JP5586016B2 - Work transfer device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a workpiece transfer device used for mounting an engine (engine unit) on a vehicle body in a vehicle production line, for example.

  A conventional engine mounting device is composed of a main line for assembling a vehicle and an engine mounting device (a decking device). The decking device is assembled in a chassis preparation line for assembling the engine and a chassis (suspension), and the chassis preparation line. And a mounting station for mounting the engine assembly mounted on the mounting carriage in the transfer station on the mainline vehicle.

  The configuration of the initial chassis preparation line consists of mounting the engine and chassis on a self-propelled unmanned cart (AGV), and assembling the engine and chassis on this unmanned cart, and the assembled engine assembly is a decking device. It is comprised so that the work assembled | attached to a vehicle may be performed.

  At this time, dozens of unmanned carts are required on the chassis preparation line, and the cost (price) of one unmanned cart is high, so that there is a problem that the cost of the devices constituting the chassis preparation line is high. . In addition, a large space is required for the unmanned cart to stand by and run.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the chassis preparation line 90 shown in Patent Document 1 moves a jig carriage 91 on which the engine and the chassis are mounted by an annularly arranged drive chain 92, thereby assembling the engine and the chassis. And the assembled engine assembly is assembled to the vehicle with the engine mounting device.

Japanese Patent No. 4170175

  However, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), in the chassis preparation line 90 having the above-described configuration, the jig carriage 91 runs on the mount 93, and the mount 93 has the main body frame and the running frame integrally formed. It is configured to be combined. Therefore, since the structure of the gantry 93 becomes large, in order to change the chassis preparation line 90 such as increasing the number of jig trolleys 91 in accordance with the process change, a large-scale remodeling work of the gantry 93 is required. There was a problem.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6B, the drive unit 94 for supplying power to the drive chain 92 uses a specially constructed chain 94c to which the drive force from the drive motor 94a is attached. In order to transmit, there exists a subject that the cost of the whole apparatus becomes expensive.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described matters, and has a simple configuration, and can move a carriage in an arbitrary direction and can easily change a process. The purpose is to provide.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a frame having a slit formed in the conveying direction, a ribbon body accommodated in the frame so that the upper part is guided by the slit of the frame, and an upper end of the ribbon body. It is connected to the carriage connecting portion that is connected and protrudes to the upper part of the gantry, the driving portion that supplies power for moving the ribbon body in the transport direction along the slit, the support portion that supports the workpiece, and the carriage connecting portion. a connecting portion, possess a jig trolley traveling on the gantry,
further,
The gantry is provided on the floor surface,
The carriage connecting portion is configured to protrude from the upper surface of the jig carriage running surface on the gantry in a state where the ribbon body is accommodated in the slit . (Claim 1)

  The gantry is cured at a position at least higher than the width of the ribbon body from the installation floor of the work transfer device so that the ribbon body arranged in the slit does not protrude from the upper surface of the gantry (the running surface of the jig carriage). It forms a running surface (base) of the tool truck, and has a strength that can sufficiently mount a jig truck on which a workpiece or the like is mounted.

  The ribbon body has a plate shape thinner than the width of the slit and is made of an elastic material. For example, an elastic spring having a tensile strength sufficient to transmit power for moving all jig carriages and workpieces in the workpiece transfer device and having elasticity that is easy to bend along a line formed by slits. It is preferable to consist of steel materials. The ribbon body is preferably formed of a steel material, and the ribbon body (ribbon steel) made of steel material preferably has a thickness of about 1 mm. Moreover, it is preferable that the ribbon body is connected in a loop shape, and in this case, the jig carriage travels on the track on which the loop-shaped ribbon body is arranged in the workpiece transfer device.

  The carriage connecting portion is preferably made of a material having a low frictional resistance, and is made of, for example, a synthetic resin having an outer shape that is sufficiently wider than the slit and having a connecting recess.

