JPS61180979A - Pallet handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use just a single driving source and also to minimize the space for shift with an inspector for floppy recording medium, etc., by moving up an idle pallet to perform both ejection and replacement of the stored pallet at a time. CONSTITUTION:When a prescribed number of sheet of floppy medium are stored, table 9 is revolved so that a pallet (to be ejected) is set right above a pallet elevator 140. Then the elevator 140 moves up and the upper end part of an idle pallet 2d set on the elevator 140 pushes up a pallet set on the table 9 and to be ejected. This pallet moves up while pushing up a clamp claw 172 at the bottom part and is clamped by this claw 172 to be set at a holding part 170 for ejected pallet. While the pallet 2d moves up while opening with pressure the clamp rollers 154 at the bottom part to be clamped by these rollers and is used as a storing pallet.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is an apparatus for inspecting recording media such as floppy recording media (hereinafter abbreviated as floppy media), in which a pallet in which inspected recording media are stacked and stored is used. The present invention relates to a pallet handling device suitable for use in ejecting and replacing empty pallets with empty pallets.

[Prior art]

The floppy recording medium inspection device for 51/4 inch mini floppy and 8 inch standard floppy is
Conventionally, floppy media supplied in a partially open jacket is inspected, the inspected floppy media is sent to a conveyance path, and the conveyance path is switched midway through to separate acceptable and rejected products. Generally, they are put into the corresponding stacker. The rejected floppy media is then removed from the jacket and disposed of, and the jacket is reused (therefore, the jacket is not completely sealed, but is left partially open).

[The interlayer point that the invention attempts to solve]

On the other hand, with the progress of office automation, the demand for small floppy media of 3.5 inches or less, called mini-floppy and micro-floppy, is rapidly increasing.

Media such as mini-floppies are often housed in plastic cases instead of conventional jackets, and in this case, it is preferable in terms of the manufacturing process to completely seal the case at the stage of storing it in the case.

Therefore, if such small floppy media are inspected while being housed in a case as in the past, rejected products will have to be discarded in their entirety, including the case, which requires a low cost. In the case of mini-floppy media, this cannot be ignored.

In addition, in conventional equipment that is inspected while housed in a jacket, the lead to/from the floppy medium for inspection is
Writing must be performed through the access window of the jacket, and it is not easy to adopt a method of shortening inspection time by using multiple heads to read/write the floppy medium at high speed. Therefore, in recent years, inspection of small floppy media such as micro-floppies has become difficult for conventional inspection apparatuses to handle due to processing speed.

For this reason, it is considered desirable to inspect small floppy media such as microfloppies in a naked state without being housed in a jacket or case. However, conventional devices are practically incapable of handling bare floppy media.

There are various reasons for this, but for example, in a mechanism that sorts and inputs inspected floppy media into a stacker via a conveyance path, there are inconveniences such as scratches on bare floppy media. Moreover, such a mechanism is not easy to miniaturize, and this is an obstacle to miniaturizing the device.

[Purpose of the invention]

In a recording medium inspection device that handles recording media in a naked state, in order to prevent damage to the inspected recording medium, the inspected recording medium is placed on a pallet (container). It would be preferable to store them in layers. The configuration in which inspected recording media are stacked and stored on pallets in this way essentially requires a storage space (including the pallet) for inspected recording media and a space for storing inspected recording media (including the pallet) in the case of small recording media such as the MiniF4T. The space for the mechanism to be stored can be easily reduced. However, in order to take full advantage of these advantages, it is necessary to have a sufficient mechanism for ejecting the storage pallet and replacing it with an empty pallet when a predetermined number of recording media are stored on the pallet (storage pallet). A new idea is desired.

Therefore, the main purpose of the present invention is to use a recording medium inspection device that handles recording media in a bare state and stacks and stores inspected recording media on pallets, and in which the storage pallets are ejected and replaced with empty pallets. The object of the present invention is to provide a pallet handling device that is suitable for use in the field, has a simple structure, is inexpensive, and is compact.

[Means for deciding the point of employment]

According to this invention, the first means for holding a pallet (referred to as a storage pallet) on which recording media are stacked and stored, and the empty pallet supplied to a predetermined position on the lower side of the storage pallet to a predetermined height. a second means for moving;
The empty pallet supplied to a predetermined position is moved to a predetermined height by the second means with its upper end engaged with the bottom of the storage pallet, and the storage pallet is moved to a predetermined height by the second means.
The empty pallet is pushed up from the position held by the first means to the ejection position, and the empty pallet is held as a new storage pallet by the first means, whereby the storage pallet is ejected and replaced.

