JPH0428490B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field This invention relates to a device for stacking a plurality of gears to be subjected to heat treatment, and in particular, to a device for stacking a plurality of gears to be subjected to heat treatment, and in particular, to use an industrial robot to pick up and pick up gears to be subjected to heat treatment.
It relates to a device for stacking the gears at positions defined by guide rods on the tray.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY For example, in the case of ring gears, gears or workpieces that have undergone machining such as gear cutting are sent to a heat treatment process to undergo a prescribed heat treatment, and then sent to a polishing and lapping process to finish the product. Conventionally, in this manufacturing process, transporting workpieces from the machining process to the heat treatment process involves packing a large number of workpieces that have been machined into boxes, transporting them using forklifts, carts, etc. to the vicinity of the heat treatment furnace. Then they are stacked on a tray. In other words, the workpieces that have been machined are packed into boxes by dropping the workpieces from the shooter and dividing the wooden box into a matrix inside the box by indexing each pitch one by one using an indexing device. One workpiece is stored in each compartment. The wooden boxes filled in this way are transported by forklift or trolley, and during the heat treatment process, the workpieces are manually removed from the wooden boxes and stacked on refractory trays, which are then directly placed in the heat treatment furnace. is being sent to.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the past, workpieces were transported in wooden boxes and then stacked on trays manually, so improvements should be made in terms of labor saving or automation. There are many points, but the reality is that automation is not possible because the problems described below have not been solved.

That is, conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a tray 3 is constructed by erecting a plurality of guide rods 2 on a substrate 1, and the circular holes 4a of a workpiece 4 are fitted into the guide rods 2. Accordingly, the works 4 are aligned, stacked on the tray 3, and sent as they are to a heat treatment furnace (not shown). The guide rod 2 has a cross-sectional shape that has at least three protrusions that can contact the inner periphery of the circular hole 4a of the workpiece 4, and has a cross-sectional shape that has at least three protrusions that can contact the inner periphery of the circular hole 4a of the workpiece 4. Polygonal or star-shaped shapes are suitable. In addition, by using the guide rod 2 with a Y-shaped cross section as in the tray shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,
Since a recess is formed around the guide rod, the operability of attaching and removing a workpiece to and from the guide rod 2 is improved. This guide rod 2
is made by welding three ladder-like members radially butt together at a 120 degree pitch. A cylindrical pin 25 is provided protruding from the center of the tip of the guide rod 2. Therefore, since the tray 3 essentially serves as a carrier for the workpieces 4, it is desirable to stack the workpieces 4 directly on the tray 3 without using a wooden box. However, since the tray 3 is loaded with the workpieces 4 and sent into the heat treatment furnace and is repeatedly heated and cooled, the substrate 1 and the guide rod 2
However, as shown in Figure 4, it deforms from the normal state shown by the chain line to the state shown by the solid line, and the amount of the deformation is
The direction is different for each tray 3 and different each time it passes through the heat treatment furnace. On the other hand, if stacking is to be carried out using an automatic machine, it is necessary to determine the stacking position in advance, but with the conventional tray 3, the stacking position, that is, the position of the tip of the guide rod, cannot be fixed because it is severely deformed. This is impossible, and because of this, it is not possible to automate the stacking of the workpieces 4, and the actual situation is that it is done manually.

However, industrial robots conventionally used in various fields have a high degree of freedom of movement and can be made to perform a variety of tasks through teaching. It is conceivable to have a robot do it. However, the movement path of the robot is limited to the path memorized through teaching, so if the position of the work target changes every time, even the robot will not be able to perform the work as expected. Therefore, the work of stacking the workpieces 4 on the tray 3, which undergoes unspecified deformation, is
Because the stowage location could not be determined, even industrial robots could not be used to carry out the process.

In particular, if the guide rod 2 is deformed and tilted,
Depending on which direction the guide rod 2 is tilted, the position detection point cannot be specified, and it is also difficult to detect the center position of the guide rod 2, which is necessary when mounting the workpiece W.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, this invention has been developed in such a way that when gears (i.e., workpieces) that have not been heat-treated in the gear manufacturing process are stacked on a tray by an industrial robot, the actual position of the guide rod, which is the stacking position, is The object of the present invention is to provide a device that can automatically and accurately measure the tip position.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention operates a heat-treated gear having a circular hole in the center through which a shaft is inserted, according to a procedure based on pre-stored data. An industrial robot picks up the gear with its hand and places the gear to be heat treated on a tray with a guide rod with a non-circular cross section erected on a board.
In the heat-treated gear stacking device for trays configured to stack gears by inserting the guide rod into the circular hole, a cylindrical index pin is provided protruding from the center of the tip of the guide rod, and the hand is moved to a predetermined position in a horizontal plane. a first non-contact sensor that operates in response to an index pin at the tip of the guide rod when the hand is moved in the X direction, and a first non-contact sensor that operates in response to an index pin at the tip of the guide rod; A second non-contact sensor is attached to the hand and operates in response to the
Move the hand in the X direction and Y direction from the predetermined origin position.
It is characterized in that the position data of the guide rod on which the index pin is provided is corrected based on the amount of movement in the X direction and the Y direction until each sensor operates. be.

