JPH0692446A - Product assorting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically assort a variety of products which are laser-worked, on a table. CONSTITUTION:As for a product assorting device 43, a plurality of X-axis and Y-axis movable blocks 51A, 51B and 55A, 55B which are shiftable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions are installed on a plurality of X-axis and Y-axis guide members 47A, 47B and 49A, 49B whose both edges are supported on a plurality of supporting blocks 45 which extend in the vertical direction at four corners of a table 39, and a slider 59 supported on the X-axis and Y-axis direction movable members 53 and 59 whose both edges are supported is installed, and a work holding device 63 which is vertically shiftable is installed in the lower part of the slider 59. The product assorting device 43 is equipped with a controller which executes an executed assortment work program after the assortment pattern teached by a manual operating device 71 for manually operating the work holding device 63 and the slider 59 is memorized in an assortment pattern memory.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product sorting device for separating and sorting products processed by, for example, a laser processing machine as a processing machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a laser cutting machine as a heat cutting machine, when a large number of products are taken from one work piece, unlike the turret punch press, the products are manufactured without wire joints and micro joints. It was cut off on the work shooter. Some laser processing machines are provided with loading and unloading devices, but in this case, only products with a maximum size of about 6 mm can be used.

Recently, a pallet accommodating device equipped with a vertically movable elevator device is arranged on one side of a laser processing machine, and a pallet in which a work or a laser-processed product is placed on a pallet rack of the pallet accommodating device. A type for storing the has been developed.

[0004]

By the way, processed products and scraps (also referred to as skeletons) are placed together on the above-mentioned pallet and stored in a pallet rack. For that purpose, the pallets taken out from the pallet racks are carried to another place by a forklift or lifter, and various products are manually picked up and sorted, so it is very painful and the worker feels a backache. There were various problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a product sorting device capable of automatically sorting, for example, various processed products on a table in order to solve the above problems.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of support blocks extending in the vertical direction at four corners of a table, and a plurality of X-axis supporting both ends of each support block. , Y-axis guide member
The X-axis and Y-axis guide members are provided with a plurality of X-axis and Y-axis movable blocks that are movable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, respectively.
Axis, X axis with both ends supported by Y axis movable block,
A Y-axis movable member is provided, a slider supported by the X-axis and Y-axis movable members is provided, and a vertically movable work gripping device is provided below the slider to form a product sorting device, and a large number of pieces are collected. In order to separate and sort products from the base material, a manual operating device that manually operates the work gripping device and slider, a sorting pattern memory that stores the sorting pattern taught by this manual operating device, and this sorting pattern A control device having an execution sorting processing program memory for automatically sorting products based on the sorting pattern stored in the memory is provided.

In the product sorting device, the control device is provided with a first computing process for computing a shortest distance between a gripping point for gripping the product by the work gripping device and a release point for releasing the product at the time of sorting. A second arithmetic processing unit for arithmetically processing a distance shortly above the work gripping point to the shortest distance before the release point, and in addition to the teaching mode and the automatic mode, teaching correction It is desirable to have a mode.

In the product sorting apparatus, the manual operating device is composed of a single operating lever for controlling the movement of the slider in the X and Y axis directions, and the operating lever has an operating grip for operating the operating lever. It is desirable that each switch be provided near the upper surface of the operation grip and that each switch perform vertical movement and gripping operation of the work gripping device.

[0009]

By employing the product sorting apparatus of the present invention, for example, a pallet on which products processed by a laser processing machine are placed is moved onto a table. The work gripping device provided above the table is positioned above each product by the movement of the slider.

When the gripping portion of the work gripping device is lowered to grip the products, the products are lifted up and sorted by the movement of the slider onto another pallet provided on the table so that each product is sorted. Accumulated.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 6, a shelf frame 5 of a pallet accommodating device 3 is erected adjacent to the left side of, for example, a laser beam machine 1 as a thermal cutting machine. Laser processing machine 1
Is already known and will be described briefly.

The laser beam machine 1 is provided with a base 7 extending in the X-axis direction (the direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 6), and on the base 7 is moved in the X-axis direction by a driving device (not shown). A movable processing table 9 is provided. A gate-shaped frame 11 extending in the Y-axis direction is erected over the processing table 9. A Y-axis carriage 13 movable in the Y-axis direction is provided on the front side of the upper frame 11U of the gate type frame 11,
A laser processing head 15 is provided below the Y-axis carriage 13.
Is installed vertically.

