JP5372422B2 - Work transfer equipment for transport cart - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely and efficiently transfer a workpiece between a carriage and a workpiece storage shelf by shortening positioning time with the carriage for conveying the workpieces loaded in multistage in a height direction in a workpiece transfer device for the carriage. <P>SOLUTION: This workpiece transfer device includes a conveying table 11 for delivering and receiving the workpiece W, an elevating means 12 for elevating the conveying table 11, a forward/backward moving means 13 for moving the conveying table 11 in a workpiece delivering/receiving direction, a communication means 18 communicating with the carriage 3, and a control means 10 for operating the conveying table 11 by controlling the elevating means 12 and the forward/backward moving means 13 based on information on a workpiece loading position obtained by using the communication means 18. The control means 10 performs height position correction of the conveying table 11 based on a signal from a height detecting sensor 15 for detecting the height of a workpiece loading stage when first delivering/receiving the workpiece with the carriage 3 and shortens positioning time based on the height position correction and a height interval between known stages as for the next and thereafter workpiece delivering/receiving. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a workpiece transfer device for a transfer carriage that transfers workpieces between a transfer carriage that loads and conveys workpieces in multiple stages and a workpiece storage shelf.

Conventionally, when transferring workpieces between the transfer carriage and the workpiece transfer side, the positioning accuracy between the transfer carriage and the workpiece transfer side is reduced due to the effects of slippage of the wheels of the transfer carriage and the unevenness of the road surface. There was a case where the transfer was not successful. Therefore, the transfer carriage side is provided with a transfer table for placing a workpiece that can move linearly in either the transfer direction or the width direction with respect to the transfer carriage body and that can rotate in a horizontal plane. There has been proposed a transport cart that uses a transport table to compensate for the stop position accuracy so that the work can be transferred reliably and efficiently without damaging the work (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-206344 (Patent No. 3965585)

However, in the work transfer between the transport vehicle and the storage rack, as shown in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, can not cope when loaded with workpieces in multiple stages, a workpiece to be conveyed are stacked in multiple stages each stage In addition, it cannot be transferred individually and efficiently between the storage shelves.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem, and with a simple configuration, the positioning time with a transport carriage for transporting works stacked in multiple stages in the height direction is shortened. It is an object of the present invention to provide a workpiece transfer device for a transport carriage that can transfer workpieces reliably and efficiently.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a workpiece transfer apparatus for transferring workpieces between a carriage and a workpiece storage shelf that convey workpieces stacked in multiple stages in the height direction. A workpiece transfer table that receives workpieces from a cart or workpiece storage shelf and delivers the received workpieces to the workpiece storage shelf or conveyor cart, lifting means for moving the conveyor table up and down, and workpiece transfer of the conveyor table Forward / backward moving means for moving back and forth in the direction, communication means for communicating with the transport carriage, and the lifting means and the forward / backward movement based on the information on the workpiece loading position obtained by communication using the communication means. by controlling the means and a control means controls the operation of the transport table, the control means, the transport carriage is stopped in front of the workpiece transfer apparatus, the transfer of the work completed Upon first workpiece exchange with the transport carriage until detached from the workpiece transfer apparatus with a high of the conveying table based on a signal from the height detection sensor for detecting the height of the work loading stages in transporting carriage The position correction is performed, and the subsequent workpiece transfer is performed based on the height position correction and the known height interval between steps.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the workpiece transfer apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the transfer table is moved in a horizontal plane in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction, and a left and right movement carriage provided on the transfer table. And a left and right position sensor for detecting a positional deviation of the workpiece , the control means until the transport carriage stops before the workpiece transfer device, completes the transfer of the workpiece and leaves the workpiece transfer device. At the time of the first workpiece exchange with the conveyance carriage between , based on the signal from the left and right position sensor, the left and right movement means is controlled to correct the left and right position of the conveyance table. The horizontal position correction is performed based on the horizontal position correction position.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the workpiece transfer apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the control means is closest to the center of the multi-stage workpiece loading positions based on the information of the workpiece loading positions in the transport carriage. This is the first work transfer for the dan.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the workpiece transfer apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the control means is configured to determine the lowermost and uppermost workpiece loading positions based on the workpiece loading position information on the transport carriage. , The height position of the transfer table is corrected based on the signal from the height detection sensor, and the first two workpieces are transferred. The other stages are corrected by the height position correction. The height position is corrected by proportionally distributing the amount.

