JP7756060B2 - Scraping tool, scraping tool changing device, and scraping tool changing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to technology for automatically replacing the cutting edge of a scraping tool.

Scraping (also known as "scraping") is performed on the sliding surfaces of machine tools and other devices with moving parts to increase their flatness and reduce the coefficient of sliding friction. Scraping is a type of metalworking in which workers traditionally apply red lead or pigment to the workpiece surface, then use a scraper with a wide, chisel-shaped tip to manually scrape away any protruding parts while checking for differences in color.

A scraping tool generally has a cutting edge, a blade holder that holds the cutting edge, and a flexible handle connected to the blade holder. Scraping is a very delicate process, and the condition of the cutting edge of the scraping tool has a significant impact on the finish of the sliding surface. Therefore, when scraping is performed repeatedly and the cutting edge of the cutting edge wears out, the blade must be replaced.

However, manual scraping by an operator requires skill and is extremely hard work, so there is a demand for devices that automate scraping. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of a scraping device in which scraping is performed by a robot. In this configuration, multiple tool units, each with a tool changer attached to a scraping tool, are prepared in advance, and the entire tool unit can be replaced when the cutting edge wears out.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-58975

However, with the above-mentioned configuration, the entire tool unit needs to be replaced every time the cutting blade wears out, so multiple tool changers and scraping tool handles must be prepared for each cutting blade, which increases the cost of preparing the tool unit and requires a large amount of tool storage space.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology for replacing the cutting edge of a scraping tool at low cost and in a small space using a scraping tool replacement device.

(Aspect 1)
In order to solve the above problem, a scraping device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a scraping tool comprising: a blade holding portion having a blade portion, a first surface, and a second surface facing the opposite side to the first surface, and holding the blade portion; a handle portion abutting the second surface, a fixed portion fixed to the handle portion, a rotating shaft portion connected to the fixed portion, and a pressing portion having a rotating portion rotatably supported on the rotating shaft portion, wherein the blade holding portion is replaced by a scraping tool exchange device, and the rotating portion is provided with a pressing surface that can press the first surface and whose distance to the first surface changes as the rotating portion rotates, and the rotation of the rotating portion allows the pressing surface to press the first surface, so that the blade holding portion can be switched between a pressing state in which the pressing surface presses the first surface and the pressing portion and the handle portion clamp the blade holding portion, and a non-pressing state in which the pressing surface does not press the first surface.

(Aspect 2)
In the above-mentioned aspect 1, the rotating part is a lever that is rotatable around a rotation axis extending in a direction parallel to the first surface and is operated by the scraping tool changer, and the pressing surface may be eccentric around the rotation axis.

(Aspect 3)
In the above-mentioned aspect 1, the rotating part is a cam part that is rotatable around a rotation axis that extends in a direction perpendicular to the first surface and is operated by the scraping tool changer, and the pressing surface may include a convex part that is convex in a direction approaching the first surface and a concave part that is concave in a direction away from the first surface.

(Aspect 4)
In any one of the above aspects 1 to 3, the pressing portion may further include a shaft portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the first surface and connecting the fixed portion and the rotating shaft portion, the blade holding portion may have an elongated hole portion that opens at one end side in a direction parallel to the first surface and penetrates from the first surface to the second surface, and the blade holding portion may be pressed by the pressing portion with the shaft portion abutting against the end face on the other end side opposite the one end side of the elongated hole portion.

(Aspect 5)
In the above-mentioned aspect 4, the blade holding portion may have a first engagement portion provided on the one end side and engaging with the handle portion, and a second engagement portion provided on the other end side and engaging with the blade portion.

(Aspect 6)
In the above-described fifth aspect, the end face on the other end side of the elongated hole may have a curved shape that is convex toward the other end side, and the width of the end face in the blade width direction of the blade portion may be greater than the width of the shank, and when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first surface, the shank may be switchable between a first state in which the shank abuts the end face at a position where the angle formed between the center line of the blade portion in the blade width direction and the center line of the handle in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is a first angle, and a second state in which the shank abuts the end face at a position where the angle is a second angle different from the first angle.

(Aspect 7)
In any one of the above aspects 4 to 6, the pressing portion may further include a washer through which the shaft portion is inserted and which abuts against the first surface, and the first surface may be pressed against the pressing surface of the pressing portion via the washer.

(Aspect 8)
In the above-mentioned aspect 7, the pressing portion may further include a spacer through which the shaft portion is inserted and which is provided between the handle portion and the washer, and the thickness of the spacer in a direction perpendicular to the first surface may be smaller than the width from the first surface to the second surface of the blade holding portion.

(Aspect 9)
In the above-mentioned aspect 8, the blade holding portion further has a slope located at the end of the one end side where the long hole portion of the first surface opens, and the slope slopes in a direction approaching the second surface as it moves from the other end side to the one end side, and the width of the slope in the blade width direction of the blade portion may be greater than the width of the washer.

(Aspect 10)
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a scraping tool changer according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is provided with: a blade holding portion having a blade portion, a first surface, and a second surface facing the opposite side to the first surface and holding the blade portion; a handle portion abutting the second surface, a fixed portion fixed to the handle portion, a rotating shaft portion connected to the fixed portion, and a pressing portion having a rotating portion rotatably supported on the rotating shaft portion, wherein the rotating portion is provided with a pressing surface that can press the first surface and whose distance to the first surface changes as the rotating portion rotates, and the scraping tool changer changes as the rotating portion rotates between a pressing state in which the pressing surface presses the first surface and the blade holding portion is sandwiched between the pressing portion and the handle portion, and a non-pressing state in which the pressing surface does not press the first surface,
The scraping tool includes an operating jig for operating the pressing portion of the scraping tool, a processing robot that holds and operates the operating jig, a control unit that controls the operation of the processing robot, a tool support unit that supports the scraping tool, and an attachment/detachment device that holds the blade holding portion and attaches/detaches the blade holding portion to/from the handle portion, and the control unit operates the processing robot so that the operating jig held by the processing robot rotates the rotating portion, thereby switching between the pressing state and the non-pressing state of the pressing portion of the scraping tool held by the tool support unit.

(Aspect 11)
In the above-mentioned aspect 10, the processing robot may further include a force sensor that detects the load acting on the processing robot when the operating jig rotates the rotating part by the processing robot, and the control unit may determine whether the load detected by the force sensor is within a normal range.

(Aspect 12)
In the above-mentioned aspect 10 or 11, the scraping tool is switchable between a first state in which the blade holding portion is clamped by the pressing portion and the handle portion at a position where an angle formed by a center line of the blade portion in the blade width direction and a center line of the handle portion in the short direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is a first angle when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface, and a second state in which the blade holding portion is clamped by the pressing portion and the handle portion at a position where the angle is a second angle different from the first angle, and the tool support portion has a first support portion that supports the blade holding portion, and a second support portion that supports the handle portion and is rotatable relative to the first support portion around a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the first surface, and the first state and the second state can be switched by rotating the second support portion.

(Aspect 13)
In order to solve the above problems, a scraping tool changing method according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is a scraping tool changing method using a scraping tool changing device that changes the blade holding part of a scraping tool that is switchable between a pressing state in which the pressing surface presses the first surface and the blade holding part is sandwiched between the pressing part and the handle part and a non-pressing state in which the pressing surface does not press the first surface,
a scraping tool changing device including an operation jig for operating the pressing portion of the scraping tool, a processing robot that holds and operates the operation jig, a tool support portion that supports the scraping tool, and an attachment/detachment device that holds the blade holding portion and attaches/detaches the blade holding portion to/from the handle portion,
The method includes a tool setting step of supporting the scraping tool held by the processing robot on the tool support part; a first switching step of switching the pressing part of the scraping tool supported on the tool support part from the pressing state to the non-pressing state by the operating jig held by the processing robot; a removal step of removing the blade holding part from the scraping tool by the attachment/detachment device when the pressing part is in the non-pressing state; an attachment step of attaching a replacement blade holding part that holds a replacement blade part to the scraping tool by the attachment/detachment device; and a second switching step of switching the pressing part of the scraping tool supported on the tool support part from the non-pressing state to the pressing state by the operating jig held by the processing robot.

