JP6905715B2 - Gripping mechanism and supply device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gripping mechanism for gripping a tip and also to a feeding device including a plurality of gripping mechanisms.

Patent Document 1 discloses a pickup machine that moves in the circumferential direction along a closed orbit. The pickup machines are arranged in a plurality of circumferential directions. The pickup machine is provided with a clamp mechanism for gripping the tip, and also includes a thrust rod for pushing the tip gripped by the clamp mechanism from above. Further, the pickup machine is provided with an opening / closing lever for opening / closing the clamp mechanism. When the opening / closing lever is rotated by the opening / closing cam while the pickup machine is moving, the clamp mechanism is opened / closed. In addition, the pickup machine is provided with an elevating lever for elevating and lowering the thrust rod. When the lifting lever is rotated by the lifting cam while the pickup machine is moving, the thrust rod moves up and down.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-51590

However, in the pickup machine described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to secure a space for rotating the open / close lever and the elevating lever. Therefore, the size of the pickup machine becomes large, and the pitch of the line of the pickup machine becomes wide.
Therefore, the purpose is to solve the above problems. That is, it is an object of making the gripping mechanism for gripping the chip compact and narrowing the pitch of the rows of the gripping mechanisms.

The gripping mechanism is rotatably connected to the base, a pair of shafts erected on the base, and a pair of fingers that extend forward from the shaft and open and close by rotating around the shaft. A slider provided so as to be slidable back and forth on the base between the shafts, a pair of links rotatably connected to the slider and rotatably connected to the finger, and the slider provided. A first cam follower, a holder provided on the shaft above the finger, a linear shaft attached to the holder and extending vertically, and the linear shaft guide the shaft up and down along the linear shaft. Elevating block, an elevating lever provided on the elevating block so as to extend rearward from the elevating block, a second cam follower provided on the elevating lever, and extending forward from the elevating block. It is provided with an arm provided on the elevating block and a thrust pin protruding downward from the arm toward between the tips of the fingers.

According to the above, the slider slides back and forth instead of rotating. Therefore, even if the movable range of the slider is narrow, the finger can be opened and closed. Therefore, the gripping mechanism is compact. Further, when the gripping mechanisms are arranged in the left-right direction, the slider and the first cam follower do not hit the adjacent gripping mechanism even if the pitch of the rows of the gripping mechanisms is narrowed.

Also, the elevating block, elevating lever and arm do not rotate, but move up and down. Therefore, even if the movable range of the elevating block, the elevating lever, and the arm is narrow, the tip sandwiched between the fingers can be pushed down. Therefore, the gripping mechanism is compact. Further, when the gripping mechanisms are arranged in the left-right direction, the elevating block, the elevating lever, the arm and the second cam follower do not hit the adjacent gripping mechanism even if the pitch of the rows of the gripping mechanisms is narrowed.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the gripping mechanism can be made compact. The pitch of the row of gripping mechanisms can be narrowed.

It is a top view of the supply device. It is a perspective view which showed a part of the row of the gripping mechanism arranged along the closed trajectory. It is a side view of the gripping mechanism. It is a perspective view of the gripping mechanism. It is a perspective view of the gripping mechanism. It is a perspective view of the gripping mechanism. It is a perspective view of the gripping mechanism. It is a top view of the gripping mechanism. It is a bottom view of the gripping mechanism. It is a front view of the gripping mechanism. It is a top view of a base, a finger, and a link mechanism. It is sectional drawing of the cut part XII-XII. It is sectional drawing of the cut part XIII-XIII. It is a cam curve diagram. It is a top view which showed the row of the gripping mechanism operated by the opening / closing cam. It is a figure which showed the row of the gripping mechanism operated by the cam for raising and lowering.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Although the embodiments described below are provided with various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

1. 1. Supply device FIG. 1 is a top view of the supply device 100.
As shown in FIG. 1, the supply device 100 receives the chip 1 conveyed to the predetermined receiving position P1 by the conveyor 200, conveys the chip 1 from the receiving position P1 to the predetermined delivery position P2, and conveys the chip 1 to the predetermined delivery position P2. It is delivered to the downstream device 300 at P2.

The chip 1 is an IC chip, a wireless communication element, an active element, a passive element, an RFID, an IC tag and other electronic components. The chip 1 is not limited to a small electronic component such as an IC chip, and may be, for example, a small tablet, a solid drug, or the like.

The conveyor 200 has a plurality of suction nozzles and endless members. The endless member is an endless belt or an endless chain. A plurality of suction nozzles are attached to the endless member at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the endless member. When the endless member is driven by a motor or the like, the suction nozzle is pulled in the circumferential direction by the endless member. As a result, the tip 1 is raised while being conveyed to the receiving position P1 by the tip 1 sucked by the suction nozzle.

The downstream device 300 is, for example, a locking machine. A tablet press is a device that molds tablets from powder by compressing the powder. The downstream device 300 has a rotary table 301 that is rotationally driven by a motor. On the upper surface of the rotary table 301, a plurality of holes 302 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the axis of the rotary table 301. The rotation of the rotary table 301 causes the hole 302 to revolve around the axis of the rotary table 301.

The supply device 100 includes a drive device 110 and a plurality of gripping mechanisms 10. These gripping mechanisms 10 are arranged at equal intervals along the orbit 101 over the entire circumference of the closed orbit 101. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a row of these gripping mechanisms 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the supply device 100 includes a plurality of connecting links 11, and the gripping mechanism 10 and the connecting links 11 are alternately arranged along the trajectory 101. The adjacent gripping mechanisms 10 are connected by a connecting link 11. In FIG. 1, in order to make the chip 1 easy to see, not all the gripping mechanisms 10 are shown, but some gripping mechanisms 10 are shown.
In FIG. 1, the shape of the orbit 101 is a triangle. The downstream device 300 is provided outside the track 101, and the section of the track 101 corresponding to the shortest side of the triangle overlaps a part of the device 300. The shape of the orbit 101 is not limited to a triangle, and may be, for example, an oval shape, a circle, or a quadrangle.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the gripping mechanism 10. In FIG. 3, the guide rails 102 to 105 and the cams 106 and 107 are shown together with the gripping mechanism 10.
As shown in FIG. 3, the supply device 100 further includes guide rails 102 to 105 and cams 106 and 107. The gripping mechanism 10 is guided by the guide rails 102 to 105 and orbits the track 101 by the power of the driving device 110. In the process of making one round of the gripping mechanism 10, when the gripping mechanism 10 passes through the receiving position P1, the gripping mechanism 10 grips the tip 1 to receive the tip 1 from the conveyor 100. When the gripping mechanism 10 passes through the delivery position P2 after gripping the chip 1, the gripping mechanism 10 pushes down the chip 1 to supply the chip 1 to the downstream device 300.

The guide rails 102 to 105 are provided along the track 101. The guide rails 102 to 105 may be provided over the entire circumference of the track 101, or may be provided over a part of the section of the track 101. In FIG. 1, the guide rails 102 to 105 are not shown in order to make the gripping mechanism 10, the tip 1, and the cams 106 and 107 easier to see.

The cam 106 converts the moving motion of the gripping mechanism 10 into the gripping motion of the gripping mechanism 10. The moving motion of the gripping mechanism 10 means an motion in which the gripping mechanism 10 moves along the trajectory 101. The gripping motion of the gripping mechanism 10 means an operation in which the gripping mechanism 10 grips the tip 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cam 106 is provided along the track 101 over a part of the track 101. More specifically, the cam 106 is provided in a section from a position P11 upstream of the receiving position P1 to a position P14 downstream of the receiving position P1. The position P12 shown in FIG. 1 is between the position P11 and the receiving position P1, and the position P13 is between the position P12 and the receiving position P1. The section from position P12 to position P14 overlaps the transfer path of the chip 1 by the conveyor 200.

The cam 107 converts the moving motion of the gripping mechanism 10 into the pushing motion of the gripping mechanism 10. The pushing-down operation of the gripping mechanism 10 means an operation in which the gripping mechanism 10 pushes down the gripped tip 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cam 107 is provided along the track 101 over a part of the track 101. More specifically, the cam 107 is provided in a section from a position P21 upstream of the delivery position P2 to a position P23 downstream of the delivery position P2. The position P22 shown in FIG. 1 is between the delivery position P2 and the position P23.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sprocket 112 of the drive device 110 is provided at a predetermined position on the track 101. The sprocket 112 is rotationally driven by the motor 111 of the drive device 110. The sprocket 112 transmits the power of the motor 111 to a connecting body including a plurality of gripping mechanisms 10 and a plurality of connecting links 11.

2. Gripping Mechanism The gripping mechanism 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10. Here, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the gripping mechanism 10 as viewed from the front, the upper side, and the left side. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the gripping mechanism 10 as viewed from the front, the bottom, and the left. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the gripping mechanism 10 as viewed from behind, above, and from the right. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the gripping mechanism 10 as viewed from behind, below, and from the right. FIG. 8 is a top view of the gripping mechanism 10, and FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the gripping mechanism 10. FIG. 10 is a front view of the gripping mechanism 10.

(1) Base, Fixed Block, Shaft, Upper Roller and Lower Roller The gripping mechanism 10 includes a base 21, a fixed block 61, a pair of shafts 41, a pair of upper rollers 62 and a pair of lower rollers 63.

The base 21 is trapezoidal when viewed from below. Therefore, the left and right lengths (widths) of the base 21 gradually decrease from the front surface to the rear surface. On the trailing edge of the lower surface of the base 21, a convex portion 22 is formed along the trailing edge.

Two shafts 41 are attached to the front portion of the upper surface of the base 21 in an upright state. The upper ends of the left and right shafts 41 are inserted into the insertion holes at the left and right ends of the fixing block 61, and the fixing block 61 is fixed to these shafts 41 by screws or the like. The two shafts 41 are kept parallel by the fixed block 61.

Under the fixing block 61, upper rollers 62 are rotatably attached to the shaft 41, respectively. Under the upper roller 62, the lower rollers 63 are rotatably attached to the shaft 41, respectively. The upper roller 62 and the lower roller 63 are vertically separated from each other. The gripping mechanism 10 can travel by the upper roller 62 and the lower roller 63 attached as described above.

The subassemblies assembled as described above from the base 21, the fixed block 61, the pair of upper rollers 62, the pair of lower rollers 63 and the pair of shafts 41 as described above are plane-symmetric as a whole. .. This plane is parallel to the axes of the shafts 41 and passes through the midpoints of these shafts 41. Hereinafter, this plane is referred to as a plane of symmetry.

As shown in FIG. 3, the base 21 is placed on the guide rail 102 with the front side of the base 21 facing the outside of the track 101. The base 21 slides on the guide rail 102 with respect to the guide rail 102. The convex portion 22 slides with respect to the side portion of the guide rail 102. Therefore, the base 21 is guided by the guide rail 102.
The upper roller 62 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral guide rail 103 and the outer peripheral guide rail 104. The upper roller 62 slides on the inner peripheral guide rail 103 and the outer peripheral guide rail 104. Therefore, the upper roller 62 is guided by the inner peripheral guide rail 103 and the outer peripheral guide rail 104.
The lower roller 63 slides with respect to the inner peripheral guide rail 105. Therefore, the lower roller 63 is guided by the inner peripheral guide rail 105.

As shown in FIG. 2, adjacent gripping mechanisms 10 are connected by a connecting link 11. Specifically, one end of the connecting link 11 is rotatably connected to the right shaft 41 of the left gripping mechanism 10, and the other end of the connecting link 11 is rotatably connected to the left shaft 41 of the right gripping mechanism 10. Has been done.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sprocket 112 of the drive device 110 is provided at a predetermined position on the track 101. When the gripping mechanism 10 approaches the sprocket 112, the upper roller 62 or the lower roller 63 of the gripping mechanism 10 meshes with the sprocket 112. The sprocket 112 is rotationally driven by the motor 111 of the drive device 110. As a result, the gripping mechanism 10 is towed by the connecting link 11, and the gripping mechanism 10 moves along the trajectory 101.

(2) Mechanism for Gripping Chips As shown in FIGS. 4 to 10, the gripping mechanism 10 includes a link mechanism 33, a fixing piece 36, a sliding piece 37, an elastic spring 38, a cam follower 39, and a pair of fingers 30. Be prepared. The link mechanism 33 includes a slider 34 and a pair of links 35.

On the base 21, the base ends of the fingers 30 are rotatably connected to the lower part of the shaft 41, respectively. The finger 30 extends forward from the front edge 21a (see FIG. 11) of the upper surface of the base 21, bends downward at the tip, and bends forward at the tip. A recess 31 is formed on the side of the tip portion of the finger 30, and the recess 31 of one finger 30 and the recess 31 of the other finger 30 face each other.

The finger 30 rotates around the shaft 41. As a result, the finger 30 opens and closes so that the tips thereof come into contact with each other in the left-right direction. That is, when the finger 30 is opened, the tips of the finger 30 are separated from each other. On the other hand, when the finger 30 is closed, the tips of the finger 30 approach each other. When the finger 30 is closed, the chip 1 is sandwiched between the tips of the finger 30 so as to fit in the recess 31. The trajectory of the tip portion (particularly, the recess 31) of the finger 30 in the section from the position P21 to the position P23 shown in FIG. 1 overlaps a part of the revolution trajectory of the hole 302.

The opening / closing operation of the finger 30 is realized by a link mechanism 33 including a slider 34 and a pair of links 35. The link mechanism 33 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 is a top view of the base 21, the finger 30, and the link mechanism 33. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a cut surface in which the cut portion is represented by XII-XII in FIG.

A guide groove 23 is formed on the upper surface of the base 21. The guide groove 23 extends back and forth between the left and right shafts 41 from the front edge 21a to the trailing edge 21b on the upper surface of the base 21. The slider 34 is fitted into the guide groove 23, and the slider 34 is guided in the front-rear direction by the guide groove 23. The positions of the slider 34 and the guide groove 23 in the left-right direction are intermediate between the left edge and the right edge of the upper surface of the base 21.

One end of the link 35 is rotatably connected to the front end of the slider 34, and the other end of the link 35 is rotatably connected to the middle of the finger 30. As the slider 34 moves forward along the guide groove 23, the finger 30 opens. On the other hand, when the slider 34 moves backward along the guide groove 23, the finger 30 closes.

A cam follower 39 is rotatably attached to the rear end of the slider 34. The cam follower 39 slides with respect to the cam 106 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 as the gripping mechanism 10 moves.

As shown in FIG. 12, the subassemblies assembled as described above from the base 21, the slider 34, the cam follower 39, the pair of fingers 30 and the pair of links 35 are plane symmetric with respect to the above-mentioned plane of symmetry. ..

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the finger 30 is closed by the elastic force of the elastic spring 38. The elastic spring 38 is provided on the base 21 and the slider 34 as follows.
A long guide hole 34a in the front-rear direction penetrates the slider 34 up and down. On the other hand, a recess 24 elongated in the front-rear direction is formed at the bottom of the guide groove 23 of the base 21. The fixing piece 36 is inserted into the front portion of the recess 24 and the guide hole 34a, and abuts on the front end of the recess 24. On the other hand, the sliding piece 37 is inserted into the recess 24 and the rear portion of the guide hole 34a and comes into contact with the rear end of the guide hole 34a. The elastic spring 38 is inserted into the recess 24 and the guide hole 34a and is sandwiched between the fixing piece 36 and the sliding piece 37.

The elastic spring 38 takes a reaction force from the base 21 via the fixing piece 36 and urges the sliding piece 37 and the slider 34 rearward. The elastic force of the elastic spring 38 pushes the slider 34 backward. Therefore, when the cam follower 39 is not in contact with the cam 106, the finger 30 is in a closed state. On the other hand, when the cam follower 39 is pushed forward by the cam 106 and the slider 34 moves forward against the elastic force of the elastic spring 38, the finger 30 is opened.

(3) Mechanism for pushing down the tip The gripping mechanism 10 includes a lower holder 42, a pair of spacers 44, an upper holder 45, a linear guide 47, an elevating block 50, an elevating lever 51, a mounting arm 52, and a thrust pin 55.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a cut surface in which the cut portion is represented by XIII-XIII in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13, the left shaft 41 has, in order from the bottom, an insertion hole at the base end of the left finger 30, an insertion hole at the left end of the lower holder 42, a tubular spacer 44, and an upper portion. It is inserted in the left end of the holder 45. Similarly, the right shaft 41 is inserted into the insertion hole at the base end of the right finger 30, the insertion hole at the right end of the lower holder 42, the tubular spacer 44, and the right end of the upper holder 45 in order from the bottom. ing.
The left and right ends of the lower holder 42 are fastened to the left and right shafts 41 by screws or the like. The left and right ends of the upper holder 45 are fastened to the left and right shafts 41 by screws or the like. The distance between the upper holder 45 and the lower holder 42 is maintained by the left and right spacers 44.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 10 and 13, a bracket 43 is integrally provided with the lower holder 42 in the intermediate portion between the right side and the left side of the lower holder 42. The bracket 43 extends forward from the middle portion of the lower holder 42. A bracket 46 is provided integrally with the upper holder 45 in the middle portion between the right side and the left side of the upper holder 45. The bracket 46 extends forward from the middle portion of the upper holder 45. The bracket 43 and the bracket 46 are arranged vertically with a space between them.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the lower holder 42, the bracket 43, the upper holder 45, the bracket 46, and the pair of left and right spacers 44 assembled to the shaft 41 as described above are plane-symmetric with respect to the above-mentioned plane of symmetry. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 10 and 13, the linear guide 47 has a linear shaft 48 and a slider 49. The linear guide 47 is attached to the brackets 43 and 46 as follows.

The upper part of the linear shaft 48 of the linear guide 47 is fixed to the bracket 46 with screws or the like. The lower part of the linear shaft 48 is fixed to the bracket 43 with screws or the like. The slider 49 of the linear guide 47 is inserted into the linear shaft 48 and is provided so as to be slidable up and down along the linear shaft 48.

The elevating block 50 is guided in the vertical direction by the linear guide 47. The elevating block 50 is fixed to the slider 49 by screws or the like so as to hold the slider 49. The elevating block 50 is integrated with the slider 49 and moves up and down along the linear shaft 48 by the linear shaft 48.

An elevating lever 51 is integrally provided with the elevating block 50 in the center of the rear surface of the elevating block 50. The elevating lever 51 passes from the center of the rear surface of the elevating block 50 to the rear of the lower holder 42, the upper holder 45 and the pair of spacers 44 through the area surrounded by the lower holder 42, the upper holder 45 and the pair of spacers 44. It is extended. A cam follower 59 is rotatably attached to the rear end of the elevating lever 51. The front-rear length of the elevating lever 51 is shorter than the front-rear length of the slider 34, and the cam follower 59 is arranged closer to the shaft 41 than the cam follower 39.

A mounting arm 52 is attached to the front surface of the elevating block 50 with screws or the like. The mounting arm 52 extends forward from the front surface of the elevating block 50. A thrust pin 55 is provided at the tip of the mounting arm 52 so as to protrude downward from the lower surface of the tip of the mounting arm 52.

A recess 51a is formed on the lower surface of the elevating lever 51. On the other hand, a recess 42a is formed on the upper surface of the lower holder 42. The recess 51a and the recess 42a face each other vertically. An elastic spring 58 is inserted into the recess 51a and the recess 42a.

The elastic spring 58 takes a reaction force from the lower holder 42 and urges the elevating lever 51 upward. The elevating lever 51 is pushed up by the elastic force of the elastic spring 58. Therefore, when the cam follower 59 is not in contact with the cam 107, the elevating lever 51 is in a state of being separated upward from the lower holder 42. Therefore, the thrust pin 55 is located above the gap between the recess 31 of one finger 30 and the recess 31 of the other finger 30 when the finger 30 is closed.

On the other hand, when the cam follower 59 is pushed downward by the cam 107, the elevating lever 51, the elevating block 50, the mounting arm 52, and the thrust pin 55 descend against the elastic force of the elastic spring 58. Therefore, the thrust pin 55 is inserted into the gap between the recess 31 of one finger 30 and the recess 31 of the other finger 30.

3. 3. Operation of Supply Device Subsequently, the operation of the supply device 100 will be described.
The motor 111 of the drive device 110 rotates and drives the sprocket 112. As a result, the gripping mechanism 10 is guided by the guide rails 102 to 105 and moves along the track 101. When the gripping mechanism 10 goes around the orbit 101, the gripping mechanism 10 passes in the order of position P11, position P12, position P13, position P1, position P14, position P21, position P2, position P22, and position P23.
Hereinafter, the operation of the gripping mechanism 10 while the gripping mechanism 10 goes around the track 101 will be described in detail. Here, FIG. 14 is a diagram showing cam curves A and B. The cam curve A is a motion curve of the finger 30 that is opened and closed by the cam 106. The vertical axis of the cam curve A represents the degree of opening of the finger 30. The cam curve B is a motion curve of the thrust pin 55 that is raised and lowered by the cam 107. The vertical axis of the cam curve B represents the position of the lower end of the thrust pin 55.

(1) Position P23 to position P11
When the gripping mechanism 10 moves from the position P23 to the position P11, the cam follower 39 is not in contact with the cam 106. Therefore, the finger 30 is in a closed state. Also, the cam follower 59 is not in contact with the cam 107. Therefore, the thrust pin 55 is in a state of rising from the gap between the recess 31 of one finger 30 and the recess 31 of the other finger 30.

(2) Positions P11 to P12
When the gripping mechanism 10 reaches the position P11, the cam follower 39 comes into contact with the cam 106 as shown in FIG. When the gripping mechanism 10 moves from the position P11 to the position P12, the cam follower 39 is pushed outward by the cam 106 to the orbit 101. Then, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the slider 34 moves outward of the trajectory 101 against the elastic force of the elastic spring 38, and the finger 30 opens. When the gripping mechanism 10 reaches the position P12, the finger 30 is in the most open state.

When the gripping mechanism 10 reaches the position P12, the chip 1 is also conveyed below the position P12 by the conveyor 200. More specifically, the chip 1 is conveyed to a position below the gap between the recess 31 of one finger 30 of the gripping mechanism 10 and the recess 31 of the other finger 30 that has reached the position P12.

(3) Position P12 to position P13
When the gripping mechanism 10 moves from position P12 to position P13, the cam 106 maintains the relative positions of the cam follower 39 and the slider 34 with respect to the base 21. Then, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the finger 30 is maintained in an open state.

Further, the chip 1 is conveyed from the position P12 to the position P13 by the conveyor 200 along with the gripping mechanism 10. Here, since the endless member of the conveyor 200 slopes upward from the position P12 to the position P13, the chip 1 rises.

When the gripping mechanism 10 reaches the position P13, the height of the tip 1 is aligned with the height of the tip of the finger 30. Therefore, the chip 1 enters the gap between the recess 31 of one finger 30 and the recess 31 of the other finger 30 from below.

(4) Position P13 to position P14
When the gripping mechanism 10 moves from the position P13 to the position P14, the cam follower 39 is pushed inward by the elastic spring 38 in a state where the cam follower 39 is in contact with the cam 106. Then, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the slider 34 moves inward of the trajectory 101, and the finger 30 closes. By the time the gripping mechanism 10 reaches the position P14, the finger 30 grips the tip 1 between the tips thereof. The sandwiched chip 1 is contained in the recess 31.

The position of the gripping mechanism 10 when the finger 30 grips the tip 1 is the receiving position P1. After the finger 30 grips the tip 1, the elastic force of the elastic spring 38 becomes the gripping force of the finger 30. When the finger 30 grips the tip 1, the finger 30 cannot be closed any further. Therefore, after the finger 30 grips the chip 1, the cam follower 39 separates from the cam 106 even before the gripping mechanism 10 reaches the position P14.

(5) Position P14 to position P21
When the gripping mechanism 10 moves from the position P14 to the position P21, the cam follower 39 is not in contact with the cam 106. Therefore, the finger 30 is in a state of gripping the tip 1, and the tip 1 is conveyed by this. Also, the cam follower 59 is not in contact with the cam 107. Therefore, the thrust pin 55 is in a state of being separated upward from the chip 1.

(6) Positions P21 to P22
When the gripping mechanism 10 reaches the position P21, the rotation of the rotary table 301 causes the hole 302 to reach below the position P21, and the tip 1 gripped by the finger 30 overlaps the hole 302. Then, when the gripping mechanism 10 moves from the position P21 to the position P22 along with the hole 302, the cam follower 59 is pushed downward by the cam 107. Then, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, the elevating lever 51, the elevating block 50, the mounting arm 52, and the thrust pin 55 descend against the elastic force of the elastic spring 58. Note that FIG. 16 is a drawing shown in the direction of the arrow XVI shown in FIG.

When the thrust pin 55 is lowered, the lower end of the thrust pin 55 hits the tip 1 and pushes the tip 1 from between the fingers 30 into the hole 302. The position of the gripping mechanism 10 when the chip 1 is detached downward from the finger 30 is the delivery position P2. The tip 1 detached from the finger 30 fits in the hole 302.

When the gripping mechanism 10 reaches the position P22, the thrust pin 55 reaches the lowest point of the elevating range. At this time, the lower end of the thrust pin 55 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the tip of the finger 30. Therefore, the chip 1 is surely pushed down by the thrust pin 55.

(4) Position P22 to position P23
When the gripping mechanism 10 moves from the position P22 to the position P23, the cam follower 39, the elevating lever 51, the elevating block 50, the mounting arm 52, and the thrust pin 55 are elastic springs in a state where the cam follower 59 is in contact with the cam 107. It is raised by the elastic force of 58. Then, the thrust pin 55 is pulled out upward from between the tips of the fingers 30.

When the gripping mechanism 10 passes the position P23, the cam follower 59 separates from the cam 107.

4. Advantageous effect (1) The slider 34 and the cam follower 39 move linearly back and forth. Therefore, even if the distance between the adjacent gripping mechanisms 10 is short, the slider 34 and the cam follower 39 do not interfere with the adjacent gripping mechanisms 10.

(2) The slider 34 and the cam follower 39 move linearly back and forth without using a rotating member such as a link. Compared with the case where a rotating member such as a link is used, the movable range of the slider 34 and the cam follower 39 in the front-rear direction is narrow. Therefore, when the gripping mechanism 10 passes through the corner of the track 101, the slider 34 and the cam follower 39 do not hit the adjacent gripping mechanism 10.

(3) The elevating lever 51, the elevating block 50, the mounting arm 52, and the cam follower 59 move linearly up and down. Therefore, even if the distance between the adjacent gripping mechanisms 10 is short, the elevating lever 51, the elevating block 50, the mounting arm 52, and the cam follower 59 do not interfere with each other.

(4) The elevating lever 51, the elevating block 50, the mounting arm 52, and the cam follower 59 move linearly up and down without using a rotating member such as a link. Compared with the case where a rotating member such as a link is used, the movable range of the elevating lever 51, the elevating block 50, the mounting arm 52 and the cam follower 59 in the vertical direction is narrow. Therefore, when the gripping mechanism 10 passes through the corner of the track 101, the elevating lever 51 and the cam follower 59 do not hit the adjacent gripping mechanism 10.

(5) The thrust pin 55, the mounting arm 52, the cam follower 59, the elevating lever 51, the elevating block 50, the linear guide 47, the lower holder 42 and the upper holder 45 are directly or indirectly assembled to the shaft 41. Therefore, the overall height of the thrust pin 55, the mounting arm 52, the cam follower 59, the elevating lever 51, the elevating block 50, the linear guide 47, the lower holder 42 and the upper holder 45 is minimized, and the thrust pin 55 It is possible to secure the ascending / descending range of.

(6) The elevating lever 51 is arranged between the lower holder 42 and the upper holder 45, and is also arranged between the left and right shafts 41. The same applies to the elastic spring 58. Therefore, the elevating lever 51 and the elastic spring 58 are provided by effectively utilizing the space. Therefore, the gripping mechanism 10 is compact.

(7) The gripping mechanism 10 is substantially plane-symmetric with respect to the above-mentioned plane of symmetry. Therefore, the left and right balance of the gripping mechanism 10 is good.

(8) The shaft 41 also serves as a rotating shaft of the finger 30, a support of the linear guide 47, a rotating shaft of the connecting link 11, a rotating shaft of the upper roller 62, and a rotating shaft of the lower roller 63. Therefore, the gripping mechanism 10 is compact. Further, the number of parts of the gripping mechanism 10 can be reduced.

(9) Since the base 21, the lower holder 42, the upper holder 45, and the fixing block 61 are provided between the left and right shafts 41, these shafts 41 stand up stably. Therefore, the gripping mechanism 10 is firmly assembled.

(10) The elevating block 50 is guided up and down by the linear guide 47. Since the mounting arm 52 and the lifting lever 51 extend from the lifting block 50 in opposite directions, the load of the mounting arm 52, the lifting lever 51, and the lifting block 50 is balanced. Therefore, the linear guide 47 operates smoothly without rattling.

(11) Since the linear guide 47 is provided before the shaft 41, the cam follower 59 is provided near the shaft 41 in front of the shaft 41. Then, the cam follower 59 is arranged closer to the shaft 41 than the cam follower 39. Therefore, the front-rear length of the gripping mechanism 10 can be shortened. Even if the distance between the adjacent gripping mechanisms 10 is short, the gripping mechanism 10 does not hit the adjacent gripping mechanism 10 when passing through the corner of the track 101.

(12) The tip 1 sandwiched by the finger 30 is pushed down by the thrust pin 55. Therefore, the chip 1 is supplied to the hole 302 of the rotary table 301 without opening the finger 30. Therefore, the wind pressure due to the operation of the finger 30 is not generated on the rotary table 301. This is effective when handling the powder on the rotary table 301. That is, the finger 30 does not cause the powder to scatter.

(13) Since the cam followers 39 and 59 are arranged at positions behind the shaft 41, the cam followers 39 and 59 can be isolated from the space in front of the shaft 41 by the shaft 41. Therefore, when the powder is handled on the rotary table 301, the powder is unlikely to adhere to the cam followers 39 and 59.

5. Modifications Although the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and are not for limiting the interpretation of the present invention. Further, the present invention can be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention also includes an equivalent thereof. The changes from the above embodiments will be described below. Each of the changes described below may be applied in combination. Further, the following modified examples of (1) and (2) are the same as those of the above-described embodiment except for the changes described below, and thus the description other than the changes will be omitted.

(1) In the above embodiment, adjacent gripping mechanisms 10 are connected by a connecting link 11. On the other hand, a plurality of gripping mechanisms 10 arranged along the track 101 may be connected to the endless belt or the endless chain of the winding transmission device. In this case, the endless belt or the endless chain of the winding transmission device is provided along the track 101, and the power of the motor is transmitted to the gripping mechanism 10 by the endless belt or the endless chain. Therefore, the gripping mechanism 10 is towed by an endless belt or an endless chain.

(2) The elastic spring 58 is sandwiched between the lower holder 42 and the elevating lever 51. On the other hand, the elastic spring 58 may be provided between the upper holder 45 and the elevating lever 51 at a position between the two shafts 41. In this case, the upper end of the elastic spring 58 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper holder 45 by the upper retainer, and the lower end of the elastic spring 58 is fixed to the upper surface of the elevating lever 51 by the lower retainer. The elastic spring 58 is a tension spring, and takes a reaction force from the upper holder 45 to pull up the elevating lever 51. When the cam follower 59 is pushed downward by the cam 107, the elastic spring 58 extends.

10 ... Gripping mechanism 21 ... Base 30 ... Finger 34 ... Slider 38 ... Elastic spring 39 ... First cam follower 41 ... Shaft 42 ... Lower holder 45 ... Upper holder 48 ... Linear shaft 50 ... Lifting block 51 ... Lifting lever 52 ... Arm 55 ... Thrust pin 58 ... Elastic spring

Claims (6)

With the base
A pair of shafts erected on the base and
A pair of fingers that are rotatably connected to the shaft, extend forward from the shaft, and open and close by rotating around the shaft.
A slider provided on the base so as to be slidable back and forth between the shafts,
A pair of links rotatably connected to the slider and rotatably connected to the finger,
A first cam follower provided on the slider and
With a holder provided on the shaft at a position above the finger
A linear shaft attached to the holder and extending vertically,
An elevating block guided up and down along the linear shaft by the linear shaft,
An elevating lever provided on the elevating block so as to extend rearward from the elevating block,
A second cam follower provided on the elevating lever and
An arm provided on the elevating block so as to extend forward from the elevating block,
A gripping mechanism including a thrust pin protruding downward from the arm toward between the tips of the fingers. The linear shaft is attached to the holder at a position in front of the shaft.
The elevating block is guided up and down by the linear shaft at a position in front of the shaft.
The gripping mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the elevating lever extends rearward from the elevating block through between the shafts. The first cam follower is provided on the slider at a position rearward of the shaft.
The gripping mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the second cam follower is provided on the elevating lever at a position between the shaft and the first cam follower. The second or third aspect of the present invention, further comprising an elastic spring that is interposed between the elevating lever and the holder at a position between the shafts and takes a reaction force from the holder to urge the elevating lever upward. Gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an elastic spring provided on the base and urging the slider forward by taking a reaction force from the base. A supply device including a plurality of gripping mechanisms according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
A supply device in which the gripping mechanism is arranged along the track with the tip of the finger facing the outside of the closed track.

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