  It is preferable that the drive unit abuts on the upstream portion of the ribbon body and pulls the ribbon body from the upstream end portion, and that the tension is applied by frictional contact so as to sandwich the ribbon body from both sides thereof. Although it is conceivable, knurls or through-holes may be formed on the side surface of the ribbon body to form irregularities, and irregularities that fit into the irregularities may be formed in the drive unit to perform reliable power transmission. Further, the jig carriage is configured to be able to move freely on the gantry, and includes, for example, a wheel arranged to roll in the front-rear direction mainly along the transport direction, and a wheel that freely changes direction. It is preferable.

  The workpiece transport device having the above-described configuration uses the ribbon body as a slider by applying a tension to the ribbon body by the driving unit, and travels the jig cart through the carriage coupling unit coupled to the upper part by the slide of the ribbon body. Supply power to make it happen. In the curved part of the slit, the ribbon body is bent in the direction in which the slit is formed and transmits the tension, so that the jig carriage can be conveyed in an arbitrary direction.

  The ribbon body is composed of ribbon body parts configured to be connectable for each predetermined length, and each ribbon body part is connected to the front and rear ribbon body parts so as to be separable from the front and rear ribbon body parts at both ends in the transport direction. And the frame is composed of frame parts that are separable for each slit having a length corresponding to the length of each ribbon body part (Claim 2), Since the length of the slits formed in the gantry parts are configured to be connectable for each same length, by adjusting the combination of ribbon body parts to be linked, The track can be freely recombined, and the traveling route of the jig carriage in the workpiece transfer device can be easily changed. In addition, it is preferable that the length of the ribbon body part and the length of the slit of the gantry are formed by the length of one process of the work process in the factory.

  In the case where the slit is formed to be connected in an annular shape and a sinkle carrier for guiding the lower end portion of the ribbon body is provided at the curved portion of the slit (Claim 3), the ribbon body also in the portion where the slit is curved Since the lower part of the ribbon is movably held in the direction in which the slit is formed by the sinkle carrier, the tension applied from the driving part acts on each part of the ribbon body connected in an annular shape, and the jig carriage is moved along the slit. It can be run. In addition, it is preferable to make the width | variety of the slit in a curved part sufficiently larger than the thickness of a ribbon body.

  The driving unit abuts against the side surface of the ribbon body, a second roller that abuts against the opposite side surface of the ribbon body facing the first roller and is pressed against the ribbon body side, and supplies rotational force to the first roller Drive motor, a power transmission mechanism for transmitting power for rotating the second roller in the opposite direction to the first roller by the rotational force of the drive motor, and abutting the surfaces of the first roller and the second roller to the roller surface (4), the driving force can be applied to the ribbon body by the first roller and the second roller. At this time, the second roller rotates in the opposite direction to the first roller, and the second roller is pressed against the ribbon body by a spring or the like, so that the roller surface of the first roller and the second roller contacts the ribbon body. It is possible to increase the frictional force at the portion and to apply the driving force to the ribbon body reliably. Since the blade prevents foreign matter from adhering to the roller surface, the frictional resistance can be kept high.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the manufacturing cost can be reduced because the structure is simpler than the conventional conveyance device using an unmanned carriage and the conveyance that supplies a driving force using a chain. In addition, since each member is lighter than when a chain or an unmanned carriage is used, the workpiece transfer device can be easily assembled and the process can be easily changed. In addition, the direction of the elastic ribbon body can be changed with a smaller radius of rotation (R dimension) than the conveyance using the unmanned carriage, so that the workpiece conveyance device can be arranged in a narrower space.

  In addition, in order to drive and drive a thin plate-shaped ribbon body, the driving force is reliably applied to the thin plate-shaped ribbon steel by driving the ribbon body with the roller sandwiched between the rollers of the drive unit and pressing the ribbon body with the roller. Can be transmitted.

  In addition, by producing all the traveling gantry frames at the same pitch, the driving unit can be assembled in any traveling gantry frame, and the process can be easily changed.

