JP5733790B2 - Sheet-like member conveying device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet-like member conveying device that sequentially takes out a sheet-like member from a stack (bundle) in which a plurality of sheet-like members are stacked and conveys the sheet-like member to a downstream process such as a press machine.

Conventionally, as a technique for supplying this type of sheet-like workpiece to a press machine, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a destack feeder 22 as shown in FIG. The destack feeder is an apparatus that separates sheet materials one by one from a bundled sheet group (a bundle (stack) in which a plurality of sheet materials are stacked) and supplies them to a press machine.
As shown in FIG. 9A, in the destack feeder 22 described in Patent Document 1, a destack stage 5 is installed on the upstream side of the press machine 1.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, a table lifter 12 that can be moved up and down is provided below the destack stage 5. Above the destack stage 5, a vacuum cup 16 that can be moved up and down, and a magnetic belt that conveys the sheet material 3 pulled up one by one by the vacuum cup 16 to a delivery stage 4 provided on the press machine 1 side. 19 is installed.

  When the sheet material 3 is supplied to the press machine 1 one by one by the destack feeder 22, first, the stack (a bundle of a plurality of sheet materials 3) transferred to the destack stage 5 is lifted by the table lifter 12. Ascend to a predetermined position.

  Next, the vacuum cup 16 descends, adsorbs and grips the uppermost sheet material 3 of the stack 3, and then ascends and passes the sheet material 3 to the magnet belt 19. The sheet material 3 travels toward the delivery stage 4 by the magnet belt 19. By repeating such operations, the sheet materials 3 of the stack 3 are sequentially supplied (conveyed) to the press machine 1.

  On the other hand, when the sheet material 3 of the stack 3 runs out, the table lifter 12 descends and waits, and the next stack 3 prepared in the stack carry-in stage 6a (or 6b) is transferred to the destack stage 5 by the conveyor 9 (or 10). The sheet material 3 is supplied by exchanging the stack 3 by repeating the transfer and the raising to a predetermined position by the table lifter 12.

  The worker carries in the next stack in the stack carry-in stage 6a or 6b while reciprocating between the stack carry-in stages 6a-6b so as to be in time for such a supply cycle (replacement cycle) of the stack 3.

  The press machine 1 stops in a state of waiting for the sheet material until the uppermost sheet material 3 of the next stack 3 is supplied after the lowermost sheet material 3 of the stack 3 is lost.

  As a technique proposed for the purpose of eliminating such a waiting time for waiting for a sheet material and improving the productivity of a press machine, there is a technique described in Patent Document 2.

FIG. 10A shows a stack carry-in mechanism 200 as a destack feeder described in Patent Document 2. FIG.
The stack carry-in mechanism 200 includes a conveyor 201 that feeds a stack (a stack of a plurality of sheet materials) 3 to a predetermined carry-in position, a lift device 202 that is provided below the carry-in position, and a lift device 202 that is provided above the lift device 202. The stack holding device 203.

  The stack holding device 203 has a fork 204 that moves forward and backward in the horizontal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 10A), and can support the stack 3 on the top surface of the fork 204.

  When the movable part extends to the upper limit, the upper surface of the lift device 202 is positioned higher than the upper surface of the fork 204 of the lift device 203. In FIG. 10A, a vacuum cup 205 and a magnet conveyor 206 are disposed above the stack holding device 203 in order to hold the sheet material one by one.

The stack carry-in mechanism 200 configured as described above generally operates as follows.
That is, the stack 3 is transported to the transport position by the conveyor 201 with the fork 204 of the stack holding device 203 retracted (shrinked and retracted).

  Next, the stack 3 is lifted to a position higher than the fork 204 by the lift device 202, whereby the fork 204 of the stack holding device 203 extends and crosses below the stack 3.

  In this state, the movable portion of the lift device 202 is lowered, and the stack 3 is transferred from the lift device 202 to the fork 204.

  Next, the next stack 3 is made to stand by below the fork 204, and when the stack 3 on the fork 204 disappears, the stack 3 is replaced on the fork 204 by the same operation as described above.

  Therefore, according to the stack carrying-in mechanism 200 described in Patent Document 2, the stack 3 can be carried in smoothly, and the stop time of the press machine due to waiting for the sheet material can be eliminated.

Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes an example of a form in which a stack is supplied using a pallet as shown in FIG. 10B (FIG. 8 of Patent Document 2).
As shown in FIG. 10 (B), in the stack carry-in mechanism 40, the take-out part 5C supports a plurality of locations on the lower end of the pallet 6 on which the stack 3 is placed, and holds the pallet 6 at a predetermined height. A possible claw member 41 is provided.

  The claw member 41 is configured to be movable between a position for supporting the pallet 6 and a position for allowing the pallet 6 to pass through.