[Effect]

An empty pallet supplied below the storage pallet is raised, the empty pallet pushes the storage pallet to a discharge position, and the empty pallet is held as a new storage pallet. In this way, the storage pallet can be ejected and replaced at the same time by simply raising the empty pallet, so a single drive source is sufficient for this purpose, and the empty pallet and the storage pallet move on the same line. , the space for its movement is minimized, and the means for controlling it can also be simplified. Therefore, according to the present invention, a simple, inexpensive, and compact pallet handling device can be realized.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a floppy recording medium inspection apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

The handling unit 1 receives pallets from a pallet (referred to as a supply pallet) 2 supplied to a predetermined supply position of the supply section A.
The stacked floppy media 3 (about 200, for example) are picked up one by one and transferred to the floppy inspection unit (inspection section) 5, and the floppy media 3 that have been inspected are transferred from the floppy inspection unit 5. The inspected floppy medium is transferred to a specific storage position in the storage section C, and the inspected floppy medium is stored in a pallet set there (referred to as a storage pallet. In the figure, a storage pallet 61 is set at the storage position).

Here, the storage pallets 6m, 6b, 6c, and 6d are placed on the stacker table 9, and the stacker table 9 is rotated by a predetermined amount (an integral multiple of 90 degrees) to achieve a desired The storage pallet is set in the storage position. These storage pallets 6m, 6b, 6c, and 6d are transferred from the empty supply pallet 2 from the supply section and set on the stacker table 9. The four storage pallets 6m, 6b, 6c, and 6d are respectively assigned to store floppy media that pass, top side fails, bottom side fails, and both sides fail.

Note that the means for transporting the supply pallet to the supply section A and setting it in a predetermined position, and the means for transferring the empty pallet from the supply section A to the storage section C or ejecting it to the outside are omitted in the figure. They will be shown and explained separately.

In addition, supply pallet 2 (storage pallets 61, 6b, 6
c and 6d), as shown in FIG. The inner diameter of the opening 3 of the floppy medium 3
larger than the inner diameter of 1.

Note that the floppy medium 3 referred to here is the bare floppy disk itself before being housed in a jacket or case.

Place one separator 4 and one floppy medium 3ζ, one each with the separator 4 facing upward, on the tip of the cylindrical suction head 10 inserted into the handling unit 1.
It is adsorbed and held under negative pressure.

Further, as will be described later, when the tip of the suction head is separated, the negative pressure suction is released and the floppy medium 3 is removed.

The handling unit 1 is composed of an arm unit 7 and a transfer control mechanism 8. The arm unit 7 has first, second, and third arms 7m, 7b, and 7c that respectively support three suction heads 10 at 120-degree intervals in a loosely fitted state. On the other hand, the transfer control mechanism 8 is a mechanism that moves the arm unit 7 up and down and controls its rotation at a rotation angle of 120 degrees at a predetermined timing.

The inspection unit 5 is a so-called floppy disk drive device, and a spindle Sa of a drive motor is disposed above it. This spindle S
The fluorase medium 3 is set on the substrate a, and a test is performed for predetermined electrical characteristics. The magnetic head for this purpose is
For example, three of them are arranged on each side of the floppy medium, for a total of six, and they are arranged at intervals of, for example, 120 degrees. Each magnetic head on each side is controlled to simultaneously read, write, or erase radially different areas of the floppy medium. Such power distribution for a magnetic head is possible because it is intended for bare floppy media. Note that illustrations and explanations of mechanisms related to the magnetic head will be omitted.

Here, FIG. 3 (1) is an overall sectional view of the suction head 10. Here, the supply pallet 2 or the storage pallet (6 turtles, 6b, 6c) when the arm unit 7 has descended to the lowest position.

The state of the suction head 10 located at 6dl is shown.

As seen in this figure, the suction head 10 has a generally triple cylindrical structure, and the outermost cylinder is a head portion 10m for suctioning the separator 4, and a suction port is opened at its tip surface. The cylinder on the inside is the head part 10b for suctioning the four-wheeled medium 3, and is fitted into the outermost cylinder so that it can move up and down, and similarly has a suction port opened on its tip surface. This head section 10b
consists of two blocks: a tip F and a rear body R. The air passage leading to the suction port passes through the boundary between the tip F and the rear body R, and can be opened when they are separated. A collet 10c for positioning the floppy medium 3 with respect to the spindle 51 is housed inside the head portion 10b. This collet 1
0c is rotatably supported at the tip of a shaft 10d located at the center of the head 10 via a bearing. The collet 10c has a tapered side surface.

The shaft 10d is coupled to the rear body R via a built-in spring. The tip F is rotatable together with the collection 1c,
A spring is interposed between them. The window 16 is an opening into which a movable claw 17 (see FIG. 3(e)) provided on the arm is fitted. A bottle 10e is provided protruding from the rear end (upper end in the figure) of the head portion 1011, and similarly
A bottle 10f is provided protruding from the rear end.

