JP7370741B2 - Material transfer equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a material transfer device, and more particularly to a transfer device equipped with a gripper (needle gripper) having a plurality of needles for piercing the material.

JP 2018-144287A (Patent Document 1) describes a kneading device that produces a kneaded product of fibers and a thermoplastic resin, a cutting device that cuts the kneaded product to produce a cut kneaded product, and a cutting device that produces a kneaded product by cutting the kneaded product. A conveyor (conveying device) that is arranged on the downstream side and transports the cut and kneaded material to a predetermined take-out position (receiving position), and a transfer device that picks up the cut and kneaded material that has been transported to the take-out position by the conveyor and transfers it to the mold. discloses an apparatus for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body, which includes a molding device for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body by pressure-molding a cut and kneaded material transferred by a transfer device using a mold.

In the manufacturing apparatus of Patent Document 1, a heat retaining means is provided not only in the conveyor but also in the transfer device to prevent the temperature of the kneaded material from decreasing.

Methods for grasping the kneaded material in a plastic state and transferring it to the mold include a method of scooping up the kneaded material as in the transfer device of Patent Document 1, and a method of holding the kneaded material by piercing the kneaded material with a needle (needle-shaped object). Methods and the like are known (see International Publication No. 2017/104857 (Patent Document 2)).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-144287 International Publication No. 2017/104857

The transfer device of Patent Document 1 is configured to pick up a plurality of materials using a common pick-up section, so it is easy to mount a heating means (warming means) due to the structure of the device, but the gripping section of the transfer device When the gripper is configured by a needle gripper, it is difficult to apply the technique of Patent Document 1 as is. Therefore, in a transfer device in which a gripping portion for gripping a material is constituted by a needle gripper, there is a risk that the temperature of the material may drop.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to prevent the temperature of the material from decreasing in a transfer device in which the gripping portion for gripping the material is constituted by a needle gripper. That's true.

A material transfer device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a base portion, a grip portion including a plurality of needles that are provided so as to be movable relative to the base portion, and a grip portion including a plurality of needles that are movable in the movement of the needles. and heating means provided to avoid the route.

Preferably, the heating means includes a plurality of heaters arranged on a plane through which the needle moves forward and backward.

It is desirable that the heater is formed into a pipe shape.

More preferably, the plurality of needles are arranged in a plurality of rows, and at least one heater is provided between adjacent rows.

The material transfer device may further include temperature adjustment means for individually adjusting the temperatures of the plurality of heaters.

It is desirable that the heating means be provided near the tip of the needle at the initial position.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the material from decreasing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the manufacturing apparatus of the fiber reinforced resin molded object based on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a moving path of a hand section of a transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows typically the position adjustment method of the receiving stand in embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an arrangement pattern of a plurality of kneaded materials placed on a mold (mounting table) in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a hand section in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the hand part in embodiment of this invention. (a) and (b) are a side view and a bottom view of a hand part in an embodiment of the present invention, respectively. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of a needle gripper (grip portion) in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for explaining the guide member in embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the transfer device when a kneaded material is gripped by a hand section in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the transfer device when discharging the kneaded material by the hand section in the embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are attached to the same or corresponding parts in the drawings, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

The transfer device according to this embodiment is a device that grasps a plurality of materials arranged at a predetermined receiving position and transfers them to a mounting table at a delivery position. In this embodiment, a transfer device that transfers a kneaded material as a pre-molding material for a fiber-reinforced resin molded article will be described.

<Schematic configuration of manufacturing equipment for fiber-reinforced resin molded bodies>
Referring to FIG. 1, first, a schematic configuration of a fiber-reinforced resin molded product manufacturing apparatus 1 including a transfer device 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a manufacturing apparatus 1 for fiber-reinforced resin molded bodies includes a kneading device 2, an intermediate product manufacturing device 3, a transfer device 4, and a molding device 5.

The kneading device 2 produces a kneaded product of fibers and a thermoplastic resin, and discharges the kneaded product. The intermediate product manufacturing device 3 cuts the kneaded material discharged from the kneading device 2 to generate (manufacture) a cut kneaded material as an intermediate product. The intermediate product manufacturing device 3 has a conveyor 140 that conveys the kneaded material before and after cutting. The transfer device 4 grips the cut and kneaded material produced in the intermediate product manufacturing device 3 and transfers it to the molding device 5 . The molding device 5 molds the cut and kneaded material transferred by the transfer device 4 to produce a fiber-reinforced resin molded body. The conveyor 140 and the transfer device 4 constitute a conveying means for conveying the kneaded material from the kneading device 2 to the forming device 5.

(kneading device)
The kneading device 2 is a device for producing a kneaded material as a molded body material in which fibers are mixed into a thermoplastic resin by the LFT-D method. That is, a thermoplastic resin and a bundle of a plurality of continuous fibers are introduced, the fibers are opened while being cut, and the resin and fibers are kneaded to produce a kneaded product. Although the thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited, it is preferably a polyamide resin. Preferably, the fibers are carbon fibers, glass fibers, or the like. When carbon fibers are used, a thermoplastic CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) molded body is manufactured in the manufacturing apparatus 1 .

The kneading device 2 includes, for example, a first kneader 10, a second kneader 20, and a fiber supply section 30. The first kneader 10 kneads thermoplastic resin and fibers. The second kneader 20 kneads and melts the thermoplastic resin introduced into the first kneader 10 before kneading it with the fibers in the first kneader 10 . The fiber supply section 30 supplies fibers to the first kneader 10.

The first kneader 10 includes a kneading shaft 11, a cylinder 12, a drive section 13a, a speed reducer 13b, a weir body 14, and a die 15.