A fifth aspect of the present invention, added in the workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 2, depending on the positional accuracy of the conveyance table necessary for the workpiece exchange, the position correction part based on the height detection sensor or the lateral position sensor To do.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is the workpiece transfer apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the height detection sensor is a sensor that detects the heights of the left and right positions of each stage. The height position of the transfer table is corrected based on the detected average height of the left and right heights.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the workpiece transfer apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the position based on the height detection sensor according to the positional accuracy of the transfer table required for workpiece transfer. A correction point is added.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the height position correction is performed by detecting the height of the work loading stage in the transport carriage only at the time of the first workpiece transfer, the positioning time in the height direction between the transport carriage and the transport table is determined. Can reduce the time required to transfer the workpieces stacked in multiple stages, and can transfer the workpieces reliably and efficiently.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, since the right and left position correction of the transfer table is performed based on the signal from the left and right position sensor only at the time of the first workpiece transfer, the positioning time can be shortened and the time for transferring the workpieces stacked in multiple stages The workpiece can be transferred reliably and efficiently.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the height position correction is performed at a height position that is considered to exhibit an average position shift with respect to the position shift in the height direction, the position correction with higher accuracy is also performed at other stages. Can do.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the height position correction is performed based on the upper and lower limit values of the height position deviation, more accurate position correction can be performed in other stages. In addition, a multi-stage workpiece can be transferred only by detecting the height of two places regardless of the number of workpiece loading stages, and the workpiece can be transferred reliably and efficiently.

  According to the invention of claim 5, it is possible to flexibly correspond to the positioning accuracy of the height position and the left and right positions of the transfer table required according to the characteristics of the workpiece to be transferred and the characteristics of the transfer carriage, and shorten the positioning time. The workpiece can be transferred reliably and efficiently between the transport carriage and the workpiece storage shelf.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy of the transfer table with respect to the deviation of the left and right heights, and to transfer the work reliably and efficiently.

  Hereinafter, a workpiece transfer device for a transport carriage according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a workpiece transfer device for a conveyance carriage together with a conveyance carriage and a storage shelf. The workpiece transfer device 1 is a device that is arranged between the workpiece storage shelf 2 and the transport carriage 3 that transports the workpieces W stacked in multiple stages in the height direction, and transfers the workpieces W between them. Here, the conveyance cart 3 side in the workpiece transfer device 1 is defined as the front, and the left side from the workpiece transfer device 1 toward the conveyance cart 3 is defined as the left. In the figure, the front, left, and upper directions are the x direction, the y direction, and the z direction, respectively.

  The workpiece transfer apparatus 1 receives a workpiece W from the workpiece storage shelf 2 or the transport carriage 3 and transfers the received workpiece W to the transport cart 3 or the workpiece storage shelf 2. Lifting and lowering means 12 for moving up and down, forward and backward moving means 13 for moving the transfer table 11 back and forth in the workpiece transfer direction, left and right moving means 14 for moving the transfer table 11 left and right within the horizontal plane, and workpieces in the transfer carriage 3 A height detection sensor 15 that detects the height of the loading stage, a berthing sensor 16 that detects that the conveyance table 11 is in contact with or close to the conveyance carriage 3, and a lateral displacement of the conveyance carriage 3 provided on the conveyance table 11 Left and right position sensor 17, communication means 18 for communicating between storage shelf 2 and transport carriage 3, elevating means 12, and back and forth movement means 13 And a control unit 10 which controls the operation of the conveying table 11 lateral movement means 14 is controlled to.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the transfer table 11 is arranged on the base 12 a that is moved up and down by the elevating means 12 and on the left and right moving means 14 and the front and rear moving means 13. The position can be adjusted back and forth. The transport table 11 is provided with a height detection sensor 15 and a left / right position sensor 17 on the front surface thereof, and a bank contact sensor 16 (not shown).

  The base 12a keeps horizontal by slidably inserting upper and lower guide shafts 12c erected at the four corners of the workpiece transfer device 1 into the guide holes 12b at the four corners. And is moved up and down. Each of the left and right moving means 14 and the back and forth moving means 13 has a built-in linear movement mechanism (not shown) so that a predetermined operation is possible.

