JPH0569365A - Vacuum supply unit with suction pad - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a vacuum supply unit fitted with a suction pad, wherein the suction pad and its peripheral apparatus are structured in respective units and consolidated through their mutual engagement. CONSTITUTION:Passages leading to respective passages of a manifold unit 18 are formed in a piping unit 22, which is coupled with the manifold unit 18 partitioned into a vacuum supply passage 12, an air supply passage 14 for pilot valve, and a vacuum destructive passage 16, and further, solenoid valves 28, 29 having pilot valves 46, 54 to change over the passage in the piping unit 22 are mounted on the piping unit 22, and at the same time, an adapter unit 26 in which a suction pad 24 is installed is coupled with the manifold unit 18. A vacuum supply valve part 20 is provided in a passage leading from the solenoid valve 28 to adapter unit 26.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum supply unit with a suction pad, which unitizes a suction pad and its peripheral equipment to improve maintenance and achieve miniaturization.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a suction pad connected to a vacuum supply source has been used to convey a thin plate-shaped work. This type of suction pad is attached to, for example, an adapter block, and this adapter block is connected to a valve mechanism section connected to a plurality of electromagnetic valves.

In this case, a vacuum supply passage which is connected to a vacuum supply source and is used for sucking a work, an air supply passage for a pilot valve for driving a solenoid valve to open and close the vacuum passage of a valve mechanism, and an adsorption. And a vacuum break passage for breaking the vacuum of the pad. The three passages and the valve mechanism section are communicated with each other through three conduits, and the valve mechanism section and the adapter block are also communicated with each other through three conduits.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, since the respective constituent elements are communicated with each other by the conduits, the structure around the equipment is apt to be complicated, and there is a fear of piping mistakes. This may lead to vacuum leakage from the joint. In addition, the signal line connected to the solenoid valve may be disconnected over time.

The present invention has been made in order to solve this kind of problem, and includes a solenoid valve, a manifold defining a vacuum supply passage, a pilot valve air supply passage, and a vacuum breaking passage, and a supply valve. An adsorption pad that can easily and reliably perform the formation of a fluid circuit and the connection of a signal line accompanying it by uniting the provided pipe and an adapter equipped with an adsorption pad, and engaging them in association with each other. An object is to provide an attached vacuum supply unit.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an adapter unit to which one or more suction pads are attached, a manifold unit for holding the adapter unit, and A piping unit having a passage connected to the manifold unit and communicating with a fluid passage defined by the manifold unit;
A solenoid valve unit having a pilot valve for switching the passage of the piping unit; and further, a vacuum supply valve is arranged between a communication passage of the pilot valve and the adapter unit.

[0007]

In the vacuum supply unit with suction pad according to the present invention, the adapter unit and the piping unit are attached to each other on the manifold unit in which the vacuum supply passage, the pilot valve air supply passage and the vacuum breaking passage are defined. It Further, the block unit integrated with the piping unit and the solenoid valve unit is formed, and the vacuum supply valve is arranged between the communication passages of the solenoid valve unit and the adapter unit. The fluid passages of are shortened as much as possible, and miniaturization is achieved.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vacuum supply unit with a suction pad according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, with reference to the preferred embodiments.

1 to 4, reference numeral 10 indicates
The vacuum supply unit with a suction pad concerning this example is shown. The suction pad-equipped vacuum supply unit 10 corresponds to a manifold unit 18 in which a vacuum supply passage 12, a pilot valve air supply passage 14 and a vacuum breaking passage 16 are defined, and the manifold unit 18 respectively. And a vacuum supply valve section 2 is defined.
Piping unit 22 formed with 0 and suction pad 24
And the first and second solenoid valves 28 and 29 attached to the piping unit 22.
Basically consists of and.

The manifold unit 18 has a rectangular shape, and a vacuum supply port, a pilot valve air supply port and a vacuum breaking port (not shown) are defined on the side surface of the manifold unit 18.
A vacuum supply passage 12, a pilot valve air supply passage 14 and a vacuum breaking passage 16 which are fluid passages communicating with these ports are independently defined inside. The suction passage 30 communicating with the adapter unit 26 is provided on the bottom surface thereof.
Is defined. A vacuum supply port, a pilot valve air supply port, and a vacuum breaking port are defined at predetermined positions on the front surface of the manifold unit 18, and the fluid passages 12, 14, 16 defined inside the manifold unit 18 are defined. Is in communication with.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the piping unit 22 has an L-shaped cross section, and a vacuum supply passage 32 corresponding to a predetermined position on the front surface of the manifold unit 18.
A pilot valve air supply passage 34 and a vacuum break passage 36 are defined respectively. A first vacuum breaking passage 38, a second vacuum breaking passage 40, and a third vacuum breaking passage 42 are defined in the piping unit 22 in association with the vacuum breaking passage 36, and as shown in FIG. A flow rate control valve 44 is disposed in the middle of the first vacuum breaking passage 38, and one end of the second vacuum breaking passage 40 faces the pilot valve 46 of the second electromagnetic valve 29.
Has its other end exposed to the third vacuum break passage 42 through a hole 48 formed along the lateral direction of the piping unit 22. The third vacuum break passage 42 serves to break the vacuum in the suction pad 24 of the adapter unit 26.