The kneading shaft 11 has a screw 11a and a rotating shaft 11b. The first kneader 10 may be a single-screw kneader having one kneading shaft 11, or may be a multi-screw kneader including a plurality of (eg, two) kneading shafts 11. The screw 11a kneads the thermoplastic resin and fibers by rotating. This screw 11a is incorporated into the rotating shaft 11b. The screw 11a is not particularly limited as long as it is arranged at the upstream end and the downstream end of the kneading shaft 11, and a paddle may be incorporated between them, and only the screw 11a is the rotating shaft. It may be incorporated over the entire length of 11b.

A cylinder 12 is provided so as to accommodate the kneading shaft 11 therein. The gap between the cylinder 12 and the kneading shaft 11 becomes a flow path through which the thermoplastic resin and/or fibers pass. The cylinder 12 has a resin supply port 12a for introducing the thermoplastic resin supplied from the second kneader 20 into the first kneader 10, and a resin supply port 12a for introducing a plurality of continuous fibers supplied from the fiber supply section 30 into the first kneader 10. 1 has a fiber supply port 12b for introducing the fiber into the kneader 10. In this embodiment, the continuous fibers introduced from the fiber supply section 30 are fed into the first kneader 10 as they are.

A drive section 13a is connected to one (upstream side) shaft end of the kneading shaft 11 via a speed reducer 13b. The speed reducer 13b reduces the rotational speed of the electric motor and applies a torque higher than the torque generated by the electric motor to the kneading shaft 11. When the first kneading machine 10 is a multi-shaft kneading machine, the reducer 13b synchronizes and rotates the plurality of kneading shafts 11 at a predetermined rotational speed. A weir body 14 is connected to the other (downstream) shaft end side of the kneading shaft 11 . The weir body 14 can serve both as a breaker plate and an intermediate bearing, and is arranged to extend in a direction intersecting the flow path, so it applies back pressure to the kneaded material of thermoplastic resin and fibers.

The weir body 14 has an opening that serves as a flow path for the kneaded material. The weir body 14 of this embodiment has a plurality of arc-shaped openings along the respective rotational directions of the screws 11a of the plurality of kneading shafts 11. An opening is provided corresponding to each kneading shaft 11. A die 15 is provided on the opposite side of the weir body 14 from the screw 11a. The die 15 has a discharge port 15a for discharging the kneaded material. The kneaded material K1 is extruded to the intermediate product manufacturing device 3 from this discharge port 15a.

The second kneading machine 20 melts the thermoplastic resin introduced into the resin supply port 12a of the cylinder 12 of the first kneading machine 10 in advance, and includes a kneading shaft 21 having a screw 21a, a cylinder 22, and a drive section 23a. , a reduction gear 23b, and a hopper 24. The second kneader 20 may be a single-screw kneader having one kneading shaft 21 or a multi-screw kneader including a plurality of kneading shafts 21. In the kneading shaft 21, only the screw 21a may be incorporated into the rotating shaft 21b, and a paddle may be incorporated in the intermediate portion instead of the screw. The cylinder 22 has a discharge port 22a that supplies the molten thermoplastic resin to the first kneader 10. The drive unit 23a and the speed reducer 23b rotate the kneading shaft 21 at a predetermined rotational speed. The hopper 24 receives the thermoplastic resin raw material 25 that is kneaded between the kneading shaft 21 and the cylinder 22 .

The fiber supply unit 30 supplies the fiber raw material 32 introduced into the fiber supply port 12b of the cylinder 12 of the first kneader 10 described above. The fiber supply section 30 includes a mounting section 31 on which a fiber raw material 32 in which a plurality of continuous fiber bundles are wound is mounted. The mounting section 31 has first and second guide sections 31a and 31b for taking out the tip of the fiber bundle from the fiber raw material 32 and introducing it into the fiber supply port 12b of the cylinder 12 of the first kneading machine 10. There is.

(Intermediate product manufacturing equipment)
The intermediate product manufacturing device 3 is arranged adjacent to the discharge port 15a of the kneading device 2 that extrudes the kneaded material forward. The intermediate product manufacturing device 3 cuts the continuous kneaded material K1 extruded from the discharge port 15a of the kneading device 2 to produce a discontinuously cut kneaded material K2 to be fed into the mold 50 of the molding device 5; In other words, intermediate products are manufactured.

The intermediate product manufacturing device 3 includes a cutting device 110 and a plurality of conveyors 140. Each conveyor 140 is constituted by a belt conveyor that rotates a ring-shaped belt member (rotating member) on a cart (non-rotating member), and places the kneaded material thereon and moves it.

The cutting device 110 cuts the kneaded material K1 to generate a cut kneaded material K2. The cutting device 110 has a cutting blade 111 for cutting the kneaded material K1 and a pedestal (not shown) for supporting the cutting blade 111 below.

The plurality of conveyors 140 include a first conveyor located upstream of the cutting device 110 and a second conveyor located downstream of the cutting device 110. The first conveyor receives the kneaded material discharged from the discharge port 15a of the kneading device 2 from below and sends it to the cutting device 110. The second conveyor sends the cut kneaded material K2 cut by the cutting device 110 to the transfer device 4 side.

As schematically shown in FIG. 1, the intermediate product manufacturing apparatus 3 uses a heating mechanism 9 to maintain the kneaded material K1 and the cut kneaded material K2, which are pre-molding materials, in a plastic state (prevent hardening). It is desirable to have one. In this embodiment, the heating mechanism 9 is mounted on at least the conveyor 140. The heating mechanism 9 may include a heating means (for example, an infrared heater) that heats the cut kneaded material K2 in a non-contact state, or may include a heating means that heats the cut kneaded material K2 while in contact with the cut kneaded material K2. good.

