WO2010106882A1

WO2010106882A1 - Carrier plate

Info

Publication number: WO2010106882A1
Application number: PCT/JP2010/052695
Authority: WO
Inventors: 静明岡崎
Original assignee: 北川精機株式会社
Priority date: 2009-03-16
Filing date: 2010-02-23
Publication date: 2010-09-23
Also published as: TW201034831A

Abstract

A carrier plate (500) is provided with a frame body (510) which has a hollow section (H) and can be considered as a rigid body, and also with a thin plate (520) which is fastened to the upper surface of the frame body (510) so as to cover the hollow section (H) of the frame body (510) and supports from below an object (P) to be processed. The hollow section (H) of the frame body (510) is sized to contain a heat plate (223) of a press device. The thin plate (520) is a sheet-like member which is elastic for the weight of the object (P) and has thermal resistance.

Description

Carrier plate

The present invention relates to a carrier plate on which a workpiece is placed, loaded into a press apparatus, and pressed together with the workpiece.

In order to hot-press press-mold the laminate with a press device, a press device is used in which the workpiece is pressed between hot plates. When a workpiece is carried into such a pressing device or a laminated product after molding is carried out of the pressing device, the workpiece and the laminated product are, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication JP 9-085764A (hereinafter referred to as “JP 9-085764A”). It is mounted on a carrier plate such as that described in Patent Document 1).

The carrier plate is carried between the hot plates of the press device by a conveyor or the like with the workpiece placed thereon, pressed with the workpiece between the hot plates, and then taken out from the hot plate with the laminated product. After removing the carrier plate and the laminate product from between the hot plates, the laminate product is removed from the carrier plate. Then, the workpiece is again placed on the carrier plate, and pressing is performed. As the carrier plate, a relatively rigid metal plate such as a stainless steel plate is used. Further, the carrier plate described in Patent Document 1 has a groove-like unevenness to increase rigidity in order to prevent warping due to accumulation of thermal strain. Thereby, the lifetime of the carrier plate is long.

However, when the workpiece to be pressed by the press device is a brittle material such as glass, the workpiece may cause brittle fracture when pressed using a carrier plate having high rigidity. .

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a carrier plate that can prevent brittle fracture of a workpiece.

In order to achieve the above object, the carrier plate of the present invention has a hollow part and is fixed to the upper surface of the frame so as to cover the frame that can be regarded as a rigid body and the hollow part of the frame. It has a thin plate to support, and the hollow part of the frame is large enough to accommodate the hot platen of the pressing device. The thin plate is a sheet-like member that has elasticity with respect to the weight of the workpiece and has heat resistance. is there.

Preferably, the frame body has rigidity against thermal stress generated in the frame body during pressing.

Further, the frame is formed of, for example, steel or heat resistant resin.

Also, the thin plate is formed of a metal foil such as stainless steel foil or copper foil having a thickness of 0.05 to 1 mm. Alternatively, the thin plate is formed of a heat-resistant resin sheet such as a fluorine resin sheet or a glass fiber resin sheet having a thickness of 0.2 to 1.5 mm.

According to the present invention, the hot platen is accommodated in the hollow portion of the frame body during pressing, and the thin plate is sandwiched between the hot platen and the workpiece. The thin plate has elasticity with respect to the weight of the workpiece and has flexibility. For this reason, the thin plate functions as a kind of cushion at the time of pressing, and the distribution of the load applied to the workpiece is made substantially uniform. Therefore, by using the carrier plate of the present invention, even if the workpiece is a brittle material, a concentrated load is not applied to the workpiece during pressing, and the workpiece does not cause brittle fracture. Further, since the frame body is a member that can be regarded as a rigid body, the carrier plate can be conveyed while supporting the frame body.

FIG. 1 is a top view showing an entire press apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state when a loader is in a first position. FIG. 2 is a top view showing the entire press apparatus system according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state when the loader is in the second position. FIG. 3 is a top view showing the entire press apparatus system according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state when the loader is in the product removal position. FIG. 4 is a top view showing the entire press apparatus system according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state when the loader is in the product arrangement position. FIG. 5 is a side view of the stacker according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows a procedure for placing the carrier plate and the product on the support arm of the stacker according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a procedure for taking out the carrier plate and the product placed thereon from the stacker using the loader according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a front view of the press device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows a procedure for installing the carrier plate and the product held by the loader according to the embodiment of the present invention in the press apparatus. FIG. 10 is a front view of the press device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view of the loader according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the carrier plate according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the configuration of a press apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description, the expression “up, down, left, and right” indicating the direction in the figure is used. This expression is based on the direction of the page on which the quotation mark can be read correctly. 1 to 4 are top views showing the entire press apparatus system according to the present embodiment. The press apparatus system 1 includes a stacker 100 on which a product before processing is placed, a press apparatus 200 that presses the product, and a loader 300 that conveys the product from the stacker 100 to the press apparatus 200.

