems with the collision with the parts transfer system because there is enough space between the individual presses to allow the jig exchange carriage to enter and exit. This is only the case with press lines.

In the case of a small press interval or work table interval, it is conceivable to secure a space for the jig exchange carriage by realizing the support column with a portal design.
Further details and further advantages of the present invention are disclosed by the exemplary embodiments described with reference to the drawings.

[Description of Exemplary Embodiments]
FIG. 1 shows a simplified diagram of a part of a large-sized component conveying press 1. This figure shows processing stages 3 and 4 having a head member 5, a column 6 and a slide 7. Since the jig changing system claimed in the present invention is a type independent of the component conveying system, details of the component conveying system are not shown. Only the lateral feed base 14 on which the automatic jig changing system 10 is mounted is shown. A turning device 9 for holding the automatic jig changing device 10 and the jig 11 is mounted on the sliding table 8. In this embodiment, when exchanging a tool, the jig 11 fixed on the swivel device 9 moves to the outside of the large-sized component conveying press 1 together with the sliding table 8, and in the subsequent tool replacement, Move to. The turning device 9 functions as a holding portion for the jig 11 and is mounted on the sliding table 8 so as to be rotatable at a rotation point 12. In the case of tool change, as soon as the jig 11 is detached from the lateral feed base 14 by the automatic jig changing device 10 on the turning device 9, the turning device 9 moves along the turning angle 13 with the component conveying system. Move to the standby position to avoid the collision.

  FIG. 2 shows a part of the press line 2. In the present embodiment, the jig 11 is not detached from the press together with the sliding table 8, but is arranged on the holding portion 15 and fixed on the holding portion 15 by the jig changing device 10 claimed in the present invention. . The holding unit is attached to the active jig exchanging carriage 16. This embodiment is possible only when there is sufficient space between the presses so that the jig exchanging carriage 16 can enter and exit between the outer columns 6.

  Details of the jig changer 10 claimed in the present invention are shown in FIG. This illustration corresponds to the side view of the present embodiment shown in FIG. In the case of the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 3, the jig 11 is stationary in the holding portion 15. Fixing of the jig 11 in the holding part 15 is achieved by a fixing pin 17 that provides a positive connection between the holding part 15 and the conical member 18 attached to the jig 11.

  As can be seen from FIG. 4, the fixing pin 17 is accurately fitted into the common hole 19 of the conical member 18 and the common hole 19 of the holding portion 15. The holding portion 15 has a conical shape in the same manner as the conical member 18 at the position where the fixing pin 17 is disposed. In the longitudinal direction, the fixing pin 17 is held in place by a spring 20. Fixing of the jig 11 on the lateral feed base 14 is achieved by a fixing pin 21 connected to the lateral feed base 14 via a drive unit 22. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 4, the lateral feed base 14 on which the fixing pin 21 is mounted has already moved in the direction of the arrow 24, and the fixing pin 21 abuts against the plate 23 against the biasing force of the spring 25. , It moves in the direction opposite to the arrow 24 with respect to the lateral feed base 14. In this arrangement, the recess 26 is located on the long axis of the fixing pin 27 attached to the jig 11.

  Then, the lateral feed base 14 is driven by the component conveying system and moves in the direction of the arrow 28. During the movement, the fixing pin 21 is pushed onto the sliding surface of the plate 23 by the urging force of the spring 25. In a state where the linear guide portion 29 is attached to the jig 11 and the linear guide portion 30 is attached to the lateral feed base 14, the linear guide portions 29 and 30 slide with respect to each other. As described above, while the lateral feed base 14 is moving in the direction of the arrow 28, the drive unit 22 that moves together with the lateral feed base 14 collides with the drive surface 31 located on the rear surface of the fixed pin 17. As the drive unit 22 further moves, the fixing pin 17 moves in the same direction as the direction of the arrow 28 against the urging force of the spring 20. By moving the fixing pin 17 in the same direction as the direction of the arrow 28, the above-described normal connection between the holding portion 15 and the conical member 18 is released. As a result, the jig 11 is detached on the holding portion 15. The movement in the direction of the arrow 28 of the horizontal feed base 14 and the parts mounted on the horizontal feed base 14 ends at the position illustrated in FIGS. However, in this arrangement, the jig 11 is not yet fixed on the lateral feed base 14. As a result of the lateral feed base 14 having the jig 11 moving in the direction opposite to the arrow 24, the fixing pin 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow 24 relative to the lateral feed base 14 by the biasing force of the spring 25. As a result, the solid material of the fixing pin 21 is inserted into the recess 32 of the fixing pin 27. Thereby, the jig | tool 11 is fixed on the horizontal feed stand 14, and a components conveying apparatus can restart manufacture. Further, both the fixing pin 17 and the fixing pin 21 can be manually detached and fixed without moving the lateral feed base 14 and the component conveying system. The hand levers 33 and 34 are provided for manually detaching and fixing the fixing pins 17 and 21. The separation and fixing of the fixing pins 17 and 21 are necessary, for example, when the jig 11 is replaced when the sliding table 8 or the jig exchanging carriage 16 moves outward.