(transfer device)
The transfer device 4 is located downstream of the intermediate product manufacturing device 3, grips the cut kneaded material K2 as an intermediate product manufactured by the intermediate product manufacturing device 3, and transfers it to the mold 50 of the molding device 5. Specifically, the transfer device 4 grips the cut and kneaded material K2 sent by the conveyor 140 of the intermediate product manufacturing device 3 on a mounting table (hereinafter referred to as "receiving table") 150 located at a receiving position, and transfers it. It is placed (inserted) into the mold 50 located at the position.

The transfer device 4 is a so-called robot hand, and includes a hand section 41 that grips the cut and kneaded material K2, and an arm section 42 that moves the hand section 41. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the arm section 42 moves the hand section 41 in an arc shape about the fulcrum 46 in plan view (viewed from above). A receiving stand 150 disposed downstream of the conveyor 140 and a mold 50 are located on this arc. That is, the receiving stand 150 and the mold 50 are located on the movement path of the hand section 41.

In plan view, the arm section 42 moves the hand section 41 from a receiving position overlapping the receiving stand 150 to a delivery position overlapping the mold 50, and then back to the receiving position. The hand portion 41 is connected to a shaft portion 43 provided at the tip of the arm portion 42 . Note that the trajectory drawn by the hand section 41 is not limited to an arc or a circle.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer device 4 includes a control section 90 that controls the hand section 41 and the arm section 42. The control unit 90 controls the drive of the arm unit 42 to move the hand unit 41 (for example, in an arc shape), and also controls the drive of the hand unit 41 to cause the hand unit 41 to grip or release the cut and kneaded material K2. do.

(molding equipment)
The molding device 5 is located on the downstream side of the transfer device 4, and presses and molds the cut and kneaded material K2 to produce a fiber-reinforced resin molded body as a final product. The molding device 5 includes a mold 50 having a lower mold 52 on which the cut and kneaded material K2 is placed, and an upper mold 51 disposed facing the lower mold 52. The upper mold 51 is supported by a plate 53, and the lower mold 52 is supported by a holder 54.

In the molding device 5, the cut kneaded material K2 is placed in a cavity between an upper mold 51 and a lower mold 52, and the upper mold 51 and the lower mold 52 are closed, thereby pressure-molding the cut kneaded material K2. do. The molding device 5 presses and molds a plurality of cut and kneaded materials K2 to produce a final product. That is, a plurality of cut and kneaded materials K2 are placed on the mold 50 (lower mold 52). Therefore, the transfer device 4 grips a plurality of (for example, two) cut and kneaded materials K2 at once using the hand portion 41, and transfers the gripped plurality of cut and kneaded materials K2 to the mold 50.

<Overview of transfer device and kneaded material transfer method>
The hand unit 41 of the transfer device 4 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of needle grippers for gripping the plurality of cut and kneaded materials K2 on the receiving table 150, respectively. A needle gripper is a gripping part that has a plurality of needles. The needle grippers are provided in correspondence to the number of cut and kneaded materials K2 to be transferred.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the receiving table 150 is provided so as to be movable at least in a direction perpendicular to (crossing) the conveyance direction of the conveyor 140 (hereinafter referred to as the orthogonal direction). . In the drawing, the transport direction is indicated by arrow A1, and the orthogonal direction is indicated by arrow A2.

The position adjustment of the receiving stand 150 will be explained with reference to FIG. 3. Referring to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), when the first cut kneaded material K2 conveyed by the conveyor 140 is placed on the receiving table 150, the receiving table 150 is moved along the orthogonal direction. Moved. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3(c), the second cut and kneaded material K2 is placed on the receiving stand 150 so as not to overlap with the first cut and kneaded material K2. The two cut and kneaded materials K2 are arranged on the receiving table 150 with a space between them.

Note that the receiving stand 150 is moved in the orthogonal direction by, for example, a driving means such as a hydraulic cylinder. The receiving stand 150 may be provided movably on a guide rail. Further, in order to smoothly place the cut and kneaded material K2 from the conveyor 140 onto the receiving table 150, the position of the receiving table 150 may be adjustable also along the conveyance direction.

The hand section 41 of the transfer device 4 according to the present embodiment grips the two cut and kneaded materials K2 placed on the receiving table 150 in the same arrangement pattern with two needle grippers, and Transfer to 50. When placing the cut kneaded material K2 on the mold 50, the needle grippers are operated one by one to place (insert) the cut kneaded material onto the mold 50 in an arrangement pattern that corresponds to the shape of the final product.

In other words, the hand section 41 of the transfer device 4 not only places the two cut and kneaded materials K2 in the same arrangement pattern as when receiving them, as shown in FIG. 4(b), but also As shown in (d), the two cut and kneaded materials K2 can be placed in a different arrangement pattern from when they were received. FIG. 4(b) shows an arrangement pattern in which two pieces of cut and kneaded material K2 are lined up without any gaps. FIG. 4(c) shows an arrangement pattern in which two pieces of cut and kneaded material K2 are arranged with a gap between them in a direction different from that at the time of receiving. FIG. 4(d) shows an arrangement pattern in which two pieces of cut and kneaded material K2 are stacked one above the other.

