JPH05112240A - Conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce a discharge air amount and M generation of discharge noise through simple constitution, in a conveying device to convey a moving body in a way that the moving body is floated through discharge of compressed air on a conveyance passage. CONSTITUTION:A pipe body in which a plurality of holes are axially formed is disposed in such a way that a plurality of the holes are positioned above so as to form a conveyance passage 1. A moving body 6 having a plane part on the side facing the upper surface of the conveyance passage 1 is arranged on the conveyance passage 1. A valve device 10 which is closed when compressed air is fed in the hollow part of the conveyance passage 1 and opened when it is brought into contact with the moving body 6 is disposed to each of a plurality of the holes of the conveyance passage 1. When the moving body 6 is driven and brought into contact with the valve device 10, compressed air is discharged between the conveyance passage 1 and the moving body 6 and the moving body 6 is brought into a state to float on the conveyance passage 1. When the moving body 6 is moved over the conveyance passage 1 and separated away from the valve device 10, discharge of the compressed air is stopped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a carrier device, and more particularly to a carrier device that discharges compressed air onto a carrier path to levitate a moving body for carrying.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various types of transporting devices for transporting moving bodies such as pallets are known. Recently, the moving bodies have been levitated on the transporting path at regular intervals. 2. Description of the Related Art Conveying devices that convey a moving body without contact have become widespread. For example, an air tank is installed on a pallet and compressed air is discharged downward to float, or compressed air is supplied to the pallet via an air hose and discharged downward to float. It is used.

Further, the conveying path is formed by a tube body, a plurality of holes are formed above the tube body, and compressed air is discharged from these holes so that the moving body on the conveying path is levitated. Devices have also been used. For example, a transfer device is known in which a linear motor having a stator 50 as shown in FIG. 6 is used as a transfer drive source, and a moving body 60 that constitutes a secondary conductor of the transfer motor is floated by compressed air. In this carrying device, the moving body 60 is laid across the carrying path 30 of the cylindrical body,
As shown by the arrow in FIG. 6, compressed air is supplied from the supply port 31 and discharged from the hole 33 through the hollow portion 32. As a result, a minute gap is formed between the moving body 60 and the transport path 30, and the moving body 60 is in a floating state. When the stator 50 is excited in this state, the moving body 60
Moves smoothly on the transport path 30.

Further, a plurality of short pipes are axially connected to each other to form a conveying path, and compressed air is supplied to each pipe so that the compressed air is discharged from an upper hole of each pipe. Is also known. In this carrying device, the presence or absence of the moving body is detected by the sensor, and the compressed air is discharged only from the pipe body above the moving body. That is, so-called section control is performed.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned device for discharging compressed air from the side of a moving body such as a pallet toward the conveying path, the loading capacity is limited by the presence of an air tank, or compressed air is supplied. Care must be taken in the handling of the hose, and a coupling for compressed air is also required. Further, in the case where the compressed air is constantly discharged upward from the conveying path of the pipe body, noise is generated by the discharge of the compressed air, and waste of the discharged air, that is, a compressed air source for discharging the compressed air is generated. The waste of the energy supplied to the waste occurs.

On the other hand, if compressed air is supplied to each of the plurality of pipes as described above, and the presence or absence of the moving body is confirmed by the sensor, it is wasteful to successively supply the compressed air to the pipes. Can be reduced. However, if such section control is performed, a large number of sensors are required, the control becomes complicated, and the cost increases.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the amount of released air and the emitted noise with a simple structure in a transfer device that discharges compressed air onto a transfer path and floats a moving body for transfer. To do.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is a conveying device in which a tube body having a plurality of holes bored in the axial direction is arranged so that the plurality of holes are located above. Road,
A moving body having a flat surface portion on the side facing the upper surface of the transport path and arranged on the transport path, and supplying compressed air into the hollow portion of the transport path and discharging the compressed air from the plurality of holes; In the transfer device, the valve is closed when the compressed air is supplied into the hollow portion of the transfer path,
A valve device that opens when it comes into contact with the moving body is provided in each of the plurality of holes.

In the above conveying device, the valve device is
A holder having a valve seat formed at the open end of the cylindrical body and fitted into each of the plurality of holes of the transport path so that the valve seat is located above, and a holder movably accommodated in a hollow portion of the holder. Is provided with a valve element that is seated in a state in which a part of the valve element projects from the upper end surface of the sheet, and the valve element is arranged so that a part of the valve element projects from the upper surface of the transport path through the holder when the valve element is seated. It should be installed.

[0010]

In the carrying device having the above construction, the moving body is arranged on the carrying path of the tubular body. When the compressed air is supplied into the hollow portion of the transfer path, the plurality of valve devices provided in the transfer path close, so that the compressed air is not discharged to the outside. When the moving body is driven and comes into contact with the valve device, the valve device opens and compressed air is discharged between the transport path and the moving body.
As a result, the moving body is in a state of floating on the transport path,
It can move smoothly on the transport path. When the moving body moves on the transport path and separates from the valve device, the valve device closes and the release of compressed air is blocked.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the carrying device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3,
The pair of transport paths 1 and 1 composed of a long tube are used as the support base 3
They are arranged in parallel at a predetermined distance above. Guides 3a, 3b are erected on both side surfaces of the support base 3, and both guide paths 1,
A transport drive source 5 is arranged between the two. Transport drive source 5
As a linear motor is used in this embodiment,
A chain drive device or the like may be used. The plate-shaped moving body 6 is arranged on the transport paths 1 and 1. In the present embodiment, the moving body 6 constitutes the secondary conductor of the linear motor and also functions as a pallet for placing the transported object. The shape of the moving body 6 may not be a plate shape as long as the surface facing the transport paths 1 and 1 is a flat surface.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying path 1 of the present embodiment is a tubular body having a substantially rectangular cross section that defines a hollow portion 1a, and a plurality of holes 1b are formed in the axial direction of the upper surface thereof. An air introduction hole 1c is formed on the lower surface. An air introduction pipe 2 communicating with the air introduction hole 1c is joined to the lower surface of the transport path 1, and penetrates the support base 3 and is connected to the compressed air source 4 via an air hose or the like. Each of the plurality of holes 1b is equipped with a valve device 10 that opens and closes according to contact and separation of the moving body 6. The valve device 10 includes a cylindrical holder 11 screwed into the hole 1b and a spherical valve body 1 housed in the hollow portion 11a.
2 and is configured as follows.