It is a top view which shows the whole structure of the workpiece conveyance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the side view seen from the conveyance direction of the said workpiece conveyance apparatus. It is a figure explaining the structure of the ribbon body of the said workpiece conveyance apparatus, (A) is a top view, (B) is a side view. It is a side view which shows the structure of the drive part of the said workpiece conveyance apparatus. It is a top view of the said drive part. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional workpiece conveyance apparatus, (A) is a general view, (B) is a principal part enlarged view.

Hereinafter, the structure of the workpiece conveyance apparatus 1 of this invention is demonstrated using FIGS. The workpiece transfer apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a frame 3 in which a slit 2 is formed in the transfer direction, a ribbon body 4 accommodated in the frame 3 so that the upper portion is guided by the slit 2 of the frame 3, and the ribbon body A carriage connecting portion 5 (5a, 5b) which is connected to the upper end of the base 4 and protrudes from the upper portion of the gantry 3; a drive portion 6 for supplying power for moving the ribbon body 4 along the slit 2 in the conveying direction; A jig carriage 7 that travels on the gantry 3, including a support part 7 a that supports an engine or an engine assembly as an example of W and connection parts 7 b and 7 c that are connected to the carriage connection part 5 (5 a and 5 b). Have

  Since the workpiece conveyance device 1 of the present embodiment mainly conveys an engine such as an automobile or an engine assembly as a workpiece W such as an automobile, the workpiece conveyance device 1 is used as an engine conveyance device or an engine mounting device on a vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the slit 2 is formed in an annular shape, and the gantry 3 has a plurality of gantry parts that can be separated by a length L1 of the slit 2 that is half of the span L2 for one process. 3pa, 3pb, and a pedestal part 3pc that can be separated by a length L3 that is ¼ of the span L2 are connected to each other. Further, linear slits 2 are formed on the gantry parts 3pa and 3pc, and slits 2 are formed on the gantry part 3pb so as to form a 90 ° arc.

As shown in FIG. 2, the gantry 3 forms a running surface 3a of the jig carriage 7 on the upper surface thereof, and at least the legs 3b provided at the four corners of the gantry parts 3pa, 3pb, 3pc have the running surface. 3a is provided with an adjuster 3c for absorbing the unevenness of the floor F and keeping it horizontal. Moreover, it has the sinkle carrier 9 provided with a pair of roller 9a, 9b and the roller 9c which contact | abut to the both sides | surfaces of the lower end part of the ribbon body 4 for every predetermined space | interval. Further, a sinkle carrier 9 for guiding the lower end portion of the ribbon body 4 is continuously provided in a portion where the slit 2 is curved as in the frame part 3pb and in the front and rear portions thereof.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the ribbon body 4 is a plate-shaped steel material (ribbon steel) thinner than the width of the slit 2, and can be separated in accordance with a span L2 for one process. This ribbon body part 4a includes ribbon body connecting portions 4b and 4c at both front and rear ends in the transport direction X. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the ribbon body part 4a is, for example, 1 mm (see FIG. 3A), a little over 100 mm in the vertical direction (see FIG. 3B), and a little over 2400 mm in the length direction. Have a width of

In addition, a plurality of protrusions 4d are formed at the upper end of the central part of the ribbon body part 4a, and the carriage connecting portion 5 can be fixed to the protrusions 4d by screws. Further, the protruding portion 4d and the carriage connecting portion 5 (5a, 5b) protrude from the upper surface of the running surface 3a even when the ribbon body 4 is accommodated in the slit 2.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (B), two carriage connecting portions 5 are attached at an interval in the front and rear of the ribbon body 4 in the transport direction X, and a connecting recess is provided in each of these carriage connecting portions 5a and 5b. 5c and 5d. In addition, one of the recesses 5d is formed in a long hole so that a play of, for example, 10 mm can be made in the front-rear direction, and the distance D between the front and rear recesses 5c, 5d is adjusted to the length La of the jig carriage 7 in the transport direction. In this embodiment, it is formed so as to be separated by a distance D of, for example, about 30% with respect to the length La of the jig carriage 7.

