JPH02243225A - Positioning structure of pallet feeding device - 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 Application Field] The present invention is installed in various equipment such as machine tools such as automatic processing machines and automatic assembly machines, and supplies pallets mounted on a supply vehicle to various equipment. The present invention relates to a positioning structure for a pallet supply device.

[Prior Art] Generally, pallet feeding devices that supply pallets to various equipment such as machine tools such as automatic processing machines and automatic assembly machines are installed with accurate positioning relative to the machine tools such as processing machines and assembly machines. For example, it is provided as a stationary type in order to achieve assembly accuracy using a robot device.

In addition, the processing and assembly processes in the factory are
The installation location of each processing machine, assembly machine, etc. may be different due to the size of the assembly equipment and restrictions on equipment conditions. is mounted on an automatic guided vehicle or a pallet supply device, that is, a supply vehicle, and after being transported to, for example, a robot device, the positional accuracy with respect to the robot device is ensured.

In other words, the positioning structure of the pallet supply device ensures relative positional accuracy between the supply vehicle and the robot device, but while a guide is usually provided on the robot device side, the supply vehicle equipped with the pallet has this guide section. A method is known in which a guided part is provided to be guided by a guide part, and the guided part of a supply vehicle rides on the guide part provided in a robot device, for example, to ensure relative positional accuracy.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve] However,
Since the positioning structure of the conventional pallet feeding device was as described above, there were problems such as the pallet mounting surface not being level and the objects on the pallet mounting surface not being able to be gripped, which would hinder the next process. Another problem was that the positioning was not performed automatically, making it difficult to operate.

Therefore, the positioning structure of the pallet feeding device of the present invention has been developed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to keep the pallet mounting surface approximately horizontal so as not to adversely affect the next process. To provide a positioning structure for a pallet supply device that is easy to operate by automatically performing positioning without any problems.

[Means and operations for solving the problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned problems and objectives, the positioning structure of the pallet feeding device of the present invention is designed to stack pallets placed on an article placement surface. A positioning structure for a pallet supply device that is loaded in a stacked state and mounted on a supply vehicle equipped with bare feet for ground traveling, and that positions the supply vehicle in a positioning state and a non-positioning state with respect to equipment, the structure having locking holes. A set of guide rails each having a hole therein is disposed on the device, and a first follower wheel is guided on the upper surface of the guide rail and is locked in the locking hole, and A locked state in which the first driven wheel is locked in the locking hole by arranging the second driven wheel, which is only guided by the upper surface, on the supply vehicle with a difference in height from each other. In this case, the mounting surface is substantially horizontal.

[Example] Examples will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure shows an external perspective view of the positioning structure of the pallet supply device of the present invention, and in this figure, a pallet 1 (carrying box) containing a large number of works 14 is also shown. In Fig. 1, the pallet 1 is placed on the ground floor G as shown in the figure.
Inside the main body 2 of the positioning structure of the pallet supply device, a lifting platform 3.4 for raising and lowering the pallets 1 stacked in this way is provided. They are placed on the placement surface of the lifting table 3 by the manual effort of an operator or by a separate insertion mechanism in the stacked state shown in the figure.

A main motor 8 is fixed on the bottom surface of the main body 2 to drive the lift tables 3.4 up and down, and a timing belt 9 is meshed with the motor 8 as shown in the figure.
Via this timing belt 9, the rotation of the motor 8 causes the elevator platform 3 to be raised and the elevator platform 4 to be lowered.

Furthermore, on both edges of the upper surface of the main body 2, there is a pair of locking claws 5a, 5b positioned to lock onto the collar portion 1a of the pallet 1, and a pair of locking claws 6a, 6b. are provided movably in the directions of the arrows, and each of these locking claws is provided with a horn or motor 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d for moving the locking claw in and out. The movement of these locking claws generates states in which the pallet l is locked with the collar portion 1a and states in which it is not locked, thereby allowing the pallet 1 to be moved from the lifting platform 3 and placed on the lifting platform 4. I try to do that.

At the four corners of the bottom surface of the main body 2, four casters 10 for running on the ground and two casters 21 shown by broken lines for horizontal guidance are provided as shown. This main body 2
Further, on the bottom side, there are equipment 17 such as processing machines and assembly machines, which will be described later.
Pole casters lla, l for positioning the connection with
lb is disposed at a portion of each corner of the bottom with a step as described later.

A handle 12 is installed on the right edge of the upper surface of the main body 2, and the main body 2 can be easily moved using the handle 12.