  When the pallet 6 on which the stack 3 is placed is carried into the standby unit 44, the pallet 6 is lifted by the lift device 45. At this time, the claw member 41 is driven by the drive source 42 to allow the passage of the pallet 6 (a position where the claw members 41 arranged opposite to each other are separated from each other in the left-right direction in FIG. 10B). Evacuated.

  When the pallet 6 is raised to a position higher than the claw member 41, the claw member 41 is moved to a position for supporting the pallet 6 (a position where the claw members 41 arranged opposite to each other approach each other in the left-right direction in FIG. 10B). ). Subsequently, when the movable portion of the lift device 45 is lowered, the pallet 6 is delivered from the lift device 45 to the claw member 41.

  Next, the next pallet 6 is kept waiting below the take-out part 5C, and when the blank material 2 of the stack 3 in the take-out part 5C is exhausted, the empty pallet 6 is discharged by an appropriate discharge means, and the same as above. With this operation, the new pallet 6 on which the stack 3 is placed is replaced on the claw member 41.

  Thus, the stack loading mechanism 40 can smoothly carry in the stack 3 and can eliminate the stop time of the press machine due to waiting for the sheet material.

JP-A-60-97146 JP 2008-200744 A

  However, the conventional destack feeder as described above is intended to improve productivity by providing two stack supply stages and alternately using the two stacks, and accordingly requires a large installation space. There is the actual situation.

  In addition, in the conventional destack feeder as described above, a plurality of guide units need to be attached to the stack supply stage for positioning the front / rear and left / right of the stack. In addition, there are disadvantages such as worker walking loss and increased monitoring and maintenance points.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and can reduce the installation space and operation space as a simple, low-cost and compact configuration, and contribute to the reduction of manufacturing cost and the improvement of production efficiency. On the other hand, an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet-like member conveying apparatus that can sequentially take out sheet-like members from a stack and convey and supply them to the downstream process side.

For this reason, the present invention is a sheet-like member conveyance device that takes out at least one sheet-like member from the top of a stack in which a plurality of sheet-like members are stacked and conveys them to a downstream process,
A stack loading stage for loading the stack into the pallet;
Wherein a destacking stage at a position that is different from a stack loading stage in the apparatus in the plane, at least one sheet-like member from the top of the stack has been placed on the transport pallet from the stack loading stage Destack stage to take out one by one,
With
A stack separating mechanism for separating the stack and the pallet by placing the stack on a first fork that enters between the stack placed on the pallet transferred to the destack stage and the pallet; ,
A transfer mechanism for returning the pallet separated from the stack from the destack stage to the stack carry-in stage while the first fork is placing the stack;
A lift mechanism that raises the stack on which the first fork is placed to a predetermined height position;
A transport mechanism that takes out at least one sheet-like member from the top of the stack at a predetermined height and transports it to the downstream process;
A remaining sheet-like member support mechanism for supporting the remaining sheet-like member by the second fork when the remaining amount of the sheet-like member of the stack at the predetermined height position becomes predetermined;
Comprising
In a state where the remaining sheet-like member is supported by the remaining sheet-like member support mechanism, the lift mechanism is lowered while continuing the conveyance of the sheet-like member to the downstream process by the conveyance mechanism, and the stack carry-in stage The next stack placed on the pallet transferred to the destack stage is separated from the pallet by the stack separation mechanism and placed on the lift mechanism, and the remaining sheets supported by the remaining sheet support mechanism When the sheet-like member is consumed, the conveyance mechanism is configured to take out at least one sheet-like member from the top of the next stack and convey it to the downstream process.

  In the present invention, one stack loading stage may be provided for each destacking stage.

  In the present invention, the lift mechanism may be provided in a first fork.

  According to the present invention, the stack loading (supply) stage for receiving the stack placed on the pallet can be reduced from two places to one place while maintaining high production efficiency (conveyance speed). As a result, the number of parts to be monitored is reduced, the configuration can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, and the installation space and the operation space can be reduced.

  In addition, the guide unit for positioning the left / right / front / rear of the stack in the stack loading stage may be provided at one place, so that the configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced, and the installation space of the machine can be reduced and operated. Cost can also be reduced.

  That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the installation space and the operation space as a simple, low-cost and compact configuration, and at the same time from the stack while reducing the manufacturing cost and contributing to the improvement of the production efficiency. In particular, it is possible to provide a sheet-like member conveying apparatus that can sequentially take out sheet-like members and convey and supply them to the downstream process side.