(Aspect 14)
In the above-mentioned aspect 13, the scraping tool changer may further include a force sensor that detects a load acting on the operating jig when the operating jig rotates the rotating part by the processing robot, and may further include a determination step of determining whether the load detected by the force sensor in the second switching step is within a normal range.

(Aspect 15)
In the above-mentioned aspect 13 or 14, the scraping tool is switchable between a first state in which the blade holding part is clamped by the pressing part and the handle part at a position where an angle formed by a center line of the blade part in the blade width direction and a center line of the handle part in the short direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is a first angle when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface, and a second state in which the blade holding part is clamped by the pressing part and the handle part at a position where the angle is a second angle different from the first angle, and the tool support part has a first support part that supports the blade holding part, and a second support part that supports the handle part and is rotatable relative to the first support part around a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the first surface, and may further include an angle changing step of rotating the second support part after the first switching step and before the second switching step.

This invention provides a technology for replacing scraping tool cutting edges at low cost and in a small space using a scraping tool replacement device.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a scraping device according to a first embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a control device according to a first embodiment; 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a tip portion of a scraper according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the scraper according to the first embodiment. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a blade holding portion according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a tool changing unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an operating jig according to the first embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method of switching the scraper to a non-pressing state according to the first embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method of switching the scraper to a pressing state according to the first embodiment. 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a method for removing the blade holder according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart of a tool changing operation according to the first embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a blade holding portion according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a scraper in a first state according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a scraper in a second state according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a tool changing unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a tool support part according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a scraper according to a third embodiment.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention, by way of example, with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in these embodiments may be modified as appropriate depending on the configuration and various conditions of the device to which the invention is applied. In other words, it is not intended that the scope of the present invention be limited to the following embodiments.

The present invention is suitable for a scraping device that automatically performs scraping using a scraping tool such as a scraper. The present invention can also be seen as a scraping tool changer that is provided in the scraping device or is independent of the scraping device and automatically changes scraping tools. The present invention can also be seen as a scraping tool that can be automatically changed by the scraping tool changer, or a scraping tool change method using the scraping tool changer.

Example 1
(Scrap processing device 100)
First, a general configuration of a scraping apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the scraping apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. The scraping apparatus 100 includes a robot arm 20 that holds and operates a scraper 10, a control device 30 that controls the robot arm 20 according to instruction data, and a tool exchange unit 110.

The scraping device 100 automatically performs scraping on the target surface (machined surface) of the workpiece 90, which is the object to be machined. The workpiece 90 is, for example, a metal sliding component that constitutes a machine tool, and its sliding surface is processed by scraping as the target surface. Scraping is a type of metal processing in which a scraper 10, a scraping tool (cutting tool), is used to scrape away convex portions of the target surface, increasing the flatness of the target surface and achieving straightness, and further reducing the coefficient of sliding friction by providing depressions for oil reservoirs.

The surface to be machined in scraping is generally a flat surface with a certain degree of flatness, such as a cut surface, ground surface, or cast surface, and has minute irregularities. The original purpose of scraping is to finish the sliding surface to a highly accurate flat surface. Furthermore, to prevent the occurrence of wringing when the sliding surface slides, scraping finish processing forms numerous minute micron-sized depressions on the sliding surface as reservoirs for lubricating oil, improving the lubrication of the sliding surface. The scraping device 100 in this embodiment performs a flattening process, which cuts convex portions of the surface to be machined so that the flatness of the surface to be machined meets a predetermined target flatness, and a finishing process, which forms depressions for oil reservoirs on the surface to be machined after the flattening process.

The tool changer 110 is provided to automatically change tools when, for example, the cutting edge of the scraper 10 reaches the end of its life. The tool changer 110 includes a jig storage unit 50 that stores the operating jig 40, a tool support unit 60 that supports the scraper 10, a replacement tool storage unit 70 that stores replacement tools, and an attachment/detachment device 80 that attaches and detaches cutting edges to and from the scraper 10. Some of the replacement operations performed by the tool changer 110 are performed by operating the robot arm 20 in accordance with instruction data. In other words, the scraping device 100 can be considered to include a scraping tool changer composed of the tool changer 110 and the robot arm 20.

The scraper 10 has a blade portion 11, a blade holder portion 12 that holds the blade portion 11, and a handle portion 13 that is connected to the blade holder portion 12. The handle portion 13 is connected to an adapter 21 and is held by the robot arm 20 via the adapter 21.

The robot arm 20 is, for example, a six-axis articulated robot arm, and is a processing robot controlled by the control device 30. The robot arm 20 has a robot hand 23 at its tip. The robot hand 23 can detachably hold (grasp) an adapter 21 attached to a scraper 10 or the like. In other words, the robot arm 20 can hold not only the scraper 10, but also other jigs via the adapter 21. The robot arm 20 can move the robot hand 23 to any position in an XYZ three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system by driving each joint (e.g., the first to sixth axes) with a servo motor or the like. In other words, the robot arm 20 can freely operate the scraper 10 or other jigs held by the robot hand 23.

The robot arm 20 also includes a force sensor (not shown). The force sensor detects the load (resistance) acting on the scraper 10 and other components during scraping. The control device 30 monitors the load state output by the force sensor during scraping and tool replacement, and, if necessary, performs feedback control based on the strength of the load and determines whether the operation is normal. Note that the above-described robot arm 20 is one example of a scraping robot according to the present invention, and scraping robots are not limited to the robot arm 20. The scraping robot according to the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to automatically perform scraping and tool replacement by operating the scraper 10 or other components it holds.

Scraping of the workpiece surface of the workpiece 90 is performed, for example, by fixing the workpiece 90 to the processing stand 95 and controlling the robot arm 20 with the control device 30 while the robot hand 23 holds the scraper 10. The surface of the processing stand 95 is formed as a horizontal plane, and the surface to be processed may or may not be parallel to this surface.

Furthermore, during scraping, three-dimensional shape data (convex/concave shape data) of the surface to be processed is acquired in advance using a three-dimensional shape measuring device. The three-dimensional shape measuring device may be contact or non-contact, but since measurement accuracy has a significant impact on the finished surface precision, it is preferable that the three-dimensional shape data be measured with high precision.

(Control device 30)
Next, the control device 30 of the scraping device 100 will be described. The control device 30 controls the robot arm 20 in accordance with the processing instruction data, thereby performing scraping on the surface of the workpiece 90 to be processed in accordance with the processing instruction data. The control device 30 also controls the robot arm 20 in accordance with the tool change instruction data, and can perform tool change in accordance with the tool change instruction data. The control device 30 generates processing instruction data and tool change instruction data for controlling the robot arm 20. That is, the control device 30 functions not only as a device for controlling the robot arm 20 but also as an information processing device (processing instruction data generating device) for generating instruction data used to control the robot arm 20. However, the instruction data for controlling the robot arm 20 may be generated by an information processing device (instruction data generating device) separate from the control device 30. In this case, the control device 30 acquires the instruction data generated by the information processing device (instruction data generating device) and controls the robot arm 20 in accordance with the acquired instruction data. Note that the instruction data may be transmitted from the information processing device (instruction data generating device) to the control device 30 via either wired communication or wireless communication.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 30. The control device 30 is, for example, a general-purpose computer. The computer that constitutes the control device 30 includes a communication interface (communication I/F) 31, a storage device 32, an input/output device 33, and a processor 34, which are connected via a communication bus 35.

The communication I/F 31 may be, for example, a network card or a communication module, and communicates with other computers, devices, etc. based on a predetermined protocol. For example, the control device 30 receives three-dimensional shape information of the surface to be machined of the workpiece 90 from a three-dimensional shape measuring device via the communication I/F 31.

