JPH0275513A - Overhead conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate removal of sludge inside a rail, in the titled conveyor to be used for an assembling line or the like, by fitting brushes to a part of a chain moving inside the rail, and also providing scrapers on the upstream side in the moving direction, and further fitting a sludge receiving vessel to the lower part thereof. CONSTITUTION:When a chain 11 moves along the passage 5 of a rail 1, a horizontal brush 31 and vertical brushes 33 move while rubbing the ceiling plate 2, side plates 3, and bottom plates 4 of the rail 1 and separate sludge. And the separated sludge drops into a vessel (not shown) under the brushes 31, 33 through a groove 6. Further, the sludge remained without being removed is scraped up by a succeeding scraper 35 so as to be dropped into a vessel 37. And a lower scraper 36 separates the sludge attached on the end surface of the bottom plates 4 to gather it into the vessel 37. By this constitution, the sludge inside the rail can be easily and effectively removed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an overhead conveyor, and particularly to one that self-cleans the inside of a rail on which a chain moves.

(Prior art) In order to assemble and inspect products by assembly line operations, a conveyor is required to transport the parts, and one of them is an overhead conveyor as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 17505/1983. There is a conveyor.

This overhead conveyor is often used, for example, in the manufacturing process of color cathode ray tubes, and has a rail 1 as shown in FIG. 4. This rail 1 has a rectangular hollow shape in which side plates 3 and a bottom plate 4 are sequentially bent from both sides of a top plate 2. A passage 5 is formed inside the rail 1, and a groove along the passage 5 is formed between the bottom plates 4 on both sides. 6 is the frontage.

And this overhead conveyor is the above rail 1.
are suspended from the ceiling via a support (not shown) and connected in an endless manner, and a chain 11 is inserted into the passage 5 and connected in an endless manner.The chain 11 is connected to the passage 5 by a drive mechanism (not shown). It is designed to move in a circular manner.

The chain 11 has connecting pins 13 provided at both ends of a pair of vertical links 12 on both sides and U-shaped folded portions 15 at both ends of the horizontal links 14 so as to correspond to the three-dimensional arrangement of the rail 1. The hooks are sequentially engaged and connected,
A vertical row 517 is rotatably supported on both sides of the longitudinal center portion of the pair of vertical links 12 via shafts 16, and a horizontal row 517 is rotatably supported on both sides of the longitudinal center portion of the pair of vertical links 12 on both sides. A roller 19 is rotatably supported, and this vertical roller 1
7 and horizontal rollers 19 to the bottom plate 4 and side plate 3 of the rail 1, movement is facilitated.

A large number of hangers 21 are supported on the shafts 16 of the vertical rollers 11 of the chain 11 at predetermined intervals in the length direction of the chain 11, and each hanger 21 is connected to the groove of the rail 1. Each hanger 2
1, a support stand and a holder (not shown) are suspended and supported, and parts of a color cathode ray tube as a conveyance object are mounted on this support stand and holder.

By the way, as the number of assembly-line operations increases, the length of such an overhead conveyor increases, and some reach several hundred meters in length. As the resistance increases, the amount of r11 lubricating oil supplied to the connecting parts of each link 12.14 of the chain 11 and the shaft support of each O-rail 17.19 also increases, and as a result, the lubricating oil is added to the rail 1.
The amount of sludge that is formed by mixing metal powder generated by wear of the chain 11 and dust in the atmosphere also increases, and this sludge eventually falls down from the groove 6 of the rail 1.

If the sludge that falls from the 6th floor of the rail 1 falls and adheres to the components of the color cathode ray tube that is suspended and supported by the hanger 21, many of the components being transported will become seriously defective. If the object is a shadow mask, the electron beam passage hole may become clogged, and if the object is a display panel with a rough surface,
If a panel whose surface is still contaminated with sludge enters the furnace, the sludge will burn onto the panel surface, resulting in a fatal defect.

