JPH107376A - Conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveying device which can increase the lift and the maximum ground clearance of a lower frame which ascends and descends while maintaining an article to be conveyed and is provided with a bracing mechanism which can be made up of a simple structure at a low cost. SOLUTION: The lower end part of a plurality of spring plates 31 which extend vertically downward from a plurality of winding parts 32 respectively which are fitted on the upper frame 2 running on a rail 6 is fixed at a lower part frame 3, and the lower end of a lifting tool 12 which extends vertically downward from the lifting hoist of a lifting mechanism 10 which is fitted at the upper part frame 2 is fixed at the lower frame 3. The lower frame 3 is hung and supported by the lifting tool 12 and the spring plates 31. A bracing mechanism 30 is constituted of the respective spring plates 31, and tensile force which always moves the respective spring plates 31 upward is applied to the lower frame 3 by the self elastic return force of the respective spring plates 31.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer device for moving a conveyed object such as an automobile body up or down to a desired position and horizontally conveying the conveyed object. The present invention relates to a transfer device provided with a steady rest mechanism that suppresses the front, rear, left, and right sides of a conveyed object.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a transfer device for lifting and lowering a conveyed object such as an automobile body conveyed to a predetermined position by a conveyor between two fixed positions separated from each other, before and after the conveyed object is conveyed. Some are equipped with a pantograph type anti-sway mechanism (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-130990) for suppressing left and right runout, and specific examples thereof are shown in FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a transfer apparatus 1 'comprising a pair of upper and lower frames 2 and 3 which are opposed to each other so as to be able to approach and separate vertically, and a pantograph-type steady rest installed between the upper and lower frames 2 and 3. A mechanism 5 is provided. The upper frame 2 includes a pair of horizontal left and right rails 6 installed on a ceiling or the like.
For example, it is a horizontal rectangular frame which is supported by 6 and runs on rails 6 and 6 by itself. The lower frame 3 is, for example, a horizontal rectangular plate for detachably holding a transferred object 4 such as an automobile body, and has an openable hanger 7 for detachably holding the transferred object 4 on a lower surface side.

[0004] On the upper frame 2, a lifting mechanism 10 for suspending and supporting the lower frame 3 to move up and down, and a traveling mechanism 13 for supporting the upper frame 2 so as to be able to travel on the rail 6 and self-propelling are installed. . The lifting mechanism 10 is actually open 4-133
It is a hoisting type disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 680 and includes a hoist 11 for lifting and lowering and a hanging tool 12 such as a chain which is a flexible and long cable. Travel mechanism 13
Is, for example, a drive shaft 1 that is rotationally driven by a traveling motor 14.
5 and a driving wheel 16, and a driven wheel 17 that supports the upper frame 2 so that the upper frame 2 can run on the rail 6, and the upper frame 2 is rotated by the motor 14 by rotating the driving wheel 16.
Traveling above, the entire transport device 1 ′ moves horizontally along the rail 6.

The hoist 11 of the lifting mechanism 10 is
The lower frame 3 is supported by the upper frame 2 such that the lower end of a suspending tool 12 extending vertically downward from the hoist 11 is fixed to substantially the center of the lower frame 3. When the hoist 11 is wound up by the hoist 11, the lower frame 3 rises with respect to the upper frame 2, and when the hoist 11 is fed out by the hoist 11, the lower frame 3 lowers with respect to the upper frame 2 by its own weight.

The pantograph-type steady rest mechanism 5 is formed by assembling a plurality of square members 20 in a pantograph shape with a pin 21 and a connecting shaft 22. As shown in FIG. 5, one side of the upper and lower square members 20 of the steady rest mechanism 5 is rotatably connected to one side of the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 3 by support shafts 23 and 24, and the other ends of the upper and lower square members 20. Slide guide 2 installed on one side of upper frame 2 and lower frame 3 on one side
5, 26 are movably connected in the horizontal direction.

[0007] When an object 4 to be conveyed is conveyed by a conveyor or the like directly below the conveyor 1 'located at a predetermined position on the rail 6, the hoist 11 of the elevating mechanism 10 draws out the suspender 12 and the lower frame 3 is covered. It descends to the position immediately above the conveyed object 4 and stops. Next, a hanger opening / closing drive mechanism (not shown) installed in the lower frame 3 closes the hanger 7 and hooks the transported object 4. Thereafter, the hoist 1 of the lifting mechanism 10
1 raises the suspending tool 12 by a desired length, and the lower frame 3 moves up to a desired position together with the transported object 4 and stops.
Thereafter, the traveling mechanism 13 is driven to move the upper frame 2 horizontally along the rail 6, and this movement causes the entire transfer device 1 ′ to move horizontally together with the transferred object 4 to move the transferred object 4 to a desired position. To the position. In such a transporting operation, the link structure of the pantograph-type steady rest mechanism 5 using the square members 20 suppresses the lateral swing of the lower frame 3 with respect to the upper frame 2 in the front-rear and left-right directions. Sway at the time of transport is suppressed, and the transported object 4 can be transported in a stable posture.

[0008]

However, the pantograph-type steady rest mechanism 5 has roughly the following mechanical structural problems (a) to (d), and a solution to the problem is desired. .

(A) The pantograph-type steady rest mechanism 5, which is vertically expandable and contractible, has no function of suspending and supporting the lower frame 3 on the upper frame 2, and the mechanism for suspending and supporting the lower frame 3 is an elevating mechanism. There are only 10 suspenders 12. As a result, the hoist 11 of the lifting mechanism 10 needs to have a large capacity enough to lift a heavy object obtained by adding the mass of the steadying mechanism 5 to the total mass of the lower frame 3 and the load 4 held by the lower frame 3. It is. Such large capacity hoist 1
1 increases the weight and makes the elevating mechanism 10 expensive.

(B), FIG. 5A shows the upper limit position when the lower frame 3 is raised to the maximum, and the minimum reduced height H between the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 3 at this time.
₁ is limited by the thickness of the square members 20 in the steady rest mechanism 5 in which the upper and lower square members 20 are closely overlapped and reduced to the maximum value, so that it is difficult to further reduce the minimum reduction height H ₁ , and difficult increase of the maximum ground clearance H ₃ of the lower frame 3, and narrowing the type of coverage of transported object restricted to height at the maximum ground clearance H _3.

(C) Assuming that FIG. 5B shows the lower limit position when the lower frame 3 is lowered to the maximum, the lift H ₂ which is the maximum lifting stroke of the lower limit position and the upper limit position of the lower frame 3 is minimum. in response to the constraints in a reduced height H _1, it is difficult to the increase of. In this case, it can be increased to some extent the lifting height H ₂ by increasing the number of slide stop mechanism 5 of square timber 20, there is a disadvantage that the maximum ground clearance H ₃ drops increases the minimum reduction height H ₁ reversed.

(D) Assume that the center of gravity W of the steady rest mechanism 5 in FIG. 5A in which the lower frame 3 is at the upper limit position is located at the center of a distance of L ₁ from the left end of the lower frame 3. .
In this case, when the lower frame 3 is lowered to the lower limit position in FIG.
Along the 26 position of the center of gravity W moves to the left shown in FIG. 5 (B) moves to the left, the distance L ₂ from the left end of the lower frame 3 to the center of gravity W is reduced. The amount of movement of the position of the center of gravity make it difficult as a result of the lifting height H ₂ increases into proportional to lift of H ₂ lower frame 3. Furthermore, the lower frame 3
When the amount of movement of the position of the center of gravity increases, the lower frame 3 and the transported object held by the lower frame 3 tilt, making it difficult to transport the transported object in a stable and normal posture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer apparatus having a steady rest mechanism which can easily increase the head and the maximum ground clearance of a lower frame which lifts and lowers a workpiece while holding it, and which can be constructed simply and at low cost. Is to provide.

[0014]

According to the present invention, there is provided an upper frame running on a predetermined track, a lower frame for holding an object to be transported suspended vertically below the upper frame, and
In a transfer device having an elevating mechanism for suspending and supporting a lower frame with respect to an upper frame and moving the lower frame up and down, a tip vertically extending from a winding portion installed on one of the upper frame and the lower frame has the other end. A plurality of spring plates that suspend the lower frame on the upper frame while always receiving a tensile force with its own elastic restoring force on the winding By attaching a steady rest mechanism that has
The above object is achieved.

Here, the spring plate of the anti-sway mechanism is like a sprung clock of a sprung clock which is coiled by its own elastic restoring force when it is in a free state. It is wound into a coil by self-elasticity restoring force. When a plurality of these spring plates are installed at appropriate locations on the upper and lower frames and the lower frame is suspended and supported by the upper frame, each spring plate is pulled by the self-elastic restoring force toward the winding section and The upward elastic pulling force is always applied. The upward tension force on the lower frame by the spring plate is set to be slightly smaller than the minimum necessary tension force for lifting the total weight of the lower frame and the articles attached thereto,
A spring plate exerts a function as a weight balancer that constantly applies an upward tensile force from the upper frame to the lower structure below, and therefore, a lifting mechanism that is installed on the upper frame to lift and lower the lower frame and support the lower frame, A small capacity enough to suspend and support the transferred object held by the lower frame is sufficient.

Further, the width direction of the plurality of spring plates extending vertically between the upper frame and the lower frame is adjusted to the front, rear, left and right to suppress the front-back, left-right, and left-right sway during transportation of the lower frame suspended and supported by the upper frame. By setting them in the respective directions described above, a steadying mechanism that suppresses the swinging of the lower frame with only a plurality of spring plates is configured.

Further, the plurality of spring plates extending vertically from the upper frame to the lower frame move up and down in a vertical state to move up and down substantially vertically without laterally shifting the lower frame with respect to the upper frame. The movement of the center of gravity accompanying the raising and lowering of the frame is suppressed.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The transport apparatus 1 of this embodiment is applied to the transport apparatus 1 'of FIG. 4
The same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

The transport device 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a lifting mechanism 10 and a traveling mechanism 13 installed on an upper frame 2 which runs on rails 6 by itself. A hanger 7 for detachably holding the transferred object 4 and a driving mechanism (not shown) for the hanger 7 are provided, and a steady rest mechanism 30 is provided between the upper and lower frames 2 and 3.
The feature of the transfer apparatus 1 different from the apparatus in FIG. 4 is that the steady rest mechanism 30 is constituted by a plurality of spring plates 31.

The spring plate 31 is a long metal spring plate that is coiled by its own elastic restoring force when left in a free state. One of the frames 2 and 3, for example, is fixed to the upper frame 2 as shown. The spring plate 31 is pulled out from the winding portion 32 and extends vertically downward, and its lower end is fixed to the lower frame 3 with a stopper 33 or the like.

When the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 3 are rectangular plates having the same dimensions, for example, a pair of winding portions 32 is installed at each of the four corners of the upper frame 2. The winding portions 32 installed at a total of eight locations at the four corners of the upper frame 2 are divided into four types in which the axis is parallel to the rail 6 and four types in which the axis is orthogonal to the rail 6. The lower ends of the spring plates 31 drawn vertically downward from each of the eight winding portions 32 are fixed to the side surfaces of the four corners of the lower frame 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, each winding portion 32 has a cylindrical cover 34 fixed to an edge of the upper surface of the upper frame 2 and a winding portion provided at the center of the cover 34. A take-up shaft 35 is provided, and the spring plate 31 is wound around the take-up shaft 35 in a coil shape by a self-restoring force, and the coil portion is housed in the cover 34.
The cover 34 is parallel to the side surface of the upper frame 2 and has an opening 36 formed in a part of the peripheral surface of the cover 34 slightly projecting from the side surface of the upper frame 2. It is pulled vertically downward against the elastic restoring force.

The spring plate 31 pulled downward from the winding portion 32 of the upper frame 2 has a winding portion 3
An elastic tensile force F is always applied vertically upward by the elastic restoring force of the coil portion 2, and the upward elastic tensile force F is directly urged to the lower frame 3. The sum of the upper elastic tensile forces applied to the lower frames 3 of all the spring plates 31 is smaller than the minimum necessary tensile force that raises the total weight of the lower frame 3 and its associated accessories such as the hanger drive mechanism. Set a little smaller.

Accordingly, all the spring plates 31 function as a weight balancer that suspends and supports the lower frame 3 on the upper frame 2 and constantly lifts the lower frame 3. As a result, the hoist 11 of the lifting mechanism 10 installed on the upper frame 2 to lift and lower the lower frame 3 and support the lower frame 3 is small enough to suspend and support only the transported object 4 held by the lower frame 3. The capacity model applies. Further, the lifting and lowering operation of the lower frame 3 by the lifting and lowering mechanism 10 is quickly and smoothly performed by the weight balancer function of all the spring plates 31.

The winding portions 32 are installed in parallel with the four corners of the rectangular upper frame 2 so that the width direction of the spring plate 31 of each winding portion 32 is parallel to each side of the rectangular lower frame 3. Regulate in the direction. When such a spring plate 31 is provided, all the horizontal swings in the front, rear, left and right directions during the transportation of the lower frame 3 are effectively suppressed by all the spring plates 31, and the desired steadying mechanism 30 can be configured. Actually, when the transferred object 4 is an automobile body, the spring plate 31 of the steady rest mechanism 30 has a width of 200 to 3 mm.
An elastic steel plate having a thickness of 00 mm and a thickness of several mm may be provided at about eight locations. Note that the width, thickness, and number of the spring plates 31 are not limited to the above example, but are set according to the type of the transported object and the transport mode.

FIG. 3A shows a state in which the lower frame 3 is raised to the maximum by the lifting mechanism 10. Since the lower frame 3 can be increased to a degree contact with the upper frame 2 can be set ground clearance H ₄ at the upper limit position of the lower frame 3 as possible. FIG.
(B) is when the lower limit position when lowering the lower frame 3 at maximum, can lift H ₅ is large set of maximum lifting stroke of the lower limit position and upper limit position of the lower frame 3. Such an increase in minimum ground clearance H ₄ and head H ₅
It is possible to easily cope with an increase in the height dimension of the transported object 4 and to diversify the types of the transported object 4 that can be transported favorably.

Also, the spring plate 31 only moves up and down substantially vertically in accordance with the elevating operation of the lower frame 3, so that the position of the center of gravity of the lower frame 3 at the time of elevating does not change. That is, the distance L from the left end of the lower frame 3 to the center of gravity W at the upper limit position of the lower frame 3 shown in FIG.
₃ and the distance L ₃ from the left end of the lower frame 3 to the center of gravity W of the lower limit position of the lower frame 3 shown in FIG.
The movement of the position of the center of gravity of the lower frame 3 is eliminated. Therefore, the lower frame 3 and the transported object 4 held by the lower frame 3 do not tilt when the lower frame 3 moves up and down, so that the transported object 4 can always be transported in a normal and stable posture. Further, since the lift H ₅ of the lower frame 3 can be set without considering the center of gravity movement of the lower frame 3, it is possible to further increase in the pump head H _5.

In the above embodiment, the winding portions of all the spring plates are concentrated only on the upper frame side. However, the winding portions of each spring plate are installed only on the lower frame side, or And may be installed separately in the lower frame.

[0029]

According to the present invention, the spring plate of the steady rest mechanism, which extends vertically downward from the upper frame and suspends and supports the lower frame, uses the self-elastic return force of the coiled portion to lower the lower plate. Since the upward tension is always applied to the frame, the capacity and capacity of the lifting hoist of the lifting mechanism installed on the upper frame to suspend and support the lower frame and raise and lower are equivalent to the upward tension of the spring plate. This makes it possible to reduce the size and weight of the transfer device including the elevating mechanism, reduce the initial cost, and save energy.

Further, by winding the spring plate around the winding portion, the lower frame can be raised to the upper limit position where the lower frame is in contact with or extremely close to the upper frame, and the lower frame can be raised at the maximum raised position. It is possible to increase the maximum ground clearance and the height of the lower frame between the upper limit position and the lower limit position, and to select a wide range of types of conveyed objects. Can be provided.

Furthermore, since the lower frame moves up and down by the spring plate extending and contracting substantially vertically, the position of the center of gravity of the lower frame does not fluctuate. Is suppressed,
It is possible to stably convey the object to be conveyed, and it is easy to increase the head.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 (A) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the transfer device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2B is a partially enlarged front view of the transfer device in FIG.

3 (A) is a front view of a main part of the transfer apparatus of FIG. 1 at the time of maximum ascent, and FIG. 3 (B) is a front view of a main part of the transfer apparatus of FIG. 1 at the time of maximum descent.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional transport device.

5 (A) is a front view of a main part of the transfer apparatus of FIG. 4 when it is moved up to the maximum, and FIG. 5 (B) is a front view of a main part of the transfer apparatus of FIG. 4 when it is moved down to the maximum.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveying device 2 Upper frame 3 Lower frame 4 Conveyed object 10 Elevating mechanism 30 Steady-stop mechanism 31 Spring plate 32 Winding part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An upper frame traveling on a predetermined track,
A lower frame for holding a transferred object suspended below the upper frame so as to be vertically movable, a lifting mechanism for suspending and supporting the lower frame with respect to the upper frame and vertically moving, and one of the upper frame and the lower frame The front end vertically extending from the winding portion provided on the frame is fixed to the other frame, and the lower frame is suspended from the upper frame while always receiving a tensile force by its own elastic restoring force. And a steadying mechanism having a plurality of spring plates for supporting the lower frame in a lower direction to suppress the horizontal movement of the lower frame.