The storage device 32 includes, for example, a main storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory), and an auxiliary storage device (secondary storage device) such as an HDD (Hard-Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory. The main storage device temporarily stores programs read by the processor 34 and information sent and received between other computers, and secures a working area for the processor 34. The auxiliary storage device stores programs executed by the processor 34 and information sent and received between other computers. The auxiliary storage device may also include removable media (portable recording media). Removable media is, for example, a USB memory, an SD card, or a disc recording media such as a CD-ROM, DVD disc, or Blu-ray disc. The storage device 32 (e.g., an auxiliary storage device) stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various information tables, etc.

The input/output device 33 is a user interface, such as an input device such as a keyboard or mouse, an output device such as a monitor, or an input/output device such as a touch panel. Through the input/output device 33, the operator can input control parameters for setting the machining path for scraping and for tool replacement.

The processor 34 is an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and performs various processes related to this embodiment by executing programs. For example, the processor 34 loads a program stored in the auxiliary storage device of the storage device 32 into the main storage device and executes it, thereby realizing various processes such as an instruction data generation process for generating instruction data, as described below.

Note that the control device 30 does not necessarily have to be realized by a single physical configuration, but may be configured by multiple computers working together.

Next, the functional configuration of the control device 30 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 30. The control device 30 has an instruction data generation unit 36 and a control unit 37 as functional units. The processor 34 of the control device 30 implements the above-mentioned functional units by loading a program stored in the auxiliary storage device of the storage device 32 into the main storage device and executing it. The instruction data generation unit 36 executes an instruction data generation process that generates instruction data. The control unit 37 acquires the instruction data generated by the instruction data generation unit 36 and controls the robot arm 20 in accordance with the instruction data to perform scraping and tool replacement.

(Scraper 10)
Next, the configuration of the scraper 10 will be described in more detail. Fig. 4(a) is a top view showing the tip of the scraper 10, and Fig. 4(b) is a side view showing the tip of the scraper 10. The scraper 10 further includes a lever 14 rotatably mounted on the handle 13, and a washer 15 that abuts against the upper surface 12a of the blade holder 12 and is positioned between the blade holder 12 and the lever 14.

The cutting portion 11 is a tip made of, for example, cemented carbide, capable of cutting the surface of a workpiece 90 made of, for example, metal. The cutting edge holding portion 12 is a tip holder that holds the cutting edge 11 on both sides of the cutting edge width with threaded fasteners.

The handle 13 is generally strip-shaped and made of a flexible metal material, with a replaceable blade holder 12 attached to one longitudinal end. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the handle 13 is generally perpendicular to the width of the blade 11, and the lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle 13 is generally parallel to the width of the blade 11. The handle 13 also detachably holds the blade holder 12. That is, when the blade 11 wears after repeated cutting, or when a blade 11 with a different cutting edge width or radius of curvature is used, the blade 11 and blade holder 12 can be replaced as a single unit with respect to the handle 13. Note that the configuration of the scraper used in this invention is not limited to that described above; for example, the blade may be inseparable from the blade holder, or the blade and blade holder may be integrally formed.

Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 4(b), showing the scraper 10 in a non-pressed state where the lever 14 is not pressing the blade holder 12. Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 4(b), showing the scraper 10 in a pressed state where the lever 14 is pressing the blade holder 12.

The scraper 10 has a pressing portion for pressing and holding the blade holding portion 12. The pressing portion is provided at the tip of the scraper 10, is connected to the handle portion 13, and presses the blade holding portion 12 toward the handle portion 13. In other words, the blade holding portion 12 is attached to the scraper 10 by being sandwiched between the handle portion 13 and the pressing portion.

The pressing portion includes a lever 14 having an eccentric surface 14a that serves as a pressing surface, a washer 15 located between the blade holder 12 and the lever 14, and a rotation shaft 16 that rotatably holds the lever 14. In this embodiment, the lever 14 rotates about a rotation axis that is parallel to the upper surface 12a and approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the handle 13. The pressing portion also includes an axial connecting portion 17 that connects the handle 13 and the rotation shaft 16, and a spacer 18 located between the handle 13 and the washer 15.

A washer 15 abuts against the upper surface 12a of the blade holding portion 12, and a lever 14 is located further above the washer 15. Furthermore, the handle portion 13 abuts against the lower surface 12b of the blade holding portion 12, which faces the opposite side to the upper surface 12a. In other words, the blade holding portion 12 is located between the washer 15 and the handle portion 13.

The eccentric surface 14a of the lever 14 is eccentric around the rotation axis of the lever 14 and faces the washer 15. As the lever 14 rotates around the rotation shaft 16, the distance from the eccentric surface 14a to the washer 15 and the top surface 12a changes, changing the state of contact between the eccentric surface 14a and the washer 15. When the lever 14 assumes a predetermined position, the eccentric surface 14a abuts against the washer 15, and the blade holder 12 is pressed against the lever 14 via the washer 15.

The connecting portion 17 includes a shaft portion 17a extending perpendicular to the top surface 12a between the handle portion 13 and the rotating shaft portion 16, a male thread portion 17b that engages with the handle portion 13, and a male thread portion 17c that engages with the rotating shaft portion 16. The connecting portion 17 is positioned so that the shaft portion 17a passes through the elongated hole portion 12e provided in the blade holding portion 12. The male thread portion 17b, which serves as a fixing portion, is connected to the female thread portion 13a of the handle portion 13, and the male thread portion 17c is connected to the female thread portion 16a of the rotating shaft portion 16, thereby fixing the rotating shaft portion 16 to the handle portion 13 via the connecting portion 17.

With the rotating shaft 16 fixed to the handle 13, the lever 14 presses the upper surface 12a of the blade holding part 12 via the washer 15, thereby clamping the blade holding part 12 between the lever 14 and the handle 13. The scraper 10 is in a non-pressed state (the state shown in FIG. 5(a)) in which the blade holding part 12 is not pressed, and when the eccentric surface 14a comes into contact with the washer 15 due to rotation of the lever 14, the scraper 10 changes to a pressed state (the state shown in FIG. 5(b)) in which the blade holding part 12 is pressed.

In the non-pressurized state, the eccentric surface 14a is separated from the washer 15, and no pressing force is applied to the blade holding portion 12, making it possible to remove the blade holding portion 12 from the handle portion 13. In other words, when replacing the blade portion 11 with a new one, the scraper 10 is placed in the non-pressurized state, and the blade holding portion 12 is attached and detached from the handle portion 13. On the other hand, when scraping is performed, the scraper 10 is placed in the pressed state, and the blade portion 11, blade holding portion 12, and handle portion 13 are operated together by the robot arm 20.

The spacer 18 is located inside the elongated hole 12e of the blade holding part 12 when the blade holding part 12 is attached to the handle 13. The spacer 18 supports the washer 15 when the blade holding part 12 is detached from the handle 13, and helps the washer 15 move smoothly onto the blade holding part 12 when the blade holding part 12 is attached to the handle 13. The thickness of the spacer 18 in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 12a is smaller than the width from the upper surface 12a to the lower surface 12b of the blade holding part 12. Therefore, when the blade holding part 12 is attached to the handle 13, the spacer 18 does not abut against the washer 15, and the spacer 18 does not interfere with the lever 14 pressing against the blade holding part 12.

Figure 6(a) is a top view of the blade holding portion 12, and Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of Figure 6(a). As described above, the blade holding portion 12 has an upper surface (first surface) 12a, a lower surface (second surface) 12b facing the opposite side to the upper surface 12a, and an elongated hole 12e that opens at one end of the blade holding portion 12 parallel to the upper surface 12a and penetrates the blade holding portion 12 in the vertical direction. The shank 17a of the connecting portion 17 is inserted into the elongated hole 12e, and the position of the blade holding portion 12 relative to the handle portion 13 is determined by the shank 17a abutting against the end face 12e1 of the elongated hole 12e (the end face on the other end opposite to the one end). In this embodiment, the end where the elongated hole 12e opens is the side that engages with the handle portion 13, opposite the side that engages with the blade portion 11. When applying the present invention, instead of abutting the shaft 17a against the end surface 12e1 of the elongated hole 12e, a positioning portion may be provided on the first support portion 61 to position the blade holder 12 relative to the handle portion 13.