In order to solve the problem caused by sludge, it is possible to manually clean the inside of the rail 1, but due to its structure, it is difficult to put your hands or cleaning tools inside the rail 1, and even if you do, it will be difficult to clean the inside of the rail 1 manually. However, cleaning the inside of the entire rail 1, which is several hundred meters long and windingly arranged on the ceiling of a factory, requires significant effort and is highly dangerous.

For this reason, the inventors attempted to wipe off the sludge on the inner wall of the rail 1 by attaching a piece of cloth to the link part of the chain 11 and driving the chain 11, but the sludge adhered to the inner wall of the rail 1. However, it had little effect.

Therefore, when a brush was attached to the link part of the chain 11 and the chain 11 was driven, a considerable amount of sludge could be pulled away from the inner wall of the rail 1, but most of the sludge that was pulled out was inside the rail 1. 1lt remaining
It was confirmed that the amount of sludge falling from 6 was small and did not solve the problem.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, in the past, it has not been possible to remove sludge from the rails of an overhead conveyor easily, safely, and efficiently.

The present invention was developed in view of the above points, and aims to easily, safely and efficiently remove sludge from the rails of an overhead conveyor, thereby preventing the production of defective products and the deterioration of the working environment. It is something to do.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for Solving a Problem) The present invention provides a rail having a passage formed inside and a groove opening along the passage at the bottom, a chain held in the passage of the rail and moving within the passage, In an overhead conveyor equipped with a hanger attached to the chain and protruding downward from the groove of the rail to suspend and support the conveyed object, a brush is provided at at least one location on the chain to separate the sludge from the inner wall of the rail. A scraper is provided on the chain, which is located upstream in the direction of movement of the brush, and causes the sludge in the passage of the rail to fall from the chain.

(Function) In the overhead conveyor of the present invention, as the chain moves, the brush scrapes the inner wall of the rail passage to separate the sludge from the inner wall of the rail, and the scraper following the brush causes the sludge in the passage to fall from the groove of the rail. It is something that makes you

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the over seven head conveyor of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

This embodiment is based on the overhead conveyor described with reference to FIG. 4, and has a cleaning mechanism added thereto, so the same parts are given the same reference numerals and the explanation will be omitted. , we will mainly explain the different parts.

In this embodiment, in at least one location of the endless lane 11 moving along the endless rail 1, one of the three horizontal links 14 that normally supports the horizontal rollers 19 is placed at the lowest point in the moving direction. As shown in FIG. 1, a roller-shaped horizontal brush 31 is supported via a shaft 32 on the downstream horizontal link 14, and roller-shaped vertical brushes 33 are supported on both sides of the upstream horizontal link 14. It is supported via a shaft 34, and the horizontal brush 31 and vertical brush 33 are in strong contact with the top plate 2, side plate 3, and bottom plate 4 of the rail 1. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, on both sides of the horizontal link 14 on the upstream side of each brush 31, 33, an upper sliding plate 35 as a scraper is biased in the direction of expanding outward and downward. In addition, lower sliding plates 36 as scrapers are provided on both sides of the lower part of the same horizontal link 14 in a state biased in the direction of expanding outward, and a pair of upper sliding plates 35 on both sides are installed in the above-mentioned state. The lower sliding plate 36 is adapted to contact the side plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 of the rail 1 in an inclined manner and elastically, and the lower sliding plate 36 is made to contact the end surface of the bottom plate 4 of the rail 1 in an inclined manner and elastically. It has become. Furthermore, a hanger 21 supported on the shaft 16 of the vertical roller 17 of the vertical link 12 on the upstream side of each sliding plate 35° 36 is used as a support stand or holder for mounting color cathode ray tube parts as conveyed objects. In addition, a box-shaped container 37 which is open at the top and long in the front and back direction is suspended and supported, and although not shown, the hanger 21 between the horizontal brush 31 and the vertical brush 33 is also provided with a support stand or a holder. The container 37 is suspended and supported.

