JPH0624551A - Tray feed device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To let actions be carried out for gaining access to trays at random and at high speeds and for preventing parts contained in each tray from being scattered and damaged in the tray member feed means of an automatic assembly machine, and also make it possible to monitor the quantity of remaining parts within each tray, and the rough position and the attitude of each tray other than trays accessed by a robot. CONSTITUTION:A rotor 2 is positioned by a motor 1. A plurality of tray holders 3 and trays 4 are so mounted on the same circumference of the rotor 2 as to be kept horizontal in attitude during normal operations. And an off-set camera 10 is mounted above a place off set from a lighting 7 rotation center at the tray rotation center section.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention
Parts) is called a parts tray (hereinafter called tray)
The present invention relates to a tray supply device mounted on a tray and monitoring the remaining amount of parts of the tray supply device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of trays 50 are vertically stacked on an access shelf 51 so that they can be individually pulled out, and the whole tray is moved up and down.
The robot 53 stops at the same height as 2, and is sent from the access shelf 51 to the positioning unit 52 and positioned, and then the robot 53 picks up the parts. Generally, the tray 50 returns to a predetermined position or an empty position of the access shelf 51 while the robot 53 is being assembled, and the tray having the next part sequentially repeats the same operation so that the robot 53 can sequentially assemble the parts. Was known as

Further, the magazine elevator 54, the buffer elevator 56, and the discharge conveyor 55 are connected to the access shelf 51.
There is also known a device which is connected to the tray to continuously feed and discharge the tray.

[0004]

However, the conventional tray feeding device has the following problems. As shown in FIG. 3, the robot 53 has to complete the loading and unloading of the tray from immediately after picking up the parts from the tray at the position of the positioning unit 52 until the next pickup timing. Since the movements such as forward and backward are continuously performed within a short time, the parts mounted on the tray are discontinuous and have a shock due to a large acceleration, and there is a fear that the parts are scattered, overlapped or damaged.

When two parts such as a washer and a bolt are stacked and grasped and then assembled at the same time, the robot is in a waiting state for a time when the trays are replaced with each other, which causes a time loss for one cycle and causes a decrease in production capacity. When managing the remaining number of parts in the tray, the difference between the number of input and the number of embedded is stored in the controller such as a robot for each tray, or the quantity is counted by a sensor such as a camera at the position of the positioning unit 52 shown in FIG. However, it is necessary to meet the conditions such as insufficient count information in the case of electrical reset, equipment space restrictions or operation restrictions, and the timing of parts replenishment or tray replacement in the tray compared with the remaining number information. There is a risk that it will not be accurate.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the motion characteristics of the tray operation and to establish the remaining number monitoring in order to solve the conventional problems as described above.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention adopts a circular motion in which the movement direction of the tray is controlled by accelerating the vertical plane, and the tray can be exchanged while maintaining a flat posture. In addition, the camera is configured to count the remaining number of parts in the tray outside the access area of the robot and in a series of operations for one exchange.

[0008]

In the tray supply device configured as described above, the parts can be moved without giving an impact when replacing the tray. Therefore, the movement speed of the tray can be set to about the robot operation speed, and the operation without fear of scattering or damage of the parts in the tray can be performed.

Since the tray keeps its water surface posture and takes a locus of rotational movement on a vertical plane, the area occupied by the plane of the apparatus can be made small. At the take-out position of the actuator of the robot or the like, the minimum occupied area on the vertical plane is provided, so that the degree of freedom of arrangement in the device is increased. Further, since the impact caused by the rotational movement is small, it is possible to measure the remaining number and monitor the alignment state even at an unspecified tray position.

Since the tray can be instantaneously supplied to the operation area of the actuator only by the rotational force of the motor, even when the tray is assembled after gripping a plurality of different parts, the parts can be supplied without waiting the robot. .

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a rotary body 2 is attached to an output shaft of a direct drive motor 1 fixed on a vertical plane. Eight tray holders 3 are connected to the rotating body 2 on the rotating body 2 in a rotating pair, and the positional relationship is such that the circumference of the rotation center is divided into eight equal parts. Tray holder 3
The trays 4 on which the parts are mounted are fixed to each tray, and a plurality of types of parts are stored in each tray 4, so that a maximum of 8 parts can be supplied. The tray holder 3 is connected to the fixed shaft 5 formed between the direct drive motor 1 and the rotating body 2 by the timing belts 6, so that even if the rotating body 2 rotates, the tray holder 3 and the tray 4 Keeps a horizontal posture and moves circularly.

