JPS63214371A - Apparatus for applying sealer to rear lamp for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the movement of a sealer coating robot by securing the moving space thereof, by making the positioning means of a rear lamp relatively accessible with respect to the upper working space of the rear lamp. CONSTITUTION:The upper surface of a table 2 is divided into three areas, that is, a setting area A1 where a positioning mechanism 4 is positioned, a coating area A2 where a sealer coating robot 5 is positioned and a rear lamp take-out area in the order of the rotation of said table 2. At the time of working, a rear lamp 17 is accurately positioned on a vacuum cup 20 at the height of each support rod 13 adjusted according to the kind of the rear lamp 17 in conjunction with the falling of the positioning mechanism 4 at the area A1 and the sucking operation of the vacuum cup 20. When the rear lamp 17 is set at the predetermined position, the positioning mechanism 4 is raised through a shaking level 34 and, therefore, the rear lamp 17 is made movable to the sealer coating area A2 in the state of being held by a holding mechanism 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a sealant to a rear lamp for an automobile.

(Prior Art) It is common to apply a sealant (for example, butyl resin, etc.) to the mounting surface of an automobile rear lamp to maintain watertightness. As a sealant application device for this purpose, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-68068,
Workpiece on storage stand (window panel in the publication)
A plurality of guide plates are erected for positioning the workpiece relative to the mounting table, holding means for holding the workpiece relative to the mounting table is provided on the storage stand, and a coating robot is operated in a work space above the holding means. A device with a similar configuration to the one that is movable is used.

As a result, the rear lamp is positioned with respect to the mounting table by the plurality of guide plates, and in this state is held with respect to the storage table by the holding means. After this, the coating robot moves according to the taught content. For example, a sealant is applied to the peripheral edge of the rear lamp.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the coating apparatus described above, since the guide plate is installed upright on the mounting table, when the workpiece is guided according to each guide plate, each guide plate Therefore, the coating robot (arm) had to move while avoiding each guide plate, and the coating robot had to make complicated movements. For this reason,
The coating robot was required to move at a fairly high level.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a sealant coating device for an automobile rear lamp that can simplify the movement of a sealant coating robot.

(Means and operations for solving the problem) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a holding means that is provided on a mounting table and is capable of storing and holding a rear lamp, and the holding means. An apparatus for applying a sealant to a rear lamp for an automobile, comprising a positioning means for positioning a rear lamp placed thereon, and a sealant applying robot movable in a working space above the rear lamp above the rear lamp held by the holding means. The apparatus for applying a sealant to a rear lamp for an automobile is characterized in that the positioning means is provided so as to be relatively movable in and out of the working space above the rear lamp.

With the above configuration, when the sealant coating robot applies the sealant to the rear lamp, the positioning means can be moved out of the working space above the rear lamp, and the working space above the rear lamp can be opened.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, l represents a sealant coating device according to the present invention. This device 1 includes a disc-shaped rotary table 2 (hereinafter referred to as a table) as a storage stand, and a rear lamp holding mechanism 3 (hereinafter referred to as a holding mechanism) as a holding means provided on the table 2. , a positioning mechanism 4 as a positioning means arranged around the table 2 at a predetermined interval, and a sealant application robot 5.

First, Table 2 will be explained. A support stand 7 is provided on the base surface 6, and the lower end of the zero-rotation shaft 8 is rotatably supported by the support stand 7 so that the rotation shaft 8 passes through the support stand 7 and extends in the vertical direction. A drive source 9 is linked to the upper end of the zero-rotation shaft 8, which rotates the rotation shaft 8 by a predetermined amount around its axis by turning on a table rotation switch (not shown). A table 2 is fitted to the outer periphery so that the table 2 cannot rotate relative to the center thereof, and the table 2 is arranged so that its upper surface 2a is in a horizontal state. The table top surface 2a is divided into three parts at equal angles, and each division is sequentially divided into a rear lamp set area A1 where the positioning mechanism 4 is located, and a sealant application area where the sealant application robot 5 is located. It faces either area A2 or rear lamp extraction area A3. At this time, the rotational position of the table 2 is determined by a predetermined position adjustment mechanism IO.

