JP3873371B2 - Work gripping device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a workpiece gripping device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An automobile door is configured by assembling a door trim inside a door panel. The door trim is assembled by attaching a retainer (work) to an appropriate position on the back surface (door panel side) of the door trim in advance and locking the retainer to the door panel side.
The retainer mounting operation has been conventionally performed manually, but recently, with the automation of the assembly line, it has been performed by a robot using an air chuck. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, an arm 3 having a free movement in a three-dimensional direction and having an air chuck 4 attached to the tip thereof is provided near the door trim 2 held by the component holding frame 1. A part feeder 6 for supplying the retainer 5 is arranged, and a finger portion 4A (see FIG. 9) provided at the front end of the air chuck 4 so as to be openable and closable is placed on the mounting table 6A of the parts feeder 6. The retainer 5 is sandwiched and held, and then the arm 3 moves toward the door trim 2 to attach the retainer 5 to the bracket 2A. After the attachment, the step of the arm 3 moving toward the parts feeder 6 to grip the retainer 5 and the step of attaching the gripped retainer 5 to the bracket 2A are repeated again.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-described conventional apparatus, the arm 3 must reciprocate between the parts feeder 6 and the door trim 2 every time when one retainer 5 is gripped and attached, so that the time required for processing one retainer 5 is increased. There is a problem that it is long and the work efficiency is poor.
Further, when the parts feeder 6 is arranged, the arm 3 needs to be positioned with high accuracy with respect to the robot in order to accurately hold the retainer 5 from the parts feeder 6, and the installation position is within the swiveling range of the arm 3. There is also a restriction that it is limited to.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object of improving work attachment efficiency and relaxing restrictions on the arrangement of work supply sources.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a workpiece gripping device comprising: a workpiece holding member capable of holding a workpiece attached to a mounted member; and a movable support member for moving the workpiece holding member to a mounting position on the mounted member. The workpiece has an axial shape and an attachment portion assembled in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction with respect to the mounted member, and an umbrella portion connected to an end portion of the attachment portion. Between the supply source and the work holding member, a flexible supply pipe capable of pressure-feeding the work from the work supply source to the work holding member is arranged by air pressure. and graspable gripping means are provided the work supplied by the supply pipe, the gripping means, three and gripping claws provided at equal angular intervals on the workpiece holding member in the circumferential direction, the gripping A locking projection formed at the tip of the workpiece, and a locking projection formed at the tip of the work holding member and sandwiching the umbrella portion in the axial direction from the front and rear between the locking projection of the gripping claw It has the characteristics in the place comprised.
[0005]
[Action and effect of the invention]
<Invention of Claim 1>
When attaching the workpiece to the mounted member, the workpiece is first fed by air pressure from the workpiece supply source through the flexible supply pipe to the workpiece holding member and gripped by the gripping means, and then the gripped workpiece is attached to the mounted member. It is attached. During this time, the movable support member does not need to move toward the workpiece supply source, and only has to wait for the workpiece to be supplied in the vicinity of the mounted member.
In the present invention, since the workpiece is fed by air pressure as a means for supplying the workpiece to the workpiece holding member through the flexible supply pipe, the movable support member is located between the mounting position on the mounted member and the workpiece supply source. There is no need to reciprocate and work efficiency is good. Further, regarding the arrangement of the workpiece supply source, positioning with respect to the movable support member is not necessary, and there is no restriction that the workpiece supply source is limited to the movable range of the movable support member.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an automatic retainer mounting apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The automatic attachment device 10 of the first embodiment is used in an assembly process of automobile parts, and is for attaching a retainer 30 to a door trim 20 constituting a part of a door. First, the outline will be described.
The automatic attachment device 10 includes a base 11 installed on the floor surface, and an arm (movable support member which is a constituent element of the present invention) 12 attached to the base 11 so as to allow free movement in a three-dimensional direction, The arm 12 is provided with a head (work holding member which is a constituent element of the present invention) 13 provided at the tip of the arm 12.
A parts feeder (work supply source, which is a constituent element of the present invention) 40 is disposed obliquely behind the automatic attachment device 10, and is suspended and held by a component holding frame 21 in front of the automatic attachment device 10. The door trim 20 is waiting.
[0007]
Brackets 22 for mounting the retainer 30 are provided at a plurality of locations along the peripheral edge of the door trim 20. As shown on the right side of FIG. 2, the bracket 22 has a box shape, and is formed with an attachment hole 22A for fitting the retainer 30 and a guide groove 22B for guiding to the attachment hole 22A.
As shown on the left side of FIG. 2, the retainer 30 has a shaft-shaped attachment portion 31 in which a pair of retaining portions 32 having a flange shape at both ends are formed, and a hook-like shape having a hollow inside and elastically bent. It has the elastic latching | locking part 33 made possible.
When the retainer 30 is attached to the bracket 22, the attachment portion 31 is fitted into the attachment hole 22 </ b> A through the guide groove 22 </ b> B, and the hole edge portion of the attachment hole 22 </ b> A is sandwiched between the both retaining portions 32. Attached to.
On the other hand, the elastic locking portion 33 is fitted into an insertion hole (not shown) of a door panel (not shown). Also, an umbrella part 34 is formed between the attachment part 31 and the elastic locking part 33, and the umbrella part 34 elastically contacts the surface of the door panel, whereby the insertion hole of the elastic locking part 33 is formed. Excessive insertion into is regulated. As described above, the door trim 20 and the door panel are assembled together by the retainer 30.
[0008]
The parts feeder 40 accommodates a large number of retainers 30 therein, and is provided with a supply preparation chamber (not shown) in which the retainers 30 are set one by one. The parts feeder 40 is connected to a pressurized air supply device (not shown) provided with a compressor, a pressure regulating valve, an on-off valve, etc., so that pressurized air is supplied to the supply preparation chamber. . The base end portion of the flexible supply pipe 41 is connected to the outer periphery of the parts feeder 40 so as to be connected to the supply preparation chamber.
The flexible supply tube 41 has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the maximum outer diameter of the retainer 30, and the retainer 30 is sent while maintaining its posture with the elastic locking portion 33 facing forward. . Further, the flexible supply tube 41 can be flexed in accordance with the free movement of the arm 12 and so as not to hinder the feeding of the retainer 30. The distal end portion of the flexible supply tube 41 is connected to the head 13.
[0009]
The head 13 is fixed to the arm 12 via a flange 14 at the rear end. A port 15A that opens to the lower surface of the head 13 is formed at a substantially central position in the front-rear direction, and the distal end of the flexible supply tube 41 is connected to the port 15A. In the head 13, a guide path 15 </ b> B having a rear end communicating with the port 15 </ b> A and an opening at the front end surface of the head 13 is formed at right angles to the port 15 </ b> A. The inner diameter of the guide path 15B is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the flexible supply pipe 41, and the retainer 30 can move toward the tip of the head 13 while maintaining a constant posture in the guide path 15B. .
[0010]
A turning pin 16 is provided at a communication portion between the rear end of the guide path 15B and the port 15A. The turning pin 16 is disposed so as to be caught by the umbrella portion 34 although it does not interfere with the elastic locking portion 33 of the retainer 30. Therefore, the retainer 30 that has been sent to the port 15A through the flexible supply tube 41 with the elastic locking portion 33 facing forward changes its orientation by 90 ° by hooking the umbrella portion 34 on the turning pin 16. This time, the mounting portion 31 and the both retaining portions 32 are sent to the front end side of the head 13 with the posture directed first.
[0011]
A means for gripping the retainer 30 is provided at the tip of the head 13. That is, three slits 17 extending in the axial direction are formed in the head 13 at equal angular intervals of 120 ° in the circumferential direction, and each slit 17 has an elongated gripping claw 18 having a rear end portion thereof by a shaft 18A. It is attached in a supported state. Further, a leaf spring 19 is attached so as to extend forward in a cantilever manner along the opening on the outer surface side of the slit 17. The leaf spring 19 is in close contact with both the front and rear sides of the shaft 18A on the upper surface of the gripping claw 18, whereby the gripping claw 18 can always grip the retainer 30 (the state shown in FIGS. 3 and 7). Is held in. In addition, the gripping claw 18 can be displaced outward against the urging of the leaf spring 19.
[0012]
A locking projection 18B that protrudes inward is formed at the tip of the gripping claw 18, while a locking projection 15C that protrudes inward is also formed at the opening edge of the tip of the guide path 15B. Both the locking projections 15C and 18B are arranged so as to sandwich the umbrella portion 34 of the retainer 30 from the front and the rear, and the retainer 30 is locked to the umbrella portion 34 by the both locking projections 15C and 18B. The head 13 is held by the tip. The gripping claws 18, the leaf springs 19 and the locking projections 15C and 18B constitute the gripping means that is a constituent of the present invention.
[0013]
In a state where the retainer 30 is gripped, the mounting portion 31 and both retaining portions 32 protrude from the front end surface of the head 13, and the projecting mounting portion 31 and both retaining portions 32 are attached to the bracket 22 as described above. It is attached. When the head 13 moves away from the bracket 22 in the axial direction with the retainer 30 attached to the bracket 22, the gripping claw 18 is displaced outward against the urging force of the leaf spring 19, thereby causing the locking projection from the umbrella portion 34. 15C is disengaged, and the retainer 30 is smoothly detached from the head 13. That is, the locking force of the umbrella portion 34 with respect to the locking protrusion 15 </ b> C is set to be smaller than the locking force of the retaining portion 32 with respect to the bracket 22.
[0014]
Next, the attachment work of the retainer 30 will be described. The head 13 is on standby so that the head 13 faces the bracket 22 of the door trim 20 attached to the component holding frame 21. In this state, compressed air is supplied to the parts feeder 40, and a retainer set in the supply preparation chamber of the parts feeder 40 with the elastic locking portion 33 facing forward is pumped into the flexible supply pipe 41 by air pressure. It is sent to the port 15A of the head 13. Then, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the direction of the retainer 30 is changed by 90 ° by the umbrella portion 34 being hooked on the turning pin 16. In this state, the air flow from the flexible supply pipe 41 causes the pressure in the guide path 15B to be lower than the pressure behind the umbrella portion 34 (left side in FIG. 5). 32 is moved forward in the guide path 15B with the direction 32 first.
