JP7289972B2 - Method for transferring columnar honeycomb structure - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a transfer method for collectively transferring a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures.

Columnar honeycomb structures are used as catalyst carriers for internal combustion engines, boilers, chemical reaction equipment, reformers for fuel cells, etc., and as filters for collecting particulate matter (particularly diesel fine particles) in exhaust gas. Used for various purposes. This columnar honeycomb structure is generally manufactured by forming clay containing ceramic powder into a desired shape, drying, firing, and then processing. is automated from

On the other hand, between each process, in preparation for use in the next process, the columnar honeycomb structure is transferred onto a pallet or onto a conveyor, or the pallets on which the columnar honeycomb structure is transferred are stacked and temporarily stored. I have something to do. However, the current situation is that the work of transferring the columnar honeycomb structure between each process relies on the manual work of workers, which causes a decrease in production efficiency.

In addition, some transfer apparatuses for columnar honeycomb structures have been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2), but conventional transfer apparatuses can only transfer columnar honeycomb structures one by one. Therefore, there was a limit to the improvement of production efficiency.

Japanese Patent No. 3828722 Japanese Patent No. 5054830

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer method for columnar honeycomb structures capable of collectively transferring a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures. and

The present inventors used a transfer device having a predetermined structure to vacuum-suck the first side surfaces of a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures, and when the columnar honeycomb structures cannot be stably grasped only by vacuum suction, a plurality of The inventors have found that the above problem can be solved by supporting the second side surface of the columnar honeycomb structure facing the first side surface with a support member, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides a vacuum adsorption member having a plurality of vacuum adsorption pads and vacuum-adsorbing the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures with the plurality of vacuum adsorption pads;
A second vacuum-sucked columnar honeycomb structure capable of being driven in two X and Z directions perpendicular to the Y direction in which the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are aligned and facing the first side surfaces of the columnar honeycomb structures A transfer method for the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures using a transfer device including a support member for supporting side surfaces,
A method for transferring columnar honeycomb structures, wherein the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are vacuum-adsorbed by the vacuum adsorption member, and the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are collectively transferred.

Further, the present invention provides a vacuum adsorption member having a plurality of vacuum adsorption pads, and vacuum-adsorbing the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures with the plurality of vacuum adsorption pads;
A second vacuum-sucked columnar honeycomb structure capable of being driven in two X and Z directions perpendicular to the Y direction in which the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are aligned and facing the first side surfaces of the columnar honeycomb structures A transfer method for the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures using a transfer device including a support member for supporting side surfaces,
While the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are vacuum-adsorbed by the vacuum adsorption member, and the second side surfaces facing the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are supported by a supporting member. and a method for transferring columnar honeycomb structures, wherein the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are collectively transferred.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for transferring columnar honeycomb structures, which can collectively transfer a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures.

1 is a side view showing an example of a transfer device for a columnar honeycomb structure according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the gripping mechanism in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view in the XY direction showing a state in which a columnar honeycomb structure is vacuum-sucked on a vacuum suction pad. FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view in the YZ direction showing an arrangement state of vacuum suction pads; FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a gripping mechanism showing a state in which a columnar honeycomb structure having a small height is gripped, where (a) shows a case where only vacuum suction is used, and (b) shows a case where a supporting member is used together with vacuum suction. . FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a gripping mechanism for explaining a procedure for transferring a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures densely arranged in the XY directions on a pallet;

