JPH0678128B2 - Object transfer device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Object of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring an object to be processed along a processing line composed of a plurality of processing tanks.

(Prior Art) For example, a plating process is performed by repeating various kinds of processing steps, as is well known, so that a processing line is configured by arranging a large number of dedicated processing tanks for each processing step in a line. Therefore, the object to be plated is sequentially transferred to each processing tank by the transfer device. As a specific example of the object-to-be-plated conveying apparatus, there is a batch conveying apparatus called an elevator system described below.

In this product, the object to be plated is immersed in the treatment tank in a state of being suspended from a carrier bar that is hung between both side edges of the treatment tank. There is a long elevator frame.
This elevator frame is provided so that it can be raised and lowered, and by raising both ends of the carrier bar when it rises,
The object to be plated is pulled up from the processing tank.
In addition, the portion of the elevator frame that supports the carrier bar is movable in the lateral direction (the direction along the processing line) so that the object to be plated is moved above the next processing tank, and then the object to be plated is moved. Is lowered into the processing tank.

In the above elevator system, if the elevator frame operates for only one cycle of ascending, lateral movement, and descending, all the objects to be plated in the arrangement area will be transferred at one time, which is excellent in transfer efficiency. Suitable for mass production of small variety. However, it also has the following drawbacks. First,
Since the feed pitch is always constant at any position,
A processing tank that requires a long processing time becomes large in the length direction in proportion to the processing time, and as a result, the entire processing line becomes extremely large. Depending on the object to be plated, it may be desired to omit some processing steps, but since it is batch transfer as described above, it is difficult to omit some processing steps.

On the other hand, there is also provided a unit transport device called a carrier system, which is completely different from the elevator system. This is a configuration in which a traveling rail is arranged in the processing line and a transfer mechanism that can travel at any position along the traveling rail is provided.This unit transport device lifts the object to be plated from the processing tank and performs the next processing. The object to be plated is moved down into the processing tank for carrying out the process.

According to this carrier method, the object to be plated can be transferred to an arbitrary processing tank and immersed in the processing tank for an arbitrary time, so that there is an advantage that the length of the processing line can be shortened. However, on the other hand, this has the drawback of being inferior in transfer efficiency because the object to be plated can be moved only one unit at a time.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, in the conventional elevator type batch transfer apparatus, while the transfer efficiency is excellent, the objects to be processed in each processing step are collectively transferred, There is a drawback that the length of the processing tank that requires a long processing time becomes long and that some of the processing steps cannot be omitted. Further, in the carrier type unit transfer device, a processing unit that requires a long processing time is required. However, it is possible to shorten the processing time, and it is possible to omit some of the processing steps, but there is a drawback that the transfer efficiency is poor.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a transfer device which is excellent in flexibility of combination of processing steps such that the processing line can be shortened and a part of the processing steps can be omitted while having excellent transfer efficiency.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving Problems) A transfer device according to the present invention is a transfer device in a tank, which is configured to support an object to be processed and laterally feed while being immersed in a processing tank; The mechanism for moving up and down in order to collectively immerse or pull up the object to be treated in a plurality of treatment tanks in the region of (1) and the position of the next object to be treated when the object to be treated is pulled up. A batch transfer device including a reciprocating transfer mechanism capable of collectively sending to the substrate, a device for transferring an object to be processed along a processing line including a plurality of processing tanks, wherein both the transfer devices are in the tank. When the start end of the transfer region of the batch transfer device is located below the end of the transfer region of the transfer process, and when the batch transfer device is raised, the workpiece supported by the transverse feed mechanism at the end is The reciprocating transfer mechanism at the starting end is connected Has a configuration which can be,
At a predetermined position of the batch transport device, there is provided a vertically movable support device having a mechanism for holding a part of the objects to be processed when the batch transport device is lowered.

(Function) For processing steps that require a longer processing time than other processing steps, the in-tank transfer device is used to transfer the object to be processed, and for processing steps that have the same processing time, the batch transfer device is used. To convey the object to be processed. Then, the object to be processed is transferred between the two transfer devices. When there are processing tanks to be omitted among the processing tanks in the transfer area of the batch transfer device, the support device is raised to keep the object to be processed in a position where it will not be immersed in the omitted processing tank. can do.

