JPH03242254A - Tube changeover equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent increase of load on a motor by equipping both a first and second joints and a tube changeover means which communicates a common tube with a liquid supply tube. CONSTITUTION:A coating gun 3 is fitted to the wrist part 2a of the arm 2 of a robot 1 for coating. A female-side quick joint 4 is fitted to the side face of the arm 2 in the vicinity of the coating gun 3. The joint 4 is connected to the coating gun 3 via a tube 5. Further a thinner tube 9 and an air tube 10 are connected to the joint 4. One liquid supply tube is selected by a detaching mechanism 15 of a coating tube. A male-side quick joint 16 provided to this liquid supply tube is connected to the joint 4. Thereby both the joint 4 and a plurality of joints 16 are automatically changed over. Connection of a plurality of tubes 16 and the common tube 5 is easily changed over. Therefore it is made unnecessary that a plurality of changeover valves are provided on the arm 1. Weight allowed to act on the arm is reduced and increase of load on a motor for driving the arm is prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tube switching device, and more particularly to a tube switching device configured to automatically switch a plurality of tubes.

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a tube switching device that switches between a plurality of tubes is a paint color switching system for a painting line.

For example, in a painting line that paints workpieces transported by a conveyor device, a painting robot with a paint gun at the end of its arm is installed in a painting booth. The paint color can be changed depending on the type, etc. Such a paint color switching system has a configuration in which a plurality of switching valves for each type of paint color are provided on the arm of a painting robot. That is, in a paint color switching system using a conventional tube switching device, a paint tube of each paint color is connected to each switching valve provided on the arm of a painting robot, and a plurality of switching valves are connected via the tubes. The robot is connected to the paint gun, and the robot opens each switching valve.

The closing action switches the paint color ejected from the paint gun, allowing each workpiece to be painted with a different color.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in a paint color switching system for a painting robot to which a conventional tube switching device is applied, the arm of the painting robot is provided with a large number of switching valves to which paint tubes are connected. However, the weight of the switching valve and the paint tube acts on the arm, which causes a problem in that the operating characteristics of the arm deteriorate and the load on the motor that drives the arm increases. Furthermore, conventionally, the mounting space for multiple switching valves is large, so when painting the inside of a box-shaped workpiece, for example, the robot's painting operation is greatly restricted, and depending on the shape of the workpiece, it may not be possible to paint. In addition, in the conventional device described above, the distance between the switching valve on the arm and the painting gun at the tip of the arm is relatively long, so each time the paint color is changed, a large amount of the previous paint remains between the switching valve and the painting gun. Not only that, but also a lot of cleaning liquid such as thinner is used when purging, resulting in a lot of waste.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tube switching device that solves the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides: a first joint to which a common tube for feeding liquid is connected; a plurality of second joints to which a plurality of liquid supply tubes are respectively connected; and the plurality of second joints. tube switching means that selects one joint from second joints of and connects the selected second joint to the first joint to communicate the first liquid supply tube and the common tube; It becomes more.

The second joint provided on the paint tube selected by the working tube switching means is connected to the first joint provided on the common tube.
For example, when a paint color switching system is applied, the weight acting on moving parts such as arms can be reduced to improve the operating characteristics of moving parts, and the common tube can be shortened. In painting robots, the remaining amount of paint and thinner that is purged when switching paint colors can be kept to a low level.

Embodiment FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of a paint color switching system for a painting robot to which an embodiment of the tube switching device according to the present invention is applied.

In both figures, a painting robot 1 is a multi-jointed robot, and a painting gun 3 is attached to a wrist portion 2a at the tip of an arm 2. There is a third on the side of the arm 2 near the painting gun 3.
A female side quick joint (first joint) 4 as shown in the figure is attached.

This joint 4 is connected to the coating gun 3 via a tube (common tube) 5. Note that the tube 5 is quite short because the joint 4 is located near the painting gun 3, and the wrist portion 2a is quite short.
Loosen it to the extent that it does not interfere with its movement.