The blade holding portion 12 has a handle placement portion 12d at one end and a blade placement portion 12c at the other end. The handle placement portion 12d is a first engagement portion where the handle portion 13 is placed and engages with the handle portion 13, and the blade placement portion 12c is a second engagement portion where the blade portion 11 is placed and engages with the blade portion 11. The lower surface 12b that abuts the handle portion 13 is a surface that constitutes the handle placement portion 12d. Furthermore, at the end of the blade holding portion 12 where the elongated hole portion 12e opens, a sloped surface 12f is formed on the upper surface 12a. The sloped surface 12f slopes in a direction approaching the lower surface 12b as it moves from the other end toward the one end. In the blade width direction of the blade portion 11, the sloped surface 12f is formed across the elongated hole portion 12e, and the width of the sloped surface 12f is greater than the width of the washer 15. When attaching the blade holder 12 to the handle 13, the slope 12f guides the washer 15, supported by the spacer 18, so that it rests smoothly on the upper surface 12a. This configuration allows the blade holder 12 to be automatically attached to the handle 13 without the need for a dedicated device to lift the washer 15.

It should be noted that, in application of the present invention, the scraper 10 is not limited to the above-described configuration and various modifications are possible. For example, the lever 14 may be configured to directly press the blade holder 12 without using the washer 15, or may be configured to rotate about a rotation axis extending in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the handle 13. Also, for example, the pressing portion may be configured by another rotating portion rather than the lever 14. Even if the rotating portion has a groove, the operating jig has a protrusion that engages with the groove, and the rotating portion is rotated by the operating jig with the groove and the protrusion engaged, it is possible to switch between the pressing state and the non-pressing state of the scraping tool.

(Tool exchange section 110)
Next, the tool exchange unit 110 will be described in detail. The tool exchange unit 110 exchanges the blade holder 12 that holds the blade portion 11 of the scraper 10. When exchanging the blade holder 12, the robot arm 20 holds the operating jig 40 and operates the pressing portion of the scraper 10. In other words, the scraping tool exchange device for exchanging the blade holder 12 is made up of the robot arm 20 and the tool exchange unit 110.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the tool changer 110. As described above, the tool changer 110 is composed of the jig storage unit 50, tool support unit 60, replacement tool storage unit 70, and attachment/detachment device 80. In the following description, when the scraper 10 is installed on the tool support unit 60, the blade width direction of the blade portion 11 is referred to as the x-direction, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the blade width direction is referred to as the y-direction, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the x- and y-directions is referred to as the z-direction. In this embodiment, when the scraper 10 is installed on the tool support unit 60, the longitudinal direction of the handle portion 13 is parallel to the y-direction, and the lateral direction of the handle portion 13 is parallel to the x-direction.

The jig storage section 50 is provided with multiple columnar supports 51 that support the operating jig 40 for operating the pressing portion of the scraper 10. When not held by the robot arm 20, the operating jig 40 is stored by being placed on the supports 51 in the jig storage section 50.

The tool support portion 60 supports the scraper 10 when the blade holder 12 is attached to or detached from the handle portion 13. The tool support portion 60 includes a first support portion 61 that supports the blade holder 12, a second support portion 62 that supports the handle portion 13, and a third support portion 63 that supports the adapter 21. The first support portion 61 is provided with hands 61a that grip the blade holder 12 from both sides in the x direction. Similarly, the second support portion 62 is provided with hands 62a that grip the handle portion 13 from both sides in the x direction. Furthermore, the third support portion 63 is provided with multiple columnar supports 63a that support the adapter 21 attached to the scraper 10.

The replacement tool storage unit 70 is provided with a support base 71 that supports a replacement blade 72 and a replacement blade holder 73. The replacement blade 72 is, for example, a new blade or a blade with a cutting edge shape different from that of the blade 11. All replacement blades 72 are stored in the replacement tool storage unit 70 while held in the replacement blade holder 73. The replacement blade holder 73 is supported in a positioned state relative to the support base 71. To position the replacement blade holder 73, the support base 71 is provided with a known positioning mechanism such as a positioning pin or abutment surface. Furthermore, while two support bases 71 are shown in Figure 7, there is no limit to the number of support bases 71. The replacement blade holder 73 has a configuration similar to that of the blade holder 12.

The attachment/detachment device 80 comprises an attachment/detachment unit 81 having a hand 81a that grips the blade holding unit 12, and a rail unit 82 that movably supports the attachment/detachment unit 81. The attachment/detachment unit 81 moves along the rail unit 82, transporting the blade holding unit 12 between the tool support unit 60 and the replacement tool storage unit 70 and attaching/detaching the blade holding unit 12 to/from the handle unit 13. In this embodiment, the tool support unit 60 and the replacement tool storage unit 70 are arranged adjacent to each other in the x direction, and the attachment/detachment unit 81 is configured to be movable in the x and y directions. When attaching/detaching the blade holding unit 12 to/from the handle unit 13 supported by the tool support unit 60, the attachment/detachment unit 81 moves in the y direction, and when transporting the blade holding unit 12 between the tool support unit 60 and the replacement tool storage unit 70, the attachment/detachment unit 81 moves in the x direction. Note that when applying the present invention, the above-described arrangement is not necessarily required; it is sufficient if the detachable part 81 can grip the blade holding part 12 and transport the blade holding part 12 between the tool support part 60 and the replacement tool storage part 70. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a configuration in which multiple detachable parts are provided and the blade holding part 12 is transported between the tool support part 60 and the replacement tool storage part 70 via the multiple detachable parts.

Next, the operating jig 40 for operating the lever 14 will be described. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the operating jig 40. The operating jig 40 includes an operating unit 41 and an adapter 43 connected to the operating unit 41. The adapter 43 is an adapter similar to the adapter 21 connected to the handle 13, and is held by the robot arm 20. In other words, the operating jig 40 can be operated by the robot arm 20 controlled by the control device 30 to operate the lever 14.

The operating unit 41 has a shaft 41a, a flange 41b, and a stopper 41c. When the operating jig 40 operates the lever 14, the shaft 41a is positioned to extend along the rotational axis of the lever 14 and abuts against the lever 14. When the operating jig 40 is operated to abut the shaft 41a against the lever 14, the flange 41b guides the lever 14 to ensure that the lever 14 abuts against the shaft 41a. The stopper 41c prevents the lever 14 from moving in an unintended direction during replacement of the blade holder 12.

(Tool replacement method)
Next, a method for changing the scraper 10 using the operating jig 40 will be described. First, a method for switching the scraper 10 between a pressed state and a non-pressed state will be described. Figures 9(a) and 9(b) are cross-sectional views showing how the scraper 10 is changed from a pressed state to a non-pressed state. Figures 10(a) and 10(b) are cross-sectional views showing how the scraper 10 is changed from a non-pressed state to a pressed state. In this embodiment, the state of the scraper 10 is switched while the scraper 10 is supported by the tool support portion 60.

Figure 9(a) shows the state immediately before the shaft 41a of the operating jig 40 abuts the lever 14 of the scraper 10, which is in a pressed state, and the scraper 10 switches from the pressed state to the unpressed state. In Figure 9(a), the direction of movement of the operating jig 40 and lever 14 when switching the scraper 10 from the pressed state to the unpressed state is indicated by a black arrow. At this time, the eccentric surface 14a of the lever 14 abuts against the washer 15, and the lever 14 presses the blade holder 12 via the washer 15. With the shaft 41a abutting the lever 14, the operating jig 40 moves so that the shaft 41a presses the lever 14 from below, causing the lever 14 to rotate. As the lever 14 rotates, the eccentric surface 14a moves away from the washer 15, and the scraper 10 switches to the unpressed state shown in Figure 9(b).

The blade holder 12 replacement operation is performed when the scraper 10 is in the non-pressured state (the state shown in Figure 9(b)). At this time, when viewed from the direction of the lever's rotation axis, the lever 14 is positioned between the shaft 41a and the retaining portion 41c. In other words, during the blade holder 12 replacement operation, the shaft 41a and the retaining portion 41c restrict unintentional rotation of the lever 14, preventing malfunction of the lever 14.