  The transfer table 11 is moved back and forth by the back-and-forth movement means 13 in order to transfer the workpiece W, and approaches or moves away from the shelf 20 in the workpiece storage shelf 2 and the shelf 30 in the transfer carriage 3. A workpiece mounting surface 11a of the transfer table 11 is provided with a conveyor device (not shown) for transferring the workpiece W back and forth. When the workpiece W is transferred, the conveyor device rotates forward or reverse in conjunction with the operation of the shelf 20 in the workpiece storage shelf 2 or the shelf 30 in the conveyance carriage 3 and stops while the conveyance table 11 moves back and forth.

  Further, the entire transport table 11 is passively rotated within a horizontal plane. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), when the shelf 30 and the transport table 11 in the transport cart 3 do not face each other, the transport table 11 is moved by the operation of the longitudinal movement means 13. By being pushed toward the front surface, it receives a reaction force (couple) from the shelf 30 via the rolling mechanism 11b and rotates as indicated by an arrow R. Therefore, even when the transport carriage 3 stops without facing the workpiece transfer device 1, the transport table 11 can be directly facing the shelf 30, and the workpiece W can be straightened by the interlocking conveyor device. Can be moved and transferred.

  In addition, the above-described berthing sensor 16 can be configured using a stress sensor that detects the reaction force received from the shelf 30, a motion sensor that detects parallel movement or rotation of the transport table 11 due to the reaction force, and the like. A micro switch or various contact switches can also be used as the pier sensor 16. A proximity sensor that detects a magnetic field, eddy current, or the like, a distance sensor that uses light or ultrasonic waves, and the like can be used together.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the left / right position sensor 17 is configured by using distance sensors provided at predetermined intervals on the left and right sides of the front surface of the transport table 11. In the center of the front surface of the shelf 30 of the transport carriage 3, a recess 31 having a middle step expanded in the left-right direction is formed, and the bottom diameter of the recess 31 is slightly wider than a predetermined interval between the left and right distance sensors. Yes. Therefore, the control means 10 can detect the positional deviation between the transport table 11 and the shelf 30 by comparing the outputs of the left and right distance sensors.

  The workpiece storage shelf 2 includes a plurality of shelves 20 configured in multiple stages in the height direction, and a communication unit 28 that performs communication between the communication unit 18 of the workpiece transfer apparatus 1. On the work placement surface of each shelf 20, a conveyor device (not shown) for transferring the work W back and forth is provided. When the workpiece W is transferred, the conveyor device rotates normally or reversely in conjunction with the operation of the transfer table 11 in the workpiece transfer device 1 and stops while the workpiece W is stored.

  The above-described work storage shelf 2 is a shelf fixedly arranged at a window of a production factory, a hospital, various examination rooms, a warehouse, a distribution center, or the like, for example, and a work W between the work transfer device 1 and the front thereof. Transfer is performed. The workpiece W is, for example, a product, a part, a specimen, a sample, or the like. The form of the work W is not limited to one object, and a form in which a collection of a large number of objects is stored in a container or a tray is possible, and various forms of the work W can be used as a transfer target.

  The transport carriage 3 includes a plurality of shelves 30 for stacking the workpieces W in the height direction, a communication unit 38 that communicates with the communication unit 18 of the workpiece transfer device 1, and an autonomous traveling movement. Means (not shown). On the work placement surface of each shelf 30, a conveyor device (not shown) for transferring the work W back and forth is provided. When the workpiece W is transferred, the conveyor device rotates normally or reversely in conjunction with the operation of the transfer table 11 in the workpiece transfer device 1 and stops while the workpiece W is stored.

  In addition, each shelf 30 has a height from a reference plane (for example, a traveling road surface of the transport carriage), a left and right center position, and a front surface position on the side facing the workpiece transfer device 1, respectively. Are provided with a mark (not shown), a concavo-convex shape, and the like. These marks and concave / convex shapes are detected by a height detection sensor 15 provided on the transport table 11 or the like.

  The above-described transport cart 3 receives a workpiece W from a workpiece storage shelf 2 via the workpiece transfer device 1 or manually, travels autonomously by autonomous traveling means, and reaches another workpiece storage shelf 2. Then, it stops before the workpiece transfer device 1 and delivers the workpiece W via the workpiece transfer device 1.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the operation | movement of the workpiece transfer by the workpiece transfer apparatus 1 is demonstrated. When the transport carriage 3 stops before the workpiece transfer device 1, the control means 10 of the workpiece transfer device 1 controls the lifting / lowering means 12 based on the information of the workpiece loading position obtained by communication using the communication means 18. Then, as shown in FIG. 6A, the transport table 11 is raised and lowered to a predetermined height.