A pair of holding mechanisms 3 are provided in each compartment.Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, only one holding mechanism 3 in the - compartment will be used.
The other holding mechanisms 3 will be given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted. The holding mechanism 3 includes a height positioning mechanism 11 and a suction device 12. The height positioning mechanism 11 includes a plurality of support rods 13, a height adjustment device 4, a transmission member 15, and a lever 16. It is composed of and. The plurality of support rods 13 are provided so as to extend upward, and are arranged at the storage position of the rear lamp 17. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the rear lamp 17 is provided with a raised portion 17a and a plurality of stud bolts (not shown) on the coated surface. The degree of elevation of the raised portion 17a differs depending on the type of rear lamp 17, and each stud bolt
It is provided to serve as a reference when positioning the table 2 with respect to the table 2.

The height adjustment device 14 is linked to the lower end of each support rod 13, and the height adjustment device allows each support rod 13 to be displaced in the vertical direction by the same amount of displacement at the same time. The transmission member 15 is guided to the height adjustment device 14 parallel to the table top surface 2a, and the transmission member 15 is guided to the height adjustment device 14! 14, the plurality of support rods 13 are linked to change the amount of displacement in the vertical direction according to the displacement position of the transmission member 15 in the axial direction. In order to correspond to the rear lamp 17 of the vehicle model, the transmission member 15 can take two positions, and accordingly, the height positions of the tips of the plurality of support rods 13 can take two positions. ing. The height positions of the tips of the plurality of support rods 13 are detected by a detected object 18 attached to the transmission member 15 and a proximity switch 19 that detects the detected object 18. The signal is input to a control circuit (not shown). The lever 16 is connected to both transmission members 15 of the pair of holding mechanisms 3 in each section,
By displacing the lever 16 in the axial direction of the transmission member 15, both transmission members 15 are displaced by the same amount of displacement. Therefore, by operating the lever 16, the plurality of support rods 13 in each section are all vertically displaced by the same amount of displacement.

The suction device 12 includes a plurality of vacuum cups 20 to which suction force is applied by a negative pressure source (not shown). The plurality of vacuum cups 2° are supported by a support frame 21 and arranged inside the plurality of support rods 13 in each holding mechanism 3, so that even when the rear lamp 17 is not suctioned and held, the rear lamp 17 can be maintained. ! When the rear lamp 17 is placed a on the vacuum cup zo, the rear lamp 17 is visible downward to the operator. The tip surfaces of each vacuum cup 2° are at the same height position, and the height position is higher than the height position of the tip of the support rod 13 which is displaced to the highest position when the rear lamp 17 is not suctioned and held. It's getting expensive. An air cylinder or the like (not shown) is linked to the support frame 21 so that each vacuum cup 20 can be moved up and down integrally, and in this embodiment, the rear lamp 17 placed on the vacuum cup 20 When the vacuum cups 20 are sucked and held, each vacuum cup 20 is lowered by the air cylinder or the like until the rear lamp 17 comes into contact with the tip of each support rod 13. The fact that the rear lamp 17 has descended until it comes into contact with the tip of each support rod 13 is due to the fact that the detection rod 22, which is displaced downward as the rear lamp 17 descends, and the detected object 23 attached to the detection rod 22. , and a proximity switch 24 that detects the object 23 to be detected, and a detection signal from the proximity switch 24 is inputted to the control circuit as a holding process completion signal for the rear lamp 17.

Further, a rough guide 25 is provided in each section of the table top surface 2a. This rough guide 25 is used as a rough guide when placing the rear lamp 17 on the vacuum cup 20. When the vacuum cup 20 is suctioning and holding the rear lamp 17, the upper edge of the rough guide 25 is It is lower than the coating surface of No. 17.