The stacker 100 and the press device 200 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction in the figure. Further, the loader 300 is adjacent to the right side of the stacker 100 and the press device 200 in the drawing, and delivers products at that location. Therefore, the loader 300 can move between a first position adjacent to the stacker 100 (lower right in the drawing, FIG. 1) and a second position adjacent to the press device 200 (upper right in the drawing, FIG. 2). (Vertical direction in the figure).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the loader 300 includes

loader arms

310 and 320 extending in the left-right direction in the drawings, and when the loader 300 is in the first position (FIG. 1), It is possible to move 320 toward the stacker 100. When the

loader arms

310 and 320 are moved (FIG. 3), both loader arms enter the stacker 100, and products placed in the stacker are transferred to the

loader arms

310 and 320, or the

loader arms

310 and 320 are moved. It is possible to transfer the product placed on the stacker 100.

Also, when the loader 300 is in the second position (FIG. 2), the

loader arms

310 and 320 can be moved toward the press device 200. When the

loader arms

310 and 320 are moved (FIG. 4), both loader arms enter the press device 200, and the products placed on the

loader arms

310 and 320 are transferred onto the hot platen of the press device 200. Alternatively, the product placed on the hot platen of the press apparatus 200 can be transferred to the

loader arms

310 and 320.

In the series of steps in the present embodiment, the workpiece and the resin molded product formed by pressing the workpiece are transported and pressed while being placed on the carrier plate. A plurality of workpieces P are placed on the stacker 100 in the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface). Each workpiece P is placed on a carrier plate 500. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the carrier plates 500 is supported at its four corners by the support arms 111 to 114 of the product switching rack 110. The

support arms

111 and 112 extend from the upper side in the figure to support the carrier plate 500, and the

support arms

113 and 114 extend from the lower side in the figure to support the carrier plate 500. The

support arms

111 and 113 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction in the figure. Similarly, the

support arms

112 and 114 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction in the figure.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the stacker 100 (when viewed from the left to the right in FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 5, each of the support arms 111 to 114 has a plurality of sets in the vertical direction, and on the set of support arms 111 to 114 arranged at the same position in the horizontal direction, that is, at the same height, One carrier plate 500 is placed.

The support arms 111 to 114 can be moved up and down in the vertical direction by the cylinder mechanism 130. The cylinder mechanism 130 may be driven by either hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure. Other drive mechanisms such as a rack-pinion mechanism and a ball screw mechanism can also be used.

The carrier plate 500 on which the workpiece P is placed is carried into the stacker 100 from the left side in FIG. For loading the workpiece P into the stacker 100, a lifting conveyor 120 that conveys the carrier plate 500 in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 (hereinafter referred to as “conveying direction”) is used. The lifting conveyor 120 is movable in the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface). The lifting conveyor 120 is driven so that the plate placed thereon can be conveyed from left to right in FIG. The driving of the lifting conveyor 120 is performed by a driving mechanism (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, the size of the lifting conveyor 120 in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 (hereinafter referred to as “width direction”) is the distance between the

support arms

111 and 113 in the width direction, and the

support arms

112 and 114. It is formed narrower than the width direction interval. Therefore, when there is no carrier plate 500 on the portion (region 121) between the support arms 111 to 114 of the lifting conveyor 120, it can move freely up and down without interfering with the support arms 111 to 114.

The procedure for placing the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P on the support arms 111 to 114 of the stacker 100 will be described below. 6A to 6D are cross-sectional views taken along the line AA in FIG. As shown in the figure, each of the

support arms

112 and 114 has

claw portions

112h and 114h extending vertically upward. The

support arms

111 and 113 also have

claw portions

111h and 113h having the same shape (see FIG. 1).

FIG. 6A shows a state before the carrier plate 500 is transported into the stacker 100. As shown in FIG. 6A, the upper surface 122 of the lifting conveyor 120 is at a position higher than the horizontal plane TS1 defined by the upper ends of the claw portions of the uppermost support arms 111 to 114.

