JP7492737B2 - Tape material application machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tape application machine that automatically applies tape to a workpiece.

A conventional technology is known in which a tape material is attached to the outer peripheral surface of a circular hand attached to an articulated robot, wound up, and then the tape material is applied to a workpiece by rotating the hand while pressing the outer peripheral surface against the workpiece (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-271222

However, since the conventional technology described above is configured to adsorb the tape material onto the outer peripheral surface of the hand and wind it up, if a corner with a smaller diameter than the diameter of the hand is formed in the tape application path, the outer peripheral surface of the hand will float away from the corner, and the tape material cannot be pressed against the corner to be applied.
Furthermore, if the diameter of the hand is reduced, the length of tape that can be wound onto the hand becomes shorter, so that the task of applying the tape and the task of winding the tape onto the hand must be repeated, resulting in poor work efficiency.
In other words, the above-mentioned conventional technology has problems in that the range of workpieces to which the tape can be applied is narrow, and the efficiency of the work of applying the tape is poor.

The present invention was created to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a tape application machine that can expand the range of workpieces to which tape can be applied and improve the work efficiency of applying tape.

(Invention according to claim 1)
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention according to claim 1 comprises:
A tape application machine (1) that applies a tape material (300) having an adhesive layer (302 (FIG. 8)) on a back surface to a workpiece (40) by a robot (10 (FIG. 1)),
A reel (70 (FIG. 2)) is attached to the tip of the robot (10) and is used to wind up the tape material (300);
A roller (90 (FIG. 3)) is attached to the tip of the robot (10) and presses the surface of the tape material (300) unwound from the reel (70) to press the tape material (300) against the workpiece (40) to apply it to the workpiece;
a control unit (500 (FIG. 19)) that controls the robot (10) to move the reel (70) along a joining path (R1, R2 (FIG. 15)) set on the work (40) and presses the tape material (300) against the joining path (R1, R2) by the roller (90) to join the tape material ( 300),
A plurality of application points (P2 to P4 (FIG. 15)) are set on the curved application path (R2) to apply pressure to the tape material (300),
The control unit (500)
When moving from the current joining point to the next joining point, the roller (90) holding the tape material (300) is raised from the work (40) and the posture of the roller (90) is changed in a direction along the curved joining path (R2), thereby changing the posture of the tape material (300) held by the roller (90) in a direction along the curved joining path (R2), and the roller (90) and tape material (300) whose posture has been changed are lowered to the next joining point, and the roller (90) whose posture has been changed presses the tape material (300) whose posture has been changed against the next joining point to be joined .

(Invention according to claim 2)
In the invention according to claim 2, in the tape application machine (1) according to claim 1,
The tape feeder is characterized by being provided with a guide member (100 (FIG. 3)) that guides the tape material (300) unwound from the reel (70) to the roller (90).

(Invention according to claim 3)
In the invention according to claim 3, in the tape application machine (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2,
Laura (90)
The tape material (300) comprises a cylindrical body (91 (FIG. 8)) and a pair of flanges (92, 92) respectively protruding outward from each peripheral edge of both ends of the body (91). The tape material (300) is characterized in that the surface of the tape material (300) contacts the peripheral surface (91a) of the body (91) and at least the upper edges (301b, 301b) of both longitudinal side surfaces (301a, 301a) of the tape material (300) are configured to fit between the pair of flanges (92, 92).

(Invention according to claim 4)
In the invention according to claim 4,
In the tape application machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The roller position switching device (80 (FIG. 4)) is provided for switching the roller (90) between a first position (FIG. 4) in which the roller (90) faces the outer peripheral surface of the reel (70) and a second position retracted from the first position,
The control unit (500)
By controlling the roller position switching device (80), the roller (90) is switched to the second position (Figure 6) when the tape material (300) is wound onto the reel (70), and the roller (90) is switched to the first position when the tape material (300) unwound from the reel (70) is pressed against the work (40) to be bonded.

(Invention according to claim 5)
In the tape application machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The control unit (500)
The robot (10) is controlled to adjust the positional relationship between the reel (70) and the joining paths (R1, R2) so that the tape material (300) is unwound along the joining paths (R1, R2).

(Invention according to claim 6)
In the tape application machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A motor (67 (FIG. 3)) is provided to rotate the reel (70),
The control unit (500)
The robot (10) and the motor (67) are controlled so that the speed at which the roller (90) joins the tape material (300) along the joining path (R1, R2) is synchronized with the speed at which the tape material (300) is unwound from the reel (70), and the roller (90) joins the tape material (300) along the joining path (R1, R2).

(Invention according to claim 7)
In the tape application machine (1) according to claim 6,
The control unit (500)
The system is characterized in that the tension of the tape material (300) between the workpiece (40) and the reel (70) is adjusted by controlling the robot (10) and the motor (67) when the tape material (300) unwound from the reel (70) is applied to the workpiece (40).

(Invention according to claim 8)
In the tape application machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The control unit (500)
The present invention is characterized in that the force with which the roller (90) presses the tape material (300) against the workpiece (40) can be adjusted by controlling the robot (10).

(Invention according to claim 9 )
In the tape application machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
The tape material (300) is
A urethane resin layer (301 (FIG. 8)) formed of a urethane resin;
and an adhesive layer (302) formed on the back surface of the urethane resin layer,
The adhesive layer (302) is characterized by having a higher elastic modulus than the urethane resin layer (301).

Note that the symbols and figure numbers in parentheses above indicate the corresponding relationship with the specific means described in the embodiments described below.

(Effects of the invention according to claim 1)
According to the tape application machine of the invention of claim 1, the tape material is wound onto a reel, and the roller presses the tape material unwound from the reel against the workpiece to apply it. Therefore, the required length of tape material can be wound onto the reel, and there is no need to change the diameter of the reel depending on the length of the tape material.
Moreover, even if a corner is present in the joining path, a roller having a diameter capable of pressing the outer circumferential surface against the corner can be used.
Furthermore, by controlling the robot, the reel can be moved along the joining path set on the workpiece, and the roller can press the tape material against the joining path to join it. In other words, the tape material can be automatically joined to the joining path of the workpiece.
Incidentally, when the joining path is a straight line, the tape can be joined to the workpiece without lifting the roller from the workpiece.
However, if the application path is curved, when the tape material is applied by rolling the roller along the curve, the adhesive layer attached to the workpiece has difficulty changing direction to follow the rolling direction of the roller, so it is easy for the application path to deviate or for the applied tape material to become tilted in relation to the workpiece.
In particular, as described in claim 9, when the tape material comprises a urethane resin layer formed from urethane resin and an adhesive layer formed on the back surface of the urethane resin layer, and the adhesive layer has a greater elastic modulus (stronger stiffness) than the urethane resin layer, the urethane resin layer is likely to deform in the rolling direction of the roller in a curved application path, but the adhesive layer is less likely to deform, making the above-mentioned symptoms even more likely to occur.
Therefore, according to the invention of claim 1, a plurality of application points are set on the curved application path where the tape material is pressed and applied, and when moving from the current application point to the next application point, the control unit raises the roller holding the tape material from the work and changes the posture of the roller in a direction along the curved application path, thereby changing the posture of the tape material held by the roller in a direction along the curved application path, and lowers the roller and tape material whose posture has been changed to the next application point, and the tape material whose posture has been changed can be pressed against the next application point by the roller whose posture has been changed, thereby applying it.
Therefore, the tape can be accurately applied along a curved application path, and there is no risk of the applied tape being tilted relative to the workpiece.

(Effects of the invention according to claim 2)
According to the tape application machine of the invention of claim 2, the tape material unwound from the reel is guided to the roller by the guide member, so that the positional relationship between the roller and the tape material is constant, and the tape material can be applied to the work with high precision.