<Configuration of hand section>
A specific configuration example of the hand section 41 of the transfer device 4 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the hand section 41. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of the hand section 41. FIG. 7A is a side view of the hand portion 41, viewed from the direction VIIa in FIG. 6. FIG. 7(b) is a bottom view of the hand portion 41, as seen from the direction VIIb in FIG. In addition, here, the material transferred by the transfer device 4 is referred to as "kneaded material K." In addition, in the following explanation, the lateral direction (indicated by arrow A3 in the figure) when the hand section 41 is viewed from the front is referred to as the "left-right direction", and the depth direction (indicated by the arrow A3 in the figure) when the hand section 41 is viewed from the front. , indicated by arrow A4) is referred to as the "front-back direction."

The hand section 41 includes two (plural) needle grippers 70a, 70b, a frame section 62 connected to a shaft section 43 provided at the tip of the arm section 42, and a frame section 62 attached to the frame section 62. 70b.

The needle grippers 70a and 70b are arranged in the left-right direction and spaced apart from each other. The frame portion 62 has a length in the left-right direction, and a central portion in the longitudinal direction of the frame portion 62 is connected to the tip of the arm portion 42 via the shaft portion 43.

The needle gripper 70a located relatively on the left side is driven by the drive device 64a, and the needle gripper 70b located relatively on the right side is driven by the drive device 64b. Each drive device 64a, 64b is attached to the frame portion 62 via a bracket 63. The bracket 63 is provided so as to protrude forward from the frame portion 62.

In the following description, if there is no need to distinguish between the drive devices 64a and 64b, they will be collectively referred to as the drive device 64. Further, when there is no need to distinguish between the needle grippers 70a and 70b, they are collectively referred to as the needle gripper 70.

(About the drive device)
Each drive device 64 includes a fixed member 65 fixed to the frame portion 62 via a bracket 63, and a movable member 66 provided so as to be movable forward and backward relative to the fixed member 65. The movable member 66 reciprocates in the up and down direction (vertical direction) based on commands from the control unit 90.

The drive device 64 is composed of, for example, an air cylinder. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the fixing member 65 includes a cylindrical cylinder tube 641 extending in the vertical direction, a head cover 642 and a rod cover 643 that cover both ends of the cylinder tube, and tightens these covers 642, 643. four tie rods 645. Movable member 66 includes a piston 644 fitted inside cylinder tube 641 and a piston rod 646 attached to piston 644. The head cover 642 and the rod cover 643 are provided with ports for supplying and discharging air into the cylinder tube 641, and by alternately supplying air to the front and rear of the piston 644, the piston 644 reciprocates.

A needle gripper 70 is fixed to the lower end of the movable member 66. Specifically, a cylindrical nut 649 connected to the base portion 79 of the needle gripper 70 is fixed to a bolt shaft 647 integrally provided at the lower end of the piston rod 646 together with a nut 648 attached to the movable member 66. There is. As a result, the entire needle gripper 70 moves up and down as the movable member 66 (piston rod 646) reciprocates.

The needle gripper 70 allows the needles 71 and 72 to perform a gripping operation when the movable member 66 is in the most advanced state, that is, in the state in which the piston rod 646 is pulled out the most. The position of the needle gripper 70 when the movable member 66 is the most backward is called the "retreat position", and the position of the needle gripper 70 when the movable member 66 is the most advanced is called the "working position". In FIG. 7A, the needle gripper 70 in the retracted position is shown by a solid line, and the needle gripper 70 (70b) in the working position is shown by an imaginary line.

(About the needle gripper)
The configuration of the needle gripper 70 will be described with further reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view showing the configuration of the needle gripper 70. The needle gripper 70 has a first group of needles 71 extending along a first direction (direction indicated by arrow A5 in the figure) and a second group extending in a second direction (direction indicated by arrow A6 in the figure) intersecting the first direction. The kneaded material K is sandwiched between the first group of needles 71 and the second group of needles 72.

The needle 71 extends diagonally downward to the right, and the needle 72 extends diagonally downward to the left. The angles of inclination of the needles 71 and 72 with respect to the vertical direction are the same angle, and are determined, for example, in the range of 40 to 50 degrees. Note that the needles 71 and 72 are needle-like members with sharp tips and are heat resistant.

The first group of needles 71 is held by a holding member 73, and the second group of needles 72 is held by a holding member 74. The holding members 73 and 74 are composed of plate-like members perpendicular to the needles 71 and 72, respectively, and are arranged diagonally so as to face each other. That is, the holding member 73 is arranged perpendicular to the first direction, and the holding member 74 is arranged perpendicular to the second direction. The rear end of the needle 71 is attached to a holding member 73, and the rear end of the needle 72 is attached to a holding member 74.

In each group, the needles 71 and 72 are arranged in multiple rows (for example, three rows) when viewed from the front. That is, the needles 71 and 72 are arranged in a matrix or in a staggered manner in each group. The holding members 73 and 74 are long in the front-rear direction of the needle gripper 70, and in each group, the number of needles 71 and 72 in the front-rear direction is greater than the number of needles 71 and 72 in the left-right direction (3).

In this embodiment, the tip heights of all needles 71 and 72 are the same height. Therefore, the needles 71 and 72 in the center row in the left-right direction of the needle gripper 70 are formed longer than the needles 71 and 72 in the outer row.

The needle gripper 70 is attached to the movable member 66 of the drive device 64 and includes a needle drive means 75 for moving the first group of needles 71 and the second group of needles 72 forward and backward at the same time. The needle driving means 75 and the driving device 64 are provided in a one-to-one relationship. The needle gripper 70 is configured to be symmetrical with respect to the needle drive means 75. The holding member 73 is located relatively on the left side, and the holding member 74 is located relatively on the right side.

The needle drive means 75 is driven and controlled when the needle gripper 70 is in the working position. That is, the needles 71 and 72 are moved forward and backward only when the needle gripper 70 is located at the working position. Note that the position where the needles 71 and 72 are most retracted is referred to as the "initial position." Further, since the kneaded material K is gripped at the position where the needles 71 and 72 are most advanced, the position where the needles 71 and 72 are most advanced is referred to as a "gripping position."