That is, as shown in the enlarged view of the valve device 10 in FIGS. 2 and 4, a tapered valve seat 11c having a small diameter hole 11b is formed at the upper open end of the holder 11. .. And the spherical valve element 1 seated on this valve seat 11c
2 is housed in the hollow portion 11a of the holder 11, and when seated on the valve seat 11c, the valve body 1
It is set to have a dimensional relationship in which a part of 2 projects. on the other hand,
An annular locking portion 11d extending in the central axis direction of the hollow portion 11a is formed at the lower open end of the holder 11, whereby a hole having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the valve body 12 is formed.
Is locked so as not to drop from the lower open end of the holder 11. A screw groove is formed on the outer periphery of the holder 11, and a tool (not shown) is engaged with a hole 11e formed in the end surface, and the valve device 10 is screwed to the transport path 1 by rotating the tool. ..

Thus, in the transfer device having the above structure, when compressed air is not supplied from the compressed air source 4 into the hollow portions 1a of the transfer paths 1, the valve element 12 in each valve device 10 is As shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. When compressed air is supplied from the compressed air source 4 to the hollow portions 1a of the transport paths 1 through the air introduction pipes 2 and 2, the valve element 12 in each valve device 10 moves upward in FIG. 2 due to the pressure of the compressed air. The air passage is formed by being pushed up and separated from the locking portion 11d, and the hollow portion 11a of the holder 11 is formed.
Compressed air is discharged from the hole 11b to above the transport path 1 through the gap between the valve body 12 and the valve body 12. At this time, if nothing exists above the valve body 12, the pressure of the compressed air causes the valve body 12 to move.
Is seated on the valve seat 11c of the holder 11, and the hole 11b and the valve body 1
The air flow path between the two is closed. Thereby, the hole 11
No compressed air is emitted from b and therefore no noise is emitted.

When the moving body 6 moving on the conveying paths 1, 1 comes into contact with the valve body 12 and the load of the moving body 6 is applied to the valve body 12, the valve body 12 and the hole 11b are separated from each other as shown in FIG. A gap is formed therebetween, and the compressed air in the hollow portion 11a is discharged through this gap and is discharged to the outside through the gap between the upper surface of the transport path 1 and the moving body 6. That is, the valve body 12 is stopped at a position where the force applied to the valve body 12 by the load of the moving body 6 and the pressure applied to the valve body 12 by the compressed air are balanced, and the upper surface of the transport path 1 and the moving body 6 are separated from each other. The gap is maintained approximately constant. Then, the side surfaces 6a and 6b of the moving body 6 shown in FIG.
Since the compressed air is discharged to the outside through the minute gap between the guide 3a and the guides 3a and 3b, the moving body 6 contacts only the valve body 12 and is supported without contact with the support base 3 and the like.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the transport path 1
When the compressed air is being supplied into the hollow portion 1a, all the valve devices 10 are closed, and only the valve device 10 that is in contact with the moving body 6 is configured to open. Air is discharged only to the lower part of the moving body 6. Therefore, the amount of compressed air supplied is suppressed to a necessary minimum, and the noise at the time of discharging compressed air is also significantly reduced.

The holder 11 of the valve device 10 is abolished,
The valve seat may be directly formed around the hole 1b of the transport path 1. Further, the valve body 12 is not limited to the spherical shape, and may have an irregular shape having a protruding portion.

[0018]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. That is, in the transfer device of the present invention, the valve device is provided in each of the plurality of holes bored in the axial direction of the transfer path of the tubular body, and the compressed air is released through the valve device only when the moving body passes. As a result, the amount of compressed air supplied can be minimized, and noise at the time of compressed air discharge can be significantly reduced.

When the valve device is composed of the holder and the valve body, the valve device can be easily attached to the conveying path with a simple structure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a carrying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a valve device in the transfer device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a carrying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a valve device in the transfer device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the valve device showing a state where the moving body is in contact with the valve body in the transport device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional transfer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Transport Path 3 Support Base 4 Compressed Air Source 5 Transport Drive Source 6 Moving Body 10 Valve Device 11 Holder 12 Valve Body

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A conveyance path in which a tube body having a plurality of holes bored in the axial direction is arranged so that the plurality of holes are located above,
A moving body having a flat surface portion on the side facing the upper surface of the transport path and arranged on the transport path, and supplying compressed air into the hollow portion of the transport path and discharging the compressed air from the plurality of holes; In the transfer device, the valve is closed when the compressed air is supplied into the hollow portion of the transfer path,
A conveying device, wherein a valve device that opens when it comes into contact with the moving body is provided in each of the plurality of holes. 2. A holder of the valve device, wherein a valve seat is formed at an opening end of a cylindrical body, and the valve seat is fitted in each of a plurality of holes of the transport path so that the valve seat is located above, and a holder of the holder. A valve body that is movably accommodated in a hollow portion and is seated in a state where a part of the valve body projects from an upper end surface of the holder, and when the valve body is seated, a part of the valve body passes through the holder and the transport path. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transport device is arranged so as to project from the upper surface of the sheet.