WO2021029176A1

WO2021029176A1 - Rubber stopper supply device

Info

Publication number: WO2021029176A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/027476
Authority: WO
Inventors: 勝久野; 寺倉　厚広; 山川　健司; 慶紀高橋; 征一郎藤田
Original assignee: 新明和工業株式会社
Priority date: 2019-08-09
Filing date: 2020-07-15
Publication date: 2021-02-18

Abstract

This rubber stopper supply device 10 comprises a supply device 20 that supplies rubber stoppers 5, a rotary body 40 that has an accommodating hole 42 to accommodate the supplied rubber stoppers 5, a sensor 60 that detects the orientations of the rubber stoppers 5 in the accommodating hole 42, and a feed device 70 that feeds the rubber stoppers 5 from the accommodating hole 42. The accommodating hole 42 is connected to the feed device 70 when the rotary body 40 is positioned at a first rotation position R1 and a second rotation position R2 that is offset 180° from the first rotation position R1 around a rotary shaft 43. The accommodating hole 42 is connected to the supply device 20 when the rotary body 40 is positioned at a third rotation position R3. The rubber stopper supply device 10 feeds the rubber stoppers 5 from the accommodating hole 42 after aligning the orientations of the rubber stoppers 5 by rotating the rotary body 40 on the basis of detection results from the sensor 60 and placing the rotary body in the first rotary position R1 or the second rotary position R2.

Description

Rubber stopper supply device

The present invention relates to a rubber stopper supply device.

Conventionally, a rubber stopper supply device that supplies a waterproof rubber stopper to be inserted into an electric wire to a rubber stopper insertion device or the like has been known. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a rubber stopper. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of how to use the rubber stopper. As shown in FIG. 3, the rubber stopper 5 is attached to, for example, a covered electric wire 200 having a crimp terminal 201 crimped to the tip thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, the rubber stopper includes a rubber stopper having a vertically asymmetric cylindrical shape.

For example, when supplying the rubber stopper shown in FIG. 2 to the rubber stopper insertion device, it is necessary to supply the rubber stoppers in the same direction. A rubber stopper supply device that aligns the directions of rubber stoppers and supplies them to other devices has also been conventionally known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a cylinder for inserting a large number of rubber stoppers, an take-out pipe connected to the cylinder, a receiving portion for receiving the rubber stoppers coming out of the take-out pipe, and a posture for correcting the orientation of the rubber stoppers. A rubber stopper supply device including a correction portion and a delivery portion for delivering a rubber stopper whose orientation has been corrected by the posture correction portion to the outside of the machine is disclosed.

JP-A-2009-173448

The rubber stopper supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a receiving portion, a posture correcting portion, and a conveying portion for conveying the rubber stopper to the delivery portion. According to the rubber stopper supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the rubber stopper is conveyed from the receiving portion to the posture correction portion by the transport portion, and the orientation is aligned by the posture correction portion. The rubber stopper is further conveyed from the attitude correction unit to the delivery unit by the transfer unit, and is sent out of the machine by the delivery unit. According to the rubber stopper supply device as disclosed in Patent Document 1, as described above, between receiving the rubber stopper and correcting the attitude of the rubber stopper, and adjusting the attitude of the rubber stopper and outside the machine of the rubber stopper. The rubber stopper is transported to and from the supply. Therefore, there are many steps and it is complicated. As a result, there is a problem that the time required for supplying the rubber stopper becomes long.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rubber stopper supply device having a function of aligning the directions of rubber stoppers and having a short supply time of rubber stoppers.

The rubber stopper supply device according to the present invention includes a rotating body having a supply device for supplying the rubber stopper, a rotating shaft, and a storage hole for accommodating the rubber stopper supplied from the supply device, and rotating the rotating body. A drive device that rotates around an axis, a sensor that detects the direction of the rubber stopper housed in the accommodation hole, a delivery device that sends out the housed rubber stopper from the accommodation hole, the drive device, and the transmission. A control device for controlling the device is provided. When the rotating body is located at the first rotation position and the second rotation position 180 degrees off the rotation axis from the first rotation position, the accommodating hole is connected to the delivery device and the third rotation position. The accommodation hole is configured to be connected to the supply device when it is located at. The control device includes a first rotation control unit, a second rotation control unit, and a transmission control unit. The first rotation control unit accommodates the rubber stopper in the accommodation hole by arranging the rotating body at the third rotation position. The second rotation control unit rotates the rotating body based on the detection result of the sensor and arranges the rotating body at the first rotation position or the second rotation position, whereby the rubber stopper accommodated in the accommodation hole. Align the directions. The delivery control unit sends out the rubber stoppers oriented by the second rotation control unit from the accommodation hole.

According to the rubber stopper supply device, it is possible to receive the rubber stopper, correct the posture of the rubber stopper, and supply the rubber stopper to the outside of the machine only by rotating the rotating body and sending out the rubber stopper. Therefore, the time required for supplying the rubber stopper can be shortened.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the delivery device includes an injection port for injecting compressed air, in which the rotating body is located at the first rotation position or the second rotation position. Sometimes it is connected to the accommodation hole.

According to this aspect, the rubber stopper is conveyed by injecting compressed air into the rubber stopper. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rubber stopper once sent toward the supply destination from returning due to, for example, a collision with the device at the supply destination.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supply device includes a decompression device for depressurizing the inside of the accommodation hole.

According to this aspect, since the rubber stopper is pulled toward the decompressed accommodating hole, the rubber stopper can be quickly and smoothly supplied to the accommodating hole.

According to a preferred aspect of the above aspect, the decompression device includes a suction port for sucking air. The suction port is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position.

According to this aspect, the inside of the accommodating hole is decompressed only when the rubber stopper is pulled into the accommodating hole, and is not decompressed when the rubber stopper is delivered, without any particular control. Therefore, the decompression device does not affect the delivery of the rubber stopper.

According to a preferred aspect of the above aspect, the suction port is provided so as not to overlap the axis of the accommodating hole in a state where the rotating body is located at the third rotating position.

According to this aspect, since the suction port is not on the axis of the accommodating hole at the third rotation position, for example, even when one or both ends supply a rubber stopper thinner than the suction port, the end portion Is prevented from passing through the suction port and jumping out to the decompression device side. If the end portion passes through the suction port and jumps out to the decompression device side, it may hinder the rotation of the rotating body, but according to such an embodiment, the possibility of such a defect can be reduced.

Further, according to a preferred aspect of the above aspect, the decompression device includes a lid portion formed with the suction port and a suction tube formed in a tubular shape and provided with the lid portion at one end. .. The lid portion includes a second suction port provided so as not to overlap the axis of the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotation position.

According to this aspect, it is possible to secure the opening area of the suction port by compensating for the limitation of the size of the suction port because it is provided at a position off the axis of the accommodation hole. When the suction port is provided at a position off the axis of the accommodating hole, one suction port can be configured to have a diameter less than half the diameter of the cross section of the suction tube, for example, in the case of a circular cross section. However, by providing a plurality of suction ports, the opening area of the entire plurality of suction ports can be increased. Thereby, the decompression efficiency in the accommodating hole can be increased.

According to a preferred aspect of the aspect provided with the suction port, the decompression device includes a suction tube formed in a tubular shape and a lid detachably configured at one end of the suction tube and formed with the suction port. It has a department.

According to this aspect, the suction port can be replaced with an appropriate one according to the shape of the rubber stopper (for example, the thickness of the rubber stopper) by exchanging the lid portion.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supply device is formed so that the rubber stoppers pass one by one with either end facing forward, and the rotating body is in the third rotation position. It is provided with a supply pipe that is connected to the accommodating hole when it is located.

According to this aspect, the rubber stoppers are smoothly accommodated in the accommodating holes by aligning the directions of the rubber stoppers by the supply pipe.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the third rotation position is deviated by 90 degrees around the rotation axis from the first rotation position and the second rotation position.

According to this aspect, the rotation angle when the rubber stopper is supplied to the accommodating hole in the first direction is the same as the rotation angle when the rubber stopper is supplied to the accommodating hole in the second orientation. The cycle time related to the supply of the rubber stopper can be made constant regardless of the direction in which the rubber stopper is supplied.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the supply device is a supply tank accommodating a plurality of the rubber stoppers, a supply pipe connected to the supply tank and the rotating body, and a vibration device that vibrates the supply tank. And have.

According to this aspect, the rubber stopper in the supply tank can be efficiently sent to the supply pipe by vibration.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supply device includes a supply pipe that is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotation position. The accommodating hole is formed in an arc shape that is convex outward of the rotating body in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body, and is formed in the supply pipe when the rotating body is located at the third rotation position. It has a first end, which is connected. The supply pipe has an end portion formed in a concave arc shape corresponding to the shape of the first end portion in the rotation axis direction view of the rotating body.

According to this aspect, the gap between the rotating body and the supply pipe when the rotating body is located at the third rotation position can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of the rubber stopper falling off from the transport path or getting caught in the gap.

According to a preferred embodiment of the above aspects, the rotating body has an outer circumference formed in a circular shape in the direction of rotation of the rotating body.

According to this aspect, the gap between the rotating body and the supply pipe can be reduced regardless of the rotation angle of the rotating body. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of the rubber stopper standing by in the supply pipe falling off from the transport path or getting caught in the gap.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the rotating body has a second accommodating hole provided around the rotating shaft 180 degrees apart from the accommodating hole, and the accommodating hole and the second accommodating hole around the rotating shaft. It is provided with a third accommodating hole provided 90 degrees apart from the accommodating hole, and a fourth accommodating hole provided around the rotation axis 180 degrees away from the third accommodating hole. The second accommodating hole is connected to the supply device when the rotating body is located at a fourth rotating position 180 degrees away from the third rotating position about the rotation axis, and the rotating body is connected to the second rotating body. It is connected to the delivery device when it is located at the one rotation position or the second rotation position. The third accommodating hole is connected to the supply device when the rotating body is located at the second rotating position, and the rotating body is located at the third rotating position or the fourth rotating position. Sometimes connected to the sending device. The fourth accommodating hole is connected to the supply device when the rotating body is located at the first rotating position, and the rotating body is located at the third rotating position or the fourth rotating position. Sometimes connected to the sending device.

According to this aspect, the next rubber stopper can be accommodated in another accommodating hole while the rubber stopper is being sent out, so that the time required for supplying the rubber stopper can be further shortened.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the accommodating hole has a first end that is connected to the supply device when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position. The first end portion has a tapered portion that extends toward the outside of the rotating body at least in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body.