Next, the lifting conveyor 120 is driven so that the upper surface 122 of the lifting conveyor 120 moves forward (in the direction from left to right in FIG. 1), and the carrier plate 500 on which the workpiece P is placed is supported by each support arm of the lifting conveyor 120. It moves on a portion between 111-114 (area 121: FIGS. 1 and 3). FIG. 6B shows this state. In this state, the lowermost end of the carrier plate 500 is higher than the horizontal plane TS1 defined by the upper ends of the claw portions of the uppermost support arms 111 to 114. Therefore, the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P are conveyed into the stacker 100 without interference between the carrier plate 500 and the claw portions 111h to 114h of the support arm.

Next, the lifting conveyor 120 descends to the position shown in FIG. As a result, the carrier plate 500 is placed on the claw portions 111h to 114h of the uppermost support arm.

Next, the lifting conveyor 120 is driven so that the upper surface 122 of the lifting conveyor 120 moves forward (that is, moves from left to right in FIG. 1), and the carrier plate 500 on which the workpiece P is placed is supported by each support arm 111 of the lifting conveyor 120. Move to a portion (region 121: FIG. 1) between .about.114. FIG. 6D shows this state. In this state, the bottom surface of the carrier plate 500 is at a position higher than the horizontal plane TS2 defined by the upper ends of the claw portions of the second support arms 111 to 114 from the top, and the upper end of the carrier plate is the uppermost support arm 111. It is at a position lower than the horizontal plane BS1 defined by the lower ends of .about.114. Furthermore, the dimension in the width direction of the workpiece P is shorter than the width dimension in the gap between the

support arms

111 and 113 and the width dimension in the gap between the

support arms

112 and 114. Is at a position lower than the horizontal plane TS1 defined by the upper ends of the claw portions of the uppermost support arms 111 to 114 (that is, the position of the bottom surface of the upper carrier plate 500). Therefore, the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P are conveyed into the stacker 100 without interference between the carrier plate 500, the claw portions 111h to 114h of the support arm and the upper carrier plate.

Hereinafter, by carrying out the steps of FIGS. 6 (c) and 6 (d) for all of the support arms 111 to 114 (see FIG. 5), each of the support arms 111 to 114 has a carrier plate. 500 and workpiece P are mounted.

The procedure for taking out the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P arranged in the stacker 100 as described above by the loader 300 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As described above, the loader 300 includes the

loader arms

310 and 320 extending in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the carrier plate 500 by the lifting conveyor 120. Although only one

loader arm

310, 320 is shown in the figure, in actuality, the

loader arms

310, 320 are each at a height corresponding to each set of support arms 111-114. One by one.

As shown in FIG. 3, the

loader arms

310 and 320 are a kind of cantilever beams supported by arm guides 311 and 321 extending in the vertical direction. The loader 300 is driven so that the

loader arms

310 and 320 enter the stacker 100 starting from the free ends 312 and 322 of the

loader arms

310 and 320, so that the arm guides 311 and 321 do not interfere with the stacker 100. . Hereinafter, the optimum loader 300 position for transferring the product from the stacker is defined as the product take-out position (position of the loader 300 in FIG. 3).

Hereinafter, a specific procedure for taking out the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P placed thereon from the stacker 100 using the loader 300 will be described. 7A to 7C are cross-sectional views taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

FIG. 7A shows a state before the

loader arms

310 and 320 are inserted into the stacker 100. At this time, the loader 300 is in the first position.

Next, the loader 300 is moved to the product removal position. FIG. 7B shows a state in which the movement of the loader 300 to the product removal position is completed. As shown in FIG. 7B, each of the

loader arms

310 and 320 has an L-shaped cross section and supports the lower corners of the carrier plate 500 at both ends in the width direction (left and right ends in the figure).

Next, the support arms 111 to 114 are lowered. FIG. 7C shows a state in which the lowering of the support arms 111 to 114 is completed. As shown in the figure, when the support arm is lowered, the carrier plate 500 moves away from the support arm and is placed on the

loader arms

310 and 320.

Next, the loader 300 is moved to the first position. FIG. 7D shows a cross section in the width direction of the loader 300 when the movement of the loader 300 to the first position is completed. Since the carrier plate 500 is supported only by the

loader arms

310 and 320 in the state of FIG. 7 (c), when the loader 300 is moved from the state of FIG. 7 (c), as shown in FIG. 7 (d). The carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P are taken out from the stacker 100 while the carrier plate 500 (and the workpiece P thereon) is placed on the

loader arms

310 and 320.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the workpiece P is taken out from the stacker 100, the support arm of the stacker 100 is driven in the vertical direction, and the

loader arms

310 and 320 of the loader 300 are in the vertical direction. Is not driven. The length of the support arm in the width direction may be such that the

loader arms

310 and 320 can be placed in the lower corners of the carrier plate 500, that is, slightly longer than the width direction dimensions of the

loader arms

310 and 320. Therefore, when the carrier plate 500 is placed on the support arms 111 to 114, the bending moment applied to the fixed ends of the support arms 111 to 114 that are cantilever beams driven in the vertical direction is relatively small. Even if the workpiece P is heavy, the product can be sufficiently retained. On the other hand, the

loader arms

310 and 320 to which a large bending moment is applied to their fixed ends (ends on the arm guides 311 and 321 side) do not need to be driven in the vertical direction. . Therefore, since the

loader arms

310 and 320 are directly fixed to the arm guides 311 and 321, they can be firmly supported. Therefore, the

loader arms

310 and 320 can sufficiently hold the work piece P and the resin molded product even if they are heavy.