It is a top view which shows the whole structure of the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveying apparatus) which concerns on Example 1 of embodiment of this invention. It is the front view which looked at the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance device) concerning an example same as the above from the A direction of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the relationship between the lifter (elevating mechanism) of the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance apparatus) which concerns on an Example same as the above, a pallet, a stack, and a 1st fork. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the relationship between the lifter (elevating mechanism) of the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance apparatus) which concerns on Example 2 of embodiment of this invention, a pallet, a stack, and a 1st fork. . It is a timing chart which shows the mode of operation | movement of each part of the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance apparatus) which concerns on Example 1 of embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart which shows the mode of operation | movement of each part of the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance apparatus) which concerns on Example 2 of embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart which shows the mode of operation | movement of each part of the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance apparatus) which concerns on Example 3 of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which compares and shows the timing chart of Example 1- Example 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the conventional destack feeder. It is a figure which shows another example of a structure of the conventional destack feeder.

  Hereinafter, a sheet-like member conveyance device (sheet material supply device) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the examples described below.

  1 and 2 show a destack feeder (a device for supplying stacked sheet-like members) according to Example 1 of the present embodiment. 1 is a plan view, and FIG. 2 is a front view.

  A destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance device) 100 according to the first embodiment is arranged upstream of a processing step of a press machine (not shown), and a stack (in) loaded in a stack loading (supply) stage 101 as shown in FIG. A bundle of a plurality of sheet-like (thin plate-like) sheet materials 111) 107 is conveyed to the destack stage 106, and at least one sheet material 111 is taken out from the stack 107 at the destack stage 106. Then, the sheet material 111 is conveyed to the delivery stage 115 and supplied to the press machine one sheet at a time via a transfer device (not shown).

  Moreover, each part of the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveying apparatus) 100 according to the first embodiment is configured and operated as follows.

  First, in step 1, a left and right guide unit capable of moving back and forth (extends and contracts) in a direction (right and left direction in FIG. 1) substantially orthogonal to the pallet moving direction in FIG. 1 on the stack loading (supply) stage 101 as shown in FIG. 103 and a front / rear guide unit 104 that can be advanced / retracted (stretched / contracted) in the front / rear direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1) along the pallet moving direction, and positioned (stacked by a bundle of a plurality of sheet-like materials 111) 107 is carried into the pallet 102 by, for example, a forklift or other movable or stationary carry-in device.

  The empty pallet 102 can be once taken out and another pallet 102 on which the stack 107 is placed in advance can be loaded.

  In the subsequent step 2, the pallet 102 is transferred (conveyed) from the stack carry-in stage 101 to the destack stage 106 by a horizontal transfer mechanism 105 such as a chain conveyor.

In step 3, in the destack stage 106, the stack 107 is lifted (raised) in FIG.
Here, the elevating mechanism (lifter) 108 corresponds to the lift mechanism according to the present invention.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the elevating mechanism 108 is configured to include comb teeth or a rod-like long member extending in the vertical direction, and elevates and lowers so that these penetrate the pallet 102 (skew). Thus, only the stack 107 can be raised.

  In subsequent step 4, the first fork 109 is advanced (elongated) and enters the gap between the lower surface of the raised stack 107 and the upper surface of the pallet 102 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In step 5, the elevating mechanism 108 is slightly lowered after the first fork 109 enters, and the stack 107 is held by the first fork 109.
Here, performing this operation using the first fork 109 and the lifting mechanism 108 corresponds to the stack separation mechanism according to the present invention.

  In step 6, the elevating mechanism 108 continues to descend and descends to the lower end of the lower part of the pallet 102, and the elevating mechanism 108 and the pallet 102 are not overlapped when viewed from the side (superimposition on the surface in FIG. 2). Here, the first fork 109 can be driven by a rack and pinion using a motor in addition to the illustrated reciprocating cylinder. Further, the linear guide may be configured to use a linear guide in addition to the illustrated roller guide.

In step 7, the released empty pallet 102 is transferred to the stack carry-in stage 101 by a horizontal transfer mechanism 105 such as a chain conveyor, and a setup operation for the next process for carrying in the next stack 107 is performed.
Here, the horizontal transfer mechanism 105 corresponds to the transfer mechanism according to the present invention.

  On the other hand, in step 8, when the empty pallet 102 is transferred out of the interference of the lifting mechanism 108, the lifting mechanism 108 is raised again, lifting the stack 107 held by the first fork 109 and placing it on the upper part of the apparatus. The picked-up cylinder 113 is raised to a position (predetermined height position) that reaches the uppermost sheet material 111.

  When the second fork 110 is projected from the vertical movement direction of the stack 107 (elevating mechanism 108) and enters the region where they overlap, the second fork 110 is retracted (retracted) from the overlapping region. Then, the stack 107 (elevating mechanism 108) is raised.

  Next, in step 9, the magnet 116 that separates the sheet material 111 one by one enters so as to follow the side surface of the sheet material 111 and separates the sheet material by magnetic force.