  The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown and described. The present invention also includes all developments by those skilled in the art within the scope of protection rights. As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the jig exchange carriage 16 is used, for example, fixing of the jig 11 on the holding unit 15 can be omitted. Since the holding | maintenance part 15 is arrange | positioned horizontally, it is sufficient for the jig | tool 11 which has the automatic jig | tool change apparatus 10 to be supported by own weight, when entering / exiting.

The side view of a large sized component conveyance press is shown. A side view of the press line is shown. The side view of the jig changer which has detached from the transverse feed stand is shown. The top view of the jig changer which has detached from the transverse feed stand is shown. The side view of the jig change device currently fixed to the transverse feed stand is shown. The top view of the jig changer currently fixed to the transverse feed stand is shown.

Explanation of symbols

1. 1. Large parts conveyance press 2. Press line Process stage 4. Processing stage 5. 5. Head member Post 7. Slide 8. 8. Sliding table Swivel device 10. Automatic jig changer 11. Jig 12. Rotation point 13. Turning angle 14. Horizontal feed table 15. Holding unit 16. 16. Jig exchange carriage 17. Fixing pin 18. Conical member 19. Hole 20. Spring 21. Fixing pin 22. Drive unit 23. Plate 24. Arrow 25. Spring 26. Concave portion 27. Fixing pin 28. Arrow 29. Straight guide 30. Straight guide 31. Drive surface 32. Recess 33. Hand lever 34. Hand lever

Claims (9)

An automatic jig changer for a parts transfer device for a workpiece,
A lateral feed base (14) driven by the component conveying device;
A drive unit (22) that moves with the lateral feed base (14);
A holding part (15) for holding the jig (11);
With
The jig (11) is fixed to the holding part (15) by being fixed to the holding part (15) and providing a positive connection between the jig (11) and the holding part (15). Achieved by the pin (17),
The drive unit (22) moves in one direction together with the lateral feed base (14), collides with the drive surface (31) located on the rear surface of the fixed pin (17), and drives in the one direction. When the portion (22) further moves, the fixing pin (17) is detached in the one direction, and the positive connection is released.
An automatic jig changer characterized by that. The automatic jig changing apparatus according to claim 1,
Further comprising another fixing pin (27) attached to the jig (11),
The drive unit (22)
When the drive unit (22) collides with the drive surface (31), a recess (26) into which the another fixing pin (27) is inserted;
Still another fixing pin (21) mounted on the lateral feed base (14) for fixing the other fixing pin (27) inserted into the recess (26).
An automatic jig changer characterized by comprising: The automatic jig changing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The automatic jig exchanging apparatus characterized in that the fixing pin ( 17) can be detached by the urging force of the spring (20 ) . The automatic jig changer according to claim 2 or claim 3,
The disengagement of the another fixing pin (27) can be performed by the biasing force of another spring (25).
An automatic jig changer characterized by that. An automatic jig exchanging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The jig (11), depending on the hand lever (33), the automatic tool changer, characterized in that can be detached the holding portion (15) or al. An automatic jig changer according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The jig (11) can be detached from the lateral feed base (14) by another hand lever (34).
An automatic jig changer characterized by that. An automatic jig exchanging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
It said holding portion (15) is a jig replacement carriage (16), in the tool change, and respectively after tool replacement, the jig exchange carriage (16) driving force of itself, and out of the flop-less An automatic jig changer mounted on a jig change carriage (16). An automatic jig exchanging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The holding device (15) can be mounted on a slide table (8). The automatic jig exchanging device according to claim 8,
The holding part (15) is a turning device (9) which is rotatably mounted on the sliding table (8) and mounted on a turning device (9) which can be turned to a standby position during manufacture. An automatic jig changer characterized in that it is obtained.

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