  The jig carriage 7 includes a frame 7d having connecting portions 7b and 7c made of rods which are connected by being fitted into recesses 5c and 5d provided in the cart connecting portions 5a and 5b, and a lower end portion of the frame 7d. A caster 7e that enables the jig carriage 7 to move in an arbitrary direction is provided. The caster 7e is preferably a free caster or a ball caster whose rotation direction can be freely changed when the conveyance direction is sharply curved. However, when the conveyance direction is substantially straight, a wheel caster is used. May be used.

  The drive unit 6 in the workpiece transfer apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 applies tension to the annular ribbon body 4 and drives it in the conveyance direction. However, since the jig carriage 7 is driven in accordance with the tension applied to the ribbon body 4, the slit is provided on the upstream side of the jig carriage 7 on which the workpiece W is placed and provided at the upper end portion thereof. It is preferable that the ribbon body 4 is installed in 6a.

  Moreover, 6b is a leg with an adjuster provided so that the drive part 6 may be arrange | positioned on the floor surface F keeping horizontal. In addition, when the ribbon body 4 is not arrange | positioned cyclically | annularly, the drive part 6 needs to be arrange | positioned upstream of the jig trolley 7 on which the workpiece | work W was mounted.

The driving unit 6 includes a first roller 10 abutting on the side surface of the ribbon member 4, a second roller 11 is pressed against the ribbon core 4 abuts against the opposite side of the ribbon body 4 facing the first roller 10 A drive motor 12 for supplying a rotational force to the first roller 10; a power transmission mechanism 13 for transmitting power for rotating the second roller 11 in the opposite direction to the first roller 10 by the rotational force of the drive motor 12; A blade 14 that contacts the surfaces 10a and 11a of the first roller 10 and the second roller 11 and scrapes off the deposits on the roller surfaces 10a and 11a.

  The surfaces 10a and 11a formed on the outer peripheral portions of the first roller 10 and the second roller 11 are made of a material having a high frictional resistance, and the first roller 10 is rotated by a gear box 12a provided at the output of the drive motor 12. By being connected to the shaft core 10b, it is directly driven by the drive motor 12. A sprocket 10c is further connected to the shaft core 10b.

  The power transmission mechanism 13 is arranged on the opposite side across the ribbon body 4 with the chain 13a wound around the sprocket 10c, and is coaxial with the sprocket 13b around which the chain 13a is wound. A first auxiliary roller 13c that is arranged and rotated, and a second auxiliary roller 13d that is in frictional contact with the outer peripheral surface of the first auxiliary roller 13c and that is connected to the shaft core 11b that is connected to the second roller 11. A swinging support 13e that supports these auxiliary rollers 13c and 13d so as to be swingable about the rotation axis of the sprocket 13b, and a swinging end of the swinging support 13e is biased toward the ribbon body 4 side. And an elastic body (spring in the present embodiment) 13f.

The blade 14 and the blade support body 14a disposed in the vicinity of the rollers 10 and 11, contact is biased so pressed against each surface 10a of the rollers 10 and 11, to 11a in both sides of the blade support 14a Contact pieces 14b and 14c are provided. Reference numeral 15 denotes a roller for guiding the ribbon body 4 at both front and rear ends in the transport direction of the drive unit 6.

  Since the workpiece conveying apparatus 1 configured as described above transmits the driving force from the driving motor 12 of the driving unit 6 to the first roller 10 and the second roller 11 as indicated by arrows R1 and R2, respectively. The ribbon body 4 in contact with the surfaces 10a and 11a of the rollers 10 and 11 can be moved in the transport direction X.

