JPS61277511A - Automatic parts feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To give an optimum value in amplitude of vibration to a bowl according to a residual quantity of parts inside the bowl, by setting each optimum amplitude of vibration of a vibrator in accordance with the type and quantity of these parts inside the vibrating type bowl, and storing it in a control unit. CONSTITUTION:A type of work buttons to be projected into a specified bowl 24 is assorted in several grades and inputted into a button type selecting device 6. Next, a quantity of buttons ranging from maximum quantity to minimum one inside the bowl 24is divided into several steps and inputted into a batch projection quantity selecting device 7. In addition, at each assortment of type and quantity of these buttons, an optimum value in amplitude of vibration is inputted into an amplitude optimum value setting device 8. Entering in actual operation after preparations aforesaid, the optimum amplitude of vibration is calculated by a measuring value of operational frequency of an extruding plate or a swivel arm, etc., in an individual feed mechanism 28, operating a vibrator 26.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically supplying parts to an assembly robot or the like.

[Conventional technology]

As an example of a conventional assembly robot of this type, Fig. 2 shows an overall side view of an example of a robot equipped with a button for supplying and sewing buttons (parts) to sewn products. , a button attachment is composed of a sewing machine 20, a button loader section 21, and a button feeder section 22, and the buttons of the parts are fed in batches into a bowl 24 of the feeder section 22, and a by-play machine that generates vibration electromagnetically by a solenoid or the like is used. By evening 26, each button is sorted and arranged in a line so that all buttons are facing up on a spiral guideway 25 arranged around the inner wall of the bowl 24, and then placed in a downwardly sloping flexible pipe-like shape. It is fed to the loader section 21 by sliding down the chute 27 successively in rows due to the vibration of the vibrator, and is fed to the loader section 21 by the individual button feeding mechanism 28 and in synchronization with a predetermined timing by the rotating arm 29. , the needle 20a of the sewing machine 20 is fed to the button clamp 30 of the needle 20a drop.

Since the button feeder section 22 employs a well-known vibrating feeder, detailed explanation regarding the configuration will be omitted.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the conventional vibratory feeder device as described above, the mass effect on vibration differs depending on the type and amount of buttons present in the bowl 24, so the conveyance capacity/part of the buttons differs, and the initial batch The vibration behavior changes due to differences in the input amount, changes in amount due to button consumption during one work, etc., and especially when the remaining amount in the bowl decreases, the predetermined vibration amplitude of the vibrator 26 becomes excessive.
There is a possibility that the buttons sorted and arranged on the guideway 25 may be shaken off or turned upside down after being sorted.

In order to prevent such shortcomings, the operator should always monitor the behavior of the button remaining in the bowl 24 and, if necessary, manually control the vibrator drive current using a variable resistor or the like to adjust the vibration amplitude. needed to be maintained properly.

This reduces the burden of monitoring/operation on the operator.
In addition, if the adjustment operation is not done properly, it will take a lot of effort to manually eject the button when it is turned inside out, and the resulting blank stitches without buttons.
Alternatively, the back button was sewn on, and conversely, this led to a lack of transport/sorting housing, which was a problem when mounting on automatic machines.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art as described above, and an object of the present invention is to optimally control the amplitude of the vibrator in response to the remaining amount of the button in the bowl, thereby eliminating the drawbacks of the prior art.

[Means for solving problems]

For this reason, in the present invention, each optimum vibration amplitude of the vibrator is set according to the type and quantity of parts in a specific bowl, and is stored in the control device, and after a predetermined amount of parts are put into the batch into the bowl, the individual parts feeding means By counting the number of feeds and comparing the number of feeds with the input amount, and controlling the drive current of the vibrator so as to obtain an amplitude that approximates the optimum value in response to the amount of parts remaining in the bowl, This aims to achieve the above objective.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained below based on examples.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual block diagram of one embodiment of a control circuit according to the principles of the present invention. This circuit is an input device mainly based on a microcomputer, which is provided to control various operations of a conventional sewing machine and loader device in a robot with a button.

It can be easily connected in parallel using ROM 3, RAM 4, output device 5, etc. 6 is for selecting the type of button to be input, 7 is for selecting the batch input amount, 8 is for setting the optimum amplitude amount, 9 is an individual feed count circuit, 10 is an ibrator drive circuit controlled by the output device 5, and 11 is a solenoid thereof.

Next, the operation will be explained. First, the type of work button (shape 9 dimensions) for a specific bowl 24.

weight, material, etc.) into several stages (for example, 5 stages, etc.),
Next, the quantity from the (maximum) amount of batch input to the bowl to the minimum remaining amount at the next time of replenishment is classified into several levels (for example, five levels).

Next, for each combination of the above button types and quantities,
The optimal value of each vibration amplitude is determined experimentally, inputted, and stored in the ROM 3.

With the above preparations, when the button type and batch input amount are selected during actual work, the microcomputer will automatically select the stored optimum amplitude settings and the individual feed mechanism 28.
calculate the optimum amplitude based on the count of the number of operations of the gate or button push-out plate, or the rotating arm 29, etc., and command the vibrator drive circuit to an appropriate current;
The solenoid of the vibrator 26 is driven.

The counting means of the above-mentioned individual feeding mechanism or each structure of the above-mentioned control circuit can be easily realized by known conventional techniques, and therefore detailed explanation will be omitted.

With the above configuration, this device can always automatically obtain an approximately optimal vibration amplitude in response to the number of buttons in the bowl, and can maintain an optimal conveyor/sorter speed.

In addition, although the above-mentioned embodiment described an example in which a button is supplied as a part to a robot with a button, the principle of the present invention is not limited to this example only, and can be applied to general assembly robots of this kind. It can be applied to devices that supply parts.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the optimum vibration amplitude can be automatically obtained in accordance with the number of parts in the bowl of the feeder section. With this configuration, the burden of monitoring and adjustment traditionally required of operators is reduced, and the feeding/sorting capacity of the feeder can always be maintained at its optimum, making it possible to more rationalize installation on automatic machines. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual block diagram of an embodiment of a control circuit according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of an example of a conventional button-equipped robot to which the present invention can be applied. 21...Button loader section 22...
...Button feeder section 24 ...Bowl

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a parts feeding device equipped with a vibrating bowl using a vibrator, the optimum vibration amplitude in the bowl according to the type and quantity of parts to be fed is set in advance and stored in the control device, and a batch of a predetermined amount of the parts is fed to the bowl. After charging, the number of times the parts are fed by the individual feeding means is counted, and the vibrator is adjusted to give an amplitude approximating the optimum vibration amplitude in response to the amount of parts remaining in the bowl compared to the amount of input. An automatic parts supply device characterized by being configured to control drive current.