JP7816211B2 - Workpiece alignment device and workpiece alignment method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a workpiece alignment device and a workpiece alignment method.

A variety of workpiece alignment devices and methods are known in the articulated robot industry. For example, the articulated robot described in Patent Document 1 can change the orientation of a grasped workpiece in all directions (360°) and deliver it to the next process.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-176867

In the clutch press process, workpieces are traditionally packed into boxes using robots and actuators. However, because each clutch plate is heavy and the orientation of each workpiece needs to be adjusted and moved individually, this process requires a lot of man-hours. For this reason, there is a demand for faster workpiece packing.

However, with the single-workpiece system, attempting to increase speed places excessive strain on the robot and actuator, making it difficult to achieve high-speed operation. Furthermore, with the multiple-workpiece system, workpieces must be inserted according to the spacing between the partition plates of the returnable box, but it is difficult for robots and actuators to insert multiple workpieces together or stacked on top of each other.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a workpiece alignment device and workpiece alignment method that can speed up workpiece packaging work using a multi-piece method.

<First Aspect>
A first aspect of the present invention is a work alignment device that aligns a plurality of workpieces (7) having two parallel surfaces on opposite sides and inserts them all at once into a partitioned receiving section (82) of a returnable box (8), and includes a conveyor (1), an alignment device (2), and an arrangement device (3).

The conveyor has a slope (12) that allows workpieces to slide one by one from a high level to a low level, and advances multiple workpieces in a line, pushing them out to the high level side of the slope. The alignment device receives the workpieces one by one at the low level of the slope and aligns the multiple workpieces at equal intervals. The alignment device then grasps the aligned multiple workpieces together and inserts them all at once into the receiving section of the returnable box.

The alignment device has a presser plate (22), a spring (23), and a cam mechanism (24) for each workpiece, and slides the workpiece into a waiting position after receiving it. The presser plate widens the entrance before receiving the workpiece, and presses and secures the workpiece after receiving it. The spring biases the presser plate to press down on the workpiece. The cam mechanism moves the presser plate to widen the entrance.

<Second Aspect>
A second aspect of the present invention is a work alignment method for aligning a plurality of workpieces (7) having two parallel surfaces on opposite sides and inserting them all at once into a partitioned receiving section (82) of a returnable box (8), and includes a loading step (S1), an alignment step (S2), and an arrangement step (S3).

In the loading step, a conveyor (1), which has a slope (12) that slides the workpieces one by one from a high level to a low level, advances the multiple workpieces in a line and pushes them to the high side of the slope. In the alignment step, an alignment device (2) receives the workpieces one by one on the low side of the slope and aligns the multiple workpieces at equal intervals. In the arrangement step, an alignment device (3) grasps the aligned multiple workpieces collectively and inserts them all at once into the receiving section of the returnable box.

The alignment step includes a receiving step (S21), a fixing step (S22), and a waiting step (S23). The receiving step, fixing step, and waiting step are performed for each workpiece. In the receiving step, the alignment device's cam mechanism (24) moves the presser plate (22) to widen the entrance before receiving the workpiece, and then receives the workpiece. In the fixing step, the presser plate uses the spring (23) to press and fix the workpiece after receiving it. In the waiting step, the alignment device slides the workpiece after receiving it and puts it on standby.

With the above configuration, the workpiece alignment device and workpiece alignment method of the present invention can align multiple workpieces at equal intervals and pack them all together while still aligned, thereby speeding up workpiece packing operations using a multi-piece method.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a workpiece aligning device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a workpiece according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing an image of a returnable container and simultaneous insertion of the workpieces. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the movement of works from the conveyor to the aligning device in one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state before workpiece alignment by the alignment device according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which the alignment device according to the embodiment is ready to receive a workpiece. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which the alignment device receives a workpiece according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a manner in which a workpiece is fixed (positioned) by the alignment device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the state of workpiece alignment by the alignment device according to the embodiment; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a manner in which a work group is picked up by the arrangement device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which workpieces are inserted at once in the arrangement device according to the embodiment. 1 is a flowchart of a workpiece aligning method according to an embodiment.