In the method for transferring columnar honeycomb structures of the present invention, a first side surface of a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures is vacuum-adsorbed, and if necessary, a second side surface facing the first side surface of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures is transferred. are supported by a supporting member, and a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are collectively transferred.
Hereinafter, a transfer apparatus suitable for carrying out the method for transferring a columnar honeycomb structure of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various modifications and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the above.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a transfer device for a columnar honeycomb structure according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , the transfer device for the columnar honeycomb structures 10 includes a gripping mechanism 1 that grips a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 , and a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures connected to the gripping mechanism 1 and gripped by the gripping mechanism 1 . and an arm 2 for moving the honeycomb structure 10 to a predetermined position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the gripping mechanism 1 in FIG. The gripping mechanism 1 includes a vacuum suction member 4 having a plurality of vacuum suction pads 3 and a support member 5 . The vacuum adsorption member 4 and the support member 5 are attached to a vacuum adsorption member shaft 6 and a support member shaft 7, respectively. Driving means for moving the support member 5 in the X and Z directions is provided between the vacuum adsorption member shaft 6 and the support member shaft 7 . The drive means comprises X-direction drive means 8 and Z-direction drive means 9 for moving the support member 5 in the X-direction and Z-direction, respectively. The support member 5 is driven by an X-direction driving means 8 and a Z-direction driving means 9 in two directions (X-direction and Z-direction) perpendicular to the direction (Y-direction) in which the plurality of vacuum-sucked columnar honeycomb structures 10 are aligned. can be moved to Note that the Z direction means a vertical direction, and the X direction means a direction perpendicular to the Y and Z directions.

The vacuum adsorption member 4 is connected to a vacuum generator (not shown) such as a vacuum pump or a vacuum blower, and a vacuum adsorption pad 3 is provided on the adsorption surface of the vacuum adsorption member 4 .

Although the shape of the vacuum suction pad 3 is not particularly limited, it is preferably bellows-like. The bellows-shaped vacuum suction pad 3 can reduce the impact on the columnar honeycomb structure 10 at the time of vacuum suction, and can also follow the case where the first side surface 11a of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is a curved surface. Good vacuum adsorption is possible.

Although the material of the vacuum suction pad 3 is not particularly limited, it is preferably made of an elastic material. Examples of elastic materials include, but are not limited to, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), nitrile rubber, natural rubber, and the like. Among them, if silicone rubber or EPDM is used, the openings of the vacuum suction pad 3 can be flexibly deformed, so that even when the first side surface 11a of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is a curved surface, it can be vacuum-sucked satisfactorily. In particular, EPDM can make it difficult for the vacuum suction pad 3 to leave marks on the columnar honeycomb structure 10 after vacuum suction.

Although the method of arranging the vacuum suction pads 3 is not particularly limited, it is preferable that a plurality of vacuum suction pads 3 be provided in the Y direction and the Z direction. With such a configuration, it is possible to hold the columnar honeycomb structure 10 without providing a side supporter (guide member) as described in Japanese Patent No. 3828722. Also, since a plurality of vacuum suction pads 3 are provided in the Y direction, it is possible to collectively vacuum-suck a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 arranged in the Y direction. Furthermore, since a plurality of vacuum suction pads 3 are provided in the Z direction, a plurality of vacuum suction pads 3 can be vacuum-sucked to one columnar honeycomb structure 10, and as a result, the columnar honeycomb structure 10 can be stabilized. It becomes possible to grasp the

Here, FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view in the XY direction showing a state in which the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is vacuum-sucked on the vacuum suction pad 3. As shown in FIG.
When the columnar honeycomb structure 10 has a cylindrical shape, if the diameter of the suction portion 30 of the vacuum suction pad 3 is too large, it becomes difficult for the vacuum suction pad 3 to vacuum-suck the first side surface 11a of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 . Therefore, it is preferable that the diameter of the suction portion 30 of the vacuum suction pad 3 is equal to or less than the cylinder radius of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 . By controlling the diameter of the suction portion 30 of the vacuum suction pad 3 within such a range, the vacuum suction pad 3 can be satisfactorily vacuum-sucked to the first side surface 11 a of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 .

The first side surface 11a of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is vacuum-sucked by one or more vacuum suction pads 3 in the Y direction. As an example, FIG. FIGS. 3(b) and 3(c) respectively show a state in which the first side surface 11a of the structure 10 is vacuum-sucked.
When the vacuum adsorption pads 3 are arranged at a pitch interval P in the Y direction, even if the position of the vacuum adsorption pads 3 vacuum-adhering to the first side surface 11a of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is controlled in advance, the vacuum adsorption cannot be performed. In some cases, a maximum positional deviation of P (P/2 each to the left and right) may occur. If such a positional deviation occurs, when the first side surfaces 11a of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 densely arranged in the Y direction are vacuum-sucked by the vacuum suction pad 3, the adjacent columnar honeycomb structures 10 come into contact with each other. Resulting in.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3(d), a plurality of rows of the vacuum suction pads 3 are formed in the Z direction, and the vacuum suction pads 3 of the odd-numbered rows and the vacuum suction pads 3 of the even-numbered rows are arranged at a half pitch (P/2 ) is preferably shifted. FIG. 4 shows the state of arrangement of the vacuum suction pads 3 in the YZ direction at this time (when two rows of the vacuum suction pads 3 are provided in the Z direction). With such a configuration, it is possible to control the position of the first side surface 11a of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 vacuum-sucked by the vacuum suction pads 3 arranged in the YZ direction. The misalignment of the honeycomb structure 10 can be suppressed. In addition, when a large number of rows are formed in the Z direction, if the half-pitch (P/2) shifted state is formed in some adjacent odd-numbered rows and even-numbered rows, the columnar honeycomb Positional deviation of the structure 10 can be sufficiently suppressed.

Further, the displacement of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 can also be suppressed by reducing the size of the suction portions 30 of the vacuum suction pads 3 and increasing the number of vacuum suction pads 3 arranged in the YZ direction. For example, if the columnar honeycomb structure 10 has a columnar radius of 50 mm or more, the diameter of the suction portion 30 of the vacuum suction pad 3 is set to 20 mm or less, thereby suppressing positional deviation of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 and allowing a plurality of The columnar honeycomb structures 10 can be transferred collectively.

The arrangement state of the vacuum suction pads 3 is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately adjusted according to the size of the columnar honeycomb structures 10 and the number of the columnar honeycomb structures 10 to be collectively transferred, but preferably two rows or more in the Z direction. , more preferably three or more rows. The number of vacuum suction pads 3 forming each row is preferably 20 or more, more preferably 30 or more.
The total number of the vacuum adsorption pads 3 provided on the vacuum adsorption member 4 is not particularly limited, but is preferably adjusted according to the size of the columnar honeycomb structures 10, the number of the columnar honeycomb structures 10 to be collectively transferred, and the like. is 40 or more, more preferably 60 or more.
When the number of vacuum adsorption pads 3 provided on the vacuum adsorption member 4 is large, the number of vacuum adsorption pads 3 that do not contribute to the vacuum adsorption of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is also large. It is preferable to reduce the flow rate of the vacuum suction pad 3 that does not contribute to vacuum suction.

The shape of the support member 5 is not particularly limited as long as it can support the second side surfaces 11b of the plurality of honeycomb structures 10, but it is preferably rod-like or plate-like. With such a shape, the structure of the support member 5 can be simplified.
Although the material of the support member 5 is not particularly limited, it is preferably made of an elastic material like the vacuum suction pad 3 . As an example of the elastic material, in addition to the examples described above, urethane foam or the like can be used. Among them, it is preferable that the material of the support member 5 is urethane foam. If the support member 5 is made of urethane foam, the second side surface 11b of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 can be well supported.

A vacuum adsorption member shaft 6 and a support member shaft 7 are provided to support the vacuum adsorption member 4 and the support member 5, respectively. The vacuum adsorption member 4 and the support member 5 are fixed to the vacuum adsorption member shaft 6 and the support member shaft 7 by fasteners such as nuts.
The X-direction driving means 8 can move the support member 5 in the X-direction by expanding and contracting in the X-direction. Further, the Z-direction drive means 9 can move the support member 5 in the Z-direction by driving it in the Z-direction along the vacuum adsorption member shaft 6 . The X-direction driving means 8 and Z-direction driving means 9 are not limited to the driving method described above, and other known driving means can be used.

The columnar honeycomb structure 10 that can be transferred by the transfer device for the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is not particularly limited, and may be an intermediate between manufacturing processes, a final product, or the like. Specifically, it can be an intermediate between the molding process and the firing process, an intermediate between the firing process and the processing process, a final product after the processing process, and the like.
The shape of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 may be a columnar shape, a prismatic shape, a cylindric columnar shape, or the like.

The number of columnar honeycomb structures 10 to be collectively transferred is preferably 3 or more, more preferably 4 to 15, still more preferably 5 to 10, depending on the size of the vacuum adsorption member 4 and the like. By collectively transferring the above number of columnar honeycomb structures 10, the effect of improving production efficiency is enhanced.

When transferring a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 using a transfer apparatus for columnar honeycomb structures 10 , first, the first side faces 11 a of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 are vacuum-sucked by a plurality of vacuum suction pads 3 . Thus, a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 are collectively gripped. Thereafter, by moving the arm 2 to a predetermined position, the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 are collectively transferred. When the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 can be stably gripped only by vacuum suction by the plurality of vacuum suction pads 3, the support member 5 need not be used, but the support member 5 can always be used. is.

The columnar honeycomb structure 10 has various shapes and weights, and in some cases, it may not be possible to stably hold it only by vacuum adsorption. For example, when the height of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is small, the number of the vacuum suction pads 3 in contact with the first side surface 11a of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is small, so that the columnar honeycomb structure 10 can be held horizontally only by vacuum suction. Sometimes you can't. Specifically, when the number of vacuum suction pads 3 in the Z direction in contact with the first side surface 11a of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is one or two, the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is horizontally held only by vacuum suction. hard to do FIG. 5(a) is an enlarged side view of the gripping mechanism 1 showing the state at this time. Further, even when the columnar honeycomb structure 10 has a sufficiently large height, if the diameter or weight of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 is large, the vacuum suction force required for one vacuum suction pad 3 increases. Therefore, a similar trend can be seen. In order to increase the gripping force of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 by vacuum adsorption, it is conceivable to reduce the size of the vacuum adsorption pads 3 to increase the number thereof, or to increase the vacuum adsorption force. There are limits to control.

Therefore, in the above case, the Z-direction driving means 9 is driven in the Z-direction (downward in the figure) and the X-direction driving means 8 is driven in the X-direction (leftward in the figure), thereby By supporting the second side surface 11b of the columnar honeycomb structure 10 facing the first side surface 11a with the support member 5, the support member 5 compensates for the lack of gripping force due to vacuum adsorption. FIG. 5B shows an enlarged side view of the gripping mechanism 1 showing the state at this time. In this manner, the first side surfaces 11a of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 are vacuum-adsorbed, and the second side surfaces 11b of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 facing the first side surfaces 11a are supported by the support member 5. Thus, a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 can be stably gripped collectively and transferred.

The transfer apparatus for the columnar honeycomb structures 10 having the characteristics described above can transfer a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 arranged on a pallet. In particular, the transfer device for the columnar honeycomb structures 10 is suitable for transferring a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 densely arranged on the pallet in the X direction and the Y direction.
Here, FIG. 6 shows an enlarged side view of the gripping mechanism 1 for explaining the transfer procedure of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 densely arranged on the pallet 20 in the XY directions. When transferring a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 arranged in such a state, first, the first side surfaces 11a of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 are vacuum-sucked by a plurality of vacuum suction pads 3 (step (a ) and (b)). At this time, if the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 can be stably gripped only by vacuum suction, the transfer is performed in this state. Further, by arranging the support member 5 upward in the Z direction, the support member 5 does not become an obstacle. It can be transferred sequentially. As a result, for example, if the transfer location is on the pallet 20, the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 can be densely arranged in the X direction and the Y direction at the transfer location, thereby reducing the transfer space (for example, , reducing the number of pallets 20).