Figure 10(a) shows the state immediately before the shaft 41a of the operating jig 40 abuts against the lever 14 of the scraper 10, which is in the non-pressed state, and the scraper 10 switches from the non-pressed state to the pressed state. In Figure 10(a), the black arrows indicate the direction of movement of the operating jig 40 and lever 14 when switching the scraper 10 from the non-pressed state to the pressed state. At this time, the eccentric surface 14a of the lever 14 is separated from the washer 15, and no pressing force is applied by the lever 14 pressing the blade holder 12. With the shaft 41a separated from the lever 14, the operating jig 40 moves so that the shaft 41a presses the lever 14, causing the lever 14 to rotate. As the lever 14 rotates, the eccentric surface 14a abuts against the washer 15, and the scraper 10 switches to the pressed state shown in Figure 10(b).

As described above, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the scraper 10 can be switched between a pressed state and a non-pressed state by operating the lever 14 with the operating jig 40. When replacing the tool, the lever 14 can be rotated by a simple operation of the operating jig 40, so there is no need for the robot arm 20 to perform complex movements, and the blade holder 12 can be replaced reliably.

Next, we will explain how to remove the blade holder 12 from the scraper 10 in an unpressured state. Figures 11(a) and (b) show how to remove the blade holder 12. The process of removing the blade holder 12 from the scraper 10 is performed while the scraper 10 is supported by the tool support 60. In this embodiment, the adapter 21 is supported by the support fixture 63a of the third support 63 and positioned in the x and y directions. The handle 13 is supported by the hand 62a of the second support 62 and positioned in the x direction, and the blade holder 12 is supported by the hand 61a of the first support 61 and positioned in the x direction.

Prior to the process of removing the blade holder 12, the scraper 10 is switched to a non-pressed state while supported by the tool support unit 60. Next, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the detachable unit 81 moves and the hand 81a grasps the blade holder 12. Then, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the detachable unit 81 grasping the blade holder 12 moves in the y direction, and the blade holder 12 is removed from the scraper 10. The removed blade holder 12 is transported by the detachable unit 81 to the replacement tool storage unit 70.

When attaching the blade holder 12 to the scraper 10, the above-mentioned removal process is performed in reverse. When attaching the blade holder 12, the attachment/detachment unit 81 grips the blade holder 12 and moves it in the y direction. The shaft 17a of the pressing unit then abuts against the end face 12e1 of the elongated hole 12e of the blade holder 12, positioning the blade holder 12 relative to the handle 13 and pressing unit. As the blade holder 12 moves in the y direction, the washer 15 resting on the spacer 18 is guided by the slope 12f of the blade holder 12 and rests on the upper surface 12a of the blade holder 12. The operating jig 40 then switches the scraper 10 from the non-pressing state to the pressing state, and the blade holder 12 is clamped between the handle 13 and lever 14 and attached to the scraper 10.

Next, a series of steps for changing tools for the scraper 10 will be explained. Figure 12 is a flowchart of the tool changing operation. In tool changing, which replaces the blade portion 11 and blade holder portion 12 of the scraper 10 as a single unit, the robot arm 20 and the attachment/detachment device 80 are operated under the control of the control device 30.

When tool replacement begins (S100), the first step is the tool installation process, in which the robot arm 20 installs the scraper 10 on the tool support part 60 (S101). At this time, the scraper 10 is grasped by the hand 61a or the like.

Next, the robot arm 20 releases the scraper 10 and instead holds the operating jig 40 (S102). Then, in the first switching step, the operating jig 40 operates the lever 14 of the pressing portion, switching the scraper 10 from the pressed state to the unpressed state (S103). In this way, the blade holding portion 12 is no longer clamped between the lever 14 and the handle portion 13, and the blade holding portion 12 becomes removable.

Next, in the removal process, the attachment/detachment unit 81 of the attachment/detachment device 80 removes the used blade holder 12, whose blade portion 11 has worn out, from the scraper 10 (S104). The removed blade holder 12 is then transported to the replacement tool storage unit 70 and placed on the support table 71 (S105). After transporting the used blade holder 12, the attachment/detachment unit 81 grasps the replacement blade holder 73, which holds the replacement blade portion 72, and transports the replacement blade holder 73 from the replacement tool storage unit 70 to the tool support unit 60 (S106).

Next, in an attachment step, the replacement blade holder 73 is attached to the scraper 10 supported by the tool support part 60 by the attachment/detachment part 81 (S107). Then, in a second switching step, the lever 14 of the pressing part is operated by the operating jig 40 to switch the scraper 10 from the non-pressed state to the pressed state (S108). In this way, the replacement blade 72 and replacement blade holder 73 are attached to the scraper 10, and the replacement blade holder 73 is clamped between the handle part 13 and the lever 14.

In addition, in this embodiment, a force sensor provided on the robot arm 20 monitors the load acting on the robot arm 20 when the lever 14 is pressed in the second switching step. Then, a determination step is performed to determine whether the monitored load is within a normal range (S109). The normal range of the load is determined by the configuration of the pressing unit, etc., and is input in advance to the control device 30. The control device 30 then makes a determination based on this normal range. Note that the determination step may also be performed on the load in the first switching step (S103). Furthermore, the determination step may be performed simultaneously with the second switching step, and the replacement operation may be interrupted midway through the second switching step if it is detected that the pressing force is not within the normal range.

If the determination process determines that the pressing force is not within the normal range (NO in S109), an alarm is sounded (S110) to notify the operator that a malfunction has occurred, and the replacement operation is interrupted. The method of notifying the operator is not limited to sounding an alarm; other methods, such as displaying a notice screen on the screen displaying the monitoring status of the scraping device 100, are also acceptable. The operator, noticing that some abnormality has occurred during the replacement operation, checks the condition of the pressing unit, resolves the problem that caused the malfunction (S111), and returns the pressing unit to its normal state. The second switching process is then performed again, and the pressing unit is operated (S108). With this configuration, for example, if the lever 14 is worn and the pressing unit is not being operated properly, an error can be detected and the lever 14 can be replaced with a new one, preventing damage to the device.

On the other hand, if the judgment process determines that the pressing force is within the normal range (YES in S109), the control device 30 recognizes that the scraper 10 has switched to the pressing state normally and proceeds to the next process. Once the scraper 10 switches to the pressing state and the blade holder 12 is clamped between the lever 14 and the handle 13 via the washer 15, the robot arm 20 releases the operating jig 40 and holds the scraper 10 instead (S112). The operating jig 40 is placed by the robot arm 20 on the support 51 of the jig storage unit 50, and is stored in the jig storage unit 50 until the next tool change. This completes the tool change (S113).

As described above, with the configuration of this embodiment, the blade portion 11 can be automatically replaced together with the blade holder 12 without manual intervention. Furthermore, because only the blade portion 11 and blade holder 12 can be replaced without removing the handle portion 13 from the adapter 21, there is no need to prepare a complete set of replacement scrapers 10, reducing the cost of preparing the tool unit and enabling the storage space for replacement tools to be reduced.

Example 2
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the blade holder 12 can be attached to the scraper 10 by changing the angle formed between the center line of the blade portion 11 in the blade width direction and the center line of the handle portion 13 in the short direction. This configuration can extend the life of the blade portion 11 of the scraper 10. In the following description of the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and only the characteristic components of the second embodiment will be described.

(Blade holding part 12)
First, the blade holding portion 12 according to Example 2 will be described. FIG. 13(a) is a top view of the blade holding portion 12 according to Example 2, and FIG. 13(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 13(a). The blade holding portion 12 according to Example 2 differs from Example 1 in the shape of the elongated hole 12g. The elongated hole 12g opens at one end of the blade holding portion 12 parallel to the top surface 12a and penetrates the blade holding portion 12 in the vertical direction. The elongated hole 12g extends from the open end toward the other end, and then extends toward both sides of the blade width direction of the blade portion 11 at the other end. That is, when viewed perpendicular to the top surface 12a, the elongated hole 12g is substantially T-shaped. In this example, the end surface 12g1 at the other end of the elongated hole 12g is curved and convex toward the other end. In this embodiment, the open end of the elongated hole 12g is the side that engages with the handle 13.