(Effects of the invention according to claim 3)
According to the tape application machine of the invention of claim 3, the roller has a cylindrical body and a pair of flanges extending outward from each of the periphery of both ends of the body, and is configured so that the surface of the tape material contacts the periphery of the body and at least the upper edges of both longitudinal sides of the tape material are located between the pair of flanges.
Therefore, the tape material does not come off the roller, and the tape material can be applied accurately along the application path.

(Effects of the invention according to claim 4)
According to the tape application machine of the invention of claim 4, when winding the tape onto the reel, the roller can be switched from the first position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel to the retracted second position, so that the roller does not get in the way when winding the tape onto the reel. Also, since there is no need to manually switch the roller between the first and second positions, work efficiency can be improved.

(Effects of the invention according to claim 5)
According to the tape application machine of the invention as set forth in claim 5, since the tape can be unwound along the application path, the tape can be applied with high precision along the application path.

(Effects of the invention according to claim 6)
According to the tape application machine of the invention of claim 6, the speed at which the roller applies the tape material along the application path is synchronized with the speed at which the tape material is unwound from the reel, so that the tension of the tape material between the workpiece and the roller does not change, and therefore the shape of the tape material applied to the workpiece does not change.
Furthermore, since the rollers can automatically apply the tape along the application path, the efficiency of the work of applying the tape to the workpiece can be improved.

(Effects of the invention according to claim 7)
The properties required for the tape material, such as elasticity and density, differ depending on the type of workpiece. Meanwhile, the properties and thickness of the applied tape material change depending on the tension of the tape material when it is applied to the workpiece, so the tape material after application must maintain the required properties.
Therefore, according to the invention of claim 7, the tension of the tape material between the work and the reel can be adjusted so that the tape material after application maintains the required characteristics.

(Effects of the invention according to claim 8)
The characteristics required for the tape material, such as elasticity and density, differ depending on the type of workpiece. Also, the adhesive strength differs depending on the components of the adhesive layer. Therefore, in order to attach the tape material to the workpiece in the optimal condition, it is desirable to adjust the force with which the tape material is pressed against the workpiece to an optimal value according to the characteristics of the tape material.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the force with which the roller presses the tape material against the workpiece can be adjusted, so that the tape material can be applied to the workpiece in an optimal state.

As described above, the present invention provides a tape application machine that can expand the range of workpieces to which tape can be applied and improve the work efficiency of applying tape.

1 is a perspective view of a tape application machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a tape application unit attached to the tip of a robot constituting the tape application machine shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the tape applying unit shown in FIG. 2 . 4 is a perspective view of the tape application unit shown in FIG. 3, seen from a different direction. FIG. 4 is a front view of a reel and a tape clamping device provided in the tape applying unit; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roller swing mechanism and a tape clamping device provided in the tape applying unit, showing a state in which the roller is retracted from a position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roller swing mechanism and a tape clamping device provided in the tape applying unit, the perspective view showing a state in which the roller has advanced to a position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel. FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the roller, FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of the tape, and FIG. 4C is an enlarged view of the roller holding the tape. 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams of a tape clamping device, in which (A) is an enlarged front view and (B) is a left side view of (A). 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing a part of the tape clamp device shown in FIG. 9, in which (A) is an enlarged front view of the structure for clamping the tape material, (B) is a right side view of (A), and (C) is a perspective view of the cam shown in (A). FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the roller presses the tape material unwound from the reel against the workpiece to join it, with part of the tape joining unit omitted. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the roller is applying the tape material unwound from the reel along a curved application path set on the workpiece, with part of the tape application unit omitted. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which a roller is applying tape material unwound from a reel along a curved application path set on a workpiece, where (A) is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the roller and tape material have risen from the workpiece, and (B) is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the raised roller and tape material have changed position in a direction along the application path. 1A is a schematic diagram showing the change in posture of the roller and tape material, in which (A) shows the state in which the roller is pressing the tape material against the workpiece, (B) shows the state in which the roller and tape material have risen from the workpiece, and (C) shows the state in which the raised roller and tape material have changed posture in a direction along the joining path. FIG. 13A is a schematic diagram showing how the roller changes its position along a curved joining path, and FIG. 13B is an explanatory diagram showing the angle at which the roller changes its position. 1A is a perspective view of a tape setting jig and a tape fixing device, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the tape. 16A is an enlarged oblique view of one end of the tape material setting jig and the tape material fixing device shown in FIG. 16A, FIG. 16B is a front view, and FIG. 16C is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the starting end of the release paper of the tape material is locked and fixed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a workpiece to which a tape material is attached. FIG. 2 is an explanatory block diagram showing a main electrical configuration of the tape application machine shown in FIG. 1 . 20 is a flowchart showing the flow of main processes executed by a CPU provided in the control unit shown in FIG. 19 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A tape application machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Main components]
First, the main configuration of the tape application machine of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the tape application machine 1 of this embodiment includes a robot 10, a tape application unit 60, and a tape setting jig 34. The robot 10 is a vertically articulated six-axis robot having a first axis 11 to a sixth axis 16. The second axis 12 and the third axis 13 are linked by a lower arm 17, and the third axis 13 and the fourth axis 14 are linked by an upper arm 18. The fifth axis 15 and the sixth axis 16 are linked by a wrist 19. A hand unit 20 is attached to the tip of the wrist 19 for mounting a robot hand (not shown) generally used in a vertically articulated six-axis robot. A tape application unit 60 is attached to the tip of the hand unit 20, i.e., the tip of the robot 10.

The tape application machine 1 includes a base 30, on which a jig base 33 is provided. A tape material setting jig 34 for setting the tape material 300 (FIG. 16B) at a predetermined position is provided on the jig base 33. Tape material fixing devices 50A and 50B for fixing both ends of the tape material 300 to the tape material setting jig 34 are provided on both ends of the tape material setting jig 34. In addition, a jig base 31 is provided on the base 30, on which a work setting jig 32 for setting the work 40 at a predetermined position is provided.

[Configuration of tape application unit]
Next, the configuration of the tape application unit 60 will be described with reference to the drawings.
The tape application unit 60 is a device for applying the tape 300 along application paths R1, R2 (FIG. 15) while pressing the tape 300 against the workpiece 40. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the tape application unit 60 includes a reel 70, a roller 90, a guide 100, a roller swing mechanism 80, and tape clamp devices 200A, 200B (FIG. 5).

(Reel structure)
The reel 70 is a member for winding up the tape material 300 and for unwinding the wound tape material 300 to the joining paths R1, R2 (FIG. 15). As shown in FIG. 6, a tape material fitting groove 71 for fitting the wound tape material 300 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70. The tape material 300 is wound on the reel 70 so as to be fitted in the tape material fitting groove 71. The total length of the tape material fitting groove 71 is formed to be the same as the total length L of the tape material 300 (FIG. 16(B)). When the total length L of the tape material 300 is longer than the circumferential length of the tape material fitting groove 71 (FIG. 6), the tape material fitting groove 71 is formed around the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70 one or more times. When the total length L of the tape material 300 is longer than the circumference of the reel 70, the tape material fitting groove 71 is formed in a spiral shape on the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70 to prevent the wound tape material 300 from adhering to each other. In other words, the tape material 300 is wound in a spiral shape around the reel 70.

The depth of the tape material fitting groove 71 is such that the tape material 300 protrudes slightly or does not protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the reel 70, but the portion into which the beginning 304 (FIG. 16B) of the tape material 300 is fitted is shallower than the height T (FIG. 8B) of the tape material 300, and as shown in FIG. 5, the beginning 304 of the tape material 300 wound on the reel 70 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the reel 70. As a result, when the beginning 304 of the tape material 300 is attached to the workpiece 40, the beginning 304 can be pressed against the workpiece 40 by lowering the reel 70 to the workpiece 40 with the beginning 304 at the bottom. As will be described later, after the beginning 304 is attached to the workpiece 40, the roller 90 presses the tape material 300 against the workpiece 40 to attach it. The outer diameter of the reel 70 is determined by the total length L of the tape material 300 to be wound, and is determined so that the reel 70 does not come into contact with the workpiece 40 or the robot 10 when the tape material 300 is applied to the workpiece 40.

