JP7762608B2 - Position calibration device, position calibration method, and position calibration program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dancer roller position calibration device, etc.

Conveying devices that apply tension to linear objects such as strings and wires, or planar objects such as paper and cloth, are known to use dancer rollers. The dancer rollers in Patent Document 1 are movable in the direction of the thrust applied by the spring, and come to rest at a position where the thrust from the spring and the tension from the object are balanced. The resting position of the dancer roller, which indicates the tension in the object, is measured by a position sensor.

Before using the dancer rollers, their positions are calibrated so that the position sensor can measure the position of the dancer rollers, i.e., the tension of the transported object, with high accuracy. Specifically, an operator manually moves the dancer rollers to both ends of their range of motion and records this position information in the position sensor.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-176080

In conventional dancer roller position calibration, an operator would manually move the dancer roller to both ends of its range of motion, and then have to use strong force to hold the heavy dancer roller in a fixed position until the position sensor has successfully recorded the position information. To ensure safety and calibration accuracy, multiple people were often required to work together, which was not necessarily a highly efficient process.

The present invention was made in light of these circumstances, and aims to provide a position calibration device that can efficiently calibrate the position of dancer rollers.

To solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention provides a position calibration device for dancer rollers that can move in the direction of an applied thrust and apply a tension to the transported workpiece in the opposite direction to the thrust, and includes a calibration start signal generator that generates a calibration start signal before moving the dancer rollers to at least one end of their range of motion in the thrust direction, and an end position information recording unit that detects when the dancer rollers have been moved to one end and records the position information.

In this configuration, a calibration start signal is generated before the dancer rollers are moved manually or otherwise to one end of their range of motion, and when the dancer rollers are subsequently moved manually or otherwise to one end, position information is automatically recorded, eliminating the need to manually hold the heavy dancer rollers in a fixed position as in the past.

Another aspect of the present invention is a position calibration method. This method calibrates the position of dancer rollers that are movable in the direction of an applied thrust and apply a tension to the transported workpiece in the opposite direction to the thrust. The method includes a calibration start signal generating step that generates a calibration start signal before moving the dancer rollers to at least one end of their range of motion in the thrust direction, and an end position information recording step that detects that the dancer rollers have been moved to one end and records that position information.

The present invention also encompasses any combination of the above components, as well as any conversion of these expressions into methods, devices, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc.

This invention allows for efficient calibration of the dancer roller position.

1 shows a schematic configuration of a transport control device. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a dancer roller position calibration device. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a dancer roller position calibration device. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a dancer roller position calibration device. 10 shows the position calibration process of the dancer rollers performed by the position calibration device over time.

The following describes in detail the form for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the embodiment) with reference to the drawings. In the description and/or drawings, the same or equivalent components, members, processes, etc. are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. The scale and shape of each part shown in the drawings are set for convenience in order to simplify the explanation, and should not be interpreted as limiting unless otherwise specified. The embodiment is an example and does not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. All features and combinations thereof described in the embodiment are not necessarily essential to the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a transport control device 1 that controls the transport operation of a transport device 2 that transports a transported object 3. Examples of transported objects 3 include linear objects such as string or wire, and planar objects such as paper, cloth, film, foil, and rubber. In this embodiment, a roll-to-roll type transport device 2 is described that transports a planar substrate as the transported object 3 in the transport direction (left-right direction in Figure 1). The transport device 2 may be part of a device that performs any processing on the transported object, such as a coater or applicator that coats the transported object, a printer that prints on the transported object, or a stretching device that applies tension to the transported object to stretch it.

