JPH05229653A - Method and device for attracting and supplying small article - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To supply small articles while eliminating residual magnetism therefrom by transferring into a bottom-plate-equipped container the small articles which are attracted by an electromagnet, and releasing and demagnetizing the small articles inside the container, and then opening the bottom plate of the container. CONSTITUTION:To feed small articles, a motor 7 is driven with an intermediate tube 14 located in a vertical passage by actuation of the cylinder 18 of a switch mechanism 13, so that an electromagnet 6 is lowered along the vertical passage via a chain 4 to a position at which the electromagnet 6 reaches components in a tote box 11. After some of the large amount of components in the, tote box 11 are attracted by magnetizing the electromagnet 6, the electromagnet 6 is raised. Then a container tubular body 15 is located within the vertical passage by actuation of the cylinder 18 and the electromagnet 6 is lowered again, and is demagnetized when the attracted components reach a shute 22. Then the container tubular body 15 is located outside the lifting passage and the shute 22 is put in a downward turning movement so that the components are released.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for feeding bolts, washers, nuts, rings and other small parts from a container to a parts feeder, an aligner and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to supply small parts as described above to a parts feeder, an aligner, etc., several small parts contained in a container are manually taken out and directly supplied to the parts feeder or the like. A method in which a bucket conveyor or a belt conveyor is continuously provided to a parts feeder and the like, and small parts in a container are collectively supplied to the starting end of these conveyors has been adopted.

[0003]

According to the above-mentioned conventional method, not only the labor is required, but also the small parts are scattered and the labor is heavy (for the bucket conveyor etc., the small parts are handled together with each other). However, there were many problems such as injuries and other human disasters.

A method of transferring small parts from a container to a parts feeder or the like using an adsorption electromagnet has been considered,
In this case, magnetism may remain in the small parts separated from the electromagnet for adsorption, and the small parts may be attracted to each other, so that the individual parts cannot be supplied and the functions of the parts feeder and the like are impaired.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and uses a magnet for adsorbing small parts that are housed in a space without causing magnetism to remain. It is intended to provide a method and a device that can be supplied.

According to the method for supplying small parts of the present invention, the small parts adsorbed by the electromagnet are transferred into the container with the bottom plate, the small parts are removed and demagnetized in the container, and then the bottom plate of the container with the bottom plate is opened. The bottom plate is used as a chute to discharge small parts.

In the above description, the removal and demagnetization of the small parts are performed by controlling the current supplied to the electromagnet while the small parts are placed on the bottom plate of the container with the bottom plate, and with the demagnetization mechanism together with the container with the bottom plate. In some cases, it is passed. The current supplied to the electromagnet is controlled by cutting off the exciting current for attraction and then supplying a direct current and / or an alternating degaussing current at a time interval.
The residual magnetism is demagnetized by the control that cancels the regenerative energy generated in the electromagnet.

Further, the supply device for small parts of the present invention is
The electromagnet is suspended so that it can be raised and lowered, and a container with a bottom plate is installed so as to be able to advance and retreat from the side toward the hoistway with respect to the middle part of the hoistway of the electromagnet. The bottom plate is openable by its own weight, and a closing mechanism for closing the bottom plate of the container with the bottom plate is provided on the hoistway side.

A demagnetizing mechanism may be installed at the advancing / retreating portion of the bottom plate-equipped container.

Further, the hoistway of the electromagnet may be covered with a cylindrical body installed along the hoistway.

The electromagnet may be connected to the suspension member via a buffer mechanism.

Further, an XY table may be installed below the hoistway of the electromagnet.

A shock absorbing member for absorbing a shock at the time of opening may be installed on the bottom plate which can be released by its own weight.

[0014]

According to the method and apparatus for sucking and supplying small parts of the present invention, the small parts can be discharged and supplied to the parts feeder and the like through the bottom plate in a state where the small parts are demagnetized in the container with the bottom plate and no magnetism remains. ..

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a suction and supply device for small parts of an embodiment, in which a counterweight 5 is connected to one end of a traveling chain (a wire may be used) 4 installed on a stand 1 via sprockets 2 and 3, and the other end is connected. An electromagnet 6 for attraction is connected to the. The traveling chain 4 is driven by a forward / reverse rotation motor 7 installed on the stand 1, and the counterweight 5 and the electromagnet 6 are moved up and down in opposite directions as the vehicle travels. Counterweight 5
It moves up and down in a guide cylinder 8 arranged in parallel behind the stand 1 (left in FIG. 1).