As shown in FIG. 4, a rotating shaft 64 is inserted and fixed to the reel 70, and the rotating shaft 64 is rotatably supported by bearings 62 and 63. The bearings 62 and 63 are attached to the rear surface of a robot mounting portion 61. The robot mounting portion 61 is a member for mounting the tape application unit 60 to the hand portion 20 (FIG. 2) of the robot 10. A motor 67 for rotating the reel 70 is attached to the rear surface of the robot mounting portion 61. A pinion 66 is supported and fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 67. One end of the rotating shaft 64 inserted and fixed to the reel 70 is inserted and fixed to the center of rotation of a gear 65, and the gear 65 is rotatably engaged with the pinion 66 of the motor 67. In other words, when the motor 67 is driven, the pinion 66 rotates, and the gear 65 rotates, thereby rotating the reel 70.
Motor 67 is a servo motor, and its number of rotations, rotation angle, and rotation speed are controlled by control unit 500 (FIG. 19). In other words, motor 67 functions as the seventh axis of robot 10. The gear ratio of pinion 66 and gear 65 can be determined based on the speed at which tape material 300 is joined to workpiece 40, the shape of joining paths R1, R2 (FIG. 15), the tension required for tape material 300, and the like, and can be changed in design. Pinion 66 and gear 65 are covered by cover 68.

(Structure of Roller and Tape Material)
The roller 90 is a member for pressing the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 against the workpiece 40 to apply it. As shown in FIG. 6, the roller 90 is rotatably supported by a bearing 89. As shown in FIG. 8A, the roller 90 includes a cylindrical body 91 and a pair of flanges 92, 92 each protruding outward from each periphery at both ends of the body 91. In this embodiment, the roller 90 is made of an aluminum alloy (super duralumin) designated A7075 by the JIS standard, and has high strength. In addition, each flange 92 is made of stainless steel designated SUS304 by the JIS standard, and has high corrosion resistance.

As shown in Fig. 8B, the tape material 300 has a tape material body 301, an adhesive layer 302 formed on the back surface of the tape material body 301, and a release paper 303 adhered to the back surface of the adhesive layer 302. In the figure, the thicknesses of the adhesive layer 302 and the release paper 303 are drawn thicker than they actually are in order to make the structure of the tape material 300 easier to understand. The release paper 303 is peeled off from the tape material 300 when the tape material 300 is wound onto the reel 70. Also, as shown in Fig. 16B, a start end 303a of the release paper protrudes to the left of the drawing from a start end 304 of the tape material 300, and a end end 303b of the release paper protrudes to the right of the drawing from an end end 305 of the tape material 300. As will be described later, the beginning end 303a of the release paper is the portion used when the tape material 300 set in the tape material setting jig 34 is fixed and locked by the tape material fixing device 50A, and the end end 303b of the release paper is the portion used when the tape material 300 set in the tape material setting jig 34 is fixed and locked by the tape material fixing device 50B.
In this embodiment, the tape body 301 is formed of urethane resin, and the adhesive layer 302 is formed of an acrylic adhesive. In this embodiment, the width W1 of the body 91 of the roller 90 is 7 mm, and the outer diameter φ2 is 8 mm. The outer diameter Φ1 of each flange 92 is 14 mm, and the thickness D is 0.5 mm. The height H of each flange 92 protruding from the peripheral surface 91a of the body 91 is 3 mm. The tape body 301 is an example of a urethane resin layer of the present invention.

The width W2 of the tape material 300 is 7 mm, and the height T excluding the release paper 303 is 10 mm. The overall length L of the tape material 300 (FIG. 16B) is the same as the length of the application paths R1, R2 (FIG. 15A), and is, for example, 2,200 mm. Since the width W1 of the body 91 of the roller 90 and the width W2 of the tape material 300 are the same, as shown in FIG. 8C, each flange 92 of the roller 90 can clamp the tape material 300 without any gaps, and the tape material 300 does not move at each flange 92 (no rattling occurs). In addition, the height H of each flange 92 protruding from the peripheral surface 91a of the body 91 is 3 mm, while the height T of the tape material 300 is 10 mm. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8(C), when the tape material 300 is sandwiched between the flanges 92, the tape material 300 protrudes downward by 7 mm from the peripheral surface of each flange 92.

In this way, when the tape material 300 is sandwiched between the flanges 92, the tape material 300 protrudes downward from the peripheral surface of each flange 92. Therefore, when the roller 90 presses the tape material 300 against the workpiece 40, the tape material 300 is compressed between the body 91 of the roller 90 and the workpiece 40, and the tape material 300 can be pressed against the workpiece 40. In addition, when the tape material body 301 is compressed, each flange 92 of the roller 90 can be prevented from contacting the workpiece. The roller 90 may be configured so that the surface of the tape material 300 contacts the peripheral surface 91a of the body 91, and at least the upper edges 301b, 301b of both side surfaces 301a, 301a of the tape material 300 in the longitudinal direction are contained between a pair of flanges 92, 92. With this configuration, when the roller 90 presses the tape material 300 onto the workpiece 40 while applying it, the tape material 300 is prevented from coming off one of the flanges 92, so the tape material 300 can be applied accurately along the application paths R1, R2 (FIG. 15A). The dimensions of the body 91 of the roller 90, such as the width W1 and outer diameter Φ2, and the outer diameter Φ1 of each flange 92, can be changed depending on the width W2, height T, and material of the tape material 300 to be pressed.

(Guide structure)
The guide 100 shown in FIG. 7 is a member for guiding the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 to the peripheral surface 91a (FIG. 8(C)) of the body 91 of the roller 90. The guide 100 has an upper portion 101 that contacts the surface of the tape material 300, a pair of side portions 102, 102 formed downward from both side edges of the upper portion, and a tip portion 103 formed from the tip of the upper portion 101 in the unwinding direction of the tape material 300. The back surface of the upper portion 101 is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the surface of the tape material 300. The side portions 102, 102 face each other and are provided so as to sandwich both side surfaces 301a, 301a (FIG. 8(B)) of the tape material 300. The tip portion 103 serves to guide the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 to the upper portion 101. 7 and 11, tip portion 103 is formed into a shape that curves gently upward, in other words, into a curved surface that bulges slightly downward, so that friction between the tip of tip portion 103 and the surface of tape material 300 is not increased. In other words, tape material 300 can be smoothly guided to upper portion 101.

7 and 11, the guide 100 is biased upward, that is, in the direction of pressing the tape material 300, by a torsion coil spring 105 attached to the bearing 89. This stabilizes the posture of the guide 100, so that the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 can be stably guided to the roller 90. In addition, a pressing portion 104 is attached to the bearing 89 to prevent the guide 100 from rotating upward. This pressing portion 104 prevents the guide 100, which is biased upward by the torsion coil spring 105, from rotating upward, and maintains the guide 100 in a constant posture.
The surface of the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 contacts the rear faces of the tip 103 and the upper part 101, and contacts the lower peripheral surface 91a of the body 91 of the roller 90. In other words, the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 passes through the rear faces of the tip 103 and the upper part 101 of the guide 100 and is guided to the lower peripheral surface 91a of the body 91 of the roller 90. At this time, the tape material 300 passing through the rear face of the upper part 101 is held by the opposing side parts 102, so that the tape material 300 is stably supplied to the roller 90 without coming off the guide 100. The guide 100 can be formed from the same material as the body 91 or the flange 92 of the roller 90. The guide 100 is an example of a guide member of the present invention.

