JPH0441342A - Plate pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To adjust the relative positions of vacuum cups rapidly and accurately with simple one-step operation by pushing a main spindle up against the energizing force of a spring to release the engagement between a pinion gear and a pair of rack gears, and performing automatic locking only by releasing a hand grip. CONSTITUTION:When horizontal force is applied to a main spindle 30 in the gripped state, a sliding element 20 is moved along a guide member 20. When torque is applied to the main spindle 30 simultaneously or almost simultaneously with this horizontal force, an eccentric shaft 40 is rotated eccentrically to the main spindle 30. Vacuum cups 60 can be therefore changed in their positions not only on a straight line but also on a plane. When the hand grip is released after this adjustment, the main spindle 30 is returned into its original position by the energizing force of a spring 35, so that a pinion gear 31 is meshed again with a rack gear 15, and the adjusted position of each vacuum cup 60 to the main spindle 30 and sliding element 20 is automatically locked. The position adjustment of each vacuum cup 60 can be thus performed rapidly and easily with one step operation.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a pick-up device for plate materials, and more specifically, to a device that picks up a plate material from a predetermined position while adsorbing it with a vacuum clamp supported so as to be movable up and down. It is mainly used for supplying materials to presses.

[Prior Art] For example, a plate pick-up device is widely used as one of the means for supplying material to a press.

Such a plate material pickup device is generally configured to pick up the material held at a magnetic separation position (predetermined position) one by one while adsorbing the material with a vertically movable vacuum cup. That is, one or more vacuum cups are attached to the lower part of the main shaft that is moved up and down by a lifting means such as a cylinder device, the evacuated vacuum cups are brought into contact with a predetermined part of the material at a predetermined position, and the main shaft is raised after suction. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 45840/1984 is an example of a device that picks up material by causing the material to be picked up.

Therefore, in order to reliably and stably adsorb the material, it is necessary to match the size of the material with the vacuum cup and bring it into contact with a predetermined portion of the material. In this case, since the material is always held in a predetermined position and the elevating means etc. are also attached to the base, it is a good idea to make the position of the vacuum cup adjustable with respect to the elevating means or the main shaft.

Here, for example, the device shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 47-26788 has a cup mounting part having an elongated hole on the main shaft, moves a plurality of vacuum cups relatively within the elongated hole, and then tightens the nuts. This fixes the relative position of each vacuum cup.

Furthermore, the device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-38238 is equipped with a movable rack gear, a splined pinion gear, etc., and adjusts the relative positions of one or more vacuum cups by operating a handle inserted from the outside. .

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in the conventional structure described above, the relative position of the vacuum cup with respect to the main shaft is adjusted by loosening and tightening the nut or operating the handle, so it cannot meet the demand for faster work. It's gone. Moreover, in order to meet the diversification demands of high-variety, low-volume production using various materials, including irregular shapes, the above operations must be repeated each time materials are replaced, which is extremely tedious and time-consuming. Because of this, production efficiency is poor.

Further, in the case of the above-mentioned handle operation method, the structure is complicated and the movable distance of the vacuum cup is short, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost.

Furthermore, - When irregularly shaped materials are adopted due to the diversification of layers, no matter how much the vacuum cup is moved on a straight line passing through the center of the main axis, it is impossible to position the vacuum cup at a predetermined location suitable for the material concerned. Also, the inconvenience of material falling during the pick-up operation is likely to occur.

In contrast, it may be possible to change or adjust the attitude of the material side, but in this case, it is not practical because it would be necessary to move a large number of materials, large magazines, etc.

On the other hand, there is an idea of attaching multiple vacuum cups whose primary position has been adjusted in advance to a rack gear structure that has a secondary position adjustment allowance, and replacing the entire rack gear structure, but in this case, many expensive rack gear structures are needed. Not only is the cost burden high because of the need for preparation, but the work efficiency is significantly reduced as it is necessary to attach and detach heavy objects.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a plate material pickup device in which a vacuum cup can be moved over a wide range and the position of the vacuum cup can be quickly and easily adjusted.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been developed based on the analysis through the operation of many actual machines, and has solved the above-mentioned conventional problems, the fact that the relative position of the vacuum cup is adjusted on a straight line passing through the main shaft, and the loosening work of nuts, etc. We recognized that this is due to the fact that the vacuum cup position adjustment work, locking work after adjustment, etc. must be performed individually, and each work can be done simultaneously with one touch, and the vacuum cup can be positioned over a wide range in a plane. It has an adjustable oval shape and achieves the above objective.