The positioning mechanism 4 is provided above the table 2 so that each section of the table top surface 2a passes below as the table 2 rotates. To explain this positioning mechanism 4, a support member 26 crosses above the table 2, and a guide member 27 is provided on the support member 26. A plurality of guide shafts 28 are held by the guide member 27 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, the upper end of each guide shaft 28 is fixed with a plate 29, and the lower end of each guide shaft 28 is fixed with a plate 30. ing. The plate 29 and the guide member 27 are connected via a gas spring 31, and a spring 32 is interposed between the plate 29 and the guide member 27. A support plate 33 is attached to the guide member 27 so as to extend upward.
A swing lever 34 is supported at one end of the support plate 33 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. The swing lever 34 is connected halfway to the cylinder 31a of the gas spring 31, and the other end of the swing lever 34 extends outward from the table 2. Therefore, when the other end of the swinging lever 34 is swung in the vertical direction, the piston rod 31b of the gas spring 31 will expand and contract, and the expansion and contraction of the piston rod 31b will cause the guide vehicle 28 to move in the vertical direction. As the displacement changes, the plate 30 also moves in the vertical direction. plate 30
A plurality of positioning members 35 are protruded from the lower surface of the rear lamp 17 so as to correspond to the arrangement of the stud bolts of the rear lamp 17. A fitting hole (path shown in the figure) is formed at the tip of each positioning member 35 so that a stud bolt of the rear lamp 17 can be fitted therein, and by fitting the stud bolt into each fitting hole, The rear lamp spacer placed on the vacuum cup 20 will be positioned with respect to the table 2. Further, a detection rod 36 is supported on the plate 30 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.
is the vacuum cup 20 when positioning the rear lamp 17.
It comes into contact with the raised portion 17a of the rear lamp 17 placed above, and is displaced to a predetermined position according to the raised portion 17a. A detected object 37 is attached to this detection rod 36, and the detected object 37 is attached to the proximity switch 3.
8 is detected. This proximity switch 3
The detection signal No. 8 is input to the control circuit as a rear lamp type determination signal.

In addition, this device l is provided with a proximity switch (path shown) that detects that the positioning mechanism 4 is at a predetermined raised position, and this detection signal is transmitted when each positioning member 35 is separated from the stud bolt. The signal is input to the control circuit as a signal.

The sealant application robot 5 is a commonly used and known type, and this robot 5 has an arm 5 that moves in all directions.
a, and its arm 5a extends above the table in the sealant application area A2. The arm 5a
A nozzle device 39 is added to the tip, and a sealant such as butyl resin is injected from this nozzle device 39. This robot 5 is controlled based on a control circuit, and the nozzle assembly M39 moves along a predetermined sealant application trajectory depending on the type of the rear lamp 17.

Next, the operation and operation of the sealant application device 1 will be explained.

First, the operator determines the type of rear lamp 17 to which the sealant is to be applied, and based on that determination, adjusts the height of each support rod 1 and 3 by operating the levers ~ 16 in the rear lamp set area A1. .

Along with this height adjustment, the proximity switch 19
8 is detected, and the control circuit determines the type of rear lamp 17 based on this detection signal.

Next, the operator places the rear lamp 17 on the vacuum cup 20 while aligning it with the rough guide 25 in the rear lamp set area A1. At this time, rear lamp 1
Turn the coated side of step 7 upward.

Next, the operator lowers the positioning mechanism 4 by swinging the swing lever 34 downward, and fits the stud bolt of the rear lamp F into the fitting hole at the tip of each positioning member 35. As a result, as each stud bolt is fitted into the fitting hole of each positioning member 35, the rear lamp 17 moves on the vacuum cup 20 and the position is corrected, and each stud bolt is fitted into the fitting hole of each positioning member 35. When the rear lamp 1 is completely fitted into the fitting hole 35,
7 has been positioned. At this time, the detection rod 36
, the detected object 37 and the proximity switch 38 are connected to the rear lamp 17.
The control circuit determines the type of rear lamp based on the detected signal.

