JPH1110560A - Stamping device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stamp a letter, etc., on a working surface having small irregularities. SOLUTION: It has a column 7 free to move against a base 6, a cross rail 8 extending in the X axial direction and supported on the column 7 and a bracket 9 free to move in the X axial direction on the cross rail 8. A stamping pen 2 is installed on the bracket 9 free to move in the Z axial direction. Additionally, a sensor bracket 13 is provided on the cross rail 8, and a laser sensor 14 is fixed on the sensor bracket 13. The laser sensor 14 measures a shape of a working surface by scanning the working surface 5a of a work 5 by oscillating a laser beam in specified width. Thereafter, a moving locus of the stamping pen 2 is decided so as to keep a distance between the stamping pen 2 and the working surface 5a constant in accordance with a result of measurement. Consequently, the stamping pen 2 moves along the working surface 5a and constantly keeps stamping depth constant even in the case when the working surface 5a has small irregularities.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for accurately grasping the state of a surface in a small area necessary for embossing characters, figures, etc., and moving an embossing pen along the surface state. , A marking device for keeping the depth and width of characters constant.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When engraving a character or the like on the surface of a product with an embossing pen, one of the conditions necessary to keep the depth, width, etc. of a line constituting the character or the like at a desired value is as follows. One example is to keep the distance between the engraving pen and the work surface constant at all times. Therefore, a device for satisfying this condition has been conventionally devised. As an example, it has a load sensor that directly detects the load of the embossing pen, and keeps the distance between the embossing pen and the surface to be processed constant based on the change in the load on the embossing pen during the marking operation. The technique of adjusting is used. For example, considering a case where the embossing pen moves on a surface to be machined having a constant height and a constant slope, if the distance between the embossing pen and the surface to be machined decreases, the embossing pen is moved to the embossing pen. Such loads increase. Also, if the distance between the embossing pen and the work surface increases,
The load is reduced. The increase / decrease of the load is detected by the load sensor, and the embossing pen is moved away from the work surface so as to adjust the load received by the embossing pen to a constant value. As the above conventional example, Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 3-27397,
The details are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No.

Further, a method has been devised in which means for detecting the state of the surface to be processed is provided independently of the marking pen, and the position of the marking pen is operated based on the detecting means. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-141946 discloses the details thereof. In brief, the contents include a follower such as a roller that directly adheres to a surface to be processed, and the marking pen is supported by the follower. When the follower travels on the surface to be machined, it picks up a change in the state of the surface to be machined and transmits the change directly to the marking pen.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, there has been proposed a technique for keeping a constant distance between an embossing pen and a surface to be processed by using a touch sensor. In brief, the touch sensor 1 is mounted on a support arm 3 together with an embossing pen 2. The support arm 3 can freely perform operations in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions by the actuators 4 of the respective axes. When performing the engraving operation, first, the touch sensor 1 is brought into contact with the work surface 5a of the work 5 as shown in FIG. Then, the positional relationship between the support arm 3 and the work surface 5a is grasped. Subsequently, the support arm 3 is moved as shown in FIG. 10 to position the embossing pen 2 at an appropriate distance from the processing surface 5a. If the surface to be machined is a slope with a constant inclination angle, the touch sensor 1 is brought into contact with the two separated points, the state of the inclined surface is calculated from the relationship between the two points, and the embossing pen 2 is moved to the surface to be machined. The control data of the actuator 4 of each axis is created so as to have an appropriate distance with respect to 5a. Then, the embossing pen 2 is moved along the inclined surface while the hitting pin 2a is made to protrude and retract, thereby engraving characters and the like.

[0005]

However, the conventional marking device having the above-mentioned structure has the following disadvantages. First, in order to keep the depth and width of a character constant, the load of the embossing pen is directly detected, and in order to adjust the load to a constant value, the embossing pen is separated and approached from the surface to be processed. Is to change the position of the embossing pen in response to a change in the load received by the embossing pen, and is merely a passive response. Therefore, the displacement of the embossing pen with respect to the change in the state of the processing surface is likely to be delayed.

A method of directly contacting a follower such as a roller with a surface to be processed, picking up a change in the state of the surface to be processed by the follower, and directly transmitting the change to the marking pen is a method of the follower. Depending on the form (roller diameter, roller width, etc.), the resolution at the time of detecting the surface state is affected, and there are minute irregularities on the surface of a small range necessary for marking characters, figures, etc. In such a case, it is not suitable for accurately grasping the surface state. Further, since the following means directly contacts the surface to be processed, there is a possibility that the surface to be processed is damaged.

Further, according to the technique of keeping the distance between the embossing pen and the surface to be processed constant using the touch sensor, the touch sensor mainly measures points. Therefore, it is not suitable for surface measurement, and in the case of a free-form surface or a fine uneven surface, it is necessary to perform complicated arithmetic processing based on the measurement data of a plurality of measurement points, and the surface state can be accurately determined. This is difficult to grasp and takes a lot of time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to perform high-quality engraving of characters and the like on a work surface having various shapes.
In particular, by accurately grasping the state of the surface in a small range required for embossing characters, figures, and the like, the operation of the embossing pen is performed more appropriately, and high quality engraved characters are obtained. .

[0009]

A marking device according to the present invention for solving the above problems scans a work surface of a work by oscillating a laser beam to a predetermined width, and changes the shape of the work surface. Measuring means for measuring, control means for determining the movement locus of the embossing pen based on the measurement result so as to keep the distance between the embossing pen and the surface to be processed, and Driving means for moving the embossing pen.

According to the present invention, the state of the surface to be processed is grasped by measuring means using laser light, and the movement locus of the embossing pen is determined based on the measurement result. The distance between the engraving pen and the work surface is kept constant. Therefore, even when the surface to be processed has an uneven shape or a free-form surface, the embossing pen moves along the surface to be processed, and the depth of the engraving by the embossing pen is always kept constant.

In the present invention, the measuring means is provided in a common driving means with the embossing pen, and the measuring means and the embossing pen share a driving means. When the measuring means is provided in a driving means separate from the embossing pen, the work of measuring the shape of the surface to be processed and the work of engraving characters are performed in parallel.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the same or corresponding portions as in the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a front view, a plan view, and a side view, respectively, of a marking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This marking device includes a column 7 movable in the Y-axis direction with respect to the base 6, a cross beam 8 extending in the X-axis direction and supported by the column 7 as driving means for moving the marking pen 2. A bracket 9 movable on the cross beam 8 in the X-axis direction. In addition, stamp pen 2
Is mounted on the bracket 9 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction. A servo motor 10 is provided on the base 6 as a power source for moving the column 7 in the Y-axis direction. A servo motor 11 is provided at one end of the cross beam 8 as a power source for moving the bracket 9 in the X-axis direction. Further, the embossing pen 2 is attached to the bracket 9 in the Z direction.
A servo motor 12 is provided on the bracket 9 as a power source for moving the motor in the axial direction. The base 6 has a work mounting base 6a.

The cross beam 8 is provided with a sensor bracket 13 movable on the cross beam 8 in the X-axis direction, and a laser sensor 14 is fixed to the sensor bracket 13. Then, the sensor bracket 13 is attached to the cross beam 8.
The cross beam 8 is used as a power source for moving the beam in the X-axis direction.
Is provided with a servomotor 15 at the other end. The servo motors 10, 11, 12, and 15 can operate simultaneously or independently. The cross beam 8 moves up and down with respect to the column 7 by rotating the handle 16.

FIG. 4 shows the embossing pen 2 alone. The embossing pen 2 drives the hitting pin 2a by compressed air. Compressed air is supplied from an air circuit (not shown).
It is supplied to the internal cylinder chamber. And the hitting pin 2a
Is driven by the piston that drives the piston and reciprocates under the pressure of the supply air in the cylinder chamber.
a can be protruded and retracted from the tip of the embossing pen 2.
The piston can be driven by using a spring or the like in one direction of the reciprocating movement of the piston and applying air pressure so as to oppose the urging force of the spring. Then, by intermittently supplying air, the embossing pen 2a is moved at a high speed so that the embossing pen 2a moves in and out.
Is moved to trace the character shape,
Each hit point has a desired character shape continuously.