In FIG. 8, the line of the height of the tips of the needles 71 and 72 at the initial position is shown by an imaginary line L1, and the line of the height of the tips of the needles 71 and 72 at the gripping position is shown by an imaginary line L2. ing. In the initial position, the needles 71 and 72 overlap with each other the least, and in the gripping position, the needles 71 and 72 overlap with each other the most. The two do not need to overlap at the initial position.

In this way, in the transfer device 4, the drive device 64 operates (lowers or raises) the needle gripper 70, and the needle drive means 75 moves the needles 71 and 72 up and down in two stages.

The needle driving means 75 advances and retreats the needles 71 and 72 with respect to the base portion 79 described above. The needle drive means 75 typically includes a cylinder portion 751 that is directly or indirectly fixed to the base portion 79 and a piston 752 that reciprocates within the cylinder portion 751. The piston 752 functions as a reciprocating member. In this embodiment, a plurality (two) of pistons 752 are provided in order to stabilize the reciprocating motion, but the number of pistons 752 may be one.

The piston 752 reciprocates based on a command from the control unit 90, and moves the needles 71 and 72 forward and backward by the reciprocating movement. The piston 752, like the movable member 66 of the drive device 64, reciprocates along the vertical direction. In this way, the direction in which the piston 752 moves forward and backward is different from the direction in which the needles 71 and 72 themselves move forward and backward (first direction, second direction), and is the same direction as the direction in which the movable member 66 of the drive device 64 moves forward and backward.

Therefore, the piston 752 and the holding members 73 and 74 that hold the needles 71 and 72 are connected via the guide member 76. In other words, the needle gripper 70 is a guide member for guiding the movement of the first group of needles 71 in the first direction and the second group of needles 72 in the second direction as the piston 752 reciprocates. 76 further included.

(About guide members)
The guide member 76 is fixed to a guide plate 761 connected to the lower end of the piston 752 and extending in the left-right direction, a pair of guide holes 762 provided in the guide plate 761, and holding members 73 and 74, and is fixed to the pair of guide holes 762. It has an engagement pin 77 that engages with.

The guide plate 761 is arranged along the vertical direction, and the guide hole 762 penetrates the guide plate 761 in the thickness direction. The guide hole 762 is short in the vertical direction and long in the horizontal direction. The engagement pin 77 is fixed to the upper ends (that is, the ends closer to the center in the left-right direction) of the diagonally arranged holding members 73 and 74.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show an example of how the engagement pin 77 is attached. FIG. 9(a) is a partial sectional view taken along line IXa-IXa in FIG. 8, and shows a top view of the holding member 74. FIG. FIG. 9(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IXb-IXb in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the engagement pin 77 is fixed to the upper surface of the holding member 74 via a bracket 771, for example. The engagement pin 77 is attached to the bracket 771 so as to protrude forward (or backward) from the holding member 74 toward the center. Note that the method of attaching the engagement pin 77 is not particularly limited, as long as the engagement pin 77 is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction within the guide hole 762.

Referring again to FIG. 8, a pair of fixed shafts 78 are connected and fixed to both left and right ends 791 and 792 of the base portion 79, respectively, and extend through the holding members 73 and 74, respectively. The holding members 73 and 74 are provided with a through hole through which the fixed shaft 78 is inserted. The left fixed shaft 78 passes straight through the holding member 73 in the thickness direction and extends along the first direction. The fixed shaft 78 on the right side passes straight through the holding member 74 in the thickness direction and extends along the second direction.

Since each needle gripper 70 is provided with the guide member 76 as described above, even if the direction of the reciprocating motion of the piston 752 is different from the direction of movement of the needles 71 and 72, the needles 71 and 72 can be smoothly moved forward and backward. I can do it. This will be explained in detail.

In the initial state (when the piston 752 is most retracted), the pair of engagement pins 77 are located at both left and right ends (outer ends) of the pair of guide holes 762. In FIG. 8, the state at this time is partially shown with imaginary lines. In the initial state, the engagement pin 77 of the holding member 73 and the engagement pin 77 of the holding member 74 are located at the farthest position. The positions of the needles 71 and 72 at this time are the initial positions.

When displacing the needles 71 and 72 from the initial position to the grasping position, the needle driving means 75 is driven by the control section 90, and the piston 752 is pulled out vertically downward from the cylinder section 751. The guide plate 761 descends in conjunction with the descent of the piston 752. Then, the engagement pins 77 of the holding members 73 and 74 that are engaged with the guide hole 762 of the guide plate 761 move along the longitudinal direction of the guide hole 762 toward the center in the left-right direction. That is, the engagement pin 77 of the holding member 73 and the engagement pin 77 of the holding member 74 move in the direction toward each other. As a result, the needles 71 and 72 are moved (displaced) diagonally downward along the longitudinal direction of the fixed shaft 78 together with the holding members 73 and 74.

As described above, since the needle gripper 70 includes the guide member 76, the displacements of the first group of needles 71 and the second group of needles 72 can be reliably synchronized by driving one needle driving means 75. Therefore, the gripping operation of the kneaded material K can be performed appropriately. Note that when returning the needles 71 and 72 from the working position to the initial position, each part of the guide member 76 moves in the opposite direction to that described above.

(About heating means)
As shown in FIGS. 6, 7(b), and 8, each needle gripper 70 preferably includes a heating means 81 for heating the needles 71, 72. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the kneaded material K from decreasing during the transfer of the kneaded material K by the transfer device 4. That is, it is possible to prevent the kneaded material K from hardening.

The heating means 81 is composed of a plurality of heaters 82 provided at the bottom of each needle gripper 70. The heater 82 is typically an infrared heater shaped like a pipe.

The plurality of heaters 82 extend parallel to each other along the front-rear direction of the needle gripper 70. The heater 82 is held at both ends by a pair of heater holding members 83 and 84 that are indirectly or directly connected to the base portion 79. One heater holding member 83 holds one end (front end) of the heater 82, and the other heater holding member 84 holds the other end (rear end) of the heater 82. The heater holding members 83 and 84 are formed into plate shapes, for example, and are arranged facing each other in the front-rear direction. The heater 82 is, for example, made of a member whose shape can be changed by heating, and is formed by curing the member with both ends bent.

Since the heater holding members 83 and 84 are connected to the base portion 79, the heater holding members 83 and 84 and the heater 82 are connected to the needles 71 and 72 in the same manner as the cylinder portion 751 (fixing member) of the needle driving means 75. Does not follow forward/backward movements. The heater 82 is provided at a position through which the needles 71, 72 pass when they move forward and backward, avoiding the path of movement of the needles 71, 72. That is, it is provided within the range through which the needles 71, 72 pass in the vertical direction and at a position that does not interfere with the needles 71, 72.

Referring to FIG. 8, at least one heater 82 is provided between needles 71 (72) adjacent in the left-right direction in each group. Since the needles 71 and 72 are arranged in a plurality of rows in each group, at least one (for example, two) heaters 82 are arranged between each row (between adjacent rows). Thereby, all the needles 71 and 72 can be heated evenly.

As shown in the figure, the heater 82 disposed between the needle 71 located at the innermost position (near the center in the left-right direction) in the first group and the needle 71 located next to it is the heater 82 located at the innermost position in the second group. It may also serve as a heater arranged between the needle 72 located at the center (near the center in the left-right direction) and the needle 72 located next to it.

In this embodiment, all heaters 82 are arranged at the same height. That is, all the heaters 82 are arranged on the (same) plane through which the needles 71 and 72 move back and forth. Note that the heights of the heaters 82 may not all be the same. The height at which the heater 82 is disposed is typically lower than the rear end height of the needles 71 and 72 (indicated by imaginary line L3 in FIG. 8) located at the gripping position, and It is above the height of the upper surface of the kneaded material K held by the positioned needles 71 and 72 (indicated by imaginary line L4 in FIG. 8).

Specifically, it is desirable that the heater 82 be provided near the tips of the needles 71 and 72 at the initial position. In this embodiment, the height of the tips of the needles 71 and 72 at the initial position is slightly higher than the height (indicated by the imaginary line L1 in FIG. 8). In this way, it is desirable that the heater 82 be located within the height range of the tips of the needles 71 and 72 at the initial position.

As a result, when the needle gripper 70 is not gripping the kneaded material K (that is, when the needles 71 and 72 are at the initial position), the tips of the needles 71 and 72 are heated from both sides by the heater 82. be able to. Therefore, when gripping the kneaded material K, it is possible to suppress or prevent the temperature of the kneaded material K from decreasing (the kneaded material K gets cold) due to the needles 71 and 72 being stuck into the kneaded material K. can.

In addition, as described above, at least one linearly extending heater 82 is provided between the needles adjacent to each other in the left and right direction, so that when the kneaded material K is gripped, the kneaded material K is removed from above. It can be heated. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the temperature of the kneaded material K from decreasing during the transfer of the kneaded material K. As a result, molding defects due to hardening of the kneaded material K can be prevented.

The transfer device 4 may further include a temperature adjustment means (not shown) that individually adjusts the temperature of the plurality of heaters 82 in order to suppress temperature unevenness of the kneaded material K. Since the surface of the kneaded material K tends to harden, when the carbon fibers react with air (oxygen) and generate heat inside the kneaded material K, which has a large number of air bubbles, the hardened surface becomes a heat insulating material, and the kneaded material K has a tendency to harden. The inside of the tube is hotter than the outer periphery. Therefore, for example, by keeping the temperature of the needles 71 and 72 that pierce the center of the kneaded material K lower than that of the needles 71 and 72 that pierce the ends of the kneaded material K, temperature unevenness of the kneaded material K can be suppressed. Is possible.

In this case, the temperature adjusting means controls, for example, the temperature of the heater 82 that heats the needles 71 and 72 that pierce the center portion of the kneaded material K in the left and right direction, and the temperature of the heater 82 that heats the needles 71 and 72 that pierce the left and right end portions of the kneaded material K. The temperature is set lower than the temperature of the heater 82. Alternatively, by arranging the heaters 82 in a grid pattern, the temperature of the heater 82 that heats the needles 71, 72 that pierce the central portion of the kneaded material K in the front-rear direction can be adjusted to the temperature of the needles 71, 72 that pierce the end portions of the kneaded material K in the front-rear direction. The temperature may be set lower than the temperature of the heater 82 that heats the temperature.

In this embodiment, since the needles 71 and 72 are aligned, an example has been described in which the heater 82 is arranged in a straight line. However, when the needles 71 and 72 are not aligned, , the heaters 82 may be arranged in a curved shape. Furthermore, the direction in which the plurality of heaters 82 extend may be in the left-right direction of the needle gripper 70.

Furthermore, although the heating means 81 has been described as being constituted by the pipe-shaped heater 82, it is not limited thereto. For example, it may be configured by a plate-shaped heater provided with a plurality of holes through which the needles 71 and 72 pass.