In step 10, the uppermost sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is adsorbed and raised by the vacuum cup 112 provided at the tip of the pickup cylinder 113. The sheet material 111 adsorbed by the vacuum cup 112 is transferred to the delivery stage 115 by a shuttle 114 which is a sheet material transfer means (transport mechanism) for moving the vacuum cup 112, the pickup cylinder 113 and the like in the left-right direction in FIG. The
The sheet material transfer means (conveyance mechanism) may be configured to use a magnetic conveyor other than the shuttle.

  In step 11, after the sheet material 111 is transferred to the delivery stage 115 in step 10, the shuttle 114 operates to return the vacuum cup 112, the pickup cylinder 113, and the like to their original positions on the destack stage 106.

  Thus, the uppermost sheet of the stack 107 is adjusted while the height of the uppermost sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is adjusted by the elevating mechanism 108 according to the consumption of the sheet material 111 of the stack 107 placed on the lifting mechanism 108. Pickup, suction, and transfer are sequentially repeated on the material 111, and the sheet material 111 is conveyed and supplied to the press machine one by one.

  In step 12, when the remaining amount of the sheet material 111 of the stack 107 placed on the elevating mechanism 108 reaches a certain amount, the second fork 10 enters the lower surface of the stack 107 and the elevating mechanism 108 is lowered.

  The forward / backward driving of the second fork 110 can be performed by using a hydraulic reciprocating cylinder such as air or hydraulic pressure in addition to the rack and pinion using a motor or the like as shown. Note that the linear guide may be configured to use a roller guide or the like in addition to the linear guide shown in the figure.

In step 13, the remaining sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is supported by the second fork 110 instead of the lifting mechanism 108, and in this state, pickup, suction, and transfer of the sheet material 111 are continued.
Here, the second fork 110 corresponds to the remaining sheet-like member support mechanism according to the present invention.

The suction position in the height direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2) of the sheet material 111 of the vacuum cup 112 provided at the front end of the pickup cylinder 113 can be changed in a predetermined manner by the vertical stroke of the pickup cylinder 113 and the like. Has been. That is, the uppermost height position of the sheet material 111 is gradually lowered according to the consumption of the sheet material 111 in a state supported by the second fork 110 having no lift function, but is lowered by a predetermined number. Even in this case, the position in the height direction of the vacuum cup 112 changes in accordance with the stroke margin of the pickup cylinder 113 so that the uppermost sheet material 111 of the stack 107 can be adsorbed satisfactorily. .
However, it is good also as a structure provided with the lift function which moves the 2nd fork 110 to the up-down direction of FIG.

  In step 14, when the elevating mechanism 108 is lowered to the lower end, the pallet 102 loaded with the next stack 107 is transferred to the destack stage 106, and the operations in steps 3 to 13 described above are repeated.

  Therefore, according to the stack feeder (sheet-like member transport device) 100 according to the first embodiment, the stack 107 formed by stacking a plurality of sheet materials 111 is loaded on the pallet 102 and then loaded. By temporarily supporting the pallet 102 by temporarily supporting it on the first fork 109, it is possible to extract only the pallet 102 and return it to the original position (stack loading stage 101). Since it is not necessary to employ a configuration that requires the arrangement of a plurality of pallets as in the prior art, simplification of the configuration, space saving, cost reduction, and the like can be promoted.

  Further, in the destack stage 106, the pallet 102 on which the stack 107 is placed is moved in the vertical direction, and the stack 107 is moved in the vertical direction in accordance with the consumption of the sheet material 111 (supply to the press machine). This apparatus comprises only the lifting mechanism 108. When the pallet 102 is extracted, the stack 107 is temporarily supported by the first fork 109, and the stack 107 is consumed and the lifting mechanism 108 greets the next stack 107. When going to step 1, the adoption of an efficient system configuration in which the remaining stack 107 is temporarily supported by the second fork 110 makes it possible to reduce the use of relatively complicated and expensive lifting devices. Therefore, simplification of configuration, space saving, cost reduction, and the like can be promoted.

  In addition, according to the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance device) 100 according to the first embodiment, two stack loading (supply) stages for loading (supplying) the stack to the device are provided as in the conventional device. Since it is not necessary, space saving can be promoted for the installation space.

  In addition, according to the destack feeder (sheet-like member transport device) 100 according to the first embodiment, it is only necessary to provide one stack carry-in stage. No need for guide units for front / rear / right / left positioning, so the cost can be reduced by simplifying the configuration, and workers' walking loss, monitoring and maintenance can be reduced. Efficiency can be improved.

  That is, according to the destack feeder (sheet-like member transport device) 100 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the installation space and the operation space as a simple, low-cost and compact configuration, and to reduce the manufacturing cost. In this way, the sheet material can be continuously supplied from the stack to the press machine while contributing to the improvement of production efficiency.