When the arm unit 7 is lowered to the lowest position, the suction head 10 located at the supply pallet lowers by its own weight to a position where its tip touches the separator 4 and the floppy medium 3 in the supply pallet 2, as shown in FIG. , 1.The suction head 10 located on the supply pallet
descends to a similar state and comes to rest. In this state, the height positions at which the supply pallet and storage pallet are set are determined so that the bin 10f is located above the arm and the bin 10s is located above the rear end of the head section 101. ing. Further, in such a state, the bottle 10g provided on the shaft 10d does not engage with the claw 17.

FIG. 3(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the separator 4 and the floppy medium 3 are attracted and transferred by the suction head 10. The head portion 10m is held at a predetermined height position by engaging the top surface of the arm with the bin 10f provided thereon.

On the other hand, the inner head portion 10b has a height such that the bottle 10e provided thereon engages with the rear end portion of the outer head portion 101 and its tip is located a predetermined distance below the tip of the head portion 101. Thus, the floppy medium 3 is held a predetermined distance below the separator 4 as shown.

The operation of dropping the floppy medium 3 held by the suction pad 10 onto the spindle 51 and holding it by the spindle 5a will be described. When the arms 71, 7b, and 7c descend, the bar 15 extending from the head portion 10m of the suction head 10 that has come to that position engages with the stopper 14 provided only near the floppy inspection unit 5. , the rear main body R of the head portion 101 and the head portion 10b will no longer descend (see FIG. 4(a)). When the arms 7h, 7b, and 7c descend further to the window 16, their claws 17 engage with the pins of the shaft 101 through the window 16, as shown in FIG. 3(e).

Reference is made to FIG. 4 below. As the arm descends further,
The shaft 10d is pushed down by the claw 17 against the force of the built-in spring, and at the same time, the tip F of the head portion 10b and the collet 10c descend. The tip F is separated from the rear main body R, and the suction port of the tip F becomes atmospheric pressure because its air passage is opened, and the floppy medium 3 adsorbed at the tip naturally falls onto the spindle 51. . As the arm further descends, the collet 10c further protrudes as shown in FIG. When the arm further descends, the collet 10c aligns with the center of the spindle 51, as shown in FIG. 4(d).
The floppy medium 3 is held under pressure between the tip of the distal end F which has been inserted into the floppy disk F and has descended to the lowest position, and the periphery of the recess 5b of the spindle 5a. In this state, the tip F and the floppy medium 3 rotate following the spindle 51.

Although the gap between the tip F and the rear body R is exaggerated in FIG. 4, the gap is actually extremely small, for example, about 2 mm.

In addition, there are 2 supply pallets and 4 m storage pallets.

4b, 4c, and 4d are located at approximately the same height,
The spindle 51 is arranged at a predetermined amount higher than that position. The supply section A and the storage section C are not provided with anything equivalent to the stopper 14.

Therefore, in that position, the head 10 is not prevented from descending, and the head 10 descends together with the arm and the claw 1
7, and therefore the state is as shown in FIG. 3(1).

Note that 11 in FIG. 1 is a control unit that controls each mechanism of the inspection device, and 12 is a read/write wound circuit section of a read/write head (not shown) in the inspection unit.

Next, the overall operation of this floppy recording medium inspection apparatus will be explained. However, the explanation of the handling part of the pallet is excluded here.

Now, the arm unit 7 is in a raised position at an angle as shown in FIG. It is assumed that the floppy medium 3 and separator 4, which have also been inspected, are held by suction on the suction head 10, which is held by suction in the state shown in FIG.

When the arm unit 7 is lowered by the transfer control mechanism 8, the suction heads 10 of the arms 7 and 7e are not prevented from descending because there is no stopper 14 (the state shown in FIG. 3 (tortoise) is reached). (It should be noted that the suction head is loosely supported on the arm) and comes to rest.

On the other hand, when the suction head 10 supported by the arm 7b descends to a certain height, the bar 15 engages with the stopper 14.
The rear main bodies R of the head portion 10m and the head portion 10b are:
You can't descend any further.

When the arm further descends, the pawl 17 engages with the bottle 10g of the shaft 10d, as described in connection with FIG. 3(c), and the shaft 10d is pushed down. By the above operation, the floppy medium 3 falls from the suction head 10 onto the spindle 51, is centered and set on the spindle 51. After this,
Reading, writing, and erasing from the floppy medium 3 are performed at high speed using a total of six magnetic heads, and predetermined electrical characteristics are tested.

When this inspection is completed, the head portion 10m of the suction head 10 of the arm 7C,
10b is switched from negative pressure to atmospheric pressure, the separator 4 and floppy medium (inspected) 3 that were held there are both released, and the storage pallet set in the storage position (
In the figure, they are stacked and stored in 6a). Note that the rotation of the stacker table 9 is controlled in advance so that the storage pallet corresponding to the inspection result of the floppy medium is set at the storage position.