According to this aspect, even if a part of the rubber stopper waiting outside the accommodating hole protrudes into the accommodating hole, the waiting rubber stopper is tapered as the rotating body 40 rotates. It is smoothly returned to the supply side along. As a result, the possibility that the rotation of the rotating body is hindered by the waiting rubber stopper protruding into the accommodating hole is reduced.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supply device includes a supply pipe to which the rubber stopper is supplied. The delivery device includes a delivery tube from which the rubber stopper is delivered. The rubber stopper supply device makes it possible to separate the supply pipe from the rotating body and to connect the supply pipe to the accommodating hole while the rotating body is located at the third rotating position. The first moving device and the delivery pipe are separated from the rotating body, and the delivery pipe is moved in a state where the rotating body is located at the first rotation position or the second rotation position. It further comprises a second moving device configured to be connectable to the containment hole. The control device includes a first movement control unit and a second movement control unit. The first movement control unit controls the first moving device to separate the supply pipe from the rotating body while the rotating body is rotating, and at least the rotating body is located at the third rotating position. When it is, the supply pipe is connected to the accommodation hole. The second movement control unit controls the second moving device to separate the delivery pipe from the rotating body while the rotating body is rotating, and at least the rotating body is at the first rotating position or the first rotating body. When it is located at the two rotation position, the delivery pipe is connected to the accommodation hole.

According to this aspect, the supply device and the delivery device are separated from the rotating body while the rotating body is rotating. Therefore, the rotating body can be rotated smoothly. Further, the supply device is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotation position, and the delivery device is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the first rotation position or the second rotation position. To. Therefore, the rubber stopper can be supplied at the third rotation position, and the rubber stopper can be delivered at the first rotation position or the second rotation position.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the delivery device includes a suction unit that sucks air and a discharge unit that discharges the air sucked by the suction unit. The discharge portion is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the first rotation position or the second rotation position. The suction portion is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position.

According to this aspect, the efficiency of supplying the rubber stopper to the accommodation hole can be improved by sucking the air inside the accommodation hole from the suction portion of the delivery device and depressurizing the inside of the accommodation hole. Further, in the above aspect, the rubber stopper is sent out by discharging the air sucked from the suction part from the discharge part into the accommodating hole. Therefore, the efficiency of supplying and delivering the rubber stopper is high.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a rubber stopper supply device having a function of aligning the directions of rubber stoppers and having a short supply time of the rubber stoppers.

It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rubber stopper supply device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view of a rubber stopper. It is a figure which shows an example of the use mode of a rubber stopper. It is a schematic sectional view of the direction correction device. It is a block diagram of a rubber stopper supply device. It is a schematic sectional view of the direction correction device and the delivery device, and is the figure which shows the state at the time when the rubber stopper is supplied to the accommodating hole in the positive direction. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the direction correction device and the delivery device, and is the figure which shows the delivery of the rubber stopper when the rubber stopper is supplied to the accommodating hole in the positive direction. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the direction correction device and the delivery device, and is the figure which shows the state at the time when the rubber stopper is supplied to the accommodating hole in the opposite direction. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the direction correction device and the delivery device, and is the figure which shows the delivery of the rubber stopper when the rubber stopper is supplied to the accommodating hole in the opposite direction. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rubber stopper supply device which concerns on one modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rubber stopper supply device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the rotating body rotated from the state of FIG. 11 to the 1st rotation position. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the accommodating hole provided with a tapered portion. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rubber stopper supply device which concerns on other modification. It is a perspective view which shows typically the suction port which concerns on one modification.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the embodiment. The rubber stopper supply device 10 supplies the rubber stoppers 5 one by one to another device, for example, a rubber stopper insertion device (not shown).

In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the front side of the paper surface of FIG. 1 is referred to as the front side of the rubber stopper supply device 10. The terms left, right, top, and bottom mean left, right, top, and bottom when the rubber stopper supply device 10 is viewed from the front side. Further, the symbols L, R, U, and D in the drawing mean left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. However, the above-mentioned direction is merely a direction determined for convenience of explanation, and does not limit the installation mode of the rubber stopper supply device 10 at all, and does not limit the present invention at all.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rubber stopper 5 according to the present embodiment has a cylindrical shape that is asymmetric with respect to the axial direction. The rubber stopper 5 has a small diameter portion 5c and a large diameter portion 5d. The diameter of the large diameter portion 5d is larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion 5c. A ring portion 5e having a diameter slightly larger than that of the small diameter portion 5c is formed at the tip of the small diameter portion 5c. Two ring portions 5f having a diameter slightly larger than that of the large diameter portion 5d are formed in the vicinity of the connection portion of the large diameter portion 5d with the small diameter portion 5c. Hereinafter, the end of the rubber stopper 5 on the small diameter portion 5c side is appropriately referred to as the tip 5a of the rubber stopper 5. Further, in the following, the end portion of the rubber stopper 5 on the large diameter portion 5d side is appropriately referred to as the rear end 5b of the rubber stopper 5. The tip 5a is an end portion facing forward in the transport direction when being supplied to another device by the rubber stopper supply device 10. The rear end 5b is an end portion facing rearward in the transport direction when supplied to another device by the rubber stopper supply device 10. The rubber stopper 5 is provided with a through hole 5g penetrating from the front end 5a to the rear end 5b. However, the shape of the rubber stopper 5 shown here is only an example, and the shape of the rubber stopper 5 is not limited.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rubber stopper 5 is attached to, for example, a covered electric wire 200 in which a crimp terminal 201 is crimped to the tip. The covered electric wire 200 is inserted into a through hole 5 g (see FIG. 2) of the rubber stopper 5. At this time, the small diameter portion 5c of the rubber stopper 5 faces the tip side of the covered electric wire 200, that is, the crimp terminal 201. As a result, the rubber stopper 5 prevents moisture from entering the connection portion between the crimp terminal 201 and the electric wire 200. The rubber stopper 5 is a waterproof rubber stopper.

The rubber stopper supply device 10 supplies the rubber stopper 5 by aligning the directions so that the tip 5a comes to the front in the transport direction. The rubber stopper supply device 10 has a function of aligning the orientations of the rubber stoppers 5 provided in random orientations. As shown in FIG. 1, the rubber stopper supply device 10 includes a supply device 20, a direction correction device 30, a delivery device 70, and a control device 100 (see FIG. 5) that controls their operations.

The supply device 20 supplies the rubber stopper 5 to the direction correction device 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the supply device 20 includes a supply tank 21, a supply pipe 22, a vibration device 23, and a decompression device 24. The supply tank 21 is a box-shaped member in which a large number of rubber stoppers 5 are housed. A large number of rubber stoppers 5 are delivered in a container such as a plastic bag. A large number of rubber stoppers 5 are transferred from this container to the supply tank 21. At this time, the directions of many rubber stoppers 5 in the supply tank 21 are not constant.

The supply tank 21 includes an inclined portion 21a provided at the lower portion and a supply port 21b provided at the lower end of the inclined portion 21a. The inclined portion 21a constitutes an inclined bottom surface of the supply tank 21. The inclined portion 21a is inclined so as to gather toward the center side of the supply tank 21 as it goes downward. Due to the inclined portion 21a, the horizontal cross-sectional area of the supply tank 21 decreases as it goes downward. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 21a with respect to the horizontal plane is not particularly limited, but is preferably 45 degrees or more, for example. A supply port 21b is provided at the lower end of the inclined portion 21a. The supply port 21b is open in the vertical direction. The lower part of the supply tank 21 is formed in a funnel shape by the inclined portion 21a and the supply port 21b.

The supply pipe 22 is connected to the supply tank 21. Specifically, the supply pipe 22 is inserted into the supply port 21b. The supply pipe 22 has a tubular shape and has an upstream end portion 22a which is an upper end and a downstream end portion 22b which is a lower end. The supply pipe 22 is inserted into the supply tank 21 so that the upstream end 22a is located above the supply port 21b. The upstream end 22a of the supply pipe 22 is located inside the supply tank 21. However, the positional relationship between the supply tank 21 and the supply pipe 22 is not limited to this. For example, the upstream end 22a of the supply pipe 22 does not have to be located above the supply port 21b of the supply tank 21.

A rubber stopper supply path 22c is configured inside the supply pipe 22. The inner diameter of the rubber stopper supply path 22c is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the rubber stopper 5. The rubber stopper supply path 22c is formed to have a thickness that allows the rubber stopper 5 to pass through one of the front end 5a and the rear end 5b toward the front in the traveling direction. The rubber stopper 5 cannot pass through the rubber stopper supply path 22c in any other direction. Further, the plurality of rubber stoppers 5 cannot pass through the rubber stopper supply passage 22c in the radial direction of the rubber stopper supply passage 22c. The rubber stoppers 5 are supplied one by one to the downstream side by passing through the supply pipe 22. Further, the direction of the rubber stopper 5 is corrected so that the front end 5a or the rear end 5b faces forward in the transport direction by passing through the supply pipe 22.

The supply device 20 includes a vibration device 23. The vibrating device 23 is configured to vibrate the supply tank 21. As shown in FIG. 1, the supply tank 21 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 23a of the vibrating device 23. The guide rail 23a extends in the vertical direction. The supply tank 21 is vibrated along the guide rail 23a by the actuator 23b of the vibrating device 23. The supply tank 21 is vibrated in the vertical direction. However, the vibration direction of the supply tank 21 is not limited to the vertical direction. The supply tank 21 may vibrate in the left-right direction, for example, or may be supported by one fulcrum and swing. The actuator 23b is not particularly limited, but is, for example, an air cylinder.

The supply device 20 includes a decompression device 24 that decompresses the inside of the rubber stopper supply path 22c of the supply pipe 22 and draws the rubber stopper 5 into the rubber stopper supply path 22c. The decompression device 24 is, for example, a suction pump. The details of the decompression device 24 will be described when the direction correction device 30 is described.

The direction correction device 30 is connected to the downstream end 22b, which is the lower end of the supply pipe 22. The direction correction device 30 is configured so that the directions of the rubber stoppers 5 can be aligned. Specifically, the direction correction device 30 aligns the direction of the rubber stopper 5 so that the tip 5a faces forward in the transport direction. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the direction correction device 30. As shown in FIG. 4, the direction correction device 30 includes a rotating body 40, a drive unit 50, and a sensor 60.

