JPH0325312B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention <Technical Field> The present invention relates to a material holding device for automatically transporting and supplying a material to be processed by a processing machine or the like to a desired position.

<Prior Art> In order to convey the materials to be processed to a processing machine or the like, the materials are supplied to a chute, and the materials are aligned in a predetermined direction in the chute and then conveyed.
In this case, if a plurality of materials are fed into the chute at the same time, the materials tend to become entangled with each other and cause clogging, so it is necessary to feed the materials one by one. Conventionally, small parts were handled by escaping them using a vibrating parts hooder, but relatively large and heavy processing materials are automatically fed one by one from a randomly stored material storage section. There was no suitable equipment available.

<Object of the Invention> The present invention provides a material holding device that separates materials randomly stored in a material storage section one by one and supplies them to a required position.

<Structure of the Invention> The present invention provides a material holding device in which materials are attracted and held by magnetic holders from randomly stored material storage portions, and the magnetic holders are attached to a pair of upper and lower supports attached to a robot arm or the like. The magnetic holder is balanced and supported vertically movably by first and second springs, and when the supporting member is lowered and the magnetic holder comes into contact with the material, the magnetic holder is moved against the first spring and the supporting member is moved upwardly and downwardly. a first detection switch that detects an upward displacement relative to the second spring; and one material is attracted to the magnetic holder due to the rising of the support member, and the magnetic holder resists the second spring. a second detection switch for detecting a downward displacement; and a third detection switch for detecting that a plurality of materials are attracted to the magnetic holder and the magnetic holder is displaced more downwardly against the second spring. It is equipped with a detection switch.

<Example> An example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. 1st
In the figure, 1 is a robot and 2 is a robot arm. This robot 1 is disposed at an intermediate point between a material storage box 4 and a supply chute 6 for processing machines and the like.

Materials 5 are randomly stored in the material storage box 4, and the material storage box 4 is supported on a support base 7 by a pivot 8 so as to be freely tiltable.

A magnetic holder 3 for attracting a material is supported at the tip of the robot arm 2 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

Its specific configuration will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. 9 is a mounting flange formed at the tip of the robot arm 2. A cylindrical support member 10 is fixed to this mounting flange 9. A support shaft 11 is attached to the center of the upper surface of the magnetic holder 3, and a flange 12 for receiving a spring is formed at the upper end. Support shaft 1 including this flange 12
1 is fitted into the support member 10 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, and a flange 12 on the support shaft 11 is in contact with a first spring 13 inserted into the support member 10. Further, a second spring 14 is interposed between the lower end surface of the support member 10 and the upper end surface of the magnetic holder 3, and the first spring 13 and the second spring 14
The magnet holder 3 is vertically balanced and supported by the spring 14. Note that the second spring 14 may be omitted, and the magnetic holder 3 may be balanced and supported in the vertical direction only by the first spring 13 that balances the weight of the magnetic holder 3. Reference numeral 15 is a stopper that restricts the downward movement of the magnetic holder 3 by more than the required amount.

Further, the support member 10 includes a first proximity switch 16 for confirming that the magnetic holder 3 has contacted the material 5, and a second proximity switch for confirming that the magnetic holder 3 has attracted one material 5. 1
7, and a third proximity switch 18 for confirming that a plurality of materials 5 have been picked up at the same time.

Further, on the magnetic holder 3 side, a first dog 19 corresponding to the first proximity switch 16 and a second dog 19 are provided.
A second dog 20 corresponding to the proximity switch 17 and a third dog 2 corresponding to the third proximity switch 18
1 is provided.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4.

When the material 5 is not attracted to the magnetic holder 3 and no push-up force is applied, the magnetic holder 3 is balanced vertically and maintained at a neutral position by the first spring 13 and the second spring 14. However, none of the first to third proximity switches 16 to 18 are activated.

In this state, the robot arm 2 is rotated to be located directly above the material storage box 4 of the magnet holder 3, and the operation start command A is issued. As a result, the magnet holder 3 turns on and the robot arm 2
The magnetic holder 3 is lowered in a fixed amount via the. The magnet holder 3 that has descended a certain amount enters the material storage box 4, and when it comes into contact with the material 5 in the material storage box 4, the balanced magnet holder 3 is displaced upward and the first dog 19 is moved to the first proximity switch. Turn on 16
do. If the magnetic holder 3 does not come into contact with the material 5, the fixed amount lowering operation of the magnetic holder 3 is repeated again.

When the first proximity switch 16 is ON, the magnetic holder 3 is moved upward by the robot arm 2. At this time, when one material is attracted to the magnetic holder 3, one of the materials 5 is
A corresponding weight is applied to the magnetic holder 3, breaking the balance state and displacing the magnetic holder 3 downward by the required amount. This displacement turns on the second proximity switch 17, confirming that one material 5 has been suctioned. If the material 5 cannot be absorbed into the magnetic holder 3 at all, the second
Since the proximity switch 17 is not turned on, the robot arm 2 moves up and down to perform the suction operation again.

In addition, when the magnetic holder 3 attracts a plurality of materials 5, the second proximity switch 17 is turned off.
At the same time that the magnet holder 3 is further displaced downward due to the weight of the plurality of materials 5, the third proximity switch 18 is turned on. In response to this signal, the magnet is turned off to release the plurality of materials 5 that have been attracted, and the robot arm 2 is moved up and down to perform the attraction operation again.

In this way, when the second proximity switch 17 is turned on and the third proximity switch 18 is not turned on, one piece of material 5 is attracted to the magnetic holder, so the robot arm 2 can perform the next operation B, i.e. , rotates toward the supply chute 6 side, turns off the magnet on the supply chute 6, and performs an operation of dropping and supplying one material 5 onto the supply chute 6.

<Effects> As described above, according to the device of the present invention, when materials are adsorbed and held by the magnetic holder from randomly stored material storage parts, the magnetic holder is stored in the material storage part by the signal from the first detection switch. In addition to being able to detect contact with the material,
Since the configuration is such that the vertical displacement of the magnetic holder due to the weight of the attracted material is detected by the second or third detection switch, it is possible to detect the contact between the magnetic holder and the material, and also to prevent the material from being absorbed. It is now possible to detect when one or more materials are picked up and when one or more materials are picked up.This makes it possible to reliably hold one material and automatically feed the materials one by one to the required position. It has the advantage of being able to

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the main parts of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention.
The line sectional view and FIG. 4 are flowcharts showing the operation of the apparatus of the present invention. 1... Robot, 2... Robot arm, 3...
...Magnetic holder, 5...Material, 10...Support member, 11...Support shaft, 13...First spring, 14...Second spring, 16...First proximity switch, 17...Second proximity Switch, 18...
3rd proximity switch, 19... 1st dog, 20...
2nd dog, 21...3rd dog.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a material holding device that uses a magnetic holder to attract and hold materials from randomly stored material storage sections, the magnetic holder is attached to a pair of upper and lower first and second springs on a support member attached to a robot arm, etc. Therefore, the magnetic holder is balanced and supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and as the supporting member is lowered and comes into contact with the material of the magnetic holder, the magnetic holder is moved upward relative to the supporting member against the first spring. a first detection switch that detects when the support member is lifted, and one material is attracted to the magnetic holder, and the magnetic holder is displaced downward against the second spring; a second detection switch that detects when a plurality of materials are attracted to the magnetic holder and the magnetic holder is displaced more downwardly against the second spring;
A material holding device equipped with a detection switch.