At this time, since the force is applied to the second roller 11 so as to be pressed against the ribbon body 4 by the spring 13f, the friction resistance between the rollers 10 and 11 and the ribbon body 4 is applied even to the thin ribbon body 4 of about 1 mm. Can be pulled up as much as possible, and the blade 14 always keeps the surfaces 10a, 11a of the rollers 10, 11 clean, so that a stronger tension can be applied to the ribbon body 4. That is, a sufficient force for moving the jig carriage 7 in the transport direction can be supplied via the ribbon body 4.

  Further, since the upper end portion of the ribbon body 4 is accommodated in the slit 2, the ribbon body 4 moves in the direction in which the slit 2 is formed, and the jig carriage 7 can be moved in the direction of the slit 2. In addition, since the sinkle carrier 9 that guides the lower end portion of the ribbon body 4 is formed at the portion where the slit 2 is curved and before and after the curved portion, the ribbon body 4 is also detached from the slit 2 at the curved portion of the slit 2. It can move reliably in the direction in which the slit 2 was formed.

  Since the carriage connecting portion 5 attached to the upper end of the ribbon body 4 is disposed at a distance D before and after the conveyance direction, the conveyance direction of the jig carriage 7 is changed when the ribbon body 4 changes direction at the curved portion. Can be reliably followed. In the present embodiment, the distance D is not too small compared to the length La in the conveying direction of the jig carriage 7 and is about 30% of the total length L. However, the present invention is not limited to this ratio. It goes without saying that there is nothing. In addition, it is preferable that the longer the gap D is, the longer the elongated hole of the recess 5d is formed to provide play.

  The ribbon body 4 configured as described above is configured to be separable at the same length as the span L2 of each process, and each of the gantry parts 3pa, 3pb, 3pc is 1/2 or 1/4 of the span L2. The length is separable. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the combination of the gantry parts 3pa, 3pb, 3pc and appropriately increasing / decreasing the ribbon body 4, the workpiece transfer device 1 for a new work process can be easily reassembled.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Work conveying apparatus 2 Slit 3 Mounting base 3pa, 3pb, 3pc Mounting base part 4 Ribbon body 4a Ribbon body part 4b, 4c Ribbon body connection part 5 (5a, 5b) Carriage connection part 6 Drive part 7 Jig trolley 7a Support part 7b, 7c connecting part 9 single carrier 10 first roller 11 second roller 12 drive motor 13 power transmission mechanism 14 blade L2 predetermined length W work X transport direction

Claims (4)

A frame with slits formed in the conveying direction;
A ribbon body accommodated in the frame so that the upper part is guided by the slit of the frame;
A carriage connecting portion connected to the upper end of the ribbon body and protruding to the upper portion of the gantry;
A drive unit for supplying power to move the ribbon body in the transport direction along the slit;
Support portion for supporting the workpiece and a connecting portion connected to the carriage coupling portion, possess a jig trolley traveling on the gantry,
further,
The gantry is provided on the floor surface,
The workpiece conveying device, wherein the carriage connecting portion is configured to protrude from an upper surface of a jig carriage traveling surface on the gantry in a state where the ribbon body is accommodated in the slit .   The ribbon body is composed of ribbon body parts configured to be connectable for each predetermined length, and each ribbon body part is connected to the front and rear ribbon bodies connected to the front and rear ends of the ribbon body in a separable manner. The workpiece conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a frame part configured to be separable for each slit having a length corresponding to the length of each ribbon body part.   The work conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sinkle carrier that is formed by connecting the slits in an annular shape and guides a lower end portion of the ribbon body at a curved portion of the slits. The driving unit supplies a rotational force to the first roller that contacts the side surface of the ribbon body, the second roller that contacts the opposite side surface of the ribbon body facing the first roller and is pressed against the ribbon body side, and the first roller. Drive motor, a power transmission mechanism for transmitting power for rotating the second roller in the opposite direction to the first roller by the rotational force of the drive motor, and abutting the surfaces of the first roller and the second roller to the roller surface The work conveyance apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3 provided with the braid | blade which scrapes off the deposit | attachment of this.

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