JPH0251829B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a gripping device for cloth-like objects, and more particularly to a gripping device that can automatically grip various kinds of cloth-like objects with appropriate tension.

[Conventional technology]

It has the function of gripping cloth-like articles stacked on a table one by one, transferring them to another table, etc., and releasing the grip at that position. Various gripping devices for cloth-like objects have been proposed in the past, but these conventional gripping devices do not allow the cloth-like object to be easily removed from the gripping surface of the pick-up head of the gripping device when releasing the cloth-like object. There were many cases where I couldn't leave. In addition, cloth-like objects were sometimes damaged by the clothing provided in the pick-up head.

As a means to solve these problems,
It was held with a fixed barb, such as that disclosed in Publication No. -32999. Tension is applied to the cloth-like object by a rotating protrusion that is rotated by a starter such as a rotary solenoid, and the tension is adjusted depending on the type of cloth-like object by adjusting the rotation angle of this rotary impeller by adjusting the position of the stop plate. There is a structure that allows adjustment, but according to this proposal, mechanical adjustments had to be made manually every time the type of cloth material changed.

Also, JP-A-55-130436 and JP-A-57-
As disclosed in Publication No. 62133, a cloth-like object is gripped or released by protruding or retracting a presser member from the end face of a clothing piece into which a cloth-like object has been pierced. However, in this proposal, as with the previous proposal, the rotation of the rotary solenoid is configured to apply tension to the cloth-like object, and since the rotation angle of the rotary solenoid is constant, this rotation angle is For example, if it is adjusted to be suitable for heavy or hard fabrics, there is a problem in that it becomes difficult to release thin fabrics. In particular, when the cloth-like material is a thin material, it is difficult to separate the material because the material escapes even if the presser member is protruded from the end surface of the clothing material.

Furthermore, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-149844, it has been proposed that an adjustment member is provided to adjust the tension depending on the type of cloth member. Since it is a manual type, it takes a lot of adjustment time in the case of high-mix, low-volume production, and there is a problem that unmanned operation is not possible.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As mentioned above, the present invention has been problematic in gripping devices for cloth-like objects. This solves the problem that depending on the type of fabric, it is difficult to separate it from the clothing, and in order to make it easy to separate it, it is necessary to adjust the tension by spending a lot of time and manpower. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gripping device for cloth-like objects that has a simple structure, can automatically control tension, and can efficiently and reliably grip and release cloth-like objects even during a production process of a wide variety of products in small quantities.

[Means to solve the problem]

The apparatus for gripping a cloth-like object according to the present invention has a cloth holder 7 having a plurality of cloths 9 arranged in a housing 1, and a push rod 5 having a tapered portion 5a at the tip, which is moved up and down by a pressing member. By the action of the tapered portion 5a, the clothing holders 7 are mutually moved outward to grip the cloth-like object with the clothing 9, and then the clothing 9 is moved mutually inward to grasp the cloth-like object. In a gripping device for a cloth-like object that releases the object, information regarding the appropriate gripping tension for each cloth-like object is input in advance in order to control the pressing force of the pressing member in order to apply tension according to the cloth-like object. and a computer 2 that selects the information according to the cloth-like object.
8, 36; a drive circuit for driving the pressing member based on information input to the computers 28, 36; and a control member.

[Effect]

According to the above configuration, information regarding the cloth-like object is input to a control member such as a computer, and this computer inputs a signal that applies tension according to the cloth-like object to a pressing member such as an air cylinder or a motor. Since the push rod is pressed and automatically grips the sheet-like object with the appropriate tension, it has a simple structure and can easily and reliably grip and release even a wide variety of small quantities of cloth-like objects. Objects can be transported efficiently.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of a gripping device for a cloth-like object according to this embodiment. A substantially cylindrical cloth release slider 2 is slidably fitted on the outer periphery of the substantially cylindrical slide guide (housing) 1, and a lock nut 3 and a cap-shaped slider 2 are fitted around the outer periphery of the tip of the slider 2. A cloth presser member 4 is screwed therein, and the lock nut 3 adjusts and fixes the cloth presser member 4 in its axial position. A circular opening 4a is formed in the surface of the presser member 4 that faces the end surface of the slider 2. A push rod 5 is slidably fitted into the through hole 1a formed in the inner diameter portion of the slide guide 1.
A tapered portion 5a is provided at one end on the side of the presser member 4.
However, there is a flange portion 5 on the outer periphery of the approximately middle portion in the axial direction.
b are formed respectively. This flange part 5
The outer periphery of b is the upper enlarged diameter portion 1 of the slide guide 1.
It is in sliding contact with the inner diameter surface of b, and this sliding surface has O-
A ring 6 is provided to keep the sliding surface airtight. One end of a substantially cylindrical clothing holder 7 made of an elastic material such as synthetic resin is fixed to the inner diameter surface of the lower enlarged diameter portion 1C of the slide guide 1 with a screw 8. This clothing holder 7 has a plurality of, for example, four, cut portions formed along the axial direction in the direction of the cloth presser member 4, and is elastically movable in the radial direction. Also, this clothing holder 7
Clothing cloths 9 are fixedly attached to one end cut in the direction of the presser foot member 4, respectively.
The tip of the needle 9a implanted in the presser member 4 is configured to be able to protrude from the opening 4a of the presser member 4. Furthermore, on the inner diameter surface of the slider 2 near one end on the presser member 4 side, there is a stepped portion 2a that engages with the clothing holder 7 when the clothing holder 7 is expanded in the radial direction at a predetermined position. is formed. The clothing holder 7 is adapted to be displaced in the radial direction via the tapered portion 5a as the push rod 5 moves in the axial direction.