As shown in FIG. 3, the joint 4 includes a valve mechanism 4b that automatically closes the flow path 4a when disconnected, a ring 4d provided slidably in directions A and B on the outer periphery of the main body 4C, and a ring 4d. This is the locking method 4e in which the lock is pressed inward when it is in the 8 direction. In addition, the ring 4d is moved by the spring force of the coil spring 4f.
energized in the direction. Further, a thinner tube 9 and an air tube 10 are connected to the joint 4, and when changing the paint color, thinner from the thinner tube 9 and air from the air tube 10 are used to clean the paint color from the thinner tube 9 and the air tube 10. Previous paint remaining in gun 3 is purged.

In this way, since the arm 2 is not provided with a plurality of switching valves as in the prior art, the weight acting on the arm 2 is reduced accordingly, and the operating characteristics of the arm 2 are improved.

Therefore, the burden on the drive mechanism (not shown) that drives the arm 2 is reduced, and the arm 2 and the drive mechanism can be made lighter and more compact.

Furthermore, since the tube 5 connecting the joint 4 and the painting gun 3 is short, only a small amount of paint remains when changing the paint color, and the amount of thinner used for purging can also be reduced.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a workpiece, which is suspended from a conveyor device 7 and conveyed to a coating booth in which an upper coating robot 1 is installed. A traveling device 8 is installed on the floor of the coating booth so as to extend in the workpiece conveyance direction.

A painting robot 1 is mounted on this traveling device 8, and the painting robot 1 performs a painting operation while traveling in the X direction so as to follow the workpiece 6.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a coating tube switching device, which is installed behind the coating robot 1 and the traveling device 8. This paint tube switching device 11 includes a plurality of paint tubes (liquid supply tubes) 121 to 12η provided approximately for each paint color, a joint mounting base 13 on which a plurality of paint tubes 121 to 12TI are placed, and a joint. Painting robot 1 on mounting base 13
a moving mechanism 14 that moves the paint tube 12 in the traveling direction of the paint tube 12 from among the plurality of paint tubes 121 to 12η.
The paint tube attachment/detachment mechanism 15 clamps the paint tube and connects it to the painting robot 1.

A male quick joint 16 (161-16η) shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the end of each paint tube 121-12TI. This joint 16 is placed on the joint rL1 base 13, and is configured to be inserted into the female side quick joint 4 attached to the arm 2 and connected with one touch, as will be described later. That is, when the joint 16 is not connected, the main body 16
It has a valve mechanism 16c that automatically closes the flow path 16b in the main body 16a, and a groove 166 into which the locking method 4e of the joint 14 fits is provided on the outer periphery of the main body 16a.

The joint mounting base 13 is slidably fitted into a pair of guide rails 17 and 18 of the moving mechanism 14, and is fitted with a ball screw 19.
It has a threaded part 13a which is threaded into the threaded part 13a.

The moving mechanism 14 has a pair of guide rails 17 and 18.
and a ball screw 19, a support portion 20.21 that supports the guide rail 17° 18 and both ends of the ball screw 19,
It consists of a drive section 22 that rotationally drives the ball screw 19.

The support parts 20 and 21 are each fixed to the rear wall of the painting booth, and the joint mounting base 13 that fits into the guide rail 17 and 18 is held at approximately the same height as the arm 2 of the painting robot 1. ing.

Further, on the upper surface of the joint mounting base 13, there are a plurality of joints 161 to 161.
16η is placed in the V-shaped recess 13b (13b+~1
3bn) are provided, and holding members 13c (13C+ to 13cη) that hold the shaft portions 16e of the respective joints 161 to 161 are provided above the respective recesses 13b1 to 13bTl. Note that the holding members 13G (13C+ to 13cη) are the joints 16 placed in the opposing recesses 13b+ to 13bTl, respectively.
When it is attached or detached, it is rotated by a driving means such as a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) so as to be separated from the recesses 13b1 to 13hη, and the holding of the shaft portion 16e is released.

Moreover, each paint tube 1 is placed on the rear side of the joint mounting base 13.
Switching valves 231 to 23η are provided to open and close 21 to 12n. The joint device base 13 configured as described above moves in the direction of arrow X (workpiece conveyance direction) by rotationally driving the ball screw 19 by the drive unit 22, and follows the painting robot 1 traveling by the traveling device 8.