(Configuration of Roller Swing Mechanism)
The roller swing mechanism 80 is a device for switching the roller 90 and the guide 100 between a first position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70 and a second position retracted from the first position. The roller swing mechanism 80 maintains the roller 90 and the guide 100 in the second position when the tape material 300 is wound onto the reel 70, and switches the roller 90 and the guide 100 from the second position to the first position when the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 is pressed against the workpiece 40 to be applied.

3 and 4, the roller swing mechanism 80 includes an air cylinder 81, a connecting member 83 connected to the tip of a piston rod 82 of the air cylinder 81, a cam 84 rotatably connected to the connecting member 83, a rotating shaft 87 (FIG. 4) inserted and fixed to the cam 84, bearings 85 and 86 that support the rotating shaft 87, an arm 88 that is supported and fixed to the rotating shaft 87, and a bearing 89 attached to the arm 88. The bearings 85 and 86 are attached to a bearing 62 that supports the rotating shaft 64 of the reel 70.
6, before the tape material 300 is wound onto the reel 70, the piston rod 82 is retracted inside the air cylinder 81, the cam 84 and the arm 88 rotate upward, and the roller 90 and the guide 100 are maintained in a second position retracted from a first position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70. As a result, when the reel 70 winds up the tape material 300, the roller 90 and the guide 100 do not get in the way.

When the tape material 300 wound by the reel 70 is applied to the workpiece 40, the reel 70 is lowered to the workpiece 40, and the start end 304 (FIG. 5) of the tape material 300 protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70 is pressed against the workpiece 40 to apply it. Then, as shown in FIGS. 4, 7, 11 to 13, the piston rod 82 extends from the air cylinder 81, the cam 84 rotates downward, and the arm 88 rotates downward with the rotation of the cam 84, so that the roller 90 and the guide 100 enter between the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70 and the tape material 300 that has been unwound, and are in the first position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70. As a result, the guide 100 guides the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 to the roller 90, and the roller 90 presses the guided tape material 300 against the workpiece 40 to apply it. In other words, the roller swing mechanism 80 operates after the starting end 304 of the tape material 300 is attached to the workpiece 40, and the roller 90 and the guide 100 move from the second position to the first position. The roller swing mechanism 80 is an example of a roller position switching device of the present invention.

(Configuration of the tape clamping device)
As shown in Fig. 5, tape material clamping devices 200A, 200B are provided on reel 70 and are devices for clamping (grabbing) tape material 300 wound around reel 70. Tape material clamping device 200A, which is disposed at the bottom of reel 70 in Fig. 5, is a device for clamping starting end 304 (Fig. 16(B)) of tape material 300, and tape material clamping device 200B, which is disposed diagonally to the upper right of reel 70, is a device for clamping ending end 305 (Fig. 16(B)) of tape material 300.
Since the tape clamping devices 200A and 200B have the same configuration, the configuration of the tape clamping device 200A will be described as a representative example. As shown in Fig. 9, the tape clamping device 200A includes a clamping metal fitting 201 and a presser metal fitting 202 for clamping the tape material 300, a cam follower 216 for clamping and unclamping the clamping metal fitting 201, a cam 215 for operating the cam follower 216, an air cylinder 203 for rotating the cam 215, and opposing frames 211, 212.

The clamp metal fitting 201 is provided on the frame 211, has an L-shaped vertical cross section, and its upper end is rotatably supported on a rotating shaft 217. As shown in Fig. 7, the tip of the clamp metal fitting 201 is formed in a sawtooth shape so that the clamped tape material 300 will not come off. A plate-shaped pressing metal fitting 202 is provided at a location facing the tip of the clamp metal fitting 201 when the clamp metal fitting 201 has clamped the tape material 300. The pressing metal fitting 202 is formed to protrude from the lower end of the frame 212 (Fig. 7). The tape material 300 is clamped by the tip of the clamp metal fitting 201 and the pressing metal fitting 202.
9, a torsion coil spring 218 is wound around the rotating shaft 217, and the clamp fitting 201 is biased in the unclamping direction by the torsion coil spring 218. A cam follower shaft 216a is attached in a vertical position to the upper end of the clamp fitting 201, and a cam follower 216 is rotatably supported at the tip of the cam follower shaft 216a.

A cam 215 is rotatably supported by a cam pivot shaft 214 on the frame 211. As shown in Fig. 10C, a flat portion 215a is formed on the lower right of the surface of the cam 215, and a recess 215b is formed on the left side of the flat portion 215a. The recess 215b is formed to a size that allows the cam follower 216 to enter (drop into).
As shown in Fig. 9, an air cylinder 203 is provided at each upper end of the frames 211 and 212. The rear end (left side of the drawing) of the air cylinder 203 is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 205 inserted through the frames 211 and 212. A base end of a cam 215 is rotatably supported by a connecting shaft 213 at the tip of a piston rod 204 of the air cylinder 203. A movable range adjustment screw 210 for adjusting the movable range of the piston rod 204 is provided at the upper end of the frames 211 and 212 toward the piston rod 204. The tip of the movable range adjustment screw 210 faces the tip of the piston rod 204, and by adjusting the protruding length of the movable range adjustment screw 210, the extendable range of the piston rod 204 can be adjusted, and the rotation range of the cam 215 can be adjusted.

The air cylinder 203 is provided with a front end detection sensor (not shown) that detects that the rear end (left end in FIG. 9) of the piston rod 204 is at the front end (right end in FIG. 9) of the air cylinder 203, i.e., that the piston rod 204 is in an extended state, and a front end detection sensor output cable 206 is connected to the front end detection sensor for outputting the detection signal of the front end detection sensor to the control unit 500 (FIG. 19). The air cylinder 203 is also provided with a rear end detection sensor (not shown) that detects that the rear end (left end in FIG. 9) of the piston rod 204 is at the rear end (left end in FIG. 9) of the air cylinder 203, i.e., that the piston rod 204 is in a retracted state, and a rear end detection sensor output cable 207 is connected to the rear end detection sensor for outputting the detection signal of the rear end detection sensor to the control unit 500 (FIG. 19). The air cylinder 203 is also provided with air ports 208 and 209 that draw in and exhaust air to operate the piston rod 204.

As shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 9(A), when the piston rod 204 is retracted, the cam 215 rotates to the position shown by the two-dot chain line, and the cam follower 216 enters the recess 215b (Fig. 10(C)) of the cam 215, and is inclined toward the frame 212 (to the right in Fig. 9(B)). In this state, the clamp metal fitting 201 is separated from the presser metal fitting 202 by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 218, as shown in Fig. 9(B), that is, it is in an unclamped state in which the tape material 300 is not clamped.
9(A), the cam follower 216 leaves the recess 215b and rolls onto the flat portion 215a while rotating, so that the cam follower 216 changes to an upright position and the clamp fitting 201 enters a state in which it clamps the tape material 300. When the piston rod 204 retracts again, the cam follower 216 enters the recess 215b of the cam 215, and the clamp fitting 201 returns to the unclamped state due to the restoring force of the torsion coil spring 218, and the clamped tape material 300 becomes available for application to the workpiece 40.
As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a notch 72 for arranging the clamp metal fitting 201 and the holding metal fitting 202 is formed on the inside of the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70, thereby ensuring a range of motion for the clamp metal fitting 201.