A laser oscillator (not shown) is provided on the rear side of the gate frame 11. The laser beam LB oscillated by this laser oscillator is used for the laser processing head 15
A bend mirror 17 that bends is provided in the Y-axis carriage 13 in order to focus the light on a condenser lens inside. A pallet P on which a work W is placed is taken out from the shelf frame 5 and supported on the processing table 9.

With the above configuration, the laser processing head 15 is moved in the X-axis direction and the laser processing head 15 is moved in the Y-axis direction so that the desired position of the work W placed on the pallet P on the processing table 9 is set to the laser processing head 15. Position it directly below. In this state, the laser beam LB oscillated by the laser oscillator passes through the bend mirror 17 and the laser processing head 15
The laser processing is performed by being condensed by the condenser lens inside and being irradiated toward the work W. Moreover, a large number of various products are taken from one work W.

The shelf frame 5 in the pallet storage device 3 has columns 19 standing upright at four corners, and the upper portions of the columns 19 are connected by an upper frame 21.
A plurality of pallet shelves 23 are provided in the vertical direction of the support pillars 19.
A pallet support bracket 25 is attached to the inside of the pallet, and a pallet P (not shown) on which a work W or a product is placed is supported and stored on each pallet support bracket 25.

A two-stage lifter 2 is provided below the column 19.
7 is provided. That is, the two-stage lifter 27 is provided with an upper table 29 and a lower table 31 which are vertically separated from each other, and the upper and lower tables 29, 31 are provided with a pallet P on which a work W to be laser-processed is placed or processed. The pallet P on which the above-mentioned products are placed is supported.

On the left side of the shelf frame 5 in FIG. 6, an elevator device 33 that is vertically movable is provided. Although the elevation mechanism of the elevator device 33 is already known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, the elevation device 33 is vertically moved by, for example, a drive motor, a sprocket, a chain or the like.
Further, since the specific configuration of the elevator device 33 is already known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.
A self-propelled traverser 35 is provided on the Y-axis 3 in the Y-axis direction. The traverser 35 is for taking in and out the pallet P from the shelf frame 5 and for taking the pallet P in and out of the two-stage lifter 27.

A vertically movable lifter 37 is movably arranged on the lower left side of the shelf frame 5 in FIG. The lifter 37 serves to move the pallet P up and down in order to place a work or product on the table 39 in the elevator apparatus 33 or to carry it out by a forklift or the like. A carriage 4 for clamping the pallet P on the processing table 9 and moving it in the left-right direction in FIG.
1 is provided on the processing table 9.

With the above structure, the elevator device 33 is lifted up and stopped at the desired pallet rack 23, and then the traverser 35 is moved to the pallet rack 23 side so that it is supported on the pallet support bracket 25 of the pallet rack 23. The pallet P on which the workpiece W is placed is pulled out onto the table 39 of the elevator device 33.

Next, the elevator device 33 is lowered and stopped at the lower end. In this state, the traverser 35
When the pallet P is moved onto the lower table 31 of the two-stage lifter 27, the pallet P is transferred and clamped to the carriage 41 waiting on the lower table 31 side.

The pallet P is positioned on the processing table 9 by moving the carriage 41 onto the processing table 9. In this state, the work table 9 is moved in the X-axis direction and the laser processing head 15 is moved in the Y-axis direction, whereby the work W on the pallet P is laser-processed.

While laser processing is being performed, the pallet P on which the next work W to be processed is placed is made to stand by on the upper table 29 of the two-stage lifter 27 as described above. The pallet P of the work W after the laser processing is moved from the processing table 9 onto the lower table 31 of the two-stage lifter 27, and then drawn out by the traverser 35 onto the table 39 of the elevator device 33.

Next, the upper table 29 is lowered and clamped by the carriage 41, further moved onto the processing table 9, and the next laser processing is started. The next pallet P waits on the upper table 29 until the laser processing is completed. After that, laser processing is performed on the plurality of works W by repeating the above-described operation.

When the pallet P obtained by picking up various products from the work W by the laser processing is moved onto the table 39 of the elevator device 33, the various products are sorted and accumulated on the table 39.

That is, a product sorting device 43 is provided on the table 39. More specifically, FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the table 39 is divided into left and right tables 39R and 39L, and lifters 37R and 37L are arranged below the tables 39R and 39L.

