JPH0753532B2 - Tile aligner - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention arranges and arranges a plurality of types of tiles having a constant shape and size and different shades and shades so that the types of the tiles vary substantially evenly within a predetermined array range. The present invention relates to a tile aligning device capable of performing the above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a plurality of tiles are aligned and integrally connected to each other, the color tone and the shade of the color are different when the construction is efficiently performed. When using multiple types of tiles, it is a good idea to arrange the tiles so that the types are almost evenly distributed in order to prevent the tiles of the same type from being gathered in one place. Be seen.

As a means for arranging and arranging a plurality of different types of tiles so that the types vary, conventionally, a transfer in which the same number of mounting positions as the types of tiles are arranged in the transfer direction is provided. On the conveyor, multiple tiles are arranged on the upper surface in a fixed array so as to be placed and provided with a number of alignment frames that are transported at regular intervals, and the supply direction is perpendicular to the transport direction of the transport conveyor. However, on a supply conveyor equipped with stoppers at the end, the number of tile supply rows is the number of tile arrangements in the transport direction of the alignment frame multiplied by the number of tile types, and the tiles are supplied by contact with the stoppers. A stack part for arranging the tiles in the same direction is provided, and the operation of adsorbing tiles is individually controlled. A set of suckers is formed by a plurality of tiles in the same arrangement as the tiles of the alignment frame. Aligning device provided so as to move back and forth between each loading position and the corresponding portion of the same number of sets by the loading position and Sutotsuku unit and has been used.

In such an aligning apparatus, a certain number of tiles of one type are supplied from the start end to the end of the supply conveyor in a constant number of sheets in the entire supply line, and thereafter, the other tiles of different types are similarly supplied. By performing the operations sequentially, a plurality of groups of tiles, each of which is a group of the same type, are sequentially supplied to the stock portion for different types.

Along with this, for the aligning frame which has reached the mounting position closest to the starting end of the conveyor, a plurality of tiles staying in the portion of the stock portion corresponding to the mounting position are randomly selected. Things are sucked by a suction cup and placed, and when this alignment frame moves to the next placement position, the tiles located at predetermined positions from the portion corresponding to the placement position are attracted and transferred to the alignment frame, Such an operation is performed every time the alignment frame passes each mounting position. As a result, tiles are transferred to the alignment frame in multiple times, and when the alignment frame has passed all the placement positions, the transfer of tiles to the alignment frame is completed, and the alignment frame has multiple types of tiles. The tiles are arranged in a state where the tiles are arranged in a substantially even manner.

In the above apparatus, when a tile is taken out from the stock part, the part where the tile is missing is clogged by the tile to be supplied later. In the above, the number of tiles supplied to the stock part for each type is constant, whereas the number of tiles taken out from the stock part is not always constant. Therefore, when the suction cups of the transfer body suck the tiles of the stock portion, the type of the tiles that each suction cup sucks is not fixed.

However, the fact that the types of tiles sucked by the suction cups are not fixed means that the state of variations in tile types is left to chance. Therefore, in an extreme case, it is possible that the type of tiles placed in one alignment frame multiple times will be the same every time, and it is necessary to evenly distribute the types of tiles. There was a problem that it could not be performed reliably.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems As a means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides a conveyer conveyor in which the same number of mounting positions as the types of tiles are arranged side by side in the conveying direction. Providing a number of alignment frames that are arranged and placed in a fixed array and are conveyed at regular intervals,
When the number of rows of tiles is the same as the number of tiles arranged in the direction of transportation of the alignment frame and the number of tiles in the feeding direction is the same as the number of tiles in the feeding direction of the aligning frame when the feeding direction is perpendicular to the feeding direction of the feeding conveyor The stock parts are arranged in the supply direction in the same number as the number of tiles corresponding to the mounting positions, and the supply conveyor is provided with replenishment means for replenishing the same kind of tiles for each stock part to adsorb the tiles. The movement is controlled individually, and a set of suction cups made up of a plurality of tiles of the same alignment frame are reciprocally moved between the stock part and the mounting position by the same number of sets as the kind of tiles. It is configured to be provided.

[0009]

The present invention has the above-described structure, and each stock part is supplied with only the same type of tile different from the other stock parts by the supply means.