[Configuration of tape material setting jig and tape material fixing device]
Next, the configuration of the tape setting jig and the tape fixing device will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in Fig. 16A, a tape fixing device 50A for locking and fixing a start end 303a (Fig. 16B) of the release paper of the tape material 300 is provided at one end (the left end in the figure) of the tape setting jig 34, and a tape fixing device 50B for locking and fixing a finish end 303b (Fig. 16B) of the release paper of the tape material 300 is provided at the other end (the right end in the figure) of the tape setting jig 34. A tape detection sensor 400A for detecting a start end 304 of the tape material 300 set in the tape setting jig 34 is disposed on the side of one end of the tape setting jig 34, and a tape detection sensor 400B for detecting a finish end 305 of the tape material 300 set in the tape setting jig 34 is disposed on the side of the other end of the tape setting jig 34.

As shown in Fig. 17A, the tape setting jig 34 has a tape insertion guide 34a formed in the longitudinal direction for inserting the tape 300. The tape 300 is inserted into the tape insertion guide 34a so that the back surface of the release paper 303 (Fig. 8B) comes into contact with the inner bottom surface of the tape insertion guide 34a. In addition, a notch 34b is formed at one end (the left end in the figure) of the tape insertion guide 34a for exposing the starting end 304 (Fig. 16B) of the tape 300 set in the tape insertion guide 34a upward, and is configured so that the tape clamping device 200A (Fig. 5), which clamps the starting end 304, can clamp the exposed starting end 304 when the tape 300 is wound onto the reel 70.
In addition, a notch 34c is formed at the other end (the right end in the figure) of the tape material insertion guide 34a to expose upward the end 305 (Figure 16 (B)) of the tape material 300 set in the tape material insertion guide 34a, and is configured so that when the tape material 300 is wound onto the reel 70, the tape material clamping device 200B (Figure 5), which clamps the end 305, can clamp the exposed end 305.

The inner bottom surface of the tape material insertion guide 34a is provided with a plurality of suction holes (not shown) along the longitudinal direction for suctioning the tape material 300 inserted into the tape material insertion guide 34a. Each suction hole is connected to a tape material suction device 406 (Fig. 19). When the tape material suction device 406 is activated, air is sucked from each suction hole, and the tape material 300 is suctioned into each suction hole. This corrects the deformation of the tape material 300 inserted into the tape material insertion guide 34a, and the tape material 300 is maintained in a state of being extended in a straight line. In addition, when the reel 70 winds up the tape material 300, the tape material 300 can be wound up without slack, and the tape material clamping device 200B (Fig. 5), which clamps the end 305 (Fig. 16B) of the tape material 300, can accurately clamp the end 305 of the tape material 300.

The tape material fixing devices 50A and 50B have the same structure, so the tape material fixing device 50A will be described here as a representative. As shown in FIG. 17A, the tape material fixing device 50 includes a tape material pressing member 51 for pressing the beginning end 303a (FIG. 17C) of the release paper, an automatic unclamping mechanism 57 for automatically unclamping the tape material pressing member 51, and a manual clamp lever 58 for manually clamping the tape material pressing member 51. The tape material pressing member 51 is formed in a substantially V-shape, and its bent portion 51a is pressed by a bolt provided at the tip (right end in the figure) of the rod 52. At the rear end of the rod 52, the tip (right end in the figure) of the link member 52a is pivotally supported by a pivot 52b. At the rear end (left end in the figure) of the link member 52a, the lower end of the manual clamp lever 58 is pivotally supported by a pivot 58a. The manual clamp lever 58 is formed as a frame by a pair of opposing link members 59, 59, a contact member 59a journaled between the front ends of the link members 59, and a rotating shaft 59b journaled approximately between the centers of the link members 59, and is positioned so that the manual clamp lever 58 protrudes upward from the inside of the frame. When the manual clamp lever 58 is in an upright position, it is positioned so that it can be pushed down by the contact member 59a, which rotates counterclockwise.

The pivot shaft 59b is journalled to a pair of opposing support members 59f, 59f, and the rear end of each link member 59 is journalled between the upper ends of a pair of opposing connecting members 59d by a mounting shaft 57c. The tip of a piston rod 57b of a single-acting air cylinder 57a is attached to the lower end of each connecting member 59d. The air cylinder 57a is journalled to a pair of opposing mounting members 59e by the pivot shaft 57c.
The rear end of the tape pressing member 51 (the portion diagonally below and to the left of the bent portion 51a in the figure) is rotatably supported by a pair of opposing support members 53 via a rotary shaft 53a. A locking member 54 is attached to the rear of the rear end of the tape pressing member 51 rearward of the portion supported by the rotary shaft 53a, and a locking member 56 is disposed behind the locking member 54. One end of a coil spring 55 is locked to the locking member 54, and the other end of the coil spring 55 is locked to the locking member 56.

Figure 17 shows the state in which the beginning end 303a of the release paper of the tape material 300 is locked by manually operating the manual clamp lever 58. When the manual clamp lever 58, which has been tilted to the left, is manually rotated until it is in an upright position as shown in the figure, the link member 52a pushes the rod 52 to the right in the figure, and the tape material pressing member 51 rotates clockwise around the pivot shaft 53a. As a result, as shown in Figure 17 (C), the beginning end 303a of the release paper of the tape material 300 is pressed against the tape material insertion guide 34a and locked. In addition, the piston rod 57b of the air cylinder 57a is in an extended state.

Similarly, the manual clamp lever 58 of the tape fixing device 50B provided at the right end of the tape setting jig 24 is manually operated to press the left end 303b of the release paper of the tape 300 against the tape insertion guide 34a and lock it in place.
In this way, each tape material fixing device 50A, 50B can lock and fix the starting end 303a and the ending end 303b of the release paper of the tape material 300 to the tape material insertion guide 34a, respectively, so that when the reel 70 takes up the tape material 300 set in the tape material insertion guide 34a, the release paper 303 is peeled off from the tape material 300, and the tape material 300 with the release paper 303 peeled off is wound onto the reel 70.

When the reel 70 finishes winding the tape material 300, the air cylinder 57a of each locking device 50A, 50B operates and the piston rod 57b retracts. As a result, each link member 59 rotates counterclockwise around the pivot shaft 59b, and the abutting member 59a rotates the manual clamp lever 58 counterclockwise and tilts it down. As a result, the link member 52a rotates clockwise around the pivot shaft 52b, and the rod 52 moves backward (leftward in the figure). As a result, the tape material pressing member 51 rotates counterclockwise around the pivot shaft 53a, and the tape material pressing member 51 enters an unclamped state in which the start end 303a and the end end 303b of the release paper are not locked. The counterclockwise rotated state of the tape material pressing member 51 is maintained by the spring force of the coil spring 55. In addition, because the air cylinder 57a is single-acting, the piston rod 57b extends due to the built-in spring, allowing the manual clamp lever 58 to be manually operated.

[Major electrical configuration of tape application machine]
Next, the main electrical configuration of the tape application machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 19 which shows the same in block form.
The tape application machine 1 includes a control unit 500, and a robot 10 is electrically connected to the control unit 500. A tape application unit 60 is electrically connected to the robot 10, and the tape application unit 60 is electrically connected to the control unit 500. The control unit 500 controls the operation of the robot 10, and also controls the operation of the tape application unit 60 via the robot 10. The control states of the robot 10 and the tape application unit 60 are fed back to the control unit 500.

The control unit 500 includes a CPU 501 and a storage unit 502. The storage unit 502 includes memories such as a RAM, a ROM, an NVRAM, and an SDRAM. A control program for the CPU 501 to control the robot 10 and the tape application unit 60 is stored in the ROM.
The control unit 500 is electrically connected to the tape detection sensors 400A and 400B, the tape lock detection sensors 401A and 401B, the work detection sensor 402, the area sensor 403, the door switch 404, the operation panel 405, the tape fixing devices 50A and 50B, the tape suction device 406, the lamp display device 407, the monitor 408, the teaching pendant 409, and the like. The tape lock detection sensor 401A is a sensor that detects whether or not the start end 303a (FIG. 16B) of the release paper of the tape 300 is locked by the tape fixing device 50A, and is provided in the tape fixing device 50A. The tape lock detection sensor 401B is a sensor that detects whether or not the end end 303b (FIG. 16B) of the release paper of the tape 300 is locked by the tape fixing device 50B, and is provided in the tape fixing device 50B. In FIG. 16A, the tape lock detection sensors 401A and 401B are not shown.