A plurality of support blocks 45 extending in the vertical direction are provided at the four corners of the tables 39R and 39L. Both ends of a pair of parallel X-axis guide members 47A and 47B extending in the Y-axis direction are supported on the upper portion of the support block 45, and a pair of parallel Y-axis guide members 49A extending in the X-axis direction are supported. , 49B are supported by the upper portion of the support block 45 and the table 39 at both ends. The X-axis guide members 47A and 47B and the Y-axis guide members 49A and 49B are provided with different heights in the vertical direction, as is apparent from FIG.

X-axis movable blocks 51A and 51B are movably supported by the X-axis guide members 47A and 47B, respectively. The X-axis movable blocks 51A and 51B are movably supported.
Both ends of the X-direction movable member 53 extending in the X-axis direction are supported by B.

Further, each of the Y-axis guide members 49A, 49
B is movably supported by Y-axis movable blocks 55A and 55B, respectively.
A and 55B have Y-direction movable members 57 extending in the Y-axis direction.
Both ends of are supported.

The X-direction movable member 53 and the Y-direction movable member 57 intersect with each other in a three-dimensional manner, and in this three-dimensional intersection, the X-direction movable member 53 is supported so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. A slider 59 is provided so as to be movable with respect to the Y-direction movable member 57 in the X-axis direction. In the present embodiment, for example, a work gripping device 63 having a plurality of known work gripping portions 61 at its lower portion is mounted on the slider 59 so as to be vertically movable.

In order to move and position the slider 59 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the slider 59 is horizontally swung by an appropriate fixed position, in this embodiment, the first servomotor M1 mounted on the support block 45. First link 65
Is provided. The support position of the first link 65 is not limited to the support block 45, and may be, for example, the table 39.
It is also possible to provide another support portion on the outer side of the above and support it with this support portion.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a second servomotor M2 is mounted on the slider 59, and a base portion of the second link 67 is horizontally swingably supported.

A tip end portion of the first link 65 and a tip end portion of the second link 67 are pivotally connected via a hinge pin 69.

The work gripping device 63 is the slider 5
9, a third servomotor M3 (not shown)
It can be moved up and down through a ball screw, a nut member, a rack, a pinion or the like.

Further, the suction pad 61 is adapted to suck the product or release the product by a known mechanism.

With the above structure, when the first servomotor M1 is driven to drive the first link 65 while the second servomotor M2 is fixed, the tip portion of the first link 65 is moved in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Is displaced to. The displacement of the tip end portion of the first link 65 in the X and Y axis directions is performed by moving the X direction movable member 53 in the X axis direction and by moving the Y direction movable member 57.
Are absorbed by moving in the Y-axis direction. Then, the slider 59 is displaced at the three-dimensional intersection position of the X-direction movable member 53 and the Y-direction movable member 57,
According to the displacement, it moves in the X and Y axis directions.

Similarly, if the second servo motor M2 is driven while the first servo motor M1 is fixed, the second servo motor M2
The link 67 tends to swing horizontally on the tip side about the fixed shaft. However, the tip of the second link 67 has the first
Since the second link 67 is pivotally connected to the tip end of the link 65, the second link 67 is relatively swung on the fixed shaft side about the hinge pin 69.

That is, the slider 59 can be displaced in the X and Y axis directions by driving the second servo motor M2.

Therefore, by appropriately controlling and driving the first and second servomotors M1 and M2, the slider 59 can be moved and positioned in the X and Y axis directions over a wide range. Thus, the work gripping device 63 provided below the slider 59 is also moved and positioned in the X and Y axis directions. Further, the work gripping device 63 is moved and positioned in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) by appropriately controlling the third servomotor M3, and the suction pad 61 grips or releases the product. .

In FIG. 2, it is assumed that the pallet P on which various laser-processed products are placed is moved and supported by the table 39R. In this state, the slider 59
Is moved in the X- and Y-axis directions and positioned directly above various products. Then, the work gripping device 63 descends to suck and grip the product by the suction pad 61. Then, the work gripping device 63 is raised to the original position.

Then, after the slider 59 is moved and positioned right above the desired position of the table 39L, the work holding device 63 is lowered in the above-described manner, and the product is sucked by the suction pad 61.
The product is placed on the pallet P provided on the table 39L by being released from. A plurality of various products can be sorted and accumulated in the manner described above.