The shank 17a of the connecting part 17 is inserted into the elongated hole 12g, and the position of the blade holder 12 relative to the handle 13 in a direction perpendicular to the blade width direction is determined by the shank 17a abutting against the end face 12g1 of the elongated hole 12g. Meanwhile, as mentioned above, the other end of the elongated hole 12g extends in the blade width direction. Therefore, the abutment position of the shank 17a relative to the end face 12g1 in the blade width direction can be changed. This configuration makes it possible to attach the blade holder 12 to the scraper 10 by changing the angle between the center line of the blade 11 in the blade width direction and the center line of the handle 13 in the short direction.

(Scraper 10)
Next, a description will be given of a state in which the blade holder 12 according to the second embodiment is attached to the scraper 10. As described above, in the second embodiment, the blade holder 12 can be attached to the scraper 10 by changing the angle formed between the center line of the blade portion 11 in the blade width direction and the center line of the handle portion 13 in the short-side direction. Here, the center line of the blade portion 11 in the blade width direction is a line that is perpendicular to the blade width direction of the blade portion 11 and extends in a direction parallel to the top surface 12 a when the blade holder 12 is attached to the blade holder 12. Furthermore, the center line of the handle portion 13 in the short-side direction is a line that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle portion 13 and extends in a direction parallel to the top surface 12 a when the blade holder 12 is attached.

Figures 14(a) to (c) show the scraper 10 in a first state in which the first angle θa formed between the center line of the cutting edge 11 in the cutting width direction and the center line of the handle 13 in the short direction is 0 degrees. Figure 14(a) is a top view of the tip of the scraper 10, Figure 14(b) is a bottom view of the tip of the scraper 10, and Figure 14(c) is a view of the scraper 10 as it is being scraped, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece 90 to be machined.

As shown in Figure 14 (a), the first angle θa is 0 degrees, and the center line of the cutting edge 11 in the cutting width direction and the center line of the handle 13 in the short direction are parallel. When cutting is performed in this state, the first contact portion 11a, which is located in the center of the cutting edge 11 in the cutting width direction, comes into contact with the workpiece 90. In other words, when scraping is repeatedly performed in this state, only the first contact portion 11a of the cutting edge 11 wears.

As shown in Figure 14(b), when the scraper 10 is in the first state, the handle 13 is located in the center of the handle placement portion 12d of the blade holder 12 in the blade width direction, and the connection portion 17 having the shaft portion 17a is located in the center of the elongated hole portion 12g. At this time, the handle 13 is positioned with a gap between it and the side surface of the handle placement portion 12d.

In addition, the cutting edge of the blade portion 11 in this embodiment has a convex arc shape in the center in the blade width direction. As shown in Figure 14 (c), when the scraper 10 is in a position to process the workpiece 90, the arc of the cutting edge of the blade portion 11 has a radius Ra when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface to be processed.

As described above, when machining is performed with the center line of the blade portion 11 in the blade width direction and the center line of the handle portion 13 in the short direction parallel, only the first abutment portion 11a, which is the center of the blade portion 11, wears. The cutting edge of the blade portion 11 will have portions that are used in machining and wear, and portions that are not used in machining and do not wear. Therefore, the inventors devised a scraping tool configuration that allows the cutting edge to be shifted by dividing a single cutting edge into multiple portions that can be used individually for machining, thereby coming up with a technology that effectively utilizes the tool's cutting edge and extends its lifespan.

Figures 15(a) to (c) show the scraper 10 in a second state in which the angle formed between the center line of the blade portion 11 in the blade width direction and the center line of the handle portion 13 in the short direction is a second angle θb. The second angle θb is a predetermined value greater than 0 degrees. In other words, in the second state, the blade portion 11 and blade holder 12 are attached at an angle relative to the handle portion 13 compared to the first state. Figure 15(a) is a top view of the tip of the scraper 10, Figure 15(b) is a bottom view of the tip of the scraper 10, and Figure 15(c) is a view of the scraper 10 when scraping is being performed, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface to be processed of the workpiece 90.

As shown in Figure 15(a), the angle formed by the center line of the blade portion 11 in the blade width direction and the center line of the handle portion 13 in the short direction is the second angle θb. When cutting is performed in this state, the second abutment portion 11b, which is located closer to the end of the blade portion 11 in the blade width direction than the first abutment portion 11a, comes into contact with the workpiece 90. In other words, when scraping is repeatedly performed in this state, the first abutment portion 11a does not come into contact with the workpiece 90, and only the second abutment portion 11b wears down.

As shown in Figure 15(b), when the scraper 10 is in the second state, the handle 13 is located at the end of the handle placement portion 12d of the blade holder 12 in the blade width direction, and the connection portion 17 having the shaft portion 17a is located at the end of the elongated hole portion 12g. The width of the handle placement portion 12d in the blade width direction and the width of the elongated hole portion 12g in the blade width direction are determined taking into account the maximum angle at which the blade holder 12 can be tilted relative to the handle 13.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15(c), the components are positioned so that the intersection of the center line of the blade portion 11 in the blade width direction and the center line of the handle portion 13 in the short direction coincides with the center of the arc of the cutting edge of the blade portion 11. With this configuration, when the scraper 10 is in a position to machine the workpiece 90, the arc of the cutting edge of the blade portion 11 has a radius Ra when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface to be machined. Therefore, in the state shown in Figure 14(c) and the state shown in Figure 15(c), the cutting edge of the blade portion 11 abuts against the workpiece 90 in the same position. In other words, similar machining can be performed whether the first abutment portion 11a of the blade portion 11 is used for machining or the second abutment portion 11b is used for machining.

In this embodiment, if the first contact portion 11a of the blade portion 11 becomes worn, the angle of the blade holder 12 relative to the handle portion 13 can be changed and cutting can be performed using the unworn second contact portion 11b. Furthermore, if the second contact portion 11b becomes worn, cutting can be continued using the portion of the blade portion 11 located on the opposite end side of the first contact portion 11a from the second contact portion 11b. In other words, in this embodiment, the cutting edge of the blade portion 11 is divided into three regions, and different regions are used for cutting as each region becomes worn.

In this way, by using different positions of the cutting edge for machining, the cutting edge portion 11 can be effectively utilized, extending the tool life compared to when only the same portion of the cutting edge is continuously used. In the above-described embodiment, the first abutment portion 11a is configured to be located in the center of the cutting edge in the cutting edge width direction, but this configuration is not the only way to extend the life of the cutting edge portion 11. For example, the cutting edge of the cutting edge portion 11 can be divided into two regions in the cutting edge width direction of the cutting edge portion 11, so that the first abutment portion 11a is located at one end of the cutting edge and the second abutment portion 11b is located at the other end opposite the one end of the cutting edge. In the above-described embodiment, the first angle θa is set to 0°, but both the first angle θa and the second angle θb can also be acute angles.

(Tool exchange section 110)
Next, a tool exchange unit 110 according to Example 2 will be described. This example differs from Example 1 in the configuration of the tool support unit 60 of the tool exchange unit 110. Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the tool exchange unit 110 according to Example 2.

The tool support unit 60 of this embodiment includes a first support unit 61 that supports the blade holder 12, a second support unit 62 that supports the handle 13, a third support unit 63 that supports the adapter 21, and a rotating stage 64 that supports the second support unit 62 and the third support unit 63. The second support unit 62 and the third support unit 63 are supported by a support base 64a of the rotating stage 64. The rotating stage 64 can rotate the support base 64a around a rotation axis extending in the z direction. In other words, the tool support unit 60 of this embodiment can rotate the second support unit 62 and the third support unit 63 on the support base 64a relative to the first support unit 61. With this configuration, the angle of the blade holder 12 relative to the handle 13 can be changed to attach the blade holder 12 to the scraper 10.