When the aligning frame moving on the transfer conveyor reaches the placement position on the most start side, a predetermined position is selected from a plurality of tiles of the same type that are retained in the stock portion corresponding to the placement position. Only the tiles are adsorbed by the suction cups and placed on the alignment frame with the same arrangement as that in the stock part.

After that, when the alignment frame reaches the next placement position, how many tiles of different types are retained in the stock portion corresponding to the placement position and already placed on the alignment frame. The tiles are sucked by the suction cups and placed on the alignment frame, and such an operation is performed every time the alignment frame passes each placement position.

When the alignment frame has passed all the placement positions, tiles are placed over the entire alignment frame, whereby tiles of a predetermined type are placed at predetermined positions of the alignment frame. The tile alignment is complete.

Meanwhile, in the meantime, in each stock portion, every time the tile is taken out, an empty portion of the tile is filled with tiles of the same type supplied later. Therefore, when placing tiles in the subsequent alignment frame, there will always be tiles under the suction cups that try to suck, and there will be no places where tiles are not placed in the alignment frame. .

As described by the above operation, the tile aligning apparatus of the present invention can select a tile of a desired type because the type of tile sucked by each sucker is always constant in each sucker. It can be surely placed at a desired position in the alignment frame. Therefore, when arranging and arranging multiple types of tiles of different types so that the types are almost evenly distributed, it is possible to reliably prevent only tiles of the same type from being placed in one alignment frame. There is an effect that can be.

Further, since a desired type of tile can be placed at a desired position in the alignment frame, it is possible to represent a pattern, a pattern, etc. using a plurality of types of tiles having different shades and shades of color. effective.

[0016]

EXAMPLE An example in which the present invention is applied to the case of aligning two types of tiles TL and TR having a long side and a short side each having a constant rectangle and having different shades and shades of color It will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The transfer conveyor 1 is designed to transfer a large number of alignment frames 2 arranged in a line with a fixed pitch. Eighteen positioning recesses 3 are formed on the upper surface of each alignment frame 2 in the shape of a rectangle that matches the tiles TL and TR, and the short sides thereof are oriented parallel to the transport direction. The positioning recesses 3 are arranged in a line in the carrying direction and in a direction perpendicular to the carrying direction with a narrow gap 4 corresponding to the joint interval, and are composed of three carrying rows in which six pieces are arranged in the carrying direction. ing.

Further, two placement positions 5L and 5R are provided on the transport conveyor 1 with the same pitch as the alignment frame 2 in the transport direction.

On the side of the conveyer conveyor 1, the supply conveyer 10 is arranged such that the supply direction is perpendicular to the convey direction of the conveyer conveyor 1 and the ends are located near the two mounting positions 5L and 5R.
Is provided. On the supply conveyor 10, two sets of six rows, which are partitioned by a guide rail 11 parallel to the supply direction and guide the tiles TL and TR with their long sides parallel to the supply direction, form one set. Supply path 12L, 12R
Are arranged side by side so as to correspond to the two mounting positions 5L and 5R.

At the end of the supply conveyor 10, an elongated stopper 14 perpendicular to the supply direction is fixed, and each supply path 12 is provided.
The tiles TL and TR supplied along L and 12R come into contact with the stopper 14 to be retained. Then, the stocking section 1 in which the end portions of the supply paths 12L and 12R of each set retain the tiles TL and TR, respectively.
It is 5L and 15R.

Stock part 15L of the supply conveyor 10, 1
Above the 5R, suction cups 21L for sucking tiles on the lower surface, 2L
The transfer body 20 including 1R is provided so as to reciprocate between the transfer positions of the transport conveyor 1 and the positions above the mounting positions 5L and 5R. As for the suction cups 21L and 21R of the transfer body 20, 18 sets are arranged as one set corresponding to the positioning recess 3 of the alignment frame 2 and two sets are provided so as to correspond to the two mounting positions 5L and 5R. . And suckers 21L, 21R
The suction of the tiles TL and TR by the is performed while being individually controlled for each of the suction cups 21L and 21R by a control device (not shown).