The conveying device 2 includes a group of conveying rollers 20 and a dancer 24. The group of conveying rollers 20 includes multiple conveying rollers as multiple conveying sections that convey the conveyed object 3. In the example shown in Figure 1, the group of conveying rollers 20 includes three pairs of conveying rollers arranged in series along the conveying direction of the conveyed object 3. The multiple conveying rollers are adjacent in the conveying direction. Each pair of conveying rollers includes a drive roller 211-213 that is driven to rotate by each of the drive units 111-113 described below, and a driven roller 221-223 that rotates in conjunction with the drive roller 211-213, sandwiching the conveyed object 3 between the drive roller 211-213. The three pairs of conveying rollers 211/221-213/223, the three drive units 111-113, and the three speed control units 121-123 provided in the conveying control device 1 corresponding to each of them, can be configured similarly to one another. Therefore, the following description will focus on the first conveying roller pair 211/221, the first drive unit 111, and the first speed control unit 121, and will omit redundant descriptions of the other conveying roller pairs 212/222, 213/223, the other drive units 112, 113, and the other speed control units 122, 123. Note that the number of conveying roller pairs provided in the conveying roller group 20 may be any number (any integer greater than or equal to 1).

The drive roller 211 and driven roller 221 are transport rollers that serve as a form of transport unit for transporting the transported object 3, and are rotatable around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the transport direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1). The drive roller 211 is driven to rotate by a drive unit 111, such as a motor, in response to a rotation speed command generated by a speed control unit 121. When the transport direction of the transported object 3 in FIG. 1 is to the right, the drive roller 211 is driven to rotate clockwise by the drive unit 111, and the driven roller 221 rotates counterclockwise in conjunction with the drive roller 211. By individually driving and rotating each of the drive rollers 211-213 that make up the transport roller group 20 by each of the drive units 111-113 of the transport control device 1, the speed and tension of each part of the transported object 3 can be precisely controlled, thereby optimizing the transport operation of the transported object 3 by the transport device 2 and the processing by various devices in which the transport device 2 is installed.

The dancers 24 are arranged upstream (left side in Figure 1) and downstream (right side in Figure 1) of the group of transport rollers 20 in the transport direction, sandwiching the group of transport rollers 20 from both sides in the transport direction. Since the two dancers 24 shown in the figure can be configured in the same way, only the dancer 24 on the left side will be described.

The dancer 24 applies tension to the transported object 3 in the transport direction. The dancer 24 comprises a pair of rollers 241, 242 arranged on the transport path of the transported object 3 (the left-right path along which the transported object 3 extends in Figure 1), and a dancer roller 243 arranged between the pair of rollers 241, 242 and at a position offset from the transport path of the transported object 3. The dancer roller is also called a dancer roll.

The dancer roller 243 is movable between its upper end 243A and lower end 243B in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance path of the transported object 3 (the up-down direction in FIG. 1). The air cylinder 244, which serves as a thrust applying unit, generates a thrust that urges or pressurizes the dancer roller 243 in a direction away from the conveyance path of the transported object 3 (downward in FIG. 1). This thrust is based on the air pressure of the air cylinder 244, which is connected to the dancer roller 243 via a piston rod or connecting rod. The air pressure of the air cylinder 244 is generated by a thrust control unit 17, which is composed of an electro-pneumatic regulator that electrically controls the air pressure. A substantially constant voltage is generally applied to the electro-pneumatic regulator (thrust control unit 17), and the air pressure of the air cylinder 244, i.e., the thrust of the dancer roller 243, is controlled to be substantially constant. Instead of the air cylinder 244, a thrust applying unit that applies thrust to the dancer rollers 243 based on another principle (for example, a linear motor that applies thrust to the dancer rollers 243 based on electricity) may be provided.

The dancer rollers 243 are biased or pressurized downward by the thrust from the air cylinder 244, applying tension to the transported object 3 by pulling it away from the transport path. At this time, the downward thrust received by the dancer rollers 243 from the air cylinder 244 balances the upward tension received by the transported object 3. As mentioned above, the downward thrust received by the dancer rollers 243 from the air cylinder 244 is generally maintained or controlled to be approximately constant, so the vertical position of the dancer rollers 243 represents the tension of the transported object 3. Typically, by controlling the tension of the transported object 3, the vertical position of the dancer rollers 243 is controlled to be approximately midway between the upper end 243A and the lower end 243B.