Next, the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P held by the loader 300 are placed on a hot platen (described later) of the press device 200. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, in the present embodiment, the stacker 100 and the press device 200 are installed side by side in the width direction (vertical direction in the figure). With the carrier plate 500 placed on the

loader arms

310 and 320, the loader 300 is moved from the first position (FIG. 1) to the second position (FIG. 2). As a result, the loader 300 is adjacent to the right side of the press device 200 in the drawing. When the loader 300 is moved from the second position toward the press device 200 (from the right to the left in FIG. 2), the

loader arms

310 and 320, the carrier plate 500 placed thereon, and the workpiece are processed. The article P enters the press apparatus 200 (FIG. 4). The position of the loader 300 at this time is defined as a product arrangement position (position of the loader 300 in FIG. 4).

In the present embodiment, the lower press machine and the intermediate press machine of the press device 200 move upward, so that the press machine scoops up the carrier plate 500 and the carrier plate 500 moves onto the hot platen as the press machine. ing. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the press apparatus 200 is provided with an intermediate hot platen guide mechanism 210 that connects the lower hot platen and the intermediate hot platen and simultaneously raises / lowers them.

The outline of the intermediate hot platen guide mechanism 210 will be described. FIG. 8 is a front view of the press device 200. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the intermediate hot platen guide mechanism 210 has a prismatic shape extending in two pairs of vertical directions (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) provided near both ends in the width direction of the hot platen 220. It has a guide bar 211 and a guide plate 212 for securing the rigidity of the intermediate hot platen guide mechanism 210 by connecting two guide bars 211 arranged in the transport direction. Further, in the middle of each guide bar 211, a hot plate receiving block 214 corresponding to each of the intermediate hot plates 223 is fixed. Hot plate guides 223a are formed at both ends of the intermediate hot plate in the width direction so as to protrude in the width direction, and the hot plate guide 223a is placed on the hot plate receiving block 214 so that the intermediate hot plate 223 becomes an intermediate hot plate. The guide mechanism 210 is supported from below.

Also, a rail 211a (FIG. 1) extending vertically in the vertical direction is formed on one side of the guide bar 211, which is the most distal side from the heating plate. Further, a side frame 271 of the press device 200 is formed on the outer side (upper and lower in FIG. 1) of the guide bar 211, and a guide member 272 engaged with the rail 211a is formed on the inner surface of the side frame 271 facing the heating plate. Is fixed. When the rail 211a is guided by the guide member 272, the moving direction of the intermediate hot platen guide mechanism 210 is limited only in the vertical direction.

At the lower end of the guide bar 211, there is a member for engaging the intermediate hot platen guide mechanism 210 so that the intermediate hot platen guide mechanism 210 moves up and down with the vertical movement of the table surface plate 251 on which the lower hot platen 222 is fixed. A combination mechanism 213 is provided. The engagement mechanism 213 includes an engagement pin 213b, a cylinder drive mechanism 213a that moves the engagement pin 213b forward and backward in the conveyance direction, and an insertion hole 213c through which the engagement pin 213b is inserted and supported from the circumferential direction. .

When the engagement pin 213b is driven to protrude by the cylinder drive mechanism 213a as in the state shown in FIG. 8, the engagement pin 213b is inserted into the slot 251a extending in the horizontal direction from the side surface of the table surface plate 251. The cylindrical surface comes into contact, and the table surface plate 251 and the intermediate hot platen guide mechanism 210 are engaged. Therefore, in this state, the intermediate hot platen guide mechanism moves up and down as the table surface plate 251 moves up and down. Specifically, when the hydraulic cylinder 260 is driven to raise the table surface plate 251 and the lower heating plate 222, the guide bar 211 rises with the rise of the table surface plate 251, and the intermediate supported by the guide bar 211 The hot platen 223 also rises while maintaining a distance from each other. Here, the insertion hole 213c is formed by fitting a low friction sliding bush made of a low friction material (for example, fluorine resin) into the engagement mechanism. Further, the inner diameter of the insertion hole is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the engagement pin 213b. When the table surface plate is driven with the engagement pin 213b in the slot 251a, a shearing stress corresponding to the load of the intermediate heating plate 223 is applied to the engagement pin 213b. In this embodiment, since the engagement pin 213b is subjected to shear stress in a state where the inner periphery of the insertion hole 213c and the engagement pin 213b are in close contact with each other, much of this shear stress is received at the inner periphery of the insertion hole 213c. The magnitude of the bending stress generated in the cylinder driving mechanism 213a by the shear stress can be minimized. For this reason, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which the cylinder driving mechanism 213a is damaged due to the shear stress applied to the engagement pin 213b.

