JP7157650B2 - Nozzle cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a nozzle cleaning device for removing excess solvent remaining at the tip of a nozzle.

A conventional nozzle cleaning device, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, removes excess solvent adhering to the tip of a nozzle, and includes a scraper provided with a slope along the shape of the tip of the nozzle, a lifting member for fixing and supporting the scraper; a guide member for slidably guiding the lifting member in the vertical direction; a biasing member for biasing the lifting member upward; and a slide unit movable in a direction.

Further, the nozzle is movable in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the scraper, and is configured to be movable above the work to which the solvent is to be applied.

In the conventional nozzle cleaning device configured as described above, in order to remove the solvent discharged from the tip of the nozzle and remaining on the tip, the slide unit is operated to bring the scraper and each member closer to the tip of the nozzle. move horizontally. As a result, the scraper comes into contact with the tip of the nozzle, which stays at a predetermined position, and begins to scrape off excess solvent adhering to the nozzle. At this time, the scraper is pushed downward by the nozzle that stays in place, so that it pushes the urging member and passes the tip of the nozzle.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-43178

However, in the conventional nozzle cleaning device, the scraper, which moves horizontally, is initially offset from the nozzle by a predetermined distance, so there is a problem that the offset of the scraper widens the width of the machine. In addition, since the conventional nozzle cleaning device removes excess solvent adhering to the nozzle by horizontal movement of the scraper, the removed solvent continues to adhere to the scraper until the horizontal movement is completed. Therefore, since the conventional nozzle cleaning device horizontally moves while the solvent that has been once removed adheres to the scraper, the solvent tends to adhere to the nozzles positioned in the second half of the horizontal movement, and the solvent cannot be reliably removed from the nozzles. There was also the problem of difficulty.

A nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention includes a feeding unit for horizontally feeding a sheet-like wiping member by a predetermined amount, a wiping unit for inserting the wiping member and urging it in the vertical direction, and the wiping unit. A guide unit comprising a fixed and vertically slidable sliding plate, a first biasing member for vertically biasing the sliding plate, and the first biasing member biased by the first biasing member. The wiping unit includes a guide block attached to the slide plate and a guide block arranged in the guide block for vertical movement. A flexible pusher member, a second urging member for urging the pusher member in the vertical direction, and a guide block for regulating the wiping member urged by the pusher member so as not to escape upward. The notch plate is provided with a notch groove having a groove width that does not interfere with the nozzle entering from above. Preferably, the slide plate supports the lower end of the pusher member and is provided with a displacement sensor for detecting the relative movement distance of the pusher member moved relative to the guide block. Moreover, it is preferable that the wiping unit includes a pressing member that presses down the pusher member, and the pressing member always protrudes from the upper end of the cutout plate. Furthermore, it is preferable that the first biasing member is set to a higher biasing force than the second biasing member. In addition, the guide unit includes a height sensor for constantly monitoring the height position of the slide plate, and the height sensor detects the height position of the slide plate if the height position of the slide plate is not normal. It preferably consists of transmitting an abnormal signal to the robot. Further, the wiping member is preferably made of thin stainless steel and has a bending property to be rolled up and recovered without breaking.

In the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention, even if the wiping member urged by the pusher member comes into contact with the nozzle that has entered the notch plate, the second urging member bends downward. Furthermore, since the wiping member can be delivered by the delivery unit, the tip of the nozzle is always in contact with the clean upper surface of the wiping member. Therefore, the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention has the advantage that the solvent adhering to the tip of the nozzle can always be removed by a clean wiping member. Further, the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention is provided with a displacement sensor for measuring the relative movement distance of the pusher member pressed downward by the nozzle during cleaning, with respect to the guide block. There is also the advantage that the height position of the nozzle can be inspected at the same time. Further, the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention includes a pressing member that presses down the pusher member and deflects the second biasing member by pressing from above, and the pressing member protrudes from the notch plate. There is also the advantage that the work of inserting the wiping member into the wiping unit or the work of removing it can be easily performed. Further, in the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention, the biasing force of the first biasing member is set higher than the biasing force of the second biasing member. Only the biasing member flexes. Therefore, since the high biasing force of the first biasing member is not exerted during cleaning of the nozzles, there is also the advantage that excessive load is less likely to be applied to the nozzles. In addition, since the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention is provided with a height sensor, it is possible to detect an abnormal state in which the first biasing member bends and the sliding plate moves below a predetermined level, and the detected information is can be sent to the coating robot. Therefore, the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention also has the advantage of being able to prompt the coating robot to stop the movement of the nozzle or to return to the starting position. In addition, since the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention includes a stainless steel wiping member that is thin and can be wound up without breaking, the wiping member to which the solvent removed from the nozzle adheres can be wound up and collected. . Therefore, the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention also has the advantage that the space for collecting the wiping member can be reduced, and the machine width can be set to a compact device configuration.

