JP4598215B2 - Plate material transfer device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a plate material conveying apparatus for conveying a plate material to a plate material processing machine such as a laser beam machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as an apparatus for supplying a plate material to a plate material processing machine, there is a device as shown in FIG. This plate material conveying apparatus 101 includes a plate material storage shelf 107 having a multistage shelf 105 adjacent to a laser beam machine 103 which is a plate material processing machine, and a chain conveyor 111 for moving a pallet 109 is provided at the lowest level. ing. An elevator 113 that is movable up and down is provided outside the plate material storage shelf 107, and a traverser 115 for taking in and out the pallet 109 is provided in the elevator 113.
[0003]
Since the laser beam machine 103 is well known, detailed description will be omitted and only an outline will be described. In the laser processing machine 103, a portal frame 117 is erected, and a laser processing head 119 is provided along the frame 117 so as to be movable and positioned in the Y-axis direction (left and right direction in FIG. 4). Below the gate-shaped frame 117, a processing table 121 that supports the pallet 109 on which one plate W to be processed is placed is provided so as to be movable and positioned in the X-axis direction (the direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 4). .
[0004]
Accordingly, a pallet 109 on which a single workpiece W is placed is prepared in the upper stage of the plate material storage shelf 107, and the pallet 109 is lowered to the lowest level by the elevator 113 during use, so that the traverser 115 of the elevator 113 and the plate material storage shelf 107 The pallet 109 is conveyed to the laser processing machine 103 by the lower chain conveyor 111.
[0005]
In the laser processing machine 103, the processing table 121 that supports the pallet 109 on which one plate W is placed is moved / positioned in the X-axis direction, and the laser processing head 119 is moved / positioned in the Y-axis direction to a desired position. Processing. When the processing is completed, the pallet 109 on which the processed plate material is placed through the reverse path described above is stored in a predetermined position of the plate material storage shelf 107.
[0006]
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in the plate material transport device 123 disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-169418, a multistage plate material storage shelf is sandwiched between the laser processing machine 125 and a load station 127. 129 is provided, and a pallet 131 on which a plurality of plate materials W are placed is accommodated in the upper stage. Outside the plate material storage shelf 129, an elevator 133 for taking in and out the stored pallet 131 is provided so as to be movable up and down. In addition, a lifter carriage 135 that can move up and down is provided at the lowest level of the plate material storage shelf 129.
[0007]
A guide rail 139 is provided from the plate material storage shelf 129 across the load station 127, the laser processing machine 125, and the integrated lifter 137, and a loader / unloader 141 is movably provided along the guide rail 139. . The loader / unloader 141 is movably provided with a vacuum pad 143 as a single picking device that picks up the plate material W one by one and a fork 145 that scoops up the plate material W.
[0008]
Therefore, at the time of machining, the elevator 133 is raised and the pallet 131 is pulled out, lowered to the lowest stage, and the pallet 131 is moved below the vacuum pad 143 by the traverser 147 and the lifter carriage 135 of the elevator 133. The vacuum pad 143 takes a single plate W and conveys it to the laser processing machine 125 for processing. When the processing is finished, the fork 145 of the loader / unloader 141 scoops up the plate material W and accumulates it on the accumulation lifter 137.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, such conventional techniques have the following problems.
[0010]
In the plate material conveying apparatus 101 previously shown in FIG. 4, since the plate materials W are stored one by one in the pallet 109, there is a problem that only the number of plate materials W in the plate material storage shelf 107 can be continuously processed. Further, if the processing time per sheet material W is short, the processing of several sheets of the sheet material W is completed immediately, and the pallets of all the stages are lowered one by one by the elevator 113, and the operator has processed the material. There is a problem that the plate material W must be replaced with a new plate material W, resulting in poor working efficiency.
[0011]
Further, the plate material transport device 123 shown in FIG. 5 has a problem that when the plate material W loaded on the pallet 131 is a thick plate, it is difficult to pick up a single piece by the vacuum pad 143 or the like. Further, even when the number of processed sheets is small with a special plate material W, the pallet 131 is occupied, so that there is a problem that the work efficiency is low as in the case of the plate material transfer device 123 shown in FIG. .
[0012]
The object of the present invention is made by paying attention to the problems of the conventional technology as described above, and can convey a plate material that can be continuously processed by continuously conveying a large number or thick plate materials. To provide an apparatus.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems as described above, and is a plate material provided with a plurality of pallets (5) loaded with plate materials (W) and shelves (27) that can store empty pallets (5). An elevator (41) for moving the pallet (5) in and out of the shelf (27) can be moved up and down outside the storage shelf (7), and moved into the shelf (27) by the elevator (41). A single picking device that picks up the plate (W) loaded on the pallet (5) is placed in the upper shelf (27) of the shelf (27) on which the pallet (5) is moved. An empty pallet (5) on which a plate (W) picked up by the single picking device is placed on the shelf (27) provided with the single picking device by the elevator (41) It is provided so that it can be inserted and removed freely. 7) provided with upper and lower chain conveyors (39U, 39L) which can be positioned at the same height as the conveying surface of the elevator (41) and the support surface of the processing table (21) in the plate material processing machine (3). A cage (35) is provided so as to be movable up and down, and the pallet (5) can be inserted into and removed from the upper and lower chain conveyors (39U, 39L) in the cage (35) by the elevator (41), and the plate material processing machine (3) vertically in the cage (35) relative to the machining table (21) of the chain conveyor (39 U, 39L) by the transport pallet (5) and is characterized that you have provided freely out.
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0022]
1 and 2 show a plate material conveying apparatus 1 according to the present invention. This plate material conveying apparatus 1 supplies the plate material W to the laser processing machine 3 which is a plate material processing machine, or carries out the processed product P.
[0023]
This plate material conveying device 1 includes a multistage plate material storage shelf 7 for storing pallets 5 on which plate materials W are loaded, an unloader 9 used when a product is unloaded from the laser processing machine 3, and a unloaded product. It mainly has stacking means 11 for stacking.
[0024]
Since the laser processing machine 3 that is already well-known can be used, detailed description will be omitted and only the outline will be described. In the laser processing machine 3, a gate-shaped frame 13 is erected, and a Y-axis ball screw 17 rotated by a Y-axis motor 15 is provided on the frame 13, and laser light is emitted by the Y-axis ball screw 17. A laser processing head 19 for irradiation is provided so as to be movable and positioned in the Y-axis direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1).
[0025]
A processing table 21 is provided below the frame 13 and is movable and positioned in the X-axis direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) by an X-axis ball screw 25 rotated by an X-axis motor 23. . The processing table 21 is adjacent to the plate material storage shelf 7 in a state of being moved to the leftmost in the X-axis direction.
[0026]
Accordingly, the processing table 21 on which the plate material W to be processed is placed is moved and positioned in the X-axis direction by the X-axis motor 23 and the X-axis ball screw 25, and the laser processing head 19 is moved by the Y-axis motor 15 and the Y-axis ball screw 17 to the Y-axis. Move and position in the direction to process.
[0027]
On the other hand, the plate material storage shelf 7 has multi-level (in this case, 10 levels) shelves 27 in the vertical direction, and the upper four levels store the pallets 5 on which empty or one plate material W is placed. The pallets 5 on which a plurality of plate materials W are stacked are stored in the fifth to seventh stages.
[0028]
On the ceiling of the eighth shelf, a vacuum pad 31 is provided as a single picking device that moves up and down by the upper and lower cylinders 29, and a run board 33 is provided so that an empty pallet 5 can be stored.
[0029]
A runboard 33 is provided on the ninth (second from the bottom) shelf so that the pallet 5 on which the plate material W to be processed by the laser processing machine 3 is loaded can be stored.