  Thereafter, the control means 10 controls the back-and-forth movement means 13 to advance the transport table 11 toward the shelf 30 of the transport carriage 3 as shown in FIG. In response to the berthing detection signal, the forward movement is stopped and the conveyor of the transfer table 11 is operated. At this time, the work W is moved from the shelf 30 to the conveyance table 11 as shown in FIG. 6C by interlocking the conveyor of the shelf 30 with the conveyance carriage 3 via the communication means 18. .

  When the workpiece W is transferred from the shelf 30 to the conveyance table 11, both conveyors are stopped, and the conveyance table 11 is moved to the shelf of the workpiece storage shelf 2 by the back-and-forth movement means 13, as shown in FIG. It moves toward 20, stops at a predetermined position, and the conveyor of the transfer table 11 is operated. At this time, the work W is moved from the transfer table 11 to the shelf 20 as shown in FIG. 6E by interlocking the conveyor of the shelf 20 with the work storage shelf 2 via the communication means 18. The

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6 (f), the transfer table 11 is returned to the front / rear center position in the work transfer device 1, and the next work W is transferred as shown in FIG. 6 (f). Then, it is moved up and down to a predetermined height. Similarly, the above-described operation is repeated until the transfer of the workpiece W is completed.

  The workpiece transfer by the workpiece transfer device 1 can be performed between the workpiece storage rack 2 and the transport carriage 3 in any combination. That is, in a state where the transport carriage 3 is stopped in front of the workpiece transfer device 1, some works W are transferred from the transport carriage 3 to the work storage rack 2, and some other works W are Transferred from the storage shelf 2 to the transport carriage 3. The correspondence between the plurality of shelves 20 and the plurality of shelves 30 is also arbitrary. Therefore, in order to realize such an arbitrary workpiece transfer, information on the workpiece transfer such as which shelf workpiece is transferred to which shelf is exchanged using each communication means 18, 28, 38. The

  In the series of operations of the transfer table 11 described above, the control means 10 is based on a signal from a height detection sensor 15 that detects the height of the work loading stage in the transfer carriage 3 when the first workpiece is transferred to and from the transfer carriage 3. Then, the height position of the transfer table 11 is corrected, and for the subsequent workpiece transfer, the height position correction is performed based on the first height position correction and the known height interval between steps.

  According to such a workpiece transfer apparatus 1, the height of the workpiece loading stage in the conveyance carriage 3 is detected and the height position correction is performed only at the time of the first workpiece transfer, so that the height between the conveyance carriage 3 and the conveyance table 11 can be corrected. The positioning time in the height direction can be shortened, the time for transferring the workpieces W stacked in multiple stages can be shortened, and the workpieces W can be transferred reliably and efficiently.

  Further, the control means 10 controls the left and right moving means 14 to correct the left and right position of the transfer table 11 on the basis of the signal from the left and right position sensor 17 at the time of the first workpiece exchange with the transfer carriage 3, For workpiece transfer, the left / right position correction is performed based on the position or position correction amount of the first left / right position correction.

  According to such a workpiece transfer device 1, since the left / right position correction of the transfer table 11 is performed based on the signal from the left / right position sensor 17 only at the time of the first workpiece transfer, the positioning time can be shortened and stacked in multiple stages. The time for transferring the workpiece W can be shortened, and the workpiece W can be transferred reliably and efficiently.

  Further, based on the information on the workpiece loading position on the transport carriage 3, the control means 10 first performs workpiece transfer on the stage closest to the center in the height direction at the multistage workpiece loading position. Here, the workpiece loading position refers to the position of the shelf 30 on which the workpiece W scheduled to be received by the conveyance table 11 is loaded on the conveyance carriage 3 and the position of the shelf 30 scheduled to deliver the workpiece W on the conveyance carriage 3. It is. In other words, the workpiece loading position is the position of the shelf 30 that is to be accessed by the transfer table 11. Therefore, it is considered that the step closest to the center in the height direction exhibits an average position shift for each of the position shift in the height direction and the position shift in the left-right direction.