The timing chart of FIG. 5 shows how each part of the destack feeder (sheet-like member transport device) according to Example 1 of the present embodiment operates.
The timing chart of FIG. 5 corresponds to Step 1 to Step 14 described above. In Step (denoted as S in the figure, hereinafter the same) 1, the left / right guide unit 103 and the front / rear guide in the stack carry-in stage 101. The stack 107 is carried into the pallet 102 while being positioned by the unit 104.

  In S <b> 2, the pallet 102 is transferred (conveyed) from the stack carry-in stage 101 to the destack stage 106 by the horizontal transfer mechanism 105.

  In S3, in the destack stage 106, the stack 107 is lifted and lifted by the lifter (elevating mechanism 108) and separated from the pallet 102.

  In S <b> 4, the first fork 109 is advanced (elongated) and enters the gap between the lifted lower surface of the stack 107 and the upper surface of the pallet 102.

  In S <b> 5, after the first fork 109 enters, the elevating mechanism 108 is lowered, and the stack 107 is transferred to and held by the first fork 109.

  In S6, the elevating mechanism 108 is lowered to the lower end of the lower part of the pallet 102, and the overlapping (interference in the plane of FIG. 2) of the elevating mechanism 108 and the pallet 102 seen from the lateral direction is eliminated.

  In S <b> 7, the pallet 102 is transferred to the stack carry-in stage 101 by the horizontal transfer mechanism 105, and a setup process (S <b> 1) for the next process for carrying in the next stack 107 becomes possible.

  In S8, when the empty pallet 102 is transferred out of the interference of the lifting mechanism 108, the lifting mechanism 108 is lifted again to lift the stack 107 held by the first fork 109, and the pickup disposed at the upper part of the apparatus. The cylinder 113 is raised to a position where it reaches the uppermost sheet material 111.

  Although illustration is omitted here, in S9, the magnet 116 that separates the sheet material 111 one by one enters so as to follow the side surface of the sheet material 111 and separates the sheet material by magnetic force.

  In S10, the uppermost sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is adsorbed and raised by the vacuum cup 112 provided at the tip of the pickup cylinder 113.

  In S11, after the sheet material 111 is transferred to the delivery stage 115 in S10, the shuttle 114 operates to return the vacuum cup 112, the pickup cylinder 113, and the like to their original positions on the destack stage 106.

  Thus, the uppermost sheet of the stack 107 is adjusted while the height of the uppermost sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is adjusted by the elevating mechanism 108 according to the consumption of the sheet material 111 of the stack 107 placed on the lifting mechanism 108. Pickup, suction, and transfer are sequentially repeated on the material 111, and the sheet material 111 is conveyed and supplied to the press machine one by one.

  In S12, when the remaining amount of the sheet material 111 of the stack 107 placed on the lifting mechanism 108 reaches a certain amount, the second fork 110 is entered into the lower surface of the stack 107 and the lifting mechanism 108 is lowered.

  In S <b> 13, the remaining sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is held by the second fork 110, and the remaining sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is supported by the second fork 110 instead of the lifting mechanism 108.・ Continue adsorption and transfer.

  In S14, when the elevating mechanism 108 is lowered to the lower end, the pallet 102 loaded with the next stack 107 is transferred to the destack stage 106, and the above-described operations S1, S3 to S14 are repeated.

The timing chart of FIG. 6 shows the behavior of each part of the sheet-like member conveying apparatus according to Example 2 of the present embodiment.
The second embodiment is an embodiment where the first fork 109 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the first embodiment.

  In FIG. 6, in S <b> 1, the stack 107 is carried into the pallet 102 while being positioned by the left and right guide units 103 and the front and rear guide units 104 in the stack carry-in stage 101.

  In S <b> 2, the pallet 102 is transferred (conveyed) from the stack carry-in stage 101 to the destack stage 106 by the horizontal transfer mechanism 105.

  In S3A, the first fork 109 is advanced (elongated) and enters between the lower surface of the stack 107 and the pallet 102 (a concave portion on the upper surface side of the pallet 102).

  In S <b> 4 </ b> A, the stack 107 is lifted and raised by the first fork 109 and separated from the pallet 102.

  Here, the first fork 109 according to the second embodiment is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a comb-like or rod-like long member ( By extending the first fork 109 from the state (the state shown in FIG. 4), by entering the recessed portion provided on the top surface of the pallet 102 placed on the elevating mechanism 108. Only the stack 107 can be lifted by being separated from the pallet 102.

  In the second embodiment, S5 and S6 of the first embodiment are omitted, and in S7, the pallet 102 is transferred to the stack loading stage 101 by the horizontal transfer mechanism 105, and the next step setup work for loading the next stack 107 ( S1) is possible.