At the start end of the supply conveyor 10, two replenishment conveyors (replenishment means, which is a constituent element of the present invention, whose reciprocal direction is perpendicular to the supply conveyor 10 and whose ends are located on the left and right sides of the supply conveyor 10 respectively). 25)
L and 25R are provided. Each supply conveyor 25L,
In 25R, the tiles TL and TR are arranged and conveyed such that the short side is parallel to the moving direction and the supply rows are three rows. In addition, the supply conveyors 25L, 2
Stoppers 26, 26 are fixed to the end of 5R,
The conveyed tiles TL, TR once come into contact with the stoppers 26, 26 so as to temporarily stay therein.

Above the ends of the supply conveyors 25L, 25R, suction cups 28L, 28 for adsorbing tiles are provided on the lower surfaces, respectively.
The transfer bodies 27L and 27R provided with R are the supply conveyor 10
It is provided so as to reciprocate with the starting end of the.
Sixteen suction cups 28L and 28R of the transfer bodies 27L and 27R are arranged in each replenishment row so as to correspond to the supply paths 12L and 12R of the supply conveyor 10, and a total of eighteen suction cups 28L and 28R are provided. The suction of the tiles TL and TR by the suction cups 28L and 28R is performed simultaneously by all the suction cups 28L and 28R.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In the replenishment conveyor 25L provided on the left side of the figure, only one type of tile TL of the two types of tiles TL and TR is conveyed, and on the replenishment conveyor 25R provided on the right side, only the other type of tile TR is conveyed. To be done.

At the end of each replenishment conveyor 25L, 25R, the transfer bodies 27L, 27R are activated when six or more conveyed tiles TL, TR have accumulated in each replenishment row, and their suction cups 28L, 28R are operated. The 18 tiles TL and TR are adsorbed all at once and moved to the starting end of the supply conveyor 10.

At the starting end of the supply conveyor 10, 18 tiles TL conveyed by the left supply conveyor 25L are provided in each of the six supply paths 12L on the left side of the supply path 12.
The tiles TR transferred by the right supply conveyor 25R are transferred to the right supply path 12R in the same manner. The tiles TL and TR transferred to the supply paths 12L and 12R move toward the transport conveyor 1 side one after another,
It contacts the stopper 14 at the end of the supply conveyor 10.

By repeating the replenishment of the tiles TL and TR by the replenishing conveyors 25L and 25R, at least three tiles are provided for each of the supply paths 12L and 12R in the left and right stock parts 15L and 15R, respectively. TL,
Try to retain TR.

In this state, the transport conveyor 1 moves a large number of alignment frames 2 from the left side to the right side in the drawing. Empty alignment frame 2 on which tiles TL and TR are not placed
However, as shown in FIG. 1, of the two placement positions 5L and 5R, the placement position 5L on the starting end side, that is, on the left side in the transport direction.
When it comes close to, the stocker 15 corresponding to the stock part 15L on the left side of the transfer body 20 located above the terminal end of the supply conveyor 18
Of the individual suction cups 21L, only a predetermined suction cup 21L adsorbs the tiles TL retained in the stock portion 15L.

Then, only the adsorbed tile TL is taken out from the stock portion 15L and conveyed to the left mounting position 5L, and as shown in FIG. 2, the left mounting position 5L.
At the same time when the alignment frame 2 reaches L, it is transferred to the alignment frame 2 and fitted into the corresponding positioning recess 3.

The alignment frame 2 on which the tiles TL have been transferred as described above moves toward the mounting position 5R on the right side, and the transfer body 20 returns to above the terminal end of the supply conveyor 10.

In the meantime, in the stock part 15L on the left side, when the tile TL is taken out, the empty portion where the tile TL is removed is filled by moving the subsequent tiles TL of the same type.

When the alignment frame 2 on which the tiles TL are transferred from the stock part 15L on the left side approaches the mounting position 5L on the right side as shown in FIG. 1, a portion 18 corresponding to the stock part 15R on the right side of the transfer body 20 is provided. Of the individual suckers 21R, the alignment frame 2
Only the suction cup 21R corresponding to the place where the left tile TL is not transferred is the tile TR of the right stock portion 15R.
Adsorb.

