JPS5822315B2 - Transporter synchronization device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a carrier synchronization device for a carrier, which allows a work robot to perform arbitrary work on the carrier in the carrier in synchronization with the movement of the carrier.

Conventionally, in various conveying machines such as hanger devices, belt conveyors, and roller conveyors, loading and unloading work, painting, spot welding, etc. on conveyed objects must be done by temporarily stopping the movement, and it is necessary to quickly This has the disadvantage that moving work is interrupted.

Further, if the conveyed object is not conveyed at regular intervals, or if a predetermined processing operation is to be performed only on an arbitrary conveyed object, a complicated position detection device must be separately provided.

In order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, in recent years, a synchronous control system has been developed in which the conveying body of a conveying machine is allowed to perform arbitrary operations in synchronization with the movement of the conveying body while the conveying machine is traveling.

However, this method has a major problem in its practical application because extremely complicated position control and speed control must be performed in conjunction with each other.

Therefore, the present invention provides an auxiliary robot-like running body that can easily synchronize and follow a running conveyance body such as a hanger in a hanger device or a moving load on a conveyor, and accurately detects the traveling conveyance body by knowing the position of the running body. A transporter synchronization device for a transporter that detects the traveling position of the transporter and simultaneously synchronizes the operating part of the robot with the transporter, allowing the robot to easily perform arbitrary tasks on the transporter while it is in motion. This is what we propose.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a traveling device that is provided with a traveling body that is equipped with a drive mechanism and slides in a longitudinal direction, and an operation that is linked to a controller that sends a drive signal for the traveling body to the drive mechanism. an actuating mechanism that causes the actuator to appear and retract from the conveyor travel line of the conveyor; and a travel position of the travel body when the conveyor comes into contact with the actuator and the travel body travels in synchronization with the conveyor. The present invention provides a carrier synchronization device for a carrier comprising a position detector for detecting the position of the carrier.

The present invention will be described below based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall plan view schematically showing the device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the traveling device in operation.

In each of the above figures, 1 is the carrier of carrier A, 2 is the traveling device, 3 is the traveling body, 4 is the actuator, 5 is the controller, 6 is the variable resistor, 7 is the operating mechanism, and 8 is the traveling position detection 9 and 9 indicate the operating parts of the working robot B, respectively.

The conveyor A is controlled by the device of the present invention, and includes a banger device, a belt conveyor, etc.
The carrier 1 represents a moving object, such as a conveyed load suspended by a banger or placed on a conveyor, or the banger itself of a banger device.

The above-mentioned traveling device 2 has a transport machine A that carries out loading and unloading of loads, welding,
It is installed opposite to the conveyor A at a position where work such as painting is performed, and the traveling body 3 that synchronizes with the conveyance of the conveyor 1 is provided so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction. .

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, this traveling device 2 is configured such that a traveling body 3 slides on a guide rail via wheels.

The drive mechanism 11 of the traveling body 3 is constituted by a traction mechanism/mechanism by winding a cable of a motor from both ends of the traveling device 20, or by a self-propelled mechanism in which the traveling body 3 is provided with a drive section.

The maximum speed of the traveling body 3 has a function that is equal to or higher than the maximum speed of the synchronized conveying body 1.

The traveling body 3 is provided with a controller 5 having an actuator 4 linked to a rotary variable resistor 6.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3 showing an overall plan view of the traveling body, the actuator 4 is slidably connected to the resistor 6 within the controller 5, and has a tip portion protruding outward, and a right end portion. The zero point is biased by a spring 12.

Therefore, when the actuator 4 projects its tip onto the traveling line 10 of the conveyor 10 at the right end start position of the traveling device 2, the conveyor 1 comes into contact with the actuator 4 and the actuator 4 is rotated. The resistance value of the resistor 6 changes to send an arbitrary output to the drive mechanism 11 of the traveling body 3.

In this way, when the carrier 1 is in mechanical contact with the actuator 4, the resistance value of the resistor 6 is changed to generate a predetermined voltage, so that the traveling body 3 is driven by the movement of the carrier 1. The operation of the mechanism 11 causes the robot to travel in the same direction and at the same speed as the transporter 1, thereby accurately following the transporter 1 in synchronization.

The controller 5 is configured such that the actuator 4 rotates to change the resistance value of the variable resistor 6 from the 0 point to the maximum value M point, and sends its output to the drive mechanism 11 of the traveling body 3. be done.

Further, the controller 5 is configured to be moved in position on the traveling body 3 by an actuating mechanism 7 consisting of a cylinder or the like, so that its actuator 4 can freely appear and retract on the traveling line 10.

That is, when a predetermined work to be described later is completed, the actuating mechanism 1 causes the controller 5 to slide rearward in response to a return command from the main control section C, so that the actuator 4 is removed from the running line 10.

At this time, if a return signal is sent to the drive mechanism 11 in conjunction with the backward operation of the controller 5, the traveling body 3 can be moved to the drive mechanism 11 after the actuator 4 returns to the zero point by the spring 12. The robot moves on the traveling device 2 at a predetermined speed to the starting position.

Then, when the actuating mechanism 7 operates to push the controller 5 forward again in response to an actuation command from the main control section C, the actuator 4 protrudes onto the traveling line 10 and waits for the next object to be synchronized, the carrier 1. becomes.

Next, the position detector 8 detects the traveling position of the traveling body 30, and is configured by freely using any detector such as a potentiometer, an encoder, a magnetic scale, a differential transformer, a photodetector, or the like.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a linear potentiometer is installed opposite to the traveling device 2, and the running position of the traveling body 30 is controlled by voltage changes in the range from the starting point S to the ending point E of the traveling body 3. This is to ensure accurate detection.

When the traveling position signal of the traveling body 3 from the position detector 8 is input to the main control section C, the control section C sends a signal to the working robot B.
A synchronized traveling command is sent to the robot, and the actuating part 9 of the robot follows the sliding traveling body 3 synchronously, and as a result, the actuating part 9 synchronizes with the moving body 1 at the same time, and the relative speed becomes zero. The following state is obtained.

Therefore, the operating section 9 can perform desired operations such as loading and unloading loads, spot welding, and painting on the carrier 1 at a relative speed of zero.

Here, the term "robot" refers to various working machines such as a manipulator and a loader 1, and the operating section 9 includes a gripping tool, a welding machine, a coating machine, and the like.

As a method of synchronizing the operating section 9 with the traveling body 3, for example, using a bridge circuit 14 as shown in FIG. 4a,
The drive unit 15 of the working robot B may be controlled so as to make the positional deviation between the operating unit 9 and the traveling body 3 zero.

The working robot B is configured such that an operating section 9 including a driving section 15 slides on a beam 16, and is disposed opposite to the carrier A.

The position of the actuator 9 on the beam 16 is detected by a position detector 17.

Therefore, the position detector 8 of the traveling body 3 and the position detector 17 of the robot operating unit 9 constitute a bridge circuit 14 as shown in FIG. When the bridge is unbalanced due to the running of the bridge, the output of each detector 8,170 is
8.19, the output deviation is extracted at the addition point 20, and the deviation is given to the drive circuit 21 to operate the drive section 15 of the actuating section 9, thereby performing drive control to make the deviation zero. Ru.

Through this drive control, the actuating section 9 synchronously follows the travel of the traveling body 30, that is, the movement of the conveying body 1.

Of course, the actuating unit 9 can be synchronized with the traveling body 3 by any other control unit based on the position signal from the position detector 8.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4b, it is also possible to use a pulse counter and compare the counter values to synchronously control the actuating section 9.

That is, for example, an incremental row encoder is used as the position detector 8 of the traveling body 3 and the position detector 11 of the actuating part 9, and the generated pulses are measured by the respective pulse counters 8P and 17P. By comparing the counter values with the comparator 22 and sending a forward/reverse signal to the driving section 15 of the actuating section 9, the actuating section 9 can be caused to follow the movement of the carrier 1 in synchronization.

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the controller, in which the actuator 4 is biased toward the right end by the spring 12, and the variable resistor 6 increases the voltage in the left direction in the traveling direction of the traveling body 3, centering on the zero point O. In the right direction, the voltage increases in the backward direction.

Therefore, in the case of the controller 5, at the starting point of the traveling device 2, the actuator 4 is located at the -M point, or the spring 1 is activated by a start indicator (not shown).
2, and is rotated from the zero point O in the direction of 10M by the contact of the carrier 1 with the actuator 4, and travels synchronously.

Therefore, when the robot completes the predetermined work, the actuator 4 is removed from the travel line 10 by the drive of the actuating mechanism 7, so the actuator 4 is rotated by the spring 12 from the zero point O to the left side - point M. , the traveling body 3 is stopped from traveling in the same direction as the conveying body 1, and then the drive mechanism 11 is driven to automatically return the traveling body 3 to the starting position.

Other control devices 5 include ON/OF via actuator 4.
Various design changes are possible, such as drive control of the drive mechanism 11 by F control, and the actuator 4 can be moved along the travel line 10.
The operating mechanism 7 that appears and disappears can also be modified such that the controller 5 can be oscillated, or the actuator 4 can be raised and lowered.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, by placing two controllers 5, 5 on the traveling body 3 and using them in combination, it is also possible to correspond to the conveying body 1 that moves continuously.

Further, for the traveling device 2, for example, if the traveling line 10 of the conveyor A is curved, a guide rail corresponding to this may be used. Of course, it can also be used in combination with.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained.

First, the traveling body 3 is placed at the start position of the traveling device 2, the actuator 4 is positioned on the traveling line 10 of the conveying machine A, and the conveying body 1 is placed on standby, or any conveying body 1 is placed at a desired position of the traveling device 2. In order to selectively perform the work, the actuator 4 is caused to project onto the travel line 10 when a predetermined carrier 1 approaches by a command from the main control section C.

Then, a suitable position of the carrier 1 comes into contact with the actuator 4, and the traveling body 3 runs in synchronization with the carrier 1 via the actuator 4, the controller 5, and the drive mechanism 11.

By detecting the traveling position of the traveling body 30 with the position detector 8, the traveling position of the transporting body 1, which is the object of work, can be detected.

Next, if the actuating part 9 of the work robot B is made to travel in synchronization with the traveling of the traveling body 3, the actuating part 9 itself will follow the conveying body 1 synchronously, and the load will not move when the relative speed to the conveying body 1 is zero. Perform any work such as loading/unloading, spot welding, painting, etc.

After the work is completed, the actuator 4 of the controller 5 is activated by the actuating mechanism 7.
is removed from the running line 10, the traveling body 3 stops moving forward via the actuator 4, and the traveling body 3 is started by the command from the main control section C or by the operation of the drive mechanism 11 by the function of the controller 50. It moves back to the position and receives the next work command or waits for the next conveyor 1.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, by causing an auxiliary robot-like traveling body to run in synchronization with the conveyance body of an arbitrary work machine, the robot operating section can be made to synchronously follow the conveyance body with an extremely simple mechanism. Therefore, any work can be performed on the conveyor at zero relative speed.

Furthermore, since the synchronous traveling of the traveling bodies is performed by mechanical signals from the conveying body via actuators, drive control can be performed extremely easily, and robot work can be further automated.

Further, by directly synchronizing the traveling body with the conveying body, the traveling body can correspond to any type of conveying body, so that the robot itself can be synchronized smoothly without errors.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an overall plan view schematically showing the device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of the operating state of the traveling device, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the traveling body, Fig. 4a is a bridge circuit diagram, and Fig. 4b is FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the synchronization control section, FIG. 5 is a modification of the controller, FIG. 6 is a modification of the traveling body, and FIG. 7 is a modification of the traveling device. A...Conveyor, B...Work robot,
C...Main control unit, 1...Carrier, 2.
...Traveling device, 3... Traveling body, 4...
... Actuator, 5... Controller, 6...
Variable resistor, 7... Operating mechanism, 8.17...
...Position detector, 9... Actuation part, 10...
... Traveling line, 11... Drive mechanism, 12.
... Spring, 14 ... Bridge circuit, 15 ... Drive section, 16 ... Beam,
18.19...Amplifier, 20...Adder, 21...Drive circuit, 8P, 17P...
...Pulse counter, 22...Comparator.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A traveling device equipped with a driving mechanism and a traveling body that slides in the longitudinal direction, an actuator linked to a controller that sends a drive signal for the traveling body to the drive mechanism, an actuation mechanism that causes the actuator to appear and retract from the conveyor traveling line of the conveyor, and detecting the traveling position of the conveyor when the conveyor comes into contact with the actuator and the traveler travels in synchronization with the conveyor. A carrier synchronization device for a carrier, comprising a position detector. 2. The controller provided on the traveling body includes a variable resistor connected to the drive mechanism, and an actuator linked to the resistor to rotatably bias the actuator in one direction. A carrier synchronization device for a carrier according to item 1 above. 3. A traveling device equipped with a driving mechanism and a traveling body that slides in the longitudinal direction, an actuator linked to a controller that sends a drive signal for the traveling body to the drive mechanism, and a conveyor that connects this actuator to a controller. an actuating mechanism for moving the moving body into and out of the conveyor running line; a position detector for detecting the running position of the traveling body when the conveying body comes into contact with the actuator and the traveling body travels in synchronization with the conveying body; 1. A carrier synchronization device for a carrier machine, comprising a position detector and a control unit that compares and controls position signals from a position detector of an operating part of a robot or the like. 4. The control unit measures the generated pulses from each position detector of the traveling body and the robot actuating part with a pulse counter, and compares the counter values to drive and control the robot driving part, so that the actuating part is connected to the traveling body. 4. The carrier synchronizer for a carrier according to the above item 3, wherein the device is configured to perform synchronous tracking. 5. The control unit is configured to form a bridge circuit by the position detector of the robot operating unit and the position detector of the traveling body, and to drive and control the robot drive unit to make each voltage deviation zero. A carrier synchronization device for a carrier according to the above item 3.