On the other hand, the electromagnet 6 is located in front of the stand 1 (see FIG. 1).
In the right direction), the upper cylinder 9 and the lower cylinder 10 are installed along this hoistway. Below the lower tubular body 10, there is a space for putting in and out the space 11, and a rail 12 is laid on the floor.

The upper cylinder 9 and the lower cylinder 10 are separated from each other so as to secure a space for detaching the small parts attracted by the electromagnet 6, and the separated part is movable in a horizontal plane. The switching mechanism 13 configured as above is installed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the switching mechanism 13 connects the intermediate cylinder 14 and the container cylinder 15 to the moving plate 1.
6 arranged in parallel with each other, and the lower cylindrical body 10
And is installed via the arm 17 having the base end side fixed to the stand 1. A piston rod of a fluid pressure cylinder 18 installed horizontally is connected to the moving plate body 16 via a connecting plate 19. The fluid pressure cylinder 18 allows the moving plate body 16 to move back and forth in the direction of arrow 20. Is becoming The movable plate body 16 has an opening formed to match the intermediate cylinder body 14 and the container cylinder body 15, while a chute 22 which is rotatable around a horizontal shaft 21 is provided below the container cylinder body 15. Is provided and the chute 22 and the container cylinder 15 constitute a container 23 with a bottom plate (chute).

A guide ring 24 fitted to the lower cylinder 10 is provided at a portion connecting the moving plate 16 side and the lower cylinder 10, and the switching mechanism 13 is indicated by an arrow 25 in the horizontal plane. In addition to being rotatable in the direction (in FIG. 4), a roller 26 is provided on one side of the guide ring 24 so as to face the lower surface of the chute 22.
2, that is, as a closing mechanism of the bottom plate.

Therefore, the fluid pressure cylinder 18
When the moving plate 16 is moved so that the switching mechanism 13 is retracted from the hoistway, the intermediate cylinder 14 is aligned with the upper cylinder 9 and the lower cylinder 10 on the same axis and is continuous. A hoistway is formed. At this time, the chute 22, which is the bottom plate of the container 23 with the bottom plate, is designed to open the bottom of the container due to its own weight, as shown in FIG.

On the contrary, when the switching mechanism 13 is brought into the hoistway, the container cylinder 15 is located between the upper cylinder 9 and the lower cylinder 10, and the chute 22 has the roller 26.
The bottom plate closing mechanism causes the container 23 with the bottom plate to be placed at this position.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the electromagnet 6 is provided below the suspension member 27 connected to the traveling chain 4 via a buffering mechanism by sliding pins 28, 28 provided on the electromagnet 6 side. It is connected. The sliding pin 28 is inserted into a through hole 30 formed in the bottom plate 29 of the hanging member 27, and is inserted between the stopper 31 and the electromagnet 6 which are fixed to the tip.
The suspension member 27 can be relatively contacted and separated. A sensor 32 for the stopper 31 is installed in the suspension member 27 so that the clearance between the electromagnet 6 and the suspension member 27 can be detected.

In the figure, reference numeral 33 is a control panel, and power supply lines and the like for the electromagnet 6 are provided along the traveling chain 4. The information about the ascending / descending position of the electromagnet 6 is detected by a detection sensor (a limit switch, a photoelectric tube, a photosensor, etc.) installed in the guide cylinder 8 for ascending / descending the counterweight 5. Further, the advance / retreat information of the switching mechanism 13 is detected by a detection sensor provided for the fluid pressure cylinder 18.

The manner in which the small-part suction-supplying device having the above-described structure sucks and supplies the small-parts accommodated in the container 11 will be described below. In the initial state, as shown in FIG. 1, the electromagnet 6 is in a state in which the electromagnet 6 is raised inside the upper tubular body 9, and below the hoistway is a passage 11 containing small parts.
Is placed.

First, the fluid pressure cylinder 18 of the switching mechanism 13 is operated to bring the intermediate cylinder 14 into the retracted state in which it is located in the hoistway, and the forward / reverse rotation motor 7 is driven to move the electromagnet 6 along the hoistway. To lower. The electromagnet 6 passes from the upper tubular body 9 through the intermediate tubular body 14 and the lower tubular body 10,
It descends into the passage 11. The forward / reverse rotation motor 7 is stopped when the electromagnet 6 reaches a small part in the communication box 11. Since the electromagnet 6 is suspended from the suspension member 27 via the cushioning mechanism, it can reach the small parts without impact. The arrival signal is obtained from the sensor 32 for the stopper 31.