The work detection sensor 402 is a sensor that detects whether the work 40 is set at a predetermined position on the work set jig 32 (FIG. 1). In FIG. 1, the work detection sensor 402 is not shown. The area sensor 403 is a sensor that detects whether a person or object is present in the working area of the tape material application machine 1. The door switch 404 is a switch that detects the opening and closing of a door provided in the working room in which the tape material application machine 1 is installed. The operation panel 405 is provided with operation switches such as a start button (start switch) for starting the tape material application machine 1, an emergency stop button, and a manual switching button for switching from automatic control to manual control. The lamp display device 407 is a device that displays the state of the tape material application machine 1 with a lamp. For example, when the control state is normal, the lamp is lit in green, when the tape material application machine 1 is operating, the lamp is lit in yellow, and when an abnormality occurs in the tape material application machine 1, the lamp is lit in red. The monitor 408 displays the processing contents of the control unit 500, the name of the control program, the current position and speed of the tape application machine 1, information from each sensor, and the status of the tape application machine 1.

The teaching pendant 409 is a device for teaching the tape application machine 1, and includes a display unit for displaying the state of the tape application machine 1 on a liquid crystal display or the like, operation axis keys for operating the first axis 11 to the sixth axis 16 (FIG. 1), number keys for setting teaching programs and various work conditions, and keys for storing teaching contents in the memory unit 502. An operator who uses the teaching pendant 409 to teach the tape application machine 1 teaches the tape application machine 1 so that the tape material 300 is applied along the application path set on the workpiece 40, and stores the teaching contents as teaching data in the memory unit 502. The teaching data includes parameters such as the magnitude of the pressing force when applying the tape material 300 to the application path, the speed at which the tape material 300 is applied, and the direction in which the tape material 300 is applied. The operator uses the teaching pendant 409 to perform teaching to obtain the above-mentioned parameters at key points in the joining path, and stores the obtained parameters as teaching data in the storage unit 502. The CPU 501 is an example of a control unit of the present invention.

[Tape application path]
FIG. 18 shows a state where the tape material 300 is attached to the workpiece 40 along the attachment path. As shown in the figure, the attachment path set for the workpiece 40 is composed of paths of various shapes. In the example shown in the figure, the attachment path is composed of a straight section 41 which is a straight attachment path, an S-curve section 42 which is an S-curve attachment path, a small R section 43 which is an attachment path with a relatively small radius of curvature, an inclined section 44 which is an attachment path inclined from a flat section, and a step section 45 which is a step-shaped attachment path. The combination of each attachment path differs depending on the workpiece 40, and the total length of the attachment path also differs. The worker uses the teaching pendant 409 to teach for each attachment path, and stores the teaching data in the memory unit 502. The number of points at which the worker teaches along the attachment path varies depending on factors such as the size and shape of the workpiece 40, the total length of the tape material 300, and the material of the tape material 300. The tape application machine 1 automatically applies the tape material 300 to the workpiece 40 based on teaching data stored in the memory unit 502 by teaching. The workpiece 40 is provided on a vehicle such as an automobile, and by attaching the workpiece 40 to a predetermined location on the vehicle, the tape material 300 is interposed between the workpiece 40 and the attachment location. At this time, the tape material 300 serves as a dustproof member that prevents dust from entering through the attachment location of the workpiece 40.

[How to apply tape]
Next, a method for applying the tape material 300 will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 11, in the linear joining path R1, the tape material 300 is unwound from the reel 70 along the joining path R1, and the roller 90 rolls along the joining path R1, pressing the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 along the joining path R1 while continuously joining the tape material 300. As a result, the tape material 300 is continuously joined to the linear joining path R1. As described above, since the roller 90 is attached to the reel 70, the rolling direction and attitude of the roller 90 are determined by controlling the attitude of the reel 70. Also, since the roller 90 is structured to press the tape material 300 against the joining path as the reel 70 descends toward the joining path, the pressing force of the roller 90 pressing the tape material 300 against the joining path is determined by the degree to which the reel 70 descends and compresses the tape material 300. In other words, the rolling direction of the roller 90 and the pressing force against the tape material 300 are determined by controlling the robot 10 to which the tape joining unit 60 is attached.

In a curved application path, different control is performed than in a straight application path. When the application path is curved, if the tape material 300 is applied while the roller 90 is rolling along the curve, the adhesive layer 302 (FIG. 8) attached to the workpiece 40 is difficult to change direction by following the rolling direction of the roller 90, so it is easy for symptoms such as deviation from the application path or the attached tape material 300 being tilted relative to the workpiece 40 to occur. In particular, the tape material body 301 of the tape material 300 is formed from urethane resin, and the adhesive layer 302 has a larger elastic modulus (stronger stiffness) than the tape material body 301, so in a curved application path, the tape material body 301 is easy to deform by following the rolling direction of the roller 90, but the adhesive layer 302 is difficult to deform, so the above-mentioned symptoms are even more likely to occur.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the following control is performed to prevent the above symptoms from occurring.
As shown in FIG. 15A, the curved joining path R2 has joining points P2, P3, and P4 set thereon for pressing and joining the tape material 300. The number of joining points can be determined during teaching according to the radius of curvature of the joining path R2, the length of the curve, and the material of the tape material 300. When the roller 90 reaches the end P1 of the straight joining path R1, the control unit 500 controls the robot 10 to raise the tape material joining unit 60 from the workpiece 40, and raises the roller 90 and the tape material 300 from the workpiece 40 as shown in FIG. 13A and FIG. 14B. Then, the control unit 500 controls the robot 10 to move the roller 90 above the joining point P2, and changes the attitude of the roller 90 and the tape material 300 in the raised state to a direction along the joining path R2 as shown in FIG. 13B and FIG. 14C. That is, until the pasting point P2 is reached, the orientation that was along the straight pasting path R1 is tilted toward the inside of the curve.

15B, the attitude of the roller 90, which rolls in the direction indicated by the arrow F1 on the straight joining path R1, is changed by θ degrees in the direction indicated by the arrow F2 at the joining point on the curved joining path R2. The line segment indicated by the arrow F2 is equal to the tangent at the joining point P2 on the curved joining path R2. In this way, by changing the attitude of the roller 90 by θ degrees, the tape material 300 held by the roller 90 is also twisted by θ degrees.
Then, the control unit 500 lowers the roller 90, whose attitude has been changed by θ degrees above the joining point P2, to the joining point P2, and presses the tape material 300, which has been twisted by θ degrees, against the joining point P2 to join it. Next, the control unit 500 raises the roller 90 and the tape material 300 from the joining point P2, and moves the raised roller 90 and the tape material 300 to the next joining point P3. Then, the control unit 500 changes the attitude of the roller 90 in the tangent direction of the curve at the joining point P3, and lowers the roller 90 in this state to the joining point P3, and presses the tape material 300 against the joining point P3 to join it. The control unit 500 performs the same control at the next joining point P4, and presses the tape material 300 against the joining point P4 to join it.

In other words, at each joining point, the control unit 500 changes the posture of the roller 90 and the tape material 300 in a direction along the curve while the roller 90 is raised from the workpiece 40, lowers the roller 90 and tape material 300 whose posture has been changed to the joining point, and then the roller 90 whose posture has been changed presses the tape material 300 whose posture has been changed against the joining point to join it.

