JPH0445773Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) This invention is used to supply workpieces such as watch parts, camera parts, ICs, etc. to the product assembly line after arranging them in the appropriate orientation. The present invention relates to a workpiece removal direction control device, and is used in the field of automatically assembling machines using small parts.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, a device has been proposed in which the side walls of a pallet loaded with workpieces are sandwiched between presser plates that can be moved in and out of the pallet, and the pallets are positioned by locking the two with uneven surfaces. No. 49512).

(Problems to be solved by invention) The above-mentioned conventional technology is not a positioning means compatible with a pick-and-place device. In the above technique, since the pallet is moved by pushing it with a plunger after positioning, there is a risk of the pallet being misaligned, and it cannot be adapted to a pick-and-place device.

(Means for solving the problem) The workpiece supply device of this invention consists of a supply conveyor installed on one side of the pick-and-place device, and an intermittent feed device installed below the pick-and-place device. It consists of pallets for transporting workpieces.

In the intermittent feeding device, a cylinder is installed below the pallet transfer path and parallel to the transfer path, and a base is connected to the cylinder. The base is capable of supporting pallets supplied from the conveyor at the same height as the conveyor, and has a pair of locking members attached to its upper surface. The locking member has a locking portion that locks with the pallet, is connected to the cylinder, and is movable toward and away from the pallet.

The pallet has a plurality of locking portions formed at predetermined intervals on the outer wall thereof to lock with the locking portions of the locking member.

(Operation of the invention) In this invention, the pallet sent from the conveyor to the base is sandwiched between the locking members, and the locking portions engage with each other to position the pallet. Thereafter, the base is moved by the operation of the cylinder while still in the locked state, and the pallet on the base moves by a predetermined pitch until it reaches the bottom of the pick-and-place device. During this movement, the pallet remains sandwiched between the locking members, so that the pallet will not be displaced.

Examples of this invention will be described below based on the drawings.

(Embodiment) Figures 1 and 2 are general views of a workpiece retrieval direction control device incorporating the workpiece supply device of this invention, in which a workpiece is placed on the top of a box-shaped base 1 over almost its entire length. A transfer device A for intermittent transfer and a pick-and-place device B are provided at the center of the upper part, and a device close to the pick-and-place device B is provided on the outside of the upper part of the base to control the orientation of the workpiece. A control device C is horizontally protruded.

○ Transfer device The transfer device A includes a supply conveyor 2 installed on one side (right side in the figure) of the pick-and-place device B, a discharge conveyor 3 installed on the other side, and an intermittent conveyor installed below the pick-and-place device. Feeding device 4
and a pallet 5 for transporting workpieces,
The conveyor 2 adjacent to the intermittent feeding device 4,
A limit switch 6 is installed to control 3. A pallet storage device D is provided above both conveyors 2 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the intermittent feeding device 4 is constructed by installing a cinder 7 below the pallet transfer path and parallel to the transfer path, and standing in the center of a horizontal plate 30 fixed to the rod end of the cylinder 7. vertical board 3
A cylinder 8 is installed on each side of the rod 1 at right angles to the transfer path, and a locking groove 1 is provided at the rod end of the cylinder 8.
0, and the locking groove 10 is configured to fit and lock with locking protrusions 12 (FIG. 8) provided at predetermined intervals on the outside of the pallet 5. be. In addition, the cylinder 7
The stroke of the rod and the spacing between the locking grooves of the pallet are set equal to the delivery distance (the pitch of the workpiece section on the pallet) by one movement of the pallet.

The operation of the intermittent transfer device is as follows.

The pallet 5 at the lowest stage on the supply side is transported by the supply conveyor 2 in the direction of arrow 13 in FIG. 2, and when the leading end of the pallet 5 actuates the limit switch 6, the supply conveyor 2 is stopped. Next, the rod of the cylinder 8 of the intermittent feeding device 4 moves backward, and the locking groove 10 of the locking member 11 engages with the locking projections 12 on both sides of the pallet.
Fit and lock. In this state, the rod of the cylinder 7 moves backward, and the pallet sandwiched between the locking members 11 moves forward by the distance traveled by the rod and then stops.

Next, when all the workpieces in the front row of the pallet are removed, the rod of the cylinder 8 is extended, and the engagement between the locking groove 10 and the locking protrusion 12 is released, and then the rod of the cylinder 7 is extended, and the rod of the cylinder 9 is extended again. The rod moves back and the locking groove 10 of the locking member 11 engages and locks with the next locking protrusion 12a, performing the same operation as described above.

The pallet is moved intermittently in this manner, and when the rear end operates the limit switch 6, the discharge conveyor 3 is operated and the pallet is transferred to the stocking device D on the discharge side. At this time, the supply conveyor 2 also operates at the same time, and the next pallet reaches the intermittent feeder 4, so that the workpieces are continuously supplied.

○ Pick-and-place device The pick-and-place device B has a truck 15 attached to a rail 14 built across the pallet transfer path, a cylinder 16 vertically attached to the truck 15, and a rod of the cylinder 16. A clamp claw 19 which is opened and closed by a cylinder 18 is attached to the end via a support plate 17. The lower end 19a of the clamp claw 19 is bent outward so as to be suitable for transporting the watch side, and after lowering the clamp claw with the clamp claw closed and positioning it inside the watch side, the clamp claw is opened. It is designed to be raised by holding the watch side from the inside.

