JPH08290337A - Screw parts feeder and automatic screw fastening machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To suck screw parts without stopping a robot and without imparing the characteristics of a horizontal articulated robot and a vertical articulated robot and make common use possible including also a rectangular system robot so as to be high in general-purpose poperty. CONSTITUTION: Screw parts 14 fed from a parts feeder through a rectilinear part 15 are prevented from falling by a fall preventing guide 22. A screw parts feeder 16 is so constituted that the screw parts 14 are regulated in the screw position by a stopper at one screw receiving part 18 rotated by 180 by a rotatory-driving part 21 and that the screw parts 14 taken in first to the other thread receiving part 18 act in such a way as to be positioned below the screw suction part of a robot. A robot having a screw suction part for suction-holding the screw parts 14, and a driver tool for fastening the screw parts 14, held to the screw suction part, to a screwed body is provided with the screw parts feeder 16 in the separately placed state.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a screw component supply device in an assembly facility for assembling components and the like into an assembly and an automatic screw tightener using the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, assembling equipment is required to have both higher productivity and high-mix production, and in the field of screw tightening, there is an increasing demand for an improved tact time and a flexible automatic screw tightener. ing.

6 and 7 are schematic views showing examples of conventional screw tighteners. In the automatic screw tightener of FIG. 6, the orthogonal robot 1a includes a hopper 2, a chute 3, a screw receiver 4, and the like. The screw tightening head is composed of a screw part supply part that is a combination of the screw tightening screwdriver tool 5 and a screwdriver part including the screw suction part 6. In addition, in the automatic screw tightening machine of FIG.
A tray 9 having a screw tightening head composed of a screw tightening driver tool 7 and a driver unit including a screw suction unit 8 is provided in b and is separate from the horizontal articulated robot 1b, for example, screw parts are aligned on a lattice. The screw tightening operation is such that the screw parts are taken out from the screw part supply device as described above. Here, 10 shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 is a screw tightening body to which a screw component is tightened.

Further, a horizontal articulated robot 1b shown in FIG.
In addition to the above, the automatic screw tightening machine using the above may sometimes have a configuration (not shown) in which a screw component supply device supplies air from a separately provided pressure feeding device through a tube. Both the orthogonal robot of FIG. 6 and the horizontal articulated robot of FIG. 7 have a configuration in which a screw component supply device (not shown) such as a parts feeder and a drum feeder is separately arranged.

In addition, there is an automatic screw tightener using a vertical articulated robot shown in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0006]

In such a conventional automatic screw tightening machine, in the case of the orthogonal robot 1a shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to mount the screw component supply section and the driver section on the robot skeleton. However, in the case of the automatic screw tightener using the horizontal articulated robot 1b shown in FIG. 7, due to the high speed operability and the high degree of freedom of the robot skeleton, the automatic screwdriver using the vertical articulated robot is also used. In the case of a tightening machine, it is extremely difficult to mount the screw component supply unit and the driver unit on the robot skeleton at the same time because of the high degree of freedom of the robot skeleton and the small load capacity. It was necessary to mount a driver unit including a screw component suction mechanism on the robot skeleton and to provide a screw component supply device of some other type.

When the automatic screw tightening machine using the horizontal articulated robot and the vertical articulated robot is installed as a separate screw component supply device, as shown in FIG.
When the upper screw parts are used up, a tray changer that can be automatically replaced with a new tray in which the screw parts are replenished is required, which is a very large-scale facility.

Further, in the structure using such a tray-based feeding mechanism and the screw component feeder such as the above-mentioned parts feeder and drum feeder, when the screw components are sucked, the parts to which the screw components are fed are picked up. After descending the robot, it is necessary to stop it once and make it adsorb, and there is a time loss due to this stop time and deceleration until reaching the stop,
There is a drawback that there is a time loss in the supply of screw parts.