That is, the invention according to claim 1 provides a guide member supported by a base so as to be movable up and down, a pair of opposing rack gears attached to the guide member, and a pair of rack gears attached to the guide member so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction thereof. a main shaft which is mounted on the slider so that it can move vertically and rotatably; an eccentric shaft, a vacuum cup attached to the lower end of the eccentric shaft, and a spring that biases the main shaft against the slider in a direction in which the pinion gear meshes with the rack gear, against the biasing force of the spring. It is characterized in that the pinion gear is configured to separate from the rack gear when the main shaft is moved relative to the slider.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 provides a cup holter having a U-shaped coupling that can be attached and detached to the vacuum cup or a recess provided at the lower end of the eccentric shaft, and the U-shaped coupling is connected to the eccentric shaft. It is characterized in that it is attached to the eccentric shaft via a removable ta41I consisting of a spring-biased sleeve.

[Function] In the invention described in claim 1, in the normal state, the main shaft is biased by the spring, so the pinion gear meshes with the pair of opposing rack gears and is in a locked state. Therefore, the slider is fixed within the guide member, and the main shaft cannot move up or down or rotate relative to the slider. Therefore, each vacuum cup is fixed at a constant relative position with respect to the main shaft. Since it moves up and down along with the main shaft, stable pickup operation is possible.

To adjust the relative position of the vacuum cup when changing the plate material, first grasp the main shaft and push it up against the biasing force of the spring. Then, the main axis rises relative to the slider. As a result, the pinion gear separates from the rack gear.

In other words, it is unlocked.

If you apply a horizontal force here while holding the main shaft,
The slider can be moved along the guide member, and when a rotational force is applied to the main shaft at the same time or before and after, the eccentric shaft rotates eccentrically with respect to the main shaft. Therefore, the position of the vacuum cup can be changed not only in a straight line but also in a plane.

After this adjustment, when you release your hand, the main shaft returns to its original position due to the urging force of the spring, and the pinion gear meshes with the rack gear again, and the adjusted position of each vacuum cup relative to the main shaft or slider is automatically locked. Therefore, the position of the vacuum cup can be adjusted quickly and easily with a one-touch operation.

Further, in the invention set forth in claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention set forth in claim 1, the spring biased sleeve is moved to separate the U-shaped coupling from the eccentric shaft, thereby vacuuming the entire cup holder. The cup can be removed. Thereafter, another cup holder, in which the vacuum cup has been attached with the relative position determined in advance, is attached to the eccentric shaft in the reverse order of the above procedure.

Therefore, the relative position of the vacuum cup with respect to the main shaft can be adjusted over a wide range to suit the plate material, and any number of vacuum cups can be easily set.

[Solid line example] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, this device is roughly divided into a guide member 10, rack gears 15 (15R, 15L), a slider 20, a main shaft 30, an eccentric shaft 40, and a vacuum cup 60.
It is configured such that the relative position of the vacuum cup 60 with respect to the main shaft 30 can be quickly and easily adjusted to any position within a plane. Also, vacuum cup 6
0 to and from the eccentric shaft 40! It is formed so that it can be attached and detached via the i structure (65, 70), and is configured to be able to expand its applicability to each plate material.

First, an overview will be given with reference to FIG.

A fixed vacuum cup 60 is removably provided at the lower end of the main shaft 8 that is integral with the guide member 10, and a pair of movable vacuum cups 60 on the left and right sides of the main shaft 8 can be separated and approached by sliders 20. vacuum cup 60.6
It is set to 0.

Therefore, three vacuum cups 6 that are relatively positionable
At 0, it is possible to adsorb a plate material (not shown). Furthermore, the movable vacuum cup 60 is attached to the corresponding main shaft 30 via an eccentric shaft 40 that is rotatable, and
It is possible to move within the plane as shown by the two-dot chain line. Furthermore, each vacuum cup 60 has the above-mentioned attachment/detachment mechanism (65
, 70), it can be attached to and detached from the eccentric shaft 40.

In particular, a plurality of vacuum cups 60 can be attached to and detached from the eccentric shaft 40 at the same time via cup holders 62 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Therefore, the position of each movable vacuum cup 60 can be adjusted not only in a straight line but also in a plane with respect to the fixed vacuum cup 60. Moreover, it is configured so that it can be performed quickly and easily with a one-touch operation.

Now, as shown in FIG. 1, the guide member 10 is supported by a guide rod 6.6 on the base 1 so as to be able to move up and down, and is raised and lowered by a constant stroke by a cylinder device (elevating means) 5. This constant stroke means that from the position (predetermined position) where each vacuum cup 60 is pushed up by the plate material housed in the macazine or the magnetic separation means to the convenient position for transferring the picked-up plate material to an intermediate conveyance device, etc. is the vertical distance of

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this guide member 10 is made up of side plates 11R and ILL that are arranged opposite to each other with a space 13 in between.As shown in FIG. Part 12
〉 At the top of each side plate material 11R, IIL, a second
As is clear from FIGS. 4 and 6, a pair of opposing rack gears 15R and 15L are provided. Note that each rack 15R, 15L has a second
As shown in the figure, it is divided into left and right sides. Side plate material IIR,
The same applies to IIL.

Further, the slider 20 is attached to the guide member 1 as shown in FIG.
By fitting the concave portion 21 into each sliding guide convex portion 14 of 0, the guide member 10 is slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction. In order to quantify the amount of movement of the slider 20, the guide member 10 is provided with a scale 17 shown in FIG. 27 is a retainer that supports the main shaft 30 on the slider 20.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the main shaft 30 is vertically movably and rotatably fitted into the hole 22 of the slider 20, and is moved vertically by a retainer 27 via a pinion gear 31 fixed to the upper part. normal position (pinion gear 31 is in rack gear 15)
R, 15L) (Fig. 3, 6)
figure).

Specifically, a pinion gear 31 is fixed to the upper end of the main shaft 30, a knob 34 is fixed to the lower end, and a spring 3 is inserted between the locking part 32 of the knob 34 and the lower end surface of the slider 20.
5 is interposed. However, under normal conditions, the spring is 35
The main shaft 30 is pushed downward in FIGS. 3 and 6 by the urging force, and is pressed against the retainer 27, so that the pinion gear 31 is held in a position where it meshes with both rack gears 15R and 15L.

Therefore, under normal conditions, the pinion gear 31 is locked to both rack gears 15R and 15L, but the main shaft 30 cannot rotate, and the slider 20 that rotationally supports the main shaft 3o
cannot move in the longitudinal direction of the guide member 10 (rack gears 15R, 15L).

On the other hand, in FIG. 3, by grasping the knob 34 and pushing the main shaft 30 against the biasing force of the spring 35, the engagement between the pinion gear 31 and the rack gear 15R15L can be disengaged. That is, in this released state, the knob 3
If a horizontal force is applied while holding the knob 4, the slider 20 can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the guide member 10.If a rotational force is applied to the knob 34 at the same time or before and after, the main shaft 30 can be moved relative to the slider 20. It is possible to rotate the

After that, when you release your hand from the knob 34, the main shaft 30 is pushed down by the spring 35 and the pinion gear 31 meshes with the rack gears 15R, 15L, so the slider 20 maintains the horizontally moved position and rotated angle. ．． Main shaft 30
can be automatically locked.

Thus, by one-touch operations such as gripping and pushing up the knob 34, applying a horizontal force, and releasing the hand from the knob 34, the position of the vacuum cup 60, which will be described in detail later, can be adjusted in a straight line, that is, along the longitudinal direction of the guide member 10.

On the other hand, the rotation of the main shaft 30 allows the position of the vacuum cup 60 to be adjusted to locations other than the above-mentioned straight line.

That is, a crank 50 is provided with the key arm 33 of the main shaft 30 engaged with a sliding='r-53, and the hole 51 of the crank 50 is fitted into the main shaft 30. Therefore, the main axis 3
0 and the crank 5° are movable relative to each other in the axial direction but cannot rotate. Moreover, since the eccentric shaft 40 is fixed to the main shaft 30 and the vacuum cup 60 is attached to the lower end of the faith shaft 40, when the main shaft 30 is rotated, the amount of eccentricity of the eccentric shaft 40 is adjusted. The position of 60 can be adjusted within the plane.