The cart 15 is moved between the position corresponding to the workpiece on the pallet and the direction control device C by movement of a timing belt by a synchronous motor that rotates in response to a signal from a controller (not shown). If there are five rows of workpieces on the bullet in the width direction, the workpieces are sequentially stopped at five workpiece-corresponding positions. Number of this stop position (number of moving steps)
Select and set the count output.

The operation of the pick and place device B is as follows.

In response to a signal detected from the movement of the cylinder 7 of the intermittent feeder 4, the rod of the cylinder 16 extends and the clamp pawl 19 lowers, and then the rod of the cylinder 18 extends and the clamp pawl 19 lowers.
opens and holds the workpiece (clock side) from the inside.
In this state, the rod of the cylinder 16 moves backward and the workpiece rises, and then the trolley 15 moves onto the orientation control device by the rotation of the synchronous motor, where the rod of the cylinder 16 extends and the clamp claw 19 descends. The rod of the cylinder 18 moves back, the clamp claw 19 closes, and the workpiece is released. Then, the clamp claw is raised, and the carriage 15 is moved above the next workpiece, and the above operation is repeated.

In this embodiment, the workpiece is held from the inside by the clamp claw, so there is no risk of damaging the outside of the workpiece, and it is not possible to transport a workpiece that loses value due to scratches on the outside, such as on the clock side. Are suitable.

○ Orientation Control Device As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the orientation control device C is provided with a pair of guide members 21 on the upper surface of a workpiece mounting plate 20 protruding from the outside of the base 1. The opposing spacing of the guide members is made wide on the workpiece supply side and approximately equal to the width of the workpiece on the discharge side, and a cylinder 22 is attached to one side of the workpiece mounting plate 20,
An extrusion plate 23 that moves along the guide member is attached to the end of the rod. 24 in the diagram
is a stopper.

The operation of the direction control device C is as follows.

The workpiece supplied to one side of the workpiece mounting plate 20 has a deviation in its direction (as shown by the chain line in FIG. 6).
Here, in response to a signal detected from the operation of the cylinder 16 of the pick-and-place device, the rod of the cylinder 22 retreats, and when the extrusion plate 23 moves as shown by arrow 25 in FIG. The workpieces are pushed by the extrusion board 23 and moved in the same direction. At this time, the orientation of the workpiece is substantially corrected at the front edge of the extrusion plate 23, and then properly regulated by the guide member 21.

The workpiece, which has been controlled to have an appropriate orientation as described above, can be picked and placed (not shown).
transported to the product assembly line.

○ Stocking Device The stocking device D has a cylinder 26 installed vertically below the base frame 1 as shown in FIG. Cylinders 28 are installed horizontally on both the front and rear sides of the pallet placement section, and L-shaped support plates 29 are attached to the rod ends of the cylinders to support the lowermost pallet from the sides, and guides are attached to the four corners of the pallet placement section. It is configured by providing pillars 32.

The operation of the above storage device is as follows.

Under normal conditions, the lowermost pallet is supported by support plates 29 from the sides. When a pallet is transferred from the supply side storage device onto the conveyor, the support plate 27 from below rises to support the pallet. Then support plate 2 from the side
9 retreats and releases support from the pallet. In this state, when the support plate 27 from below descends, the pallet also descends and reaches the top of the conveyor. Then, move the support plate 29 from the side forward and insert it between the lowest pallet and the next pallet. Only the bottom pallet (formed) will be transferred onto the conveyor, and the other pallets will remain in the storage device. On the other hand, in the storage device on the discharge side, the pallet transferred to the discharge side is raised by the lower support plate 27, then the support by the support plate 29 from the side is released, and then the support plate 27 is further removed from the lower side. The lower part of the newly added pallet is supported again by the support plate 29 from the side.

(Effects of the invention) According to this invention, since the locking member is provided on the base on which the pallet carried on the conveyor is placed, the pallet can be positioned by locking the pallet with the locking member. Since the base is connected to the cylinder, the base moves directly below the pick-and-place device when the cylinder is operated. At this time, the pallet placed on the base remains locked with the locking member, so that the pallet will not shift its position during movement.

Therefore, according to this invention, accurately positioned workpieces can be supplied to the pick-and-place device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the embodiment of this invention, Fig. 2 is a side view showing the internal mechanism, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the main parts of the transfer device, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the pick-and-place device, 5 is a front view of the clamp, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the orientation control device, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the same, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of the pallet. A...Transfer device, B...Pick and place device, C...Direction control device, D...Stock device, 1...Base, 4...Intermittent feed device, 5...Pallet, 7...Cylinder , 8... cylinder,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Latching groove, 12...Latching protrusion, 16...Cylinder, 18...Cylinder, 19...Clamp claw, 20...Work device plate, 21...Guide member, 22...Cylinder, 23... ...Extrusion board.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] Consisting of a supply conveyor installed on one side of the pick-and-place device, an intermittent feeding device installed below the pick-and-place device, and a pallet for transporting workpieces, the above-mentioned intermittent The feeding device includes a cylinder installed below the pallet transfer path and parallel to the transfer path, a base connected to the cylinder and capable of supporting the pallet at the same height as the conveyor, and the transfer path connected to the base on the base. It consists of a pair of cylinders installed at right angles and facing outward of the transfer path, and a pallet locking member connected to the cylinders and having a locking part with the pallet, and the pallet is attached to the outer wall parallel to the transfer path. A work supply device comprising a plurality of locking portions that engage with locking portions of a pallet locking member and are formed at predetermined intervals.