JPH0113592Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a ball for a parts feeder that sorts several types of parts of similar shapes but different in size according to size, and then feeds them in the circumferential direction.

In general, a parts feeder applies a combination of vertical vibration and circumferential vibration to a ball made of a cylindrical container with a bottom, and after sorting several types of parts of similar shapes but different sizes charged into the ball, Each has the function of sending out in the circumferential direction. However, when parts are sorted by size and then sent out in the circumferential direction, even if the parts are of the same size, the shapes on the front and back sides are slightly different, for example, it is necessary to always align them face down and send them out smoothly. There is also
If these items are not in place, assembly line work may be disrupted. Also, by size, for example, large diameter parts,
If a large-diameter part delivery chute and a small-diameter part delivery chute are installed side by side in a small-diameter part sorting area, the small-diameter parts may get mixed into the large-diameter part delivery chute, which can easily cause incorrect product assembly. Furthermore, when large-diameter and small-diameter parts are sent out on the same circuit, the large-diameter parts and small-diameter parts are sent out in random order. Therefore, the large-diameter parts become small, and if they are to be delivered at the same ratio (1:1), the amount of the large-diameter parts delivered will be insufficient, causing problems in the next process. In addition, there are other drawbacks such as congestion in the vicinity of each sending chute, which tends to impede smooth sending.

In view of the above, this idea was developed to keep several types of parts of similar shapes but different sizes, such as large-diameter parts and small-diameter parts, in a constant posture without mixing them, and to use a delivery chute for large-diameter parts and a small-diameter part at different positions. It is an object of the present invention to provide a ball for a parts feeder that can be smoothly delivered from a parts delivery chute and can increase the number of large-diameter parts delivered.

The gist of this invention is to have a spiral circuit with a gentle upward slope from the bottom to the inner peripheral surface, and to install a small parts delivery path and then a large parts delivery path at the upper peripheral end of the spiral circuit. The spiral circumferential circuit further includes a posture regulating member and a component front/back sorting member between the bottom surface and the small component delivery path installation location. In a parts feeder ball consisting of a bottomed cylindrical container with a small parts discharge port disposed between the parts feeder, the spiral circuit at the installation site of the large parts delivery path and the spiral circuit on the upstream side are connected to each other. This is a parts feeder ball connected by a large parts return circuit with a downward slope.

Hereinafter, the structure of the parts feeder ball according to the invention will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 6 showing embodiments of the ball for parts feeder. That is, 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a cylindrical container with a bottom, 1A is a bottom surface (preferably a raised bottom surface), and 1B is an inner peripheral surface. 2 is a slightly wide spiral circuit formed with a gentle upward slope from the bottom surface 1A to the inner circumferential surface 1B (the third
(see figure). 2A is a large component return circuit formed with a gentle downward slope, and connects the spiral circuit 2 near the installation site of the large component delivery path 12 and the spiral circuit 2 on the upstream side. 3 and 4 are small parts delivery path 1
The first posture regulating member 3 is a posture regulating member disposed at a predetermined position of the spiral circumferential circuit 2 leading to the first mounting site, and the first posture regulating member 3 is attached to the four corners of the back side 23, 33 as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, for example. The square large nut 21 and small nut 31 with protrusions 24 and 34 are facing upward (as shown in FIG. 33 facing downward), face-down position (large nut 21, small nut 3 as shown in Figure 9)
The back side 23, 33 of 1 faces upward, the front side 22, 3
2 is facing downward), or sideways (as shown in Fig. 10, the large nut 21 and the small nut 31
The spiral circuit 2 is in a posture in which the front side 22, 32 or the back side 23, 33 of the
The height of the gap is adjusted according to the width of the large nut 21 in order to allow the nuts to pass through when they ascend, and to drop them to the bottom surface 1A without passing when they ascend the spiral circuit 2 in a two-tier stacked state. It is fixed to the inner circumferential surface 1B at a predetermined position of the spiral circuit 2 (see FIG. 4). The second posture regulating member 4 is the first posture regulating member 3
The large nut 2
1. The small nut 31 is placed in the spiral circuit 2 in the face-up position (see Figure 8) and the face-down position (see Figure 9).
The height of the gap is determined according to the height of the large nut 21 in order to allow it to pass through when it climbs up, and drop it to the bottom surface 1A without letting it pass when it climbs up in a sideways position (see Figure 10). It is fixed to the inner circumferential surface 1B (see FIG. 6). Reference numeral 5 denotes a dust discharge port (see FIG. 4) which is bored at a predetermined position on the inner circumferential surface 1B along the spiral circumferential circuit 2, and this may be bored at the lower end periphery of the inner circumferential surface 1B. Reference numeral 6 denotes a parts front and back sorting member, which has an inner circumferential surface along the spiral circuit 2 between the second attitude regulating member 4 installation site and the small parts delivery path 11 installation site, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example. It is fixed to 1B.
A plurality of notch grooves T are carved in the inner peripheral edge of the spiral circumferential circuit 2 at the location where the component front and back sorting member 6 is disposed. Reference numeral 7 denotes a small parts discharge port, which is disposed in a spiral circuit 2 extending from a small parts delivery path 11 installation site to a large component delivery path 12 installation site;
The traffic regulation plate 7A and the inner peripheral surface 1B fixed to the inner peripheral edge of
A rectangular through hole 7B having a width corresponding to the width of the small nut 31 is bored between the small nut 31 (see FIGS. 2 and 6).