Incidentally, in this embodiment, the vacuum cup 60 is attached to the lower end of the eccentric shaft 40 via an attachment/detachment mechanism.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, this attachment/detachment mechanism consists of a cup holder 62 having a U-shaped coupling 65 and a spring (7
3) The cup holder 62, which is composed of a biasing type sleeve 70 or the like and has one or more vacuum cups 60 attached thereto, can be quickly and easily attached to and detached from the eccentric shaft 40.

This is because the lower end of the eccentric shaft 40 has a small diameter portion 41 that slidably supports the sleeve 70 (hole 71), an insertion portion (recess) 42 into which the U-shaped groove 66 of the coupling 65 is inserted, and a locking surface 68. The cup holder 62 is provided with a relatively large-diameter locking portion 43 that comes into contact with the cup holder and prevents the coupling 65 from freely falling, and the cup holder 62 is provided with a U-shaped groove 63 into which the locking portion 43 can be inserted. The cup holder 62 and the U-shaped coupling 65 are fixed together with bolts (not shown). Therefore, if the U-shaped groove 63 of the cup holder 62 is inserted into the locking part 43 of the eccentric shaft 40, and the U-shaped groove 66 of the coupling 65 is inserted into the recess 42 from the lower side to the upper side of the paper as shown in FIG. As a result of the stop surface 68 being supported by the locking portion 43, the cup holder 62 can be attached to the eccentric shaft 40.

In this state, a spring (73) is inserted into the recess 67 of the coupling 65.
) by fitting the sleeve 70 biased with
It is formed so that it can be immobilized. The spring 73 is installed between the locking piece 45 of the eccentric shaft 40 and the sleeve 70 shown in FIG.

Incidentally, two vacuum cups 60.degree. and 60.degree. are attached in advance to this cup holder 65, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Also, 3 or more vacuum cups 60,
A cup holder 65 with 60.60 attached is also prepared.

Next, the effect will be explained.

(Position adjustment on a straight line) Now, each vacuum cup 60 is in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. Consider a case where

3 and 6, the operator grasps the knob 34 and pushes the main shaft 30 upward against the biasing force of the spring 35.

Then, the pinion gear 31 connects both rack gears 15R, 15
Leave L. In other words, the locked state is released.

At this point, while gripping the knob 34, attach the first
In the figure, when a horizontal force is applied toward the main shaft 8, the slider 20 can be moved to the left along the guide member 10.

Then, when you release your hand from the knob 34 at the position shown by the two-dot chain line near the main shaft 8 in FIG.
is pulled down by the urging force of the spring 35. Therefore, the pinion gear 31 is connected to both opposing rack gears 15.
It engages with R15L and becomes automatically locked. In this locked state, the main shaft 30 cannot move relative to the slider 20 in the vertical or rotational direction, so the right vacuum cup 60 can be quickly and easily moved in a straight line along the guide member 10, and to that position. Can be stably fixed at 1.

Incidentally, the position of the vacuum cup 60 on the left side in FIG. 1 can be adjusted in the same manner.

(Position Adjustment within a Plane) In the unlocked state, the main shaft 30 is rotated relative to the slider 20 by turning the knob 34. This operation can be performed sequentially and simultaneously even when the lock is released, while the slider 20 is moving as described above, and even after the slider 20 is stopped.

Then, the eccentric shaft 40 rotates about the main shaft 30.

That is, the position of the vacuum cup 60 attached to the lower end of the eccentric shaft 40 can be changed within a plane. therefore,
The vacuum cup 60 can be quickly and easily adjusted to any position not only on a straight line but also on a plane, and the adjustment range is wide.
Therefore, it is possible to bring the vacuum cup 60 into contact with a suitable predetermined portion even if the plate material is an irregularly shaped plate or the like.

(Replacement of multiple vacuum cups) From the state in which one vacuum cup 60 shown in FIG. 1 is attached to one eccentric shaft 40, two (plural) vacuum cups 60 are attached as shown in FIG. This is a case of replacing the condition.

First, the sleeve 70 constituting the detachment mechanism is pushed upward against the biasing force of the spring 73 as shown in FIG. 7 (this figure shows the state after replacement). Then, the sleeve 70 comes off from the recess 67, and the vacuum cup 60 is moved onto the eccentric shaft 4 by pushing out the coupling 65 in the depth direction of the paper as shown in FIG.
It can be removed from 0.