The position of the dancer rollers 243 in the thrust direction (vertical direction in Figure 1) is detected as an electrical signal by the position detection unit 245 or position sensor and provided to the subtractor 14 of the conveyance control device 1. In addition, the subtractor 14 receives a position command for the dancer rollers 243 in the thrust direction, generated by the position command generation unit 13 of the conveyance control device 1. As described above, the position of the dancer rollers 243 approximately corresponds to the tension of the conveyed object 3, and therefore the position command for the dancer rollers 243 generated by the position command generation unit 13 approximately corresponds to the tension command for the conveyed object 3. The speed control unit 15 of the conveyance control device 1 generates a speed command to reduce the deviation in the position of the dancer rollers 243 or the tension of the conveyed object 3 provided by the subtractor 14. This speed command is a command for the conveyance speed of the conveyance object 3, and more specifically, a command for the rotational speed of the drive roller 251, as described below.

The drive unit 16 of the conveying control device 1 drives and rotates the drive roller 251, which is located immediately after the dancer 24, in response to a speed command provided by the speed control unit 15. The drive roller 251 is a conveying roller that can rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyed object 3. When the drive roller 251 is driven and rotated clockwise in FIG. 1, the driven roller 252 rotates counterclockwise in conjunction with the drive roller 251. Also provided immediately before the dancer 24 are a drive roller 231 similar to the drive roller 251 and a driven roller 232 similar to the driven roller 252. The drive roller 231 is driven and rotated, for example, at a constant rotational speed by a drive unit (not shown). The rotational speed of the drive roller 251 is adaptively controlled in response to deviations in position and/or tension. In this way, the drive roller 251 and driven roller 252 convey the conveyed object 3 sandwiched between them while applying a desired tension to the conveyed object 3 in accordance with the position command of the dancer roller 243 generated by the position command generation unit 13, i.e., the tension command for the conveyed object 3. In the example of Figure 1, two dancers 24 are provided immediately before and after the conveying roller group 20 in the conveying direction, so the tension of the conveyed object 3 at the entrance portion (left end in Figure 1) and exit portion (right end in Figure 1) of the conveying roller group 20 can be controlled to a desired value.

Before using the dancer rollers 243, their positions are calibrated so that the position detection unit 245 can measure the positions of the dancer rollers 243, i.e., the tension of the transported load 3, with high accuracy. Specifically, an operator manually moves the dancer rollers 243 to the upper end 243A and lower end 243B, which are the ends of their range of motion in the thrust direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 1 ), and the position information for each end is detected and recorded by the position detection unit 245 for calibration. In conventional dancer roller 243 position calibration, an operator must manually move the dancer rollers 243 to the ends 243A and 243B of their range of motion, and then use strong force to hold the heavy dancer rollers 243 in a fixed position until the position information is successfully recorded via the position detection unit 245. To ensure safety and calibration accuracy, multiple people are often required to work together, which is not necessarily a highly efficient process. The position calibration device 10 of this embodiment, described below, allows the position of the dancer rollers 243 to be calibrated efficiently.

Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the position calibration device 10 for the dancer roller 243. The position calibration device 10 includes the aforementioned thrust control unit 17, calibration start signal generation unit 181, calibration end signal generation unit 182, and end position information recording unit 19. These functional blocks are realized through the cooperation of hardware resources such as the computer's central processing unit, memory, input devices, output devices, and peripheral devices connected to the computer, as well as software executed using these resources. Regardless of the type of computer or its installation location, each of the above functional blocks may be realized by the hardware resources of a single computer, or by combining hardware resources distributed across multiple computers.

The configuration and operation of the dancer 24 in this figure are the same as in Figure 1, but a piston rod 246 and connecting rod 247 are additionally shown in this figure. The piston rod 246 is connected to a piston (not shown) that is movable in the thrust direction (up and down in Figure 2) within the air cylinder 244. The piston is urged upward together with the piston rod 246 by air pressure generated by the thrust control unit 17. In this way, an upward thrust force F is generated on the piston and piston rod 246.