Although not shown in the front-rear direction, the rotating body 40 includes a main body 41 formed in a disk shape. The rotating body 40 is circular in the front-rear direction view. The main body 41 is formed with a storage hole 42 for accommodating the rubber stopper 5. The accommodating hole 42 penetrates the main body 41 in the radial direction. The accommodating hole 42 is a through hole in which the rubber stopper 5 is accommodated when the direction correcting device 30 corrects the direction of the rubber stopper 5. The accommodation hole 42 has a circular cross section here. The diameter of the accommodating hole 42 is slightly larger than the diameter of the large diameter portion 5d of the rubber stopper 5 and the diameter of the ring portion 5f. Therefore, when the rubber stopper 5 is accommodated in the accommodating hole 42, the axial direction of the rubber stopper 5 and the axial direction of the accommodating hole 42 substantially coincide with each other. The rubber stopper 5 cannot be accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 in any other orientation. The length of the accommodating hole 42 is set to be slightly longer than the length of the rubber stopper 5 in the axial direction. Therefore, only one rubber stopper 5 is accommodated in the accommodating hole 42.

The rotating body 40 includes a rotating shaft 43 extending in the front-rear direction. The rotating shaft 43 supports the center of the main body 41 in the front-rear direction view. The main body 41 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 43. Hereinafter, the front-back direction view is also referred to as a rotation axis direction view of the rotating body 40. The drive unit 50 rotates the rotating body 40 around the rotation shaft 43. The drive unit 50 is electrically connected to the control device 100 and is controlled by the control device 100. The drive unit 50 is configured to be able to move the rotating body 40 to a predetermined rotation position in accordance with a command from the control device 100. The drive unit 50 includes, for example, a servomotor.

Three rotation positions R1, R2, and R3 are set in the rotating body 40. The first rotation position R1 and the second rotation position R2 are rotation positions of the rotating body 40 such that the accommodating hole 42 extends in the left-right direction. The first rotation position R1 and the second rotation position R2 are displaced by 180 degrees around the rotation axis 43. The second rotation position R2 is a rotation position rotated 180 degrees from the first rotation position R1 around the rotation shaft 43. When one end of the accommodating hole 42 is the first end 42a and the other end is the second end 42b, in the first rotation position R1, the first end 42a faces to the right and the second end is the second. The rotation position is such that the end portion 42b faces to the left. The second rotation position R2 is a rotation position such that the second end portion 42b faces to the right and the first end portion 42a faces to the left. The distinction between the first end portion 42a and the second end portion 42b is for convenience of explanation, and here, the first end portion 42a and the second end portion 42b have the same configuration. There is. In FIG. 4, the three rotation positions R1, R2, and R3 are shown as positions of the first end portion 42a, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, the third rotation position R3 is deviated from the first rotation position R1 and the second rotation position R2 by 90 degrees around the rotation axis 43. The third rotation position R3 is a rotation position rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise in FIG. 4 from the first rotation position R1 around the rotation axis 43, and is rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the second rotation position R2 in FIG. The rotation position. The third rotation position R3 is set at the center of the first rotation position R1 and the second rotation position R2. The third rotation position R3 is a rotation position such that the first end portion 42a faces upward and the second end portion 42b faces downward. In FIG. 4, the rotating body 40 when it is located at the third rotation position R3 is shown. As shown in FIG. 4, when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3, the downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 is connected to the first end 42a of the accommodating hole 42. When the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3, the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodating hole 42 by the supply device 20. At this time, the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodating hole 42 from the first end portion 42a.

As will be described in detail later, in the present embodiment, when the rotating body 40 moves from the third rotation position R3 to the first rotation position R1, it rotates 90 degrees clockwise in FIG. 4, and the third rotation position R3 to the second rotation position R3. When moving to the rotation position R2, it rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise in FIG. However, the rotation direction of the rotating body 40 is not particularly limited. For example, the rotating body 40 rotates 90 degrees clockwise when moving from the third rotation position R3 to the first rotation position R1, and when moving from the third rotation position R3 to the second rotation position R2, FIG. 4 It may be rotated 270 degrees clockwise. Alternatively, the rotating body 40 rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise in FIG. 4 when moving from the third rotation position R3 to the second rotation position R2, and when moving from the third rotation position R3 to the first rotation position R1. It may be rotated 270 degrees counterclockwise by 4. Further, in the present embodiment, the rotation position of the rotating body 40 in which the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodating hole 42 is only the third rotation position R3, but the fourth rotation position R4 which is 180 degrees out of alignment with the third rotation position R3. Also, the rubber stopper 5 may be supplied to the accommodating hole 42.

The decompression device 24 of the supply device 20 is provided below the rotating body 40. The decompression device 24 includes a tubular suction tube 24a connected to the rotating body 40. The upper end of the suction pipe 24a is a suction port 24b for sucking air. The suction port 24b is connected to the lower end of the rotating body 40. Therefore, when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3, the suction port 24b is connected to the accommodating hole 42. As a result, the decompression device 24 decompresses the inside of the accommodating hole 42 when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotation position R3. Along with this, the pressure inside the supply pipe 22 is also reduced. The inner diameter of the suction pipe 24a, that is, the diameter of the suction port 24b is formed to be smaller than the outer diameter of the rubber stopper 5 so that the rubber stopper 5 does not fall inside the suction pipe 24a.

The downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 is formed in a shape that follows the outer shape of the rotating body 40 so that the inside of the supply pipe 22 can be efficiently depressurized. The first end portion 42a of the accommodating hole 42 is formed in an arc shape protruding outward of the rotating body 40 in the direction of the rotating body 40 in the direction of the rotation axis. The downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 is formed in a concave arc shape corresponding to the shape of the first end 42a in the rotation axis direction of the rotating body 40. As a result, the gap between the downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 and the first end 42a of the accommodating hole 42 is reduced, and the efficiency of depressurizing the inside of the supply pipe 22 is improved. The downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber in order to improve the airtightness with the rotating body 40.

In the present embodiment, the suction port 24b of the decompression device 24 is also formed in a shape that follows the outer shape of the rotating body 40. Therefore, air is less likely to leak from the gap between the rotating body 40 and the suction port 24b, and the efficiency of depressurizing the inside of the accommodating hole 42 and the supply pipe 22 is improved. The suction port 24b may also be made of an elastic material such as rubber.

Further, in the present embodiment, the suction pipe 24a of the decompression device 24 is formed to be thick so that air does not easily leak from the gap with the rotating body 40. The outer diameter of the suction pipe 24a may be formed to be the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the supply pipe 22, for example. The inner diameter of the supply pipe 22 is larger than the inner diameter of the suction pipe 24a because it is necessary to pass the rubber stopper 5. Therefore, when the outer diameter of the suction pipe 24a is the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the supply pipe 22, the wall thickness of the suction pipe 24a is thicker than the wall thickness of the supply pipe 22. The outer diameter of the suction pipe 24a may also be formed to be the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the pumping pipe 71 (described later), for example. The inner diameter of the pumping pipe 71 is larger than the inner diameter of the suction pipe 24a because it is necessary to pass the rubber stopper 5. Therefore, when the outer diameter of the suction pipe 24a is the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the pressure feed pipe 71, the wall thickness of the suction pipe 24a is thicker than the wall thickness of the pressure feed pipe 71.

The direction correction device 30 includes a sensor 60 that detects the direction of the rubber stopper 5 housed in the housing hole 42. The sensor 60 includes a supply confirmation sensor 61 and an orientation detection sensor 62. Here, the supply confirmation sensor 61 and the orientation detection sensor 62 are both optical sensors. The supply confirmation sensor 61 and the orientation detection sensor 62 each include a floodlight and a receiver. As shown in FIG. 4, the floodlight of the supply confirmation sensor 61 irradiates light having an optical axis Ax1 in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis direction of the rotating body 40. The receiver of the supply confirmation sensor 61 is configured to receive the light emitted by the floodlight. The floodlight of the orientation detection sensor 62 irradiates light having an optical axis Ax2 in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis direction of the rotating body 40. The receiver of the orientation detection sensor 62 is configured to receive the light emitted by the floodlight. The optical axis Ax1 of the supply confirmation sensor 61 passes near the second end portion 42b of the accommodating hole 42 at the third rotation position R3. The position of the optical axis Ax1 in the left-right direction is the central portion of the accommodation hole 42 in the left-right direction at the third rotation position R3. The optical axis Ax2 of the orientation detection sensor 62 passes above the optical axis Ax1 of the supply confirmation sensor 61 and below half of the accommodating hole 42 at the third rotation position R3. The position of the optical axis Ax2 in the left-right direction is to the right of the central portion of the accommodation hole 42 in the left-right direction at the third rotation position R3. However, the position of the optical axis Ax2 in the left-right direction may be to the left of the central portion of the accommodation hole 42 in the left-right direction.

The sensor 60 confirms whether or not the rubber stopper 5 has been supplied to the accommodating hole 42 based on whether or not the receiver receives the light emitted by the floodlight of the supply confirmation sensor 61. As shown in FIG. 4, when the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodating hole 42, the rubber stopper 5 blocks the light emitted by the floodlight of the supply confirmation sensor 61 indicated by the optical axis Ax1. Therefore, the light emitted by the floodlight of the supply confirmation sensor 61 does not reach the receiver. The control device 100 said that the rubber stopper 5 was accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 when the receiver of the supply confirmation sensor 61 stopped receiving the light from the floodlight in the state where the rotating body 40 was arranged at the third rotating position R3. judge.

The sensor 60 detects the orientation of the rubber stopper 5 based on whether or not the receiver receives the light emitted by the floodlight of the orientation detection sensor 62. As shown in FIG. 4, when the rubber stopper 5 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 42 with the tip 5a on the second end portion 42b side (hereinafter, the direction of the rubber stopper 5 is also referred to as a positive direction), the optical axis Ax2 The light emitted by the floodlight of the orientation detection sensor 62 indicated by is passed by the side of the small diameter portion 5c and reaches the receiver. In the control device 100, when the receiver of the supply confirmation sensor 61 does not receive the light from the floodlight and the receiver of the orientation detection sensor 62 receives the light from the floodlight, the rubber stopper 5 is in the positive direction. Determined to be contained.

When the rubber stopper 5 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 42 with the rear end 5b on the second end portion 42b side (hereinafter, the direction of the rubber stopper 5 is also referred to as the reverse direction), the orientation detection sensor indicated by the optical axis Ax2. The light emitted by the floodlight of 62 is blocked by the large diameter portion 5d and does not reach the receiver. The control device 100 determines that the rubber stopper 5 is housed in the opposite direction when the light receiver of the orientation detection sensor 62 does not receive the light from the floodlight.