In such a configuration, the chain 11 is
When moving along the passage 5 of the rail 1 at a speed of about 8 to 25t11 per second, the horizontal brush 31 and the vertical brush 33 first move while rubbing against the top plate 2, side plate 3, and bottom plate 4 of the rail 1. , the horizontal brush 31 and the vertical brush 33 separate the sludge adhering to the top plate 2, side plate 3, and bottom plate 4 of the rail 1. This separated sludge falls from the groove 6 of the rail 1 and enters a container 37 (not shown) below the brushes 31 and 33, and the remaining sludge is deposited in the passage 5 of the rail 1. The sludge left in this passage 5 is collected by a pair of upper sliding plates 35 on both sides that move while rubbing the side plates 3 and bottom plate 4 following the brushes 31 and 33, and is sent downward from the WR 6. Container 3 below
It is designed to fall within 7.

Also, at this time, 1ff! is applied by the upper sliding plate! The collected sludge that falls from the iM6 may adhere to both sides of the groove 6, that is, the end face of the bottom plate 4, but the lower sliding plate 36 at the bottom of the upper PiljJ board 35 is attached to the end face of the bottom plate 4. The lower sliding plate 36 moves while scraping the sludge on the end surface of the bottom plate 4 while moving the groove 6.
from the container 37.

Therefore, even if the hanger 21 for normal transportation rubs the end surface of the bottom plate 4, the sludge has been removed, so there is no fear that the sludge will fall onto parts of the color cathode ray tube, semi-finished products, or finished products.

In addition, the passages 5 and grooves 6 of the rail 1 may vary depending on tolerances in molding dimensions of the rail 1, differences in joints when installing the rail 1, curves and ups and downs of the rail 1, etc. ! m board 35
．． Although it is not smooth for 36, the old imperial plate 35.
36 is biased in the expansion direction and contacts the rail 1 in an inclined manner and elastically, so even if there is a step or unevenness, the chain can slide over it smoothly. 1
It does not obstruct the movement of 1 or cause damage to itself.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, containers 37 were provided at the brush 31, 33 and sliding plate 35, 36 positions, respectively, but these two containers 37? ! It is also possible to use one container 37 provided at the position of the rib plates 35 and 3G, and,
If the vertical brush 33 is changed from a roller shape, that is, a disk shape to a spherical shape, the horizontal brush 31 can be omitted.

In addition, each brush 31, 33 is preferably made of a material such as nylon or metal, but both may be fixed, but the vertical brush 33 rotates in the opposite direction to the vertical roller 17. It can also be configured to do so.

For the sliding plates 35 and 36, an elastic body such as iron or hard rubber is used. In the case of iron, the angle α with respect to the side plate 3 shown in FIG. Preferably, the angle α is about 80 to 130 degrees, and the angle of the upper sliding plate 35 to the bottom plate 4 is a right angle.

(Effect of the invention) As described above, the overhead conveyor of the present invention has the following features:
When the chain is moved, the brush scrapes the inner wall of the rail passage and pulls the sludge away from the inner wall of the rail, and the scraper following this brush causes the sludge in the passage to fall from the yellow of the rail, so that the sludge in the rail can be removed. can be done easily, safely and efficiently, and therefore
It is possible to prevent the occurrence of defective products and deterioration of the working environment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 3 show one embodiment of the overhead conveyor of the present invention, Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views with different parts cut away, respectively, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part thereof. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the overhead conveyor that is the premise of the present invention. 1...Rail, 5...Passway, 6...Groove, 11...Chain, 21...Hanger, 31.33 Brush, 35°36
...IF as a scraper! First board.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A rail with a passage formed inside and a groove along the passage at the bottom, a chain that is held in the passage of this rail and moves within this passage, and a chain that is attached to this chain and extends downward from the groove of the rail. a hanger protruding from the chain to suspend and support the conveyed object; a brush for separating sludge from the inner wall of the rail at at least one location of the chain; An overhead conveyor characterized in that the chain is provided with a scraper for causing sludge in the passage of the rail to fall from the groove.