Further, when the test in the floppy test unit 5 is completed, the transfer control mechanism 8 operates in response to the completion signal to raise the arm unit 7 which is in the lowered state. Regarding the head 10 supported on the arm 7b, the claw 17
Since the pushing down of the shaft 10d by the arm is lifted, the shaft 10d is pulled up by the action of the built-in spring, and the collet 10c is separated from the spindle 51.

Further, the tip F is pulled up by the action of the built-in spring between it and the collet 10c and is recombined with the rear body R, and the suction port of the tip F becomes negative pressure again, so that the floppy medium 3 on the spindle 5 is It is sucked and held by the head portion 10b. When the arm 7b further rises and the bottle 10f of the suction head engages with its upper surface, the suction head rises together with the arm, finally reaching the state shown in FIG. 3(b).

The suction head 10 supported by the arm 71 maintains the state shown in FIG. 3(1) until the bin 10f engages with the arm, but when the arm reaches the position where it engages with the bin 10f. After reaching this point, the suction head moves up together with the arm while sucking and holding the separator 4 and floppy medium 3, and finally reaches the state shown in FIG. 3(b).

After the arm unit 7 has risen to the highest position, the arm unit 7 is rotated by 120 degrees in a predetermined direction (direction of arrow G in FIG. 1) by the transfer control mechanism 8, and the arm 7 is
1 moves to the position of the floppy test 22 5, arm 7b moves to the storage position, and arm 7C moves to the supply position. During this rotation period, the control unit 11 controls the rotation of the stacker table 19 according to the inspection results, and the storage pallet corresponding to the inspection results is set at the storage position.

Thereafter, the arm unit 7 descends and the same operation begins again.

In this way, this floppy recording medium inspection apparatus performs the lifting, inspection, sorting, and storage of floppy media in parallel, and can continuously and efficiently execute the floppy medium inspection process. Since the floppy media is in a bare state, if the media uses a plastic case or jacket, such as a microfloppy, only the media needs to be discarded if the product fails, and the case or jacket will not be wasted. Economical. Furthermore, since the floppy medium is handled in a bare state, the floppy inspection unit is equipped with multiple heads as mentioned above, and each head is assigned to a different area in the radial direction of the medium and can read/write and even erase at the same time. It is also easy to conduct the test and shorten the inspection time. This, combined with continuous processing, can greatly speed up inspection processing. Furthermore, since the sorting of accepted floppy media and rejected floppy media is done by selecting a storage pallet, the space required for sorting can be easily reduced compared to the conventional sorting by switching conveyance paths. That's t! The device can be made smaller.

Note that if a separator is interposed between the floppy media, the floppy media will be less likely to be damaged and the floppy media will be separated easily when picked up, but the separator may be omitted.

Next, parts related to carrying in, transferring, setting on the stacker table 9, discharging from the stacker table 9, etc. of the pallet will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 to 15.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an outline of a pallet supply and transfer device for carrying in supply pallets, transferring, discharging, and carrying in empty pallets, and Fig. 6 shows an expanded view of the belt conveyance mechanism of the device. It is a schematic perspective view. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged part of the device. In both figures, some parts are omitted or simplified.

In each figure, 50 is a conveyor belt that transports the supply pallet to the supply 1LA, and 52, 53, and 54 are conveyor belts that discharge empty pallets to the outside or transfer them to the supply section C. . M2O of the pulley on which the conveyor belt 50.52 is hung.

Bevel gears 64 and 65 are fixed to 62, and these bevel gears 6
4.66 are respectively meshed with bevel gears 59.61 mounted in opposite directions on the rotating shaft 57 of the motor 56.

The conveyor belts 50, 52 are therefore rotated in opposite directions. The conveyor belts 53 and 54 are rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) via a belt transmission mechanism, but details thereof are omitted in the figure. Conveyor belt 53
is arranged between a pair of conveyor belts 52, and is movable up and down by a solenoid 70. Pallet latches 72, 73, 74 are provided at predetermined positions on the path along which the pallets are conveyed by the conveyor belts 50, 52, 53, 54.
．． 75 are provided.

The pallet latch 72 is a solenoid 80, the pallet latch 76 is a solenoid 81, and the pallet latch'! 'A,
74 is a solenoid 82, and the pallet latch 75 is operated by a solenoid 83, respectively.

86 is a pallet gate for controlling the discharge or supply of empty pallets, and is screwed into a threaded rod 89 which is rotationally driven by a motor 88 via a belt transmission mechanism 87.

9G (see FIG. 7) is a pallet hopper.