The upper end of piston rod 246 is connected to the left end of connecting rod 247. The right end of connecting rod 247 is connected to dancer roller 243. Connecting rod 247 is rotatably fixed by fulcrum O, which is located approximately in the center of its longitudinal direction (left-right direction in Figure 2). The upward thrust F that the left end of connecting rod 247 receives from the upper end of piston rod 246 becomes a torque that rotates connecting rod 247 clockwise around fulcrum O. As a result, a downward thrust proportional to the upward thrust F at the left end is applied to dancer roller 243, which is connected to the right end of connecting rod 247.

As shown in Figure 3, the upper end 243A abuts against and stops the connecting rod 247 as it rotates counterclockwise around the fulcrum O, thereby determining the upper end of the thrust direction of the dancer roller 243. As shown in Figure 4, the lower end 243B abuts against and stops the connecting rod 247 as it rotates clockwise around the fulcrum O, thereby determining the lower end of the thrust direction of the dancer roller 243. For convenience, below, the upper end of the range of motion of the dancer roller 243 will also be referred to as the upper end 243A, and the lower end of the range of motion of the dancer roller 243 will also be referred to as the lower end 243B.

When calibrating the position of the dancer rollers 243, the calibration start signal generating unit 181 generates a calibration start signal before moving the dancer rollers 243 to at least one of the upper end 243A and lower end 243B of the range of motion in the thrust direction. Note that when calibrating the position of the dancer rollers 243, the movement of the dancer rollers 243 to the upper end 243A and/or lower end 243B may be performed manually by an operator, or may be performed using thrust generated by the thrust control unit 17 and air cylinder 244 in addition to or instead of manual force, or may be performed using driving force generated by another driving device such as a linear motor that can drive at least one of the piston, piston rod 246, connecting rod 247, and dancer rollers 243 in the thrust direction in addition to or instead of manual force.

When the dancer roller 243 is moved in the direction opposite to the thrust (upward in FIG. 3 ), as shown in FIG. 3 , the thrust control unit 17 reduces the thrust from the air cylinder 244 in response to the calibration start signal generated by the calibration start signal generation unit 181. For example, the thrust control unit 17 reduces the thrust from the air cylinder 244 to zero in response to the calibration start signal. This reduces the force required by the operator to move the dancer roller 243 to the upper end 243A, improving work safety and efficiency. Note that if the thrust control unit 17 and the air cylinder 244 can apply a thrust to the piston and piston rod 246 in the direction opposite to the thrust F in FIG. 2 (downward in FIG. 3 ), or if another driving device such as a linear motor can drive the dancer roller 243 to the upper end 243A, the movement of the dancer roller 243 to the upper end 243A during position calibration, and ultimately the entire position calibration process, can be automated without the intervention of the operator.

When the dancer roller 243 is moved in the thrust direction (downward in FIG. 4) as shown in FIG. 4, the thrust control unit 17 increases the thrust F by the air cylinder 244 in response to the calibration start signal generated by the calibration start signal generation unit 181. This reduces the force required by the operator to move the dancer roller 243 to the lower end 243B, improving work safety and efficiency. Furthermore, if the thrust control unit 17 and the air cylinder 244 can apply to the piston and piston rod 246 a thrust F large enough to drive the dancer roller 243 to the lower end 243B, or if another driving device such as a linear motor can drive the dancer roller 243 to the lower end 243B, then the movement of the dancer roller 243 to the lower end 243B during position calibration, and ultimately the entire position calibration process, can be automated without the intervention of the operator.

The end position information recording unit 19 detects that the dancer roller 243 has been moved to the upper end 243A (Figure 3) or the lower end 243B (Figure 4) after the calibration start signal generating unit 181 generates the calibration start signal, and detects the respective position information using the position detection unit 245 and records it for calibration. For example, the end position information recording unit 19 records the position information of the dancer roller 243 closest to the upper end 243A (Figure 3) or the lower end 243B (Figure 4) from the position information measured by the position detection unit 245 continuously or intermittently multiple times after the calibration start signal generating unit 181 generates the calibration start signal. The end position information recording unit 19 does not need to record the position information of the upper end 243A and lower end 243B of the dancer roller 243 in real time. Instead, a series of position information groups near the upper end 243A and lower end 243B obtained by the position detection unit 245 may be temporarily stored in a buffer or the like, and the information closest to the upper end 243A or lower end 243B may be selected and recorded later.

