JPH06247548A - Automatic part transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operational efficiency of assembling parts and to reduce the size of equipment by simultaneously transferring plural parts of the same kind to a designated work position, not one by one. CONSTITUTION:Among plural parts in a part parallel receiver 32, the parts 12c nearest to the part gripping position are respectively gripped simultaneously by plural suction heads 50. The plural suction heads 50 quickly transfer the plural parts 12C to part mounting position by a carriage. Even if the parallel positions of plural parts arranged in a line in the part parallel receiver 32 do not agree with the part gripping positions where the suction heads 50 are located, the parts 12C can be aligned with the part gripping positions where the suction heads 50 are located by a taper guide surface 60a of a part correcting jig 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is an improvement of an automatic parts transfer device for transferring a plurality of parts such as a square nut for screwing an electric part such as a blow fuse in an electric junction box for an automobile to a predetermined working position. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, nuts for screw-fastening electric parts of an electric junction box for automobiles are supplied to a process of assembling electric parts in a state where they are lined up in a row by a parts feeder. They were taken out one by one from the feeder by an operator's hand or an arm-type chuck such as a robot, and sequentially transferred to a corresponding mounting position of electric parts.

[0003]

However, in this prior art, since each one part is sequentially fed to the predetermined working position, it takes a lot of time to align all the parts to the predetermined working position. Therefore, the workability in the assembly process was low. In addition, if a plurality of robots are provided and a plurality of nuts are sequentially aligned at work positions, there are drawbacks that the equipment cost is high and the equipment is large and the installation space is large.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks and to transfer a plurality of parts to a predetermined work position at the same time, thus improving workability and downsizing the equipment. An object is to provide an automatic component transfer device.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a parts parallel means for arranging a plurality of parts in a line, a parts gripping transfer means for simultaneously gripping and transferring a plurality of parts, and parts A component correction jig which is arranged above the parallel position of the parallel means and which guides the plurality of components corresponding to the plurality of components closest to the respective component grip positions of the component grip transfer means so as to correct these plural components to the component grip positions. And a component selecting means for selectively moving the component closest to the component gripping position in the component paralleling means toward the component gripping phase means while correcting the position by the component correcting jig. To provide a device.

[0006]

As described above, when a plurality of parts are simultaneously gripped,
These plural parts can be quickly transferred to the work position, and even if the parallel position of the plural parts arranged in a line in the part parallel means does not match the part grip position of the part grip transfer means, Since the components can be aligned with the component gripping position of the component gripping transfer means by the component correction jig, the transfer from the component parallel means to the component gripping transfer means can be easily performed. In addition, it is preferable that the component gripping and transferring means is configured so as to be able to automatically shift to a component alignment position at a work position after gripping a plurality of components in a side-by-side state.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, and FIGS. 1 and 2 show an automatic parts transfer apparatus 1 according to the present invention.
0 is schematically shown as a whole, and this parts automatic transfer device 10
Is a hopper 14, a part parallel means 16 for arranging a plurality of parts 12 (see FIG. 3 and below) supplied from the hopper 14, and a part gripping transfer means 18 for simultaneously gripping and transferring a plurality of parts 12. , A plurality of components 12A arranged above the parallel position of the component parallel means 16 and closest to each component grip position of the component grip transfer means 18 (see FIGS. 7 and 9)
The component correction jig 20 that guides the plurality of components 12 so as to correct them to the component gripping position, and the component 12C closest to the component gripping position in the component paralleling means 16 are positioned by the component correction jig 20. Component gripping phase means 1 while correcting
8 and the component selection means 22 which selectively moves toward 8.

In the illustrated embodiment, the component 12 is, for example,
Although it is shown to be a square nut for fixing the electric circuit parts in the electric junction box for automobiles to the inside of the box, any other parts that handle a plurality of parts at the same time, such as a receptacle, an auto It may be an electric component such as a fuse. Incidentally, in FIG. 1 and FIG.
Is a machine base that supports the components such as the hopper 14 to the component selection means 22.

A spiral parts feeder (shooter) 26 is provided between the hopper 14 and the parts paralleling means 16, and the plurality of parts 12 put into the hopper 14 are sequentially dropped inside the parts feeder 26 one by one. It is then supplied to the component paralleling means 16. Further, in order to accelerate the feeding from the parts feeder 26 to the parts parallel means 16, there is provided a vibration generator 28 for applying vibration to the feeding passage of the parts feeder 26.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the parts arranging means 16 is provided on the outlet side of the parts feeder 26, and is a gutter-shaped parts arranging section 30 for arranging a plurality of parts side by side. A gutter-shaped component parallel receiver 32 arranged in alignment, a component transfer machine 34 for transferring a plurality of components 12 from the component alignment unit 30 to the component parallel receiver 32, and a component alignment unit 30.
And a shutter 36 that opens and closes between the component parallel receiver 32 and the component parallel receiver 32.