Since the hitting pin 2a needs to cut into the work surface 5a, the tip of the hitting pin 2a is sharp as shown in the figure. For this reason, when the hitting pin 2a receives a force exceeding the allowable value, its tip may be deformed or broken. However, in the present embodiment, the distance between the processing surface and the embossing pen 2 can be kept constant as described later, and the hitting pin 2a does not receive a force exceeding the allowable value. Therefore, the hitting pin 2a is not deformed or lost.

FIG. 5 shows the laser sensor 14.
This laser sensor 14 outputs a laser beam 22 as shown in FIG.
Can be swung right and left by a predetermined width. Then, by moving the laser light 22 in a direction orthogonal to the swing direction of the laser light 22, the laser light 22 draws a movement locus as shown in (c),
It is possible to measure the band-shaped range having the predetermined width by one scan. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the laser sensor 14 is of a type that performs measurement by capturing the diffused light from the surface 5a to be processed, and has a wide measurement range and is suitable for surface measurement.

Here, a procedure for engraving a character or the like on the surface of a product by the engraving apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described for each step with reference to FIGS. (1) The work 5 is fixed to the work mounting base 6a. (2) The handle 16 is rotated to move the cross beam 8 up and down, so that the pen 2 is adjusted to a position suitable for engraving. (3) The bracket 9 is moved to one end of the cross beam 8 (the right end of the cross beam 8 shown in FIG. 1). Further, the sensor bracket 13 is moved onto the work surface 5a of the workpiece 5. (4) The laser beam 22 of the laser sensor 14 is irradiated to the position where the characters and the like are to be engraved on the surface 5a to be processed as shown in FIG. 6, and the surface shape is measured. Actually, the work surface 5a often has finer irregularities in many cases, but the laser sensor 14 can also detect the fine irregularities. In addition, when the embossing of characters and the like covers a wider area, the column 7 is also moved in the Y-axis direction and measured. (5) The control means (not shown) of the marking device
Based on the measurement result of (4), the embossing pen 2 and the work surface 5a
Is determined so as to keep the distance to the constant. (6) Servo motors 10, 11, and 12 are controlled so that the pen 2 traces the movement locus determined in step (5), and simultaneously, the pin 2a is moved out of the pen 2 at high speed. Thus, a desired character shape is stamped on the processing surface 5a.

By the way, the engraving apparatus according to the present embodiment has the following procedures for the work of measuring the surface to be processed and the work of engraving.
Any of the following can be implemented. After measuring all the marking areas, all the characters are stamped together. Immediately after the measurement of a part of the marking area (for example, one character), only the characters in that part are stamped. The method (1) has an advantage that the vibration of the pen 2 does not affect the measurement result of the laser sensor 14 because the pen 2 is stopped during the measurement by the laser sensor 14. In the method, the measurement work and the embossing work are performed in parallel,
There is an advantage that the total engraving time is shorter than the method of (1). However, it is necessary to take anti-vibration measures for the laser sensor 14. In addition, the speed measured by the laser sensor 14 and the
Is different from the marking speed, the marking speed is regulated by the measurement speed. Therefore, which method is adopted depends on various conditions required for the embossing device.

The following operational effects can be obtained from the first embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration. The engraving device according to the present embodiment has a very small area required for embossing characters, figures, and the like (the character size is often about 8 mm square, Is a band-like range with a width of about 8 mm). Even if the state of the surface 5a to be processed has a delicate uneven shape or a free-form surface shape, the surface state is measured by the laser sensor 14 with high resolution. While moving the marking pen 2 based on the measurement result, it is possible to mark characters, figures, and the like having a fixed marking depth. In other words, characters of constant quality can always be marked without being influenced by the quality of the characters to be stamped. Further, since no excessive force is applied to the hitting pin 2a, the life of the embossing pen 2 can be extended. Further, since the laser sensor 14 performs surface measurement while oscillating the laser beam 22 by a predetermined width, it is possible to measure a band-shaped range having a predetermined width. Therefore, the time required for measurement can be reduced, and the total marking time can be reduced. Of course, even when the range of engraving characters is wider, or when engraving larger characters or the like, the same operation and effect can be obtained by expanding the measurement range of the laser sensor 14.