The slider block 92 is supported along a pair of shafts 93 so as to be movable up and down. The slider block 92 is screwed into a threaded rod 94, and the belt transmission mechanism 9
When the threaded rod 94 is rotated by the sleeve portion 96 through the slider block 92, the slider block 92 is raised or lowered. A pair of side plates 100 are provided on the slider block 92 and extend toward the conveyor belt So, 52 side. A pair of conveyor belts 103 are attached to pulleys fixed to shafts 101 and 102 rotatably supported by the side plate 100. A gear 104 is fixed to one end of the shaft 101, and a grinder 106 (for example, a rubber roller) having teeth that mesh with the gear 104 is rotatably attached to one side plate 100. Drive shaft 60 of conveyance roller So, 52
．． At one end of 62, a four-let or the like is formed on the circumferential surface,
Rollers 108 and 109 each having an increased friction coefficient on the curved surface are fixedly attached thereto. Further, in the supply section A, a pallet stopper 110 is horizontally rotatably provided at a position as shown in FIG. 5, and is operated by a solenoid 110.

The operation of the pallet supply and transfer device configured as described above is as follows.

Normally, the motor 56 rotates in the forward direction, and the transport bell) 50.
52 is rotated in the directions of arrows 112 and 113.

A pallet (separators and floppy media are alternately stacked) supplied to the entrance of the conveyor belt 50 by a belt conveyor or the like is conveyed to the pallet hopper 90 side by the conveyor belt 50, and is held at a position where it engages with the pallet latch 72. Stop.

When setting a supply pallet on the pallet hopper 90, the conveyor belt 103 is raised to the same height as the conveyor belt 50 by controlling the rotation of the motor 96. In this state, since the friction roller 106 is in frictional contact with the roller 108, the conveyor belt 103 and the arrow 114 (
(Fig. 7).

In this state, the pallet latch 73 is operated to the release side, and the pallet stopper 110 is rotated to the outside of the pallet transfer path. Then, the pallet on the conveyor belt 50 is sent onto the conveyor belt 103, and the pallet is moved to the arrow 11.
Be carried in the direction of 4.

At this time, the guy F12 provided inside the side plate 100
0 (see Figure 9), the pallet (supply pallet)
has its lateral position and orientation corrected, and its tip is fitted with stopper 1.
2z (see Figures 8 and 9) and stops at the position (supply position). At this point, pallet stop 110 is moved back into the pallet transport path. Also, pallet latch 7
2 should also be returned to the latched position.

Next, the motor 96 is operated and the pallet hopper 90 is raised to a predetermined height. Reference will now be made to FIGS. 8 and 9. As shown in FIG. 8, the pallet hopper 90 is provided with a rotatable ramp claw 124 and an abutment 125 that together constitute a kind of cam mechanism. The clamp claw 124 moves up and down together with the pallet hopper 90, and is rotatably supported by a shaft 127 supported by the side plate 100. The abutment 125 is fixed at a predetermined height position.

128 is a return spring, which acts to rotate the clamp claw 124 counterclockwise in FIG. 8.

Now, when the pallet hopper 90 rises to a certain height,
As seen in FIG. 8, the clamp claw 124 as a cam follower engages with the abutment 125 and rotates clockwise against the force of the return spring 128, which is provided on the bottom surface of the supply pallet 2. The claw portion of the clamp claw 124 fits into the circular hole 130.

When the pallet hopper 90 rises to a predetermined height, the clamp claw 124 rotates further, and the clamp claw 124 is engaged with the inner surface of the hole 130 to press the supply pallet 2 against the stopper 122, position it at the supply position, and fix it. . In this way, since the lifting force of the pallet hopper 90 is used to operate the cam mechanism for pallet clamping, there is no need to provide a separate power source for pallet clamping, and the mechanism is simpler, smaller, and less expensive. Become. Note that since the hole 130 is circular, the orientation of the supply pallet 2 is reliably corrected at the same time as the clamping. However, the shape of the hole 130 is not limited to a circular shape, and the same effect can be obtained if at least the portion that engages with the clamp claw 124 is arcuate.

When the supply pallet 2 is empty, the motor 96 is activated to lower the pallet hopper 90. In order to separate the clamp claw 124 from the abutment 125, the clamp claw 124 is rotated counterclockwise by the action of the ulN spring 124, and the claw portion at the tip is inserted into the hole 13G.
escape from The pallet hopper 90 has a friction roller 10
6 descends to a position where it contacts the roller 109 of the conveyor belt 52 and stops. As a result, the conveyor belt 103 rotates in the opposite direction to the arrow 114 (FIG. 7), and transfers the empty supply pallet (empty pallet) onto the conveyor belt 52. This empty pallet is brought to a position where it engages with pallet latch 74 and is stopped. If an empty pallet already exists on the conveyor belt 52, the new empty pallet will stop at the position where it engages with the empty pallet. In other words, two (or three) empty pallets can be stacked on the conveyor belt 52 (empty pallets can be buffered).