In the illustrated embodiment, the component paralleling means 16 is
It has two rows of parts aligning sections 30 and corresponding two rows of parts parallel receivers 32, and therefore parts transfer machine 34 and shutter 3.
6 also has two sets, but may have one row of the component aligning section 30 and one row of the component parallel receiver 32, and may have one set of the component transfer machine 34 and the shutter 36.

The parts aligning section 30 optically detects the first part 12A and the last next part 12B in the row of the predetermined plurality of parts 12 fed from the parts feeder 26 and accumulated therein. 38A and 38B, and when detection signals are simultaneously generated from both component sensors 38A and 38B for a predetermined time, an AND circuit with a timer (not shown) detects that a predetermined number of components 12 are prepared and detects the component parallel means 16 Generate a start signal to start.

In the illustrated embodiment, the component transfer machine 34 includes a vertical cylinder 42 having an engaging pin 40 for engaging the hole 12a of the component 12, and a horizontal cylinder 42 extending in the feed direction of the component row. It consists of a cylinder 44. When the component transfer machine 34 receives the activation signal from the component alignment unit 30, it is activated and transfers the component row from the component alignment unit 30 to the component parallel receiver 32.

The shutter 36 is composed of an opening / closing plate 46 that opens and closes between the component aligning section 30 and the component parallel receiver 32, and a cylinder 48 that drives the opening / closing plate 46 to open and close.
The shutter 36 is driven so as to open the opening / closing plate 46 in response to the activation signal from the AND circuit of the component aligning unit 30 and close the opening / closing plate 46 after the component row is transferred to the component parallel receiver 32.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the component gripping transfer means 18 comprises a plurality of vacuum suction heads 50 for simultaneously gripping a plurality of components 12 at a predetermined interval, and these suction heads 50 are rails 52. Carriage 54 self-propelled above
Is supported via a lifting cylinder and an alignment drive shaft (not shown). The drive shaft is driven so as to change the positions of the plurality of components 12 gripped side by side on the suction head 50 to a predetermined work alignment position, but details thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 56 is a vacuuming pipe for the suction head 50.

The component correction jig 20 is composed of a correction plate 58 arranged above the component parallel receiver 32 of the component parallel means 16, and this correction plate 58 corresponds to the plurality of suction heads 50 of the component gripping transfer means 18. A guide hole 60 for correcting the position of the component 12 is provided. The guide hole 60 has a taper guide surface 60a which is tapered toward the center in the lower half portion thereof, and the suction head 50 can approach the component 12 in the upper half portion thereof. It has a relief 60b that is chamfered to allow the entry of 50.

In the illustrated embodiment, the component selecting means 22 is
It comprises a plurality of pushing rods 62 arranged corresponding to the guide holes 60 of the component correcting jig 20, and these pushing rods 62 are connected to a lifting cylinder 66 via a common support plate 64 as shown in FIG. It is connected. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 68 is a guide rod that guides the support plate 64 in the vertical direction, and reference numeral 70 is a frame of the machine base 24 that supports the lifting cylinder 66, the guide rod 68, and the like.

Next, the operation of the automatic component transfer apparatus 10 of the present invention will be described. First, a large number of parts (square nuts) 12 to be transferred to the work position and aligned are put into the hopper 14.
When the vibration generator 28 is driven, the parts 12 are fed through the parts feeder 26 in a dense arrangement to the parts alignment section 30 closed by the shutter 36 of the parts parallel means 16.

Since the component 12 generates a detection signal from the component sensor 38B every time it passes through the component sensor 38B, both component sensors 38A and 38B simultaneously generate a detection signal, but the detection signal from the component sensor 38B is Since it is only when passing, no detection signal is generated for a predetermined time.

When a predetermined number of parts, in the illustrated embodiment, nine parts 12 are fed so as to be closely aligned in the parts aligning section 30, the first part 12A and the last next part 12B are separated. Since it continues to be detected by the component sensors 38A and 38B,
The detection signals from both the component sensors 38A and 38B continue for a predetermined time or longer, and the activation signal is generated from the AND circuit of the component aligning unit 30.

