TW202108286A - Tray conveying device and tray conveying method wherein the tray conveying device is provided with a conveying rail, a tray conveying unit, a fluid rail, and a fluid supply and suction unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A tray conveying device comprises a conveying rail for moving a tray on which a fluid pressure device is carried; a tray conveying unit for transporting the tray carried on the conveying rail; a fluid rail arranged along the conveying rail and having a fluid passage formed therein; and a fluid supply and suction unit arranged to be in communication with the fluid passage for supplying fluid to the fluid passage or drawing the fluid from the fluid passage. A plurality of through holes are formed on the fluid rail to communicate the fluid passage with the exterior. An opposed member and a connecting channel are provided on the tray. The opposed member is formed with a recess covering a part of the plurality of through holes, and the opposed member is opposed to the fluid rail. The connecting channel connects the recess with the fluid pressure device.

Description

Pallet conveying device and pallet conveying method

The present invention relates to a pallet conveying device and a pallet conveying method.

Conventionally, there is a conveying device on a production line, and the conveying device conveys a workpiece with a conveyor belt, and the machine tool of the conveying destination performs predetermined processing on the workpiece. However, with the conventional conveying device, when a heavy workpiece such as a stator is mounted on a conveyor belt and conveyed, the inertial force acting on the workpiece is large when the conveyance of the workpiece is stopped. Therefore, there are disadvantages in that it is difficult to increase the conveyance speed, and it is difficult to accurately position the stopper.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-21629 proposes a pallet conveying device that conveys a plurality of pallets on which workpieces are mounted with respect to a machine tool through a quadrangular rail. In this pallet conveying device, a plurality of pallets are mounted on a rail, a plurality of pallets are clamped between a left pallet conveying mechanism and a right pallet conveying mechanism, and the plurality of pallets are moved by a distance of one pallet in a clamped state Carry out.

In recent years, a fluid pressure device that operates under fluid pressure is mounted on a pallet, and the demand for handling the pallet by operating the fluid pressure device has gradually increased.

However, when a fluid pressure device is mounted on a tray, it is also necessary to mount a fluid supply suction unit that supplies fluid or sucks fluid to operate the fluid pressure device on the tray. In addition, there are also disadvantages in that the weight of the pallet increases, and the workpiece loading area on the pallet decreases, and the effective conveyance of the workpiece becomes difficult.

In addition, when a plurality of trays are loaded on a conveyance rail for transportation, when a fluid pressure device is mounted on a plurality of trays, it is also necessary to install a fluid supply and suction unit that operates the fluid pressure device on the plurality of trays. . In addition, since the same number of fluid supply suction units as the number of trays are required, there is still a problem that the unit price of the tray conveying device is too high.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pallet conveying device and a pallet conveying method that can avoid mounting a fluid supply suction unit that drives a fluid pressure device on a pallet.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a pallet conveying device including: a conveying rail that mounts a pallet equipped with a fluid pressure device so as to be movable; and a pallet conveying unit that supports the pallet mounted on the conveying rail. Carrying; a fluid rail, which is arranged along the carrying rail and has a fluid passage formed inside; and a fluid supply suction unit which is arranged to communicate with the fluid passage and supply fluid to or from the fluid passage The fluid passage sucks fluid; the fluid rail is formed with a plurality of through holes that allow the fluid passage to communicate with the outside, and the tray is provided with an opposing member and a communication path, and the opposing member is formed with a plurality of A recess covering a part of the through hole is opposed to the fluid rail, and the communication path communicates the recess with the fluid pressure device.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a pallet conveying method, which mounts a pallet equipped with a fluid pressure device on a conveying rail for conveying, including: forming a fluid passage inside and forming the fluid passage and A fluid rail with a plurality of through-holes communicating with the outside is provided along the conveying rail; fluid is supplied to the fluid passage or sucked from the fluid passage; a recessed portion covering a part of the plurality of through-holes is formed The opposed member is opposed to the fluid rail; the recess is communicated with the fluid pressure equipment mounted on the tray, and the fluid pressure equipment is operated while the tray and the opposed part.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to avoid mounting the fluid supply suction unit that drives the fluid pressure device to operate on the tray.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The pallet conveying device 10 of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 8. In each figure, set the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis orthogonal to each other, set the X-axis to be approximately horizontal, the Y-axis to the approximately horizontal front-to-rear direction, and the Z-axis to be approximately the vertical direction. The structure of the device 10 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, the pallet conveying apparatus 10 of this embodiment is installed in the production line which manufactures small products. In addition, the pallet conveying device 10 loads and conveys a plurality of pallets 21 equipped with suction nozzles 26 as fluid pressure equipment on the conveying rail 31. The production line is a production line in which three processing stations 11, 12, and 13 are arranged in a row at predetermined intervals along the X-axis direction. Each processing station 11, 12, 13 is formed in a box shape, and a machine tool (not shown) is installed inside.

In addition, the machine tool in each processing station 11, 12, 13 performs various necessary processing such as drilling, fastening, and welding on the workpiece 14 (refer to FIG. 2) conveyed by the pallet conveying device 10, thereby automatically manufacturing the image Products shown. The workpiece supply machine 16 that supplies the workpiece 14 and the workpiece recovery machine 17 that collects the workpiece 14 are respectively installed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the processing stations 11, 12, and 13 with the processing stations 11, 12, and 13 interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the pallet conveying device 10 of this embodiment includes: a conveying rail 31 that is provided to extend along the X-axis direction; and a return rail 41 that is provided to be separated from the conveying rail 31 in the Y-axis direction , And parallel to the conveying rail 31; the pallet conveying unit 51, which conveys the pallet 21 loaded on the conveying rail 31; the pallet returning unit 61, which moves the pallet 21 loaded on the return rail 41 in the direction opposite to the conveying direction Return tray transfer mechanism 70, which transfers the tray 21 loaded on the transport rail 31 from the top of the transport rail 31 to the top of the return rail 41; and the transport tray transfer mechanism 80, which will be loaded on the tray on the return rail 41 21 is transferred from the base end of the return rail 41 to the base end of the transport rail 31.

As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance rail 31 of the present embodiment has a support plate 32 formed in a rectangular shape along the Z-axis direction in cross section, a commercially available linear motion guide 33 fixed to the upper edge of the support plate 32 by screw fixation, And the mounting plate 34 welded to the lower end of the support plate 32.

As shown in FIG. 8, the return rail 41 has the same structure as the conveyance rail 31, and a support plate 42 having the same cross-sectional shape as the support plate 32 of the conveyance rail 31, and a commercially available one that is fixed to the upper edge of the support plate 42 by screw fixation The linear motion guide 43 and the mounting plate 44 welded to the lower end of the support plate 42.

The conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41 are installed on the stands 71 and 81 at both ends of the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41 in parallel with each other across the three processing stations 11, 12, and 13. The gantry 71, 81 is separated in the X-axis direction by separating the three processing stations 11, 12, and 13, and the workpiece supply machine 16 and the workpiece recovery machine 17 provided at both ends of the three processing stations 11, 12, and 13 Set up.

The mounts 71 and 81 are formed to be long in the Y-axis direction. The longitudinal ends of the mounting plates 34 and 44 on the transport rail 31 and the return rail 41 are screwed to the mounts 71 and 81. Thus, the conveying rail 31 is connected from the workpiece supply machine 16 to the workpiece recovery machine 17 via the three processing stations 11, 12, and 13, and both ends of the conveying rail 31 are mounted on the stands 71, 81 (refer to FIG. 1 And Figure 8).

The conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41 respectively mount the tray 21 so as to be movable. As shown in FIG. 2, the pallet 21 mounted on the conveyance rail 31 or the return rail 41 has: a linear motion block 22, which is configured as a linear motion guide 33, 43 spanning the conveyance rail 31 or the return rail 41, and is capable of linear motion Move on the guide rails 33 and 43; and a pedestal 23, which is screwed on the linear motion block 22. Locking members 24 are respectively provided on the lower side of the base 23 and on both sides along the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41.

The linear motion block 22 is a commercial product sold as a pair with the linear motion guides 33 and 43 on the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41. As shown in FIG. 4, relative to the pedestal 23, the linear motion blocks 22 are provided in two, and they are separated in the X-axis direction. By using the linear motion block 22, the movement of the linear motion block 22 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) can be prohibited, and the resistance of the tray 21 from moving on the conveyance rail 31 or the return rail 41 can be reduced. Therefore, the tray 21 is mounted so as to be movable on the conveyance rail 31 or the return rail 41.

As shown in FIG. 2, the suction nozzle 26 is mounted on the base 23 of the tray 21. The illustrated suction nozzle 26 is a member that sucks the workpiece 14. The suction nozzle 26 is installed on the base 23 of the tray 21 via the mounting jig 27 and extends in the vertical direction above the base 23. Thus, the tray 21 is configured to suck and hold the workpiece 14 via the suction nozzle 26. In addition, the unillustrated workpiece 14 is a workpiece processed in each processing station 11, 12, and 13, and in FIG. 2 is a flat plate that can be sucked by the suction nozzle 26.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the pallet conveying unit 51 that conveys the pallet 21 mounted on the conveying rail 31 includes a conveying belt 52 configured to be locked with the pallet 21 mounted on the conveying rail 31. And it is provided in an annular manner so as to be able to circulate along the conveyance rail 31.

A first support stand 53 and a second support stand 54 are provided on the stands 71 and 81 that support both ends of the conveyance rail 31, and the first support stand 53 and the second support stand 54 are located on the extension line of the conveyance rail 31. The first support 53 and the second support 54 are provided with a first pulley 55 and a second pulley 56 of the same shape and the same size. The conveying belt 52 is provided so as to be hung on the first pulley 55 and the second pulley 56, and can circulate along the conveying rail 31 by the rotation of the first pulley 55 and the second pulley 56.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the conveying belt 52 is provided along the conveying rail 31 (specifically, the direction in which the conveying rail 31 extends), and is spaced from the conveying rail 31 in the vertical direction. The gap is separated from the first pulley 55 and the first pulley 55 and the first pulley. The outer diameters of the two pulleys 56 are approximately the same. As shown in FIG. 2, a belt rail 57 and a support rail 58 are provided on the conveyance rail 31. The belt rail 57 supports the lower conveyance belt 52c of the conveyance belt 52 hung on the first pulley 55 and the second pulley 56, thereby The slack of the lower conveying belt 52c is suppressed. The support rail 58 prevents the upper conveyance belt 52d from hanging down.

The support plate 32 of the transport rail 31 is provided with a plurality of first mounting members 57a for attaching the belt rail 57 to the transport rail 31, and the plurality of first mounting members 57a are provided at predetermined intervals in the length direction of the support plate 32 . The belt rail 57 is mounted on the conveyance rail 31 via a plurality of first mounting members 57a. In addition, the support plate 32 is provided with a plurality of second mounting members 58 a for mounting the support rail 58 to the transport rail 31, and the plurality of second mounting members 58 a are provided at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the support plate 32. The support rail 58 is mounted on the transport rail 31 via a plurality of second mounting members 58a.

On the other hand, the conveying belt 52 of this embodiment is a so-called toothed belt. As shown in FIG. 5, the conveyance belt 52 which is a toothed belt is the conveyance belt 52 which the unevenness|corrugation 52a, 52b extended in the width direction staggered and continued in the longitudinal direction. Anti-recesses 24a and 24b that can be locked with the recesses and projections 52a and 52b are formed on the locking member 24 of the tray 21.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, when the pallet 21 is mounted on the conveyance rail 31, the locking member 24 is overlapped from above on the upper conveyance belt 52d supported by the support rail 58. As shown in FIG. In the overlapped state, the irregularities 52a and 52b formed on the conveying belt 52 are locked with the reverse irregularities 24a and 24b of the locking member 24. In addition, the support rail 58 is provided across the entire length of the conveying direction between the workpiece feeder 16 and the workpiece recovery machine 17 to prevent the upper conveying belt 52d from hanging down and prevent the unevenness 52a, 52b and the anti-recession 24a, 24b from being locked. .

As shown in FIG. 5, the locking member 24 of the pallet 21 is provided so that the anti-concavities 24 a and 24 b formed continuously in the longitudinal direction can be locked with the concavities and convexities 52 a and 52 b of the conveying belt 52. Therefore, when the reverse unevenness 24a, 24b of the pallet 21 is locked with the unevenness 52a, 52b, the pallet 21 is prohibited from moving independently of the conveying belt 52. As a result, the tray 21 is locked on the conveying belt 52.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the pallet conveying unit 51 includes a first circulation unit 59 that circulates the conveying belt 52. The first circulation unit 59 of the present embodiment is an electric drive type servo motor 59 that drives the first pulley 55 to rotate. In addition, a servo motor 59 having a first pulley 55 attached to a rotating shaft 59 a is attached to a support stand 53 that is installed upright on a stand 71.

The servo motor 59 is connected with a control output from a controller not shown. And, when the servo motor 59 is driven by the control output from the controller, the first pulley 55 rotates together with the rotating shaft 59a. Thereby, the conveyance belt 52 hung between the first pulley 55 and the second pulley 56 is circulated, and the pallet 21 locked to the conveyance belt 52 is conveyed while being mounted on the conveyance rail 31.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the tray return unit 61 that moves and returns the tray 21 mounted on the return rail 41 in a direction opposite to the transport direction has the same structure as the tray transport unit 51 described above. In addition, the tray return unit 61 is provided with a return belt 62 configured to be able to be locked with the tray 21 mounted on the return rail 41 and provided in an annular manner so as to be able to circulate along the return rail 41.

A third support platform 63 and a fourth support platform 64 are provided on the stands 71 and 81 that support both ends of the return rail 41, and the third support platform 63 and the fourth support platform 64 are located on the extension line of the return rail 41. The third support platform 63 and the fourth support platform 64 are provided with a third pulley 65 and a fourth pulley 66. The return belt 62 is hung on the third pulley 65 and the fourth pulley 66 provided on the extension line of both ends of the return rail 41.

The second circulation unit that circulates the return belt 62 is a servo motor 69 that rotates and drives the fourth pulley 66 on the fourth support table 64 attached to the base end in the backward direction. Like the pallet conveying unit 51, the return rail 41 is provided with a belt rail (not shown) that supports the lower return belt and a support rail 68 that prevents the upper return belt 62d from hanging down.