The parts tray 4 is provided with a camera illumination 7 at the center of rotation of a tray made of a translucent synthetic resin such as polycarbonate, and a posture recognition camera 9 attached to a robot 8 at the top. Reads the silhouette of the part on the uppermost position 4a of the tray by the transmitted light.

The offset camera 10 is fixed and held from above, and the robot 8 recognizes the entire adjacent tray 4b located immediately before the pickup, and stores the remaining number of parts and the approximate position, posture, etc. It is possible to reduce the waste of the operation and match the timing of replenishing the parts to the tray and replacing the tray 4.

In FIG. 2, a hopper feeder 11 is mounted on the tray 4c, and parts are replenished as needed. Further, there is a pull-in conveyor 12 at the same height as the tray 4c, and parts not suitable for hopper supply are supplied together with the tray. Further, the recovery conveyor 1 is provided on the tray 4d side.
There are three, and the collection tray collects and collects stock. A tray loading device 14 is provided at the leading end of the pull-in conveyor 12.
However, a tray recovery device 15 is provided at the tip of the recovery conveyor, and the tray 4 is loaded and fixed on the rotating body 2 via the tray holder 3 or withdrawn, depending on the required timing. .

The rotary body 2 and the tray 4 are indexed by the direct drive motor 1, and the tray 4a
Then, the robot 8 picks up, and in the tray 4b, the offset camera 10 performs the remaining part count information and the approximate part position / orientation information monitoring in parallel,
Parts are replenished or new trays are loaded at the position of the tray 4c, and empty trays or unnecessary trays are collected at the position of the tray 4d.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the tray component supply device, the rotary member which receives the rotational force by the direct drive motor having the positioning function and makes a circular motion in the vertical plane is provided concentrically with the rotary shaft. It has a fixed shaft, a tray holder that is installed at multiple points that form the same trajectory on the rotating body, and is installed as a rotating pair with the rotating body, and a timing belt and parts to maintain the horizontal posture of the tray holder. Since it has a tray having the following features, it has the following effects.

When the tray is moved, the tray can be moved at high speed without giving an impact to the parts. In addition, there is no risk of parts being scattered or damaged in the tray. Since the tray rotates in the vertical plane while maintaining the horizontal posture, the area occupied in the plane can be made small, and the degree of freedom of arrangement in the device is increased. In particular, at the position of the uppermost tray, the occupied area on the same plane is minimized, so that the effect is great.

Since the tray maintains a horizontal posture and has a small impact on the parts, it is possible to monitor the remaining number of parts and the alignment state other than the pick-up position. Since the tray can be instantly accessed to the pickup area of the actuator only by the rotational force of the motor, even when a plurality of different parts are continuously gripped, the parts can be supplied without waiting the robot.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a tray supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of equipment provided with a retracting and collecting conveyor in a usage example of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of a conventional tray supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Direct Drive Motor 2 Rotating Body 3 Tray Holder 4 Tray 4a Top Part Tray 4b Remaining Quantity Recognition Position Parts Tray 4c Loading Position Parts Tray 4d Recovery Position Parts Tray 5 Fixed Axis 6 Timing Belt 7 Lighting 8 Robot 9 Attitude Recognition Camera 10 Offset camera 11 Hopper feeder 12 Pull-in conveyor 13 Collection conveyor 14 Loading device 15 Collection device 51 Access shelf 52 Positioning unit 53 Robot 54 Magazine elevator 55 Discharge conveyor 56 Buffer elevator

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tray supply device having an assembly actuator such as a robot and used in an automatic assembly machine for assembling a plurality of parts, wherein (a) a motor having a rotational positioning function and (b) a rotational position by the motor. And (c) a fixed shaft that is installed on a straight line of the center of rotation of the rotating body and that does not rotate.
(D) Tray holders provided on the rotating body at a plurality of locations forming the same locus and installed in rotational pairs with the rotating body, and (e) mounted between each tray holder and the fixed shaft. And (f) a plurality of trays mounted on the plurality of tray holders and mounting assembly parts, respectively. 2. A tray supply device having an assembly actuator such as a robot and used in an automatic assembly machine for assembling a plurality of parts, (a) means for monitoring the remaining amount of the parts mounted on the tray, and (b) 3. The tray supply device according to claim 1, further comprising: a means for replenishing the tray with necessary parts; and (c) a tray collecting means for collecting the tray.