The following describes one embodiment of a workpiece alignment device and workpiece alignment method with reference to the drawings.

<One embodiment>
One embodiment is a work alignment device that aligns multiple workpieces 7 having two parallel surfaces on opposite sides and inserts them all at once into a receiving section 82 separated by a partition plate 81 of a returnable box 8, and is equipped with a conveyor 1, an alignment device 2, and an arrangement device 3.

Figure 1 shows an overall view of one embodiment of the workpiece alignment device. The workpiece alignment device transfers the workpieces 7 from the conveyor 1 to the alignment device 2, and the workpieces 7 are then inserted into a returnable container 8 all at once by the arrangement device 3.

The conveyor 1 has a conveying path 11 and a slope 12. The conveying path 11 conveys multiple workpieces 7 supplied from the previous process, and has a conveying path work stopper 111 at its leading edge that stops the workpieces 7 from moving forward. The slope 12 is located at the connection point between the conveying path 11 and the alignment device 2, and receives the workpieces 7 from the conveying path 11 and hands them over to the alignment device 2. The slope 12 also has a slope work stopper 121 on the higher side that stops the workpieces 7 from sliding toward the lower side.

The conveyor 1 advances multiple workpieces 7 in a line on the conveying path 11, pushing them up the higher side of the slope 12. When viewed from the workpiece 7 side, the workpieces 7 are transported from the previous process, enter the conveying path 11, and proceed along the conveying path 11 in the workpiece advancement direction 7D until they reach the very end of the conveying path 11, where their path is blocked by the conveying path workpiece stopper 111.

When the slope 12 is ready to accept the workpiece 7 and it is time to push the workpiece 7 to the higher side of the slope 12, the transport path work stopper 111 slides upward to unblock the path. This causes the workpiece 7 to be pushed to the higher side of the slope 12 by the transport path 11.

The workpiece 7 pushed out to the higher side of the slope 12 is blocked again by the slope workpiece stopper 121 to prevent it from sliding, and waits on the higher side of the slope 12 until the alignment device 2 is able to receive the workpiece 7.

When the alignment device 2 is ready to receive the workpiece 7, the slope workpiece stopper 121 slides upward in the upward direction 121D (Figure 6) to unblock the path. This allows the workpiece 7 to slide down the slope 12 from a higher position to a lower position, and the alignment device 2 receives the sliding workpiece 7.

As described below, the alignment device 2 receives the workpieces 7 one by one from the lower side of the slope 12 and aligns the multiple workpieces at equal intervals so that they can be grasped by the alignment device 3. In this embodiment, the alignment device 3 is a robot 3, which grasps the group of workpieces lined up on the alignment device 2 all at once with its arm 31 and inserts them into the receiving portion 82 of the returnable container 8.

Figure 2 shows a workpiece 7 and a returnable container 8 in one embodiment. As shown in Figure 2(a), the workpiece 7 in this embodiment is assumed to be a roughly disk-shaped workpiece such as a clutch rotor. The workpiece alignment device in this embodiment is also intended for use in storing the workpiece in a returnable container 8 and transporting it to another factory or production line.

As shown in Figure 2(b), a partition plate 81 is fitted into the returnable container 8, and the partition plate 81 forms two rows of five receiving sections 82. As will be described later, a group of five workpieces 7 is grasped collectively by the arm 31 of the robot 3, and inserted into the returnable container 8 along the workpiece insertion direction 8D for storage.

Figure 3 shows how workpieces move from the conveyor 1's transport path 11 to the alignment device 2. Figures 4 to 8 show the series of operations from receiving the workpieces to aligning them by the alignment device 2. The alignment device 2 has a fixed plate 21, a pressure plate 22, a spring 23, a cam mechanism 24, a track 25, and a drive unit 26. Of these, the fixed plate 21, pressure plate 22, spring 23, and cam mechanism 24 are configured to fix and hold the workpiece 7, and are hereinafter referred to as the alignment unit. The drive unit 26 drives the alignment unit fixed on the track 25 along the drive direction 2D to transport it.

The alignment device 2 has an alignment unit for each workpiece 7, which includes a fixed plate 21, a pressure plate 22, a spring 23, and a cam mechanism 24. Therefore, the alignment device 2 in this embodiment has five alignment units. Each of the five alignment units of the alignment device 2 receives a workpiece 7 from the slope 12, slides the workpiece 7 to transport it, and arranges it into an aligned group of workpieces, which are then placed on standby in a state where they can be grasped by the arm 31 of the robot 3 serving as the alignment device 3.

The fixed plate 21 is a member that receives the workpiece 7 and determines its position. The pressure plate 22 moves in a direction that widens the entrance 20 before receiving the workpiece 7, and after receiving the workpiece 7, moves in the opposite direction toward the fixed plate 21 to narrow the entrance 20 and press down and secure the workpiece 7. A spring 23 biases the pressure plate 22 so that it always holds down the workpiece 7. The cam mechanism 24 moves the pressure plate 22 along its outer edge, causing the pressure plate 22 to widen the entrance 20 against the biasing force of the spring 23, and then returns to its original position due to the biasing force of the spring 23.

See Figures 4 to 8. Figure 4 shows the state before the workpiece alignment operation. The first and second alignment units of the five alignment units are waiting below the track 25. Next, as shown in Figure 5, when the drive device 26 drives the first alignment unit to lift up along the drive direction 2D, the pressure plate 22 is moved by the cam mechanism 24, stretching the spring 23 connecting the fixed plate 21 and pressure plate 22 and widening the entrance 20 for the workpiece 7. At this time, the widening entrance 20 approaches the lower side of the slope 12 of the alignment device 2.

Synchronized with this timing, the slope work stopper 121 slides upward in the upward direction 121D, causing the work 7 to slide down the slope 12 (dropping the work 7) and into the alignment unit through the entrance 20. The alignment unit receives the work 7 that has slid in through the entrance 20, while being driven by the drive unit 26 and continues to transport it along the drive direction 2D (Figures 6-7). After allowing the work 7 to slide, the slope work stopper 121 descends and returns to its original position, where it waits for the next work 7 to be supplied from the conveyor 1's transport path work stopper 111.

As described above, the alignment unit receives the workpieces 7 and is transported above the track 25 by the drive unit 26. The biasing force of the spring 23 causes the presser plate 22 to narrow the entrance 20, and the received workpieces 7 are pressed against the fixing plate 21 to secure them (Figure 7). The five alignment units repeat this operation one after another. As shown in Figure 8, when the five alignment units with fixed workpieces 7 are aligned above the track 25, the group of workpieces is transported to a position within reach of the arm 31 of the robot 3 and waits until they are picked up by the robot 3.

Figures 9 and 10 show the configuration of the arranging device 3. The arranging device 3 is a robot 3 and has an arm 31 that is capable of simultaneously grasping a group of five workpieces arranged by the alignment device 2 at equal intervals and in the same direction. The arm 31 has five sub-arms. These five sub-arms are controlled to operate in coordination with each other, and each grasps a workpiece 7. At this time, the spacing between the workpieces 7 is adjusted according to the receiving portions 82 of the returnable container 8, and the workpieces are inserted all at once (Figure 10).

Figure 11 shows a flowchart of the workpiece alignment method according to this embodiment. The workpiece alignment method aligns multiple workpieces 7, each having two parallel surfaces on opposite sides, and inserts them all at once into the partitioned receiving section 82 of the returnable container 8. The method includes a loading step S1, an alignment step S2, and an arrangement step S3.

In the carrying-in step S1, a conveyor 1 having a slope 12 that slides the workpieces 7 one by one from a high place to a low place advances the multiple workpieces 7 in a line and pushes them out to the high side of the slope 12. In the alignment step S2, an alignment device 2 receives the workpieces 7 one by one on the low side of the slope 12 and aligns the multiple workpieces (five in this embodiment) at equal intervals. In the arrangement step S3, an alignment device 3 grasps the aligned group of workpieces collectively and inserts them all at once into the receiving portion 82 of the returnable box 8.

The alignment step S2 includes a receiving step S21, a fixing step S22, and a waiting step S23. The receiving step S21, fixing step S22, and waiting step S23 are performed for each workpiece 7. In the receiving step S21, the cam mechanism 24 of the alignment device 2 moves the presser plate 22 to widen the entrance 20 before receiving the workpiece, and receives the workpiece 7. In the fixing step S22, the presser plate 22 uses the spring 23 to press and fix the workpiece 7 after receiving it. In the waiting step S23, after receiving the workpiece, the alignment device 2 slides the workpiece 7 on the track 25, and waits for each group of workpieces.

With the above configuration, the workpiece alignment device and workpiece alignment method of this embodiment can align multiple workpieces at equal intervals and pack them all together while still aligned, thereby speeding up the workpiece packing process for multiple workpieces.

<Other Embodiments>
In the above embodiment, an example was introduced in which the workpiece was a clutch plate in a clutch press process. However, the workpiece is not limited to the above example, and the present invention can be applied to any workpiece having two parallel surfaces on opposite sides.

As such, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 conveyor, 12 slope, 2 alignment device, 22 pressure plate, 23 spring, 24 cam mechanism, 3 arrangement device, 7 work, 8 returnable box, 82 receiving portion

Claims (2)

A work alignment device that aligns a plurality of workpieces (7) having two parallel surfaces on opposite sides and inserts them all at once into a partitioned receiving section (82) of a returnable box (8),
a conveyor (1) having a slope (12) for sliding workpieces one by one from a high place to a low place, for advancing a plurality of workpieces in a line, and for pushing them out to the high place side of the slope;
an alignment device (2) that receives the workpieces one by one at the lower side of the slope and aligns the plurality of workpieces at equal intervals;
an arrangement device (3) that collectively grips the aligned workpieces and inserts them into the receiving portion of the returnable box;
Equipped with
The alignment device has, for each workpiece, a presser plate (22) that widens the entrance before receiving the workpiece and presses down and fixes the workpiece after receiving the workpiece, a spring (23) that urges the presser plate so as to press down the workpiece, and a cam mechanism (24) that moves the presser plate to widen the entrance, and after receiving the workpiece, the workpiece slides and waits. A work aligning method for aligning a plurality of workpieces (7) having two parallel surfaces on opposite sides, and inserting them all at once into a partitioned receiving section (82) of a returnable container (8), comprising:
A conveyor (1) having a slope (12) for sliding workpieces one by one from a high place to a low place advances a plurality of workpieces in a line and pushes them to the high place side of the slope (S1);
an alignment step (S2) in which an alignment device (2) receives the workpieces one by one at the lower side of the slope and aligns the plurality of workpieces at equal intervals;
an arranging step (S3) in which an arranging device (3) collectively grips the aligned plurality of workpieces and collectively inserts them into the receiving portion of the returnable box;
Including,
The alignment step includes a receiving step (S21) in which a cam mechanism (24) of the alignment device moves a pressure plate (22) to widen the entrance before receiving the workpiece and receives the workpiece, a fixing step (S22) in which the pressure plate uses a spring (23) to press and fix the workpiece after receiving it, and a waiting step (S23) in which the alignment device slides the workpiece after receiving it and makes it wait, and this is a work alignment method in which the receiving step, fixing step, and waiting step are performed for each workpiece.