The return belt 62 and the conveying belt 52 of the pallet conveying unit 51 are the same as a so-called toothed belt. The return belt 62 is formed such that the irregularities 62a and 62b extending in the width direction are staggered and continuous in the longitudinal direction. The anti-concave projections 24a, 24b that can be locked with the recesses and projections 62a, 62b are formed on the other locking member 24 of the tray 21 (refer to FIG. 7).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the locking members 24 are provided on both sides of the lower side of the pedestal 23 on the tray 21 with the linear motion block 22 interposed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 10, when the tray 21 is connected to the return rail 41, as shown in FIG. 7, the other locking member 24 is arranged to face the return belt 62. In addition, the reverse projections and depressions 24a and 24b of the locking member 24 are formed to move in the width direction of the return belt 62 and to be locked with the projections and depressions 62a and 62b of the return belt 62 from above.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, a return tray transfer mechanism 70 is provided on the top end side of the front end side where the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41 are installed, and the return tray transfer mechanism 70 will be mounted on the conveyance rail. The tray 21 on the 31 is transferred from the top end of the conveyance rail 31 toward the top end of the return rail 41. On the other hand, the base 81 on the base end side on the base end side where the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41 are mounted is provided with a conveyance tray transfer mechanism 80 which transfers the conveyance tray transfer mechanism 80 that is mounted on the return rail 41. The tray 21 is transferred from the base end of the return rail 41 toward the base end of the conveyance rail 31.

Both the return tray transfer mechanism 70 and the conveyance tray transfer mechanism 80 have the same structure. The mounts 71 and 81 separately provided in the X-axis direction are provided so as to extend in the Y-axis direction, respectively. The distance L between the end edges of the conveying rail 31 and the return rail 41 and the support bases 53, 54, 63, and 64 on the extension line of the conveying rail 31 and the return rail 41 (refer to FIG. 8) is formed to be the distance from the tray 21 The width W1 of the conveyance direction of the pedestal 23 (that is, the length of the tray 21 in the extending direction of the fluid rail 91 described later, see FIG. 8) is relatively wide. In addition, the return tray transfer mechanism 70 and the conveyance tray transfer mechanism 80 are provided with movable bodies 72 and 82, respectively. The movable bodies 72 and 82 are provided on the ends of the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41, and the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41. The interval L between the support tables 53, 54, 63, 64 on the extension line of the slab is blocked.

The movable bodies 72, 82 are provided with table plates 72a, 82a and short rails 72b, 82b, respectively. The table plates 72a, 82a are stored between the end edges of the conveying rail 31 and the return rail 41 and the support tables 53, 54, 63, 64. In the state, it is connected to the supporting plates 32 and 42 on the conveying rail 31 and the return rail 41, and the short rails 72b and 82b are installed on the upper edges of the table plates 72a and 82a and connected to the linear motion guide rails 33 and 43.

The short rails 72b, 82b have the same cross-sectional shape as the linear motion guides 33, 43. In a state where the movable bodies 72, 82 block the ends of the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41 and the support tables 53, 54, 63, 64, the tray 21 that moves on the linear motion guides 33, 43 is configured to be able to move to Short rails 72b, 82b. Thus, the movable bodies 72 and 82 are configured to be able to mount the movable tray 21.

The return tray transfer mechanism 70 and the conveyance tray transfer mechanism 80 have the same structure. The return tray transfer mechanism 70 and the conveyance tray transfer mechanism 80 are respectively provided with a pair of rails 73 and 83, which respectively extend in the Y-axis direction on the stands 71 and 81 so as to be able to carry the movable bodies 72 and 82; The components 74 and 84 are movably arranged on a pair of rails 73 and 83; the ball screws 75 and 85 are screwed to the table components 74 and 84 and are arranged in parallel with the rails 73 and 83; and a motor 76, 86, which rotates the ball screws 75 and 85. In addition, the table plates 72a and 82a of the movable bodies 72 and 82 are erected on the table members 74 and 84, respectively.

In the return tray transfer mechanism 70 and the conveyance tray transfer mechanism 80 thus constructed, the ball screws 75 and 85 are rotated by the drive motors 76 and 86, so that the table member 74 mounted on the pair of rails 73 and 83 can be rotated. , 84 moves along the rails 73, 83 together with the movable bodies 72, 82.

Therefore, in the return tray transfer mechanism 70, the movable body 72 connected to the top end of the conveyance rail 31 can be moved to a position connected to the top end of the return rail 41. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the tray 21 separated from the tip of the conveyance rail 31 is moved to the movable body 72 and mounted. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, by moving the movable body 72 together with the tray 21 in the Y-axis direction from the tip of the conveying rail 31 to the tip of the return rail 41, the tray 21 is moved from the movable body 72 to the return rail 41 again. The top end of the pallet can be moved, so that the tray 21 can be transferred from the top end of the conveying rail 31 to the top end of the rail 41.

On the other hand, in the transport tray transfer mechanism 80, the movable body 72 connected to the base end of the return rail 41 is moved to a position connected to the base end of the transport rail 31. As shown in FIG. 11, the tray 21 separated from the base end of the return rail 41 is moved to the movable body 82, and is mounted. As shown in FIG. 8, by moving the movable body 82 together with the tray 21 in the Y-axis direction from the base end of the return rail 41 to the base end of the transport rail 31, the tray 21 is moved from the movable body 82 toward the transport rail 31 again. By moving the base end, the tray 21 can be transferred from the base end of the return rail 41 to the base end of the transport rail 31.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, a workpiece supply machine 16 and a workpiece recovery machine 17 are provided with three processing stations 11, 12, and 13 interposed therebetween. The workpiece supply machine 16 and the workpiece recovery machine 17 and the processing stations 11, 12, and 13 are installed at the same pitch P. In addition, the movable bodies 72 and 82 provided in succession to the end edges of the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41 are provided at the same pitch P from the workpiece supply machine 16 and the supply recovery machine 17.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the pallet conveying device 10 includes a fluid rail 91 in which a groove 91d as a fluid passage is formed. The fluid rail 91 is a member installed along the conveyance rail 31 (specifically, the extending direction of the conveyance rail 31), and includes a base material 91a formed in an elongated shape and a cover plate 91b attached to the base material 91a.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a support 91c is provided on the support plate 32. The base material 91a is installed parallel to the conveyance rail 31 by the support 91c. A groove 91d extending in the longitudinal direction is formed on the upper surface of the base material 91a covered by the cover plate 91b. As shown in FIG. 1, the base 81 on the proximal side is provided with a fluid pump 92 as a fluid supply suction unit for supplying fluid to or sucking fluid from the groove 91d.

The fluid pump 92 in this embodiment is a fluid pump 92 that ejects or sucks air as a fluid. One end of a communication passage 92a is attached to the discharge suction port of the fluid pump 92. The other end of the communication path 92a is attached to the base 91a so as to open toward the groove 91d. Thus, the fluid pump 92 is configured to supply fluid to the groove 91d or suck fluid from the groove 91d, and the groove 91d constitutes a fluid passage of the base material 91a covered by the cover plate 91b.

In addition, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 1, a through hole 91e penetrating in the vertical direction and communicating with the groove 91d is formed in the cover plate 91b. The plurality of through holes 91 e are formed to be continuous with a predetermined interval T in the longitudinal direction of the fluid rail 91 (that is, the extending direction of the fluid rail 91 ).