A manual operating device 71 such as a joystick for moving the slider 59 in the X and Y axis directions and the work holding device 63 in the Z axis direction and operating the suction pad 61 is one support block 45.
It is provided above. As shown in FIG. 4, the manual operation device 71 is composed of a single operation lever 73, and an operation grip 75 is provided on the upper part of the operation lever 73. A switch 77 for moving the work gripping device 63 up and down is provided on the upper surface of the operation grip 5, and the vacuum of the suction pad 61 is turned on at the front side (right side in FIG. 4) of the operation grip 75.
A catch 79 for making the OF open is provided.

With the above structure, the operator can operate the operation grip 7
By grasping 5 and tilting the operation lever 73 forward and backward and leftward and rightward, the slider 59 is manually moved in the X and Y axis directions. Further, when the switch 77 is pressed, the work gripping device 63 is lowered, and when the switch 77 is released, the work gripping device 63 is raised to the original position. When the puller 79 is pulled, the suction pad 61 operates to grip the product, and when the hand is released from the trigger 79, the product is released from the suction pad 61.

Pallet P on the table 39L
When the various products are sorted and accumulated, it is necessary to carry the pallet P to another place. At this time, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, by moving and positioning the slider 59 to the upper left position, the plurality of pawls 83 of the forklift 81 are moved to the table 39L as indicated by the arrows.
The pallet P can be lifted to the outside and lifted out. That is, since the X-axis guide member 49B has a height difference from that of the X-axis guide member 49A and is provided and supported in the table 39, the table 3
Since there is no interfering substance above 9 to form a large space, the forklift 81 can easily enter and lift the pallet P without interference with the claws 83 of the forklift 81.

Further, the pallet P on which the work (material) is placed is placed on the table 39R or 39L by the forklift 81.
It can be easily carried in from the outside by the claw 83 and stored in the pallet rack 23.

A control device 85 for controlling the product sorting device 43 is provided. As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 85 is provided with a CPU 87, and the CPU 87 is provided with an input means 89 such as a keyboard for inputting various data, and for displaying various data. An output means 91 such as a CRT is connected. Further, the CPU 87 has a position controller 9
3, 95 and 97 are connected, and the first, second and third servomotors M1, M2 and M3 are connected via amplifiers. Further, ON for operating the suction pad 61,
The OFF switch 99 is connected.

A manual operation device 71 is connected to the CPU 87. By operating this manual operation device 71, the sorting patterns for manual operation are stored in advance by teaching for sorting and stacking products.
A memory 101 and an execution sorting machining program memory 103 for storing an execution sorting machining program for automatically performing repetitive sorting based on the sorting pattern temporarily stored in the sorting pattern memory 101 for manual operation, respectively. It is provided in the CPU 87.

Further, the CPU 87 calculates the shortest distance between the gripping point for gripping the product by the work gripping device 63 and the release point for releasing the product at the time of sorting.
A second arithmetic processing unit 107 for arithmetically processing a distance short-cut from the arithmetic processing unit 105 and slightly above the workpiece gripping point to the shortest distance before the release point.
Is provided.

In the first arithmetic processing unit 105, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the manual operation unit 71 is operated to store the workpiece suction point A1 and the release point A2 of the suction pad 61, and XY is stored. The shortest distance L1 between the suction point A1 and the release point A2 on the coordinates is calculated. By repeatedly operating the suction pad 61 automatically based on the locus of the shortest distance L1, the control of product sorting becomes simple.

Further, in the second arithmetic processing unit 107,
For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the end surface P of the loading pallet P is conveyed from a point A3 slightly higher than the suction point A1.
The distance L2 to be short-cut to the point A4 intersecting the XY plane on the same X axis as x is calculated. By repeatedly and automatically operating the suction pad 61 on the locus of the distance L2, the transport time can be shortened.

Only the suction point A1 and the release point A2 are stored in the teaching mode, and the rest is determined by calculating the trajectory appropriately. Since it is particularly necessary to correct the release point A2, the teaching correction mode is also provided in this embodiment.

Therefore, when the release point A2 is corrected, the teaching correction mode is switched to. For example, the correction point is pointed out on the CRT of the output means 91, and as shown in FIG. 10, the product at the miss release point is adsorbed and conveyed to the desired position by the manual operation device 71 to release the release point. When the suction is turned off, the coordinates of the release point are automatically read, and the newly stored one is replaced with the numerical value of the correction point to complete the correction.

Therefore, the correction can be repeated any number of times, a very flexible operation can be performed, and a quick fore can be made even if the release point is set incorrectly.