  In S8A, when the empty pallet 102 is transferred out of the interference of the lifting mechanism 108, the lifting mechanism 108 is lifted to lift the stack 107 held by the first fork 109, and the stack 107 is moved to the first fork 109. The pickup cylinder 113 arranged at the upper part of the apparatus is raised to a position where it reaches the uppermost sheet material 111. The first fork 109 is transferred to the lifting mechanism 108 and then contracted so as not to interfere with the lifting mechanism 108 and lowered to the original position.

  Although illustration is omitted here, in S9, the magnet 116 that separates the sheet material 111 one by one enters so as to follow the side surface of the sheet material 111 and separates the sheet material by magnetic force.

  In S10, the uppermost sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is adsorbed and raised by the vacuum cup 112 provided at the tip of the pickup cylinder 113.

  In S <b> 11, after the sheet material 111 is transferred to the delivery stage 115 in Step 10, the shuttle 114 operates to return the vacuum cup 112, the pickup cylinder 113, and the like to their original positions on the destack stage 106.

  Thus, the uppermost sheet of the stack 107 is adjusted while the height of the uppermost sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is adjusted by the elevating mechanism 108 according to the consumption of the sheet material 111 of the stack 107 placed on the lifting mechanism 108. Pickup, suction, and transfer are sequentially repeated on the material 111, and the sheet material 111 is conveyed and supplied to the press machine one by one.

  In S <b> 12, when the remaining amount of the sheet material 111 of the stack 107 placed on the lifting mechanism 108 reaches a certain amount, the second fork 10 enters the lower surface of the stack 107 and the lifting mechanism 108 is lowered.

  In S <b> 13, the remaining sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is held by the second fork 110, and the remaining sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is supported by the second fork 110 instead of the lifting mechanism 108.・ Continue adsorption and transfer.

  In S14, when the elevating mechanism 108 is lowered to the lower end, the pallet 102 loaded with the next stack 107 is transferred to the destack stage 106, and the above-described operations of Step 3A to Step 13 are repeated.

  In the second embodiment, the same functions and effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved, and the lift function is provided to the lifting mechanism 108 and the first fork 109, so that the configuration is simplified, space-saving, and low. While facilitating cost reduction, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom in setting the operation, and it is possible to expand the scope of application to change of operation according to various requirements. In addition, since the lifting mechanism 108 and the first fork 109 are provided with a lift function, the operation of the lifting mechanism 108 is simplified, so that the sheet material can be supplied to the press machine at a higher speed than in the first embodiment. It becomes possible.

  In the second embodiment described above, the first fork 109 is freed by lifting only the stack 107 to a height at which the pallet 102 can be unloaded after the pallet 102 loaded with the stack 107 is loaded into the destack stage 106. The pallet 102 is lowered and then lowered again, so that the stack 107 is placed on the elevating mechanism 108, and the elevating mechanism 108 is raised in response to the consumption (height reduction) of the stack 107 as the press process proceeds. The embodiment in the case of being configured to be described has been described.

  The same applies to the first embodiment in that the stack 107 is placed on the lifting mechanism 108 and the lifting mechanism 108 is raised in response to the consumption (height reduction) of the stack 107 as the press process proceeds. It is.

Here, if it is possible to avoid mutual interference while both the first fork 109 and the second fork 110 are in the forward state (the extended state), the lift function ( The vertical movement function) is further expanded until the stack 107 with a small remaining amount is transferred to the second fork 110, the lift function of the first fork 109 is used to consume the stack 107 as the press process proceeds ( The first fork 109 can also be configured to rise in response to (height reduction).
In this case, the lifting mechanism 108 such as a lifter can be omitted.

  Note that the comb teeth of the first fork 109 and the comb teeth of the second fork 110 are arranged in a staggered manner so that they do not overlap each other when viewed in the vertical direction, so that both advance in the vertical movement direction. It is possible to avoid mutual interference in the state (extended state).

For this reason, in the destack feeder (sheet-like member transport device) according to the third embodiment, the lifting mechanism 108 is omitted by providing only the first fork 109 with a lift function (vertical movement function). To do. That is, the lifting mechanism 108 illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and the like is omitted.
Here, the first fork 109 in this embodiment functions as a lift mechanism according to the present invention.

  The timing chart of FIG. 7 shows how each part of the destack feeder (sheet-like member transport device) according to Example 3 of the present embodiment operates.

  In FIG. 7, in S <b> 1, the stack 107 is carried into the pallet 102 while being positioned by the left and right guide units 103 and the front and rear guide units 104 in the stack carry-in stage 101.

  In S <b> 2, the pallet 102 is transferred (conveyed) from the stack carry-in stage 101 to the destack stage 106 by the horizontal transfer mechanism 105.

  In S3B, the first fork 109 advances (extends) and enters between the lower surface of the stack 107 and the pallet 102 (a concave portion on the upper surface side of the pallet 102).