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, opposed members 93 are respectively provided on the plurality of trays 21. The opposed members 93 are opposed to the fluid rail 91, and are formed with one or more through holes 91e. Covered recess 93a. As shown in FIG. 3, the opposing member 93 has a length W2 (that is, the length W2 of the opposing member 93 in the extending direction of the fluid rail 91) which is longer than the width W1 in the direction of the conveyance rail 31 of the base 23 on the pallet 21 Rod-shaped parts. The opposing member 93 has a square cross-section, and a recess 93a having a length M that extends in the longitudinal direction and is longer than the interval T of the plurality of through holes 91e is formed on the side opposing the fluid rail 91.

The opposing member 93 is installed on the base 23 of the tray 21 via the suspension unit 94. The suspension unit 94 is a member that urges the opposing member 93 to press against the fluid rail 91. A support shaft 94a penetrating in the vertical direction is provided on the outer side of the base 23 on the tray 21 to which the locking member 24 is attached, and the support shaft 94a can move in the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the support shaft 94a is a member in which the opposing member 93 is attached to the lower end. The single opposing member 93 is supported by two supporting shafts 94a. Two support shafts 94a are provided on the side edge of the pedestal 23 that supports the single opposed member 93 at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the conveyance rail 31. A single opposed member 93 is attached to the lower ends of the two support shafts 94a. Here, the reference numeral 94b in the figure denotes a sliding sleeve 94b which is provided on the base 23 and supports the support shaft 94a so as to be movable in the axial direction.

On the support shaft 94a between the opposing member 93 and the pedestal 23, a coil spring 94c as an urging member is attached in a compressed state. The force of the coil spring 94 c to extend acts in the direction in which the opposed member 93 is separated from the base 23 of the tray 21. When the opposed member 93 is opposed to the fluid rail 91, the opposed member 93 can be pressed toward the fluid rail 91.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the opposed member 93 is not opposed to the fluid rail 91, the support shaft 94a moves downward in the Z-axis direction due to the urging force of the coil spring 94c. A ring 94d is attached to the upper part of the support shaft 94a of the pedestal 23 which penetrates the tray 21. As shown in FIG. The ring 94d is configured to prohibit the support shaft 94a from continuing to descend when the support shaft 94a descends together with the opposing member 93 and the ring 94d abuts the upper surface of the base 23 on the tray 21. Therefore, the ring 94 d is a member that restricts the movable range of the opposed member 93.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the length W2 of the opposed member 93 in the direction of the fluid rail 91 is formed to be longer than the length W1 of the base 23 on the tray 21 in the direction of the fluid rail 91. That is, the tray 21 is formed so that the end in the extending direction of the fluid rail 91 does not protrude from the end of the opposed member 93. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a gap between the ends of the adjacent opposing members 93 caused by the abutment of the ends of the adjacent trays 21. In addition, in this embodiment, the length W2 of the opposed member 93 is formed to be the same as or slightly smaller than the pitch P at which the processing stations 11, 12, and 13 are installed.

In addition, the opposing member 93 is pivotally supported by a roller 96 that rolls on the fluid rail 91 and opposes the opposing member 93 and the fluid rail 91 with a predetermined gap therebetween. In addition, the predetermined interval is 0-0.1 mm. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 1, an inclined surface 91 f is formed on the upper surface of the base end side of the fluid rail 91, the roller 96 rolls, and the inclined surface 91 f guides the opposing member 93 toward the upper surface of the fluid rail 91. In addition, in this embodiment, the pair of rollers 96 are pivotally supported by the opposing member 93 near the support shaft 94a.

The opposing member 93 is provided with a communicating member 93b communicating with the recess 93a. The communication member 93b and the suction nozzle 26 communicate with each other by a communication passage 93c. That is, one end of the communication path 93c is attached to open toward the recess 93a by the communication member 93b, and the other end of the communication path 93c is connected to the suction nozzle 26 as a fluid pressure device. Thereby, a communication path 93c is formed in the tray 21, and the communication path 93c connects the fluid rail 91 and the suction nozzle 26 in the state where the tray 21 is mounted on the conveyance rail 31. As shown in FIG.

Therefore, when the fluid pump 92 (refer to FIG. 1) as the fluid supply and suction unit is driven, for example, when the air in the groove 91d covered by the cover 91b is sucked to become a negative pressure, as shown in FIG. The fluid in the recess 93a of the opposed member 93 opposed to the groove 91d by the through hole 91e is sucked. In addition, since the suction nozzle 26 is connected to the concave portion 93a via the communication path 93c, when the fluid in the concave portion 93a is sucked, the suction nozzle 26 connected via the communication path 93c is configured to suck the workpiece 14 to the lower end of the suction nozzle 26 .

In addition, the conveying belt 52 as a toothed belt is configured to be able to lock the pallet 21 mounted on the conveying rail 31. Thus, when the servo motor 59 (refer to FIG. 8) is driven to circulate the conveying belt 52 with the pallet 21 locked, the pallet 21 provided with the suction nozzle 26 is conveyed along the conveying rail 31 along which the conveying belt 52 follows. And the suction nozzle 26 sucks the workpiece 14 at its lower end.

Next, the pallet conveying method of the present invention using the pallet conveying device 10 will be described.

The pallet conveying method of the present invention is a pallet conveying method in which a plurality of pallets 21 equipped with suction nozzles 26 are mounted on a conveying rail 31 and conveyed.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the pallet conveying device 10 described above, the return rail 41 and the conveying rail 31 are provided in parallel. Thus, after the tray 21 mounted on the transport rail 31 is transported, the tray 21 is transferred from the top end of the transport rail 31 to the top end of the return rail 41, and then the tray 21 is retreated to the proximal end side of the return rail 41. Thereafter, by returning the tray 21 to the base end side of the conveying rail 31, the cyclic conveyance of the plurality of trays 21 is realized.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, in the above-mentioned pallet transport device 10, the fluid rail 91 is provided along the transport rail 31 (that is, the extending direction of the transport rail 31), and the fluid rail 91 is formed with a partition in the extending direction of the transport rail 31. A plurality of through holes 91e with a predetermined interval T are opened, and the plurality of through holes 91e communicate the groove 91d formed in the inside with the outside. Thus, when the pallet 21 mounted on the conveyance rail 31 is transported, the fluid is supplied to or sucked from the groove 91d as the fluid passage, and the through holes 91e are formed to cover one or two or more through holes 91e. The opposing member 93 of the concave portion 93a is opposed to the fluid rail 91, so that the concave portion 93a and the suction nozzle 26 mounted on the tray 21 can be communicated, and the tray 21 and the opposing member 93 can be transported while operating the suction nozzle 26.

The description starts from the cyclic conveyance of a plurality of pallets 21. First, start by loading a plurality of pallets 21 toward the conveyance rail 31. In the loading of the tray 21, first, the tray 21 is mounted on the base end side of the conveyance rail 31, that is, mounted on the base 81 on the base end side. In addition, when the tray 21 is mounted on the transport rail 31, the locking member 24 of the tray 21 overlaps the transport belt 52.

Thereby, after the pallet 21 is mounted on the base end side of the conveyance rail 31, the conveyance belt 52 is circulated to convey the loaded pallet 21 by the predetermined pitch P only. Then, the tray 21 is newly mounted on the conveying rail 31 from the proximal end side of the conveying rail 31. Such an operation is repeated, and as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of pallets 21 (six in this embodiment) are mounted on the conveyance rail 31 at the same pitch P as the pitch P of the processing stations 11, 12, and 13.