  Even if the transport carriage 3 stopped in front of the workpiece transfer device 1 is tilted due to the influence of the road surface or the deformation of the wheels, the second and subsequent workpieces are transferred to the center of the multistage workpiece loading position. By performing the correction in the vicinity of the near stage, the position can be corrected based on the average value of the deviation amounts of the height position and the left and right positions, so that the position can be corrected with higher accuracy in the other stages.

  Regardless of the above description, a position correction location based on the height detection sensor 15 or the left / right position sensor 17 can be added according to the position accuracy of the transfer table 11 necessary for workpiece transfer. According to such a workpiece transfer apparatus 1, it is possible to flexibly cope with the positioning accuracy of the height position and the left and right positions of the transfer table 11 required according to the characteristics of the transfer target workpiece W and the characteristics of the transfer carriage 3. Positioning time can be shortened, and workpieces can be transferred between the workpiece storage rack 2 and the transport carriage 3 reliably and efficiently. For example, in order to increase the position correction accuracy, the correction accuracy can be further improved by adding not only the uppermost and lowermost steps but also the steps between them.

  Moreover, in the workpiece transfer apparatus 1, the height detection sensor 15 is used as a sensor for detecting the heights of the left and right positions of each stage, and the height of the transfer table 11 is determined based on the average height of the detected left and right heights. Position correction may be performed. According to such a workpiece transfer device 1, position correction can be performed with higher accuracy with respect to a positional shift caused by a tilt in the left-right direction, so that the time for workpiece transfer can be shortened.

  In addition, since the workpiece transfer apparatus 1 is used by being fixed in front of the workpiece storage shelf 2, the positional relationship between the transfer table 11 and the shelf 20 is fixed. Accordingly, by operating the workpiece transfer apparatus 1 under the adjusted initial setting conditions, it is possible to transfer the workpiece between the two without performing alignment using a position sensor or the like. .

  Further, the control means 10 can be configured as a set of electronic computers having a general configuration including a CPU, a memory, an external storage device, a display device, an input device, and the like, and processes thereon.

(Work transfer procedure)
With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7, a series of procedures of workpiece transfer using the workpiece transfer device 1 will be further described. The procedure described here is a procedure from when the transport carriage 3 stops before the workpiece transfer device 1, completes the transfer of the workpiece W, and then leaves the workpiece transfer device 1. When the transport carriage 3 stops before the work transfer device 1, the control means 10 of the work transfer device 1 obtains the work transfer information from the transport carriage 3 or the work storage shelf 2 using the communication means 18 (S1). ).

  The workpiece transfer information is, for example, the identification number, the number, the workpiece loading position (such as the identification number of the shelf 30) related to the workpiece W loaded on the transport carriage 3 and transferred to the workpiece storage shelf 2. Information. Similarly, information such as the identification number, the number, and the workpiece loading position (such as the identification number of the shelf 20) related to the workpiece W stored in the workpiece storage shelf 2 and transferred to the transport carriage 3. is there.

  Here, only the case of transfer from the transport carriage 3 to the work storage shelf 2 will be described. However, in the case of transfer from the work storage shelf 2 to the transport carriage 3, only the movement direction of the work W changes. is there. Upon obtaining the workpiece transfer information, the control means 10 controls the lifting / lowering means 12 based on the workpiece loading position information to raise and lower the transfer table 11 to a predetermined height (S2) and move forward toward the transfer carriage 3. And berthing (S3).

  When the berthing in step S3 is the first time (Yes in S4), the control means 10 performs height position correction based on the signal from the height detection sensor 15 (S5), and further, the left and right position sensors. The left / right position correction is performed based on the detection signal from 17 (S6).

  When the above-mentioned berthing is not the first time (No in S4), the control means 10 does not depend on the detection signal from the left / right position sensor 17 and corrects the left / right position based on the first right / left position correction. (S7). In order to perform this correction, the control means 10 stores a correction amount from a reference value relating to the first horizontal position correction.

  When the height position and the left and right position of the transfer table 11 are corrected and determined, communication is performed, the conveyor is operated, and workpieces are transferred from the transfer carriage 3 to the transfer table 11 (S8). Then, the transfer table 11 is retracted (S9). Thereafter, the height position of the transfer table 11 is adjusted to a predetermined shelf 20 in the workpiece storage shelf 2, and the workpiece is transferred (closed to the berth) (closed to the shelf 20) (S10).