If the maximum number of empty pallets that can be accumulated on the conveyor belt 52 already exists and even one of them cannot be transferred to the conveyor belt 54 side, the pallet latch 74 is operated to the release side and one or more empty pallets are Empty pallets are transferred to conveyor belt 5
A space is created on the conveyor belt 52 for accommodating empty pallets that are discharged from the pallet 2 to an external belt comparer or the like and carried out from the pallet hopper 90. At this time, the pallet gate 86 is moved by the motor 88 to a position where an empty pallet can be inserted.

In this way, when the empty pallet is removed from the pallet hopper 90, the motor 96 is activated and the pallet hopper 90 is raised to the height shown in FIG. Hopper 90
supplied to Then, as described above, the pallet hopper 90 is further raised and the supply pallet is clamped. Note that two (or three or more) supply pallets can also be stored on the conveyor belt 50. In other words, buffering for supply pallets is also possible.

Now, when a space for accommodating an empty pallet is created on the conveyor belt 54, the solenoid 70 is activated, and the conveyor belt 54
3 to almost the same height as the conveyor belt 52. As a result, the empty pallet stopped at the pallet latch 74 is fed to the conveyor belt 54 by the conveyor belt 53, and the empty pallet stopped at the pallet latch 74 by the conveyor belt 54.
Or, if an empty pallet already exists on the conveyor belt 54, it is fed to a position where it engages with the empty pallet and stops there. In addition, the conveyor belt 5
4 can also buffer two (or more) empty palettes.

The flow of the pallet described above is schematically shown in FIG. In this figure, 21 is a pallet containing floppy media, and 2b is an empty pallet.

Note that when it is necessary to supply empty pallets from the outside, such as when the total number of empty pallets on the conveyor belt 52, 54 is less than a predetermined number, the motor 88 is activated to move the pallet gate 86 forward and backward. groan,
Empty pallets are fed onto the conveyor belt 52 from a belt conveyor (not shown) or the like. At this time, the motor 56 is rotated in the opposite direction and the conveyor belt 52 is rotated in the opposite direction to the normal direction, so that the empty pallet supplied from the outside is transferred to the pallet latch 7.
3 to the position where it is locked. This empty palette is
It remains in that position or is transferred by the conveyor belt 53 to the conveyor belt 546m.

Of course, it is also possible for the operator to directly supply empty pallets.

Although not shown in the figure, the conveyor belts 50, 52, 53
．． A sensor for pallet detection is arranged along the line 54, and the control unit 11 calculates the above-mentioned pallet supply, transfer, discharge, replenishment, etc. based on the detection signal of the sensor.

Now, when one of the storage pallets in storage section C becomes full and a new storage pallet is required, the pallet latch 75
is released, one empty pallet on the conveyor belt 54 is sent onto the pallet elevator 140 (see FIG. 11) in the storage section C, and is used as a storage pallet as described later.

As explained above, since the empty supply pallet is transferred to the storage section C as a storage pallet, the pallet can be used effectively, and there is almost no need to replenish the storage pallet from outside, improving work efficiency. It also makes it easier to automate it. In particular, as in this example, when empty pallets are buffered, the need to replenish storage pallets from outside is extremely reduced, greatly improving work efficiency, and making it extremely easy to automate the pallet supply process. become. Incidentally, due to variations in the number of floppy media in the supply pallet, Ia of the inspection results, etc., the frequency at which empty pallets occur and the frequency at which new storage pallets are required may differ considerably in a short period of time. If empty pallets are not buffered, there may be a shortage or excess of empty pallets that can be used as storage pallets, and empty pallets must be supplied or discharged from outside frequently and infrequently. It needs to be done periodically, and if it is done manually, the work efficiency is poor, and if it is automated, the system becomes complicated.

Note that even if such empty pallet buffering is performed, there may be a rare case where there is a shortage or an excess of empty pallets. To deal with this case, as described above, empty pallets can be discharged or supplied midway along the empty pallet conveyance path.

Next, the storage section C will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15. It should be noted that some of the figures have been simplified or omitted, and the positional relationships, sizes, etc. have been exaggerated or changed.

142 is a motor for rotationally driving the stacker table 9 (see FIG. 11). The rotation of this motor 142 is transmitted to a reduction gear 146 via a belt transmission mechanism 144, and further to a gear 150 fixed to a shaft 148 of the stacker table 9. As shown most clearly in FIG. 13, this stacker table 9 has four cutouts 152 for setting storage pallets.
They are formed at 90 degree intervals. Each notch 152 is sized somewhat larger than the bottom of the pallet. Ramp rollers 154 are mounted facing both sides of the notch 152 as shown in FIG. This clamp roller 154 is for holding the storage pallet in the notch 152, and is supported by the stacker table 9 so as to be rotatable and to be able to swing in and out as a whole. The clamp roller 154 is provided with a biasing spring 1 that biases it inward.
56 is installed.

