JP2022087457A - Adsorption holding unit and transport system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an adsorption holding unit that improves an air flow rate constraint and can secure a vacuum state for a long time while stably adsorbing and holding a workpiece by locating a function to create the vacuum state for each transported object and a valve function to hold and release a vacuum pressure.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to an adsorption holding unit 10 integrally provided on a slider 3 transported by transport means, which comprises: a placement unit 12 where workpieces W1, W2 are placed; an adsorption hole 13 that is opened on a placement surface 12a of the placement unit 12 and holds the workpieces W1, W2 with a vacuum pressure; and a valve 40 that is provided in communication with the adsorption hole 13 and causes the vacuum pressure to be held/released.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a suction holding unit and a transport system, and more particularly to a suction holding unit and a transport system that sucks and transports a work by vacuum pressure.

Conventionally, a plate-shaped or thin-walled work (including a metal plate, a film, a lightweight product, etc.), which is difficult to fix only with a jig, is adsorbed by vacuum pressure using a body to be transported by a transport means. A transport system including a suction holding unit for transporting the metal is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Here, the vacuum pressure is applied in a state where the work is held by the work suction plate by forming a vacuum suction path by piping inside a column or the like fixed to the work stage and connecting to a vacuum supply device such as a rotary pump. The carrier can be moved along the rail in the desired posture (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-0242297 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-001271

However, in the above-mentioned transport system, it is necessary to suck and hold the work in each transported body, but as shown in Patent Document 2, since a fixed pipe is used for the moving body, the pipe is fixed to the moving body. The air flow rate constraint as a function to create a vacuum state and a function to maintain the vacuum pressure is low, the workpiece during transportation is unstable, and it is difficult to maintain the vacuum pressure for a long period of time (for example, in units of time). There was a problem that there was.

An object of the present invention is to improve the air flow constraint by arranging a function of creating a vacuum state and a valve function of holding / releasing the vacuum pressure in each object to be transported, and vacuuming while stably sucking and holding the work. It is an object of the present invention to provide a suction holding unit and a transfer system capable of holding a pressure for a long period of time.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a suction holding unit integrally provided with a body to be transported by a transport means, and is a mounting portion on which a work is mounted and a mounting portion described above. It is provided with a suction hole that is open to the mounting surface and holds the work by vacuum pressure, and a valve that is provided in communication with the suction hole to hold / release the vacuum pressure.

The suction holding unit is integrally provided with the body to be transported by the transport means, and each suction holding unit is provided with a mounting portion for a work.

The mounting portion of the suction holding unit is provided with a suction hole for holding the work by vacuum pressure so as to be open on the mounting surface.

Further, the suction holding unit is provided with a valve for holding / releasing the vacuum pressure so as to communicate with the suction hole.

As a result, each transported object is provided with a function of creating a vacuum state for holding the work by the suction holes and a valve function of holding / releasing the vacuum pressure of the suction holes, thereby restricting the air flow rate. It is possible to maintain the vacuum pressure for a long period of time from the conventional minute unit to the hour unit while stably adsorbing and holding the work.

According to the present invention, the air flow rate constraint is improved by arranging the function of creating a vacuum state and the valve function of holding / releasing the vacuum pressure in each transported object, and the vacuum is maintained while the work is stably sucked and held. The state can be maintained for a long period of time.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of a transport system. The main part of the transport system is shown, (A) is a perspective view of the main part before work suction, and (B) is a perspective view of the main part after work suction. The main part of the transport system is shown, and it is sectional drawing of the main part after work suction.

Next, the adsorption holding unit and the transfer system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, the transport system 1 is integrally provided on a pair of rails 2 arranged parallel to the depth direction of the paper surface, a slider 3 as a transferable body that can move along the rails 2, and a slider 3. Between the suction holding unit 10 and the work loading platform 4 on which the thin flat plate-shaped works W1 and W2 before and after the transfer are loaded, and between the suction holding unit 10 and the work loading platform 4 these works W1 and W2. A work transfer robot 20 for delivery is provided.

The work transfer robot 20 is further provided with a swingable lifting device 23 on the swing arm 22 provided on the gantry 21, and the robot arm 24 for holding / transferring the works W1 and W2 is provided on the lifting device 23. A known basic configuration can be used, such as one that can be raised and lowered.

Of the works W1 and W2 loaded on the work loading platform 4 shown in FIG. 1, the work W1 has already been conveyed by the suction holding unit 10, and the work W2 has not been conveyed by the suction holding unit 10. Explain as a thing.

The slider 3 has a slide base portion 31 held by a pair of rails 2 and conveyed by a conveying means including a driving means such as a motor (not shown), a base portion 32 fixed to the upper surface of the slide base portion 31, and a base portion. A leg portion 33 that rises from the vicinity of the four corners of the 32 is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the suction holding unit 10 has a base portion 11 fixed on the upper end surface of the leg portion 33 in a mounted state and a plurality of protrusions from the upper surface 11a of the base portion 11 (this example). The protrusion 12 is composed of a pair of shaft-shaped protrusions), the suction hole 13 is opened to the mounting surface 12a with the upper end surface of the protrusion 12 as the mounting surface 12a, and the upper surface 11a of the base portion 11. A through-hole-shaped nozzle portion 14 that opens to the surface and a valve 40 that communicates with the suction hole 13 are provided.

In the present embodiment, the base portion 11 and the protruding portion 12 form a mounting portion, and the protruding portion 12 is provided on each upper portion of the pair of rails 2 with respect to the mounting portion. It is arranged in two sets in total. Along with this, the nozzle portion 14 and the valve 40 are arranged in the opposite directions along the extending direction of the rail 2 in accordance with these, and at the same time, two works W1 or work W2, or work W1 and work W2, Is designed to be transported.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve 40 is supported by a metal main body 41 and a valve shaft 42 that penetrates the inside of the main body 41 and projects the upper and lower ends of the drawing from the main body 41 so as to be movable along the axial direction. A bracket 43 fixed to the main body 41 to fix the main body 41 to the base portion 11, and a connection contact 44 connected to a negative pressure side port portion (not shown) formed inside the main body 41. It includes a muffler 45 connected to a positive pressure side port portion (not shown) formed inside the main body 41, and a vacuum break button 46 provided at the upper end of the valve shaft 42.

Although detailed illustration is omitted, the negative pressure side port portion and the positive pressure side port portion are communicated with each other inside the main body 41 by using, for example, a through hole (not shown) of the valve shaft 42. Through this through hole, a communication path in a folded state is formed in the cross-sectional structure as a whole.

Further, the valve shaft 42 includes, for example, a valve body (not shown) that opens and closes a communication portion with the positive pressure side port portion of the through hole inside the main body 41, and is always urged by a spring (not shown). When the valve is closed and the vacuum break button 46 is pressed against the urgency of the spring, the valve shaft 42 is also displaced downward to open the valve.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the robot arm 24 operates a vacuum break button 46 of the suction holding unit 10 with respect to the suction holding unit 10 conveyed to a predetermined position by the conveying means to create a vacuum. The operation unit 25 to be destroyed, the hand unit 26 for taking out the work W1 mounted on the projecting portion 12 and mounting the work W2 on the projecting portion 12, and the nozzle portion 14 after mounting the work W2 are connected to each other. A vacuum portion 27 for generating a vacuum pressure on the suction hole 13 is provided.

The suction hole 13, the nozzle portion 14, and the negative pressure side port portion (connecting contact 44) are provided below the base portion 11 and are not shown via a pneumatic tank 47 that smoothes the pulsation of air and prevents a rapid decrease in air pressure. It is connected by piping.

In such a basic configuration, the suction holding unit 10 and the transfer system 1 according to the present embodiment have a function of setting a vacuum state in order to hold the works W1 and W2 in the suction holding unit 10 of each slider 3. By arranging a valve function for holding / releasing the vacuum pressure, the air flow rate constraint is improved, and the vacuum state is maintained for a long period of time while the works W1 and W2 are stably adsorbed and held.

That is, the suction holding unit 10 integrally provided with the slider 3 conveyed by the conveying means is opened to the protruding portion 12 on which the works W1 and W2 are placed and the mounting surface 12a of the protruding portion 12 to form a vacuum. It includes a suction hole 13 that holds the works W1 and W2 by pressure, and a valve 40 that is provided in communication with the suction hole 13 to hold / release the vacuum pressure.

A vacuum break valve is used for the valve 40. The valve 40 includes a vacuum break button 46 that releases the vacuum pressure on the suction hole 13 when the work W1 is placed on the protrusion 12 when the slider 3 reaches a predetermined position from the upstream side in the transport direction.

When the slider 3 reaches a predetermined position from the upstream side in the transport direction, the protrusion 12 has a suction hole at the same time when the work W2 is placed on the protrusion 12 when the work W2 is not placed on the protrusion 12. A nozzle portion 14 for generating a vacuum pressure with respect to 13 is provided.

Next, specific operations in the transfer system 1 and the suction holding unit 10 will be described.

(Work W1 is placed and transported)
When the work W1 is transported to the suction holding unit 10 from the upstream side in the transport direction on the right side of the paper surface shown in FIG. 1 and reaches a predetermined position, the transport of the suction holding unit 10 is temporarily stopped by the transport means, and the robot arm 24 is moved from the standby position. It is moved to the upper position of the work W1.

Then, when the robot arm 24 is lowered by the drive of the elevating device 23, the valve 40 is opened at the same time as the operation unit 25 presses the vacuum break button 46, and the suction hole 13 is vacuum broken.

Due to this vacuum fracture, the hand portion 26 of the robot arm 24 takes out the work W1 mounted on the mounting surface 12a as the mounting portion, and loads the work W1 at a predetermined position on the work loading platform 4.

Further, when the hand unit 26 takes out the work W1 from the mounting surface 12a, the suction holding unit 10 is conveyed to the downstream side in the conveying direction by the conveying means, and thereafter, the conveying, primary stop, work taking out, and conveying steps are sequentially executed. Will be done.