Here, when the length of the opposing members 93 provided on the pallet 21 is slightly less than the predetermined pitch P or the same as the predetermined pitch P, the opposing members 93 can be brought into contact (abutted against each other) by sequentially mounting the pallets 21 on the conveyance rail 31. ), so that the tray 21 can be mounted at a predetermined pitch P more easily.

Next, the state in which the plurality of trays 21 are cyclically conveyed will be described.

When the conveying belt 52 along the conveying rail 31 is circulated from the state shown in FIG. 8, the plurality of pallets 21 are advanced while maintaining a predetermined interval P. In addition, when the plurality of pallets 21 advance only by the predetermined interval P, as shown in FIG. 9, the initial pallet 21 is separated from the top end of the conveyance rail 31. In addition, since the movable body 72 is connected to the top end of the conveying rail 31, as shown in FIG. 6, the pallet 21 moving on the linear motion guide 33 on the conveying rail 31 can be moved to the short rail 72b of the movable body 72, thereby The initial tray 21 is mounted on the movable body 72.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the tray 21 mounted on the movable body 72 is moved to the top end of the return rail 41 by the return tray transfer mechanism 70. Specifically, by driving the motor 76 to rotate the ball screw 75 and move the movable body 72 in the Y-axis direction, the movable body 72 can be moved from the state shown in FIG. The position following the top end of the return rail 41 as shown in FIG. 7. After that, by moving the tray 21 from the movable body 72 to the top end of the return rail 41 again, the tray 21 is transferred from the top end of the conveyance rail 31 to the top end of the return rail 41.

Here, when the movable body 72 on which the tray 21 is mounted is moved together with the tray 21 in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the conveying belt 52, the anti-concavities 24a, 24b on the locking member 24 of the tray 21 are removed from the conveyance. The concavities and convexities 52a and 52b extending in the width direction of the belt 52 are shifted and detached along the width direction, so that the locking of the tray 21 and the conveying belt 52 is released.

In addition, by moving the tray 21 together with the movable body 72 in the Y-axis direction, the tray 21 and the return rail 41 can be connected, so that the movable bodies 72 and 82 and the return rail 41 can be on the same straight line. Furthermore, when the tray 21 moves in the width direction of the return belt 62, the locking member 24 of the tray 21 is locked again to the return belt 62 provided along the return rail 41.

Therefore, by using the conveying belt 52 and the return belt 62 constituted by a so-called toothed belt, the pallet 21 and the movable body 72 can be moved in the Y-axis direction without obstruction, so that the pallet 21 can easily interact with the conveying belt 52 and the return belt. 62 re-locked.

Next, the tray 21 is moved in the direction opposite to the conveying direction, and the tray 21 is mounted on the return rail 41. Therefore, when the servo motor 69 of the tray return unit 61 is driven to circulate the return belt 62, the tray 21 mounted on the movable body 72 moves from the tip edge of the return rail 41 to the tip portion thereof. As a result, the tray 21 is transferred from the top end of the conveyance rail 31 to the top end of the return rail 41.

With this, after the tray 21 is transferred to the top end of the return rail 41, when the tray return unit 61 continues to circulate the return belt 62, the tray 21 moved from the movable body 72 to the return rail 41 further retreats on the return rail 41. In addition, the retreat of the tray 21 is performed until the tray 21 reaches the base end of the return rail 41.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the pallet 21 is retracted so that the movable body 82 of the conveyance pallet transfer mechanism 80 is housed on the proximal side of the return rail 41, the pallet 21 that is mounted on the return rail 41 and retreated is moved to conveyance By the movable body 82 on the tray transfer mechanism 80, the tray 21 is mounted on the movable body 82.

Next, the tray 21 moved from the return rail 41 and mounted on the movable body 82 is moved from the base end of the return rail 41 to the base end of the transport rail 31 by the transport tray transfer mechanism 80. Specifically, by driving the motor 86 on the transport tray transfer mechanism 80 and rotating the ball screw 85, the movable body 82 is moved in the Y-axis direction, so that the movable body 82 is connected to the base end of the return rail 41 The state shown in FIG. 11 moves to the position continuous with the base end of the conveyance rail 31 shown in FIG.

After that, by moving the tray 21 from the movable body 82 to the base end of the transport rail 31 again, the tray 21 is transferred from the base end of the return rail 41 to the base end of the transport rail 31. That is, in a state where the movable body 82 is connected to the conveyance rail 31, the movable body 82 and the conveyance rail 31 are on the same straight line, and the tray 21 is again locked with the conveyance belt 52 provided along the conveyance rail 31. Therefore, the pallet 21 mounted on the movable body 82 connected to the conveyance rail 31 can be conveyed again due to the circulation of the conveyance belt 52 and is transferred to the base end of the conveyance rail 31. As a result, the plurality of trays 21 including the tray 21 can circulate in a square in the plane.

Next, the pallet 21 is conveyed while operating the suction nozzle 26 as a fluid pressure device.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, when the pallet 21 mounted on the transport rail 31 is transported, the transport belt 52 provided along the transport rail 31 is circulated, and fluid is supplied to or from the groove 91d as the fluid passage of the fluid rail 91 at the same time. The groove 91d sucks fluid, and the suction nozzle 26 mounted on the tray 21 communicates with the groove 91d, and the tray 21 is conveyed while the suction nozzle 26 is operated.

Specifically, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 1, a groove 91 d as a fluid passage is formed on the fluid rail 91 facing the workpiece feeder 16. A plurality of through holes 91e are formed in the cover plate 91d mounted on the base material 91a so as to cover the groove 91d. Therefore, first, the fluid pump 92 as a fluid supply suction unit is driven to suck the air inside the groove 91d covered by the cover plate 91b, so that the inside of the groove 91d becomes a negative pressure.

In this state, when the tray 21 is opposed to the workpiece feeder 16, an opposed member 93 is provided on the tray 21, and the opposed member 93 is formed with a recess 93a covering the plurality of through holes 91e. Thereby, the through hole 91e of the fluid rail 91 sucks air in the recess 93a covering the through hole 91e, so that the recess 93a becomes a negative pressure. And, as shown in FIG. 2, since the recessed part 93a and the suction nozzle 26 are connected by the communication path 93c, air is sucked from the suction nozzle 26 of the tray 21 which communicates with the recessed part 93a via the communication path 93c. Therefore, the workpiece 14 supplied by the workpiece feeder 16 can be sucked to the lower end of the suction nozzle 26.

After the workpiece 14 is sucked, the conveying belt 52 along the conveying rail 31 is circulated again, and the pallet 21 is moved forward in a state where the workpiece 14 is sucked. As shown in FIG. 1, the pallet 21 is then opposed to the third processing station 13 .

In addition, at the stage where the pallet 21 and the third processing station 13 face each other, the conveyance of the pallet 21 is stopped. In addition, in the third processing station 13, predetermined processing is performed on the workpiece 14 sucked on the suction nozzle 26 of the tray 21. And after the predetermined process is finished, the conveying belt 52 is circulated again, and the pallet 21 is conveyed again. Such operations are repeated, and the conveyed pallet 21 is sequentially opposed to the respective processing stations 11, 12, and 13 to sequentially process the workpiece 14 sucked on the suction nozzle 26 of the pallet 21.