When a starting signal is generated from the parts aligning section 30, as shown in FIG.
2 extends, the engagement pin 40 engages with the last part 12B ', and the cylinder 48 of the shutter 36 contracts to open the opening / closing plate 46. Next, the horizontal cylinder 44 of the component transfer machine 34 extends to transfer the component row of eight components to the component parallel receiver 32 as shown in FIG.

After the last part 12B 'has passed the shutter position, the shutter 36 waits for the cylinder 48 of the shutter 36 to extend and the opening / closing plate 46 to close, so that the parts aligning section 30 can align subsequent parts. On the other hand, the engagement pin 40 of the component transfer machine 34 is separated from the last component 12B 'by the contraction of the vertical cylinder 42, and the horizontal cylinder 44 contracts to return to the original position in FIG.

Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the suction heads 50 of the component gripping transfer means 18 are lowered by the ascending / descending cylinders corresponding to the guide holes 60 of the component correcting jig 20 to suck the components. Waiting to do.

On the other hand, the cylinder 66 of the component selecting means 22 extends so that the plurality of pushing rods 62 push up the plurality of components 12C closest to each component holding position (the position corresponding to the suction head 50) of the component holding and transferring means 18. . In addition, in FIG. 7, the component left in the component parallel receiver 32 without being pushed up by the push rod 62 is indicated by reference numeral 12D.

As already mentioned, since the guide hole 60 of the component correcting jig 20 has the tapered guide surface 60a which is tapered toward the center in the lower half portion thereof, the component parallel receiver 3
Even if the component 12C in the second component row is displaced from the component gripping position, the component 12C is guided by the taper of the taper guide surface 60a and is corrected to a predetermined component gripping position. 8A to 8C sequentially show a state in which the position of the component 12C is corrected. In FIG. 8A, the component 12C has a dimension a in the radial direction.
It shows a state in which the components are deviated from each other, and the components are sequentially corrected as shown in FIGS.

Therefore, the plurality of components 12C are simultaneously sucked by the plurality of suction heads 50 of the component gripping and transferring means 18, and then lifted above the component correction jig 20 by the lifting cylinder. The plurality of components 12C thus attracted to the adsorption head 50 are transferred to the component attachment position on the rail 52 by the self-propelled carriage 54, for example, to the assembly position of the electric connection box for automobiles. When the component 12C is sucked by the suction head 50, the push rod 62 of the component selection means 22 moves down to the original position below the component correction jig 20.

Further, as already mentioned, since the component gripping transfer means 18 has the drive shaft for alignment, while the components are transferred by the carriage 54, they are gripped side by side on the suction head 50. It is driven to reposition a plurality of components 12 into a predetermined alignment position. Therefore, the carriage 54 reaches the component mounting position and is lowered by the lifting cylinder into the electric junction box at the component mounting position, so that a plurality of the same components such as nuts are simultaneously released to the nut tightening portions in the electrical junction box, These nuts are assembled by a nut tightening jig (not shown).

In this way, the number of the parts 12C gripped and transferred by the part gripping transfer means 18 while the part 12C located near the part gripping position on the part parallel receiver 32 is transferred to the part mounting position. The corresponding component 12 is transferred from the component aligning unit 30 and added to the component 12D remaining in the component parallel receiver 32, and the next component gripping transfer process is performed in the same manner.

Although the number of parts to be added to the remaining parts 12D is the same as the number of selected parts 12C, the parts transfer machine 34 uses the first parts 12A in the parts aligning section 30.
From the last part 12B to the part 12'B before the last part 12B. Therefore, the latter half parts of these 8 parts are not stopped in the parallel parts receiver 32 and stop, and this stop is detected to transfer the parts. The drive of the machine 34 is stopped.

FIG. 9 shows a modification in which the component selecting means 22 also serves as the component correcting jig 20 and the component gripping and transferring means 18 includes a jig corresponding to the component correcting jig 20.
The component correcting jig 20 is composed of a movable tip pin 74 provided at the tip of the component pushing rod 62 of the component selecting means 22 and biased upward by a spring 72, and the component gripping transfer means 18 has its suction head. It has a tip pin 50a provided on the suction end face of 50.

There is a correction plate 58 corresponding to the previous embodiment, which is a guide plate 58 'for guiding the selected component 12C to the suction head 50 and a guide hole 6 thereof.
The taper surface 60′a of 0 ′ is attached to the component 1 by the tip pin 74.
This is an escape that allows 2C position correction.