  Each time the transfer of one workpiece W is completed, it is determined whether or not the entire transfer has been completed (S11). If all the workpieces have been transferred (Yes in S11), the processing in the workpiece transfer device 1 is performed. Is completed, and the transport carriage 3 is detached from the front of the workpiece transfer device 1.

  If the transfer is not completed for all the workpieces (No in S11), the control means 10 sets the next lift position based on the previous height position correction (S12). In this setting, the control means 10 uses the stored correction amount from the reference value regarding the first height position correction. Thereafter, the control is returned to step S2, and the above-described processing is repeated.

  The left-right position correction in step S7 described above may be performed before or after step S12.

(Other procedures for transferring workpieces)
With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8, another series of procedures for transferring a workpiece using the workpiece transfer device 1 will be described. In this procedure, the control means 10 determines the height of the transfer table 11 based on the signal from the height detection sensor 15 for the lowermost and uppermost work load positions based on the information of the work load positions on the transfer carriage 3. The position is corrected and the first two workpieces are exchanged. For the other stages, the correction of the height position is performed by proportionally distributing the correction amount obtained by the height position correction.

  The procedure described here is the same as the content described with reference to FIG. 7 described above with respect to the workpiece transfer information and transfer conditions. Further, it is not necessary to adjust the left / right position of the transfer table 11. Under such a premise, when the transport carriage 3 stops before the workpiece transfer device 1, the control means 10 of the workpiece transfer device 1 obtains workpiece transfer information (# 1).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the workpiece is transferred for the first time. If the workpiece is transferred for the first time (Yes in # 2), the control means 10 refers to the workpiece transfer information and determines the shelf 30 to be transferred. The transport table 11 is moved up and down to the uppermost position (# 3). Next, the control means 10 advances and contacts the conveyance table 11, and performs height position correction based on the signal from the height detection sensor 15 (# 4).

  Thereafter, the workpiece W is transferred from the transfer cart 3 to the transfer table 11 (# 5), the transfer table 11 is retracted (# 6), and the workpiece is transferred to the workpiece storage shelf 2 (# 7).

  If it is determined in step # 2 that it is not the first time (No in # 2), it is further determined whether it is the second time (# 9). In the case of the second time (Yes in # 9), the transport table 11 is moved up and down to the lowest position of the shelf 30 that is the target of workpiece transfer with reference to the workpiece transfer information (# 3). Thereafter, the above steps # 4 to # 7 are executed.

  If it is not the second time, that is, if it is the third time or later (No in # 9), the control means 10 sets the lift position by interpolating the height position corrected for the first time and the second time. (# 12) The transport table 11 is moved up and down to the set position (# 12). Thereafter, the above steps # 4 to # 7 are executed.

  After the above-described step # 7, it is determined whether or not the entire workpiece transfer has been completed (# 8). If all the workpieces have not been transferred (No in # 8), the control returns to step # 2. Then, the above-described processing is repeated. If transfer has been completed for all the workpieces (Yes in # 8), the workpiece transfer process is completed, and the transport carriage 3 is detached from the front of the workpiece transfer apparatus 1.

  According to the workpiece transfer apparatus 1 that performs the processing as described above, the height position correction is performed based on the upper and lower limits of the height position deviation, so that more accurate position correction can be performed in other stages. . In addition, workpieces can be delivered with high positional accuracy by detecting the heights of two locations regardless of the number of workpiece loading stages, and workpieces can be transferred reliably and efficiently.

(Example)
9 and 10 show an embodiment of a workpiece transfer device for a transfer carriage, and FIGS. 11A and 11B show an embodiment of a transfer carriage to which the workpiece transfer device is to receive and transfer a workpiece. The lower part of the transport carriage 3 incorporates a motor, a travel control device, a battery and the like, and has a function of autonomously traveling without a track. Since the transport carriage 3 autonomously travels without a track, the stop positioning accuracy with respect to the workpiece transfer device 1 is, for example, ± 30 mm in horizontal accuracy. In addition, the transport carriage 3 includes a multi-stage stocker (shelf 30) for storing the workpieces W in the upper part. The multistage stocker is protected by a shutter or the like for protection from the outside when the transport carriage 3 is traveling.