When the engagement pin 213b is driven by the cylinder drive mechanism 213a so as to be separated from the slot 251a and completely accommodated in the insertion hole 213c, the engagement state between the intermediate hot plate guide mechanism 210 and the table surface plate 251 is released. The Therefore, even if the table surface plate 251 is raised in this state, the intermediate heating plate 223 does not move. When the lower heating platen 222 rises and comes into contact with the intermediate heating plate thereon (via the workpiece P), the intermediate heating plate 223 is supported by the lower heating platen 222. When the table surface plate 251 is further raised from this state, the hot platen guide 223a is separated from the hot platen receiving block 214, and the lower hot platen 222 and the intermediate hot platen 223 are moved upward together. Here, when the lower heating plate 222 and the intermediate heating plate 223 come into contact with the intermediate heating plate on the upper stage (via the workpiece P), the intermediate heating plate 223 is integrated with the lower heating plate 222 in the same manner. And move up. This process is repeated to bring the uppermost intermediate heating plate 223 into contact with the upper heating plate 221 with all the intermediate heating plates 223 integrated with the lower heating plate 222. From this state, the table surface plate 251 is further driven to rise, and the workpiece P is pressed by applying pressure to the workpiece P sandwiched between the respective heating plates. Note that the size and the mounting position of the heating plate guide 223a and the heating plate receiving block 214 in the conveying direction are configured so that the heating plate guide 223a of the intermediate heating plate 223 and the heating plate receiving block 214 thereabove do not interfere with each other. ing. More specifically, in FIG. 8, the end face on the right side of the heating plate guide 223 a on the left side in the drawing of the intermediate heating plate 223 at a certain stage is the heating plate receiving block 214 corresponding to the intermediate heating plate 223 on the upper stage. It is formed on the left side in the figure from the end face on the left side in the figure. Similarly, the end face on the left side in the drawing of the right side hot platen guide 223a in the drawing of the intermediate heating plate 223 in a certain stage is the end face on the right side in the drawing of the heating plate receiving block 214 corresponding to the intermediate heating plate 223 in the upper stage. It is formed on the right side in the figure.

Hereinafter, the procedure for installing the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P held by the loader 300 in the press apparatus 200 will be described in detail. FIGS. 9A to 9C are cross-sectional views taken along the line CC of FIG. FIGS. 9A to 9C show only one carrier plate 500 and one workpiece P, but in the installation process of the present embodiment described below, the loader 300 holds the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P. The same installation process is simultaneously performed on all the carrier plates 500 and the workpieces P that are present.

In the present embodiment, the carrier plate 500 placed on the

loader arms

310 and 320 of the loader 300 raises the intermediate heating plate 223 and the lower heating plate 222 located below each loader arm, thereby raising the heating plate. Moved to.

FIG. 9A shows a state in which the loader 300 is moved to the product placement position, and the

loader arms

310 and 320, the carrier plate 500, and the workpiece P are carried into the press apparatus 200. At this time, the bottom surface of the carrier plate 500 is disposed at a position higher than the top surfaces of the corresponding intermediate heating plate 223 and lower heating plate 222.

Next, the cylinder driving mechanism 213a is driven to cause the engaging pin 213b to protrude into the slot 251a of the table surface plate 251, and the table surface plate 251 and the intermediate heating plate guide mechanism 210 are engaged (FIG. 8). When the table surface plate 251 is raised from this state, the lower heat plate 222 and the intermediate heat plate 223 are simultaneously raised as described above. Then, the heating plate is brought into contact with the upper carrier plate 500 and further lifted. FIG. 9B shows this state. As a result, the carrier plate 500 is slightly lifted from the

loader arms

310 and 320, and the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P are held only by the

hot plates

222 and 223.