The pallet elevator 140 is provided at a predetermined position below the stacker table 9. This pallet elevator 140 can be moved up and down by rotating a threaded rod 160 screwed thereon by a motor 164 via a belt transmission mechanism 162.

Pallet elevator 140 via stacker table 9
A discharge pallet receiver section 170 is provided directly above the discharge pallet receiver. Here, as shown in FIG. 14, a pair of clamp claws 172 are provided facing each other. Each clamp claw 172
is rotatably supported and biased inward by a push spring 174. This discharge pallet receiver is part 17.
A delivery belt for transporting the discharge pallet to the outside in the direction of an arrow 177 is provided adjacent to 0, but it is omitted in the figure. 176 (see FIG. 11) is a slider that pushes out the pallet clamped by the pair of clamp claws 172 toward the delivery belt, and is screwed into a screw holder 178. This threaded rod 176 is connected to the belt transmission mechanism 111.
By rotating the slider 176 with the motor 182 via the slider 182, the slider 176 can be moved forward and backward as shown by the arrow 142.

Note that the support stand 200 of the discharge pallet receiver section 170 is screwed onto a threaded rod 202 driven by a motor 201. Therefore, by rotating the motor 201, the height of the discharge pallet receiver section 170 can be adjusted.

In FIG. 15, the palette is shown enlarged. As seen in this figure, the pallet has an approximately square bottom 19
0 and a cylindrical portion 192 having an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the floppy medium. The cylindrical portion 190 is formed with a notch 194 that reaches the bottom portion 190 in order to facilitate the insertion and removal of floppy media. The circular hole 130 and a small diameter circular hole 196 are formed in the bottom portion 190,
Further, at a position corresponding to the non-cutout portion of the cylindrical portion 192,
Ws198 having approximately the same cross-sectional shape as that portion is formed. Note that the inner side of the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 192 is shaved off obliquely, so that the thickness is thinner than the other portions.

Next, the operation of handling pallets in the storage section C, particularly the ejection and exchange of storage pallets, will be explained.

In the storage pallet set in a certain notch 152,
When a predetermined number of 70-piece media (and separators) are stored, the control unit 11 starts the motor 14.
2 is driven and controlled, and the stacker table 9 is rotated so that its storage pallet (referred to as a discharge pallet) is located directly above the pallet elevator 140. Note that the number of floppy media in each storage pallet is managed by the control unit 11. In addition, the rotation number of the stacker table 9 is determined by the arm unit 7.
It is carried out during a period when the

Next, the motor 162 is rotated in the forward direction, and the pallet elevator 140 is raised. When raised to a certain height, the upper end of the empty pallet (2dl in FIG. 14) that is not set on the pallet elevator 140 fits into the groove 198 at the bottom of the discharge pallet that is set on the stacker table 9. Pallet elevator 14G When the pallet elevator 140 further rises, the discharge pallet is pushed up by the empty pallet 2d. When the pallet elevator 140 further rises, the discharge pallet rises while spreading the clamp claws 172 at its bottom, and finally, as shown in the upper part of FIG. The empty pallet 2d is clamped by the clamp claw 172 and held at the ejection position.
It rises while being spread out, and is finally clamped by the clamp roller 154, as shown in the middle part of FIG. Thereafter, this empty pallet 2d will be used as one of the storage pallets. Thereafter, the motor 164 is reversely rotated, and the pallet elevator 140 is lowered to approximately the same height as the conveyor belt 54. The above operations are controlled by the control unit 11.

When a discharge pallet is set on the discharge pallet receiver 170, the motor 182 is rotated in the forward direction, thereby moving the slider 176 in the direction of arrow 177 and pushing the discharge pallet onto a carry-out belt (not shown). The unloading belt is
The discharge pallet is carried outside, for example, to a belt conveyor (not shown). Of course, it is also possible for a worker to take out the discharge pallet. Thereafter, the motor 182 is reversely rotated and the slider 176 returns to the position shown in FIG. 11 again. Such operations are controlled by the control unit 11. In addition, even with the unloading belt, 2 (or 3)
(more than one) discharge pallets may be buffered.

As mentioned above, push up the discharge pallet with an empty pallet,
Since the discharge pallet is set on the discharge pallet receiver and the empty pallet is set on the stacker table as a storage pallet at the same time, the related mechanism becomes simple and compact, and its control is also simplified.

Note that since a groove 198 into which the upper end of another pallet fits is formed at the bottom of the pallet, when pushing up the discharge pallet with an empty pallet, the discharge pallet may move laterally or fall. The discharge pallet can be reliably set into the discharge pallet receiver without any problems.