[0015]
When the retainer 30 reaches the tip of the head 13, the umbrella portion 34 slides on the loose tapered surface 18C of the locking projection 18B of the gripping claw 18, thereby displacing the gripping claw 18 outward and passing through the locking projection 18B. . Immediately after this, the umbrella portion 34 abuts against the locking projection 15C of the head 13 to restrict further movement of the retainer 30, and the gripping claw 18 moves backward so that the locking projection 18B moves to the umbrella portion 34. By locking, the return of the retainer 30 is restricted, so that the retainer 30 is held at a predetermined gripping position. The pressure of the pressurized air is sufficient for the umbrella portion 34 to displace the gripping claws 18 against the urging of the leaf spring 19, but the umbrella portion 34 bends to lock the head 13. The size is set so as not to be detached from the protrusion 15C. Therefore, the retainer 30 is reliably held at a predetermined gripping position.
[0016]
When the retainer 30 is held, as described above, the attachment portion 31 is fitted into the attachment hole 22A through the guide groove 22B with the free movement of the arm 12, and both the retaining portions 32 are connected to the attachment hole 22A. The retainer 30 is attached to the bracket 22 by sandwiching the hole edge. After the attachment, the retainer 30 is detached from the head 13 by moving the head 13 away from the bracket 22. Thus, the attaching process of one retainer 30 is completed.
Thereafter, the head 13 is moved to a position corresponding to the bracket 22 to which the retainer 30 is to be attached next, and the above-described retainer 30 is fed to the head 13 through the flexible supply pipe 41 and gripped. The process of attaching the bracket to the bracket 22 is repeated.
[0017]
As described above, in the present embodiment, as the means for supplying the retainer 30 to the head 13, the retainer 30 is sent to the head 13 through the flexible supply tube 41 by air pressure, so that the head 13 is attached to the bracket 22. There is no need to reciprocate between the position and the parts feeder 40, and the attachment work is performed efficiently.
Further, since the flexible supply pipe 41 is used, positioning of the parts feeder 40 with respect to the automatic attachment device 10 is not necessary, and teaching for supplying the retainer 30 when controlling the movement of the arm 12 is performed. Work is also unnecessary. Furthermore, it is not necessary to limit the arrangement of the parts feeder 40 within the turning range of the head 13, and the degree of freedom of installation is high.
[0018]
<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) In the above embodiment, the retainer is once turned 90 ° in the work holding member and then sent to the front end side. However, according to the present invention, the retainer is straight from the rear end to the front end. You may make it send a retainer without turning to.
[0019]
(2) In the above embodiment, a stopper may be provided at the tip of the work holding member to prevent the retainer from passing through the gripping claws and jumping out. In this case, after the retainer is gripped by the gripping claws, the stopper is moved away from the retainer to a position where it does not become a support for mounting to the bracket.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an automatic attachment device, a door trim and a parts feeder in Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a retainer and a bracket in Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a head in Embodiment 1. 4 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state before the retainer supplied to the head in the first embodiment is turned. FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view showing a state after the retainer supplied to the head is turned in the first embodiment. Sectional view [FIG. 6] Partial enlarged sectional view showing a state immediately before the retainer is gripped in the embodiment 1. [FIG. 7] Partial enlarged sectional view showing a state in which the retainer is held in a proper gripping position in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a conventional mounting operation. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a holding mechanism of a conventional retainer.
12 ... Arm (movable support member)
13: Head (work holding member)
15C ... Locking protrusion (gripping means)
18 ... gripping claws (gripping means)
18B ... Locking protrusion (gripping means)
19 ... leaf spring (gripping means)
22 ... Bracket (attached member)
30 ... Retainer (work)
40 ... Parts feeder (work supply source)
41 ... Flexible supply pipe

Claims (1)

A workpiece gripping device comprising: a workpiece holding member capable of holding a workpiece attached to a mounted member; and a movable support member that moves the workpiece holding member to a mounting position on the mounted member,
The workpiece includes an attachment portion that is formed in an axial shape and is assembled in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction with respect to the mounted member, and an umbrella portion that is continuous with an end portion of the attachment portion.
Between the workpiece supply source and the workpiece holding member, a flexible supply pipe capable of pressure-feeding the workpiece from the workpiece supply source to the workpiece holding member by air pressure is routed. A gripping means capable of gripping the workpiece supplied by the flexible supply pipe is provided,
The gripping means is
Three gripping claws provided at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction on the workpiece holding member;
A locking projection formed on the tip of the gripping claw;
A locking projection formed on the tip of the workpiece holding member and sandwiching the umbrella portion in the axial direction from the front and the rear between the locking projection and the locking projection of the gripping claw. A workpiece gripping device.

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