In addition, in a structure in which a screw component is supplied by air pressure from a separately installed pressure feeding device through a tube, it is necessary to draw the tube around the robot skeleton, which is three-dimensional for a vertical articulated robot. There is a drawback in that it is extremely difficult to secure the degree of freedom of screwing in any direction.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the screw parts can be adsorbed without stopping the robot, and the features of the horizontal and vertical articulated robots are not impaired, and the robots are orthogonal to each other. It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly versatile screw component supply device that can be shared and used including a robot and an automatic screw tightener equipped with the device.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a screw receiving portion which is movable in a downward direction and is capable of spontaneously returning in an upward direction, and a screw receiving portion on the side of a source of a screw component. A stopper that regulates the screw position, a rotation drive unit that rotates the screw receiving portion in a horizontal rotation direction, and the screw components are prevented from scattering when the screw receiving portion rotates, and the screw receiving portion stops. During the rotation, the anti-scattering guide that sets the feed position on the destination side of the screw component and the straight movement of the parts feeder or drum feeder that is the source side of the screw component while the screw receiving part is rotating. A screw component supply device is provided separately from the robot, having a fall prevention guide for preventing the next screw component sent out by the unit from falling from the straight-ahead portion. Further, a robot having a screw suction portion for sucking and holding a screw component and a screwdriver tool for tightening the screw component held by the screw suction portion onto a tightened body is provided with an automatic screw tightener equipped with the screw component supply device. Configure.

[0012]

According to the present invention, screw parts can be adsorbed without stopping the robot, the characteristics of the horizontal and vertical articulated robots are not impaired, and the robots including the orthogonal system robot are included. The automatic screw tightening machine can be provided with a highly versatile screw component supply device that can be shared and used.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic screw tightener equipped with a screw component supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is applied to a vertical articulated robot.

In FIG. 1, a vertical articulated robot 1c is provided with a screw tightening driver tool 11 and a screw suction portion 12.

Further, 13 is a parts feeder which is a supply source of the screw parts 14, and this may be a drum feeder or the like. Reference numeral 15 is a straight-moving portion for aligning and straightening the screw components 14 supplied from the parts feeder, drum feeder, or the like, and 16 is the screw components 14 sent out in alignment through the straight-moving portion 15 from the parts feeder or drum feeder. This is a screw component supply device for supplying to the position of the screw suction part 12 of the vertical articulated robot 1c.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a screw tightening body to which the screw part is tightened, and the vertical articulated robot 1c
An automatic screw tightening machine is configured with the screw component supply device 16 provided separately.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the structure of the screw component supply device 16 of FIG. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 18 denotes a screw receiving portion that receives a screw component 14 sent from a parts feeder 13 or a drum feeder via a straight advancing portion 15 and supplies the screw component 14 to the vertical articulated robot 1c. 18 is placed 180 ° opposite. Further, the screw receiving portion 18 is movable downward, and has a mechanism for returning from the lower side to the upper side by a spring force. As shown in the enlarged perspective view of the main part of FIG. 3, heights h ₁ and h ₂ 2 different flat parts, that is, the upper flat part 18a and the lower flat part 18b, the R part 18c connecting these two flat parts, and the screw part 14 for receiving the screw part 14 and smaller than the screw head and slightly larger than the screw neck part. A notch 18d having a width is provided.

Numeral 19 is a stopper for fixing the screw component 14 sent out by the straight-moving portion 15 such as the parts feeder 13 or the drum feeder to the upper flat portion 18a of the screw receiving portion 18, 20
Prevents the screw component 14 from scattering when the screw receiving part 18 is rotated (arrow) by the rotation driving part 21, and prevents the screw receiving part 18 from rotating at 180 ° on the opposite side during rotation. The anti-scattering guide that sets the screw part 14 on the part 18 to the lower flat part 18b, the 22 is straight forward from the parts feeder 13 or the drum feeder during the rotation until the screw receiving part 18 stops on the opposite side 180 °. It is a fall prevention guide that prevents the next screw component 14 delivered by the portion 15 from falling from the straight-moving portion 15.

The operation of the automatic screw tightening machine of FIG. 1 using the screw component supply device 16 of FIG. 2 constructed as above will be described below. In the screw component supply device 16 shown in FIG. 2, the screw component 14 sent out by the straight advancing portion 15 such as the parts feeder 13 or the drum feeder is transferred to the screw receiving portion 18,
The stopper 19 sets the screw receiving portion 18 at the position of the upper flat portion 18a. Then, the rotation driving unit 21 causes the screw receiving unit.
By rotating 18 by 180 °, one screw part goes straight 1
Cut out from 5.

In the rotation path of the screw receiving portion 18, the inner contour of the scattering prevention guide 20 is along the screw component 14, and the screw component 14 is gradually moved from the position where the stopper 19 is removed to the opposite side by 180 °. Send it to the lower flat part 18b of the
Immediately before the opposite side of 80 °, the screw part 14 is set at the deepest position of the cutout 18d. During this rotation, the next screw component 14 on the straight advancement portion 15 is guided by the fall prevention guide 22 so as not to fall from the straight advancement portion 15.

When the rotation is stopped, the scattering prevention guide 20
Although the screw part 14 comes off from the
Of the upper flat portion 18a and the lower flat portion 18b and the R portion 18c
Due to this shape, it does not jump out from the lower flat portion 18b, and stops in a state of being fixed at the deepest position of the cutout portion 18d.

When the vertical articulated robot 1c descends from the upper direction of the screw component 14, the screw component 14 supplied by the screw component supply device 16 is moved by the screw suction portion 12 provided in the vertical articulated robot 1c. Adsorb and tighten the screw component 14 with the screwdriver driver tool 11.
Tighten to 17. The process of this operation is shown in FIG. FIG.
(a) is a state in which the screw suction part 12 of the vertical articulated robot 1c is in the sky above the screw receiving part 18 of the screw component supply device 16, the descent starts from this state, and FIG. The tip 12a hits the lower flat portion 18b of the screw receiving portion 18, and is pushed down a little to fit the screw component 14 into the bit 23. As the descent further proceeds, the corners of the upper flat portion 18a of the screw receiving portion 18 rotate to the side surface of the screw suction portion 12 as shown in FIG.
Is adsorbed on and the removal is completed.

When the vertical articulated robot 1c descends from the state of FIG. 4 (b) to the state of FIG. 4 (c), the screw suction part 12
The corner portion at the lower end of the screw receiving portion 18 can smoothly push down the screw receiving portion 18 without being caught by being along the R portion 18c of the screw receiving portion 18. Further, the descending operation of these vertical articulated robots 1c does not stop from the start of the descending until the completion of adsorption, and the vertical articulated robot 1c moves from this robot position to the sky above the screw tightened body 17. By moving, the threaded parts can be taken out without stopping the series of robot operations related to taking out and picking up the threaded parts 14.
The tightening of 14 can be performed on the screw tightened body 17.

Then, the screw suction part 12 of the vertical articulated robot 1c moves toward the sky above the screw tightening body 17,
When the screw receiving portion 18 is separated from the screw receiving portion 18, the screw receiving portion 18 is automatically returned to the original state by the restoring mechanism by the force of the spring described above, and the rotation driving portion 21 can be rotated. In FIG. 2, since the two screw receiving portions 18 are arranged at 180 ° opposite positions, when one of them stops on the supply side, the other one moves from the rectilinear portion 15 to the screw receiving portion 18 of the screw component 14. Since the transfer is performed at the same time, the screw suction portion 12 of the vertical articulated robot 1c starts moving toward the sky above the screw tightening body 17, and when it is separated from the screw receiving portion 18, the screw receiving portion on the straight advance portion 15 side The screw component 14 to be supplied next is set in the 18 and the rotary drive unit 21 is
By rotating, the next screw part 14 is in a standby state for taking out by the screw suction part 12 of the vertical articulated robot 1c.

Further, by arranging a plurality of the same screw receiving portions 18 evenly in the circumferential direction and operating the rotary drive portion 21 for each one of the divided angles, the rotation time can be shortened, and each screw part can be shortened. It is possible to reduce the time required to supply the. This makes it possible to shorten the time required to supply the next screw component when, for example, a suction error occurs when the screw component 12 of the vertical articulated robot 1c picks up the screw component, and the equipment can be operated. There is a big contribution to improving the rate.

In the present embodiment, a vertical articulated robot is used as a skeletal form of the robot provided with the driver tool 11 and the screw suction portion 12, and the screw component supply device of the present embodiment is provided, so that the vertical articulated robot is It is an automatic screw tightener that does not impair the freedom of screw tightening in any direction.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a screw component supply device and an automatic screw tightener according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the skeleton form of a robot is shown in FIG. The vertical articulated robot 1c is changed to a horizontal articulated robot 1b. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, a horizontal articulated robot 1
An automatic screw tightening machine is provided with the screw component supply device 16 of the present invention in b, and the screw component is the same as in the first embodiment.
It is possible to perform a series of robot operations related to taking out and picking up 14 without stopping, and similarly, by equally arranging a plurality of the same screw receiving portions 18 in the circumferential direction, supply per screw component It is possible to reduce the time required for the operation, contribute to the improvement of equipment operation rate, and to use the automatic screw tightener that does not impair the high-speed operability and skeletal freedom of the horizontal articulated robot. .

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is a very general purpose that can pick up screw parts without stopping the robot, does not impair the characteristics of vertical articulated robots and horizontal articulated robots, and can be used commonly including orthogonal robots. It is possible to provide a screw component supply device having high flexibility and a simple structure, and an automatic screw tightener equipped with a screw component supply device for robots of various skeleton configurations. Further, by introducing the automatic screw tightening machine of the present invention into the screw tightening process of the assembly equipment, it is possible to configure the production equipment with higher flexibility.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an automatic screw tightener including a screw component supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the screw component supply device of FIG.

3 is an enlarged perspective view of an essential part showing the shape of a screw receiving portion of the screw component supply device of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation process in which a robot sucks a screw component by using the screw component supply device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an automatic screw tightener including a screw component supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a conventional automatic screw tightening machine.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a conventional automatic screw tightening machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a ... Cartesian robot, 1b ... Horizontal articulated robot,
1c ... Vertical articulated robot, 11 ... Driver tool,
12… Screw suction part, 13… Parts feeder, 14… Screw parts, 15… Straight part, 16… Screw parts supply device, 17…
Screw tightening body, 18 ... Screw receiving part, 18a ... Upper flat part, 18b ... Lower flat part, 18c ... R part, 18d ... Notch part, 19 ... Stopper, 20 ... Scattering prevention guide,
21 ... Rotary drive, 22 ... Fall prevention guide, 23 ... Bit.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A screw receiving part that is movable downward and is capable of spontaneously returning upward, a stopper that regulates the screw position on the screw receiving part on the supplier side of the screw component, and the screw receiving part is horizontal. The rotation driving unit that rotates in the rotation direction and the screw component are prevented from scattering when the screw receiving unit is rotated, and the supply side of the screw component is supplied during rotation until the screw receiving unit stops. The anti-scattering guide that regulates to the feeding position and the next screw part that is fed out by the rectilinear part of the parts feeder or drum feeder that is the supply side of the screw part while the screw receiving part is rotating falls from the rectilinear part. A screw component supply device having a fall prevention guide for preventing the screw component. 2. A screw suction portion for sucking and holding a screw component,
An automatic screw tightener comprising a robot having a driver tool for tightening a screw component held by the screw suction portion onto an object to be tightened, the screw component supply device according to claim 1 being separately provided.