The paint tube removal mechanism 15 includes a pneumatic cylinder 24 and a clamp mechanism 25 provided on a rod 24a of the pneumatic cylinder 24.

The clamping mechanism 25 includes a pair of clampers 25 as shown in FIG.
a, 25b are rotatably provided, and the pair of clampers 25a, 25b are driven to open and close by a pneumatic cylinder 41 shown in FIG. 5 (details are omitted as they are well known).

Also, a clamper 25a.

25b has a protruding pressing portion 25c that releases the locking of the joint 4. Note that the base 42 to which the pneumatic cylinder 41 is fixed
is a guide rail 43 extending parallel to the pneumatic cylinder 24;
It is supported slidably in the A and B directions.

Further, the pneumatic cylinder 24 is fixed on a bracket 44 fixed to a wall surface or the like. Therefore, when switching the paint tube 1, the joint 16 of any paint tube 12 is connected to the clamp mechanism 2.
5, so that the joint mounting base 13 stops at a position opposite to the joint mounting base 13.
moves.

The paint supply circuit will now be explained with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, the switching valve 23 is connected to the paint tubes 12 and 26.
is established between. The paint tube 26 is connected to a paint circulation path 27.

Also, a pressure reducing valve 28 is located in the middle of the paint tube 26. pump 2
9 are arranged. When the switching valve 23 is deenergized, the switching valve 23 communicates the paint tube 26 and the return tube 30. Therefore, the paint from the non-painted R paint circulation path 27 is transferred to the paint tube 26 and the return tube 30.
．． 31 and enters the coating nMF channel 31. However, during painting, the switching valve 23 is energized and switched, and the paint tubes 26 and 12 communicate with each other. As a result, the paint is applied to joint 1
6.4. It is supplied to the coating gun 3 via the tube 5 and sprayed onto the workpiece 6.

Also, when switching the paint color, the solenoid valve 45 disposed in the thinner tube 9 opens, and the thinner in the tank 46 is pumped into the pump 47.
is fed under pressure and supplied to the joint 4.

This allows joint 4. Dupu 5. IP+ remaining in the paint gun 3 is purged. Subsequently, the solenoid valve 48 disposed on the air tube 10 opens, and compressed air from the air source 49 is supplied to the joint 4. Therefore, joint 4. Tube 5. Purging thinner remaining in the coating gun 3 is removed by air from the air tube 10. 50.51
is a check valve for preventing backflow of tubes 9 and 10.

Here, the paint color switching operation of the paint color switching system configured as described above will be explained.

It is assumed that the painting robot 1 has so far sprayed and painted the workpiece 6 with paint of color A. And next work 6
When there is support from a control device (not shown) to switch the paint color from color A to color B, the traveling device 8 first moves the painting robot 1 as shown in FIG. Stop at the switching position shown in . Subsequently, the painting robot 1 rotates the arm 2 clockwise so that the arm 2 is parallel to the workpiece conveyance direction (X direction) (indicated by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 1).

Next, pneumatic cylinder 2 of paint tube attachment/detachment tlf115
4 is activated to drive the clamp mechanism 25 in six directions. Then, the pressing part 25c of the clamp mechanism 25a presses the ring 4d of the joint 4 in the direction A (in the locking release direction).
At the same time as the locking of the joint 16 by
Clamp the shaft portion 16e of. After the A-color joint 16 is clamped by the clamp mechanism 25 in this manner, the pneumatic cylinder 24 drives the rod 24a in eight directions to transport the joint 16 to the predetermined recess 13b of the joint mounting base 13.

Incidentally, at the same time as the traveling device 8 moves, the joint mounting base 13 is moved by the driving of the moving mechanism 14 so that the recess 13b on which the A color joint 16 is placed stops at the switching position where it can be taken out and returned. ing.

When the A-color joint 16 is returned to the recess 13b, the pressing member 13C rotates to a position where it presses the shaft portion 16e as shown in FIG. 4, thereby holding the joint 16 in the recess 13b.

In this way, while the A color joint 16 is returned to the joint mounting base 13, the painting robot 1 is purged with thinner and air as described above, and the joint 4. Tube 5. The A color paint remaining in the paint gun 3 is removed.