As described above, in this embodiment, a plurality of joining points where the tape material 300 is pressed and joined are set on the curved joining path R2, and the control unit 500 controls the robot 10 to raise the roller 90 and the tape material 300 from the workpiece 40 between the joining points. Then, at the joining points, the postures of the roller 90 and the tape material 300 that have risen from the workpiece 40 are changed in a direction along the joining path R2, and the roller 90 and the tape material 300 whose postures have been changed are lowered, so that the roller 90 whose posture has been changed can be pressed against the joining point to join the tape material 300 whose posture has been changed.
Therefore, rather than changing the posture of tape material 300 when it is attached to workpiece 40, the posture of tape material 300 is changed when tape material 300 is raised from workpiece 40, and tape material 300 is attached to the attachment point in that state. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, tape material 300 can be accurately attached along attachment path R2, and there is no risk of the attached tape material 300 being tilted relative to workpiece 40.

Incidentally, if the tension applied to the tape material 300 while it is being applied to the workpiece 40 is greater than an appropriate value, the tape material 300 will stretch in the longitudinal direction, which may cause the shape of the tape material 300 applied to the workpiece 40 to deform or cause the application position of the end 305 ( FIG. 18 ) of the tape material 300 to shift. Also, if the tension applied to the tape material 300 is less than an appropriate value, the tape material 300 may deviate from the application path or cause the application position of the end 305 of the tape material 300 to shift.
However, in the tape application machine 1 of this embodiment, the speed at which the roller 90 applies the tape material 300 to the application path R1 is synchronized with the speed at which the reel 70 unwinds the tape material 300, and the tension applied to the tape material between the roller 90 and the reel 70 is controlled to be optimal.
Therefore, there is no risk of the applied tape material 300 being deformed, the tape material 300 deviating from the application path, or the application position of the end 305 of the tape material 300 being shifted.

[Tape material application process]
Next, the flow of the tape joining process executed by the CPU 501 (FIG. 19) of the control unit 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 20. In the following description, the processing steps executed by the CPU 501 are abbreviated as S.

The CPU 501 judges whether the start button (start switch) for starting the tape application machine 1 is ON (S1), and if it is judged to be ON (S1: Yes), it judges whether the door switch 404 (FIG. 19) is ON (S2). If the CPU 501 judges that the door switch 404 is ON (S2: Yes), it judges whether the area sensor 403 (FIG. 19) is ON (S3), and if it is not ON (S3: No), it judges whether the tape material detection sensors 400A, 400B, the tape material lock detection sensors 401A, 401B, and the work detection sensor 402 are ON (S4). If the CPU 501 judges that each sensor is ON (S4: Yes), it executes winding of the tape material 300 (S5).

Here, the control contents for winding the tape material 300 will be described. The CPU 501 controls the robot 10 (FIG. 1) to move the tape material application unit 60 to above the starting end 304 (FIG. 16B) of the tape material 300 set in the tape material setting jig 34 (FIG. 1). At this time, the tape material clamping device 200A (FIG. 5) that clamps the starting end 304 of the tape material 300 is in a position facing the starting end 304 of the tape material 300. Next, the CPU 501 lowers the tape material application unit 60, drives the air cylinder 203 (FIG. 9) of the tape material clamping device 200A, and clamps (grabs) the starting end 304 of the tape material 300 with the clamp metal fitting 201 (FIG. 6). Next, the CPU 501 controls the robot 10 to rotate and move the reel 70 toward the end 305 (FIG. 16B) of the tape material 300, and wind the tape material 300 onto the reel 70. At this time, the motor 67 (FIG. 4) of the tape application unit 60 is driven in synchronization with the rotation of the reel 70. Since the start end 303a of the release paper of the tape material 300 is fixed and locked by the tape material fixing device 50A (FIG. 16A), the release paper 303 (FIG. 8B) is peeled off from the tape material body 301 by the rotation of the reel 70. As a result, the tape material 300 is wound onto the reel 70 with the adhesive layer 302 facing outward.

Then, when tape clamping device 200B (FIG. 5), which clamps end 305 (FIG. 16B) of tape material 300, reaches a position opposite end 305 of tape material 300, CPU 501 controls robot 10 to stop movement of tape application unit 60 and stop driving motor 67. The number of rotations of motor 67 and the number of rotations of each axis of robot 10 when tape clamping device 200B reaches a position opposite end 305 are stored as teaching data in memory unit 502. Next, CPU 501 drives air cylinder 203 of tape clamping device 200B, and clamps (grabs) end 305 of tape material 300 with clamp fitting 201.

Then, the CPU 501 determines whether the reel 70 has normally wound the tape material 300 (S6). This determination is made based on whether the two tape material detection sensors 400A, 400B (FIG. 16A) are OFF. In other words, when the tape clamping device 200A is not clamping the starting end 304 (FIG. 16B) of the tape material 300, the tape material detection sensor 400A that detects the starting end 304 is ON, and when the tape clamping device 200B is not clamping the end 305 of the tape material 300, the tape material detection sensor 400B that detects the end 305 is ON. Therefore, when both the tape material detection sensors 400A and 400B are OFF, it is determined that the reel 70 has normally wound the tape material 300 (S6: Yes), and when both the tape material detection sensors 400A and 400B are not OFF, it is determined that the reel 70 has not normally wound the tape material 300 (S6: No).

Here, if the CPU 501 determines that the reel 70 has normally wound up the tape material 300 (S6: Yes), it releases the locked state of the tape material 300 by each of the tape material fixing devices 50A and 50B (S7), and executes a process of attaching the tape material 300 to the workpiece 40 based on the teaching data stored in the memory unit 502 (S8). The CPU 501 controls the robot 10 to lower the reel 70 to the workpiece 40, and presses the beginning 304 (FIG. 16(B)) of the tape material 300 against the workpiece 40. Then, when the roller 90 and the guide 100 are in a state in which they can pass between the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 and the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70, the air cylinder 81 (FIG. 3) of the roller swing mechanism 80 is driven, and the roller 90 and the guide 100, which have retreated from the position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70, advance to the position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the guide 100 guides the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 to the roller 90, so that the roller 90 can press the guided tape material 300. The CPU 501 then controls the robot 10 and the tape application unit 60 based on the teaching data stored in the memory unit 502, and automatically applies the tape material 300 to the workpiece 40 along the application path. When the CPU 501 finishes applying the tape material 300, it returns the robot 10 and the tape application unit 60 to their initial positions before control began.

Furthermore, if the CPU 501 determines that the reel 70 is not properly winding up the tape material 300 (S6: No), it stops (S9) the control of the tape application machine 1. At this time, the operator operates the operation panel 405 (FIG. 19) to switch the control of the tape application machine 1 from automatic to manual, removes the tape material 300 from the reel 70, and operates the teaching pendant 409 to return the tape application machine 1 to the initial position at the start of control.
If the CPU 501 determines that the door switch 404 is not ON (S2: No), the door of the work room in which the tape application machine 1 is installed is open, and there is a risk that someone else may enter the work room, so the CPU 501 waits until the door is closed and the door switch 404 is ON. If the CPU 501 determines that the area sensor 403 is ON (S3: Yes), there is a risk that a person or object may be present in the work area of the tape application machine 1, so the CPU 501 waits until the area sensor 403 is OFF. If the CPU 501 determines that each sensor is not ON (S4: No), the tape material 300 is not set or is not correctly set in the tape material setting jig 34 (FIG. 16A), or the work 40 is not set or is not correctly set in the work setting jig 32 (FIG. 1), so the CPU 501 waits until each sensor is ON.