Next, the loader 300 is moved from the product placement position to the second position. FIG. 9C shows a state when this movement is completed. As a result, the carrier plate 500 on which the workpiece P is placed is placed on the intermediate heating plate 223 and the lower heating plate 223. From this state, the table surface plate 251 is lowered to the lowest limit, and then the cylinder drive mechanism 213a is driven to retract the engagement pin 213b from the slot 251a (FIG. 8) and accommodate it in the insertion hole 213c. In this state, even if the table surface plate 251 is moved upward, the intermediate heating plate 223 does not move. Therefore, by driving the table surface plate 251 from this state, the workpiece P can be pressed as described above.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the workpiece P is installed in the press device 200, the lower heat plate 222 and the intermediate heat plate 223 are driven in the vertical direction, and the loader arm 310 of the loader 300 is driven. And 320 are not driven vertically. Accordingly, the

loader arms

310 and 320 to which a large bending moment is applied to the fixed ends (the end portions on the arm guides 311 and 321 side) do not require a driving mechanism in the portions, and are directly fixed to the arm guides 311 and 321. It is possible to support firmly. Therefore, the

loader arms

310 and 320 can sufficiently hold the product even when the workpiece P is heavy.

After the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P are placed on the intermediate heating plate 220, the workpiece P is vacuum-pressed. The procedure will be described below. FIG. 10 is a side view of the press device 200 after the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P are placed on the intermediate hot platen 220. FIG. 11 is a front view of the press device 200 as viewed from the right side in FIG.

As described above, the lower heating plate 222 is placed on the table surface plate 251. Further, an upper heating plate 221 fixed to the bottom surface of the crown surface plate 252 is disposed on the upper side of the workpiece P placed on the uppermost intermediate heating plate 223. The crown surface plate 252 is fixed to the lower end of a crown surface plate fixing frame 253 that extends downward from the ceiling of the device frame of the press device 200.

The table surface plate 251 is driven in the vertical direction by a hydraulically or pneumatically driven cylinder 260. Further, as described above, each of the intermediate heating plates 223 is configured to be integrated with the lower heating plate 222 via the workpiece P by the raising of the lower heating plate 222 and to rise together with the lower heating plate. Accordingly, the table surface plate 251 is raised until the workpiece P and the carrier plate 500 are sandwiched between the lower heat plate 222, the intermediate heat plate 223, and the upper heat plate 221, and the table surface plate is further moved from this state. By raising 251, the workpiece P is pressed between the hot plates.

The temperature of the lower heating plate 222, the intermediate heating plate 223, and the upper heating plate 221 is adjusted by heating means (not shown) (for example, a heating medium circulated in a pipe formed in the heating plate). The temperature of the hot platen is controlled according to the characteristics of the workpiece P.

The table surface plate 251, the crown surface plate 252, the intermediate heat plate 220, the upper heat plate 221, the intermediate heat plate guide mechanism 210, and the device frame that supports them are arranged in the vacuum chamber 280.

The vacuum chamber 280 forms a space (shaded portion in FIG. 10) sealed by the walls surrounding the four sides and the upper and lower sides. As shown in FIG. 10, an opening 282 is provided on the wall surface (right side in FIG. 10) forming one side surface of the vacuum chamber 280, and the workpiece P is taken in and out through this opening 282. A slide door 284 is provided on the wall surface where the opening 282 is formed. When the workpiece P is set or taken out, the slide door 284 is slid downward to load the

loader arms

310 and 320 and The work piece P placed on is configured to pass through the opening. Further, when the workpiece P is pressed, the slide door 284 moves upward, closes the opening 282, and the space in the vacuum chamber 280 is sealed.

The press work of the workpiece P by the press apparatus 200 having the above configuration is performed as follows. After the slide door 284 is slid downward, the workpiece P is placed on the intermediate heating plate 220 according to the procedure described above, and then the slide door 284 is raised and the vacuum chamber 280 is used to set the table surface plate 251 and the crown surface plate. 252, the intermediate heating plate 220, the intermediate heating plate guide mechanism 210, and the device frame that supports them are sealed from the outside. Next, the atmospheric pressure in the vacuum chamber is lowered by a vacuum pump (not shown).

Next, the table surface plate 251 is raised and the workpiece P is pressed to obtain a resin molded product. When the press working is completed, the pressure inside the chamber is returned to the atmospheric pressure by a booster valve (not shown), the table surface plate 251 is lowered, and the slide door 284 is lowered. When the table surface plate 251 is lowered, the hot platen guide 223a of the intermediate hot platen 223 is caught on the hot platen block 214 in order from the upper side during the lowering, and the adjacent intermediate hot platens 223 or the lowermost plate is placed. The intermediate heating plate 223 and the lower heating plate 222 are sequentially separated. In this state, the resin molded product can be taken out from the press device 200.