Here, a plurality of through holes 91e are formed in the fluid rail 91 provided along the conveyance rail 31, and the plurality of through holes 91e are connected at a predetermined interval T in the longitudinal direction. Thereby, the recessed part 93a of the opposing member 93 of the pallet 21 in the middle of conveyance and each processing station 11, 12, and the pallet 21 opposed to each processing station 11, 12, and 13 covers arbitrary through holes 91e in the fluid rail 91.

Therefore, when the fluid pump 92 as the fluid supply and suction unit is driven, the suction nozzle 26 communicating with the recess 93a of the opposing member 93 on the tray 21 can always suck air regardless of whether it is being transported or not, so as to maintain the workpiece 14 adsorbed to The suction state of the lower end of the suction nozzle 26.

In addition, after the processing by all the processing stations 11, 12, and 13 is completed, the conveyed pallet 21 further faces the workpiece recovery machine 17. Then, in the workpiece recovery machine 17 facing the tray 21, the workpiece 14 that has completed a series of processing is removed from the suction nozzle 26 and recovered.

After the workpiece 14 is collected, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the pallet 21 being conveyed is further separated from the top end of the conveying rail 31, and the pallet 21 is moved to the movable body 72 of the return pallet transfer mechanism 70 and mounted on the movable body 72.

Here, the fluid rail 91 disappears at the movable body 72. That is, the fluid rail 91 is not provided on the movable body 72. Therefore, even if the fluid pump 92 as the fluid supply and suction unit is driven, the suction of air from the suction nozzle 26 of the tray 21 is eliminated on the movable body 72 where the fluid rail 91 disappears, and the tray 21 can be transferred to the return rail. 41.

In addition, the movable body 72 connected to the tip side of the conveyance rail 31 is provided so as to be able to move in the Y-axis direction at the same pitch P as the processing stations 11, 12, and 13 arranged in the X-axis direction. Thus, when a plurality of pallets 21 are mounted on the conveyance rail 31 at the same pitch P as the pitch P, and the initial pallet 21 reaches the movable body 72, the other pallets 21 also interact with the processing stations 11, 12, and 13 Opposite. Therefore, in each of the processing stations 11, 12, and 13, the conveyance of the pallet 21 is temporarily stopped in order to process the workpiece 14.

In order to process the workpiece 14, while the conveyance of the pallet 21 is stopped, the initial pallet 21 that has reached the movable body 72 on the tip side of the conveyance rail 31 is transferred to the tip of the return rail 41. Then, the tray 21 is retreated along the return rail 41, and the tray 21 is transferred from the base end of the return rail 41 to the base end side of the transport rail 31 again.

Thereby, when a cycle of returning the pallet 21 from the top end of the conveying rail 31 to the base end of the conveying rail 31 is performed once, the plurality of pallets 21 mounted on the conveying rail 31 can each be conveyed in the counterclockwise direction of one pallet 21.

In addition, every time such a cycle is performed, the processing stations 11, 12, and 13 are operated in a state where the operation of the pallet conveying device 10 is stopped, and the suction nozzles 26 of the pallets 21 arranged on the conveying rail 31 are attracted to the suction nozzles 26. Each of the workpieces 14 simultaneously performs various processing, as well as the adsorption and recovery of the workpieces 14.

Thereby, in the pallet conveying device 10 and the pallet conveying method of the present invention, it is possible to convey a plurality of pallets 21 such that they circulate. By using the fluid rail 91 arranged in parallel with the transport rail 31, even the fluid pump 92 as a single fluid supply and suction unit can simultaneously transport a plurality of trays while operating the suction nozzles 26 of the plurality of trays 21 separately. twenty one.

In addition, the groove 91 d forming the fluid passage in the fluid rail 91 is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the fluid rail 91, that is, in the conveying direction of the tray 21. Thus, even if the tray 21 mounted on the transport rail 31 is transported, any through hole 91e of the fluid rail 91 covered by the opposed member 93 must communicate with the recess 93a, and the tray 21 moves together with the opposed member 93, so it is arbitrary The through hole 91e of φ and the recess 93a of the opposing member 93 must be communicated with each other. As a result, even if the tray 21 moves, the workpiece 14 can be continuously sucked to the lower end of the suction nozzle 26 (refer to FIG. 2 ).

Therefore, in the tray conveying device 10, the tray 21 can be moved while the suction nozzle 26 is operated, so that it is possible to avoid mounting the fluid pump 92 that drives the suction nozzle 26 on the tray 21.

Here, when the air in the groove 91d constituting the fluid passage is sucked by the fluid pump 92, and the air in the concave portion 93a of the opposing member 93 is sucked through the through hole 91e, the opposing member 93 is adsorbed on the fluid rail 91 On the surface, the suction may become a resistance to the transportation of the tray 21.

In this embodiment, in order to prevent the opposing member 93 from being adsorbed on the upper surface of the fluid rail 91, the opposing member 93 is pivotally supported with a roller 96 that rolls on the fluid rail 91. Thus, even if the opposed member 93 is placed on the upper surface of the fluid rail 91, the resistance to the transportation of the tray 21 can be reduced.

On the other hand, it is also considered that when the opposing member 93 is opposed to the fluid rail 91 with a predetermined gap from the upper surface of the fluid rail 91, air as a fluid flows into the recess 93a from the predetermined gap, and comes from the communication with the recess 93a. The suction of air by the suction nozzle 26 becomes difficult. Therefore, by setting the predetermined gap to 0-0.1 mm, the amount of air that makes it difficult to suck air from the suction nozzle 26 flows into the concave portion 93a less frequently. In addition, considering the inflow of air from the interval, it is possible to continue the suction of air from the suction nozzle 26 by ensuring a sufficient cross-sectional area of the groove 91d and the number or size of the through holes 91e.

In addition, it is also considered that if a through hole 91e not covered by the opposing member 93 occurs, air flows from the through hole 91e into the groove 91d, so that the air in the recess 93a passes through the other through holes 91e covered by the opposing member 93 and the recess. The groove 91d communicates with each other, making it difficult to attract air in the recess 93a. Therefore, by successively mounting the plurality of trays 21 on the transport rail 31 and bringing the opposing members 93 of the plurality of trays 21 close to or in contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the opposing member 93 from not covering the through hole 91e. In addition, it is preferable that adjacent facing members 93 abut against each other at the ends facing each other.

In addition, it is also considered that when the length of the conveying rail 31 is long, the fluid rail 91 arranged in parallel with the conveying rail 31 also becomes longer, so that the fluid rail 91 may be longer than the conveying rail 31 on which the pallet 21 is loaded and conveyed. distort. Therefore, by mounting the opposing member 93 on the tray 21 by the suspension unit 94, the opposing member 93 is always pressed by the suspension unit 94 toward the fluid rail 91. As a result, the distortion of the fluid rail 91 is absorbed by the suspension unit 94, so that a predetermined gap can be maintained from the upper surface of the fluid rail 91 of the opposing member 93, and the tray 21 can be conveyed.

Next, the function and effect of this embodiment will be described.

The pallet conveying device 10 according to this embodiment includes: a conveying rail 31 that mounts the pallet 21 equipped with the suction nozzle 26 so as to be movable; and a pallet conveying unit 51 that conveys the pallet 21 mounted on the conveying rail 31 Fluid rail 91, which is provided along the conveying rail 31, and formed with a groove 91d inside; and a fluid pump 92, which is provided in communication with the groove 91d, and supplies fluid toward the groove 91d or sucks fluid from the groove 91d . The fluid rail 91 is formed with a plurality of through holes 91e for communicating the groove 91d with the outside. The tray 21 is provided with an opposing member 93 and a communication path 93c. The opposing member 93 is formed with a portion of the plurality of through holes 91e. The recess 93a is covered, the opposed member 93 is opposed to the fluid rail 91, and the communication path 93c communicates the recess 93a with the suction nozzle 26.

