JPH01180263A - cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a cleaning device for parts to be cleaned, particularly for painting guns.

(Prior Art) In recent years, automobile bodies have been painted by a painting robot equipped with a paint gun at the tip of a robot arm.

Since the car body is transported by tact, there is a pause period during the painting process. If a paint gun is left idle, paint will solidify in its nozzle.

In order to deal with this problem, for example,
A cleaning device described in Japanese Patent No. 63 has been proposed.

In this cleaning device, an air vibrator outlet is arranged obliquely in front of the outlet of the paint gun, and the paint from the gun outlet is blown off with air from the air outlet.

However, although this cleaning device is effective if the shape of the gun's outlet is simple, the cleaning effect is weak for a paint gun that extends in the axial direction, such as a rotary cup type. That is,
Rotary cup type guns have a small hole that supplies paint deep inside the cup that extends in the axial direction, so no matter how much compressed air is blown,
It is difficult to blow away the remaining paint.

For guns with complicated gun outlets, such as conventional rotary cup guns, close the paint supply valve, add thinner to the paint supply pipe on the secondary side of this supply valve, and use this thinner to drain the paint supply pipe and I try to clean the gun outlet.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, even with the above technique, it is difficult to clean a portion away from the paint outlet, for example, the outer surface of the cup.

At the tip of a paint gun that paints frequently, not only the supplied paint but also the sprayed paint and floating paint mist droplets accumulate.

If these laminated paints are left unattended, they will dry out, peel off, and fall off.
Since it adheres to the surface to be painted, it is sometimes necessary to manually clean the area around the tip of the painting gun using a solvent, which is an obstacle to improving the productivity of the painting line.

Since solvents affect the health of workers, there is also a need for unmanned cleaning.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention connects a cleaning liquid supply device to a cleaning ring that reciprocates in the axial direction of a member to be cleaned, and provides a plurality of flat shapes to the cleaning ring. A cleaning device is configured by providing a spray nozzle.

(Function) Cleaning liquid is sprayed from flat nozzles surrounding the member to be cleaned, and these nozzles reciprocate in the axial direction together with the cleaning ring, thereby cleaning a wide range of the outer surface of the member to be cleaned.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a painting robot equipped with a cleaning device according to the present invention.

The painting robot 1 includes a first arm 1b pivotably attached to a substrate 1a, a second arm IC pivotably attached to the tip of the first arm 1b, and a second arm IC pivotably attached to the tip of the first arm 1b. - Cylinder units ld and le that swing the second arms 1b and 1c, respectively, a third arm 1f rotatably pivoted to the tip of the second arm IC, and a coating fixed to this arm 1f. It consists of gun 2.

The painting gun 2 is a rotary cup type gun, and the second
As shown in the figure, the gun outer cylinder 3 is screwed and fixed to the third arm 1f, the rotary cylinder 4 is rotatably fitted into the outer cylinder 3, and the cup 5 is fixed to the tip of the rotary cylinder 4. Become.

As shown in the figure, the gun outer cylinder 3 is provided with an air passage 3a and a paint passage 3b.

An air tube 3C and a paint tube 3d are connected to the inlet side of each tube 3b via a tube joint 3e.

The other end of the air passage 3a is an air jet hole 3 that opens forward at the tip of the gun outer cylinder 3 and is arranged to surround the cup 5.
It is connected to f-... On the other hand, the other end of the paint passage 3b opens toward the back space 5a of the cup 5.

The cup 5 consists of an inner surface 5b and an outer surface 5C, and the inner surface 5b has a plurality of small holes 5d communicating with the back space 5a at the back of the inner surface 5b.
-... is drilled.

The coating gun 2 having such a configuration is attached with a gas-liquid supply device 6 for supplying paint and the like.

The gas-liquid supply device 6 includes an air supply pipe 6a, a paint supply pipe 6c inserted into a paint container 6b to force-feed paint, and a thinner supply pipe 6e inserted into a thinner container 6d to force-feed thinner.
and a mixer 6f for mixing thinner and air.

The air supply pipe 6a is connected to the air tube 3c, the paint supply pipe 6c is connected to the paint tube 3d, and the outlet of the mixer 6f is in the middle of the paint supply pipe 6C and connected to the pump P and the supply valve V.
connected to the secondary side of the

A cleaning device 7 according to the present invention is arranged below the coating gun 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning device 7 includes a cleaning ring 7a formed by bending a pipe into a donut shape, and injection nozzles 7b erected inward from the ring 7a to spray the cleaning liquid in the ring 7a. , a support 7C that holds the ring 7a horizontally in the air, and a rodless cylinder unit that supports the support 7C and moves it forward and backward by a predetermined stroke (
(hereinafter referred to as the first cylinder) 7d, and this first cylinder 7
The rodless cylinder unit (hereinafter referred to as the second cylinder) 7e supports the cylinder d and advances and retreats by a predetermined stroke. Further, the cleaning ring 7a is provided with a cleaning liquid supply device 8.
are connected.

The cleaning liquid supply device 8 includes an air supply pipe 8a and a sinker container 8.
Sinker supply pipe 8 inserted into b to suction and supply sinker
C, a mixer 8d for mixing these sinkers and air, and a cleaning liquid supply hose 8e.