Next, the joint mounting base 13 moves to a switching position where the joint 162 of color B, which will be painted next time, faces the clamp mechanism 25. The clamper 25 is activated by the operation of the pneumatic cylinder 41.
a and 25b perform a clamping operation opposite to the above-mentioned leaving operation, and the joint 162 for color B is clamped. At approximately the same time, the pressing member 13G that was pressing the shaft portion 16e of the joint 162 into the recess 13b2 rotates upward and releases the joint 162 from being held.

Subsequently, the pneumatic cylinder 24 of the paint tube attachment/detachment mechanism 15 operates to drive the rod 24a in the A direction. rod 24
The clamping mechanism 25 at the tip of a moves in the same direction while clamping the joint 162 for color B, and presses the ring 4d of the joint 4 provided on the arm 2 side in the direction A with the pressing part 25c while moving the joint 162. Insert into joint 4.

When the joint 162 is connected to the joint 4 as shown in FIG. 7, the clampers 25a and 25b open to release the clamp on the joint 162. Thereafter, the pneumatic cylinder 24 returns the rod 24a in the direction B, and the paint color switching operation is completed.

Incidentally, since the valve mechanisms 4b and 16c of the joints 4 and 16 contact each other to open the valves, the paint tube 122 and the tube 5 communicate with each other at the same time as the joints 4 and 16 are connected. Therefore, when the switching valve 23 (see FIG. 6) is energized and switched to communicate the paint tubes 26 and 12, B color paint is supplied to the paint gun 3. Then, the painting robot 1 rotates the arm 2 counterclockwise again and starts painting with the B color.

In addition, when the painting robot 1 moves in the X direction, the joint e,
1 base 13 is also driven by the moving mechanism 14 so that it is always located behind the painting robot 1, so that the painting work v
No unreasonable force is applied to the I-paint tube 12 and the joint 4°16.

Further, in the above embodiment, the female side quick joint 4 is provided on the side surface of the arm 4, but the female side quick joint 4 is not limited to this, and it is of course possible to provide it at a position other than the above embodiment as long as it is near the painting gun 3.

Furthermore, although the above embodiments have been described using a paint color switching system as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to other liquid supply channels having a plurality of tubes.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the tube switching device according to the present invention connects the second joint provided on the liquid supply tube selected by the tube switching means to the first joint. The connection between multiple tubes and a common tube can be easily changed by automatically switching between the 21st joint and the 21st joints. For example, in a paint color switching system, the painting robot can It is not necessary to provide a plurality of switching valves on the arm, the weight acting on the arm can be reduced, and the operating characteristics of the arm can be improved.

Furthermore, since there is no switching valve on the arm, it is possible to paint even the inner wall of a relatively narrow portion, and the shape of the workpiece is not restricted. Furthermore, in the case of a painting robot, the distance between the painting gun and the first joint can be shortened, so when switching paint colors, less paint remains in the paint supply path from the previous time, and no paint is wasted. It has the advantage of being more economical, requiring only a small amount of thinner to purge residual paint in the road.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a plan view and a perspective view of a paint color switching system for a painting robot to which an embodiment of the tube switching device according to the present invention is applied, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a female side quick joint. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the male quick joint IIi, Figure 5
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the paint tube attaching/detaching mechanism, FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of the paint supply circuit, and FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which a male quick joint is connected to a female quick joint. 1...Painting robot, 2--Arm, 3...Painting gun, 4...Female side quick joint, 8...Travel device, 9--Thick tube, 10...Air Tube, 11...Paint tube switching device, 14...Movement mechanism, 15...Paint tube attachment/detachment am, 16...Male side quick joint, 231-23η...Switching valve, 2
4...Pneumatic cylinder, 25...-clamp mechanism, 26
...Paint tube. Figure 1 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A first joint to which a common tube for feeding liquid is connected; a plurality of second joints to which a plurality of liquid supply tubes are individually connected; and the plurality of second joints. tube switching means that selects a first joint and connects the selected second joint to the first joint to communicate the first liquid supply tube and the common tube; Tube switching device.