When the electromagnet 6 reaches a small component, an exciting current is supplied to the electromagnet 6. As a result, a certain amount of small parts among the large number of small parts accommodated in the communication box 11 is attracted to the electromagnet 6. After adsorbing small parts by the electromagnet 6, the forward / reverse rotation motor 7 is driven in the opposite direction to raise the electromagnet 6. The electromagnet 6 ascends in the lower tubular body 10, the intermediate tubular body 14, and the upper tubular body 9 while adsorbing small components. The lower end of the lower cylindrical body 10 has a horn shape, and the upper portion of the suspension member 27 on the electromagnet 6 side has a truncated cone shape so that the ascending can be performed smoothly.

When the electromagnet 6 is moved up to the upper cylinder 9, the fluid pressure cylinder 18 of the switching mechanism 13 is operated to bring the container cylinder 15 into the hoistway.

Next, the forward / reverse rotation motor 7 is driven again,
The electromagnet 6 is lowered. The electromagnet 6 descends from the upper cylinder 9 into the container cylinder 15, and when the adsorbed small parts reach the chute 22 that closes the lower part of the container cylinder 15, the forward / reverse rotation motor 7 is stopped. To do. The arrival signal in this case is also obtained from the sensor 32 for the stopper 31.

When a signal indicating that the small component reaches the chute 22 is obtained, the exciting current of the electromagnet 6 is cut off, and a demagnetizing current to be described later is supplied to remove and demagnetize the small component. Since the exciting current is cut off while the small parts are fixed on the chute 22, at the same time when the current is cut off,
The small component does not drop due to its own weight, does not give a dent to the small component, and the degaussing action performed via the electromagnet 6 thereafter can be surely given.

When the removal and demagnetization of small parts are completed,
The forward / reverse rotation motor 7 is driven to raise the electromagnet 6 to the upper cylindrical body 9, and then the fluid pressure cylinder 18 of the switching mechanism 13 is moved.
Is operated to bring the intermediate tubular body 14 into the retracted state in which it is located in the hoistway. As a result, when the container cylinder 15 is located outside the hoistway, the chute 22, which is the bottom plate of the container 23 with a bottom plate, rotates downward due to its own weight, so that it is housed in the container cylinder 15 and is in the demagnetized state. Small parts are chute 2
It is released to the outside by sliding 2. Therefore, by arranging a parts feeder such as a parts feeder and an aligner on the extension line of the chute 22, automatic supply can be performed. The discharge direction by the chute 22 can be set in a desired direction because the switching mechanism 13 is rotatable in the horizontal plane. When the chute 22 rotates downward, its own weight and the load of small parts act, so it is desirable to install a shock absorbing member 39 such as a shock absorber to absorb the shock of opening.

The above operation is performed at a predetermined time interval.
Alternatively, by repeating the operation in accordance with a signal from a parts feeder or the like, it is possible to automatically supply the small parts stored in the communication box 11 sequentially. Whether or not there are small parts in the communication box 11 can be determined by detecting the rising position of the counterweight 5. As shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the bottom portion of the passage 11 has a tapered side wall as shown by a dotted line 34 so that the last small component is located on the bottom plate facing the electromagnet 6. So, X-
It may be installed on the Y table 35 so that the position of the bottom plate facing the electromagnet 6 can be moved.

The removal and demagnetization of the small parts is performed by controlling the current applied to the electromagnetic coil of the electromagnet 6 with the current waveform as shown in FIG. 7 to cancel the regenerative energy generated by the interruption of the exciting current to demagnetize the residual magnetism. To do. The figure shows examples of various changes in degaussing current. (A) is the AC decay current, (b) is the square-wave pulse current, (c) and (d) are the triangular-wave pulse currents, and (e ) Is performed with a square-wave pulse and an AC decay current. In either case, the exciting current is interrupted at P ₂ after the P ₁ exciting period. Next, the time interval of P ₃ (about 0.1 sec)
Then, each degaussing current is supplied.

The time interval of P ₃ is important for the degaussing action, and the degaussing action by the degaussing current after that can be surely performed in a short time, so that the residual magnetism of the small parts is almost eliminated and they are attracted to each other. Instead, it can be released from the chute 22 in the scattered state.