(Embodiment) An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a device for transporting an object to be plated in a plating factory will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, FIG. 1 shows a part of the pretreatment line 1 for plating, wherein 2 to 10 are treatment tanks corresponding to the treatment section,
As shown in the figure, the treatment is performed in order of chemical solution, water washing, water washing, chemical solution, water washing, water washing, chemical solution, water washing, and water washing. Then, a plating treatment tank 11 is provided following the last treatment tank 10 for water washing, and although not shown, each treatment tank for water washing treatment is provided subsequent to the plating treatment tank 11. On the other hand, the object to be plated 12, which corresponds to the object to be processed, is suspended on the carrier bar 13 as shown in FIG. 3, and both ends of the carrier bar 13 are provided along both sides of the entire processing tank. The object 12 to be plated is received in a receiving groove (not shown) of the carrier bar insulator 14 and immersed in the processing tank.

By the way, 15 is a pair of traveling rails, which is a processing line 1
It is provided in an elevated shape along the above. Reference numeral 16 denotes a traveling body, which is provided with wheels 17 rolling on the traveling rail 15 and a self-propelled device (not shown), and can travel to a predetermined desired position within a range where the traveling rail 15 is installed. It is like this. Reference numeral 18 denotes a carrier lifting body, which is hung from the running body 16 via a chain 19 and is operated by a lifting device (not shown) provided in the running body 16 so that the upper limit position shown by a solid line in FIG. Move up and down to the lower limit position indicated by the chain line. The carrier lifting body 18 is a traveling body.
Elevating guide rails may be provided on both sides of 16 to guide the vertical movement. This carrier lift
For example, three pairs of hook arms 20 are projectingly provided on both sides of 18, and a carrier hook 21 as shown in FIG. The traveling body 16, the carrier lifting / lowering body 18, and the related mechanism thereof constitute a unit conveying device 22 as a conveying device with a lifting function, and the traveling body 16 is lowered in a state where the carrier lifting / lowering body 18 is lowered to the lower limit position. By traveling to a predetermined position of the processing tank and then raising it to the upper limit position, both ends of the carrier bar 13 are hooked on the carrier hooks 21 and 1 unit (for example, 3) of the object to be plated 12 is processed in the processing tank. Can be lifted from. Furthermore,
In this state, the traveling body 16 is moved to a position above the processing tank for the next processing step, and when the carrier lifting / lowering body 18 is lowered to the lower limit position, both ends of the carrier bar 13 are shown by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. Thus, the object 12 to be plated is received by the carrier bar insulator 14 and is positioned in the processing tank. The movable area of the unit transfer device 22, that is, the laying area of the traveling rail 15 in the processing line 1 is the entire area of the processing line 1. However, in the case of the plating processing of the present embodiment, it is actually moved. The range to be set is set from the load position before the chemical solution treatment tank 2 to the left side portion in the figure of the next chemical solution treatment tank 5 via the chemical solution treatment tank 2, the washing treatment tanks 3 and 4.