A body (air cylinder) 10 is airtightly screwed onto the upper end of the slide guide 1 via an O-ring 11. The push rod 5 is O-
It is slidably and airtightly fitted into the body 10 via a ring 12 and projects upward. A slider return spring 13 is attached to the upper outer periphery of the slider 2. One end of the slider return spring 13 contacts the lower surface of the body 10, and the other end contacts a step formed on the outer periphery of the middle portion of the slider 2. The slider 2 is engaged with the portion 2b and urges the slider 2 in a direction to separate from the body 10. A piston return spring 14 is attached to the outer periphery of the push rod 5 within the upper enlarged diameter portion 1b of the slide guide 1, and one end of this piston return spring 14 is connected to the push rod 5.
The push rod 5 is in contact with the lower surface of the flange portion 5b of the push rod 5, and its other end is locked with the lower surface of the upper enlarged diameter portion 1b, and the push rod 5 is moved in the direction in which the upper surface of the flange portion 5b of the push rod 5 comes into contact with the upper end surface on the inner diameter side of the body 10. It is energizing.

An adjustment nut 15 for regulating the maximum expansion amount of the clothing holder 7 is screwed onto the upper end of the push rod 5, and the adjustment nut 15 is fixed by a lock nut 16. A fiber sensor 17 is provided through the center of the push rod 5 to detect the gripping state of a sheet-like object such as cloth, and the upper end of the fiber sensor 17 is fixed to a bracket 19 via a sensor mounting bracket 18. The bracket 19 is connected to a detection member 20 which is fixed to the body 10.

A pneumatic joint 21 is attached to the body 10, and a communication hole 10 formed in the body 10
It communicates with the inner diameter portion of the body 10 via a.
An air tube 22 is connected to this pneumatic joint 21, and this air tube 22 is connected to an air pressure source 25 via a three-way switching valve 23 and a proportional electromagnetic pressure control valve 24. These three-way switching valve 23, pressure control valve 24, and amplifiers 26, 27
It is electrically connected to the computer 28 via a drive circuit consisting of
It is configured to transmit from 8. Further, a manual setting device 29 for manually sending signals is connected in parallel to these signal circuits. Further, an external actuator 30 for controlling the pressing force is connected to the three-way switching valve 23.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. When information regarding the cloth material sent to the gripping device from the upstream side of a series of lines such as the sewing process, such as information on the weight of the cloth, the type of material, thickness, elasticity, etc., is input into the computer 28. The computer 28 calculates the current value to be passed through the pressure control valve 24 and outputs the current command value to the pressure control valve 24 so that the clothing holder 7 grips the cloth 31 with a tension matching this information. As a result, the pressure control valve is set with the air pressure sent into the pod 10 from a pressure source 25 such as a compressor via the air tube 22 and the pneumatic joint 21. Then, the conveyance device (not shown) to which the gripping device is attached moves to an appropriate gripping position, and when a signal indicating that it has reached this gripping position is input to the computer 28, a gripping signal is output to the switching valve 23 in three directions. The switching valve 23 becomes open.

At this time, the valve connected to the external actuator 30 of the three-way switching valve opens first, and the gripping device approaches the cloth 31 stacked on the table from above, and the cloth presser member integrated with the slider 2 4 is brought into contact with the cloth 31, moved further downward, and the cloth 31 is pierced by the needle 9a planted in the clothing 9. At this stage, the upper end surface of the slider 2 contacts the lower surface of the body 10 against the biasing force of the slider return spring 13, and the push rod 5 is pushed upward by the biasing force of the piston return spring 14. The holder 7 is not expanded in the radial direction. Further, the amount by which the needle 9a pierces the cloth 31 is determined by adjusting the position of the cloth presser member 4 using the adjusting lock nut 3.

When the upper end surface of the slider 2 comes into contact with the lower surface of the body 10, the valve connected to the pneumatic joint 21 of the three-way switching valve 23 opens, and air at a set pressure flows into the body 10 through the communication hole 10a. The push rod 5 is pushed down against the biasing force of the piston return spring 14. At this time, the tapered part 5a formed at the tip of the push rod 5 moves the clothing holder 7 radially outward, and the set pressure is stopped at a position where the tension of the cloth 31 is balanced and grips the cloth 31 with a constant tension. . The gripping device grips the cloth 31 by switching the three-way switching valve 23.
The external actuator 30 is actuated and raised and moved by the transport device to the release position. During this time, the clothing holder 7 locks the slider 2 via the stepped portion 2a.

When the gripping device has been moved to the release position, the three-way switching valve 23 closes in response to a cloth release signal output from the computer 28, and the air pressure sent into the body 10 returns to atmospheric pressure, causing the biasing force of the piston return spring 14 to close. As a result, push rod 5 rises. As the push rod 5 rises, the clothing holder 7 returns radially inward, releasing the tension applied to the fabric 31. At the same time, the engagement between the ridge of the clothing holder 7 and the stepped portion 2a of the slider 2 is released.
The presser member 4 is the slider return spring 13
The cloth 31 is lowered by the biasing force of the cloth 9, and the cloth 31 is separated from the clothing 9 and placed in a free position on a predetermined table.

According to this embodiment, since cloth tension control can be performed automatically, it is possible to adjust the optimal gripping and releasing according to the conditions of various cloths in a short time without requiring manual labor. can. Therefore, even if the cloth or the like flowing on the conveyance line is of various types and in small quantities, it is possible to reliably grip and release the cloth or the like without damaging or deforming the cloth or the like.
Furthermore, the gripping device according to this embodiment has a simple structure and is therefore inexpensive, and also has the advantage that a plurality of dedicated gripping devices can be installed depending on the shape of the cloth or the like.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a second embodiment of the sheet-like object gripping device according to this embodiment. In the figure, the same or equivalent parts as in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the air pressure used as the means for pressing the push rod 5 in the first embodiment is replaced with the rotational force of a motor. 32 is fixedly installed. A cylindrical slider 34 is mounted on the inner diameter surface of the body 10 and has a rotation-preventing key groove that slidably fits into a key 33 provided on the body 10 . The motor 3 is attached to the inner diameter surface of the slider 34.
A female thread is formed to mesh with a male thread 35 fixed to the rotating shaft of No. 2, and the slider 34 moves up and down within the body 10 as the motor 32 rotates. This slider 34 is connected to the upper end of the push rod 5.

The motor 32 is connected to a computer 36 which inputs cloth information and gripping device position information and outputs a current command value and a motor forward/reverse signal via a drive circuit consisting of a current amplification circuit 37 and a motor forward/reverse control circuit 38, respectively. ing. Further, a manual current setting circuit 39 and a manual switch 40 for manually operating the push rod 5 are connected in parallel to these connection circuits, respectively.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. As in the case of the first embodiment, the current command value for applying the appropriate tension calculated based on the cloth information to the cloth 31 through the clothing holder 7 is transmitted from the computer 36 through the current amplification circuit 37. When input to the motor 32, the motor 32 rotates with proper rotational torque. This rotation of the motor 32 moves the push rod 5 up and down via the slider 34, thereby applying a preset appropriate cloth tension to the cloth 31. Further, the cloth 31 is gripped or released by outputting a forward/reverse signal from the computer 35 to the motor 32.

Note that in both the first and second embodiments, the cloth 31 is
When grasping or releasing the animal, animal setting devices 29, 39, and 40 provided in parallel in the circuit may be used.

This embodiment also has the same effects as the first embodiment.

In the two embodiments described above, an example of the mechanism for moving the clothing holder 7 by the push rod 5 has been described, but this mechanism may be any other mechanism having a similar effect.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a push rod for moving the clothing holder is provided in the sheet-like object gripping device, and the push rod is pressed with an appropriate pressing force by the pressing member whose pressing force is controlled by the control member. As a result, the fabric tension can be automatically controlled with a simple structure, and sheet-like objects can be reliably and easily gripped or released even in the case of a wide variety of products in small quantities.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional front view and circuit diagram showing a first embodiment of a sheet-like object gripping device according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partially sectional front view and a circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. 1...Slide guide (housing), 5...
Push rod, 7...Clothing holder, 9...Clothing, 10...Body (air cylinder), 28,3
6...computer, 31...cloth-like object, 32...
motor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. The action of the tapered portion 5a is achieved by vertically moving a clothing holder 7 having a plurality of clothings 9 arranged in the housing 1 and a push rod 5 having a tapered portion 5a at the tip with a pressing member. A method in which the clothing holders 7 are mutually moved outward to grip the cloth-like object with the clothing 9, and then the cloth-like objects are moved mutually inward to release the cloth-like object. In this apparatus for gripping cloth-like objects, information regarding the appropriate gripping tension for each cloth-like object is input in advance in order to control the pressing force of the pressing member in order to apply tension according to the cloth-like object. a computer 2 that selects the information according to
8, 36; a drive circuit for driving the pressing member based on information input to the computers 28, 36; and a control member comprising: 2. The gripping device for a cloth-like object according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is an air cylinder 10. 3. The gripping device for a cloth-like object according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is a motor 32.