(About the stopper)
As shown in FIGS. 6, 7(b), and 8, each needle gripper 70 preferably includes a stopper 85 for smoothly releasing the gripped kneaded material K. The stopper 85 extends linearly along the left-right direction of the needle gripper 70. A plurality of stoppers 85 are provided and extend parallel to each other. Therefore, when the needle gripper 70 is viewed from the bottom, a plurality of stoppers 85 and a plurality of heaters 82 are arranged in a grid pattern.

The stopper 85 is held at both ends by a pair of stopper holding members 86 and 87 that are indirectly or directly connected to the base portion 79. Therefore, the stopper holding members 86, 87 and the stopper 85, like the cylinder portion 751 (fixed member) of the needle drive means 75, do not follow the forward and backward movement of the needles 71, 72. The stopper 85 is also provided within a range through which the needles 71, 72 pass in the vertical direction, and at a position where it does not interfere with the needles 71, 72.

The stopper 85 is arranged above the height of the upper surface of the kneaded material K (indicated by imaginary line L4 in FIG. 8) in a state where the needles 71 and 72 located at the gripping position are piercing the kneaded material K. Further, it is arranged slightly below the line of the tip positions of the needles 71 and 72 located at the initial position (indicated by an imaginary line L1 in FIG. 8).

Thereby, when returning the needles 71, 72 from the gripping position to the initial position, the upper surface of the kneaded material K hits the stopper 85, so that the kneaded material K can be smoothly discharged from the needles 71, 72. Further, it is also possible to prevent the kneaded material K from coming into contact with the heater 82.

<Operation of transfer device>
With further reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the operation of the transfer device 4 will be described. FIGS. 10(a) to 10(d) are diagrams schematically showing the operation of the transfer device 4 when the kneaded material K is gripped by the hand section 41. FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c) are diagrams schematically showing the operation of the transfer device 4 when the kneaded material K is discharged by the hand portion 41. The transfer device 4 is controlled by the control unit 90 to grip the kneaded material K on the receiving stand 150, transfer the kneaded material K from the receiving stand 150 to the mold 50, and transfer the kneaded material K in the mold 50. The release of K is carried out repeatedly in this order.

First, the control unit 90 controls the arm unit 42 to move the hand unit 41 from the standby position to the receiving stand 150 (receiving position), for example, along a movement path as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10(a), when the hand portion 41 reaches the receiving position, the movable members 66 of the drive devices 64a, 64b are the most retreated (positioned at the upper end), and the needle gripper 70a, 70b are both located at the retracted position. When the needle grippers 70a, 70b are located at the retracted position, the piston 752 of the needle drive means 75 is most retracted (located at the upper end), and the needles 71, 72 are located at the initial position.

When the needle grippers 70a and 70b are respectively positioned above the two kneaded materials K placed on the receiving stand 150, the control unit 90 operates as shown in FIG. 10(b). , the movable members 66 of the drive devices 64a, 64b are advanced (lowered). That is, control is performed to pull out the piston rod 646 downward from the cylinder tube 641. Thereby, the needle grippers 70a, 70b are displaced (lowered) from the initial position to the working position.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10(c), the control unit 90 simultaneously controls the needle drive means 75 of each needle gripper 70a, 70b that has been displaced to the working position to move the piston 752 downward from the cylinder unit 751. Pull out. Then, in each needle gripper 70a, 70b, the needles 71, 72 move obliquely downward while being guided by the guide member 76. Specifically, the pair of engagement pins 77 fixed to the holding members 73 and 74 move from the outside to the inside (from both ends in the left-right direction toward the center) within the guide hole 762 of the guide plate 761. By doing so, the holding members 73 and 74 are pushed down while approaching each other.

As a result, in each of the needle grippers 70a, 70b, the needles 71, 72 are displaced from the initial position to the gripping position, so that the two kneaded materials K on the receiving stand 150 are transferred to the needles 71, 72 of the needle grippers 70a, 70b. pierced at the same time. In other words, two kneaded materials K are gripped at the same time. Note that when the needles 71 and 72 are located at the gripping position, the engagement pin 77 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the guide hole 762.

When the two kneaded materials K on the receiving stand 150 are gripped by the needle grippers 70a and 70b, the control unit 90 controls the movable members 66 of the drive devices 64a and 64b to retreat (raise). As a result, as shown in FIG. 10(d), the needle grippers 70a and 70b are returned (raised) from the working position to the retreat position while gripping the kneaded material K. In this way, two kneaded materials K are simultaneously lifted from the receiving table 150.

Thereafter, the control section 90 controls the arm section 42 to move the hand section 41 from the receiving stand 150 to the mold 50 along a movement path as shown in FIG. As a result, the two kneaded materials K are transferred from the receiving stand 150 to the mold 50. During the transfer of the kneaded material K, the needles 71 and 72 remain in the gripping position.

When the hand unit 41 reaches the mold 50 (delivery position), the control unit 90 places the kneaded material K gripped by one needle gripper 70a on the mold 50, and then grips it by the other needle gripper 70b. The kneaded material K thus obtained is placed on a mold 50.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the control unit 90 controls the driving device 64a in a state where the needle gripper 70a is located above the mold 50, so that only the needle gripper 70a is controlled. from the retreat position to the working position. The horizontal position of the needle gripper 70a at this time is determined in advance according to the shape of the final product. Thereby, the kneaded material K gripped by the needle gripper 70a is placed in a predetermined area of the mold 50.

Thereafter, contrary to the operation shown in FIG. 10(c), the control unit 90 controls the needle drive means 75 of the needle gripper 70a located at the working position to pull the piston 752 back upward. Then, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the needles 71 and 72 of the needle gripper 70a move obliquely upward while being guided by the guide member 76. Specifically, a pair of engagement pins 77 fixed to the holding members 73 and 74 move from the inside to the outside (from the center in the left-right direction to both ends) within the guide hole 762 of the guide plate 761. As a result, the holding members 73 and 74 are pulled upward while moving away from each other.