Reference numeral 11 denotes a small parts delivery path connected to the spiral circuit 2 at the upper end of the inner circumferential surface 1B, and the large nut 21 and the small nut 3 that have climbed up the spiral circuit 2.
1, a sorting plate 11A formed with an opening through which only the small nuts 31 can pass, and an alignment plate 1 that aligns the direction of the small nuts 31 sliding down the delivery chute 11C.
1B, a delivery chute 11C formed with a downward slope with a U-shaped or square-shaped cross section, and a sorting plate 1
1A is fixed to the inner peripheral surface 1B, and the alignment plate 11B is fixed to the inner surface of the delivery chute 11C.
C is connected to the spiral circuit 2 (second, fifth
(see figure). Reference numeral 12 denotes a large component delivery path connected to the spiral circuit 2 at the upper end portion of the inner peripheral surface 1B on the downstream side of the perforated portion of the small component discharge port 7,
A guide plate 12A that guides the large nut 21 that has climbed up the spiral circuit 2 to the delivery chute 12C, an alignment plate 12B that aligns the direction of the large nut 21 sliding down the delivery chute 12C, and a U-shaped or square-shaped cross section. Consisting of a delivery chute 12C formed with a downward slope on the surface, the guide plate 12A is arranged on the inner circumferential surface 1B, and the alignment plate 12
B is fixed to the inner surface of the delivery chute 12C, and the delivery chute 12C is connected to the spiral circuit 2 (see FIGS. 2 and 6).

Next, the operating mode of the parts feeder ball according to this invention will be explained. That is, a large nut 21 and a small nut 31 are inserted from above into the bottomed cylindrical container 1, which is repeating a combined vibration of vertical vibration and circumferential vibration, as two types of parts, large and small, having similar shapes but different sizes. It will be added to the miscellaneous items. Then, these large nuts 21 and small nuts 31 gradually move toward the outer periphery of the bottom surface 1A under the influence of centrifugal force, and move in various directions such as facing up, facing down, sideways, stacked in two layers, etc. While facing the same direction, the robot gradually begins to ascend the spiral circuit 2 (see Fig. 3).
Among the large nuts 21 and small nuts 31 climbing up the spiral circuit 2 in this way, the large nuts 21 and small nuts 31 that are the upper parts in the two-tier stacked state are dropped to the bottom surface 1A by the first posture regulating member 3. , the large nut 21 and the small nut 31 in the face-up position, face-down position, and sideways position (see Figures 8 to 10) are in this first position.
It passes through the posture regulating member 3 and ascends the spiral circuit 2 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). and gradually the second
When attempting to pass through the posture regulating member 4, the large nut 21 and small nut 31 in the sideways posture (see FIG. 10) are dropped onto the bottom surface 1A, and are turned into a face-up posture (see FIG. 8) and a face-down posture (see FIG. 9). (Reference) Big Natsu 2
1. The small nut 31 passes through and further ascends the spiral circuit 2 (see FIG. 6). However, since the width of the spiral circumferential circuit 2 is formed to be slightly narrower from this vicinity, the large nuts 21 and small nuts 31 ascend in approximately one line and reach the vicinity of the parts front and back sorting member 6 (third (see figure). Of these large nuts 21 and small nuts 31, the large nut 21 facing upward climbs along the guide plate 6B as shown in FIG. You will not be able to climb any higher. Therefore, the following large nut 21 and small nut 31 push it slightly to the right (toward the notched groove T formed in the spiral circumferential circuit 2) and tilt to the right. As a result, the protrusion 2 of the large nut 21
4 gets caught in the notched groove T and falls to the bottom surface 1A. In addition, as the small nut 31 in the face-up position ascends along the guide plate 6B as shown in FIG. 7,
Although it tries to pass through the guide portion 6A of the component front and back sorting member 6 without hitting it, it leans to the right due to its own weight. As a result, the protrusion 34 of the small nut 31 is caught in the notch T and falls to the bottom surface 1A.