In this modification, as shown in FIG. 9A, first, when each pushing rod 62 of the component selecting means 22 is pushed up, the tip pin 7 which is the component correcting jig 20.
This tip pin 74 guides the guide plate 58 'as 4 engages according to its taper in the threaded hole of the nut which is part 12C.
The position of the component 12C deviated from the component holding position is corrected in the tapered surface 60'a of the guide hole 60 '.

When the push rod 62 is further pushed up, the component 12C is pushed up by the upper end surface 62a of the push rod 62 and is directed toward the suction head 50.
C is pushed into the guide hole 60 'of the guide plate 58'. When the component 12C is attracted to the suction head 50, as shown in FIG. 9B, the tip pin 50a provided on the suction head 50 causes the tip pin 74, which is the component correction jig 20, to move the spring pin 7 to the spring 7.
Push down against 2.

The operation of this modified example before and after suction of the parts is exactly the same as that of the previous embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 8. In this modification, if the taper angle of the tip pin 74 of the pushing rod 62 is small and the deviation of the component 12C from the component holding position is large, the position cannot be completely corrected.
In this case, the guide hole 60 ′ of the guide plate 58 ′ also functions as the component correction jig 20, and the component 12 C is pushed up by the tip pin 74 and the tapered surface 6 of the guide hole 60 ′.
When the tip pin 74 rises while being corrected by 0'a and is ready to be engaged with the screw hole of the component 12C, the tip pin 74 functions.

In the above embodiment, the parts parallel means 1
6, the component gripping transfer unit 18, the component correction jig 20, and the component selection unit 22 merely show specific examples without limitation. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the component paralleling means 16 has the component transfer device 34 arranged below the component aligning section 30 and the shutter 36 disposed beside the component aligning section 30 and the component parallel receiver 32. However, any of these may be arranged on the upper side. Further, although the suction head 50 of the component gripping transfer means 18 is of a vacuum type in the illustrated embodiment,
It may be magnetically attracted depending on the material of the component.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of parts can be simultaneously gripped and the plurality of parts can be quickly transferred to the part mounting position, and the parts can be arranged in a line in the part parallel means. Even if the parallel position of a plurality of aligned components does not match the component gripping position of the component gripping transfer means, the component can be aligned with the component gripping position of the component gripping transfer means by the component correction jig. There is a practical advantage that the transfer from the means to the component gripping transfer means can be easily performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of an automatic component transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an automatic component transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a component parallel means used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the operation of one row of the component parallel means of FIG.

5 is a perspective view showing another part of the operation of one row of the component parallel means of FIG. 3. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the component parallel receiver of the component parallel means used in the present invention and the component correction jig in a partially exploded state.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the component correction jig, the component selection means, and the component gripping transfer means used in the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the position correction state of the component correction jig used in the present invention, in which FIG. 8A shows a state immediately before the component is pushed up by the pushing rod, and FIG.
Shows a state where the position of the component is corrected, and FIG. 7C shows a state where the component is sucked by the suction head.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example of the component selection means and the component gripping transfer means used in the present invention, FIG. 9A showing a state in which the component is pushed up by the component selection means, and FIG. ) Indicates a state where the component is sucked by the suction head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 automatic parts transfer device 12 parts 12A earliest part 12B last part 12B 'last part 12C selected part 12D left parts 14 hopper 16 parts parallel means 18 parts grip transfer means 20 parts correction jig 22 Parts selecting means 24 Machine stand 26 Parts feeder 28 Vibration generator 30 Parts aligning section 32 Parts parallel receiving 34 Parts transferring machine 36 Shutter 38A Parts sensor 38B Parts sensor 40 Engagement pin 42 Vertical cylinder 44 Horizontal cylinder 46 Opening plate 48 Cylinder 50 Adsorption Head 52 Rail 54 Carriage 56 Vacuum pipe 58 Correction plate 58 'Guide plate 60 Guide hole 60' Guide hole 60a Tapered guide surface 60'a Tapered surface 60b Relief portion 62 Push rod 64 Support plate 66 Lifting cylinder 68 Guide rod 70 F Over-time

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A parts parallel means for arranging a plurality of parts in a line, a parts gripping transfer means for simultaneously gripping and transferring the plurality of parts, and a parts gripping transfer arranged above a parallel position of the parts parallel means. A component correction jig that guides the plurality of components that are closest to the respective component gripping positions of the means so as to correct these multiple components to the component gripping position; An automatic component transfer device, comprising: a component selection unit that selectively moves toward a component holding phase unit while correcting the position of a nearby component by the component correction jig.