  With the positioning accuracy of the transport carriage 3 as described above, the workpiece W stored in the multistage shelf 30 arranged in a three-dimensional manner is reliably transferred to the workpiece transfer device 1 due to unevenness of the floor surface and manufacturing errors. It cannot always be delivered. Therefore, the workpiece transfer apparatus 1 absorbs the positioning error of the transport carriage 3 and the error due to the influence of the floor surface by the transport table 11. Although the same function can be obtained even if this transport table 11 is installed in each stocker of the transport cart 3, the load of the work W on the transport cart 3 can be reduced by installing the transport table 11 on the work transfer device 1 side. More can be secured.

  When the transport carriage 3 comes into contact with the workpiece transfer device 1, the transport table 11 protrudes forward, contacts the shelf 30 of the transport carriage 3, and the rotational position of the transport table within the horizontal plane is automatically adjusted. At this time, the left / right position correction is performed using the left / right position detection opening (the recess 31 in FIG. 5) and the left / right position sensor 17 (not shown) in the shelf 30 (see FIG. 5).

  Thereafter, the height position of the shelf 30 is searched by the height detection sensor 15 over a certain amount, for example, ± 20 mm, and the height position is corrected. With respect to the upper and lower search amounts, the conveyance carriage 3 is limited to movement in a plane, so that even if it is large, the height error is within 10 mm, and is set to 20 mm with a margin. In this embodiment, this search operation is performed only for the lowermost stage of the multistage shelf 30 (stocker), and the height of the upper stage is determined by adding a certain height (design value) thereafter. ing. In the left-right direction, the left and right positioning of the transport table 11 is performed using the correction amount obtained in the lowermost stage as it is.

  Here, the height position correction of the transport table 11 will be described. As shown in FIG. 12A, two photoelectric sensors 5 arranged in the height direction for detecting the height position of the shelf 30 of each stage of the transport carriage 3 are provided on the front surface of the transport table 11. It has been. The two photoelectric sensors 5 are sensors constituting the height detection sensor 15. Further, a reflection plate 15 a for height detection is disposed on the shelf 30 of the transport carriage 3.

  The photoelectric sensor 5 is a sensor that emits a light beam and detects reflected light of the light beam. When the light beam is applied to the reflection plate 15a, a reflection signal output is obtained, and when the light beam deviates from the reflection plate 15a, no reflection signal output is obtained. The arrangement interval in the height direction of the two photoelectric sensors 5 is such that the light beams from both photoelectric sensors 5 are included in the height direction width of the reflector 15a at the same time, and there is a margin within the range of the height detection tolerance. There is no interval.

  In other words, if the difference between the height of the transport table 11 and the height of the shelf 30 is larger than the height detection tolerance, only the reflected signal output from one of the photoelectric sensors 5 can be obtained. This is shown in FIGS. 12B and 12C. According to the height detection sensor 15 configured in this way, as shown in FIG. 12A, the position where the reflected signal outputs from the two photoelectric sensors 5 can be obtained simultaneously is searched for while raising and lowering the transport table 11. Thus, the height detection of the multistage shelves 30 of the transport carriage 3 can be easily performed. Further, according to such height detection, there is an advantage that it is easy to provide the reflector 15a having a predetermined width on the front surface of the shelf 30. The reflection plate 15a may be made easier by attaching a reflection seal or the like.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described configurations, and various modifications can be made. For example, the left / right position sensor 17 and the left / right moving means 14 are not necessarily provided. As such a correction means related to the left and right positions, for example, guide rails spreading toward the front may be provided on the upper left and right sides of the transfer table 11. Further, the interval between the shelves 30 and the shelves 20 is not necessarily constant, and each interval data between the steps is stored in the workpiece transfer device 1 in advance or transmitted to the workpiece transfer device 1 by communication. You may make it. In this case, after the first height position correction, the elevation height of the transfer table 11 can be set with reference to the interval data. Moreover, the workpiece transfer apparatus 1 can be configured by combining the configurations in the above-described embodiments.

  In the above description, the workpiece storage shelf 2 and the workpiece transfer device 1 are described as separate units. However, the workpiece storage shelf 2 may be included in the workpiece transfer device 1. In this case, the workpiece transfer device 1 and the workpiece storage shelf 2 can be stored in one common frame. Further, regardless of whether the workpiece transfer device 1 and the workpiece storage shelf 2 are separate or integrated, the communication means 28 of the workpiece storage shelf 2 can be omitted. In this case, the control means 10 of the workpiece transfer apparatus 1 may directly control the workpiece storage shelf 2.