Next, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, 23 is an elevator frame, which has carrier bar insulators 14 on both sides thereof so as to extend from the right end portion of the chemical treatment tank 5 to the final washing treatment tank 10. The elevator lifting device 24 provided outside the processing line 1 and positioned above the processing line 1 moves between the lower limit position shown by the solid line and the upper limit position shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIGS. It is like this. Reference numeral 25 is a slide bar that is movably provided on the elevator frame 23 and has a length substantially equal to that of the elevator frame 23. The lower surface of the slide bar is a rack 25a as shown in FIG.
The elevator frame 23 is provided with a pinion 26 that meshes with the rack 25a. Then, this pinion 26 is rotationally driven by a drive device (not shown),
The rotation of the pinion 26 allows the slide bar 25 to reciprocate along the elevator frame 23. On the upper surface of the slide bar 25, a plurality of bar receivers 27 are provided, for example, one set of three bars. The bar receivers 27 of each of these sets are located corresponding to the chemical solution treatment tank 5, the water washing treatment tanks 6, 7, the chemical solution treatment tank 8, and the water washing treatment tanks 9, 10. The elevator frame 23 and the elevator lifting device 24 described above constitute a mechanism that moves up and down in order to immerse or pull up the objects to be plated 12 collectively, and the slide bar 25, the rack 25a, the pinion 26, and their related mechanisms. Composes a reciprocating transfer mechanism that collectively sends the objects to be plated 12 to the next processing tank, and the up-and-down moving mechanism and the reciprocating transfer mechanism compose a collective conveying mechanism 28. Then, when the elevator frame 23 is lifted from the lower limit position, both ends of all the carrier bars 13 in the arrangement area of the slide bar 25, that is, the right end side of the chemical treatment tank 5 and the respective treatment tanks 6 to 10 are slid bar 25. The carrier bars 13 and thus the objects to be plated 12 are collectively lifted by being supported by the bar receivers 27 of the above, and the objects to be plated 12 are sent to the next processing step side by the movement of the slide bar 25. Has become.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, the treatment time in each treatment tank is, for example, 15 seconds in the first chemical liquid treatment tank 2, 5 seconds in each of the next water washing treatment tanks 3 and 4, and 3 seconds in the chemical liquid treatment tank 5. Minutes, and each of the processing tanks 6 to 10 thereafter is set to 1 minute.
Further, depending on the type of the object to be plated 12, the third chemical treatment (chemical treatment tank 8) is omitted. Further, in the chemical liquid processing tank 5 having a longer processing time than other processing tanks, an in-tank transfer device 29 for transferring the object 12 to be plated while being immersed in the chemical liquid processing tank 5 is provided, and batch transfer is also performed. At a predetermined position of the apparatus 28, that is, at a position corresponding to the chemical treatment tank 8 where treatment may be omitted, it is supported as a mechanism for holding the plated object 12 above the chemical treatment tank 8 without immersing it. A device 30 is provided.

Now, as shown in FIG. 7, the in-tank transfer device 29 is
A pair of chains 33 suspended between the driven and driven sprockets 31 and 32 are arranged on both sides of the chemical treatment tank 5 so as to be substantially flush with the upper surface of the chemical treatment tank 5, and the chain 33 A plurality of bar receivers 34 are mounted at regular intervals, and the drive sprocket 31 is rotated by a motor (not shown). These chains 33,
Bar receiver 34, drive sprocket rotated by a motor
Reference numeral 31 constitutes a mechanism for laterally feeding the object to be plated 12 while being immersed in the processing tank 15. Then, the start end of the batch transfer device 28 is located below the end (right end) of the in-tank transfer device 29,
When the batch transfer device 28 rises, the object to be plated 12 supported by the bar receiver 34 existing at the terminal end of the in-tank transfer device 29 has the bar receiver 27 on the start end side of the slide bar 25 of the batch transfer device 28.
Are being accepted by.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the supporting devices 30 are provided on both sides of the chemical liquid processing tank 8 and are provided on the rod 35 of the pneumatic cylinder 35.
It is composed of a pair of support plates 36 that are moved up and down by a, and a bar receiver 37 is attached to the support plates 36. When the object 12 to be plated is immersed in the chemical treatment tank 8, the support plate 36 is lowered to a position lower than the upper surface of the chemical treatment tank 8 by the pneumatic cylinder 35, and the treatment in the chemical treatment tank 8 is performed. If omitted, the pneumatic cylinder 35 can be used as a batch transfer device.
It is designed to be lifted to a position slightly lower than the upper limit position of the 28 elevator frames 23.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. Here, in order to omit the processing in the chemical liquid processing tank 8, the support plate 36 is a pneumatic cylinder.
It is assumed to have been pushed up by 35.

Now, as shown by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 1, one unit (three pieces) of the plated objects 12 (hereinafter referred to as a group of plated objects 12) is immersed in the chemical solution treatment tank 2 and then Water washing tank 3,
There is no object to be plated 4 and the group 12 to be plated is immersed in the chemical solution treatment tank 5 at a predetermined interval of 3 groups, and the objects 12 to be plated are provided in the subsequent washing treatment tanks 6, 7, 9, and 10. It is assumed that the groups are immersed in groups one by one, and the objects to be plated 12 are not immersed in the chemical solution treatment tank 8, but the objects to be plated 12 are supported by the supporting plate 36 above the groups. Now, one minute after the object 12 to be plated is dipped in each of the processing tanks 6, 7, 9 and 10, the elevator frame 23 of the batch transfer device 28 is lifted from the lower limit position. As a result, of the three groups 12 to be plated in the chemical treatment tank 5, the group 12 to be plated on the right end side (terminal part),
Both ends of the carrier bar 13 of the plated object 12 group immersed in each of the washing treatment tanks 6, 7, 9, 10 are hooked on the bar receiver 27, and the plated part 12 group collectively rises. . Then, after that, the elevator frame 23 rises to a position higher than the support plate 36, and the group 12 of objects to be plated supported by the support plate 36 is also received by the bar receiver 27 and rises. Then, when the elevator frame 23 rises to the upper limit position, the pinion 26 is rotationally driven in one direction to move the slide bar 25 one pitch to the right in the figure, so that all the plated objects 12 groups on the slide bar 25 are moved. It is sent to the next processing step side, and then the elevator frame 23
Again descends to the lower limit position. As the elevator frame 23 descends, first, the bar receiver 37 of the support plate 36 receives and supports the group of objects 12 to be plated, which has been immersed in the water washing treatment tank 7 until then. Then, the elevator frame 23 descends to the lower limit position while leaving the object 12 to be plated on the support plate 36, so that the carrier bars 13 of the other group 12 of the objects 12 to be plated are again received by the carrier bar insulator 14. Then, the group of objects to be plated 12 is immersed in the processing tanks 6, 7, 9, 10 and the plating processing tank 11. After that, the pinion 26 is rotationally driven in the opposite direction, and the slide bar 25 returns to the original position.
Therefore, by the above-described one operation cycle of the batch transfer device 28, the group 12 of the objects to be plated is transferred to the processing tanks respectively, but in the chemical solution processing tank 8, the group 12 of the objects to be plated is supported by the support plate 36 and immersed. By the elimination, the treatment by the chemical treatment bath 8 is omitted. On the other hand, in this way, the chain 33 of the in-tank transfer device 29 is operated by the motor (not shown) until the batch transfer device 28 completes one operation cycle.
The group of objects to be plated 12 at the middle portion is moved to the right end side, and the group of objects to be plated 12 at the left end side is moved to the middle portion by one pitch, respectively, by one bit pitch. In addition, as described above, by the time the batch transfer device 28 completes one operation cycle, the unit transfer device 22 immerses the group 12 of the objects to be plated in the chemical treatment tank 2 for 15 seconds, and then the object to be plated
12 is pulled up from the chemical solution treatment tank 2 and transferred to the water washing treatment tank 3 and immersed therein for 5 seconds, then, pulled up from the water washing treatment tank 3 transferred to the water washing treatment tank 4 and immersed therein for 5 seconds,
After that, it is lifted from the water washing treatment tank 4 and then transferred into the tank.
The group 12 of objects to be plated is immersed in the left end side of the chemical treatment tank 5 which has become empty by the movement of 29 chains 33 by one pitch, and the carrier bar 13 thereof is received and supported by the bar receiver 34 of the chain 33. After that, the unit transfer device 22 returns to the loading position and the newly loaded group of plated objects 12 is dipped in the chemical liquid processing tank 2.

As can be understood from the above, with respect to the chemical liquid treatment tank 5, the group of objects 12 to be plated is immersed in the chemical liquid treatment tank 5 by the unit transport device 22 during one operation cycle of the batch transport device 28, and then the in-tank transport device. By 29, it is transferred by one pitch during one operation cycle of the batch transfer device 28, further by one pitch during one operation cycle of the next batch transfer device 28, and then by one operation cycle of the batch transfer device 28. With the start of the above, the chemical liquid treatment tank 5 is pulled up. Therefore, the group of objects 12 to be plated is immersed in the chemical treatment tank 5 during the first operation cycle of the batch transfer device 28, and transferred to the intermediate portion during the second operation cycle, and the third operation is performed. The liquid is transferred to the right end side in the cycle and is pulled up from the chemical liquid processing tank 5 with the start of the fourth operation cycle, whereby the immersion time of the chemical liquid processing tank 5 becomes 3 minutes.