The pallet conveying method according to this embodiment, which mounts the pallet 21 equipped with the suction nozzle 26 on the conveying rail 31 for conveying, includes forming a groove 91d inside and forming a groove 91d to communicate with the outside. The fluid rail 91 of the plurality of through holes 91e is provided along the conveyance rail 31; the fluid is supplied to the groove 91d or the fluid is sucked from the groove 91d; the opposing member is formed with a recess 93a that covers a part of the plurality of through holes 91e 93 is opposed to the fluid rail 91; the recess 93a is communicated with the suction nozzle 26 mounted on the tray 21, and while the suction nozzle 26 is operated, the tray 21 and the opposed member 93 are conveyed.

According to this structure, since the fluid rail 91 is provided along the conveyance rail 31, the fluid is supplied or sucked from the fluid pump 92 toward the fluid rail 91, and the suction nozzle 26 mounted on the tray 21 is communicated with the fluid rail 91 while making the suction nozzle Since the tray 21 is transported while operating at 26, it is possible to avoid mounting the fluid pump 26 that drives the operation of the suction nozzle 26 on the tray 21.

In addition, even when a plurality of trays 21 are mounted on the conveyance rail 31 for conveyance, the fluid rail 91 can be arranged along the conveyance rail 31, so that the suction nozzles 26 mounted on the plurality of trays 21 can be connected to the fluid rail respectively. 91 links. As a result, even a single fluid pump 92 can simultaneously operate the suction nozzles 26 respectively mounted on the plurality of trays 21 by supplying or sucking fluid to the fluid rail 91 by the fluid pump 92.

In addition, in this embodiment, even when the pallet 21 is conveyed by the pallet conveying unit 51 to an arbitrary position of the conveying rail 31, the recessed part 93a all covers a part of the some through-hole 91e.

According to such a structure, a part of the plurality of through holes 91e formed in the fluid rail 91 can be normally covered by the recess 93a, so that the suction nozzle 26 of the tray 21 and the recess 91d of the fluid rail 91 can be reliably communicated. As a result, the tray 21 can be conveyed while operating the suction nozzle 26.

In addition, in this embodiment, a roller 96 is pivotally supported on the opposing member 93, the roller 96 rolls on the fluid rail 91, and the opposing member 93 and the fluid rail 91 are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap.

According to such a structure, since the opposing member 93 can be prevented from being adsorbed on the upper surface of the fluid rail 91, the sliding resistance generated by the opposing member 93 and the fluid rail 91 can be removed. As a result, the resistance to the transportation of the tray 21 can be reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, a suspension unit 94 is provided on the tray 21, and the suspension unit 94 presses the opposing member 93 toward the fluid rail 91.

According to this structure, the distortion of the fluid rail 91 is absorbed by the suspension unit 94, so that a predetermined gap can be maintained from the upper surface of the fluid rail 91 of the opposing member 93, and the tray 21 can be conveyed.

In addition, in the present embodiment, a plurality of trays 21 arranged along the conveying rail 31 are mounted on the conveying rail 31, and the adjacent facing members 93 abut against each other at the ends facing each other.

According to this structure, since the adjacent opposing members 93 abut against each other at the ends facing each other, it is possible to prevent the adjacent opposing members 93 from having a gap between the ends of each other. As a result, during the transportation of the pallet 21, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of the opposing member 93 not covering the through hole 91e, and it is possible to prevent air leakage due to the through hole 91e.

In addition, in this embodiment, the tray 21 is formed so that the end in the extending direction of the fluid rail 91 does not protrude from the end of the opposed member 93.

According to this structure, since the end of the tray 21 in the extending direction of the fluid rail 91 does not protrude from the end of the opposing member 93, it is possible to prevent the adjacent trays 21 from contacting each other at the ends and causing the adjacent opposing member. 93 creates a gap between the ends of each other. As a result, during the transportation of the pallet 21, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of the opposing member 93 not covering the through hole 91e, and it is possible to prevent air leakage due to the through hole 91e.

In addition, in this embodiment, the pallet conveying device 10 further includes: a return rail 41 that is arranged in parallel with the conveyance rail 31 and mounts the pallet 21 so as to be movable; and a pallet return unit 61 that enables the pallet mounted on the return rail 41 21 moves in the direction opposite to the conveying direction; the return tray transfer mechanism 70, which transfers the tray 21 loaded on the transfer rail 31 from the top of the transfer rail 31 to the top of the return rail 41; and the transfer tray transfer mechanism 80, This transfers the tray 21 mounted on the return rail 41 from the base end of the return rail 41 to the base end of the conveyance rail 31.

According to this structure, the pallet 21 can be conveyed so that the pallet 21 may circulate along the conveyance rail 31 and the return rail 41. As shown in FIG.

In addition, in this embodiment, the pallet conveying unit 51 has a conveying belt 52 that is provided to be able to circulate along the conveying rail 31 and a servo motor 59 that circulates the conveying belt 52. In addition, the tray return unit 61 has a return belt 62 that is provided to be able to circulate along the return rail 41 and a servo motor 69 that circulates the return belt 62. The pallet 21 is provided with a locking member 24, and the locking member 24 moves together with the pallet 21 in the width direction of the conveying belt 52 or the return belt 62 so as to be able to be locked with the conveying belt 52 or the return belt 62.

According to this structure, since the movement of the pallet 21 independently of the conveying belt 52 or the return belt 62 is prohibited, the pallet 21 is caught by the conveying belt 52 or the return belt 62 and conveyed.

In addition, the plurality of pallets 21 are continuously mounted on the conveyance rail 31, and the pallets 21 are conveyed while the opposing members 93 provided on the plurality of pallets 21 approach or abut each other.

According to this structure, it is possible to prevent the counter member 93 from not covering the through hole 91e during the transportation of the pallet 21, and it is possible to prevent air leakage due to the through hole 91e.

As mentioned above, although the embodiment of the present invention has been described, the above-mentioned embodiment only shows a part of the application example of the present invention, and does not mean that the technical scope of the present invention is limited to the specific configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment.