Next, the resin molded product is taken out from the press device 200 using the loader 300. The resin molded product is taken out in the order shown in FIG. 9 (c), FIG. 9 (b), and FIG. 9 (a) in the order opposite to the conveying procedure of the workpiece P shown in FIG. Made by executing. The taken out resin molded product is conveyed to the stacker 100 by the loader 300. The transport of the resin molded product to the stacker 100 after the loader 300 has moved to the product removal position is the reverse of the procedure for taking out the workpiece P shown in FIG. 3, that is, FIG. 6 (d) and FIG. c), the processing shown in FIGS. 6B and 6A is performed in this order.

The moving mechanism of the loader 300 will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 11 is a side view of the loader 300 in the second position as viewed in the width direction (the upward direction from the bottom in FIG. 2). The loader 300 is a first for moving in the transport direction between the first position (FIG. 1) or the second position (FIG. 2) and the product removal position (FIG. 3) or the product placement position (FIG. 4). A moving mechanism 340 and a second moving mechanism 330 for moving in the width direction between the first position and the second position are provided.

The first moving mechanism 340 rotates a pair of ball screws 341 and 342 passed in the conveying direction and the horizontal direction,

nuts

343 and 344 engaged with the ball screws 341 and 342, and the ball screws 341 and 342, respectively. And a first motor 345 to be driven. Arm guides 311 and 312 are suspended from the

nuts

343 and 344, respectively. Therefore, when the ball screw 341 is rotationally driven by the first motor 345, the arm guides 311 and 312 and the

loader arms

310 and 320 together with the

nuts

343 and 344 move in the transport direction (left and right in the figure). The ball screws 341 and 342 are suspended from the ceiling plate 350 of the loader 300, and the first motor 345 is fixed to the upper surface of the ceiling plate 350. The torque of the rotating shaft of the first motor 345 is transferred to a driving pulley 346 attached to the rotating shaft of the first motor 345 and driven

pulleys

341a and 342a provided at the ends (right side in the drawing) of the ball screws 341 and 342. It is transmitted to the ball screws 341 and 342 via the endless belt 347.

As described above, in this embodiment, the

loader arms

310 and 320 are movable between the first position or the second position and the product take-out position or the product placement position by the ball screw mechanism. In the present embodiment, the first moving mechanism moves the

loader arms

310 and 320 by a ball screw mechanism, but instead of the ball screw mechanism, a cylinder mechanism (hydraulic or pneumatic drive) or a rack-pinion A mechanism or the like may be used.

The

loader arms

310 and 320 and the arm guides 311 and 312 are suspended from the ceiling plate 350 as described above, and the second moving mechanism described below causes the ceiling plate to move between the first position and the second position. It is supposed to move.

The second moving mechanism 330 includes a pair of linear rails 331 and 332 passed horizontally and a rail engaging block 333 that can engage with the linear rails 331 and 332 and move on the rail in the width direction. 334. The

rail engaging blocks

333 and 334 are both fixed on the ceiling plate 350, and the linear rails 331 and 332 are suspended from the ceiling 2. The ceiling plate 350, the

loader arms

310 and 320, and the arm guides 311 and 321 are movable along the linear rails 331 and 332 (that is, between the first position and the second position).

Further, a rack 335 extending horizontally in the width direction is suspended from the ceiling 2. A second motor 336 is fixed on the ceiling plate 350. A pinion 337 that engages with the rack 335 is attached to the rotation shaft of the second motor 336. Therefore, the ceiling plate 350 and the

loader arms

310 and 320 can be driven in the width direction along the linear rails 331 and 332 by driving the second motor 336.

In the present embodiment, the second moving mechanism moves the loader arm by the rack-pinion mechanism, but instead of the rack-pinion mechanism, a cylinder mechanism (hydraulic or pneumatic drive), a ball screw mechanism, etc. May be used.

Next, the carrier plate 500 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the carrier plate of the present embodiment.

The carrier plate 500 of the present embodiment includes a frame body 510 in which a hollow portion H is formed at the center, and a thin plate 520 that is fixed to the frame body 510 so as to cover the upper surface of the frame body 510 including the hollow portion H. . The thin plate 520 is fixed to the frame 510 with, for example, an adhesive. The hollow portion H is larger than the hot platen. When the carrier plate 500 is disposed on the hot platen, the hot platen is accommodated in the hollow portion H as shown in FIG.

The frame body 510 is made of a metal having a sufficient thickness of about several centimeters or a heat-resistant resin (polyimide resin or the like), and has a sufficiently high rigidity against thermal stress during heating.