Incidentally, depending on the type of the object 12 to be plated, it may be immersed in the chemical treatment tank 8. In this case, the support plate 36
Is set lower than the upper surface of the chemical liquid processing bath 8, whereby the group of objects 12 to be plated is also immersed in the chemical liquid processing bath 8.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the group of objects 12 to be plated is transferred from the unit transfer device 22 to the in-vessel transfer device 29, and then from the in-vessel transfer device 29 to the batch transfer device 28. The immersion time in the bath 5 can be set longer than that in other treatment baths. In this case, the in-tank transfer device 29
Thus, by shortening the transfer length per pitch as much as possible, the length of the chemical treatment tank 5 does not have to be so long, and the entire processing line can be shortened.

In addition, the group 12 of plated objects is transferred from the batch transfer device 28 to the support device 30.
Since it is passed to the batch transfer device 28 from the supporting device 30 to the batch transfer device 28, it is not necessary to immerse the 12 groups of plated objects for which the processing in the chemical liquid processing tank 8 is omitted, into the chemical liquid processing tank 8. it can.

Then, all the groups 12 of the objects to be plated except the unit transport device 22 and the in-tank transport device 29 are collectively transported by the batch transport device 28, and therefore, the transport efficiency is also excellent.

Regarding the processing section provided with the in-tank transfer device, the liquid is not put into the processing section and the inside of the tank is emptied, and the in-tank transfer apparatus and processing section are used for stocking of the object to be processed, or It can also be used for the timing adjustment of the transfer of an object to be processed between other transfer devices provided on both sides of the transfer device.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the object to be processed is transferred between the in-tank carrier device and the batch carrier device to carry the object to be treated along the processing line. Therefore, even if the processing time includes a processing step whose processing time is longer than other processing steps, it is possible to shorten the processing line without increasing the length of the processing section having the long processing time. Since a support device that can move up and down is held at a predetermined position of the batch transport device so as not to immerse some of the objects to be processed when the batch transport device descends, a part of the treatment process can be performed. It can be omitted, and various effects such as excellent flexibility in combination of processing steps and excellent transport efficiency can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a side view of a processing line, Fig. 2 is a process drawing of the processing line, and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional front view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1. FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional front view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a hook arm, and FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged side view of a batch transfer device.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the in-tank carrier device. In the figure, 1 is a processing line, 2 to 11 are processing tanks, 12 is an object to be plated (object to be processed), 15 is a traveling rail, 16 is a traveling body, 18 is a carrier lifting body, 22 is a unit transfer device, and 23 Is an elevator frame, 24 is an elevator lifting device, 28 is a batch transfer device, 29 is a tank transfer device, 30 is a support device, 33 is a chain, 35 is a pneumatic cylinder, and 36 is a support plate.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An in-tank transporting device comprising a mechanism for supporting an object to be processed and laterally feeding it while being immersed in the processing tank, and collectively treating the object to be processed in a plurality of processing tanks in a predetermined region. A batch transfer mechanism including a mechanism that moves up and down for immersion or pulling up, and a reciprocating transfer mechanism that can collectively send the processing object to the position of the next processing tank when the processing object is pulled up. An apparatus for transporting an object to be processed along a processing line consisting of a plurality of processing tanks, wherein both of the transportation apparatuses are under the end of the transportation area of the in-tank transportation apparatus A structure is provided in which the reciprocating transfer mechanism at the starting end portion can receive the object to be processed which is located at the starting end portion of the region and is supported by the transverse feed mechanism at the terminal end portion when the batch conveying device is raised. , The specified batch transfer device The conveying device having a vertically movable support device having a mechanism for holding a position not immersed part of the object when the bundle conveyance device was lowered to location.