On the other hand, the large nut 21 and small nut 31 in the face-down position are attached to the guide plate 6B as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
Even when climbing up along
4 does not get caught in the notched groove T, so it passes through without any problem and further ascends the spiral circuit 2 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In this way, the large nut 21 climbed up to the installation site of the small parts delivery path 11 in a face down position.
Among the small nuts 31, the small nut 31 is the sorting plate 1
1A, passes through the alignment plate 11B, slides down the delivery chute 11C, and is smoothly supplied to the next process (see FIG. 5). On the other hand, the large nuts 21 (including the excess small nuts 31 that could not pass through the sorting member 11A) are transported along the spiral circuit 2 to the small parts discharge port 7.
When attempting to pass above, the small nut 31 is dropped downward, and only the large nut 21 climbs up to the installation site of the large component delivery path 12. Then, the large nut 21 passes through the guide plate 12A and the alignment plate 12B and is sent out to the chute 12C.
It slides down the inside and is smoothly transferred to the next process (see Figure 6). At this time, the excess large nut 21 passes through the large parts return circuit 2A, slides down to the merging area 2B of the spiral circuit 2 on the upstream side, and joins the large nut 21 and small nut 31 that are climbing (the (See Figures 3, 4, and 6) Climb again.

As described above, according to the parts feeder ball according to this invention, after all the parts of two sizes, large and small, which ascend a gentle spiral circuit in various miscellaneous forms are arranged in a fixed posture (face-down posture), All large-diameter parts are transferred to the next process from the large-parts delivery path and all small-diameter parts from the small-parts delivery path, and only excess large-diameter parts are returned from the large-parts return circuit to the spiral circuit. Compared to conventional parts feeder balls, the sorting accuracy is improved, the amount of large-diameter parts sent out is increased, and combined with smooth parts feeding, assembly work can be carried out smoothly, incorrect product assembly is eliminated, etc. It has the effect of

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figures show an embodiment of this invention, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view, Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Figs. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line A--A shown in FIG. 3, and FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 are enlarged perspective views showing climbing postures of two types of large and small parts. 1...Bottomed cylindrical container, 1A...bottom surface, 1B...
...Inner peripheral surface, 2...Spiral circuit, 2A...Large parts return circuit, 3, 4...Position regulating member, 6...Parts front and back sorting member, 7...Small parts discharge port, 11...
Small parts sending path, 12...large parts sending path.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A spiral circuit with a gentle upward slope from the bottom to the inner peripheral surface is provided, and the upper end of the spiral circuit is equipped with a small parts delivery path and then a large parts delivery path. The spiral circumferential circuit further includes a posture regulating member and a component front/back sorting member between the bottom surface and the small component delivery path installation location, and further includes a position regulating member and a component front/back selection member between the small component delivery path installation location and the large component delivery path installation location. In a parts feeder ball consisting of a bottomed cylindrical container with a small parts discharge port arranged between the part and the part, the spiral circuit of the installation part of the large parts delivery path and the spiral circuit of the upstream side. A part feeder ball characterized by connecting a large part return circuit with a downward slope.