The injection nozzles 7b... are flat nozzles, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the short axis thereof is connected to the cleaning ring 7.
The adjacent nozzles 7b are positioned perpendicular to the radial direction of the paint gun 2 so that the spray S between them is continuous.
so that it hits the outer periphery of the

The operation of the painting robot and cleaning device having the above configuration will be described below.

In the painting gun 2 shown in FIG. 2, the paint is stored in the paint container 6b.
- The paint is poured into the back space 5a of the cup through the following route: paint supply pipe 6C → paint tube 3d → paint passage 3b. The cup 5 rotates at high speed under the action of the rotary cylinder 4, and the paint passes through the small holes 5d of the cup, reaches the inner surface 5b of the cup, and is ejected as a forward hemist along the slope of the inner surface 5b. do.

On the other hand, air is ejected from the tip of the gun outer cylinder 3 through the following route: air supply pipe 6a→work tube 3c→air passage 3a→air ejection hole 3f...

The ejected air has the effect of accelerating the paint mist ejected in parallel to extend its flying distance.

As the painting progresses, the splashing and floating paint mist from the surface to be painted forms deposits D1 on the gun outer cylinder 3 and deposits D2 on the outer surface 5C of the cup.

Based on the painting stop command, the supply of paint from the paint container 6b is stopped, and the first, second, and third arms lb,
lc and if are oscillated or rotated, the coating gun 2 is directed downward as shown in FIG. 6, and the cleaning ring 7a of the cleaning device 7 is
to face the center of

Next, the second cylinder 7e is moved to remove the cleaning ring 7a.
The ring 7a is moved to P1 in the figure, and a cleaning liquid containing a sinker and air is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply device 8 to the ring 7a via the hose 8e.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the injection nozzles 7b as a flat spray S to the painting gun 2 located at the center. In this state, the first cylinder 7d is moved forward and backward.

The cleaning ring 7a is located at positions P1 and P in the axial direction of the painting gun 2.
2 (see Fig. 6) to remove deposits D on the gun outer cylinder 3.
1 and the deposit D2 on the outer surface 5c of the cup are washed off.

In parallel with the above cleaning action, in the gas-liquid supply device 6 shown in FIG. 2, sinker and air are mixed in the mixer 6f, and this cleaning liquid is supplied to the secondary side of the supply valve 2 of the paint supply pipe 6C. Cleaning liquid is supplied from paint supply pipe 6C → paint tube 3d → paint passage 3b
- The paint passes through the cup back space 5a → the small hole 5d, and reaches the cup inner surface 5b to clean these paint passages.

As described above, the inner and outer surfaces of the coating gun 2 are thoroughly cleaned with the cleaning liquid in preparation for the next coating process.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the separate cleaning device 7 described in FIG. 1 is installed on the third arm 1 of the painting robot.
This is attached to f.

The support 7c of the cleaning ring and the guide rod 7f pass through the third arm 1f, and the base end of the support 7c is engaged with a rodless cylinder 7g fixed to the third arm 1f.

In the cleaning process, as shown in the imaginary line in FIG. 8, by pointing the coating gun 2 downward and moving the cylinder 7g forward and backward, the cleaning ring 7a performs painting in the same way as the cleaning device 7 described above. Clean the inside and outside surfaces of gun 2.

In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid is a mixture of sinker and air, but it is not limited to this, and any solvent for paint may be used.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, by spraying the cleaning liquid obliquely toward the outside of the gun rtJ3, it is possible to promote the detachment of the deposits Di and D2.

The cleaning device of the present invention is suitable for a member to be cleaned that is substantially cylindrical and long in the axial direction, such as a painting gun.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, a member to be cleaned having a complicated nozzle shape and long in the axial direction, such as a cup-shaped painting gun, can be cleaned.
Since cleaning is performed while reciprocating a plurality of flat nozzles, the member to be cleaned is kept clean, eliminating the risk of contaminating the workpiece and improving the quality of the painted surface.

Furthermore, since the cleaning process is automated, it is possible to improve productivity without damaging the health of workers.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a drawing of a painting robot equipped with a cleaning device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a painting gun, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cleaning device.
4 is an enlarged view of the cleaning ring, FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the injection nozzle, FIGS. 6 and 7 are operational views of FIG. 1, and FIG. 8 is a view showing another embodiment of FIG. 1. In the drawings, 1 is a painting robot, 2 is a paint gun which is a member to be cleaned, 7 is a cleaning device, 7a is a cleaning ring, 7b is a spray nozzle, and 8 is a cleaning liquid supply device. Patent applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Agent: Patent attorney 2 1) Yen - Immediate question Patent attorney: Kuni Ohashi, Patent attorney:
Yuki Koyama Patent Attorney No 1)
Shigeru Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A cleaning device comprising a cleaning ring that reciprocates in the axial direction of the member to be cleaned and is connected to a cleaning liquid supply device, and a plurality of spray nozzles attached to the cleaning ring radially inward. . (2) The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the injection nozzle is a flat nozzle, and the short axis of the flat nozzle is arranged in the direction of movement of the cleaning ring.