Then, the adsorbed tiles TR are carried to the placement position 5R on the right side and, as shown in FIG.
Is transferred to the alignment frame 2 at the same time when it reaches the mounting position 5R on the right side. The transferred tiles TR are fitted into the vacant positioning recesses 3 of the alignment frame 2. As a result, in the alignment frame 2, two types of tiles TL and TR are fitted in all the positioning recesses 3 and aligned in a predetermined arrangement.

The above-mentioned operation of adsorbing the tile TL of the left stock portion 15L and transferring it to the alignment frame 2 at the left mounting position 5L, and adsorbing the tile TR of the right stock portion 15R and placing it on the right side. The operation of transferring to the alignment frame 2 at the position 5R is performed at the same time. That is, at the placement position 5L on the left side, while some tiles TL are placed on the subsequent alignment frame 2 in which no tiles TL and TR are placed, at the same time as the placement position 5R on the right side. At the tile TL
The tiles TR are placed in the vacant positioning recesses 3 of the preceding alignment frame 2 on which the tiles are placed, and the alignment is completed. By repeating this, in each alignment frame 2,
The tile TL of the left stock portion 15L and the tile TR of the right stock portion 15R are transferred.

As described in the above operation, the left stock portion 15L and the right stock portion 15R always have the same type of tiles TL and TR, respectively, and the left mounting position 5L. Only the tile TL is transferred, and only the tile TR of a different type from the tile TL is transferred to the mounting position 5R on the right side. Therefore, it is possible to surely arrange the tiles TL and TR of a desired type at a desired position of the alignment frame 2.

As a result, when the tiles TL and TR are to be arranged so that the types thereof are substantially evenly scattered,
It is possible to reliably prevent only one type of tile from being aligned in one alignment frame.

Further, it is possible to represent a picture or a pattern by utilizing the difference in the color tone of the tile, the shade of the color, and the like.

In the present embodiment, the number of transfer rows of the alignment frame 2 is three and the number of tile arrays in each transfer row is six. However, according to the present invention, the number of transfer rows and each transfer row are arranged. The number of tile arrangements of can be any number other than the number in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the tiles TL and TR in the alignment frame 2 are arranged in a row in the transport direction of the transport conveyor 1 and in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. As described above, according to the present invention, the tiles are arranged in a row at right angles to the transport direction, that is, in the same direction as the supply direction of the supply conveyor, in order to perform brick-laying. It can also be applied when tiles are arranged so as to be offset from each other. In this case, the suction cups are arranged so as to be displaced in the transport direction corresponding to the arrangement of the tiles of the alignment frame, and the stoppers of the stock section of the supply conveyor are staggered so as to be positioned between adjacent supply paths. Good.

In this embodiment, two types of tiles T are used.
Although the case of aligning L and TR has been described, the present invention can be applied to a case of aligning three or more types of tiles in a desired arrangement. In this case, the same number of placement positions as tile types are provided in the transport conveyor side by side in the transport direction, and the supply conveyor is also provided with the same number of stock parts corresponding to the placement positions, and each stock part has a fixed number. The tiles of different types may be supplied and retained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state immediately before a tile is placed on an alignment frame.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state where tiles are placed on an alignment frame.

[Explanation of Codes] 1: Conveyor 2: Alignment Frame 5L, 5R: Placement Position 10: Supply Conveyor 14: Stopper 15L, 15R: Stock Part 21
L, 21R: Sucker 25L, 25R: Supply conveyor (supply means) TL, TR: Tiles

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of tiles are arranged and arranged on a top surface in a fixed array on a conveyor having a number of mounting positions that are the same as the number of types of tiles arranged in the conveying direction. In a supply conveyor having a large number of alignment frames conveyed by the supply conveyor, the supply direction of which is perpendicular to the transfer direction of the transfer conveyor and a stopper at the end, the number of tile supply rows is a tile array in the transfer direction of the alignment frame. The same number of stock parts as the tiles are arranged and retained in the supply direction by contacting the stockers in the same number as the types of tiles corresponding to the above-mentioned placement positions, and each stock part is provided on the supply conveyor. Is provided with a replenishing means for replenishing the same type of tiles, and the operation of adsorbing the tiles is individually controlled. A tile aligning device, characterized in that the same number of suction cups as the number of types of tiles are provided so as to reciprocate between the stock portion and the placement position.