The block block diagram which showed the workpiece transfer apparatus for conveyance trolleys which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention with the conveyance trolley and the storage shelf. The side view which showed the workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above with the conveyance trolley | bogie and the storage shelf. The perspective view of the conveyance table in a workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above. (A) (b) is a top view explaining operation | movement of the left-right position sensor provided in the conveyance table in a workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above. (A) (b) is a top view which shows a mode that the conveyance table in a workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above correct | amends rotational position by reaction force. (A)-(g) is a schematic diagram which shows the mode of the workpiece transfer by a workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above in time series. The flowchart explaining the procedure of the workpiece transfer using a workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above. The flowchart explaining the other procedure of the workpiece transfer using a workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above. The side view which shows the Example of the workpiece transfer apparatus for conveyance trolleys of this invention with a storage shelf. The front view of a workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above. (A) is the front view which shows the Example of the conveyance trolley | bogie which is the object which a workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above delivers / receives a workpiece | work, (b) is the side view. (A) (b) (c) is a side view which shows the mode of the height alignment of the conveyance table with respect to a conveyance trolley in a workpiece transfer apparatus same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Work transfer apparatus 2 Work storage shelf 3 Conveyance cart 11 Conveyance table 12 Lifting means 13 Forward / backward movement means 14 Left / right movement means 15 Height detection sensor 16 Bank contact sensor 17 Left / right position sensor 18 Communication means W Workpiece

Claims (7)

In a workpiece transfer device that transfers workpieces between a transport carriage and workpiece storage shelves that transport workpieces stacked in multiple stages in the height direction,
A workpiece transfer table for receiving workpieces from a conveyor cart or a workpiece storage shelf, and transferring the received workpiece to the workpiece storage shelf or the conveyor cart;
Elevating means for elevating and lowering the transfer table;
Back-and-forth movement means for moving the transfer table back and forth in the workpiece transfer direction;
A communication means for communicating with the transport carriage;
Control means for controlling the operation of the transfer table by controlling the elevating means and the forward / backward movement means based on the information of the workpiece loading position obtained by communication using the communication means,
The control means stops the transfer carriage before the workpiece transfer device, completes the transfer of the workpiece, and transfers the first workpiece to and from the transfer cart until the workpiece is transferred from the workpiece transfer device . Based on the signal from the height detection sensor that detects the height of the work loading stage, the height position of the transfer table is corrected, and for the subsequent workpiece transfer, the height position correction and the known height between the stages are performed. A workpiece transfer apparatus that performs height position correction based on the interval. A left-right moving means for moving the transfer table in a direction perpendicular to the delivery direction in a horizontal plane;
A left and right position sensor provided on the transfer table for detecting a left and right position shift of the transfer carriage;
The control means is configured so that the left-right position is determined when the transfer carriage is stopped before the workpiece transfer device, and when the workpiece is transferred from the workpiece transfer device until the workpiece transfer is completed. Based on the signal from the sensor, the left / right movement means is controlled to correct the left / right position of the transfer table, and for the subsequent workpiece transfer, the left / right position correction is performed based on the position of the left / right position correction. The workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece transfer device is characterized in that:   The said control means performs workpiece | work transfer first about the stage nearest to the center of a multistage workpiece | work loading position based on the information of the workpiece | work loading position in a conveyance trolley, The Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Workpiece transfer device.   The control means corrects the height position of the transfer table based on a signal from the height detection sensor for each of the lowermost and uppermost work load positions based on the information of the work load positions on the transfer carriage. The first and second workpieces are exchanged, and the height position correction is performed by proportionally allocating the correction amount obtained by the height position correction for the other stages. 2. The workpiece transfer apparatus according to 2. The workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a position correction position based on the height detection sensor or the left / right position sensor is added according to the position accuracy of the transfer table necessary for workpiece transfer.   The height detection sensor is a sensor that detects the heights of the left and right positions of each stage, and performs the height position correction of the transport table based on the average height of the detected left and right heights. The workpiece transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The workpiece transfer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a position correction location based on the height detection sensor is added in accordance with the position accuracy of the transfer table necessary for workpiece transfer. apparatus.

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