Next, FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view when the positioning structure of the pallet feeding device is provided in the equipment 17, and FIG. 2(b)
) is a side view showing the state after the main body 2 is joined to the positioning structure of the pallet feeding device shown in FIG.
A robot 15 equipped with a robot 15 is provided movably,
The workpieces stored in the pallet 1 are moved onto the work jig pallet 18 by the robot hand 15h in the direction of the arrow for assembly work.

On the other hand, a pair of abbreviated position frames 16 are provided on the side of the device 17 as shown in the figure, and the position frames 16 have locking holes 16a at positions corresponding to the aforementioned pole casters lla. are perforated, and the main body 2
When the pole caster 11a is moved and set to the illustrated position, the pole caster 11a is locked with the locking hole 16a, so that positioning can be performed automatically.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 2(b), and shows how it is positioned by the two casters 21 for horizontal guidance described above. That is, in FIG. 3, the position frame 16 is
Either the two casters 21 are disposed on the device 17 with a spacing Z1 defined by c, or they are disposed on the main body 2 so that the outer peripheral surfaces of the two casters 21 have a dimension z2 that is slightly smaller than this spacing Z+. .

Therefore, when the main body 2 is moved by grasping the handle 12 and moved into the space sandwiched between the position frames 16, the outer circumferential surface of the casters 21 will be guided by the inner circumferential surface 16c of the position frame 16. Automatic horizontal positioning of the main body 2 will be performed. Here, caster 21
Alternatively, sliders may be provided on both sides of the main body 2 to perform the above-mentioned guiding operation.

On the other hand, in this automatic positioning state, the casters 10 are guided after the pole casters lla and llb ride on the running surface of the position frame 16.
is made to float by the y dimension from the floor surface G.

Next, FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing the pole casters lla and llb locked with respect to the position frame 16.

In FIG. 4, the outer circumferential surface of the rotating ball of the pole casters lla and 11b has a step difference X as shown in the figure with respect to the main body 2.
When the main body 2 is moved in the direction of the arrow, the rotating ball of the pole caster 11a first rides on the inclined surface 16b of the position frame 16. If the main body 2 is further moved in the direction of the arrow from this state, the casters 1o will be in a state of floating from the floor G as shown in FIG. 3, and will be guided on the position frame 7m 16 by the pole casters lla. Finally, the pole caster lla is dropped into the locking hole 16a to enter the automatic positioning state, but at this time, the pole caster lla also rides on the inclined surface 16b of the positioning frame 16, and then falls onto the positioning frame 16. It will be located in

In this automatic positioning state, the mounting surface P of the pallet 1 and the floor surface G are approximately parallel to each other due to the step difference X.

As explained above, the main body, which functions as a pallet supply vehicle, is automatically positioned with respect to the equipment, and the surface on which the pallet is placed and the floor are level, which has a negative impact on the next process. Moreover, since the positioning can be performed automatically, it is possible to realize a positioning structure for the pallet supply device that is easy to operate.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the positioning structure of the pallet feeding device of the present invention, the pallet mounting surface can be kept approximately horizontal without causing any adverse effects on the next process, and the positioning can be performed automatically. The operation can be made easier by performing the following operations.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the positioning structure of the pallet feeding device of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view of the device 17 provided with the positioning structure of the pallet feeding device, and FIG. A side view showing the state after the main body 2 is joined to the positioning structure of the pallet feeding device shown in Figure (a), Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 2(b), and Figure 4 is FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing the pole casters lla and llb in a locked state with respect to the position frame 16; In the figure, 1...Pallet, 2...Main body, 3.4...
Lifting platform, 10.21-...Casters, lla, llb.
... Pole caster, 12... Handle, 15... Robot) mount, 16... Positioning frame, 16a... Locking hole, 17... Equipment, X... Step dimension. Figure (b) Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] Pallets with articles placed on a loading surface are stacked and loaded onto a supply vehicle equipped with main casters for ground travel, and the supply vehicle is positioned relative to equipment. and a positioning structure for a pallet supply device that is in a non-positioning state, wherein a set of guide rails each having a locking hole are provided in the equipment, and the device is guided by the upper surface of the guide rail to be in a non-positioning state. By arranging a first follower wheel that is locked to the hole and a second follower wheel that is only guided on the upper surface of the guide rail on the supply vehicle with a difference in height from each other. , in a locked state in which the first driven wheel is locked in the locking hole;
A positioning structure for a pallet supply device, characterized in that the placement surface is configured to be substantially horizontal.