Subsequently, each vacuum cup 20 starts suctioning, and the rear lamp 17 is sucked into each vacuum cup 20. When the rear lamp 17 is sucked into each vacuum cup 20, in that state, the rear lamp 17 is sucked into each support rod 1 along with each vacuum cup 20 by an air cylinder or the like.
As a result, the rear lamp 17 is held at a predetermined position relative to the table 2. In this case, the detection rod 22, the detected object 23, and the proximity switch 24 will detect that the rear lamp 17 has descended until it comes into contact with the tip of each support rod 13, and based on this detection signal, the control circuit will control the rear lamp 17. It is determined that the holding process No. 17 has been completed.

On the other hand, at the end of the process of holding the rear lamp 17, the operator releases the swing lever 34. As a result, the positioning mechanism 4 is raised by the action of the gas spring 31, and each positioning member 35 is disengaged from each stud bolt of the rear lamp 17 and rises to a predetermined raised position. . A proximity switch (not shown) detects that it has risen to this predetermined position, and the control circuit determines the above state based on the detection signal. Thereby, the positioning process and the holding process of the rear lamp 17 are completed, and the preparation for moving to the next process is completed.

After that, when the operator turns on a table rotation switch (not shown), the table 2 rotates by a predetermined amount, and the rear lamp 17 held by the holding mechanism 3 is moved to the sealant application area A.
Moved to 2. In this case, if the control circuit determines that either the positioning members 35 have risen to a predetermined raised position or the rear lamp 17 has been held is not satisfied, the operator Table 2 does not rotate even if the rotation switch is turned on.

When the rear lamp 17 held by the holding mechanism 3 moves into the sealant application area A2, the sealant application robot 5 moves along a predetermined application trajectory according to the type of the rear lamp 17 based on the control of the control circuit. Therefore, the sealant is applied to the entire circumference of the rear lamp 17.

The control circuit determines the coating trajectory according to the type of rear lamp 17 based on the detection signals from the proximity switches 19 and 38, and the control circuit determines the application trajectory according to the type of rear lamp 17 based on the detection signals from the proximity switches 19 and 38. The robot 5 is operated only when the types of rear lamps 17 based on both signals are different, and the robot 5 is not operated.

The robot 5 moves within the sealant application area A2 when applying the sealant, but at this time, the work space above the rear lamp 17 is open, and the work space is free from movement of the robot. There will be no obstacles in the way. Therefore, the robot 5 (arm 5) moves along a predetermined coating trajectory with simple movements without being restricted by any obstacles.

When the sealant application process is completed, the rotation of the table 2 moves the rear lamp 17 held by the holding mechanism 3 to the rear lamp take-out area A3, and the rear lamp 17 is taken out from the table 2 in this area A3. It turns out.

Although the embodiment has been described above, in the present invention, after the positioning process of the rear lamp 17 is completed, the positioning mechanism 4 is sufficiently raised to secure a working space above the rear lamp, and the robot 5 seals the rear lamp setting area A1. An agent may also be applied.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, when the sealant application robot applies sealant to the rear lamp, the positioning means is moved out of the working space above the rear lamp, and the working space above the rear lamp is opened. Therefore, there are no obstacles that obstruct the movement of the sealant application robot, and the movement of the sealant application robot can be simplified.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a sealant application device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1. l: Sealant application device 2: table 3: Holding mechanism 4: Positioning mechanism 5: Robot

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A holding means provided on a mounting table and capable of mounting and holding a rear lamp, a positioning means for positioning the rear lamp placed on the holding means, and a rear lamp held by the holding means. In the apparatus for applying a sealant to an automobile rear lamp, the positioning means is provided so as to be relatively movable in and out of the workspace above the rear lamp. An apparatus for applying a sealant to an automobile rear lamp, characterized in that: