JPH0333694Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to an article lower surface cleaning device in a chain conveyor.

[Conventional technology]

In the automobile manufacturing process, various machined items are generally placed on a chain conveyor and transported to an assembly station where they are assembled into the body. Considering accuracy, workability, etc., it is desirable to clean the bottom surface of the article while it is being conveyed by the chain conveyor.

Therefore, conventionally, as a cleaning device within the conveyor, a device equipped with a rotating brush that directly cleans the chain conveyor is known (for example,
See Public Relations No. 489. ) [Problem to be solved by the invention] By the way, when considering the dirt on the bottom surface of articles conveyed by a chain conveyor, the dirt on the bottom surface of the articles includes dirt such as dirt brought in by the articles themselves;
There is dirt on the bottom surface of the article as a result of dirt and the like on the chain conveyor gradually adhering to the bottom surface of the article during conveyance.

However, with the above-mentioned conventional method, it has not been possible to clean the dirt on the lower surface of the article that comes into contact with the chain.

In view of these problems, this invention aims to provide an article bottom surface cleaning device for a chain conveyor that can reliably clean the article bottom surface.

[Means for solving problems]

Therefore, the article lower surface cleaning device according to this invention includes a pair of left and right chain conveyors on which articles are placed and conveyed, and a non-contact surface of the article with the chain when the article is placed at a fixed position on the conveyor and is being conveyed. It consists of an article lifting mechanism that pushes up the article and then lowers it to return it onto the conveyor, and a cleaning unit that cleans the contact surface of the lifted article with each chain,
Furthermore, the cleaning unit has left and right brush members that come into contact with the contact surface, and a drive means that drives both brush members forward and backward in the direction of the conveyor.

[Effect]

In this device, an article is conveyed by a chain conveyor, and when it is detected that the article has arrived at a predetermined position, an article lifting mechanism pushes up the surface of the article that does not come into contact with the chain, and then lowers it. The driving means drives the brush member, and the brush member moves forward and backward in the direction of the conveyor to clean the contact surfaces of the articles with each chain.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 show an apparatus for cleaning the lower surface of articles in a chain conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a frame installed on a floor 2, and a top chain conveyor 4 with a pair of left and right rollers for conveying articles 3 is disposed between the left and right legs 1a of the frame 1. The conveyor 4
The return side chain 4a passes through a cleaning tank 5 in which cleaning liquid 5a is stored.

Further, the frame 1 is provided with an article lifting mechanism 6 for raising and lowering the article 3. In this article lifting/lowering mechanism 6, a base 7 is provided below the conveyor 4 between the legs 1a of the frame 1, a lift cylinder 8 is attached to the base 7, and a piston rod 8a of the lift cylinder 8 is attached to the base 7. A lower pressing plate 9 having an area corresponding to the non-contact surface of the article 3 with the chain 4a of the conveyor 4 is fixed, and a pressing plate 9 is provided between the pressing plate 9 and the base 7.
A pair of guide rods 10 are provided to guide the vertical movement of the rod.

On the other hand, a guide cylinder 11 is attached to the upper side 1b of the frame 1.
An upper pressing plate 12 is fixed to the tip of one piston rod 11a, and a pair of guide rods 13 are arranged between the pressing plate 12 and the upper side 1b of the frame 1 to guide the vertical movement of the upper plate 12. Here, the guide cylinder 11 is set so that its pushing force is smaller than that of the lift cylinder 8.

Further, the base 7 is provided with support members 14 and 15, and the support members 14 and 15 include a limit switch 16 for detecting the article 3 to be conveyed, and a stopper for stopping the conveyance by coming into contact with the article to be conveyed. A member 17 is provided, which is arranged at a fixed position on the conveyor 4 as described above, and when detecting the article 3 to be conveyed, pushes up the surface of the article 3 that does not come into contact with the chain 4b, and then lowers it to move the conveyor 4. An article lifting/lowering mechanism 6 for returning the article to the top of the article 4 is configured.

Furthermore, a mounting member 1 is attached to the leg portion 1a of the frame 1.
A slide rail 19 is arranged and fixed to the mounting member 18 in the conveying direction of the conveyor 4, and a cleaning unit (brush member) 20 is slidably provided on the slide rail 19. In this cleaning unit 20, a cleaning liquid 21a is stored in a cleaning tank 21 having a substantially U-shape in plan, and front and rear drive rollers 22 are arranged in the left and right sides of the cleaning tank 21 in the conveying direction of the conveyor 4. An endless band 23 is stretched between the drive rollers 22, a plurality of brushes 24 are rotatably provided on the endless band 23, and a motor 25 for rotating the drive roller 22 is attached to the cleaning tank 21. It is being

Further, the mounting member 18 is provided with a brushing cylinder (driving means) 26 for moving the cleaning unit 20 forward and backward along the slide rail 19.

Next, the operation will be explained.

The article 3 is placed on the conveyor 4 and transported,
When this hits the stopper 17a of the stopper member 17, the conveyance of the article 3 is stopped by the action of the rollers of the conveyor 4 while the conveyor 4 continues to rotate, and at the same time, the article 3 is moved to the limit switch 1.
6, the limit switch 16 is turned on. Then, first, for example, hydraulic pressure is supplied to the lift cylinder 8, causing its piston rod 8a to extend, and the lower pressing plate 9 rises and comes into contact with the surface of the lower surface of the article 3 that is not in contact with the chain 4b, and at the same time, hydraulic pressure is also supplied to the guide cylinder 11. The piston rod 11a extends, descends with the upper pressing plate 12, and hits the top surface of the article 3. At this time, since the pressing force of the lift cylinder 8 is set larger than that of the guide cylinder 11, the article 3 is lifted upwards.

When the article 3 rises to a predetermined position and stops, the brushing cylinder 26 operates to move the cleaning unit 20 forward in the transport direction, and at this time, the endless belt 23 is rotated by the motor 25 inside the cleaning unit 20. Then endless band 2
The brush 24 of No. 3 cleans the surface of the lower surface of the article 3 that comes into contact with the chain 4b.

When the cleaning of the lower surface of the article 3 is completed, the brushing cylinder 26 retracts the cleaning unit 20, and when this retracts to a predetermined position, the lift cylinder 8
The amount of hydraulic pressure supplied to the article 3 is gradually reduced, and the article 3 descends under the influence of the pressing force of the guide cylinder 11. When the article 3 is placed on the conveyor 4, the stopper member 17 retracts or rotates the stopper 17a. The article 3 starts to be conveyed on the conveyor 4 again, and when the limit switch 16 is turned OFF, the switch 16 returns to its original state, and the stopper member 17 protrudes or returns its stopper 17a, and then the guide The cylinder 11 contracts,
In this state, transportation of the next article 3 is awaited.

Further, the conveying chain portion 4b that has finished conveying the article 3 returns to its original position, but at that time, the chain 4a passes through the cleaning tank 5 and is cleaned.

In the apparatus of this embodiment as described above, the article is lifted up while being conveyed by the chain conveyor, and the cleaning unit is moved back and forth to clean the lower surface of the article that comes in contact with the chain, so that the article is gradually removed during conveyance. It is possible to reliably clean the conveyance surface of the article, which is the surface with the most severe dirt adhering to the lower surface, and to reduce the contamination of the article conveyance surface when the article is conveyed to the next assembly station.

In addition, in this device, a plurality of brushes are rotatably provided on the endless band, and the bottom surface of the article is cleaned by running the endless band.
Compared to rotating individual brushes, there is less wear on the brushes and the brushes can be used for a long time.
Also, the brushes are easy to replace.

Furthermore, in this apparatus, since the conveyor chain itself is cleaned, it is possible to reduce dirt on the conveying surface of the articles.

In the above embodiment, a plurality of brushes are provided on the endless band to constitute the brush member, but the brush member may be constituted by a single brush. Further, the driving means may be other than a cylinder. Further, the article lifting/lowering mechanism may have a structure different from that of the above embodiment.

[Effect of idea]

As described above, according to the present invention, the article being transported is lifted by the article lifting mechanism and the brush member is moved back and forth to clean the contact surface of the article with the chain. This has the effect that the surface can be reliably cleaned and dirt on the article conveyance surface when conveyed to the assembly station can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a device for cleaning the bottom surface of articles in a chain conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the main parts of the device, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the main parts of the device. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the cleaning unit of the above apparatus. 3...Goods, 4...Chain conveyor, 6...
Article lifting mechanism, 20...Cleaning unit (brush member), 26...Brushing cylinder (drive means).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A pair of left and right chain conveyors on which articles are placed and conveyed, and when an article is placed in a fixed position on the conveyor and is being conveyed, the surface of the article that does not come into contact with the chain is pushed up, and then lowered onto the conveyor. It consists of an article lifting mechanism to return and a cleaning unit that cleans the contact surface of the lifted article with each chain, and the cleaning unit has left and right brush members that come into contact with the contact surface, and moves both brush members back and forth in the direction of the conveyor. 1. An article lower surface cleaning device for a chain conveyor, comprising: a driving means for driving the article.