The calibration end signal generating unit 182 generates a calibration end signal after the end position information recording unit 19 detects that the dancer roller 243 has been moved to the upper end 243A or the lower end 243B. As will be specifically shown in FIG. 5 (described later), the position information of the dancer roller 243 continuously acquired by the position detection unit 245 takes extreme values or maximum absolute values at the upper end 243A and the lower end 243B. Therefore, the end position information recording unit 19 can detect that the dancer roller 243 has been moved to the upper end 243A or the lower end 243B based on the progression of the position information, including the extreme values. Here, because the end position information recording unit 19 only needs to detect the extreme values of the position information of the dancer roller 243, it is no longer necessary to manually hold the heavy dancer roller 243 in a fixed position (upper end 243A or lower end 243B) as in the past, thereby improving work safety and efficiency.

As shown in FIG. 3, after the thrust control unit 17 reduces the thrust by the air cylinder 244 in response to the calibration start signal, if the calibration end signal generation unit 182 generates a calibration end signal, the thrust control unit 17 terminates the reduction of the thrust by the air cylinder 244 in response to the calibration end signal (e.g., returns to the thrust before the reduction). Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, after the thrust control unit 17 increases the thrust F by the air cylinder 244 in response to the calibration start signal, if the calibration end signal generation unit 182 generates a calibration end signal, the thrust control unit 17 terminates the increase of the thrust F by the air cylinder 244 in response to the calibration end signal (e.g., returns to the thrust before the increase).

Figure 5 shows the time course of the position calibration process of the dancer roller 243 performed by the position calibration device 10. In the initial state, the dancer roller 243 is in the "center" position as shown in Figure 2, and the thrust F of the air cylinder 244 is at the "normal" level. In this state, the calibration start signal generator 181 generates an upper limit position calibration start signal to start the upper limit position calibration of the dancer roller 243. Upon receiving the upper limit position calibration start signal, the thrust control unit 17 reduces the thrust of the air cylinder 244. Then, as shown in Figure 3, the dancer roller 243 is moved to the upper end 243A by the operator's manual force or the like. At this time, as shown in "Dancer Roller Position" in Figure 5, the position information of the dancer roller 243 continuously acquired by the position detection unit 245 reaches a maximum or maximum value at the upper end 243A. After confirming this maximum or maximum value on a screen or the like, the operator causes the calibration end signal generator 182 to generate an upper limit position calibration end signal to end the upper limit position calibration of the dancer roller 243. Note that the end position information recording unit 19, which autonomously detects the maximum or local maximum value, may cause the calibration end signal generating unit 182 to generate an upper limit position calibration end signal without the intervention of an operator. Upon receiving the upper limit position calibration end signal, the thrust control unit 17 returns the thrust generated by the air cylinder 244 from the "reduced" level to the "normal" level.

Next, the calibration start signal generator 181 generates a lower limit position calibration start signal to start lower limit position calibration of the dancer roller 243. Upon receiving the lower limit position calibration start signal, the thrust control unit 17 increases the thrust force generated by the air cylinder 244. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the dancer roller 243 is moved to the lower end 243B by the operator's manual force or the like. At this time, as shown in "Dancer Roller Position" in FIG. 5, the position information of the dancer roller 243 continuously acquired by the position detection unit 245 reaches a minimum or minimum value at the lower end 243B. Upon confirming this minimum or minimum value on a screen or the like, the operator causes the calibration end signal generator 182 to generate a lower limit position calibration end signal to end the lower limit position calibration of the dancer roller 243. Note that the end position information recording unit 19, which autonomously detects the minimum or minimum value, may also cause the calibration end signal generator 182 to generate the lower limit position calibration end signal without the operator's intervention. Upon receiving the lower limit position calibration completion signal, the thrust control unit 17 returns the thrust generated by the air cylinder 244 from the "increased" level to the "normal" level.

Simultaneously with or after the above processing, the end position information recording unit 19 searches for and selects position information of the upper end 243A of the dancer roller 243 corresponding to the maximum or maximum value of the "dancer roller position" from the group of position information continuously acquired by the position detection unit 245, and records this for upper limit position calibration, and searches for and selects position information of the lower end 243B of the dancer roller 243 corresponding to the minimum or minimum value of the "dancer roller position" from the group of position information continuously acquired by the position detection unit 245, and records this for lower limit position calibration.

The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment. Various modifications are possible to the combinations of the components and processes in the exemplary embodiment, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such modifications are within the scope of the present invention.

The configuration, action, and functionality of each device and method described in the embodiments can be realized by hardware resources, software resources, or a combination of hardware and software resources. Examples of hardware resources that can be used include processors, ROM, RAM, and various integrated circuits. Examples of software resources that can be used include operating systems, application programs, and other programs.

1 Conveyance control device, 2 Conveyance device, 3 Conveyed object, 10 Position calibration device, 13 Position command generation unit, 14 Subtractor, 15 Speed control unit, 16 Drive unit, 17 Thrust control unit, 19 End position information recording unit, 24 Dancer, 181 Calibration start signal generation unit, 182 Calibration end signal generation unit, 243 Dancer roller, 243A Upper end, 243B Lower end, 244 Air cylinder, 245 Position detection unit.

Claims (10)

A position calibration device for a dancer roller that is movable in the direction of an applied thrust and to which a tension force in the opposite direction to the thrust force is applied from a transported object,
a calibration start signal generating unit that generates a calibration start signal before moving the dancer rollers to at least one end of a movable range of the dancer rollers in the direction of the thrust;
an end position information recording unit that detects that the dancer rollers have been moved to the one end and records the position information;
A position calibration device comprising: The position calibration device described in claim 1, wherein the end position information recording unit records the dancer roller position information closest to the one end among the dancer roller position information measured multiple times after the calibration start signal is generated. The position calibration device described in claim 2, wherein the end position information recording unit records the dancer roller position information closest to the one end among the dancer roller position information continuously measured after the calibration start signal is generated. A position calibration device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a calibration end signal generation unit that generates a calibration end signal after the end position information recording unit detects that the dancer roller has been moved to the one end. the calibration start signal generating unit generates a calibration start signal before moving the dancer rollers to the other end of the movable range,
the end position information recording unit detects that the dancer rollers have been moved to the other end, and records the position information.
5. A position calibration device according to claim 1. A position calibration device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a thrust control unit that increases the thrust in response to the calibration start signal when the dancer roller is moved in the direction of the thrust. A position calibration device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a thrust control unit that reduces the thrust in response to the calibration start signal when the dancer roller is moved in a direction opposite to the thrust. A position calibration device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the thrust is based on the air pressure of an air cylinder connected to the dancer roller. A method for calibrating the position of a dancer roller that is movable in the direction of an applied thrust and to which a tension force in the opposite direction to the thrust force is applied from a carried object, comprising:
a calibration start signal generating step of generating a calibration start signal before moving the dancer rollers to at least one end of a range of motion of the dancer rollers in the direction of the thrust;
an end position information recording step of detecting that the dancer rollers have been moved to the one end and recording the position information;
A position calibration method comprising: A method for calibrating the position of a dancer roller that is movable in the direction of an applied thrust and to which a tension force in the opposite direction to the thrust force is applied from a carried object, comprising:
a calibration start signal generating step of generating a calibration start signal before moving the dancer rollers to at least one end of a range of motion of the dancer rollers in the direction of the thrust;
an end position information recording step of detecting that the dancer rollers have been moved to the one end and recording the position information;
A position calibration program that causes a computer to execute the following.