Demagnetization of small parts is performed by the electromagnet 6 as described above.
It is performed by current control for the electromagnetic coil of
As shown in FIG. 8, a publicly known demagnetization mechanism 36 in which an AC damping magnetic field is formed may be installed in the advancing / retreating portion of the bottom plate-equipped container 23. In this case, the stroke of the fluid pressure cylinder 18 needs to be lengthened by the width of the demagnetization mechanism 36.
It is effective in demagnetizing small parts more reliably.

The electromagnet 6 is selected with high efficiency in consideration of the shape of small parts to be transferred by adsorption. In the case of a small component such as a thin plate component which causes magnetic saturation, as shown in FIG.
A multi-type electromagnet having 7 installed in parallel is desirable. The magnetic pole arrangement by each electromagnetic coil 37 may be such that the N pole and the S pole are adjacent to each other as shown in the figure, or a large number of the same poles are arranged in parallel.

On the other hand, in the case of small parts such as bolts and nuts that are hard to cause magnetic saturation, as shown in FIG. 10, the electromagnetic coil 37 is one and the yoke 38 is connected in a horseshoe shape to widen the attracting surface. Electromagnets are preferred.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, the small parts that are normally accommodated are adsorbed by the electromagnet to be transferred, and are released and demagnetized. With current control, small parts can be automatically fed from the bottom to the parts feeder.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a switching mechanism portion of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a switching mechanism portion of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of the electromagnet and the suspension member portion of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a partial front view of an embodiment in which an XY table is installed in the installation part of the communication box.

7 (a) to 7 (e) are waveform diagrams of a degaussing current supplied to an electromagnet.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment in which a demagnetizing mechanism is installed with respect to a switching mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a structure of an electromagnet used in Examples,
(a) is a bottom view and (b) is a vertical sectional view.

FIG. 10 is a view showing the structure of another electromagnet used in the examples, (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Travel Chain 6 Electromagnet 7 Forward / Reverse Motor 9 Upper Cylinder 10 Lower Cylinder 11 Passing 13 Switching Mechanism 14 Intermediate Cylinder 15 Container Cylinder 16 Moving Plate 18 Fluid Pressure Cylinder 22 Chute 23 Container with Bottom Plate 26 Roller 27 Suspension Lower member 28 Cylindrical body 31 Stopper 35 XY table 37 Electromagnetic coil 28 Yoke 39 Impact absorbing member

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A small part adsorbed by an electromagnet is transferred into a container with a bottom plate, the small part is removed and demagnetized in the container, and then the bottom plate of the container with a bottom plate is opened, and the small plate is used as a chute. And a method for adsorbing and supplying small parts. 2. The method for adsorbing and supplying a small component according to claim 1, wherein the small component is detached and demagnetized by controlling the current supplied to the electromagnet while the small component is placed on the bottom plate of the container with a bottom plate. 3. Detachment and demagnetization of the small parts are performed by controlling the current flowing to the electromagnet in a state where the small parts are placed on the bottom plate of the bottom plate-equipped container, and then passed through the demagnetization mechanism together with the bottom plate-equipped container. The suction and supply method for small parts according to claim 1, which is performed as follows. 4. The control of the current supplied to the electromagnet is performed by supplying a degaussing current of DC and / or AC at a time interval after interruption of the exciting current.
Alternatively, the method for sucking and supplying a small component described in 3 above. 5. An electromagnet is suspended so that it can be raised and lowered, and a container with a bottom plate is installed so as to be movable back and forth from the side of the middle part of the hoistway of the electromagnet toward the hoistway. The bottom plate of the container with a bottom plate can be freely opened by its own weight, and a closing mechanism for closing the bottom plate of the container with a bottom plate is provided on the hoistway side. 6. The adsorption supply device for small parts according to claim 5, wherein a demagnetizing mechanism is installed at the advancing / retreating portion of the bottom plate-equipped container. 7. An adsorption supply device for small parts according to claim 5, wherein the hoistway of the electromagnet is covered with a cylindrical body installed along the hoistway. 8. An adsorption supply device for small parts according to claim 5, wherein the electromagnet is connected to the suspension member via a buffer mechanism. 9. An apparatus for adsorbing and supplying small parts according to claim 5, wherein an XY table is installed below the hoistway of the electromagnet. 10. The suction supply device for small parts according to claim 5, wherein the bottom plate of the container with the bottom plate is supported by a shock absorbing member for absorbing a shock when opened.