Figure 17(a) is a top view showing the scraper 10 in a first state supported by the tool support unit 60, and Figure 17(b) is a top view showing the scraper 10 in a second state supported by the tool support unit 60. The rotating stage 64 can rotate the support base 64a in the direction of arrow D shown in Figure 17(a) to change the attitude of the second support unit 62 and the third support unit 63 relative to the first support unit 61. Figure 17(b) shows the state of the tool support unit 60 in which the support base 64a of the rotating stage 64 has rotated, changing the attitude of the second support unit 62 and the third support unit 63, relative to the state shown in Figure 17(a).

In this embodiment, the tool support portion 60 is rotatable relative to the first support portion 61 of the second support portion 62 and the third support portion 63, and therefore can support the scraper 10 whether it is in the first state or the second state, as shown in Figures 17(a) and (b).

When switching the scraper 10 from the first state to the second state, first, as a first switching step, the cam lever is released in the first state (the state in Figure 17(a)) supported by the tool support portion 60. Next, as an angle change step, the support base 64a of the rotating stage 64 is rotated, changing the orientation of the second support portion 62 and the third support portion 63 relative to the first support portion 61. This step changes the angle of the blade holder 12 relative to the handle portion 13 of the scraper 10, which is in the non-pressured state. Then, as a second switching step, the cam lever is fixed to the scraper 10, switching the scraper 10 to the second state (the state in Figure 17(b)). Note that even when tool replacement and angle change are performed in parallel, the angle change step may be performed after the first switching step and before the second switching step. In this case, the angle change process may be performed either before the removal process, or after the removal process and before the attachment process, or after the attachment process.

As described above, with the configuration of this embodiment, the blade holder 12 can be automatically attached to the scraper 10 by changing the angle between the center line of the blade portion 11 in the blade width direction and the center line of the handle portion 13 in the short direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the blade portion 11 can be used more effectively, extending the tool's lifespan, compared to when only the same portion of the cutting edge of the blade portion 11 is continuously used.

Furthermore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the blade holder 12 can be attached to the handle 13 by changing the angle of the blade portion 11 and the blade holder 12 relative to the handle 13 using a single tool support 60. Therefore, compared to the case where, for example, a tool support portion for holding the scraper 10 in the first state and a tool support portion for holding the scraper 10 in the second state are provided, the tool exchange unit 110 can be made smaller in space.

Example 3
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the pressing portion. In the following description of the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and only the characteristic components of the third embodiment will be described.

The configuration of the pressing portion according to Example 3 will be described with reference to Figure 18. Figures 18(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views showing the configuration of the pressing portion of the scraper 10 according to Example 3. Figure 18(a) is a cross-sectional view of the scraper 10 in an unpressed state in which the blade holding portion 12 is not pressed by the pressing portion, and Figure 18(b) is a cross-sectional view of the scraper 10 in a pressed state in which the blade holding portion 12 is pressed by the pressing portion.

The pressing portion of Example 3 is composed of a rotating shaft portion 25, an upper cam portion 26, a lower cam portion 27, and a retaining portion 28. The rotating shaft portion 25 is connected to the handle portion 13 and extends perpendicular to the upper surface 12a of the blade holding portion 12. The rotating shaft portion 25 is engaged with the lower cam portion 27, the upper cam portion 26, and the retaining portion 28. The upper cam portion 26 is a rotating portion located above the blade holding portion 12 and rotatably supported by the rotating shaft portion 25. In this example, the scraper 10 is switched between a pressing state and a non-pressing state as the upper cam portion 26 rotates. The lower cam portion 27 is located between the blade holding portion 12 and the upper cam portion 26, and transmits the pressing force of the upper cam portion 26 to the blade holding portion 12. The retaining portion 28 is located further above the upper cam portion 26 and restricts the upward movement of the upper cam portion 26, preventing the upper cam portion 26 from coming off the rotation shaft portion 25, and is provided to generate a pressing force that causes the upper cam portion 26 to press against the blade holding portion 12.

The upper cam portion 26 has an eccentric surface facing the lower cam portion 27, and this eccentric surface includes a convex portion 26a that is convex in the direction toward the lower cam portion 27, a concave portion 26b that is concave in the direction away from the lower cam portion 27, and a sloped portion connecting the convex portion 26a and the concave portion 26b. Similarly, the lower cam portion 27 has an eccentric surface facing the upper cam portion 26, and this eccentric surface includes a convex portion 27a that is convex in the direction toward the upper cam portion 26, a concave portion 27b that is concave in the direction away from the upper cam portion 26, and a sloped portion connecting the convex portion 27a and the concave portion 27b.

The upper cam portion 26 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending perpendicular to the upper surface 12a. The lower cam portion 27 engages with a groove provided in the blade holder 12 so as not to rotate following the rotation of the upper cam portion 26. In Example 3, the upper cam portion 26 rotates, changing the contact state between the eccentric surfaces of the upper cam portion 26 and the lower cam portion 27, thereby switching the scraper 10 between a pressing state and a non-pressing state.

As shown in FIG. 18(a), when the scraper 10 is in the unpressed state, the convex portion 26a abuts against the concave portion 27b, and the concave portion 26b abuts against the convex portion 27a. For the upper cam portion 26 of the scraper 10 in the unpressed state to rotate, the convex portion 26a must move up the slope of the lower cam portion 27. Therefore, when the convex portion 26a attempts to rotate, a force acts on the upper cam portion 26 in a direction that inhibits the rotation of the upper cam portion 26. Therefore, unless an external force is applied by an operating tool or the like, the upper cam portion 26 does not rotate, and the unpressed state of the scraper 10 is maintained. Furthermore, a gap is provided between the upper cam portion 26 and the retaining portion 28, so no pressing force is generated against the blade holder 12. The scraper 10 is switched from the unpressed state shown in FIG. 18(a) to the pressed state shown in FIG. 18(b) by the rotation of the upper cam portion 26.

As shown in FIG. 18( b), when the scraper 10 is in the pressed state, the convex portion 26a abuts against the convex portion 27a, and the concave portion 26b faces the concave portion 27b at a distance. When the scraper 10 is switched from the non-pressed state to the pressed state, as the upper cam portion 26 rotates, the convex portion 26a slides on the eccentric surface of the lower cam portion 27 and abuts against the convex portion 27a. The upper cam portion 26 then moves upward relative to the lower cam portion 27, reducing the gap between the upper cam portion 26 and the retaining portion 28. That is, as the upper cam portion 26 rotates, the distance between the convex portion 26a and the upper surface 12a of the blade holder 12 changes. In other words, as the upper cam portion 26 rotates, the distance between the abutting surface of the upper cam portion 26 against the retaining portion 28 and the abutting surface of the lower cam portion 27 against the blade holder 12 changes.

After moving upward a predetermined distance, the upper cam portion 26 comes into contact with the retaining portion 28, restricting further upward movement. This generates a pressing force that causes the upper cam portion 26 to press against the blade holding portion 12 via the lower cam portion 27, with the convex portion 26a of the upper cam portion 26 functioning as a pressing surface. The rotating shaft portion 25 is connected to both the retaining portion 28 and the handle portion 13, so the blade holding portion 12 is clamped between the pressing portion and the handle portion 13. At this time, a clamping force acts on the upper cam portion 26 between the lower cam portion 27 and the retaining portion 28, so the upper cam portion 26 will not rotate unless operated by an operating tool or the like.

As described above, with the configuration of this embodiment, the robot arm 20 can grasp an operating jig or the like and rotate the upper cam portion 26, thereby moving the upper cam portion 26 in the vertical direction and switching the scraper 10 between a pressing state and a non-pressing state. In other words, even in this embodiment, there is no need for the robot arm 20 to perform complex movements when changing tools, and the blade holder 12 can be reliably replaced.

In the configuration of Example 3, the upper cam portion 26 presses the blade holding portion 12 via the lower cam portion 27. However, for example, an eccentric surface may be provided on the blade holding portion 12, and the upper cam portion 26 may press the blade holding portion 12 directly.

<Other Examples>
The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope of its gist. Furthermore, the processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined as long as no technical contradictions arise. For example, while the above-described embodiment is configured such that scraping and tool replacement are performed by a single robot arm, the scraping device may be provided with a robot arm for scraping and a robot arm for tool replacement.