A delivery device 70 that sends the rubber stopper 5 to another device is connected to the direction correction device 30. The delivery device 70 is connected to the accommodating hole 42 when the rotating body 40 is located at the first rotation position R1 and the second rotation position R2. The delivery device 70 includes a pressure feed pipe 71 and a pressurization device 72.

The pressurizing device 72 is connected to the right end of the rotating body 40. The pressurizing device 72 includes a pressurizing tube 72a connected to the rotating body 40. The left end of the pressurizing pipe 72a is an injection port 72b for injecting compressed air. The injection port 72b faces to the left. The pressurizing device 72 injects compressed air from the injection port 72b toward the left. When the rotating body 40 is located at the first rotation position R1, the injection port 72b is connected to the first end portion 42a of the accommodation hole 42 and injects compressed air toward the accommodation hole 42. In this case, the pressurizing device 72 sends compressed air in the direction from the first end portion 42a to the second end portion 42b (see FIG. 7). When the rotating body 40 is located at the second rotating position R2, the injection port 72b is connected to the second end portion 42b. In this case, the pressurizing device 72 sends compressed air in the direction from the second end portion 42b toward the first end portion 42a (see FIG. 9). The inner diameter of the pressure pipe 72a, that is, the diameter of the injection port 72b is formed to be smaller than the outer diameter of the rubber stopper 5 so that the rubber stopper 5 does not enter the inside of the pressure pipe 72a.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pumping pipe 71 is provided on the left side of the rotating body 40. The pumping pipe 71 includes an upstream side end portion 71a which is a right end portion and a downstream side end portion 71b which is a left end portion. The downstream end 71b is connected to another device to which the rubber stopper 5 is supplied. The upstream end portion 71a is connected to the left end of the rotating body 40. The upstream end 71a of the pumping pipe 71 is connected to the second end 42b when the rotating body 40 is located at the first rotation position R1 (see FIG. 7). Further, the upstream end portion 71a of the pumping pipe 71 is connected to the first end portion 42a when the rotating body 40 is located at the second rotation position R2 (see FIG. 9).

Inside the pumping pipe 71, a rubber stopper pumping passage 71c is configured. The rubber stopper pressure feeding path 71c is also formed to have a thickness so that the rubber stopper 5 can pass only in a direction in which the axial direction and the traveling direction of the rubber stopper 5 substantially coincide with each other. The rubber stopper 5 cannot pass through the rubber stopper pressure feed path 71c in any other direction. The rubber stoppers 5 are supplied one by one to other devices at the supply destination by passing through the pumping pipe 71. Further, the orientation of the rubber stoppers 5 aligned by the direction correction device 30 does not change while passing through the pumping pipe 71.

The upstream end 71a of the pumping pipe 71 and the injection port 72b of the pressurizing device 72 are also formed in a shape that follows the outer shape of the rotating body 40. Therefore, air is less likely to leak from the gap between the rotating body 40 and the delivery device 70, and the efficiency of pumping the rubber stopper 5 to the supply destination device is improved. The upstream end 71a of the pumping pipe 71 and the injection port 72b of the pressurizing device 72 may also be made of an elastic material. Further, in the present embodiment, the pressurizing tube 72a of the pressurizing device 72 is formed to be thick so that air does not easily leak from the gap with the rotating body 40. The outer diameter of the pressurizing pipe 72a may be formed to be the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the supply pipe 22, for example. Therefore, when the outer diameter of the pressure pipe 72a is the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the supply pipe 22, the wall thickness of the pressure pipe 72a becomes thicker than the wall thickness of the supply pipe 22. The outer diameter of the pressure pipe 72a may also be formed to be the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the pressure feed pipe 71, for example. The inner diameter of the pressure feed pipe 71 is larger than the inner diameter of the pressure pipe 72a because it is necessary to pass the rubber stopper 5. Therefore, when the outer diameter of the pressure feed pipe 72a is the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the pressure feed pipe 71, the wall thickness of the pressure pipe 72a is thicker than the wall thickness of the pressure feed pipe 71.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 100 is connected to the vibration device 23 and the decompression device 24 of the supply device 20, the drive unit 50 and the sensor 60 of the direction correction device 30, and the pressurization device 72 of the delivery device 70. Has been done. The control device 100 is set so that the directions of the rubber stoppers 5 are aligned by rotating the rotating body 40 based on the detection result of the sensor 60 and arranging the rotating body 40 at the first rotation position R1 or the second rotation position R2. After aligning the directions of the rubber stoppers 5, the control device 100 sends out the rubber stoppers 5 from the accommodating holes 42 and supplies the rubber stoppers 5 to the supply destination device.

The configuration of the control device 100 is not particularly limited. The control device 100 may include, for example, a central arithmetic processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a CPU), a ROM in which a program executed by the CPU or the like is stored, a RAM, or the like. Each part of the control device 100 may be composed of software or hardware. Further, each part may be a processor or a circuit.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 100 includes a first rotation control unit 101, a direction detection unit 102, a second rotation control unit 103, and a transmission control unit 104. The first rotation control unit 101 controls the movement of the drive unit 50 to position the rotating body 40 at the third rotation position R3. As a result, the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodating hole 42. The direction detection unit 102 controls the sensor 60 to detect the direction of the rubber stopper 5 housed in the housing hole 42. When the direction of the rubber stopper 5 detected by the sensor 60 is in the positive direction, the second rotation control unit 103 rotates the rotating body 40 clockwise in FIG. 4 to position it at the first rotation position R1. When the direction of the rubber stopper 5 detected by the sensor 60 is opposite, the second rotation control unit 103 rotates the rotating body 40 counterclockwise in FIG. 4 to position it at the second rotation position R2. .. The transmission control unit 104 controls the transmission device 70 and transmits the rubber stopper 5 after the orientations are aligned by the second rotation control unit 103 to the supply destination device.

[Supply process]
The supply process of the rubber stopper 5 by the rubber stopper supply device 10 will be described below. In the supply process of the rubber stopper 5, the rubber stopper 5 is first supplied from the supply tank 21 to the supply pipe 22. As shown in FIG. 1, the rubber stoppers 5 gather in the vicinity of the supply port 21b along the inclined portion 21a of the supply tank 21. From there, the rubber stopper 5 falls into the supply pipe 22. The drop of the rubber stopper 5 into the supply pipe 22 is assisted by the vibration of the supply tank 21 by the vibrating device 23. Due to the vibration of the supply tank 21, the rubber stopper 5 is easily carried into the supply pipe 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the rubber stopper supply path 22c of the supply pipe 22, the rubber stoppers 5 are arranged in a line with the front end 5a or the rear end 5b facing forward in the transport direction. The supply pipe 22 aligns the direction of the rubber stopper 5 in either the forward direction (the direction in which the tip 5a faces forward in the transport direction) or the reverse direction (the direction in which the rear end 5b faces forward in the transport direction). The rubber stopper 5 that has passed through the supply pipe 22 is accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 of the direction correction device 30.

The movement of the rubber stopper 5 in the supply pipe 22 is assisted by the decompression in the accommodating hole 42 by the decompression device 24. Due to the depressurization, the rubber stopper 5 can move quickly and smoothly in the supply pipe 22. Since the pressure reducing device 24 also reduces the pressure inside the supply pipe 22, the pressure reducing device 24 also assists in supplying the rubber stopper 5 from the supply tank 21 to the supply pipe 22.

The control device 100 may control the decompression device 24 to depressurize the inside of the accommodating hole 42 only when the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodating hole 42. Alternatively, the decompression device 24 may continue to suck air throughout the supply process of the rubber stopper 5.

In the direction correction device 30, the directions of the rubber stoppers 5 are aligned. The accommodating hole 42 is configured to have a length capable of accommodating only one rubber stopper 5. Therefore, the orientation of the rubber stopper 5 is corrected one by one. 6 and 7 are schematic cross-sectional views of the direction correction device 30 and the delivery device 70, showing the transport path of the rubber stopper 5 when the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodating hole 42 in the forward direction. It is a figure which shows. Of these, FIG. 6 shows the state at the time when the rubber stopper 5 was supplied to the accommodating hole 42. FIG. 7 shows the delivery of the rubber stopper 5 performed after the state of FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the rubber stopper 5 accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 is accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 facing the forward direction (the direction in which the tip 5a faces the second end portion 42b side of the accommodating hole 42). Things are included.

The orientation of the rubber stopper 5 housed in the storage hole 42 is detected by the sensor 60. When the rubber stopper 5 is housed in the accommodating hole 42 facing in the positive direction, the receiver of the supply confirmation sensor 61 does not receive the light from the floodlight, and the receiver of the orientation detection sensor 62 receives the light from the floodlight. To do. In the rubber stopper supply device 10, the rubber stopper 5 is housed in the accommodating hole 42 facing in the positive direction based on the fact that the supply confirmation sensor 61 does not receive light and the orientation detection sensor 62 receives light. Is determined.

When it is determined that the rubber stopper 5 faces the positive direction and is supplied to the accommodating hole 42, the rotating body 40 rotates 90 degrees clockwise in the front view as shown by the arrow A in FIG. Will be done. As a result, the rotating body 40 moves from the third rotation position R3 to the first rotation position R1 as shown in FIG. When the rotating body 40 is arranged at the first rotating position R1, the first end portion 42a of the accommodating hole 42 is connected to the pressurizing device 72. Of the ends of the accommodating holes 42, the first end 42a corresponds to the end of the rubber stopper 5 on the rear side in the delivery direction. When the rotating body 40 is arranged at the first rotating position R1, the second end portion 42b of the accommodating hole 42 is connected to the upstream end portion 71a of the pumping pipe 71. Of the ends of the accommodating holes 42, the second end 42b corresponds to the end of the rubber stopper 5 on the front side in the delivery direction. As a result, the tip 5a of the rubber stopper 5 faces the side of the pumping pipe 71, that is, the front in the delivery direction.

When the rotating body 40 is arranged at the first rotating position R1, compressed air is injected from the pressurizing device 72. The rubber stopper 5 is pumped into the pressure feed pipe 71 by compressed air, and is further supplied to the supply destination device through the pressure feed pipe 71. The control device 100 may control the pressurizing device 72 to inject compressed air only during pumping. Alternatively, the pressurizing device 72 may continue to inject compressed air. Even in the latter case, compressed air is not supplied into the accommodating hole 42 when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3, and is inside the accommodating hole 42 when the rotating body 40 moves to the first rotating position R1. Is supplied to.

After pumping the rubber stopper 5, the rotating body 40 returns from the first rotation position R1 to the third rotation position R3. As a result, the next rubber stopper 5 is accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 of the rotating body 40.

When the rubber stopper 5 is accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 facing in the opposite direction, the rotating body 40 is moved from the third rotation position R3 to the second rotation position R2. 8 and 9 are schematic cross-sectional views of the direction correction device 30 and the delivery device 70, showing the transport path of the rubber stopper 5 when the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodating hole 42 in the opposite direction. It is a figure which shows. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state at the time when the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodating hole 42. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the delivery of the rubber stopper 5 after the state of FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the rubber stopper 5 accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 is accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 facing in the opposite direction (the direction in which the rear end 5b faces the second end 42b side of the accommodating hole 42). Things are included.

When the rubber stopper 5 is housed in the housing hole 42 facing in the opposite direction, the light receiver of the orientation detection sensor 62 does not receive the light from the floodlight, as shown in FIG. The rubber stopper supply device 10 determines that the rubber stopper 5 faces in the opposite direction and is accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 based on the fact that the orientation detection sensor 62 does not receive light.

When it is determined that the rubber stopper 5 faces in the opposite direction and is accommodated in the accommodating hole 42, the rotating body 40 is 90 degrees counterclockwise in the front view as shown by the arrow B in FIG. It is rotated. As a result, the rotating body 40 moves from the third rotation position R3 to the second rotation position R2, as shown in FIG. When the rotating body 40 is arranged at the second rotating position R2, the second end portion 42b of the accommodating hole 42 is connected to the pressurizing device 72. The first end portion 42a is connected to the upstream end portion 71a of the pumping pipe 71. As a result, the tip 5a of the rubber stopper 5 faces the side of the pumping pipe 71, that is, the front in the delivery direction. The pumping of the rubber stopper 5 by the delivery device 70 and the return of the rotating body 40 to the third rotation position R3 are the same as when the rubber stopper 5 is supplied in the forward direction.

[Action and effect of the first embodiment]
The above is the description of the rubber stopper supply device 10 and the supply method of the rubber stopper 5 according to the first embodiment. Next, the action and effect brought about by the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

In the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the present embodiment, when the rotating body 40 is located at the first rotation position R1 and the second rotation position R2, the accommodating hole 42 and the delivery device 70 are connected, and the rotating body 40 is the first. When it is located at the three rotation position R3, the accommodating hole 42 and the supply device 20 are connected to each other. Therefore, according to the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the present embodiment, the receiving of the rubber stopper 5, the direction correction of the rubber stopper 5, and the supply of the rubber stopper 5 to the outside of the machine are performed by the rotation operation of the rotating body 40 and the rubber stopper 5. It can be done only by sending.

For example, in a conventionally known rubber stopper supply device, a mechanism for transporting a rubber stopper is interposed between a mechanism for receiving the rubber stopper and a mechanism for correcting the direction of the rubber stopper. Further, in the conventionally known rubber stopper supply device, a mechanism for transporting the rubber stopper is interposed between a mechanism for correcting the direction of the rubber stopper and a mechanism for delivering the rubber stopper. As described above, in the conventional rubber stopper supply device, since there are many steps and the process is complicated, the time required for supplying the rubber stopper is long.

Further, the conventionally known rubber stopper supply device is provided with the above-mentioned mechanism for transporting the rubber stopper, so that the configuration is complicated and the maintainability is not good.

On the other hand, according to the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the present embodiment, the receiving of the rubber stopper 5, the direction correction of the rubber stopper 5, and the supply of the rubber stopper 5 to the outside of the machine are performed by the rotation operation of the rotating body 40 and the rubber stopper. It can be done only by sending 5. Therefore, the number of steps related to them is less than that of the conventional rubber stopper supply device. Also, the operation itself is simple. Therefore, the required time for them can be shortened. Further, since it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for transporting the rubber stopper, the number of components is small and the maintainability is improved.

In the present embodiment, the rubber stopper 5 is conveyed by injecting compressed air into the rubber stopper 5. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rubber stopper 5 once sent toward the supply destination from returning due to, for example, a collision with the device at the supply destination. Further, after the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the supply destination, the rotating body 40 returns to the third rotation position R3 in a state where the inside of the accommodating hole 42 is pressurized. Therefore, the next rubber stopper 5 waiting at the downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 is once flipped up to the upstream end 22a by the internal pressure of the accommodating hole 42. As a result, when the rotating body 40 returns to the third rotation position R3, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the rotating operation of the rotating body 40 is hindered by the waiting rubber stopper 5.

The rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a decompression device 24 that depressurizes the inside of the accommodating hole 42. Since the rubber stopper 5 is pulled into the accommodating hole 42 by the reduced pressure, the rubber stopper 5 can be quickly and smoothly supplied to the accommodating hole 42. More specifically, the rubber stopper supply device 10 is configured so that the suction port 24b of the decompression device 24 and the accommodating hole 42 are connected when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotation position R3. There is. According to such a configuration, the pressure inside the accommodating hole 42 is reduced only when the rubber stopper 5 is pulled into the accommodating hole 42 without any particular control. Therefore, the decompression device 24 does not affect the delivery of the rubber stopper 5. Further, since the second end portion 42b of the accommodating hole 42 is used for decompression, it is not necessary to separately provide a decompression port.

In the present embodiment, the supply pipe 22 is formed so that the rubber stopper 5 passes one by one with the tip 5a and the rear end 5b facing forward. Specifically, the rubber stopper supply path 22c of the supply pipe 22 is formed to have such a thickness. The rubber stopper 5 is smoothly accommodated in the accommodating hole 42 by aligning the directions in the forward direction or the opposite direction by the supply pipe 22.

In the present embodiment, the third rotation position R3 is 90 degrees out of alignment with the first rotation position R1 and the second rotation position R2. In other words, the third rotation position R3 is set at the center of the first rotation position R1 and the second rotation position R2. Therefore, the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodation hole 42 in the opposite direction to the rotation angle (rotation angle between the third rotation position R3 and the first rotation position R1) when the rubber stopper 5 is supplied to the accommodation hole 42 in the forward direction. The rotation angle (rotation angle between the third rotation position R3 and the second rotation position R2) is the same. Therefore, regardless of the direction in which the rubber stopper 5 is supplied, the time required to align the directions of the rubber stopper 5 is the same, and the cycle time related to the supply of the rubber stopper 5 can be made constant.

The rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a vibration device 23 that vibrates the supply tank 21. Due to this vibration, the rubber stopper 5 in the supply tank 21 can be efficiently sent to the supply pipe 22.

In the present embodiment, the first end portion 42a of the accommodating hole 42 is formed in an arc shape protruding outward from the rotating body 40 in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body 40, and is formed on the downstream side end portion of the supply pipe 22. The 22b is formed in a concave arc shape corresponding to the shape of the first end portion 42a in the rotation axis direction view of the rotating body 40. Therefore, when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3, the gap between the rotating body 40 and the supply pipe 22 becomes small. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of the rubber stopper 5 falling off from the transport path or getting caught in the gap. Further, the rotation operation when the rotating body 40 moves from the third rotation position R3 to the first rotation position R1 or the second rotation position R2, or the rotation operation in the opposite direction can be smoothly performed. In particular, in the present embodiment, the pressure inside the accommodating hole 42 is reduced. Therefore, by reducing the gap between the rotating body 40 and the supply pipe 22, air leakage can be reduced and the efficiency of decompression can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the rotating body 40 is formed in a circular shape in the direction of the rotation axis. If the rotating body 40 is formed in a circular shape in the direction of the rotation axis, the gap between the rotating body 40 and the supply pipe 22 should be reduced regardless of the rotation angle of the rotating body 40. Can be done. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of the rubber stopper 5 standing by in the supply pipe 22 falling off from the transport path or getting caught in the gap. However, the rotating body 40 does not necessarily have to be formed in a circular shape in the direction of the rotation axis. The rotating body 40 may be formed, for example, in a shape in which a part of a circle is cut in the direction of the rotation axis.

[Modified example of the first embodiment]
The rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the first embodiment can also be implemented by some modifications. For example, in one preferred modification of the first embodiment, the supply pipe 22, the suction pipe 24a, the pressure feed pipe 71, and the pressure pipe 72a may be movable so as to come into contact with or separate from the rotating body 40.

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to a modified example. As shown in FIG. 10, the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the present modification has a first moving device 81 that moves the supply pipe 22 to contact or separate the rotating body 40, and a rotating body that moves the pumping pipe 71. The second moving device 82 that contacts or separates the 40, the third moving device 83 that moves the pressure pipe 72a to contact or separate the rotating body 40, and the suction pipe 24a move the suction pipe 24a to contact or separate the rotating body 40. It is provided with a fourth moving device 84. Further, the control device 100 according to this modification includes a first movement control unit 105a that controls the first movement device 81, a second movement control unit 105b that controls the second movement device 82, and a third movement device 83. It includes a third movement control unit 105c for control and a fourth movement control unit 105d for controlling the fourth movement device 84.

The first moving device 81 moves the supply pipe 22 in the vertical direction. The first moving device 81 includes, for example, an air cylinder that expands and contracts in the vertical direction. However, the configuration of the first mobile device 81 is not particularly limited. The movement stroke of the supply pipe 22 by the first moving device 81 is set to, for example, 1 mm or less. When the supply pipe 22 and the rotating body 40 are separated from each other, the gap between the downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 and the rotating body 40 is a rubber stopper so that the rubber stopper 5 in the supply pipe 22 does not fall from there. It is preferably set to be smaller than the length of 5. At the lower end of the stroke, the downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 comes into contact with the rotating body 40. At other positions, as shown in FIG. 10, the downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 is separated from the rotating body 40.

The first movement control unit 105a controls the first movement device 81 to separate the supply pipe 22 from the rotating body 40 while the rotating body 40 is rotating. Further, the first movement control unit 105a brings the supply pipe 22 into contact with the rotating body 40 when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3. As a result, the downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 and the accommodating hole 42 are connected. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the rotating body 40 is rotating, in other words, the rotating body 40 is in an intermediate position that is not any of the first rotation position R1, the second rotation position R2, and the third rotation position R3. It shows.

When the downstream end 22b of the supply pipe 22 is in contact with the rotating body 40, the downstream end 22b is pressed against the rotating body 40 by the first moving device 81. In this embodiment, the downstream end 22b is made of an elastic material such as rubber. Therefore, due to the pressing force of the first moving device 81, the downstream end portion 22b comes into close contact with the rotating body 40.

The configuration of the second mobile device 82 to the fourth mobile device 84 and the control of the second mobile control unit 105b to the fourth mobile control unit 105d are the same as those of the first mobile device 81 and the first mobile control unit 105a. The second moving device 82 moves the pumping pipe 71 in the left-right direction to bring the pumping pipe 71 into contact with the rotating body 40 or to separate it from the rotating body 40. As shown in FIG. 10, the second movement control unit 105b controls the second movement device 82 to separate the pumping pipe 71 from the rotating body 40 while the rotating body 40 is rotating. Further, the second movement control unit 105b brings the pumping pipe 71 into contact with the rotating body 40 when the rotating body 40 is located at the first rotating position R1 or the second rotating position R2. As a result, the second movement control unit 105b connects the upstream end portion 71a of the pumping pipe 71 with the accommodating hole 42.

The third moving device 83 moves the pressurizing tube 72a in the left-right direction, and brings the pressurizing tube 72a into contact with the rotating body 40 or separated from the rotating body 40. The third movement control unit 105c controls the third movement device 83 to separate the pressurizing pipe 72a from the rotating body 40 while the rotating body 40 is rotating, and the rotating body 40 rotates at the first rotation position R1 or the second rotation. When it is located at the position R2, the pressurizing pipe 72a is connected to the accommodating hole 42.

The fourth moving device 84 moves the suction pipe 24a in the vertical direction to bring the suction pipe 24a into contact with the rotating body 40 or to separate it from the rotating body 40. The fourth movement control unit 105d controls the fourth moving device 84 to separate the suction pipe 24a from the rotating body 40 while the rotating body 40 is rotating, and the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3. When present, the suction pipe 24a is connected to the accommodating hole 42.

The gap between the upstream end 71a of the pumping pipe 71 and the rotating body 40, the gap between the injection port 72b of the pressure pipe 72a and the rotating body 40, and the suction port 24b and the rotating body 40 of the suction pipe 24a. The gap at the time of separation from the above is also preferably set to, for example, 1 mm or less. However, these gaps are not limited to the above dimensions. Further, the upstream end portion 71a of the pressure feed pipe 71, the injection port 72b of the pressure pipe 72a, and the suction port 24b of the suction pipe 24a are all preferably made of an elastic material such as rubber. When these ends are in contact with the rotating body 40, they are pressed toward the rotating body 40 and come into close contact with the rotating body 40.

In this modified example, when the rotating body 40 is arranged at the third rotating position R3, the supply pipe 22 and the suction pipe 24a come into contact with the rotating body 40, and the pressure feeding pipe 71 and the pressure pipe 72a come from the rotating body 40. Separate. Further, when the rotating body 40 is arranged at the first rotating position R1 or the second rotating position R2, the pressure feeding pipe 71 and the pressure pipe 72a come into contact with the rotating body 40, and the supply pipe 22 and the suction pipe 24a are in contact with the rotating body 40. Separate from. Due to such control, the rubber stopper supply device 10 omits operations that are not particularly necessary among the operations of the first moving device 81 to the fourth moving device 84. However, when the rotating body 40 is arranged at the third rotating position R3, the pressure feeding pipe 71 and the pressure pipe 72a may be in contact with the rotating body 40. Further, when the rotating body 40 is arranged at the first rotating position R1 or the second rotating position R2, the supply pipe 22 and the suction pipe 24a may be in contact with the rotating body 40.

Further, in this modification, since the supply pipe 22, the suction pipe 24a, the pressure feed pipe 71, and the pressure pipe 72a are separated from the rotating body 40 while the rotating body 40 is rotating, the axial length of the accommodating hole 42 is set. It does not have to be longer than the rubber stopper 5. Even if the length of the accommodating hole 42 is shorter than that of the rubber stopper 5 and the front end 5a or the rear end 5b of the rubber stopper 5 protrudes to the outside of the accommodating hole 42, the supply pipe 22, the suction pipe 24a, the pumping pipe 71, and the addition pipe Since the pressure tube 72a is separated from the rotating body 40, it is possible to rotate the rotating body 40 without causing the rubber stopper 5 to collide with these members.

[Action and effect of modified example]
According to the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the above modification, the supply pipe 22, the suction pipe 24a, the pressure feed pipe 71, and the pressure pipe 72a are separated from the rotating body 40 while the rotating body 40 is rotating. Therefore, the rotating body 40 can be rotated smoothly. Further, the supply device 20 is connected to the accommodating hole 42 when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3, and the sending device 70 is located at the first rotating position R1 or the second rotating position R2 of the rotating body 40. When it is, it is connected to the accommodating hole 42. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the rubber stopper 5 can be supplied at the third rotation position R3, and the rubber stopper 5 can be delivered at the first rotation position R1 or the second rotation position R2. it can.

[Second Embodiment]
The rubber stopper supply device according to the second embodiment includes another accommodation hole for receiving the supply of the next rubber stopper from the supply device and accommodating the rubber stopper while the rubber stopper is being delivered from the accommodation hole. The rubber stopper supply device according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the rubber stopper supply device 10 according to the first embodiment, except for the other accommodating holes and the configuration related thereto. Therefore, in the following, the parts overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified to explain the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rubber stopper supply device 110 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the rotating body 140 according to the present embodiment is configured in a ring shape in the direction of the rotation axis. The rotating body 140 includes a first accommodating hole 142A, a second accommodating hole 142B, a third accommodating hole 142C, and a fourth accommodating hole 142D. The first accommodating holes 142A to the fourth accommodating holes 142D each penetrate the rotating body 140 from the outer peripheral portion of the ring-shaped rotating body 140 toward the center.

The first accommodating hole 142A and the second accommodating hole 142B face each other with the rotating shaft 143 of the rotating body 140 interposed therebetween. The first accommodating hole 142A and the second accommodating hole 142B are provided at rotational positions 180 degrees apart from each other around the rotating shaft 143.

The third accommodating hole 142C is provided at a rotational position 90 degrees away from the first accommodating hole 142A around the rotation shaft 143. The fourth accommodating hole 142D faces the third accommodating hole 142C with the rotating shaft 143 of the rotating body 140 interposed therebetween. The third accommodating hole 142C and the fourth accommodating hole 142D are provided at rotational positions 180 degrees apart from each other around the rotating shaft 143. The axial direction of the first accommodating hole 142A and the axial direction of the second accommodating hole 142B coincide with each other, and the axial direction of the third accommodating hole 142C and the axial direction of the fourth accommodating hole 142D coincide with each other. The axial directions of the first accommodating holes 142A and the second accommodating holes 142B and the axial directions of the third accommodating holes 142C and the fourth accommodating holes 142D are orthogonal to each other.

In this embodiment, the rotation position of the rotating body 140 is defined as follows. The first rotation position R1 is a rotation position in which the end portion of the rotating body 140 on the outer peripheral side (hereinafter, the outer peripheral side end portion 142A1) of the end portion of the first accommodating hole 142A faces to the right in FIG. The second rotation position R2 is a rotation position in which the outer peripheral side end portion 142A1 of the first accommodation hole 142A faces to the left in FIG. The third rotation position R3 is a rotation position in which the outer peripheral side end portion 142A1 of the first accommodation hole 142A faces upward in FIG. The fourth rotation position R4 is a rotation position in which the outer peripheral end portion 142A1 of the first accommodating hole 142A faces downward in FIG. In FIG. 11, the first rotation position R1 to the fourth rotation position R4 are shown as positions of the outer peripheral side end portion 142A1 of the first accommodation hole 142A. FIG. 11 illustrates a state in which the rotating body 140 is located at the third rotating position R3. As shown in FIG. 11, the first rotation position R1 and the second rotation position R2 are displaced by 180 degrees around the rotation axis 143. The third rotation position R3 and the fourth rotation position R4 are displaced by 180 degrees around the rotation axis 143. The third rotation position R3 is a rotation position rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise in FIG. 11 from the first rotation position R1 around the rotation shaft 143. The fourth rotation position R4 is a rotation position rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the first rotation position R1 around the rotation shaft 143.

In the present embodiment, the downstream end portion 122b of the supply pipe 122 is connected to the outer peripheral side end portion of the accommodating hole arranged so that the outer peripheral side end portion faces upward. For example, the downstream end 122b of the supply pipe 122 is connected to the outer peripheral end 142A1 of the first accommodating hole 142A when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the third rotation position R3. The downstream end 122b of the supply pipe 122 is connected to the outer peripheral end 142B1 of the second accommodating hole 142B when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the fourth rotation position R4. The downstream end 122b of the supply pipe 122 is connected to the outer peripheral end 142C1 of the third accommodating hole 142C when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the second rotation position R2. The downstream end 122b of the supply pipe 122 is connected to the outer peripheral end 142D1 of the fourth accommodating hole 142D when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the first rotation position R1.

As shown in FIG. 11, the suction port 124a of the decompression device 124 is connected to the central end of the accommodating hole arranged so that the outer peripheral end faces upward. For example, the suction port 124a is connected to the central end portion 142A2 of the first accommodating hole 142A when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the third rotation position R3. The suction port 124a is connected to the central end portion 142B2 of the second accommodating hole 142B when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the fourth rotation position R4. The suction port 124a is connected to the central end portion 142C2 of the third accommodating hole 142C when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the second rotating position R2. The suction port 124a is connected to the central end portion 142D2 of the fourth accommodating hole 142D when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the first rotating position R1.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the present embodiment, the injection port 172a of the pressurizing device 172 is connected to the outer peripheral side end portion of the accommodating hole arranged so that the outer peripheral side end portion faces to the right. For example, the injection port 172a is connected to the outer peripheral end portion 142A1 of the first accommodating hole 142A when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the first rotation position R1. The injection port 172a is connected to the outer peripheral end portion 142B1 of the second accommodating hole 142B when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the second rotation position R2. The injection port 172a is connected to the outer peripheral end portion 142C1 of the third accommodating hole 142C when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the third rotation position R3. The injection port 172a is connected to the outer peripheral side end portion 142D1 of the fourth accommodating hole 142D when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the fourth rotation position R4.

The pumping pipe 171 is connected to the outer peripheral end of the accommodating hole arranged so that the outer peripheral end faces to the left. For example, the pumping pipe 171 is connected to the outer peripheral end portion 142A1 of the first accommodating hole 142A when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the second rotating position R2. The pumping pipe 171 is connected to the outer peripheral end portion 142B1 of the second accommodating hole 142B when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the first rotating position R1. The pumping pipe 171 is connected to the outer peripheral end portion 142C1 of the third accommodating hole 142C when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the fourth rotating position R4. The pumping pipe 171 is connected to the outer peripheral end portion 142D1 of the fourth accommodating hole 142D when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the third rotating position R3.

In the rubber stopper supply device 110 according to the present embodiment, the accommodation hole is arranged so that the outer peripheral side end portion faces to the right and the outer peripheral side end portion faces to the left. A connecting pipe 173 for connecting to the central end of the hole is provided. For example, the connecting pipe 173 has a central end portion 142A2 of the first accommodating hole 142A and a central end portion of the second accommodating hole 142B when the rotating body 140 is arranged at the first rotating position R1 or the second rotating position R2. Connect with 142B2. When the rotating body 140 is arranged at the third rotation position R3 or the fourth rotation position R4, the connection pipe 173 has a central end portion 142C2 of the third accommodation hole 142C and a central end portion 142D2 of the fourth accommodation hole 142D. To connect. The connecting pipe 173 has a transport path 173a through which the rubber stopper 5 can pass. The inner diameter of the transport path 173a is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rubber stopper 5. Here, the connecting pipe 173 is a through hole provided inside the ring-shaped rotating body 140 and penetrating the non-rotating support 145 in the left-right direction.

[Supply process]
The supply process of the rubber stopper 5 by the rubber stopper supply device 110 will be described below. Here, the case where the rotating body 140 is located at the third rotation position R3 and the rubber stopper 5 is accommodated only in the first accommodating hole 142A (for example, the state shown in FIG. 11) will be described. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the rubber stopper 5 is housed in the first storage hole 142A in the forward direction.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a rotating body 140 rotated from the state of FIG. 11 to the first rotation position R1. As shown in FIG. 12, the rotating body 140 is rotated 90 degrees in the A direction from the third rotation position R3 and is arranged at the first rotation position R1. At this time, the outer peripheral side end portion 142A1 of the first accommodating hole 142A is connected to the pressurizing device 172, and the central side end portion 142A2 is connected to the right end of the connecting pipe 173. Further, the central end portion 142B2 of the second accommodating hole 142B is connected to the left end of the connecting pipe 173, and the outer peripheral side end portion 142B1 is connected to the pumping pipe 171. In this state, the pressurizing device 172 injects compressed air toward the connecting pipe 173 and the pumping pipe 171. As a result, the rubber stopper 5 is carried to the pumping pipe 171 through the connecting pipe 173. Further, the rubber stopper 5 is conveyed to the supply destination device through the pressure feed pipe 171 by compressed air.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the present embodiment, when the rotating body 140 is located at the first rotating position R1, the fourth accommodating hole 142D is connected to the supply device 120. Therefore, at this time, the next rubber stopper 6 that has been waiting in the supply pipe 122 is supplied to the fourth accommodating hole 142D. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the rubber stopper 6 is supplied to the fourth accommodating hole 142D in the opposite direction.

After the rubber stopper 5 is delivered and the next rubber stopper 6 is supplied to the fourth accommodating hole 142D, the rotating body 140 is rotated 90 degrees in the B direction of FIG. Although not shown, the rotating body 140 moves to the third rotation position R3. At this time, the outer peripheral side end 142C1 of the third accommodating hole 142C is connected to the pressurizing device 172, and the central end 142C2 is connected to the right end of the connecting pipe 173. Further, the central end portion 142D2 of the fourth accommodating hole 142D is connected to the left end of the connecting pipe 173, and the outer peripheral side end portion 142D1 is connected to the pumping pipe 171 (see FIG. 11). In this state, the pressurizing device 172 injects compressed air toward the connecting pipe 173 and the pumping pipe 171. The compressed air passes through the connecting pipe 173 and reaches the fourth accommodating hole 142D. The rubber stopper 5 is conveyed to the supply destination device through the pumping pipe 171 by the compressed air.

Further, when the rotating body 140 is located at the third rotating position R3, the first accommodating hole 142A is connected to the supply device 120. Further, the next rubber stopper that has been waiting in the supply pipe 122 is supplied to the first accommodating hole 142A.

In FIG. 12, when the rubber stopper 6 is supplied to the fourth accommodating hole 142D in the positive direction, the rotating body 140 is rotated 90 degrees in the A direction. As a result, the rotating body 140 moves to the fourth rotation position R4. At this time, the outer peripheral side end 142D1 of the fourth accommodating hole 142D is connected to the pressurizing device 172, and the central end 142D2 is connected to the right end of the connecting pipe 173. Further, the central end portion 142C2 of the third accommodating hole 142C is connected to the left end of the connecting pipe 173, and the outer peripheral side end portion 142C1 is connected to the pumping pipe 171. The second accommodating hole 142B is connected to the supply device 120.

As described above, the rubber stopper supply device 110 according to the present embodiment sends out the rubber stopper every time the rotating body 140 is rotated 90 degrees, and accommodates the rubber stopper in the accommodation hole.

[Action and effect of the second embodiment]
The above is the description of the rubber stopper supply device 110 and the supply methods of the

rubber stoppers

5 and 6 according to the second embodiment. Next, the action and effect brought about by the rubber stopper supply device 110 according to the present embodiment will be described.

In the present embodiment, the third accommodating hole 142C is connected to the supply device 120 at the second rotation position R2 and is connected to the delivery device 170 at the third rotation position R3 or the fourth rotation position R4. Further, the fourth accommodating hole 142D is connected to the supply device 120 at the first rotation position R1 and is connected to the delivery device 170 at the third rotation position R3 or the fourth rotation position R4. In the present embodiment, "connecting the accommodating hole to the sending device 120" includes indirectly connecting the accommodating hole to the sending device 120 via the connection pipe 173. According to such a configuration, the next rubber stopper 6 can be accommodated in another accommodating hole while the rubber stopper 5 is being sent out, so that the time required for supplying the rubber stopper can be further shortened.

In this embodiment, four accommodating holes are provided, but the present invention is not limited to these. The accommodating holes may be further added in units of four accommodating holes arranged so as to be offset by 90 degrees. For example, the number of accommodation holes may be eight. In that case, it is preferable that one supply device and one delivery device are further provided.

[Other Embodiments]
The preferred embodiments have been described above. However, the above embodiment is only an example, and various other embodiments are possible.

For example, in the above embodiment, the supply of the rubber stopper 5 into the supply pipe 22 is assisted by the vibration of the supply tank 21, but it may be assisted by another method. For example, the supply of the rubber stopper 5 into the supply pipe 22 may be assisted by injecting compressed air toward the supply port 21b of the supply tank 21. Further, the supply of the rubber stopper 5 into the supply pipe 22 may be assisted by, for example, reciprocating the supply pipe 22 in the vertical direction by an air cylinder or the like. Alternatively, the supply of the rubber stopper 5 into the supply pipe 22 does not have to be particularly assisted.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the transfer of the rubber stopper 5 in the supply pipe 22 is assisted by depressurizing the inside of the accommodating hole 42, but compressed air is introduced into the supply pipe 22 in the transfer direction of the rubber stopper 5. It may be assisted by injecting. Further, the rubber stopper 5 may be dropped naturally without any particular assistance.

In the above-described embodiment, the orientation of the rubber stopper 5 is detected by the optical sensor 60, but the orientation of the rubber stopper 5 may be detected by another method. For example, the orientation of the rubber stopper 5 may be detected by an image recognition device. Alternatively, the orientation of the rubber stopper 5 may be detected, for example, based on the pressure in the accommodating hole. In that case, for example, an exhaust port is provided which is closed by the rubber stopper when the rubber stopper is supplied in a predetermined direction and is not closed when the rubber stopper is supplied in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction. The pressure in the accommodating hole may be measured while sucking air from the mouth.

In the above-described embodiment, the rubber stopper 5 is conveyed in the pressure feed pipe 71 by the injection of compressed air, but may be delivered by another method. For example, the rubber stopper 5 may be delivered by reducing the pressure on the downstream side of the delivery pipe. Further, the delivery device does not have to be provided with a delivery tube, and in this case, it may be transported by another transfer device. For example, other transport devices may include a pin that is inserted into the central hole of the rubber stopper and a mechanism that causes the pin to approach or separate from the rotating body. According to such a configuration, the rubber stopper can be conveyed by bringing the pin close to the rubber stopper and inserting it into the center hole, and separating the pin from the rotating body while the pin is inserted into the rubber stopper. The sending device also includes, for example, such a mechanism.

In the above-described embodiment, the end portion of the next rubber stopper waiting above the accommodating hole 42 on the front side in the transport direction protrudes into the accommodating hole 42, which may hinder the rotation of the rotating body 40. No measures were taken. However, as shown in FIG. 13, for example, even if the first end portion 42a of the accommodating hole 42 has a tapered portion 42a1 that expands toward the outside of the rotating body 40 at least in the rotation axis direction view of the rotating body 40. Good. As shown in FIG. 13, the next rubber stopper 6 whose part protrudes into the accommodating hole 42 is smoothly returned to the supply tank 21 side along the tapered portion 42a1 as the rotating body 40 rotates. As a result, the possibility that a part of the waiting rubber stopper 5 protruding into the accommodating hole 42 hinders the rotation of the rotating body 40 is reduced. The tapered portion 42a1 may be formed over the entire circumference of the first end portion 42a, or may be formed only in a necessary portion.

In the above-described embodiment, the depressurizing device 24 and the pressurizing device 72 are separate bodies, and the depressurizing device in the accommodating hole 42 and the rubber stopper 5 are pumped, respectively. However, the decompression device and the pressurization device may be integrally configured. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the delivery device 70 may include a suction unit 70A for sucking air and a discharge unit 70B for discharging the air sucked by the suction unit 70A, and may also serve as a decompression device. As shown in FIG. 14, the suction portion 70A is connected to the accommodating hole 42 when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3. Although not shown, the discharge unit 70B is connected to the accommodating hole 42 when the rotating body 40 is located at the first rotation position R1 or the second rotation position R2.

According to such a configuration, for example, similarly to the depressurizing device 24 of the first embodiment, the accommodating hole 42 is decompressed by sucking the air inside the accommodating hole 42 from the suction unit 70A of the sending device 70 and decompressing the inside of the accommodating hole 42. The supply efficiency of the rubber stopper 5 to the rubber stopper 5 can be improved. Further, according to such a configuration, the rubber stopper 5 can be sent out by discharging the air sucked from the suction unit 70A from the discharge unit 70B into the accommodating hole 42. Therefore, the efficiency of supplying and delivering the rubber stopper 5 is high. Further, since the decompression device and the pressurizing device are integrally configured, the number of constituent members of the rubber stopper supply device 10 can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the suction port 24b of the decompression device 24 is formed as a concentric opening with the suction pipe 24a. Therefore, when the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3, the suction port 24b overlaps with the axis of the accommodating hole 42. However, the suction port may be provided so as not to overlap the axis of the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotation position. FIG. 15 is a perspective view schematically showing a suction port according to a modified example. As shown in FIG. 15, in this embodiment, a lid portion 24c is provided at the upper end of the suction pipe 24a. The upper end of the suction tube 24a is closed by the lid portion 24c. The lid portion 24c is provided with a plurality of suction ports 24b1 to 24b4 arranged at positions deviated from the axis C of the suction pipe 24a.

The lid portion 24c is formed of an elastic body such as rubber. The lid portion 24c is detachably configured on the upper end of the suction pipe 24a. The plurality of suction ports 24b1 to 24b4 are, here, through holes formed in the lid portion 24c, respectively. In this modification, four suction ports 24b1 to 24b4 are provided, but the number of suction ports is not limited. The number of suction ports may be 1 or more and 3 or less, or 5 or more. The plurality of suction ports 24b1 to 24b4 are arranged at locations deviating from the axis C of the suction pipe 24a, and do not overlap with the axis C of the suction pipe 24a. Therefore, the suction ports 24b1 to 24b4 do not overlap with the axis of the accommodating hole 42 in the state where the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotating position R3.

For example, according to the suction port 24b shown in the first embodiment, when trying to supply a rubber stopper having one or both ends thinner than the suction port 24b (for example, the ends are formed in a conical shape). There was a risk that the thin end portion would enter the suction port 24b. Therefore, the rotation of the rotating body 40 may be hindered. However, all of the plurality of suction ports 24b1 to 24b4 according to this modification are provided so as not to overlap the axis of the accommodating hole 42 in a state where the rotating body 40 is located at the third rotation position R3. Therefore, even when the rubber stopper having a thin end portion as described above is supplied, it is difficult for the end portion of the rubber stopper to enter the suction ports 24b1 to 24b4.

Further, according to the above configuration, since the plurality of suction ports 24b1 to 24b4 are provided, the opening ratio of the entire suction port with respect to the cross-sectional area of the suction tube 24a can be increased. In the case of a circular cross section as shown in FIG. 15, each of the suction ports 24b1 to 24b4 can be configured to have a diameter less than half the diameter of the cross section of the suction tube 24a. However, by providing the plurality of suction ports 24b1 to 24b4, the opening ratio of the plurality of suction ports 24b1 to 24b4 as a whole can be increased. Therefore, the pressure inside the accommodating hole 42 can be efficiently reduced. The configuration for preventing the rubber stopper from falling into the suction tube is not limited to the above. For example, a net for preventing the rubber stopper from falling may be provided at the tip of the suction pipe.

Further, according to the above configuration, since the lid portion 24c is detachable from the suction pipe 24a, the lid portion 24c is replaced with an appropriate one that matches the shape of the rubber stopper that supplies the suction port. be able to. For that purpose, it is preferable that a plurality of types of lids corresponding to the shapes of the plurality of types of rubber stoppers are prepared. The above configuration may be applied to the pressure tube 72a (see FIG. 1).

In the above embodiment, the rubber stopper 5 was supplied, but the object to be supplied does not have to be a rubber stopper. The object to be supplied may be a columnar or tubular part. Preferably, the supply object is a component in which the shape on one end side in the axial direction and the shape on the other end side are asymmetrical.

5 Rubber stopper 10 Rubber stopper Supply device 20 Supply device 21 Supply tank 22 Supply pipe 23 Vibration device 24 Decompression device 30 Direction correction device 40 Rotating body 42 Accommodation hole 42a 1st end 42a1 Tapered part 42b 2nd end 50 Drive part ( Drive device)
60 Sensor 70 Transmission device

70A Suction unit

70B Discharge unit 81 1st mobile device 82 2nd mobile device 83 3rd mobile device 84 4th mobile device 100 Control device 101 1st rotation control unit 103 2nd rotation control unit 104 Transmission control unit 105a 1st movement control unit 105b 2nd movement control unit 105c 3rd movement control unit 105d 4th movement control unit 110 Rubber stopper supply device (second embodiment)
140 rotating body (second embodiment)
142A 1st accommodation hole (accommodation hole)
142B 2nd accommodation hole 142C 3rd accommodation hole 142D 4th accommodation hole R1 1st rotation position R2 2nd rotation position R3 3rd rotation position R4 4th rotation position

Claims

A supply device that supplies rubber stoppers and
A rotating body having a rotating shaft and an accommodating hole for accommodating the rubber stopper supplied from the supply device.
A drive device that rotates the rotating body around the rotation axis,
A sensor that detects the orientation of the rubber stopper housed in the storage hole, and
A delivery device that sends out the contained rubber stopper from the accommodation hole,
A control device for controlling the drive device and the delivery device is provided.
When the rotating body is located at the first rotation position and the second rotation position 180 degrees off the rotation axis from the first rotation position, the accommodating hole is connected to the delivery device and the third rotation position. The accommodation hole is configured to be connected to the supply device when it is located in
The control device is
A first rotation control unit that accommodates the rubber stopper in the accommodation hole by arranging the rotating body at the third rotation position, and
A second rotation control that aligns the directions of the rubber stoppers housed in the housing holes by rotating the rotating body based on the detection result of the sensor and arranging the rotating body at the first rotation position or the second rotation position. Department and
A rubber stopper supply device including a delivery control unit that sends out the rubber stoppers whose directions are aligned by the second rotation control unit from the accommodation hole.
The delivery device includes an injection port for injecting compressed air.
The injection port is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the first rotation position or the second rotation position.
The rubber stopper supply device according to claim 1.
The supply device includes a decompression device that decompresses the inside of the accommodation hole.
The rubber stopper supply device according to claim 1 or 2.
The decompression device includes a suction port for sucking air.
The suction port is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position.
The rubber stopper supply device according to claim 3.
The suction port is provided so as not to overlap the axis of the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position.
The rubber stopper supply device according to claim 4.
The decompression device
The lid on which the suction port is formed and
A suction tube formed in a tubular shape and provided with a lid at one end, is provided.
The lid portion includes a second suction port provided so as not to overlap the axis of the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position.
The rubber stopper supply device according to claim 5.
The decompression device
A suction tube formed in a tubular shape and
A lid portion that is detachably configured at one end of the suction tube and has the suction port formed therein is provided.
The rubber stopper supply device according to any one of claims 4 to 6.
The supply device is formed so that the rubber stoppers pass one by one with either end facing forward, and when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position, the feeding device and the accommodating hole. Has a supply pipe to be connected,
The rubber stopper supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
The third rotation position is deviated by 90 degrees around the rotation axis from the first rotation position and the second rotation position.
The rubber stopper supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The supply device is
A supply tank that houses a plurality of the rubber stoppers and
A supply pipe connected to the supply tank and the rotating body,
A vibrating device for vibrating the supply tank is provided.
The rubber stopper supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
The supply device includes a supply pipe that is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotation position.
The accommodating hole is formed in an arc shape that is convex outward of the rotating body in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body, and is formed in the supply pipe when the rotating body is located at the third rotation position. Has a first end, which is connected,
The supply pipe has an end portion formed in a concave arc shape corresponding to the shape of the first end portion in the rotation axis direction view of the rotating body.
The rubber stopper supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
The rotating body has an outer circumference formed in a circle in the direction of rotation of the rotating body.
The rubber stopper supply device according to claim 11.
The rotating body is
A second accommodating hole provided around the rotation axis 180 degrees away from the accommodating hole,
A third accommodating hole provided around the rotation axis at a distance of 90 degrees from the accommodating hole and the second accommodating hole,
A fourth accommodating hole provided around the rotation axis at a distance of 180 degrees from the third accommodating hole is provided.
The second accommodating hole is connected to the supply device when the rotating body is located at a fourth rotating position 180 degrees away from the third rotating position about the rotation axis, and the rotating body is connected to the second rotating body. It is connected to the delivery device when it is in the 1st rotation position or the 2nd rotation position.
The third accommodating hole is connected to the supply device when the rotating body is located at the second rotating position, and the rotating body is located at the third rotating position or the fourth rotating position. Sometimes connected to the transmitter
The fourth accommodating hole is connected to the supply device when the rotating body is located at the first rotating position, and the rotating body is located at the third rotating position or the fourth rotating position. Sometimes connected to the transmitter,
The rubber stopper supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
The accommodating hole has a first end that is connected to the supply device when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position.
The rubber stopper supply according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first end portion has at least a tapered portion extending toward the outside of the rotating body in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body. apparatus.
The supply device includes a supply pipe to which the rubber stopper is supplied.
The delivery device includes a delivery tube from which the rubber stopper is delivered.
A first movement configured to allow the supply pipe to be separated from the rotating body and to connect the supply pipe to the accommodating hole while the rotating body is located at the third rotating position. With the device
It is possible to separate the delivery pipe from the rotating body and to connect the delivery pipe to the accommodating hole while the rotating body is located at the first rotation position or the second rotation position. With a configured second moving device,
The control device is
By controlling the first moving device, the supply pipe is separated from the rotating body while the rotating body is rotating, and the supply pipe is separated from the rotating body at least when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position. The first movement control unit connected to the accommodation hole and
By controlling the second moving device, the delivery pipe is separated from the rotating body while the rotating body is rotating, and at least the rotating body is located at the first rotating position or the second rotating position. Sometimes, it includes a second movement control unit that connects the delivery pipe to the accommodation hole.
The rubber stopper supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.
The sending device is
A suction part that sucks air and
A discharge section for discharging the air sucked by the suction section is provided.
The discharge portion is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the first rotation position or the second rotation position.
The suction portion is connected to the accommodating hole when the rotating body is located at the third rotating position.
The rubber stopper supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.