The operation of transporting the processed products G for each product and sorting and accumulating them in good alignment will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 11. First, in step S1, it is determined whether the teaching mode is switched to, and the teaching mode is selected. If so, in step S2 the manual operation device 71
Teaching for sorting is executed with. Then, in step S3, the shortest distance L1 is calculated by the first calculation processing device 105.

In step S4, it is determined whether or not a shortcut on the Z-axis coordinate is performed. If it is necessary to perform the shortcut, step S4 is performed.
In step 5, the second arithmetic processing unit 107 calculates the distance L2. Then, in step S6, the sorting pattern for teaching is stored in the sorting pattern memory 101 for manual operation. If the release point A2 needs to be corrected, the teaching correction mode is switched to in step S7, and the release point A2 is corrected in step S8.

In step S9, the sorting pattern is called from the sorting pattern memory 101 for manual operation and stored in the execution sorting machining program memory 103 to create the execution sorting machining program. After switching to the automatic mode in step S10, the execution sorting program is executed in step S11 to sort products. Then, if it is necessary to repeat the execution in step S12, the process returns to the step before step S11, and if it is not necessary to repeat the execution, the process ends.

Thus, when sorting products,
By first performing teaching in the teaching mode and then switching to the automatic mode and executing the required number of times in the execution sorting pattern, product sorting can be performed easily and in a short time.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be implemented in other modes by making appropriate changes.

[0059]

As can be understood from the above-described embodiments, according to the present invention, since the structure is as described in the claims, for example, various laser-processed products are manufactured on a table. Each item can be sorted and collected automatically.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a magnified perspective view showing a main part of the present invention and showing an arrow I in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view on arrow III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view showing the configuration of the manual operation device.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of FIG. 2 in which a slider is made to stand by in a corner.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a pallet storage device arranged beside a laser beam machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration block diagram of a control device for controlling the product sorting device.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for calculating the shortest distance by the first calculation processing device.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for performing a shortcut in the second arithmetic processing device.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for correcting a release point in the teaching mode.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an operation of sorting products by a product sorting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Laser processing machine (heat cutting processing machine) 9 Processing table 15 Laser processing head 23 Pallet rack 33 Elevator device 35 Traverser 39 Table 41 Carriage 43 Product sorting and accumulating device 45 Support block 47A, 47B X-axis guide member 49A, 49B Y-axis guide Member 51A, 51B X-axis movable block 53 X-direction movable member 55A, 55B Y-axis movable block 57 Y-direction movable member 59 Sui rider 61 Suction pad 63 Work gripping device 71 Manual operation device 73 Operation lever 75 Operation grip 77 Switch 79 Trigger 85 Control Device 99 Switch 101 Manual operation sorting pattern memory 103 Execution sorting processing program 105 First arithmetic processing unit 107 Second arithmetic processing unit P pallet

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of support blocks extending in the vertical direction are provided at four corners of a table, and a plurality of X-axis and Y-axis guide members supporting both ends of each of the support blocks are provided.
The X-axis and Y-axis guide members are provided with a plurality of X-axis and Y-axis movable blocks that are movable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, respectively.
Axis, X axis with both ends supported by Y axis movable block,
A Y-axis movable member is provided, a slider supported by the X-axis and Y-axis movable members is provided, and a vertically movable work gripping device is provided below the slider to form a product sorting device, and a large number of pieces are collected. In order to separate and sort products from the base material, a manual operating device for manually operating the work gripping portion and slider, a sorting pattern memory for storing the sorting pattern taught by this manual operating device, and this sorting pattern A product sorting device characterized by comprising a control device having an execution sorting processing program memory for automatically sorting products based on the sorting pattern stored in the memory. 2. The control device is provided with a first arithmetic processing for arithmetically processing a shortest distance between a gripping point for gripping a product by a work gripping device and a release point for releasing the product at the time of sorting. The product sorting apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The control device comprises a second arithmetic processing device for arithmetically processing a distance short-cut from just above the work gripping point to just before the shortest distance of the release point. Item sorting apparatus according to item 1. 4. The product sorting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a teaching correction mode in addition to the teaching mode and the automatic mode. 5. The manual operating device comprises a single operating lever for controlling the movement of the slider in the X and Y axis directions. The operating lever is provided with an operating grip for operating the operating lever. 2. The product sorting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: switches near the upper surface of the grip, the switches performing a vertical movement and a gripping operation of the work gripping device.