The vacuum supply passage 32 has one end facing the vacuum supply passage 12 of the manifold unit 18 and the other end facing the vacuum supply valve portion 20 formed inside the piping unit 22. The vacuum supply valve unit 20 has a cylindrical vacuum chamber 50, and a cylindrical valve body 52 having a small diameter is disposed inside the vacuum chamber 50 from a substantially central portion to one end side. The air supply passage 34 for the pilot valve faces the other end of the vacuum chamber 50 via the pilot valve 54 constituting the first electromagnetic valve 28, and the suction passage 30 faces the one end of the vacuum chamber 50. ing. A coil spring 56 is contracted between the rear portion of the valve body 52 and one end side of the vacuum chamber 50, and constantly presses the valve body 52 to the other end side of the vacuum chamber 50. Reference numeral 58 indicates a seal body that is attached to or detached from a valve seat provided between the vacuum supply passage 32 and the suction passage 30 to open or close the passage.

The first and second solenoid valves 28 and 29 are attached to the piping unit 22, respectively, and have switches 60a and 60a.
b and pilot valves 46 and 54. Two of these first and second electromagnetic valves 28 and 29 are required for each one of the piping units 22, one of the first electromagnetic valves 28 controls the opening and closing of the pilot valve air supply passage 34, and the other one of the other. The two solenoid valve 29 controls opening / closing of the vacuum break passage 38. The switches 60a and 60b are connected to a sequencer (not shown) and give operation instructions to the pilot valves 46 and 54.

Further, with respect to the manifold unit 18, switch portions 62a and 62b and valve portions 64a and 64 are provided.
A terminal unit 66 composed of b and b is attached (see FIG. 3).

Next, the operation of the vacuum supply unit with suction pad 10 constructed as described above will be described.

First, the arm of a robot (not shown) to which the vacuum supply unit 10 is attached is displaced onto the work, and the suction pad 24 fixed to the adapter unit 26 is brought into contact with the work. Next, a compressed air supply source such as a compressor (not shown) is energized, and the compressed air is supplied from the pilot valve air supply passage 14 of the manifold unit 18 to the pilot in the piping unit 22 as shown in the operation circuit of FIG. The first solenoid valve 28 passes through the valve air supply passage 34.
Pilot valve 54.

Upon receiving a signal from a sequencer (not shown), the exciting coil of the first solenoid valve 28 is driven, and the pilot valve 5
The compressed air flows into the vacuum chamber 50 from the other end side of the vacuum supply valve section 20 through the passage communicated by the displacement of 4. The valve body 52 causes the coil spring 56 to move due to the pressure of the inflowing air.
1, the valve seat is displaced to the right in FIG. 1 to separate the seal body 58 from each other, and the suction passage 30 of the suction pad 24 and the vacuum supply passage 32 are communicated with each other. Under the suction action of a vacuum pump (not shown), the suction passage 30 of the suction pad 24 holds the vacuum state to suck the work and convey it to a predetermined place. At this time, it is possible to confirm whether or not the degree of vacuum of the suction pad 24 is maintained within the specified value range by the LED 68 provided in the terminal unit 66.

When the suction pad 24 reaches a predetermined position,
The second electromagnetic valve 29 for vacuum breaking is driven, compressed air is supplied from the first vacuum breaking passage 38 through the pilot valve 46, the second vacuum breaking passage 40 and the third vacuum breaking passage 42, and the adapter unit 26. Break the vacuum inside. As a result, the suction pad 24 separates the works.

The structure of the second solenoid valve 29 may be a combination of the first solenoid valve 28 and the vacuum supply valve section 20, for example.

Further, in this embodiment, the suction force is obtained by urging the vacuum pump, but it goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained by incorporating an ejector.

Further, in the figure, filters are provided in the respective fluid passages, but it is more preferable to use a hydrophobic element as the element. This is because adhesion of water can be avoided.

[0022]

The vacuum supply unit with suction pad according to the present invention has the following effects.

The adapter unit and the piping unit are attached to the manifold unit, in which the vacuum supply passage, the pilot valve air supply passage, and the vacuum break passage are defined, and the solenoid valve unit is attached to the piping unit. As a result, an integrated block body is formed as a whole. This simplifies the layout of the suction pad and its peripheral devices, facilitates the formation of a fluid circuit, and shortens the respective fluid passages as much as possible. Connection is easy and reliable.
Further, by disposing the vacuum supply valve between the passages of the electromagnetic valve unit and the adapter unit, the operation of the vacuum supply valve can be simplified and the work can be speeded up.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial vertical sectional view of a vacuum supply unit with a suction pad according to the present invention, which is a vertical sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a vacuum supply unit with a suction pad according to the present invention, which is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which a plurality of vacuum supply units with suction pads are connected to form one block body.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a state where a plurality of vacuum supply units with suction pads are connected to form one block body.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an operation circuit of a vacuum supply unit with a suction pad according to the present invention.

[Explanation of Codes] 10 ... Vacuum supply unit with suction pad 12, 32 ... Vacuum supply passage 14, 34 ... Pilot valve air supply passage 16, 36 ... Vacuum break passage 18 ... Manifold unit 20 ... Vacuum supply valve portion 22 ... Piping unit 24 ... Adsorption pad 26 ... Adapter unit 28, 29 ... Solenoid valve 46, 54 ... Pilot valve 52 ... Valve body

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] September 30, 1991

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 1

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 1]

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 5

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 5]

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An adapter unit to which one or more suction pads are attached, a manifold unit holding the adapter unit, and a fluid passage connected to the manifold unit and defined in the manifold unit. A piping unit having a communicating passage; and a solenoid valve unit having a pilot valve for switching the passage of the piping unit; and a vacuum supply valve disposed between the communicating passages of the pilot valve and the adapter unit. Vacuum supply unit with suction pad.