(Place work W2 and transport)
When the empty suction holding unit 10 is transported from the upstream side in the transport direction on the right side of the paper surface shown in FIG. 1 and reaches a predetermined position, the transport of the suction holding unit 10 is temporarily stopped by the transport means, and the suction holding unit 10 is temporarily stopped at the predetermined position of the work loading platform 4. The robot arm 24 holding the loaded work W2 by the hand portion 26 is moved from the standby position to the position above the mounting surface 12a as the mounting portion.

Then, the robot arm 24 is lowered by the drive of the elevating device 23, the hand portion 26 of the robot arm 24 mounts the work W2 on the mounting surface 12a, and at the same time, the tip of the vacuum portion 27 penetrates into the hole of the nozzle portion 14. , The suction hole 13 is evacuated together with the closing of the valve 40.

Due to this vacuum state, the work W2 is separated from the hand portion 26 of the robot arm 24, the robot arm 24 is raised again by the drive of the elevating device 23, and the robot arm 24 is raised from the upper position of the mounting surface 12a as the mounting portion to the standby position. Will be moved.

Further, when the hand portion 26 mounts the work W2 on the mounting surface 12a, the suction holding unit 10 is transported to the downstream side in the transport direction by the transport means, and thereafter, the transport / primary stop / work mounting / transport process is performed. It is executed sequentially.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and technical idea.

For example, in the above embodiment, the mounting portion is composed of the base portion 11 and the protruding portion 12, and the protruding portions 12 are arranged in pairs with respect to the mounting portion, and the nozzles are arranged according to these. The case where the portion 14 and the valve 40 are arranged in the opposite directions along the extending direction of the rail 2 and the two works W1 or the work W2 or the work W1 and the work W2 are conveyed at the same time is described. However, for example, the number and layout of the protrusions 12, the nozzles 14, and the valves 40 can be arbitrarily changed according to the type and size of the works W1 and W2.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it goes without saying that the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described here. Any person who has ordinary knowledge in the field of the art to which the present invention belongs has come up with the idea of making various changes, modifications, combinations, etc. within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention described in the claims. It's clear that you can. Therefore, the techniques after these changes, modifications, combinations, etc. naturally belong to the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

Specifically, a system configuration in which the robot arm 24 of the work transfer robot 20 is provided with an operation unit 25 and a vacuum unit 27 is illustrated, but the operation unit 25 and the vacuum unit 27 are separate from the work transfer robot 20 or the robot arm 24. It may be arranged on the line as an independent mechanism of.

Similarly, one robot arm 24 does not allow the work W1 and W2 to be taken out and placed, and an independent robot arm for taking out the work and an arm for placing the work are arranged to take out and put the work W1 and W2. It may be possible to place it.

As described above, the suction holding unit and the transport system according to the present invention improve the air flow rate constraint by arranging the function of creating a vacuum state and the valve function of holding / releasing the vacuum pressure in each transported object. It has the effect of being able to hold the work in a vacuum state for a long period of time while stably sucking and holding the work, and is useful for a suction holding unit and a whole transport system that sucks and conveys the work by vacuum pressure.

1 Conveyance system 3 Slider (conveyed object)
10 Adsorption holding unit 11 Base (mounting part)
11a Top surface 12 Protruding part (mounting part)
12a Mounting surface 13 Suction hole 14 Nozzle part 20 Work transfer robot 24 Robot arm 25 Operation part 26 Hand part 27 Vacuum part 40 Valve 41 Main body 42 Valve shaft 43 Bracket 44 Connection contact 45 Muffler 46 Vacuum break button 47 Pneumatic tank W1 Work W2 work

Claims (5)

It is a suction holding unit that is integrally provided with the object to be transported by the transport means.
The mounting part where the work is mounted and
A suction hole that is open to the mounting surface of the above-mentioned mounting portion and holds the work by vacuum pressure,
A valve that communicates with the suction hole to hold / release the vacuum pressure,
A suction holding unit characterized by being provided with. The valve is
A vacuum break button for releasing the vacuum pressure on the suction hole is provided when the work is placed on the above-mentioned placement portion when the conveyed object reaches a predetermined position from the upstream side in the transport direction.
The adsorption holding unit according to claim 1. The above-mentioned place is
When the work to be conveyed reaches a predetermined position from the upstream side in the transport direction and the work is not placed on the previously described placement portion, the work is placed on the previously described placement portion and at the same time the work is placed on the suction hole. Equipped with a nozzle that generates vacuum pressure,
The adsorption holding unit according to claim 1. Using the adsorption holding unit according to claim 2,
An operation unit that operates the vacuum break button of the suction holding unit to evacuate the suction holding unit transported to a predetermined position by the transport means.
A hand part that takes out the work placed on the above-mentioned placement part after vacuum break, and a hand part that takes out the work.
To prepare
A transport system characterized by that. Using the adsorption holding unit according to claim 3,
With respect to the suction holding unit conveyed to a predetermined position by the conveying means, a hand portion for placing a work on the previously described placement portion of the suction holding unit and a hand portion.
A vacuum portion connected to the nozzle portion after the work is placed to generate the vacuum pressure on the suction hole, and a vacuum portion.
To prepare
A transport system characterized by that.

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