On the other hand, when the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 cannot be stably gripped only by vacuum suction, the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 are pulled or lifted while the first side faces 11a of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 are vacuum-sucked. to move the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 in the X direction (left direction in the drawing) to increase the distance between the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 adjacent to each other in the X direction (step (c)). After that, the Z-direction driving means 9 is driven in the Z-direction (downward in the figure), and the X-direction driving means 8 is driven in the X-direction (leftward in the figure), whereby the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 are driven in the first direction. After supporting and gripping the first side surface 11a and the second side surface 11b opposed to the first side surface 11a by the support member 5, the transfer is performed. (Steps (d) and (e)). By performing transfer in such a procedure, it becomes possible to collectively transfer a plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 densely arranged on the pallet 20 in the X direction and the Y direction.
If the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 can be lifted while the first side surfaces 11a of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures 10 are vacuum-sucked, the step (c) can be omitted, and the step (d) can be performed together with the lifting of the columnar honeycomb structures 10. ) and (e) may be performed. By performing the transfer in such a procedure, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the transfer work.

As described above, according to the method for transferring the columnar honeycomb structures 10, a plurality of the columnar honeycomb structures 10 can be transferred together, so that the production efficiency can be improved.

Reference Signs List 1 gripping mechanism 2 arm 3 vacuum suction pad 4 vacuum suction member 5 support member 6 vacuum suction member shaft 7 support member shaft 8 X-direction drive means 9 Z-direction drive means 10 honeycomb structure 11a first side 11b second side 20 pallet 30 Adsorption part

Claims (8)

a vacuum adsorption member having a plurality of vacuum adsorption pads and vacuum-adsorbing the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures with the plurality of vacuum adsorption pads;
A second vacuum-sucked columnar honeycomb structure capable of being driven in two X and Z directions perpendicular to the Y direction in which the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are aligned and facing the first side surfaces of the columnar honeycomb structures A transfer method for the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures using a transfer device including a support member for supporting side surfaces,
A method for transferring columnar honeycomb structures, wherein the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are vacuum-adsorbed by the vacuum adsorption member, and the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are collectively transferred. a vacuum adsorption member having a plurality of vacuum adsorption pads and vacuum-adsorbing the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures with the plurality of vacuum adsorption pads;
A second vacuum-sucked columnar honeycomb structure capable of being driven in two X and Z directions perpendicular to the Y direction in which the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are aligned and facing the first side surfaces of the columnar honeycomb structures A transfer method for the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures using a transfer device including a support member for supporting side surfaces,
While the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are vacuum-adsorbed by the vacuum adsorption member, and the second side surfaces facing the first side surfaces of the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are supported by a supporting member. and a method for transferring a columnar honeycomb structure, wherein the plurality of columnar honeycomb structures are collectively transferred. The method for transferring a columnar honeycomb structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the columnar honeycomb structure is cylindrical. The method for transferring a columnar honeycomb structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of vacuum suction pads are provided in plurality in the Y direction and the Z direction, which is the vertical direction. A plurality of rows of the plurality of vacuum suction pads are formed in the Z direction, which is the vertical direction, and the vacuum suction pads of odd-numbered rows and the vacuum suction pads of even-numbered rows are shifted from each other by half a pitch. 5. The method for transferring a columnar honeycomb structure according to any one of items 4 to 5. The method for transferring a columnar honeycomb structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of vacuum suction pads have a suction portion with a diameter of 20 mm or less. The method for transferring a columnar honeycomb structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vacuum suction pad is made of silicone rubber or ethylene propylene diene rubber. The method for transferring a columnar honeycomb structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the support member is rod-shaped or plate-shaped.

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