1 is a perspective view showing a nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view for explaining the internal structure of the nozzle cleaning device of FIG. 1;

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a nozzle cleaning device 1 according to the present invention comprises a delivery unit for delivering a sheet-like wiping member 5 by a predetermined amount, a wiping unit 10 through which the wiping member can be inserted, and A guide unit 20 that allows the wiping unit 10 to slide vertically, a first biasing member 6 that biases the guide unit 20 upward, and a guide that is biased upward by the first biasing member 6. A coating robot which is provided with a stopper 7 for holding the unit 20 at a predetermined height position, and which discharges a solvent from a nozzle 8 arranged on a multi-joint arm (not shown) and applies it to a workpiece (not shown). It consists of

The wiping member 5 is made of stainless steel or ribbon steel. Also, the wiping member 5 is inserted through the wiping unit 10 and is engaged with a delivery unit (not shown).

The delivery unit includes an AC servomotor, which is an example of a drive source that drives one end of the wiping member 5 fixed or clamped. It is configured.

The application robot includes a multi-joint arm, a nozzle 8 filled with a solvent, a control unit (not shown) connected to the nozzle 8 and controlling the amount and time of the solvent discharged from the nozzle 8, and this It consists of a robot controller connected to a control unit and controlling the movement position of the articulated arm.

A valve is mounted at the tip of the nozzle 8, and the opening/closing operation of the valve is controlled by the control unit. In addition, the tip of the nozzle 8 for discharging the solvent is set to have a small diameter, so that the solvent can be applied to a narrow area.

The guide unit 20 includes a guide rail 21 fixed to the body plate 9 extending in the vertical direction, sliding blocks 22, 22 vertically slidable along the guide rail 21, the sliding blocks 22, 22, a sliding plate 23 fixed to the sliding plate 22 and sliding together; a fixed base 24 fixed to the sliding plate 23; a displacement sensor 25 fixed to the fixed base 24; and a height sensor 27 connected to the body plate 9 and emitting a signal based on the presence or absence of the dog 26 .

The displacement sensor 25 is arranged on the fixed base 24 so that one end thereof is positioned below the wiping unit 10, and the displacement detected by the displacement sensor 25 is transmitted to the robot controller as a relative movement distance described later and processed.

The wiping unit 10 includes a guide block 11 fixed to a slide plate 23, a pusher member 12 arranged so as not to slip out into the guide block 11 and movable in the vertical direction, and the pusher member 12. A second urging member 13 that always urges upward, a notch plate 14 that regulates the wiping member 5 urged by the pusher member 12 so that it does not rise upward from the guide block 11, and the notch plate 14. pressing members 15, 15 which receive the biasing force of the pusher member 12 so as to always protrude from the upper surface of the .

The guide block 11 includes a guide groove 11a slightly wider than the width of the wiping member 5, and a stepped hole 11b abutting on the lower end of the second biasing member 13. The stepped hole 11b is connected to the pusher. The member 12 projects downward, and the pusher member 12 is made movable relative to the guide block 11 by bending of the second biasing member 13 .

The pusher member 12 includes a large-diameter shaft portion positioned above the guide block 11 and pushed upward by the second biasing member 13, and a small-diameter shaft portion set to a small diameter from the large-diameter shaft portion and protruding from the lower surface of the guide block 11. and a shaft.

Further, the end of the small-diameter shaft portion of the pusher member 12 is formed so that the contactor of the displacement sensor 25 is abutted and fitted. Thereby, the displacement sensor 25 can measure the relative movement distance of the pusher member 12 .

The notch plate 14 is screwed to the upper surface of the guide block 11 and regulates the wiping member 5 inserted into the guide groove 11a so as not to come off upward. The notch plate 14 also has mounting holes for allowing the pressing members 15 to protrude upward, and a notch groove 14a extending in a U-shape in the direction in which the wiping member 5 is extended.

The pressing members 15, 15 are formed so as not to come out upward from the cutout plate 14, and are pressed downward by an operator (not shown) to move the pusher member 12 downward, thereby moving the second urging member. 13 can be bent.

The first biasing member 6 is arranged below the body plate 9 and is configured to bend in the vertical direction. The first biasing member 6 has its upper end in contact with the lower surface of the sliding plate 23 to constantly push the sliding plate 23 upward.

The stopper 7 is arranged on the upper part of the main body plate 9 and is configured to prevent the sliding plate 23, which receives the biasing force of the first biasing member 6, from rising above a predetermined height. is in contact with the top surface of the

The biasing force of the first biasing member 6 in the assembled normal state shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. As a result, the pressing members 15, 15 can be pressed downward and only the second biasing member 13 can be bent in order to remove the wiping member 5 from the guide groove 12a or to insert the wiping member 5 in reverse. Therefore, since the first urging member 6 does not need to be bent, the wiping member 5 can be stably pulled out or inserted while the height position of the guide block 11 is maintained in a normal state.

Here, the operation of the nozzle cleaning device 1 described above will be described. The application robot discharges the solvent from the nozzle 8 while sequentially moving the nozzle 8 to predetermined points to apply the solvent to the work. After finishing applying the solvent to the work, the application robot separates the nozzle 8 from the work and operates the articulated arm to move the nozzle 8 above the wiping unit 10 shown in FIG. 1 or 2 .

Further, the application robot operates the multi-joint arm to cause the tip of the nozzle 8 to enter the notch groove 14 a and contact the wiping member 5 urged by the pusher member 12 . In response to this, the feeding unit operates to feed out the wiping member 5 by a predetermined amount. At this time, the application robot lowers the nozzle 8 so that only the second biasing member 13 is slightly bent, and the nozzle 8 is not subjected to excessive load.

In this way, the nozzle cleaning device 1 is in contact with the tip of the nozzle 8 only by the bending of the second biasing member 13, so that not only can the solvent adhering to the nozzle 8 be reliably removed, but also the nozzle 8 can be cleaned during cleaning. can be inspected by the displacement sensor 25 each time.

After the application robot lowers the nozzle 8 to a height position for cleaning the nozzle 8, the robot controller compares the relative movement distance measured by the displacement sensor 25 with a preset allowable range. , determines whether the height position of the tip of the nozzle 8 is acceptable. Accordingly, in the nozzle cleaning device 1, when the relative movement distance exceeds the allowable range, the attachment of the nozzle 8 is loosened, the tip of the nozzle 8 is damaged, or the tip of the nozzle 8 is worn. It is also possible to notify the outside of the fact that there is an abnormality such as whether the

In addition, when the nozzle 8 is temporarily removed from the articulated arm and then reattached to the nozzle cleaning device 1 during inspection, etc., and the nozzle 8 is installed at a lower height than normal, the nozzle 8 is lowered to a cleaning height position, the second biasing member 13 is completely bent, the first biasing member 6 is bent, and the sliding plate 23 is pushed downward. However, in this case, since the dog 26 moves downward together with the sliding plate 23, the height sensor 27 sends an abnormal signal to the coating robot when it is out of the detection range of the height sensor 27. Therefore, the application robot can process the abnormal signal emitted from the height sensor 27, immediately interrupt the downward movement of the nozzle 8, and return the nozzle 8 upward. As a result, the descent of the nozzle 8 can be interrupted within the measurable displacement range of the displacement sensor 25, and the expensive displacement sensor 25 is less likely to be damaged.

The nozzle cleaning device 1 according to the present invention described above cleans the nozzle 8 and inspects the height position of the nozzle 8 each time the solvent is applied to one workpiece. , the test may not be performed every time. For example, like a daily inspection, cleaning and inspection may be performed once in the morning before starting work, or may be performed in spots such as after a break, and the frequency of implementation may be changed each time.

Reference Signs List 1 nozzle cleaning device 6 first biasing member 7 stopper 9 body plate 10 wiping unit 11 guide block 12 pusher member 13 second biasing member 14 notch plate 20 guide unit 23 Sliding plate 25... Displacement sensor 27... Height sensor

Claims (6)

A feeding unit for feeding out a sheet-like wiping member in the horizontal direction by a predetermined amount, a wiping unit for inserting the wiping member and urging it in the vertical direction, and a fixed and vertically slidable wiping unit. a guide unit comprising a sliding plate; a first biasing member that biases the sliding plate in the vertical direction; and a predetermined height position of the sliding plate biased by the first biasing member. a body plate having a stopper that fastens to the
The wiping unit includes a guide block attached to the slide plate, a pusher member arranged in the guide block and movable in the vertical direction, and a second biasing member that biases the pusher member in the vertical direction. and a cutout plate arranged in the guide block for regulating the wiping member urged by the pusher member so as not to come off upward. 3. The sliding plate is provided with a displacement sensor for supporting the lower end of the pusher member and detecting a relative movement distance of the pusher member moved relative to the guide block. 2. The nozzle cleaning device according to 1. The wiping unit includes a pressing member that presses down the pusher member,
3. The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member always protrudes from the upper end of the notch plate. 4. A nozzle cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein said first biasing member is set to a higher biasing force than said second biasing member. The guide unit includes a height sensor that constantly monitors the height position of the sliding plate,
5. The height sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein if the height position of the sliding plate is not normal, the height sensor transmits an abnormal signal to a coating robot on which the nozzle is mounted. Nozzle cleaning device as described. 6. The nozzle cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said wiping member is made of thin stainless steel and has bending properties such that it can be wound up and collected without breaking.

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