[0030]
A cage 35 is provided at the lowest level (that is, the 10th level) so as to be movable up and down by a lifter 37. Inside the cage 35, there are two upper and lower chain conveyors 39U and 39L as pallet crossing means, and one of the upper and lower chain conveyors 39U and 39L conveys an elevator 41, which will be described later, when the lifter 37 moves up and down. The surface and the support surface of the processing table 21 of the laser processing machine 3 are positioned at the same height.
[0031]
Outside the plate material storage shelf 7, an elevator 41 for moving the pallet 5 stored in the plate material storage shelf 7 into and out of a desired shelf is provided to be movable up and down. The elevator 41 is provided with a guide rail 43 in the front-rear direction (in the direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 1), and a traverser 45 is movably provided along the guide rail 43. The traverser 45 is provided with a hook 47, which is hung on the pallet 5 and puts the pallet 5 in and out.
[0032]
A gate-shaped guide frame 49 is provided in the Y-axis direction across the processing table 21 of the laser processing machine 3 and the product stacking means 11 provided adjacent to the processing table 21. An unloader 9 is provided on the guide frame 49 so as to be free to move in the Y-axis direction.
[0033]
The unloader 9 is provided with a fork 53 having a plurality of teeth 53 </ b> A via an upper and lower cylinder 51 so as to be movable up and down. The product placed on the processing table 21 of the laser processing machine 3 is scooped up, The stacking means 11 can be carried out.
[0034]
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG.
[0035]
First, the pallet 5 on which the plate material W to be processed is loaded is moved by the elevator 41 to the ninth stage of the plate material storage shelf 7. Then, the vacuum pad 31 is lowered by the upper and lower cylinders 29, and only one plate material W on the pallet 5 is sucked and lifted up to the eighth stage.
[0036]
The elevator 41 appropriately takes out the empty pallet 5 from the first stage to the fourth stage and transfers it to the eighth stage, and the empty pallet in which the first plate W is transferred to the eighth stage. Lower on 5. On the other hand, at the lowermost stage, the cage 35 is lowered by the lifter 37 so that the conveying surface of the upper chain conveyor 39U is flush with the conveying surface of the elevator 41.
[0037]
The elevator 41 pulls out the pallet 5 on which the plate material W is placed from the eighth stage and conveys it to the upper chain conveyor 39U at the lowest stage. At this time, since the previous plate material W is still being processed in the laser processing machine 3, the cage 35 is lifted by the lifter 37 so that the transport surface of the lower chain conveyor 39L becomes the transport surface of the processing table 21 and the elevator 41. Keep them at the same height.
[0038]
When the processing of the previous plate material W is completed in the laser processing machine 3, the fork 53 is lowered by the upper and lower cylinders 51 of the unloader 9, and the fork 53 is inserted between the processing table 21 and the plate material W of the laser processing machine 3. The fork 53 is raised by the upper and lower cylinders 29 to lift the product P, and the unloader 9 is moved along the guide frame 49 to accumulate the product P in the accumulating means 11.
[0039]
On the other hand, the empty pallet 5 on the processing table 21 of the laser processing machine 3 is lifted by the lifter 37 and carried out to the cage 35 by the lower chain conveyor 39L, and the first to fourth stages of the plate material storage shelf 7 by the elevator 41. It is returned to the appropriate shelf on the stage.
[0040]
Thereafter, the lifter 37 is lowered and the pallet 5 on which the plate material W to be processed next, which has been waiting on the upper chain conveyor 39U of the cage 35, is conveyed to the processing table 21 of the laser processing machine 3 to start processing. The above-described steps are repeated. Note that the usage of the upper and lower chain conveyors 39U and 39L may be reversed.
[0041]
From the above results, one sheet was taken out from the pallet 5 loaded with a plurality of plate materials W and placed on the empty pallet 5 and placed on one of the upper and lower two-level chain conveyors 39U and 39L and processed by the laser processing machine 3. The empty pallet 5 after the product is unloaded is placed on the other of the upper and lower two-level chain conveyors 39U and 39L, and then the pallet 5 on which the plate material W is loaded by the one chain conveyor 39U and 39L. Therefore, the plate material W can be continuously carried into the laser processing machine 3 from the pallet on which a large number of plate materials W are stacked. Thereby, continuous processing of many board | plate materials W can be performed.
[0042]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment of the invention described above, and can be implemented in other modes by making appropriate modifications. That is, the above-described embodiment of the invention is suitable when the plate material W is relatively thin, the processing time per sheet material W is relatively short, and the plate material W is frequently loaded and unloaded, but the plate material W is thick. If it is difficult to take out one piece from the pallet 5 with the vacuum pad 31 of the single sheet picking device or if it is a special plate material W, after the empty pallet 5 is lowered to the lowest stage by the elevator 41, The thick plate material W can be supplied by placing the plate material W manually by the operator. In addition, the pallet 5 on which the plate material W is placed may be kept in the lowermost cage 35 of the plate material storage shelf 7 so as to be immediately carried into the laser processing machine 3, or when processing is performed later. Alternatively, the plate material storage shelves 7 may be temporarily stored in the first to fourth levels. Further, the plate material W after being processed by the laser processing machine 3 may be returned to the first to fourth stages of the plate material storage shelf 7 while being placed on the pallet 5 and stored.
[0043]
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the plate material storage shelf 7 is configured by combining a cage unit 55, a single piece unit 57, an empty pallet unit 59, and an elevator unit 61, and if necessary, a single piece unit. If 57 is replaced with an empty pallet unit 63, the apparatus is suitable when there are many thick plate processes or when the processing time per sheet is long. Or although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, it will become an apparatus suitable for the process in which the board | plate material W is frequently carried in / out, if the empty pallet unit 59 is replaced with the thing with a wide step space | interval, and the pallet 5 on which the board | plate material W was loaded can be accommodated. .
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the plate material conveying apparatus according to the present invention , the upper chain conveyor or the lower chain conveyor is selected by moving the cage up and down and positioned at the same height position as the processing table of the elevator and the plate material processing machine. Therefore, the pallet can be carried into or out of the elevator and the plate material processing machine in a short time .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a plate material conveying apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view seen from the II direction in FIG.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing units constituting a plate material storage shelf.
FIG. 4 is a front view showing a conventional plate material conveying apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a front view showing another conventional plate material conveying apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Plate Material Transfer Device 3 Laser Processing Machine (Plate Material Processing Machine)
5 Pallet 7 Plate material storage shelf 9 Unloader 11 Stacking means 21 Processing table 31 Vacuum pad (Single picking device)
35 Cage 37 Lifter 39U, 39L Chain conveyor (pallet crossing means)
41 Elevator 55 Cage unit 57 Single piece unit 59 Empty pallet unit W Plate material

Claims (1)

A pallet (5) loaded with plate materials (W) and a pallet (27) on the outside of a plate material storage shelf (7) having a plurality of stages of shelves (27) that can store empty pallets (5). (5) An elevator (41) for taking in and out is provided so as to be movable up and down, and one of the plate members (W) loaded on the pallet (5) moved into the shelf (27) by the elevator (41). A single-sheet picking device for taking a piece is provided in the shelf (27) on the upper side of the shelf (27) to which the pallet (5) is moved, and with respect to the shelf (27) provided with the single-piece picking device, An empty pallet (5) on which the plate (W) picked up by the single picking device is placed is detachably provided by the elevator (41), and is placed in a shelf (27) below the single picking device. Furthermore, the conveying surface of the elevator (41) and the plate material processing machine ( ) Is provided with a vertically movable cage (35) having upper and lower chain conveyors (39U, 39L) which can be positioned at the same height as the support surface of the processing table (21). The pallet (5) can be taken in and out by the elevator (41) with respect to the chain conveyor (39U, 39L), and the upper and lower chain conveyors in the cage (35) with respect to the processing table (21) of the plate material processing machine (3). (39 U, 39L) conveying the pallet (5) by, work sheet conveying apparatus characterized that you have provided freely out.

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