JPH10322088A - Tray feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a tray feeder which is capable of carrying out both a unused tray cutoff process and an empty tray stacking process at the same time by a method wherein an empty tray stacking unit is arranged above a unused tray cutoff unit. SOLUTION: A freshly recovered empty tray T2 , a previously recovered empty tray T3 , and a new tray T1 are placed on a unused tray cutoff unit 6, an empty tray stacking unit 7, and a lifter unit 5 respectively. Then, the lifter unit 5 is lifted to bring up the unused tray T1 and the empty trays T2 and T3 stacking up the trays T2 and T3 . At this point, the lifter unit 5 is made to ascend by a stroke S, the sum of the trickiness T of a tray and an over- stroke O, to bring the unused tray T1 up into the unused tray cutoff unit 6 and the empty tray T2 up into the empty tray stacking unit 7 respectively. When the lifter unit 5 is made to descend, the unused tray T1 is placed on the separator 61 of the unused tray cutoff unit 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tray feeder incorporated in a production line for performing operations such as automatic assembling of components while supplying components such as various electronic devices using a tray. Tray separation step for sequentially separating new trays one by one from the top of the new trays stacked for supply to the tray, and tray for sequentially stacking empty trays collected from the tray collection position after completion of work such as automatic assembly It belongs to the technical field for performing the stacking process.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a tray feeder incorporated in a production line that performs operations such as automatic assembly of these components while supplying components such as various electronic components using a tray has been proposed.
A mechanism for sequentially separating the new trays one by one from the top of the new trays stacked for supply to the tray supply position;
A mechanism for sequentially stacking empty trays collected from the tray collection position after completion of operations such as automatic assembly has been separately provided.

[0003]

Therefore, conventionally, the collected empty trays are transported to the stacking mechanism each time, and the work process is (empty tray pull-in process) → (empty tray raising process) → (Empty tray pull-in process) → (Empty tray stacking process) → (New tray separation process) → (New tray supply process), and the number of processes from collecting empty trays to supplying new trays is In many cases, the cycle time for tray replacement was long. And, in proportion to the number of processes, the mechanism is complicated, the number of actuators is large, etc.
There were problems such as high equipment costs and poor maintainability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tray feeder capable of simultaneously performing a step of separating a new tray and a step of stacking empty trays. The purpose is.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a tray feeder according to the present invention is arranged so that a new tray at the uppermost stage is moved up and down by a step of lifting and lowering the entire stack of new trays to be fed to a tray feed position. A new tray separation unit that sequentially separates, and an empty tray stacking unit that sequentially stacks empty units collected from the tray collection position from below,
An empty tray stacking unit is arranged above a new tray separating unit.

In the tray feeder of the present invention having the above-described structure, the uppermost new tray is sequentially cut off in the step of lifting and lowering the stacked new trays, and the collected empty trays are sequentially stacked from below. Can be stacked.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a tray feeder to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. "Overview of Automatic Assembly System" First, an overview of an automatic assembly system that is incorporated in a production line and performs operations such as automatic assembly of components such as various electronic devices will be described with reference to FIGS.

A tray feeder 1 is installed on one side of an automatic assembling machine 2, and this automatic assembling machine 2 includes a tray loading conveyor 3 and a tray unloading conveyor 4 installed in parallel, and approximately midway has a center O ₁ of the operation of the robot arm, both conveyors 3 of both of these conveyors 3 and 4,
And a robot for automatic assembly (not shown) on the 4 having an outer peripheral O ₂ in the operating range of the straddle robot arm.
The tray feeder 1 includes a lifter unit 5 that is driven to move up and down in the directions of arrows a and b, which are vertical directions.
A new tray separating unit 6 and an empty tray stacking unit 7, which will be described later, are incorporated into the lift position of the lifter unit 5 in two vertical stages. Then, the new tray T ₁ and the empty tray T ₂ are moved by the arrow c between the inside of the new tray separation unit 6 and the tray supply position P ₁ of the tray carry-in conveyor 3 and the tray collection position P ₂ of the tray carry-out conveyor 4. , A tray supply and discharge mechanism 8 for supplying and discharging horizontally in the direction d.

In this automatic assembling system, parts are supplied from the tray feeder 1 to the automatic assembling machine 2,
Keep stacked in advance stages plurality of new trays T ₁ at the top of the lifter unit 5 for automatic assembly of components by a robot. Then, the whole of the plurality of stacked new trays T ₁ is raised in the direction of the arrow a by the lifter unit 5, and the uppermost one new tray T ₁ is separated by the new tray separating unit 6. , and supplies the direction of the arrow c to the new tray T ₁ by the tray supply and discharge mechanism 8 to the tray feeding position P ₁ of the tray loading conveyor 3. Then, the new tray T ₁ supplied to the tray supply position P _{1 is} moved by an arrow e by the tray loading conveyor 3.
While being conveyed in the direction, automatic assembly of parts by the robot is performed in the new tray T ₁ above.

Then, the empty tray T _2, for which the automatic assembly of parts by the robot has been completed, is placed on the tray unloading conveyor 4.
By after being discharged in the arrow f direction to the tray collecting position P _2, it is recovered from the direction of arrow d and the empty tray T ₂ by the tray supply and discharge mechanism 8 to the new tray release unit 6 of the tray feeder 1. And the tray feeder 1
As described later, the tray 1 is moved by the lifter unit 5.
By performing the lifting / lowering operation for the thickness of the individual unit + the overstroke, the new tray separating unit 6 and the empty tray stacking unit 7 among the plurality of new trays T ₁ stacked on the lifter unit 5. at the same time disconnecting the new tray T _{1 1} single of the uppermost, will automatically do that the stacking work of the empty tray T _2. Incidentally, on the lifter unit 5 and the empty tray stacking unit 7 can be staked new tray T ₁ and the empty tray T ₂ respectively about 10 stages.

[0011] "tray lifter unit, the description of the new tray release unit and the empty tray stacking unit" Next, by 1-4, the tray T _1, T _2, lifter unit 5 of the tray feeder 1, the new tray The separation unit 6 and the empty tray stacking unit 7 will be described. First, each of the trays T ₁ and T ₂ is configured to have the same size, and is configured by a square tray bottom plate T-1 and a square tray peripheral wall T-2 erected on the upper portion thereof. The upper part is opened, and automatic assembling work of components such as various electronic devices is performed on the tray bottom plate T-1 inside the tray peripheral wall T-2. Then, the outer periphery T-1a of the tray bottom plate T-1 is a predetermined dimension A from the outer periphery of the tray peripheral wall T-2.
It is structured to protrude outward only.

Next, the lifter unit 5 includes a lifter 51.
The left and right sides are engaged with a pair of right and left vertical support guides 53 by slide guides 52, and are vertically movable along the support guides 53 in the directions of arrows a and b. Then, the drive motor 54 including a geared motor or the like attached to the back surface of the lifter 51 is driven to move up and down in the directions of arrows a and b along the vertical lift guide 55, so that the lifter 55
It is configured to drive up and down in the b direction.

Next, at a position directly above the rear unit 5,
New tray separation unit 6 and empty tray stacking unit 7
Are arranged at intervals above and below, a new tray separating unit 6 is arranged at a lower part, and an empty tray stacking unit 7 is arranged at an upper part. The new tray separating unit 6 and the empty tray stacking unit 7 are respectively left and right.
A pair of separators 61, 71, dogs 62, 72, sensors 63, 73, which are attached to a pair of left and right common fixed frames 11 of the tray feeder 1 by a pair of right and left attachment frames 64, 74, respectively. ing. A pair of left and right separators 61 and 71 and dogs 62 and 72 are mounted on mounting frames 64 and 74, respectively, on a pair of left and right horizontal and parallel fulcrum shafts 65 and 75. Between the separators 61 and 7 so as to be rotatable in the directions of arrows g and h.
1 is configured to rotate in the direction of arrow h by its own weight and stop at a horizontal position. Then, when the pair of left and right separators 61 and 71 are returned to the horizontal position,
A pair of sensors 63 and 73 each composed of a photo sensor and the like are switched on, and when these separators 61 and 71 are rotated upward by a predetermined angle or more, these sensors 63 and 73 are turned off. It is configured to be switchable. In addition, horizontal claw portions 61a, 71a and vertical claw portions 61b, 71b are formed symmetrically at opposite end portions of a pair of separators 61, 71, respectively.

[Explanation of Tray Separation and Stacking Operation] Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 5, FIGS.
With the operation of separating the new tray T ₁ and the empty tray T ₂
Will be described. That is, FIG.
An empty tray T ₂ recovered in this time is horizontally placed on the new tray release unit 6, empty tray T ₃ collected in the last time is placed horizontally on the empty tray stacking unit 7, the lifter new trays T ₁ on unit 5 indicates the state that is placed in one horizontal. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the upper and lower two empty trays T ₂ and T ₃ are formed by vertical claws in a pair of left and right separators 61 and 71 of the new tray separating unit 6 and the empty tray stacking unit 7. The left and right side edges T-1a of the tray bottom plate T-1 are horizontally positioned on the horizontal claws 61a, 71a between the portions 61b, 71b. At this time, the pair of sensors 63 and 73 of the new tray separation unit 6 and the empty tray stacking unit 7 are ON. Then, two upper and lower empty tray T _2, T ₃ and between the new tray T ₁ of the on empty tray T ₂ and lifter unit 5 of the lower
Are provided with gaps G of predetermined dimensions.

[0015] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1 (B), the lifter unit 5 is raised in the direction of arrow a, the empty tray T ₂ new tray T ₁ is the lower part of the on lifter unit 5, the lower portion of the empty tray T ₂ is pushed from the sequential direction of the arrow a to an empty tray T ₃ of the upper lifted parallel to the direction of arrow a while new trays T ₁ and two upper and lower empty tray T _2, T ₃ is a time stage stacked . In the meantime, a pair of left and right sides T-1a of the tray bottom plate T-1 of these trays T ₁ and T ₂ kick up a pair of left and right separators 61 and 71 upward, respectively. And the dogs 62 and 72 rotate around the fulcrum shafts 65 and 75 from the horizontal position to the upper position in the direction of arrow g to escape.
Then, a pair of left and right sensors 63 and 73 are ON.
Is switched to OFF.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 1C, the lifter unit 5 has a thickness T for one tray + a stroke S for an overstroke O (where O> G).
Only increased, the new tray T ₁ new tray release unit 6
, And lowers the empty tray T ₂ into the empty tray stacking unit 7. Then, during this time, the left and right side edges of the left and right pair of separators 61 and 71 of the new tray T ₁ and the lower portion of the empty tray T ₂ Tray bottom plate T-1 T-
1a, these separators 61, 71 and dogs 62, 72 rotate in the direction of arrow h by their own weight and return to a horizontal position, and a pair of left and right sensors 63, 73, respectively.
Is switched from OFF to ON again.

A pair of left and right sensors 6
After electrically detecting the timing at which the switches 3 and 73 are switched from ON to OFF to ON, the lifter unit 5 is lowered in the direction of the arrow b as shown in FIG.
Then, (B) in FIG. 1 and as shown (C), the once-stage stacked to new trays T ₁ and two upper and lower empty tray T ₂ has, T ₃ the direction of arrow b whole with lifter unit 5 When the tray is slightly lowered, the new tray T ₁ is separated from the lifter unit 5 and the new tray separation unit 6
Are horizontally mounted on a pair of left and right separators 61. In addition, the lower empty tray T ₂ is placed horizontally on the set of left and right separators 71 of the empty tray stacking unit 7 while being stacked on the upper empty tray T ₃ from below. the gap G is opened again during the ₁ and the empty tray T ₂ of the bottom.

Accordingly, by repeating this series of operations sequentially, of the plurality of new trays T ₁ previously stacked on the lifter unit 5, the uppermost new tray T _1
1 are sequentially separated from the lifter unit 5 by the new tray separation unit 6 and sequentially supplied to the tray supply position P ₁ by the tray supply and discharge mechanism 8 of the automatic assembling machine 2 described with reference to FIGS. , to go is stacked sequentially stage from below the empty tray T ₂ of the lower part are sequentially collected by the tray supply and discharge mechanism 8 from its tray collecting position P ₂ by the empty tray stacking unit 7 to an empty tray T ₃ of the upper The new tray T ₁ is separated,
It can be carried out and an empty tray T ₂ stacking process sequentially at the same time.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made based on the technical concept of the present invention.

[0020]

The tray feeder of the present invention configured as described above has the following effects.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, when the uppermost new trays are sequentially separated by the new tray separating unit in the step of lifting and lowering the entire stack of new trays to be supplied to the tray supply position, the collected empty trays are emptied. Since the trays can be sequentially stacked from below by the tray stacking unit, the step of separating the new tray and the step of stacking the empty trays can be performed simultaneously. Therefore, the number of tray replacement steps can be significantly reduced, the cycle time for tray replacement can be significantly reduced, work such as automatic assembly of parts can be performed extremely efficiently, and productivity can be improved. Can be achieved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the stacked new trays and the collected empty trays can be simultaneously moved up and down by one lifter unit, so that the mechanism can be greatly simplified and the actuator can be simplified. Can be greatly reduced, and the facility cost can be greatly reduced and the maintainability can be greatly improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, each of the new tray separating unit and the empty tray stacking unit includes a separator rotatable between a horizontal position and a position above the horizontal position, and a sensor for detecting the rotational position of the separator. Therefore, the structure of the new tray separating unit and the empty tray stacking unit is simple and can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a main part illustrating a tray separating operation and a tray stacking operation in an embodiment of a tray feeder to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a side view of one of the new tray separation unit, empty tray stacking unit, and lifter unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the same new tray separating unit, empty tray stacking unit and lifter unit as viewed from the other side.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of detecting a timing of ON → OFF → ON of a sensor in performing the tray separating operation and the tray stacking operation to control the lifting / lowering operation of the lifter unit.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an entire automatic assembly system provided with a tray feeder.

FIG. 7 is a side view as viewed from one side of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the tray feeder as viewed from the other side.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a tray feeder, 5 is a lifter unit, 6 is a new tray separation unit, 7 is an empty tray stacking unit, 6
1, 71 are separators, 62, 72 are dogs, 63, 73
The sensors, 65, 75 is the fulcrum shaft, T ₁ is the new tray, T
_2, T ₃ is empty tray, P ₁ is the tray supply position, P ₂ is the tray collecting position.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takehiko Fukushima 6-7-35 Kita Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Sony Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] A new tray separating unit for sequentially separating the uppermost new tray by a step of elevating and lowering the entire stack of new trays to be supplied to a tray supply position; and a new tray separating unit disposed above the new tray separating unit. An empty tray stacking unit for sequentially stacking empty units collected from a tray collection position from below. 2. The tray feeder according to claim 1, further comprising one lifter unit for simultaneously raising and lowering the stacked new trays and the collected empty trays. 3. The new tray separating unit and the empty tray stacking unit each include a rotatable separator between a horizontal position and a position above the horizontal tray, and a sensor for detecting a rotational position of the separator. The tray feeder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein