JP7110932B2 - Conveyor equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to conveying equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to transport equipment used for transporting objects made of magnetic material such as nickel plates and iron plates.

When moving stacked plate-shaped objects such as nickel plates and iron plates to different locations one by one, it is necessary to lift the stacked objects one by one. become. A device capable of lifting objects to be conveyed one by one in this way is described in Patent Document 1.

The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a vacuum cup, a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum cup, and an elevating cylinder for elevating the vacuum cup. In this device, the lift cylinder is extended to press the vacuum cup against the object to be conveyed, and the inside of the vacuum cup is evacuated, whereby the object to be conveyed can be vacuum-adsorbed to the vacuum cup. Therefore, the object to be conveyed can be lifted by contracting the lift cylinder while the object to be conveyed is vacuum-sucked by the vacuum cup.

If such a device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided on a robot arm or the like, it is possible to lift the stacked objects one by one and move them to a predetermined position. In other words, after the object to be transferred is picked up by the apparatus of Patent Document 1, the object to be transferred is moved to a predetermined position by a robot arm or the like. Conveyance can be arranged.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-61103

However, in the apparatus of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to bring the vacuum cup into close contact with the surface of the object to be conveyed in order to perform vacuum suction. However, if the object to be conveyed is bent or warped, or if the surface of the object is uneven, the vacuum cup cannot be brought into close contact with the surface of the object to be conveyed. cannot be generated. When multiple vacuum cups are used, if the adsorption force of one of the multiple vacuum cups becomes small, the adsorption force will not be sufficient to lift the transported object. Conveyed items may fall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a conveying facility capable of stably attracting a magnetic object to be conveyed.

A transporting facility of a first invention is a transporting facility for transporting a magnetic object to be transported, comprising an adsorption device that adsorbs the object to be transported, and a moving mechanism that moves the adsorption device, wherein the adsorption The device has a vacuum suction unit that vacuum-sucks the object to be transferred and a magnetic suction unit that suctions the object by magnetic force. It is characterized in that the size is adjusted so that the object to be conveyed cannot be lifted when the object to be conveyed is attracted only by the magnetic attraction portion.
The conveying equipment of the second invention is the conveying equipment of the first invention, wherein the vacuum suction unit includes a plurality of suction members that are brought into contact with the object to be conveyed, and a suction force generation unit that causes the plurality of suction members to generate a vacuum suction force. and the magnetic attraction unit includes a plurality of magnetic force generation members that are brought into contact with the object to be conveyed.
A conveying facility according to a third aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the second aspect of the invention, the plurality of magnetic force generating members of the magnetic force attracting portion are arranged between adjacent attracting members of the plurality of attracting members of the vacuum attracting portion. do.
According to a fourth invention, in the second invention, the plurality of magnetic force generating members of the magnetic attraction section are arranged so as to surround the plurality of attraction members of the vacuum attraction section.
According to a fifth invention, in the first, second, third, or fourth invention, the conveyed object is a polygonal plate-like material, and when the conveyed object is sucked by the sucking device, a protective portion provided at a position corresponding to the corner of the object to be transferred, the protective portion having a side protective member and a lower protective member laterally and downwardly of the corner of the object to be transferred; and a retracted position in which the side protection member and the lower protection member are arranged above the object to be conveyed.
A conveying facility according to a sixth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the fifth aspect of the invention, the protective portion is provided so as to be swingable between the protective position and the retracted position.

According to the first invention, since the suction device has not only the vacuum suction portion that vacuum-sucks the object to be transferred but also the magnetic suction portion that magnetically attracts the object to be transferred, the surface of the object to be transferred is not flat. Even in such a case, the object to be conveyed can be stably adsorbed. Moreover, since the object to be carried cannot be lifted in a state in which the object to be carried is attracted only by the magnetic force generated by the magnetic attraction part, the object to be transferred can be easily released simply by canceling the attraction by the vacuum attraction part. can.
According to the second invention, the adsorption by the adsorption device can be stabilized.
According to the third and fourth inventions, it is possible to improve the performance of supporting the adsorption force of the vacuum adsorption section by the magnetic adsorption section.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, when the protection portion is set to the protection position, the lateral protection member can prevent the object to be transferred from moving and dropping due to the centrifugal force when the robot turns at high speed. Moreover, it is possible to prevent the corners of the transported object from coming into contact with other members and damaging peripheral equipment. In addition, the lower protection member can prevent the transported object from falling when the vacuum suction ability and the mechanical ability are degraded. On the other hand, if the protective portion is set to the retracted position, the object to be transferred can be supplied to the desired position by canceling the suction by the suction device.
According to the sixth invention, the protective portion can be simply and easily moved between the protective position and the retracted position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the conveyance equipment 1 of this embodiment, Comprising: (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the operation|work which conveys the to-be-conveyed part T by the conveyance equipment 1 of this embodiment. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the operation|work which conveys the to-be-conveyed part T by the conveyance equipment 1 of this embodiment. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the operation|work which conveys the to-be-conveyed part T by the conveyance equipment 1 of this embodiment. It is a schematic bottom view of the conveying equipment 1 of this embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the conveying equipment 1 of the present embodiment provided with a protective portion 50, wherein (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view, and (C) is a schematic explanatory diagram of a protective member 52; , and (D) is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of (C). .

The conveying equipment of this embodiment is equipment for moving a magnetic object to be conveyed, and is characterized in that the object to be conveyed can be held in a stable state.

The transport equipment of this embodiment can be applied to any equipment. For example, in a manufacturing facility such as a machining factory, it can be used as a facility for transporting a plate-shaped object made of a magnetic material such as a nickel plate or an iron plate.

The object to be transported by the transport equipment of this embodiment is not particularly limited. Any member (that is, a member that is attracted to a magnet) made of a magnetic material such as nickel, iron, cobalt, their alloys, or electromagnetic stainless steel can be transported by the transport equipment of the present embodiment. . The object to be conveyed may be plate-shaped or block-shaped, and its shape is not limited, but it is preferable that the object has a flat surface. It should be noted that even a curved wavy plate or an object having an uneven surface can be transported by the transport equipment of this embodiment, depending on the degree of the curved state.

<Conveyor equipment 1 of the present embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer facility 1 of this embodiment includes a robot arm R and a suction device 10 held by the robot arm R. As shown in FIG. The suction device 10 includes a vacuum suction unit 20 that vacuum-sucks the object T to be transferred, and a magnetic suction unit 30 that suctions the object T by magnetic force.

The transport equipment 1 of the present embodiment can transport the object T to the target transport location by operating as follows.

First, the robot arm R is operated to move the suction device 10 to a place where the article to be transferred T is loaded (see FIG. 2). Next, the object to be transported T is adsorbed by the adsorption device 10 (see FIG. 3), and with the object T to be transported being adsorbed, the adsorption device 10 is moved to the target transport location (see FIG. 4). Then, when the object T is moved to the target transport location, the adsorption device 10 releases the adsorption of the transported object T, so that the object T can be supplied to the target transport location.

Note that FIG. 1 shows an example in which the robot arm R is employed as the moving mechanism for moving the adsorption device 10 in the transport equipment 1 of the present embodiment, but the movement mechanism for moving the adsorption device 10 is limited to the robot arm R. do not have. Any mechanism may be used as long as it can move the adsorption device 10 in a state where the object T to be transported is adsorbed. For example, a linear guide such as an LM guide (registered trademark), a cylinder, or the like can be employed as a moving mechanism for moving the adsorption device 10 in the transport equipment 1 of the present embodiment.

<Adsorption device 10>
Next, the adsorption device 10 will be explained.
As shown in FIG. 1 , the adsorption device 10 has a frame 11 . The frame 11 includes a base portion 13 on which the vacuum attraction portion 20 and the magnetic attraction portion 30 are installed, and a connecting portion 12 for connecting the base portion 13 to the robot arm R.

As shown in FIG. 5, the base portion 13 is formed by combining beam-like members in a grid pattern. A connecting portion 12 is provided on the upper surface 13a (see FIG. 1) of the base portion 13, and the upper portion of the connecting portion 12 is held by the robot arm R. As shown in FIG. Specifically, even if the suction device 10 is moved by the robot arm R, the bottom surface 13b of the base portion 13 (see FIG. 1) is kept facing downward and the bottom surface 13b of the base portion 13 is kept substantially horizontal. , the connecting portion 12 and the robot arm R are connected. As described above, if the lower surface 13b of the base portion 13 is maintained in a substantially horizontal state even when the suction device 10 moves, the suction device 10 can stably move while sucking the object T to be transferred. can do.

The term "substantially horizontal state of the lower surface 13b of the base portion 13" as used herein includes a state in which the lower surface 13b of the base portion 13 is tilted to some extent with respect to the horizontal plane. For example, if a flexible joint is provided between the lower end of the shaft member 23 of the vacuum suction part 20 and the suction member 25, which will be described later, the lower surface 13b of the base part 13 is within the operating angle range of the flexible joint with respect to the horizontal plane. For example, the state in which the lower surface 13b of the base portion 13 is substantially horizontal also includes a state in which it is inclined by about ±10° with respect to the horizontal plane.

Note that the base portion 13 is not limited to the structure described above as long as it can hold the vacuum chucking portion 20 and the magnetic chucking portion 30 .

<Vacuum adsorption unit 20>
As shown in FIG. 1, the base portion 13 is provided with a plurality of suction devices 21 of the vacuum suction portion 20 . Specifically, a plurality of suction devices 21 are arranged on the base portion 13 so as to be arranged at regular intervals in the front, rear, left, and right directions (see FIG. 5).

Each suction device 21 has a holder 22 fixed to a beam-shaped member of the base portion 13 . The holder 22 has a through hole extending vertically, and a shaft member 23 is inserted into the through hole of the holder 22 so as to be vertically movable. A head portion 23 a is provided at the upper end of the shaft member 23 , and a spring member 24 is arranged between the head portion 23 a and the holder 22 . That is, the shaft member 23 is held by the spring member 24 so that the head portion 23 and the holder 22 are separated by a constant distance. The shaft member 23 has a through hole 23h communicating between its upper end and lower end, and the upper end of the through hole is airtightly connected to a pipe 23p communicating with a vacuum pump. Note that this vacuum pump corresponds to the suction force generating section of the vacuum suction section described in the claims.

On the other hand, an adsorption member 25 is attached to the lower end of the shaft member 23 . The adsorption member 25 has its upper end fixed to the lower end of the shaft member 23 . The adsorption member 25 has a hollow space 25h inside. In addition, the adsorption member 25 has an opening 25s continuous with the hollow space 25h on its lower surface. Moreover, the suction member 25 communicates with the through hole 23h of the shaft member 23 at the internal space 25h. That is, the space 25h inside the adsorption member 25 communicates with the vacuum pump via the through hole 23h of the shaft member 23 and the pipe 23p. The adsorption member 25 is made of a material having a certain degree of deformability and flexibility, such as rubber.

Since the suction device 21 has the structure described above, the suction member 25 is arranged so that the lower surface of the suction member 25 is in close contact with the surface of the object to be transferred T, and the air in the space 25h of the suction member 25 is sucked by a vacuum pump. Then, the object to be transferred T can be vacuum-sucked by the suction member 25 . Conversely, if the suction by the vacuum pump is stopped from the vacuum suction state and the space 25h of the suction member 25 is opened to the atmosphere, the transferred object T can be separated from the suction member 25. FIG.

In addition, in a state in which no force is applied to the shaft member 23 to move the plurality of suction devices 21 of the vacuum suction unit 20 in the axial direction, the lower surfaces of all the suction members 25 are positioned at approximately the same height. It is desirable to be provided so as to In other words, the lower surfaces of all the adsorption members 25 are provided so as to be positioned on substantially the same plane. It should be noted that the phrase "the bottom surfaces of all the adsorption members 25 are positioned substantially on the same plane" as used herein includes a state in which there is a slight difference in height or a slight inclination of the bottom surface between the adsorption members 25. I'm in. In other words, "the lower surfaces of all the suction members 25 are positioned on substantially the same plane" means that when the suction members 25 of the plurality of suction devices 21 of the vacuum suction unit 20 are brought into contact with the surface of the object to be transferred T, If the surface of the object T to be transferred is flat and substantially horizontal, it means that the lower surfaces of all the adsorption members 25 are in a state of being able to come into close contact with the surface of the object T to be transferred. As described above, when the adsorption members 25 are flexible, "the lower surfaces of all the adsorption members 25 are positioned on substantially the same plane" means that the plurality of adsorption devices 21 of the vacuum adsorption section 20 Also includes a state in which the lower surfaces of all the adsorption members 25 can come into close contact with the surface of the object T to be transported when the adsorption member 25 is pressed against the surface of the object T to be transported.

The material of the attraction member 25 is not particularly limited, but when the lower end of the attraction member 25 is brought into contact with the surface of the object to be transferred T, the lower end of the shaft member 23 and the surface of the object to be transferred T can be brought into close contact. It should be made of a material that can If the attraction member 25 is made of rubber or the like as described above, when the lower end of the attraction member 25 is brought into contact with the surface of the object T to be transferred, the lower end of the attraction member 25 conforms to the shape of the surface of the object T to be transferred. deformation. Then, the lower end of the adsorption member 25 and the surface of the object to be transferred T can be brought into close contact so that no gap is formed between the upper end of the attraction member 25 and the surface of the object to be transferred T. FIG. As the material of the adsorption member 25, sponge or the like can be used in addition to rubber.

Also, the size of the adsorption member 25 is not particularly limited, and an appropriate size can be used according to the size of the object T to be transferred. For example, when the transported object T has a side of about 1 m to 2 m, the attracting member 25 having a circular cross section and having a diameter of about 100 to 300 mm can be used.

<Magnetic Attraction Unit 30>
As shown in FIG. 1, the base portion 13 is provided with a plurality of magnetic attraction devices 31 of the magnetic attraction portion 30 . Specifically, each magnetic chuck 31 of the magnetic chuck 30 is arranged so as to be positioned between adjacent chucks 21 of the vacuum chuck 20 (see FIG. 5A).

Each magnetic attractor 31 has a holder 32 fixed to the base portion 13 . The holder 32 has a through hole extending vertically, and a shaft member 33 is inserted into the through hole of the holder 32 so as to be vertically movable. A head portion 33 a is provided at the upper end of the shaft member 33 , and a spring member 34 is arranged between the head portion 33 a and the holder 32 . That is, the shaft member 33 is held by the spring member 34 so that the head 33 and the holder 32 are separated by a constant distance.

On the other hand, a magnetic force generating member 35 that is a permanent magnet is attached to the lower end of the shaft member 33 . The upper end of the magnetic force generating member 35 is fixed to the lower end of the shaft member 33 . Further, the lower surface of the magnetic force generating member 35 is formed in a substantially flat surface.

Moreover, the magnetic attraction part 30 attracts the object T to be transferred only by the magnetic attraction part 30 even when the lower surface of the magnetic force generating members 35 of all the magnetic force attractors 31 is in surface contact with the surface of the object T to be transferred. I can't do it. In other words, the plurality of magnetic force attracting units 30 are arranged so that the combined magnetic force of the magnetic force generating members 35 of all the magnetic force attracting units 31 is smaller than the magnetic force that can attract the object T to be transferred only by the magnetic force. The magnetic force of the magnetic force generating member 35 of the magnetic attractor 31 is adjusted.

Since the magnetic attraction part 30 has the structure described above, when the magnetic force generating member 35 is brought close to the object to be conveyed T, the magnetic force generated by the magnetic force generating member 35 causes the object to be conveyed T to move to the magnetic force generating member 35 . can be magnetized. That is, the object to be transferred T can be magnetically attached to the magnetic attraction unit 30 .

On the other hand, in a state where the vacuum chucking unit 20 does not vacuum-chuck the object T to be conveyed, if the magnetic chucking unit 30 is lifted from the state in which the object T is magnetically attached to the magnetic chucking unit 30, the object T is lifted. The transported object T can be separated from the magnetic attraction part 30 by its own weight.

In addition, in a state where no force is applied to the shaft member 33 to move the plurality of magnetic force attractors 31 of the magnetic force attracting unit 30 in the axial direction, the lower surfaces of all the magnetic force generating members 35 It is provided at a position slightly higher than the lower surface of (for example, about several mm to 1 cm). Moreover, when no force is applied to the shaft member 33 to move it in the axial direction, it is desirable that the lower surfaces of all the magnetic force generating members 35 are positioned at substantially the same height. Therefore, when the suction members 25 of the plurality of suction devices 21 of the vacuum suction unit 20 are pressed against the surface of the object T to be transferred, the lower surfaces of all the magnetic force generating members 35 can be brought into close contact with the surface of the object T to be transferred. ing.

The magnetic force generating members 35 of the plurality of magnetic attractors 31 may all be the same (that is, generate the same magnetic force), or the magnetic force generating members 35 having different magnetic forces depending on the position may be used. good too. Further, the magnetic force generating members 35 may all have the same shape, or may have different shapes depending on the position.

Also, the size of the magnetic attracting device 31 is not particularly limited, and a suitable size can be used according to the size of the object T to be transferred. However, if the magnetic attraction device 31 is made smaller, there is an advantage that the lower surface of the magnetic attraction device 31 can be easily brought into close contact with the surface of the object to be transferred T even if the surface of the object to be transferred T has an uneven portion. . When the cross section of the magnetic attraction device 31 is circular, the diameter can be about 4 to 20 mm, preferably about 9.5 to 16.5 mm.

<Adsorption and Detachment Work by Adsorption Device 10>
The operation of sucking and detaching the transported object T by the sucking device 10 will be described.
A case will be described below in which one transported object T is sucked from a state in which a plurality of plate-like transported objects T are stacked, and the sucked transported object T is released at another location.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the object to be transferred T is to be sucked, the suction device 10 descends from above the object to be transferred T toward the stacked objects T (FIG. 2(A)→FIG. 2 (B)). Then, the lower surfaces of the adsorption members 25 of the plurality of adsorption devices 21 of the vacuum adsorption section 20 come into contact with the surface of the uppermost transported object T among the stacked transported objects T (FIG. 2B). ).

When the adsorption device 10 is further moved downward from this state (FIG. 3A), the adsorption member 25 is pressed against the surface of the object T to be transferred. At this time, since the spring member 24 is deformed, a restoring force is generated in the spring member 24 to return it to its original state. Since this restoring force acts in the direction in which the adsorption member 25 presses against the surface of the object to be transferred T, the adsorption member 25 is firmly pressed against the surface of the object to be transferred T, and the pressing force deforms the adsorption member 25 . Then, even if the surface of the uppermost transported object T is not flat, that is, even if there are irregularities or particles, etc., the lower surface of the adsorption member 25 can be positioned as the uppermost transported object. It can be sufficiently adhered to the surface of T. Therefore, the adhesion between the lower surface of the attracting member 25 and the surface of the transferred object T positioned at the top is improved. When the vacuum pump is operated in this state, the pressure in the space 25h of the adsorption member 25 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure, and the uppermost transported object T is vacuum-sucked by the adsorption member 25. FIG.

The air pressure in the space 25h of the adsorption member 25 may be maintained at a constant pressure or less by a vacuum pump, or when the air pressure in the space 25h falls below a predetermined pressure, the pipes and the like are closed. The air pressure in the space 25h of the adsorption member 25 may be maintained by using the pressure.

Further, when the attracting member 25 is deformed, the magnetic force generating members 35 of the plurality of magnetic attractors 31 of the magnetic attracting unit 30 come into contact with the surface of the object T positioned at the top. Then, the uppermost transported object T is magnetically attached to the magnetic force generating member 35 by the magnetic force of the magnetic force generating member 35 .

Then, when the magnetic force generating member 35 is firmly in contact with the surface of the uppermost transferred object T, the adsorption device 10 is lifted away from the stacked objects T to be transferred. At this time, the uppermost object to be transferred T is vacuum-attracted by the vacuum attraction section 20 and magnetically attracted by the magnetic attraction section 30, so it rises together with the attraction device 10 (FIG. 3(B)).

Here, even if the attraction member 25 is deformed due to a large unevenness on the surface of the object to be conveyed T positioned at the top or a foreign matter (granular matter, etc.) is present on the surface, the lower surface of the attraction member 25 will be the maximum. In some cases, it may not be possible to sufficiently adhere to the surface of the transferred object T positioned above. As a result, the suction force generated by the entire vacuum suction unit 20 is reduced, and there is a possibility that the transfer object T cannot be suctioned by the suction force of the vacuum suction unit 20 .

However, in the attracting device 10 of the conveying equipment 1 of the present embodiment, the object to be conveyed T is magnetically attracted by the magnetic attracting portion 30 . That is, the magnetic force generated by the magnetic attraction section 30 can compensate for the attraction force of the vacuum attraction section 20 . Therefore, even if the surface of the transported object T located at the uppermost portion has large unevenness or foreign matter exists on the surface, the adsorption device 10 can adsorb the transported object T. As shown in FIG.

The object to be transferred T, which has risen together with the adsorption device 10, moves together with the adsorption device 10 to a target location. Then, the adsorption device 10 descends until the object to be transported T is placed on a table or the like at the target location (FIG. 4A).

When the object to be transferred T is placed on a table or the like, in other words, when the weight of the object to be transferred T is not applied to the adsorption device 10, the vacuum pump is stopped and the space 25h of the adsorption member 25 is removed. The inside is open to the atmosphere. Then, the adsorption force of the adsorption member 25 is lost, and the object to be transferred T is released from the adsorption by the vacuum adsorption section 20 .

On the other hand, since the magnetic force generating member 35 is a permanent magnet, even if the attracting force of the attracting member 25 is lost, the transferred object T is maintained in a state of being attracted to the attracting device 10 by the magnetic force of the magnetic force generating member 35 .

However, even if the combined magnetic forces of the magnetic force generating members 35 of all the magnetic force chucks 31 are smaller than the magnetic force that can hold the object to be conveyed T by magnetic force alone, the plurality of magnetic force chucks 30 The magnetic force of the magnetic force generating member 35 of the magnetic attractor 31 is adjusted. Therefore, if the suction device 10 is lifted so as to separate from the object to be transferred T in a state where the suction of the object to be transferred T by the vacuum suction unit 20 is released, the object to be transferred T stays in place due to its own weight, and magnetic force is generated. The member 35 is separated from the transferred object T (FIG. 4(B)).

As described above, the adsorption device 10 has not only the vacuum adsorption unit 20 that vacuum-adsorbs the object T to be transported, but also the magnetic adsorption unit 30 that adsorbs the object T to be transported by magnetic force. Therefore, even if vacuum suction cannot be performed sufficiently, such as when the surface of the object to be transferred T is not flat, the object to be transferred T can be stably attracted.

Moreover, since the object to be transferred T cannot be lifted in a state in which the object to be transferred T is attracted only by the magnetic force generated by the magnetic attraction unit 30, the object to be transferred T can be easily attracted by stopping the attraction by the vacuum attraction unit 20. It can be detached from the device 10 .

<Regarding the Vacuum Suction Unit 20>
A spring member 24 is provided between a head portion 23 a and a holder 22 in the suction device 21 of the vacuum suction section 20 . Therefore, the adsorption member 25 is pressed against the object T by the spring member 24 when the adsorption device 10 approaches the object T to be transferred. In order to increase the force of pressing the adsorption member 25 against the object T when the adsorption device 10 approaches the object T, a biasing spring member 26 is provided between the adsorption member 25 and the holder 22 . good too. By providing such an urging spring member 26, it becomes easy to uniformly apply a force to the object T when the attraction member 25 is pressed against the surface of the object T to be transferred. This is preferable in that even when the object T to be transferred is a curved plate, the adsorption member 25 can be brought into close contact with the surface of the object T to be transferred.

The layout of the plurality of suction devices 21 of the vacuum suction section 20 is not particularly limited. It is sufficient that when the object T to be transferred is picked up and lifted, the object T to be transferred can be lifted in a well-balanced manner without tilting. For example, in the case where the object T to be transferred is a square or rectangular plate material, and the difference in thickness depending on the position of the plate material is small, a plurality of suction devices 21 are arranged so that the suction device 21 is positioned at the center of the object T to be transferred (the intersection of the diagonal lines). It is desirable to lay out the adsorber 21 . In this case, the other suction devices 21 may be provided at rotationally symmetrical positions with respect to the center of the object to be transferred T, or may be provided symmetrically with respect to a line passing through the center of the object to be transferred T. It should be provided so that there is no bias in the position.

Also, the number of the plurality of adsorbers 21 provided is not particularly limited. Although the above example shows an example in which nine adsorbers 21 are provided, the number of adsorbers 21 may be eight or less, or may be ten or more. An appropriate number of suction devices 21 may be provided according to the size, shape, weight, etc. of the object T to be transferred.

<Regarding the magnetic attraction part 30>
A spring member 34 is provided between the head portion 33a and the holder 32 of the magnetic attraction device 31 of the magnetic attraction portion 30 . Therefore, the magnetic force generating member 35 is pressed against the object T to be transferred by the spring member 34 when the adsorption device 10 approaches the object T to be transferred. In order to increase the force of pressing the magnetic force generating member 35 against the transferred object T when the adsorption device 10 approaches the transferred object T, an urging spring member 36 is provided between the magnetic force generating member 35 and the holder 32 . may be provided. By providing such an urging spring member 36, force can be applied uniformly to the object T when the magnetic force generating member 35 is pressed against the surface of the object T to be transferred. This is preferable in that the magnetic force generating member 35 can be firmly brought into close contact with the surface of the object T to be transferred even if the object T is a curved plate.

The number of magnetic attractors 31 to be provided is also not particularly limited. In the above example, four magnetic attractors 31 are provided, but the number of magnetic attractors 31 may be three or less, or may be five or more. An appropriate number of magnetic attractors 31 may be provided according to the size and shape of the object T to be transferred.

In the above example, the case where the plurality of magnetic attractors 31 of the magnetic attractor 30 are arranged between adjacent attractors 21 has been described. The positions where the plurality of magnetic attractors 31 are arranged are not limited to the positions described above. A plurality of magnetic attractors 31 may be arranged so that the attractor 21 is positioned in a region surrounded by the plurality of magnetic attractors 31 (see FIG. 5B). In this case, the effect of assisting the vacuum adsorption by the adsorption device 21 by the plurality of magnetic adsorption devices 31 can be enhanced. Then, since the magnetic force generated by one magnetic attraction device 31 does not have to be so large, it is possible to prevent an increase in the size and cost of the apparatus due to the provision of the magnetic attraction portion 30 .

When arranging the plurality of magnetic attractors 31 so as to surround the attractor 21, the layout of the plurality of magnetic attractors 31 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, four magnetic attractors 31 are arranged so as to surround one attractor 21, and the intersection of diagonal lines of the four magnetic attractors 31 coincides with the center of the attractor 21. can be arranged as By laying out the plurality of magnetic attraction devices 31 in this way, the effect of the plurality of magnetic attraction devices 31 assisting the vacuum attraction by the attraction device 21 can be effectively exhibited.

<Regarding the magnetic force generating member 35>
In the above example, the plurality of magnetic force generating members 35 of the magnetic attraction unit 30 are permanent magnets, but the magnetic force generating members 35 may be electromagnets. When an electromagnet is used for the magnetic force generating member 35, the magnetic force generated by the magnetic force generating member 35 when energized attracts and lifts the transported object T only by the plurality of magnetic force generating members 35 of the magnetic force attracting unit 30. You may make it possible. In this case, if the vacuum attraction by the attraction member 25 is released at the same time or slightly earlier, the attraction of the object to be transferred T is released by releasing the vacuum attraction, as in the case of using a permanent magnet. can do.

If the magnetic force generating member 35 is an electromagnet, wiring for supplying electric power to the magnetic force generating member 35 is required. For example, if a through hole communicating between the upper end and the lower end is provided in the shaft member 33 and the wiring is wired in the through hole, the wiring does not interfere with the movement of the shaft member 33 and the wiring is caught in the movable part of the device. Such as disconnection can be prevented.

<Protective part 50>
The transport equipment 1 of the present embodiment may include a protection unit 50 that protects the object T to be transported when the suction device 10 adsorbs and moves the object T to be transported.
When the robot arm R on which the transfer equipment 1 is provided rotates at high speed, the object to be transferred T held by the transfer equipment 1 may move and fall due to centrifugal force. Also, in the case where the object T to be conveyed is a plate-like material formed into a polygonal shape, the corner portions are more likely to hit other objects and be damaged than the other portions. Therefore, when the object T to be conveyed by the suction device 10 has a corner portion and is of substantially the same shape and size, the corner portion of the object T to be conveyed has the following corner portions. It is desirable to provide a protective part to protect the

As shown in FIG. 6, the protection unit 50 includes a protection member 52 arranged at a position corresponding to each corner of the object T to be transferred when the suction device 10 sucks the object T, and a moving part 51 that moves the member 52 .

<Moving unit 51>
The moving part 51 has an arm 51 a whose one end is swingably attached to the base part 13 of the frame 11 . The base end of the arm 51a is rotatably connected to the frame 11 by a shaft, and the arm 51a is positioned at a lower protective position (solid line in FIG. 6(B)) and an upper retracted position (see FIG. 6(B)). ) is provided so as to be able to swing between ) and . The arm 51a is provided so that the tip thereof is positioned near the corner of the object T sucked by the suction device 10 when it is arranged at the protection position.

The moving portion 51 has a swinging portion for swinging the arm 51a. The swinging portion is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of swinging the arm 51a. For example, a known mechanism such as one that swings the arm 51a by driving force generated by a motor or the like, or one that swings the arm 51a by expansion and contraction of a cylinder can be employed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, if the rod R of the cylinder S is connected to the swing arm 51b provided at the proximal end of the arm 51a, the arm 51a can be swung by extending and contracting the cylinder S. A cylinder S for swinging each arm 51a may be provided, but as shown in FIG. It is possible to swing the two arms 51a. The method (link mechanism) for connecting the swinging arms 51b of the adjacent arms 51a is not particularly limited, as long as the two arms 51a are connected so that the two arms 51a swing in the same manner. . That is, when one arm 51a swings upward, the other arm 51a also swings upward, and when one arm 51a swings downward, the other arm 51a also swings downward. It suffices if it swings (see FIG. 6(B)).

<Protective member 52>
As shown in FIG. 6, a protective member 52 is provided at the tip of the arm 51a. As shown in FIG. 6(D), the protection member 52 has a first cover member 53 connected to the tip of the arm 51a. The first cover member 53 is a member formed in a substantially L shape, and is provided so as to intersect the side cover side 53b to which the tip of the arm 51a is connected and the lower end of the side cover side 53b. and a lower cover side 53a. When the tip of the arm 51a is positioned at the protection position, the first cover member 53 has the side cover side 53b positioned laterally and outwardly of the corner of the object T sucked by the suction device 10. In addition, the lower cover side 53 a is positioned below the corner of the object T sucked by the suction device 10 .

A side cover member 54 is provided on the side of the first cover member 53 . The side cover member 54 is positioned outside the side edge at which the side cover side 53b of the first cover member 53 intersects the side edge at which the side cover side 53b of the first cover member 53 is arranged outward at the corner of the object T to be transported. Furthermore, it is connected to the first cover member 53 by a connecting member 55 .

A connecting member 55 connects between the side cover edge 53 b of the first cover member 53 and the side cover member 54 . The connecting member 55 is a shaft-shaped member, and the side cover side 53b of the first cover member 53 is arranged outward at the corner of the transferred object T when the tip of the arm 51a is arranged at the protection position. It is provided so as to be located outside the side edge of the transported object T and below the object T to be transported.

Since the protection unit 50 has the structure described above, when the arm 51a is moved to the protection position after the object T to be transported is sucked and lifted by the adsorption device 10, the protection member 52 moves the object T to be transported. The corners of the object T can be covered.

On the other hand, when the arm 51a is moved to the retracted position, the corners of the object T to be transferred are released from the protective member 52, so that the object T can be lifted by canceling the suction of the object T by the suction device 10. can be supplied to the desired position.

By setting the arm 51a to the protective position and covering the corner of the object T with the protective member 52, when the robot arm R turns at high speed, the corner of the object T is protected by the side cover member 54 or the like. can be prevented from coming into contact with other members and damaging peripheral facilities.

Furthermore, the lower cover side 53a is located below the transferred object T. As shown in FIG. Then, even if the adsorption by the adsorption device 10 is lost, the transported object T can be received by the lower cover side 53a, so that the transported object T can be prevented from falling.

The side cover side 53b of the first cover member 53 of the protective member 52, the side cover member 54, and the connecting member 55 connected to the side cover side 53b correspond to the side protection portion in the claims. , the lower cover side 53a corresponds to the lower protection member in the claims.

Note that the structure of the protection member 52 is not limited to the structure described above. The protective member 52 is formed in a shape such that when the arm 51a is arranged at the protective position, the corner of the object T sucked by the suction device 10 can be covered with the side protective portion or the lower protective member. Just do it.
For example, a U-shaped member may be used as the first cover member 53 . Specifically, the first cover member 53 may be provided with an upper cover side parallel to the lower cover side 53a above the lower cover side 53a. By using the first cover member 53 having such a structure, when the tip of the arm 51a is arranged at the protection position, the corners of the object T sucked by the suction device 10 can be separated from the upper cover side and the lower cover side. 53a.

Moreover, the protection member 52 only needs to be moved between the protection position and the retracted position, and the method of moving the protection member 52 is not particularly limited. However, as described above, if the arm 51a or the like is provided so as to be able to swing between the protection position and the retracted position, the protection member 52 can be simply and easily moved between the protection position and the retracted position. Obtainable.

The conveying equipment of the present invention is suitable for conveying plate-like members made of magnetic materials such as nickel, iron, cobalt, their alloys, and electromagnetic stainless steel.

1 Transfer Equipment 10 Adsorption Device 20 Vacuum Adsorption Part 25 Adsorption Member 30 Magnetic Adsorption Part 35 Magnetic Force Generation Member 50 Protection Part T Transferred Object R Robot Arm

Claims (6)

A transport facility for transporting a magnetic object to be transported,
an adsorption device that adsorbs an object to be conveyed;
a moving mechanism for moving the adsorption device,
The adsorption device is
a vacuum suction unit that vacuum-sucks an object to be transferred;
a magnetic attraction part that attracts the object to be conveyed by magnetic force,
The magnetic attraction part is
A conveying facility, wherein the magnetic force generated by the magnetic attraction unit is adjusted to a magnitude such that the object to be conveyed cannot be lifted when the object to be conveyed is attracted only by the magnetic attraction unit. The vacuum adsorption part is
a plurality of adsorption members to be brought into contact with the object to be transported;
an attraction force generator that generates a vacuum attraction force on the plurality of attraction members,
The magnetic attraction part is
2. The conveying equipment according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of magnetic force generating members that are brought into contact with the conveyed object. The plurality of magnetic force generating members of the magnetic attraction unit are
3. The conveying equipment according to claim 2, wherein the transfer equipment is arranged between adjacent suction members of the plurality of suction members of the vacuum suction section. The plurality of magnetic force generating members of the magnetic attraction unit are
3. The conveying equipment according to claim 2, wherein the conveying equipment is arranged so as to surround a plurality of chucking members of the vacuum chucking section. The conveyed object is a plate-shaped material formed into a polygonal shape,
a protective portion provided at a position corresponding to a corner portion of the object to be conveyed when the object to be conveyed is sucked by the suction device;
The protective part is
a protection position in which a side protection member and a lower protection member are arranged laterally and downwardly of corners of the transported object;
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said side protection member and said lower protection member are provided movably between a retracted position arranged above the object to be conveyed. transport equipment. The protective part is
6. The conveying equipment according to claim 5, wherein the conveying equipment is provided so as to be able to swing between the protection position and the retracted position.

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