[Effects of the embodiment]
(1) According to the tape application machine 1 of the embodiment described above, the tape material 300 is wound onto the reel 70, and the roller 90 presses the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 against the workpiece 40 to apply it. Therefore, the required length of tape material 300 can be wound onto the reel 70, and there is no need to change the diameter of the reel 70 depending on the length of the tape material 300.
Moreover, even if a corner exists in the joining path, it is possible to use the roller 90 having a diameter capable of pressing the outer circumferential surface against the corner.
Furthermore, by controlling the robot 10, the reel 70 can be moved along the joining path set on the workpiece 40, and the tape material 300 can be pressed against the joining path by the roller 90 to be joined. In other words, the tape material 300 can be automatically joined to the joining path of the workpiece 40.

(2) Furthermore, according to the tape application machine 1 according to the embodiment described above, the tape material 300 unwound from the reel 70 is guided to the roller 90 by the guide 100, so that the positional relationship between the roller 90 and the tape material 300 is constant, and therefore the tape material 300 can be applied to the workpiece 40 with high precision.

(3) Furthermore, according to the tape material application machine 1 of the above-described embodiment, the roller 90 has a body 91 formed in a cylindrical shape and a pair of flanges 92, 92 extending outward from each peripheral edge at both ends of the body 91, and is configured so that the surface of the tape material 300 contacts the peripheral surface 91a of the body 91 and that at least the upper edges 301b, 301b of both side surfaces 301a, 301a in the longitudinal direction of the tape material 300 are located between the pair of flanges 92, 92.
Therefore, the tape material 300 does not come off the roller 90, and the tape material 300 can be applied along the application path with high accuracy.

(4) Furthermore, according to the tape application machine 1 according to the embodiment described above, when the tape material 300 is wound onto the reel 70, the roller 90 and the guide 100 can be switched from the first position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel 70 to a retracted second position, so that the roller 90 and the guide 100 do not get in the way when the tape material 300 is wound onto the reel 70. Also, since there is no need to manually switch the roller 90 and the guide 100 between the first and second positions, work efficiency can be improved.

(5) Furthermore, according to the tape application machine 1 according to the embodiment described above, the tape material 300 can be unwound along the application path, so that the tape material 300 can be applied with high precision along the application path.

(6) Furthermore, according to the tape material application machine 1 of the embodiment described above, the speed at which the roller 90 applies the tape material 300 along the application path is synchronized with the speed at which the tape material 300 is unwound from the reel 70. This prevents the tension of the tape material 300 between the workpiece 40 and the roller 90 from changing, thereby preventing the shape of the tape material 300 applied to the workpiece 40 from changing.
Furthermore, since the roller 90 can automatically apply the tape material 300 along the application path, the efficiency of the work of applying the tape material 300 to the workpiece 40 can be improved.

(7) Furthermore, according to the tape material application machine 1 of the embodiment described above, the tension of the tape material 300 between the work 40 and the reel 70 can be adjusted, so that the tape material 300 after application can maintain the required characteristics.

(8) Furthermore, according to the tape application machine 1 of the above-described embodiment, the force with which the roller 90 presses the tape material 300 against the workpiece 40 can be adjusted, so that the tape material 300 can be applied to the workpiece 40 in an optimal state.

(9) Furthermore, according to the tape application machine 1 according to the embodiment described above, a plurality of application points at which the tape 300 is pressed and applied are set on the curved application path R2, and the CPU 501 controls the robot 10 to raise the roller 90 and the tape 300 from the workpiece 40 between the application points. Then, at the application points, the postures of the roller 90 and the tape 300 that have been raised from the workpiece 40 are changed in a direction along the application path R2, and the roller 90 and the tape 300 whose postures have been changed are lowered, so that the roller 90 whose posture has been changed can press the tape 300 whose posture has been changed against the application point to apply it.
In other words, rather than changing the posture of tape material 300 when it is attached to workpiece 40, the posture of tape material 300 is changed when tape material 300 is raised from workpiece 40, and tape material 300 is then attached to the attachment point in that state, so that tape material 300 can be accurately attached along attachment path R2 and there is no risk of the posture of the attached tape material 300 being tilted relative to workpiece 40.

(10) As described above, the tape material application machine 1 according to the above-described embodiment can provide a tape material application machine that can expand the range of workpieces to which tape material can be applied and can improve the work efficiency of applying tape material.

[Other embodiments]
(1) Depending on the type of workpiece 40, a horizontal articulated robot may be used instead of the vertical articulated robot.
(2) Solenoids or piezoelectric actuators can be used in place of each air cylinder.
(3) A sensor (e.g., an image sensor, etc.) that detects whether the applied tape material 300 deviates from the application path can be provided in the tape application machine 1, and an alarm device (e.g., a lamp, an alarm sound output device, etc.) can be provided to notify the user of the detection result of the sensor.

1: Tape application machine 10: Robot 40: Work 50A, 50B: Tape fixing device 60: Tape application unit 61: Robot mounting section 64: Rotating shaft 67: Motor 70: Reel 71: Tape fitting groove 72: Notch 80: Roller swing mechanism 81: Air cylinder 90: Roller 100: Guide 200A, 200B: Tape clamp device 201: Clamp metal fitting 203: Air cylinder 215: Cam 216: Cam follower 300: Tape 301: Tape body 302: Adhesive layer 303: Release paper 304: Starting end 305: End 400A, 400B: Tape detection sensor 409: Teaching pendant 500: Control unit 501: CPU
502: Storage section R1: Straight line pasting route R2: Curved line pasting route

Claims (9)

A tape application machine that applies a tape material having an adhesive layer on a back surface to a workpiece by a robot,
a reel attached to a tip of the robot for winding up the tape material;
a roller attached to a tip of the robot and pressing a surface of the tape material unwound from the reel to bond the tape material to the workpiece;
a control unit that controls the robot to move the reel along a joining path set on the workpiece and press the tape material against the joining path by the roller;
Equipped with
A plurality of application points for pressing and applying the tape material are set on the curved application path,
The control unit is
This tape application machine is characterized in that, when moving from a current application point to a next application point, the roller holding the tape material is raised from the workpiece, and the posture of the roller is changed in a direction along the curved application path, thereby changing the posture of the tape material held by the roller in a direction along the curved application path, and the roller and tape material whose posture has been changed are lowered to the next application point, and the roller whose posture has been changed presses the tape material whose posture has been changed against the next application point to apply it. The tape application machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a guide member that guides the tape material unwound from the reel to the roller. The roller is
3. The tape application machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical body and a pair of flanges extending outward from each of the peripheries of both ends of the body, wherein the surface of the tape material contacts the periphery of the body and at least the upper edges of both longitudinal sides of the tape material are configured to fit between the pair of flanges. a roller position switching device that switches the roller between a first position facing the outer circumferential surface of the reel and a second position retracted from the first position,
The control unit is
A tape application machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that by controlling the roller position switching device, the roller is switched to the second position when the tape material is wound onto the reel, and the roller is switched to the first position when the tape material unwound from the reel is pressed against the workpiece to be applied. The control unit is
5. A tape application machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a controller for controlling the robot to adjust the positional relationship between the reel and the application path so that the tape is unwound along the application path. A motor is provided to rotate the reel,
The control unit is
6. A tape application machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the speed at which the roller applies the tape along the application path is synchronized with the speed at which the tape is unwound from the reel, and the robot and the motor are controlled so that the roller applies the tape along the application path. The control unit is
The tape application machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the tension of the tape material between the workpiece and the reel when the tape material unwound from the reel is applied to the workpiece is adjusted by controlling the robot and the motor. The control unit is
8. The tape application machine according to claim 1, wherein the force with which the roller presses the tape against the workpiece can be adjusted by controlling the robot. The tape material is
a urethane resin layer formed of a urethane resin;
The adhesive layer is formed on a back surface of the urethane resin layer,
9. The tape applicator according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer has a modulus of elasticity greater than that of the urethane resin layer .

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