Furthermore, processing described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, processing described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration used to realize each function can be flexibly changed.

10... scraper (scraping tool), 11... blade portion, 12... blade holding portion, 12a... upper surface (first surface), 12b... lower surface (second surface), 13... handle portion, 14... lever (rotating portion), 14a... eccentric surface (pressing surface), 16... rotating shaft portion, 17b... male thread portion (fixing portion)

Claims (15)

The blade and
a blade holder having a first surface and a second surface facing the opposite side to the first surface, the blade holder holding the blade;
a handle portion abutting the second surface;
a pressing portion including a fixed portion fixed to the handle portion, a rotating shaft portion connected to the fixed portion, and a rotating portion rotatably supported on the rotating shaft portion;
A scraping tool in which the blade holding part is replaced by a scraping tool replacement device,
the rotating part is provided with a pressing surface that can press against the first surface and whose distance to the first surface changes as the rotating part rotates;
A scraping tool characterized in that, by rotating the rotating part, it is possible to switch between a pressing state in which the pressing surface presses the first surface and the pressing part and the handle part clamp the blade holding part, and a non-pressing state in which the pressing surface does not press the first surface. the rotating part is a lever that is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a direction parallel to the first surface and is operated by the scraping tool changer,
2. The scraping tool according to claim 1, wherein the pressing surface is eccentric to the rotation axis. the rotating portion is a cam portion that is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the first surface and is operated by the scraping tool changer,
2. The scraping tool according to claim 1, wherein the pressing surface includes a convex portion that is convex in a direction approaching the first surface and a concave portion that is concave in a direction away from the first surface. the pressing portion further includes a shaft portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the first surface and connecting the fixed portion and the rotation shaft portion,
the blade holding portion has an elongated hole portion that opens at one end side in a direction parallel to the first surface and penetrates from the first surface to the second surface,
2. The scraping tool according to claim 1, wherein the blade holding portion is pressed against the pressing portion with the shaft portion abutting against an end face on the other end side opposite to the one end side of the elongated hole portion. The scraping tool according to claim 4, characterized in that the blade holder has a first engagement portion provided on the one end side that engages with the handle portion, and a second engagement portion provided on the other end side that engages with the blade portion. the end surface of the elongated hole portion on the other end side has a curved shape that is convex toward the other end side, and the width of the end surface in the blade width direction of the blade portion is larger than the width of the shank portion,
When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface,
a first state in which the shank abuts the end surface at a position where a center line of the blade in the blade width direction and a center line of the handle in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction form a first angle;
a second state in which the shaft portion abuts against the end surface at a position where the angle is a second angle different from the first angle;
6. The scraping tool according to claim 5, wherein the cutting force is switchable between the cutting force and the cutting force. the pressing portion further includes a washer through which the shaft portion is inserted and which abuts against the first surface,
The scraping tool according to claim 4, wherein the first surface is pressed against the pressing surface of the pressing portion via the washer. the pressing portion further includes a spacer through which the shaft portion is inserted and which is provided between the handle portion and the washer,
8. The scraping tool according to claim 7, wherein the thickness of the spacer in a direction perpendicular to the first surface is smaller than the width of the blade holder from the first surface to the second surface. the blade holding portion further includes an inclined surface located at an end of the first surface on the one end side where the elongated hole portion is opened, the inclined surface inclining in a direction approaching the second surface as it moves from the other end side to the one end side,
9. The scraping tool according to claim 8, wherein the width of the inclined surface in the cutting width direction of the cutting edge is greater than the width of the washer. a blade holding portion having a blade portion, a first surface, and a second surface facing the opposite side to the first surface and holding the blade portion; a pressing portion having a handle portion abutting the second surface, a fixed portion fixed to the handle portion, a rotating shaft portion connected to the fixed portion, and a rotating portion rotatably supported on the rotating shaft portion, wherein the rotating portion is provided with a pressing surface that can press the first surface and whose distance to the first surface changes as the rotating portion rotates, and a scraping tool changing device that changes, by rotating the rotating portion, between a pressing state in which the pressing surface presses the first surface and the blade holding portion is sandwiched between the pressing portion and the handle portion, and a non-pressing state in which the pressing surface does not press the first surface,
an operating jig for operating the pressing portion of the scraping tool;
a processing robot that holds and operates the operation jig;
a control unit for controlling the operation of the processing robot;
a tool support portion that supports the scraping tool;
an attachment/detachment device that holds the blade holding portion and attaches/detaches the blade holding portion to/from the handle;
Equipped with
the control unit operates the processing robot so that the operating jig held by the processing robot rotates the rotating unit, thereby switching between the pressing state and the non-pressing state of the pressing unit of the scraping tool held by the tool support unit. a force sensor that detects a load acting on the processing robot when the operating jig rotates the rotating part by the processing robot,
11. The scraping tool changer according to claim 10, wherein the control unit determines whether the load detected by the force sensor is within a normal range. The scraping tool is switchable between a first state in which the blade holding portion is clamped between the pressing portion and the handle portion at a position where an angle formed between a center line of the blade portion in a blade width direction and a center line of the handle portion in a short direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof is a first angle when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface, and a second state in which the blade holding portion is clamped between the pressing portion and the handle portion at a position where the angle is a second angle different from the first angle,
the tool support portion includes a first support portion that supports the blade holding portion, and a second support portion that supports the handle portion and is rotatable relative to the first support portion around a rotation axis that extends in a direction perpendicular to the first surface,
The scraping tool changing device according to claim 10, wherein the second support portion rotates to switch between the first state and the second state, thereby making it possible to change the blade holding portion of the scraping tool. a blade holding portion having a blade portion, a first surface, and a second surface facing the opposite side to the first surface and holding the blade portion; a handle portion abutting the second surface, a fixed portion fixed to the handle portion, a rotating shaft portion connected to the fixed portion, and a rotating portion rotatably supported on the rotating shaft portion; the rotating portion is provided with a pressing surface that can press the first surface and whose distance to the first surface changes with rotation of the rotating portion, and the rotating portion is configured such that, by rotation of the rotating portion, the pressing surface presses the first surface and the blade holding portion is sandwiched between the pressing portion and the handle portion, and a non-pressing state in which the pressing surface does not press the first surface,
an operating jig for operating the pressing portion of the scraping tool;
a processing robot that holds and operates the operation jig;
a tool support portion that supports the scraping tool;
an attachment/detachment device that holds the blade holding portion and attaches/detaches the blade holding portion to/from the handle;
In the scraping tool changing method using the scraping tool changing device,
a tool setting step of supporting the scraping tool held by the processing robot on the tool support part;
a first switching step of switching the pressing portion of the scraping tool supported by the tool support portion from the pressing state to the non-pressing state by the operating jig held by the processing robot;
a detaching step of detaching the blade holding portion from the scraping tool by the attaching/detaching device when the pressing portion is in the non-pressing state;
an attachment step of attaching a replacement blade holding part that holds a replacement blade part to the scraping tool by the attachment/detachment device;
a second switching step of switching the pressing portion of the scraping tool supported by the tool support portion from the non-pressing state to the pressing state by the operating jig held by the processing robot;
A scraping tool changing method comprising: the scraping tool changer further includes a force sensor that detects a load acting on the operating jig when the operating jig rotates the rotating part by the processing robot,
14. The scraping tool changing method according to claim 13, further comprising a determining step of determining whether the load detected by the force sensor in the second switching step is within a normal range. The scraping tool is switchable between a first state in which the blade holding portion is clamped between the pressing portion and the handle portion at a position where an angle formed between a center line of the blade portion in a blade width direction and a center line of the handle portion in a short direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof is a first angle when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface, and a second state in which the blade holding portion is clamped between the pressing portion and the handle portion at a position where the angle is a second angle different from the first angle,
the tool support portion includes a first support portion that supports the blade holding portion, and a second support portion that supports the handle portion and is rotatable relative to the first support portion around a rotation axis that extends in a direction perpendicular to the first surface,
The scraping tool changing method according to claim 13, further comprising an angle changing step of rotating the second support portion after the first switching step and before the second switching step.