Further, the thin plate 520 is formed from a heat-resistant material such as a fluorine resin sheet, a glass fiber reinforced resin sheet, stainless steel foil, or copper foil. Further, the thin plate 520 has such a size that the thin plate 520 has flexibility (elasticity) with respect to the weight of the workpiece P and is not broken by the weight of the workpiece P or the frame body 510. Preferably, when the thin plate 520 is formed of a fluorine resin sheet or a glass fiber reinforced resin sheet, the thickness thereof is 0.2 to 1.5 mm, and is formed of a stainless steel foil or a copper foil. The thickness is 0.05 to 1 millimeter.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the

support arms

113 and 114 of the stacker 100 support the frame 510 in a state where the carrier plate 500 is accommodated in the stacker 100. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, when the carrier plate 500 is accommodated in the stacker 100 using the lifting conveyor 120, the frame 510 is placed on the upper surface 122 of the lifting conveyor 120. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, when the loader 300 transports the carrier plate 500, the frame 510 is placed on the

loader arms

310 and 320. As described above, since the frame 510 has sufficiently high rigidity, it is supported by the

support arms

113 and 114 of the stacker 100, the lifting conveyor 120, or the

loader arms

310 and 320 of the loader 300. However, the frame 510 is not deformed by the dead weight of the carrier plate 500 and the workpiece P. At this time, the workpiece P is supported by the thin plate 520. As described above, the thin plate 520 has sufficient strength to withstand the weight of the workpiece P. The thin plate 520 is not broken by the dead weight of the workpiece P.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, in the state where the carrier plate 500 is disposed on the

heating plate

222 or 223, the thin plate 520 is sandwiched between the heating plate and the workpiece P, and the frame 510 is used as the heating plate. It will be in the state hung by the thin plate 520 from the edge part. As described above, the thin plate 520 is strong enough to withstand the weight of the frame 510, and the thin plate 520 is not broken by the weight of the workpiece P. In this state, the workpiece P is sandwiched between the heating plates and heated and pressed.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the thin plate 520 having sufficient flexibility (elasticity) with respect to the weight of the workpiece P is sandwiched between the hot platen and the workpiece P. For this reason, when pressurizing the workpiece P between the hot plates, the thin plate 520 functions as a kind of cushion, and the distribution of the load applied to the workpiece P is made uniform. If pressing is performed when the workpiece P is a brittle material, there is a possibility that the workpiece P may be broken due to the concentration of the load. In this embodiment, the thin plate 520 is a hot platen and the workpiece. Since it is arrange | positioned between P, the to-be-processed object P is not destroyed.

Further, the frame 510 of the carrier plate 500 has high rigidity against the thermal stress during heating / cooling of the carrier plate 500, and even if the carrier plate 500 is used repeatedly, the carrier plate 500 has almost no permanent strain. Does not occur. Further, since the thin plate 520 is formed of a flexible material, the thin plate 520 is flexibly deformed within the elastic range when the carrier plate 500 is heated and pressed. For this reason, even if heating / cooling of the carrier plate 500 is repeated, almost no permanent distortion occurs. Thus, in this embodiment, permanent deformation due to repeated heating / cooling is less likely to occur in both the frame 510 and the thin plate 520, and the life of the carrier plate 500 is long.

As described above, since the rigidity is not required for the thin plate 520 of the carrier plate 500 of the present embodiment, the thickness of the thin plate 520 whose upper and lower surfaces are in contact with the workpiece P and the hot platen is reduced. For this reason, the heat of the hot platen is quickly transmitted to the workpiece P, and the time required for pressing is short.

Claims

A carrier plate that is loaded with a workpiece, loaded into a pressing device, and pressed together with the workpiece,
A frame that has a hollow portion and can be regarded as a rigid body; and a thin plate that is fixed to the upper surface of the frame so as to cover the hollow portion of the frame and supports the workpiece from below.
The hollow portion of the frame body is sized to accommodate the hot platen of the press device,
The thin plate is a sheet-like member having elasticity with respect to the weight of the workpiece and having heat resistance.
The carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein the frame body has rigidity against thermal stress generated in the frame body during pressing.
The carrier plate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the frame is made of steel or heat-resistant resin.
The carrier plate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thin plate is formed of a metal foil.
The carrier plate according to claim 4, wherein the thin plate is formed of a stainless steel foil or a copper foil having a thickness of 0.05 to 1 mm.
The carrier plate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thin plate is formed of a resin sheet having a thickness of 0.2 to 1.5 millimeters.
The carrier plate according to claim 6, wherein the thin plate is formed of a fluorine resin sheet or a glass fiber resin sheet.