In the embodiment described above, the separator and the floppy medium are held and transferred by suction heads arranged at 120 degree intervals, but such a mechanism is not limited to the above-mentioned one. Also, holding floppy media is
It is not limited to adsorption. Furthermore, it is also possible to configure the apparatus to handle only floppy media without using a separator. In short, the floppy media is taken out one by one from the supply pallet and transferred to the inspection stage.
The apparatus may be configured so that the floppy medium that has been inspected is transferred to and stored on a storage pallet.

Furthermore, the configuration of the pallet supply and transfer device is not limited to that described above. For example, although a conveyor belt is used as the pallet conveying means, it is also possible to use roller conveying means or the like. Alternatively, it is also possible to configure the pallet transport path to be a simple inclined path and to transport the pallet by its own weight. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide a member that can be moved along the pallet transport path, and to clamp or engage the pallet with suitable means to transport the pallet together with the member. It is also possible to use this method to move empty pallets along the conveyance path.

The means for clamping the supply pallet in the supply position can also be varied accordingly.

Further, the mechanism for ejecting the ejecting pallet and setting an empty pallet in its place is not limited to the one described above. For example, the means for clamping the discharge pallet and the empty pallet may be appropriately changed to a pair of plate-shaped spring members, a pair of plate-shaped, spherical or bottle-shaped members biased inwardly by a spring, or the like. The means for pushing up the empty pallet can be changed as appropriate, such as pushing up the empty pallet using a lever-like movable member.

Furthermore, the structure of the pallet is not limited to that described above.

Further, the present invention can be similarly applied to an inspection apparatus for recording media other than floppy media, such as optical discs. Furthermore, the present invention can be similarly applied to an inspection device that processes a recording medium housed in a jacket or case.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In this invention, the empty pallet supplied below the storage pallet is raised, the empty pallet pushes the storage pallet to the ejection position, and the empty pallet is held as a new storage pallet. In this way, the storage pallet can be ejected and replaced at the same time by simply raising the empty pallet, so a single drive source is sufficient for this purpose.
Since the empty pallet and the storage pallet move on the same line, the space for their movement is minimized, and the means for controlling them can also be simplified. Therefore, the mechanism for ejecting and exchanging storage pallets can be made simple, inexpensive, and compact, and a recording medium inspection device with a simple structure, inexpensive, and compact can be realized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a simplified overall configuration of a floppy recording medium inspection device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 (tortoise) and FIG. 3(1) to 3(c) are schematic sectional views showing the structure of the suction head and its operation, and FIGS. 4(1) to 4(c) are schematic sectional views showing the structure of the suction head and its operation.
d) is a state transition diagram for explaining the operation of the suction head when setting a floppy medium on the spindle of the inspection unit, FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the pallet supply and transfer device, and FIG. 6 is a diagram of the pallet supply and transfer device. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged part of the pallet supply transfer device; FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the supply pallet clamping mechanism; FIG. 9 10 is a schematic plan view showing the state in which the supply pallet is clamped to the supply position, FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of pallets in the pallet supply transfer device, and FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the storage section. , Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the ejection pallet receiver of the storage section, Fig. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the stacker table, and Fig. 14 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the ejection exchange of the storage pallet. Figure, 1st sFI! I(a), same (
b) and (C) are a perspective view, a partially sectional front view, and a plan view of the pallet. 1... Handling unit, 2... Supply pallet, 3... Flow I'-IIL body, 4... Seha L/
- data, 5... floppy inspection unit, 51... spindle, 6a to 6d... storage pallet, 7. middle arm unit), ? a-7c -- Arm, 8 -- Transfer control mechanism, 9 -- Stacker table, 10 -- Suction head, 10 Turtle -- Spatula Fill, 10b -- Head part, F -- Spatula )-11i10b tip, R...
・Rear body of head part 1゜b, 10c...collet,
10d...M 11...control unit),
12... Read/write control circuit, 14... Stopper,
15...Bar, 17...Claw, A...Supply section, C
...Storage section, 5G, 52, 53, 54, 103...
Conveyor belt, is, 96.88, 95° 142, 164
・・Motor, 72, 73, 74. 75, 76...
・Pallet latch, 86...Pallet gate, 90・
...Pallet hopper, 110...Pallet stopper,
Clamp claw 124.125...Abutment, 122...
Stopper, 140...Pallet elevator, 154...
... Clamp roller, 172... Clamp claw. Figure 3 (0) Figure 3 (b) + times (αn (b) (C)
ω,) 6th rule 10 figure name 12 figure N13 circle 1512! l (C)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A first means for holding a pallet on which recording media are stacked and stored (referred to as a storage pallet), and a first means for moving an empty pallet supplied to a predetermined position below the storage pallet to a predetermined height. The empty pallet supplied to a predetermined position is moved to a predetermined height by the second means with its upper end engaged with the bottom of the storage pallet, and the empty pallet is moved to a predetermined height by the second means. is pushed up from the position where it was held by the first means to the discharge position, and the empty pallet is held by the first means as a new storage pallet.