As a result, the needles 71 and 72 of the needle gripper 70a are displaced from the gripping position to the initial position, so that they are pulled out from the kneaded material K placed on the mold 50. In this way, the first kneaded material K is discharged (inserted) into the mold 50 by the needle gripper 70a.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the control unit 90 controls the driving device 64a to return the needle gripper 70a from the working position to the retracted position, and controls the other driving device 64b. , the needle gripper 70b is lowered from the retracted position to the working position. The horizontal position of the needle gripper 70b at this time is also predetermined according to the shape of the final product. Therefore, the control unit 90 adjusts the horizontal position of the entire hand unit 41 so that the horizontal position of the needle gripper 70b is at a predetermined position.

When the kneaded material K gripped by the needle gripper 70b is placed on a predetermined area of the mold 50, the control unit 90 moves the needle gripper 70b located at the working position similarly to the operation shown in FIG. 11(b). The piston 752 is pulled back upward by controlling the needle driving means 75 of the piston 752 . As a result, the needles 71 and 72 of the needle gripper 70b move obliquely upward while being guided by the guide member 76, so that the needles 71 and 72 of the needle gripper 70b are displaced from the gripping position to the initial position. In this way, the second kneaded material K is discharged (inserted) into the mold 50 by the needle gripper 70b.

In addition, FIG.11(c) shows, as an example, a state in which two kneaded materials K are lined up without any gap according to the arrangement pattern shown in FIG.4(b).

As explained above, the transfer device 4 according to the present embodiment includes the drive devices 64a and 64b that independently displace the two needle grippers 70a and 70b from the retracted position to the working position. , 64b actuate the needle grippers 70a, 70b at different timings at the delivery position. Therefore, the two kneaded materials K held by the needle grippers 70a and 70b can be arranged on the mold 50 in a highly flexible arrangement pattern. In other words, the degree of freedom in arranging the plurality of pre-molding materials can be improved. Therefore, it becomes possible to form a final product with a complicated shape in the molding device 5.

Further, since the two needle grippers 70a and 70b can be raised and lowered independently, interference with the constituent parts of the molding device 5 can be prevented.

Further, in this embodiment, the drive devices 64a, 64b operate the needle grippers 70a, 70b at the same timing at the receiving position. Therefore, the gripping operation of a plurality of kneaded materials K can be performed efficiently. In other words, the time required from receiving the kneaded material K to delivering it can be shortened. Note that, also in the receiving position, the drive devices 64a, 64b may operate the needle grippers 70a, 70b at different timings. In this case, it is also possible to eliminate the need for position adjustment of the receiving stand 150.

(Modified example)
In this embodiment, a configuration in which a plurality of needle grippers 70 can be individually moved up and down by a plurality of drive devices 64 has been described. It may be possible to adjust the position of. Alternatively, the needle gripper 70 may be able to rotate in the horizontal direction.

Further, in this embodiment, an example in which two pairs of needle grippers 70 and drive devices 64 are provided has been described, but three or more pairs may be provided.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the transfer device 4 transfers the gripped kneaded material K to the mold 50, but the transfer destination of the gripped kneaded material K is not limited to the mold 50. In other words, the mounting table located at the material delivery position is not limited to the mold 50.

Further, in this embodiment, the material transferred by the transfer device 4 has been described as a kneaded material, but the material to be transferred is not limited to a kneaded material as long as it can be pierced and gripped by the needles 71 and 72. In other words, the configuration and operation of the transfer device 4 are applicable to systems other than the manufacturing device 1 for fiber-reinforced resin molded bodies.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims are included.

1 Fiber-reinforced resin molded product manufacturing device, 4 Transfer device, 41 Hand portion, 42 Arm portion, 50 Molding die, 62 Frame portion, 63 Bracket, 64, 64a, 64b Drive device, 65 Fixed member, 66 Movable member, 70 , 70a, 70b needle gripper, 71, 72 needle, 73, 74 holding member, 75 needle driving means, 76 guide member, 77 engaging pin, 78 fixed shaft, 79 base portion, 81 heating means, 82 heater, 85 stopper , 90 control unit, 150 receiving stand.

Claims (7)

a gripping portion that includes a base portion and a plurality of needles that are provided to be movable forward and backward relative to the base portion and that pierce a material containing a thermoplastic resin in a gripping position advanced from an initial position;
a heating means that is provided at a position through which the needle passes when moving back and forth , avoiding the movement path of the needle, and that heats the needle located at the initial position ;
The material transfer device, wherein the heating means includes an infrared heater located between the needles adjacent to each other in a predetermined direction . a gripping portion including a base portion and a plurality of needles that are provided to be movable forward and backward relative to the base portion and pierce the material at a gripping position advanced from an initial position;
a heating means that is provided at a position through which the needle passes when moving back and forth, avoiding the movement path of the needle, and that heats the needle located at the initial position;
The heating means includes a heater arranged linearly or curvedly between the needles adjacent in a predetermined direction. The material transfer device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the plurality of heaters are arranged on a plane through which the needle moves back and forth. The material transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the heater is formed in a pipe shape. The plurality of needles are arranged in a plurality of rows,
The material transfer device according to claim 1, wherein at least one heater is provided between adjacent rows. The material transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising temperature adjustment means for individually adjusting the temperatures of the plurality of heaters. The material transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the heating means is provided near the tip of the needle at the initial position.

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