Function When a search operation is performed based on the teaching contents, the hand that grips the gear to be heat treated moves to a predetermined origin position, and then moves from there in either the X direction or the Y direction. Then, the first or second non-contact sensor operates in response to the index pin of the guide rod of the tray, and as a result,
The position of the guide rod from the origin position in the direction or Y direction is determined. At this time, even if the guide rod has a non-circular cross section and has directionality, the index pin is cylindrical and has no directionality, so the center position of the guide rod can be determined accurately. Next, by moving the hand in a direction orthogonal to the previous direction, the sensor corresponding to that direction operates, and as a result, the position of the guide rod from the origin position in the other direction is determined. Based on the position data of the guide rod in the X and Y directions obtained in this way, the pre-stored coordinate values of the guide rod are corrected, and as a result, the industrial robot moves toward the tip of the actual guide rod to move the target article. To transport certain gears to be heat treated and stack them accurately along a guide rod.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a stacking device for heat-treated gears equipped with a stacking position measuring device according to the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a stacking device for gears to be heat treated, which is equipped with an industrial robot such as a cylindrical robot (hereinafter simply referred to as robot). Within the operating range of 10, two conveyors 12 and 13 are installed to transport gears 11 that have been machined and have not yet been heat treated (hereinafter referred to as workpieces). The work 11
Lifters 14, 15 are arranged at the end of each conveyor 12, 13 to lift the conveyors to a predetermined height. Further, discriminating devices 16 and 17 are provided slightly before the terminal end of each conveyor 12 and 13, respectively, for determining the type of work 11 conveyed by the conveyors 12 and 13 and outputting a signal. The robot 10 raises and lowers the arm portion 18, and the arm portion 1
The control device 20 is configured to extend and retract the workpiece 8, rotate the hand 19 attached to the tip of the arm portion 18, and grip the workpiece 11 by the hand 19, and is based on data stored through teaching. Each of the discriminating devices 16 and 17 is connected to a control device 20 in order to perform each operation based on an output signal from the workpiece 11, and to perform an operation according to the type of workpiece 11. A plurality of (three in the figure) stands 21 are installed within the operating range of the hand 19 for installing the tray 3, which has a guide rod 2 erected on the board 1, at a predetermined position. .

Here, the tray 3 is for stacking the workpieces 11 and feeding them into a heat treatment furnace (not shown), and is deformed each time it is used.
Therefore, a position measuring device for measuring the actual position of the guide rod 2 is attached to the hand 19. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, an X-direction sensor 22 consisting of a pair of emitter 22a and a light receiver 22b facing each other in a predetermined Y direction in a horizontal plane, and a pair facing in an X direction orthogonal to the Y direction. floodlight 23
Y direction sensor 23 consisting of a and a light receiver 23b
is attached to a predetermined location of the hand 19 via a bracket 24, and a cylindrical index pin 25 protruding from the center of the tip of the guide rod 2 is connected to the projector 22.
By blocking the light between a and 23a and the light receivers 22b and 23b, the light receivers 22b and 23b output a signal to the control device 20 to determine the center position of the guide rod 2. That is, hand 19
by moving from the predetermined origin position in the X direction
The direction sensor 22 is an index pin 25 integrated with the guide rod 2
Find the amount of movement until it operates in response to
The Y-direction position data is measured in the same manner for the Y direction, and based on the obtained data, the existing guide rod position data is corrected by a correction function within the control device 20. .

Next, the effect will be explained.

In response to the activation signal, the robot 10 first searches for the tray 3, that is, measures the actual position of the guide rod 2.
Since the tray 3 is replaced every time the workpiece 11 becomes full, the search is performed for each guide rod 2 of the replaced empty tray 3. That is, the hand 19 moves to a predetermined origin position by teaching, and then moves in the Y direction. As the hand 19 moves in the Y direction, the light at the Y direction sensor 23 is blocked by the index pin 25, and the amount of movement from the origin position to that point is taken into the control device 20 as Y direction position data. Hand 19 pauses. Then, the hand 19 moves slightly backward in the Y direction (performs a recess operation), and then moves in the X direction. When the hand 19 moves to a certain extent in the X direction, the index pin 25 blocks the light from the X direction sensor 22, and the amount of movement in the X direction up to that point is taken into the control device 20 as X direction position data.
The control device 20 corrects the X-Y coordinate values of the target guide rod 2 based on these X-direction position data and Y-direction position data. That is, the coordinate values of the guide rod 2 stored by the teaching operation are corrected based on the position data obtained by the above-described search operation, and the stored contents are replaced with the actual coordinate values of the guide rod 2.

By the way, after the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 performs the above-mentioned search operation, it performs the stacking operation described below.

When the workpiece 11 conveyed by the conveyors 12 and 13 reaches its terminal end, the lifter 14 and 1
5 pushes up the work 11 to a predetermined height.
The robot 10 turns toward the work 11 pushed up by the lifters 14 and 15, and lowers the hand 19 to pick up the work 11. In that case, the presence or absence of the work 11 on a predetermined one of the two lifters 14 and 15 (for example, the lifter 14) is determined, and if the work 11 is on that lifter, the hand 19 is directed toward that lifter. If there is no work 11 on that lifter, it is determined whether there is a work on the other lifter. Workpiece 11 picked up by hand 19
The type is determined by a discriminating device 16 during the transportation process.
17, and its signal is input to the control device 20, so that the robot 10
performs a stacking operation corresponding to the work 11 picked up by the hand 19. In other words, since the tray 3 on which the workpieces 11 are to be stacked is designated for each type of workpiece 11, the teaching content differs for each type of workpiece 11, and the hand 19
The type of the workpiece 11 picked up by the discriminating device 16,
17, the output signal selects the teaching content corresponding to the type of workpiece 11, and the robot 10 operates according to the teaching content.

The hand 19 that has picked up the workpiece 11 swings to the guide rod 2 of the designated tray 3 and then descends to fit the workpiece 11 onto the guide rod 2. In that case, even if the tray 3 is deformed, the actual position of the guide rod 2 is detected by the above-mentioned search operation, and the data has been corrected by teaching, so the robot 10 can move the workpiece. 1
1 into the outer periphery of the guide rod 2 accurately.

Note that although an optical sensor is used in the above-described embodiment, other types of non-contact sensors such as magnetic sensors can be used in the present invention.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the apparatus of the present invention is configured to measure the actual position of the guide rod that serves as a guide for stacking gears to be heat treated, and to import the data as control data for the robot. Therefore, if the device of the present invention is incorporated into a stacking device, even if the trays and their guide rods are deformed and the position of the guide rods changes each time a tray is replaced, the robot will operate relative to its actual position. Therefore, it is possible to automate the stacking work on heat treatment trays, which was previously impossible. In particular, since the guide rod is equipped with a cylindrical index pin at the center of the tip,
The accurate position of the guide rod can be detected no matter which direction it is tilted. In addition, the sensor of this invention may be an optical or magnetic type that can be easily turned on and off.
Since an off-sensor can be used, a low-cost and highly reliable device can be obtained. Furthermore, since a non-contact sensor is used as a sensor for detecting the index pin, there is an effect that the tip position of the guide rod will not be shifted due to contact.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a stacking device equipped with a position measuring device according to the present invention, and FIG.
3A is a plan view of the tray, FIG. 3B is a side view thereof, and FIG. 4 is a partial side view showing the tray in a deformed state. 1... Board, 2... Guide rod, 3... Tray, 1
0...Industrial robot, 11...Heat-treated gear,
12, 13...Conveyor, 19...Hand, 20
...Control device, 22...X direction sensor, 23...
Y direction sensor, 25... Index pin.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An industrial robot that operates according to a procedure based on pre-stored data picks up a heat-treated gear, which has a circular hole in the center through which the shaft is inserted, with its hand, and lifts it up using a guide rod with a non-circular cross section. In an apparatus for stacking heat-treated gears on a tray, the gears to be heat-treated are stacked on a tray by inserting the guide rod into the circular hole, and the gears to be heat-treated are stacked on a tray with the guide rod inserted into the circular hole. a first non-contact sensor that operates in response to the index pin at the tip of the guide rod when the hand is moved in a predetermined X direction in a horizontal plane; A second non-contact sensor is attached to the hand and operates in response to the index pin when the hand is moved in the Y direction orthogonal to the hand, and the hand is moved in the X direction and the Y direction from a predetermined origin position. A heat-treated gear for a tray, characterized in that the position data of a guide rod provided with an index pin is corrected based on the amount of movement in the X direction and the Y direction until each sensor operates. Stacking position measuring device in stacking equipment.