Next, a modification example according to the present invention will be described.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the length W2 of the opposed member 93 in the direction of the fluid rail 91 is longer than the length W1 of the base 23 of the tray 21 in the direction of the fluid rail 91 has been described. However, the length W2 of the opposed member 93 in the direction of the fluid rail 91 is not limited to this, and may be the same as the length W1 of the base 23 of the tray 21 in the direction of the fluid rail 91. Even in this case, it is possible to transport the pallets 21 by continuously mounting the plurality of pallets 21 on the transport rail 31 and bringing the opposing members 93 of the plurality of pallets 21 close to or in contact with each other, thereby avoiding the occurrence of opposing. The case where the component 93 does not cover the through hole 91e.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the electric drive type servomotor 59,69 rotates the pulleys 55,66, and circulates the conveyance belt 52 or the return belt 62 was demonstrated. However, as long as the pulleys 55 and 66 can be rotated, a fluid pressure cylinder or a fluid pressure motor may be used instead of the servo motor.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the fluid rail 91 is not allowed to follow the return rail 41 and the suction nozzle 26 is not operated in the tray 21 mounted on the return rail 41 has been described. However, it is not limited to this, and the fluid rail 91 may be formed along the return rail 41 that retreats the tray 21. In this case, by opposing the opposing member 93 and the fluid rail 91 provided along the return rail 41, even in the tray 21 mounted on the return rail 41, the suction nozzle 26 can be operated.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the suction nozzle 26 sucks the workpiece 14 by the suction nozzle 26 through the suction of the air has been described. However, the fluid pressure device is not limited to this as long as it can be operated with fluid. For example, it may be a component that rotates the workpiece 14 by suction of fluid or a component that processes the workpiece 14.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the suction nozzle 26 is operated by using the fluid pump 92 to suck the air of the groove 91d of the fluid rail 91 into a negative pressure. However, it is also possible to supply fluid to the groove 91d for pressurization, and to provide the suction nozzle 26 operating with the fluid supplied from the groove 91d on the tray 21.

In this case, it is also considered that the opposed member 93 covering the through hole 91e communicating with the groove 91d floats and the fluid leaks. Therefore, by providing the suspension unit 94 that presses the opposing member 93 toward the fluid rail 91 on the tray 21, the opposing member 93 is prevented from floating from the fluid rail 91 and the leakage of the fluid is suppressed, thereby ensuring the suction nozzle 26 Operation.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-151021 filed with the Japan Patent Office on August 21, 2019, and incorporates the entire content of this application in this specification by reference.

10: Pallet handling device 21: Tray 24: Blocking parts 26: Fluid pressure equipment 31: Transport rail 41: Return to track 51: Pallet handling unit 52: Carrying belt 59: Servo motor (first circulation unit) 61: Pallet return unit 62: return belt 69: Servo motor (second circulation unit) 70: Return to the tray transfer mechanism 80: pallet transfer mechanism 91: fluid rail 91d: Groove (fluid path) 91e: Through hole 92: Fluid pump (fluid supply suction unit) 93: Opposite parts 93a: recess 93c: connecting path 94: Suspension unit 96: Roll W1: the length of the pallet W2: the length of the opposing part

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a pallet conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of part E in Fig. 1 showing the front surface of the tray. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the pallet mounted on the conveyance rail viewed from above. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of Fig. 4 showing a locked state of the tray and the endless belt. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D of Fig. 9 showing the tray transfer mechanism. Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C of Fig. 10 showing the tray transfer mechanism. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a state before the pallet is transported along the transport rail. Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a state after the pallet is conveyed along the conveyance rail and before the pallet is moved to the return rail. Fig. 10 is a plan view showing a state after the tray is moved to the return rail and before the tray is retreated along the return rail. Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a state before the pallet is moved to the conveyance rail after the pallet has retreated along the return rail.

10: Pallet handling device

11, 12, 13: processing station

16: Workpiece feeding machine

17: Workpiece recycling machine

21: Tray

22: Linear motion block

23: Pedestal

24: Blocking parts

26: Fluid pressure equipment

27: Fixture

31: Transport rail

32: Support plate

34: mounting plate

51: Pallet handling unit

52: Carrying belt

52c: Lower transport belt

52d: upper conveying belt

53, 54: support table

55: pulley

56: second pulley

57: belt track

59: Servo motor (first circulation unit)

59a: Rotation axis

71, 81: stand

72, 82: movable body

72a: platen

72b: short track

73, 83: Orbit

74, 84: Taiwan parts

75, 85: Ball screw

91: fluid rail

91a: Substrate

91b: cover

91d: Groove (fluid path)

91e: Through hole

91f: Inclined surface

92: Fluid pump (fluid supply suction unit)

92a: connecting path

93: Opposite parts

93a: recess

93c: connecting path

94: Suspension unit

96: Roll

Claims (12)

A pallet handling device, which is provided with: Carrying rail, which carries the pallet equipped with fluid pressure equipment to be able to move; A pallet handling unit, which transports the pallet mounted on the handling rail; A fluid rail, which is arranged along the conveying rail and has a fluid passage formed inside; and A fluid supply and suction unit, which is arranged to communicate with the fluid passage and supply fluid to the fluid passage or suck fluid from the fluid passage; A plurality of through holes are formed in the fluid rail to allow the fluid passage to communicate with the outside, The tray is provided with an opposing member and a communication path, the opposing member is formed with a recess covering a part of the plurality of through holes, and the opposing member opposes the fluid rail, so The communication path communicates the recess with the fluid pressure device. The pallet handling device described in claim 1, wherein: When the pallet is conveyed to any position of the conveying rail by the pallet conveying unit, the recesses all cover a part of the plurality of through holes. The pallet handling device described in claim 1, wherein: A roller is pivotally supported on the opposing member, the roller rolls on the fluid rail, and the opposing member is opposed to the fluid rail with a predetermined gap. The pallet handling device described in claim 3, wherein: A suspension unit is provided on the tray, and the suspension unit presses the opposed member toward the fluid rail. The pallet handling device described in claim 1, wherein: A plurality of the pallets arranged along the conveying rail are mounted on the conveying rail, The adjacent opposing members abut against each other at the ends facing each other. Such as the pallet handling device described in claim 5, wherein: The tray is formed so that an end in the extending direction of the fluid rail does not protrude from the end of the opposed member. The pallet handling device described in claim 1, which also includes: A return rail, which is arranged in parallel with the transport rail and carries the pallet so as to be movable; A pallet return unit that moves the pallet mounted on the return rail in a direction opposite to the conveying direction; A return tray transfer mechanism that transfers the pallet mounted on the transfer rail from the top end of the transfer rail to the top end of the return rail; and A transport tray transfer mechanism that transfers the tray mounted on the return rail from the base end of the return rail to the base end of the transport rail. The pallet handling device described in claim 7, wherein: The pallet handling unit has: A conveying belt, the conveying belt is arranged to be able to circulate along the conveying rail; and A first circulation unit, the first circulation unit circulates the conveying belt; The tray returning unit has: A return belt, the return belt being configured to be able to circulate along the return rail; and A second circulation unit, the second circulation unit circulates the return belt; A locking member is provided on the pallet, and the locking member moves together with the pallet in the width direction of the conveying belt or the return belt, so that the locking member can interact with the conveying belt or The return belt is stuck. A pallet handling method, which loads a pallet equipped with a fluid pressure device on a handling rail for handling; it includes: Arranging a fluid rail with a fluid passage formed inside and a plurality of through holes for communicating the fluid passage with the outside along the conveying rail; Supplying fluid to the fluid passage or sucking fluid from the fluid passage; Opposing the fluid rail with the opposing member formed with the recessed portion covering a part of the plurality of through holes; The recessed portion is communicated with the fluid pressure equipment mounted on the tray, and the tray and the opposing member are transported while the fluid pressure equipment is operated. Such as the pallet handling method described in claim 9, wherein: A roller is pivotally supported on the opposing member, and the roller rolls on the fluid rail, and the opposing member and the fluid rail are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap while the roller is transported. tray. Such as the pallet handling method described in claim 10, wherein: While pressing the opposing member on the fluid rail, the tray is conveyed. The pallet handling method described in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: The plurality of pallets are continuously mounted on the conveying rail, and the pallets are conveyed while the opposed members provided on the plurality of pallets approach or abut each other.

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