Next, a marking device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the first
Components that are the same as or correspond to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the driving means for the marking pen 2 and the driving means for the laser sensor 14 are provided exclusively. Driving means (2st: second stage) for moving the embossing pen 2 includes a column 7 fixed to the base 6, a slide 7a movable in the Y-axis direction with respect to the column 7, and a slide 7a. It has a fixed cross beam 8 and a bracket 9 movable on the cross beam 8 in the X-axis direction. The embossing pen 2 is attached to the bracket 9 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction. As a power source for moving the slide 7a in the Y-axis direction, a servo motor 10 is provided on the slide 7a.
Is provided. The cross beam 8 is provided with a servomotor 11 as a power source for moving the bracket 9 in the X-axis direction.

Driving means for laser sensor 14 (1st: first
Stage) is substantially the same as this, but has a sensor bracket 13 instead of the bracket 9. A servo motor 15 is provided on the cross beam 8 as a power source of the sensor bracket 13. The laser sensor 14 is fixed to the sensor bracket 13. In addition, base 6
, A rail 23 is laid in the Y-axis direction. The work 5 is placed on a pallet (not shown) or the like, and can move on the rail 23 from above to below in FIG.

In the marking device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, first, the state of the work surface 5a of the work 5 is measured by the laser sensor 14 of the first stage. Next, the state data of the work surface 5a together with the workpiece 5 whose measurement has been completed is
It is sent to the stage, and the embossing pen 2 is operated so as to keep the distance between the embossing pen 2 and the work surface 5a constant.

As in the present embodiment, the driving means (1st) of the marking pen 2 and the driving means (2st) of the laser sensor 14
Are provided exclusively, and a transfer means such as a rail 23 connecting them is provided, so that the measurement operation by the laser sensor 14 and the engraving operation by the embossing pen 2 can be performed simultaneously. Therefore, when the production amount is large, the entire engraving time can be greatly reduced. others,
The description of the same operation and effect as in the first embodiment is omitted here.

[0026]

According to the present invention, the following effects are obtained. According to the marking device according to claim 1 of the present invention, the state of the surface in a small range necessary for stamping characters, figures, and the like is accurately grasped by the measuring means, and the marking pen is used based on the measurement result. , The distance between the embossing pen and the surface to be processed can be kept constant. Therefore, it is possible to always keep the stamping depth of the stamping pen constant irrespective of the state of the surface to be processed, and to always obtain high-quality stamping characters. Also, since no excessive force is applied to the embossing pen, the life of the embossing pen can be extended.

Further, according to the marking device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the measuring means is provided on a common driving means with the embossing pen, and the measuring means and the embossing pen share the driving means. Equipment costs can be reduced. Further, versatility can be given to various production environments.

Further, according to the marking device according to the third aspect of the present invention, when the measuring means is provided in a driving means separate from the stamping pen, the work of measuring the shape of the surface to be processed and the marking of characters can be performed. Work can be performed in parallel, and when the production volume is large, the entire engraving time can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a marking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the marking device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the marking device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a single view of an embossing pen used in the engraving device shown in FIG. 1;

5A and 5B show a laser sensor used in the marking device shown in FIG. 1 and a state of laser light emitted from the laser sensor to a surface to be processed. FIG. () Is a diagram illustrating a side surface of the laser sensor, and (c) is a diagram illustrating a trajectory of laser light emitted from the laser sensor.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a movement locus of a laser sensor of the marking device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a marking device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a plan view of the marking device shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a front view of a conventional marking device, and is a schematic diagram showing a state during a work of measuring a surface to be processed.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a conventional marking device, and is a schematic diagram showing a state during a marking operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Embossing pen 5 Work 5a Work surface 6 Base 6a Work mounting base 7 Column 8 Cross beam 9 Bracket 13 Sensor bracket 14 Laser sensor

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A measuring means for scanning a work surface of a work by oscillating a laser beam to a predetermined width to measure a shape of the work surface, an embossing pen based on the measurement result, and An engraving device comprising: control means for determining the movement locus of the embossing pen so as to keep the distance to the surface constant; and driving means for moving the embossing pen based on a command from the control means. . 2. The marking device according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means is provided in a driving means common to said embossing pen. 3. The marking device according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means is provided on a driving means separate from said embossing pen.