  In S <b> 4 </ b> B, the stack 107 is lifted and raised by the first fork 109 and separated from the pallet 102.

  Here, the first fork 109 according to the third embodiment is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and the comb-like and rod-like long members constituting the first fork 109 are provided on the upper surface of the pallet 102. By entering the recess and raising the first fork 109 from that state (the state shown in FIG. 4), only the stack 107 can be raised separately from the pallet 102.

  In the third embodiment, S5 and S6 in the first embodiment are omitted, and in S7, the pallet 102 is transferred to the stack loading stage 101 by the horizontal transfer mechanism 105, and the next step setup work for loading the next stack 107 ( S1) is possible.

  In S <b> 8 </ b> B, the first fork 109 is raised, and the stack 107 held on the first fork 109 is raised to a position where the pickup cylinder 113 disposed at the upper part of the apparatus reaches the uppermost sheet material 111.

  Although illustration is omitted here, in S9, the magnet 116 that separates the sheet material 111 one by one enters so as to follow the side surface of the sheet material 111 and separates the sheet material by magnetic force.

  In S10, the uppermost sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is adsorbed and raised by the vacuum cup 112 provided at the tip of the pickup cylinder 113.

  In S <b> 11, after the sheet material 111 is transferred to the delivery stage 115 in Step 10, the shuttle 114 operates to return the vacuum cup 112, the pickup cylinder 113, and the like to their original positions on the destack stage 106.

  Accordingly, the height position of the uppermost sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is adjusted by the lift function of the first fork 109 according to the consumption of the sheet material 111 of the stack 107 supported by the first fork 109, and the stack 107 Pickup, suction and transfer are sequentially repeated for the uppermost sheet material 111, and the sheet material 111 is conveyed and supplied to the press machine one by one.

  In S <b> 12 </ b> B, when the remaining amount of the sheet material 111 of the stack 107 supported by the first fork 109 reaches a certain amount, the second fork 10 enters the lower surface of the stack 107 and the first fork 109 is lowered.

  In S13B, the remaining sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is supported by the second fork 110, and the remaining sheet material 111 of the stack 107 is supported by the second fork 110 instead of the first fork 109. Continue pick-up / adsorption / transfer.

  In S14B, when the first fork 109 descends to the lower end, the pallet 102 loaded with the next stack 107 is transferred to the destack stage 106, and the above-described operations of Step 3B to Step 13B are repeated.

  In the third embodiment, the same function and effect as those of the first embodiment is achieved, and the lift function is provided only in the first fork 109. Therefore, the first fork is used as in the first and second embodiments. Since it is not necessary to transfer the stack 107 from the lifting mechanism 109 to the lifting mechanism 108, the operation of the entire apparatus is simplified. Therefore, compared to the first and second embodiments, the sheet material can be applied to a press machine at a higher speed. Supply becomes possible.

  As described above, according to the destack feeder (sheet-like member transport device) according to each example of the present embodiment, the stack 107 formed by stacking a plurality of sheet materials 111 is placed on the pallet 102. Since the stack 107 is separated from the pallet 102 and supported by the first fork 109 after being loaded, it is possible to extract only the pallet 102 and return the pallet 102 to the original position (stack loading stage 101). Therefore, it becomes possible to prepare the next stack 107 with respect to the pallet 102, and it is not necessary to adopt a configuration that requires the arrangement of a plurality of pallets as in the prior art. Cost reduction can be promoted.

  Further, in the first embodiment, in the destack stage 106 that takes out the sheet material 111 one by one from the stack 107, a lift device for separating the pallet 102 on which the stack 107 is placed and the stack 107 in the vertical direction. In the first embodiment, the lift device for moving the stack 107 in the vertical direction in accordance with the consumption of the sheet material 111 (supply to the press machine) is configured only by the lifting mechanism 108, and when the pallet 102 is extracted. The stack 107 is temporarily supported by the first fork 109, and when the stack 107 is consumed and the elevating mechanism 108 picks up the next stack 107, the remaining stack 107 is temporarily stored by the second fork 110. Adopting an efficient system configuration that supports It is possible to reduce the Do lifting device, simplification and space saving configurations I than can facilitate such cost reduction.

  In the second embodiment, since the lift function is provided to the lifting mechanism 108 and the first fork 109, the operation can be freely set while promoting simplification of the configuration, space saving, cost reduction, and the like. The degree of application can be expanded, and the scope of application to changes in operation according to various requirements can be expanded. In addition, since the lifting mechanism 108 and the first fork 109 are provided with a lift function, the operation of the lifting mechanism 108 is simplified, so that the sheet material can be supplied to the press machine at a higher speed than in the first embodiment. It becomes possible.

  In the third embodiment, since the lift function is provided only to the first fork 109, the stack 107 is transferred from the first fork 109 to the lifting mechanism 108 as in the first and second embodiments. Therefore, since the operation of the entire apparatus is simplified, the sheet material can be supplied to the press machine at a higher speed than in the first and second embodiments.

  And according to the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance device) according to each example of the present embodiment, the stack loading (supply) for loading (supplying) the stack from the outside to the device as in the conventional device. ) Since there is no need to provide two stages, the installation space can be saved.

  In addition, according to the destack feeder (sheet-like member transport device) according to each example of the present embodiment, it is only necessary to provide one stack carry-in stage, and thus a plurality of stack supply stages as in the conventional device. No guide unit for positioning the front / rear / right / left of the stack is required every time, so it is possible to reduce costs by simplifying the configuration, and to reduce worker walking loss, monitoring / maintenance points, etc. Work efficiency can be improved.

  That is, according to the destack feeder (sheet-like member conveyance device) according to each example of the present embodiment, the installation space and the operation space can be reduced as a simple configuration at a low cost and the manufacturing. While reducing costs and contributing to the improvement of production efficiency, sheet materials can be successively taken out from the stack sequentially and supplied to the downstream side of the process.

  In each example of the present embodiment, the case where a sheet material is taken out from a stack in which a plurality of sheet materials (sheet-like members) are stacked and supplied to a press machine has been described. The feeder (sheet-like member conveying device) is not limited to supply of blanks or intermediate products to the press machine, and further to the finished product. is not. In the present invention, the material of the sheet material is not limited to metal, but can be applied to paper, glass, resin, wood and other materials, and the sheet shape includes the shape of a single member. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shape of a composite member such as a corrugated cardboard in which a plurality of members are combined can also be included.

  By the way, in each example of the present embodiment, a description has been given of a configuration in which one stack loading stage 101 is provided for one destack stage 106, but the present invention is not limited to this, If the installation space is acceptable, the speed is increased, or the stacks stacked for different types of sheet-like members are transferred to different types of stacks in advance. When stack loading stages are provided for different stacks, a plurality of stack loading stages may be provided for one destack stage 106.

  The embodiments according to the present invention described above are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  The present invention has a simple, low-cost and compact configuration that can reduce installation space and operation space, and at the same time contributes to reduction in manufacturing cost and, in turn, improvement in production efficiency. It is beneficial to provide a sheet-like member conveying apparatus that can sequentially take out and supply them to the downstream side of the process.

100 Destack feeder (Sheet-like member transport device)
101 Stack loading (supply) stage 102 Pallet 103 Left and right guide unit 104 Front and rear guide unit 105 Horizontal transfer mechanism 106 Destack stage 107 Stack (bundle)
108 Lifting mechanism (lifter)
109 First fork 110 Second fork 111 Sheet material (sheet-like member)
112 Vacuum cup 113 Pickup cylinder 114 Shuttle (conveyance mechanism)
115 Delivery stage 116 Magnet

Claims (3)

A sheet-like member transport device that takes out at least one sheet-like member from the top of a stack in which a plurality of sheet-like members are stacked and feeds them to a downstream process,
A stack loading stage for loading the stack into the pallet;
Wherein a destacking stage at a position that is different from a stack loading stage in the apparatus in the plane, at least one sheet-like member from the top of the stack has been placed on the transport pallet from the stack loading stage Destack stage to take out one by one,
With
A stack separating mechanism for separating the stack and the pallet by placing the stack on a first fork that enters between the stack placed on the pallet transferred to the destack stage and the pallet; ,
A transfer mechanism for returning the pallet separated from the stack from the destack stage to the stack carry-in stage while the first fork is placing the stack;
A lift mechanism that raises the stack on which the first fork is placed to a predetermined height position;
A transport mechanism that takes out at least one sheet-like member from the top of the stack at a predetermined height and transports it to the downstream process;
A remaining sheet-like member support mechanism for supporting the remaining sheet-like member by the second fork when the remaining amount of the sheet-like member of the stack at the predetermined height position becomes predetermined;
Comprising
In a state where the remaining sheet-like member is supported by the remaining sheet-like member support mechanism, the lift mechanism is lowered while continuing the conveyance of the sheet-like member to the downstream process by the conveyance mechanism, and the stack carry-in stage The next stack placed on the pallet transferred to the destack stage is separated from the pallet by the stack separation mechanism and placed on the lift mechanism, and the remaining sheets supported by the remaining sheet support mechanism The sheet-like member conveying apparatus is configured such that when the sheet-like member is consumed, the conveying mechanism takes out at least one sheet-like member from the top of the next stack and conveys it to the downstream process.   The sheet-like member conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein one stack loading stage is provided for each destacking stage. The sheet-like member conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein the lift mechanism is provided in a first fork.

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