Here, when attaching the cup holder 62 having two vacuum cups 60, 60, which are pre-adjusted to positions suitable for the shape and thickness of the plate material to be picked up, to the eccentric shaft 40, use the following procedure. .

Align the U-shaped groove 63 of the cup holder 62 with the locking part 43 of the eccentric shaft 40, and align the U-shaped groove 66 of the coupling 65 with the recessed part (insertion part) 42. Insert each one toward the

In the inserted state, even if the cup holder 62 is released, the locking surface 68 is placed on the locking part 43, so it will not fall.In other words, the eccentric shaft of the cup holder 62 (vacuum cup 60) The vertical position relative to 40 is restricted.

Subsequently, when the sleeve 70 is released, the sleeve 70 is pushed down by the spring 73 and fits into the recess 67 of the coupling 65, so that the cup holder 62 can be instantly fixed to the eccentric shaft 40.

Therefore, relative position in advance! Two predetermined vacuum cups 60, 60 can be quickly and accurately attached to the eccentric shaft 40, that is, the main shaft 30. Therefore, the three vacuum cups 60, one in the center and one on each side, shown in FIG. 1, can be easily replaced with five vacuum cups 60, one in the center and two on each side. Moreover, the relative positions of all the vacuum cups 60 can be adjusted as desired within a plane by a one-touch operation.

According to this embodiment, the guide member 10, rack gear 15 (15R, 15L), slider 20, main shaft 3
0. Eccentric shaft 40. It includes a vacuum cup 60 and a spring 35, and when the main shaft 30 is moved upward relative to the slider 20 against the biasing force of the spring 35, the pinion gear 31 separates from both rack gears 15R915L and becomes in a released state. Since it is configured to automatically lock when released, it eliminates the traditional preparation of special tools and loosening and tightening of bolts.
The relative position of each vacuum cup 60 can be quickly and easily adjusted by touch operation.

In addition, since it is formed from the central identification type vacuum cup 60 and the left and right movable type vacuum cups 60, it can be easily adjusted to a position where it can stably attract and hold irregularly shaped plates.

In addition, since the configuration is such that the pair of opposing rack gears 15R15L and the pinion gear 31 of the main shaft 30 are engaged with each other to automatically lock, the relative position of each vacuum cup 60 after adjustment can be maintained accurately and reliably, and the lock can be released. is also easy.

In addition, unlocking and automatic locking are performed using the main shaft 30 (knob 34).
) can be done with a simple touch operation of pushing up and releasing one hand, so position opening can be done quickly and handling is easy.

In addition, since the slider 20 can be easily moved by the guide member 10 while gripping the main shaft 30, it can be quickly positioned at any desired position. The scale 17 further facilitates this.

Further, the main shaft 30 is rotatably supported by the slider 20, and the main shaft 30 is rotatably supported by the slider 20.
An eccentric shaft 40 is provided integrally with the eccentric shaft 40, and a vacuum cup 60 is attached to the lower end of the eccentric shaft 40. Therefore, the position of the slider 20 can be adjusted not only in a straight line but also in a plane by eccentric action. The adjustment range can be expanded dramatically. Moreover, since the eccentric movement can be performed simultaneously with the movement of the slider 20, arbitrary positioning can be performed easily and quickly.

Furthermore, since the vacuum cup 60 is attached to the eccentric shaft 40 via a detachable mechanism, it can be easily replaced. Moreover, since the attachment/detachment mechanism has a simple structure consisting of a U-shaped coupling 65 and a spring-biased sleeve 70, it is easy to handle. Moreover, coupling 65
is integrally fixed to the cup holter 62 (however, in the case of the central vacuum cup shown in FIG. 1, a coupling 65 is fixed to the vacuum cup itself). It can be replaced with two or more vacuum cups positioned in a predetermined position.

Therefore, the sleeve 70 can be quickly replaced by a one-touch operation even when the sleeve 70 is widely applicable to irregularly shaped or thin plate materials.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the invention set forth in claim 1, the main shaft is attached to the slider so as to be movable up and down and rotatable, the vacuum cup is attached to the eccentric shaft, and the spring is attached. By simply pushing up the main shaft against force, the pinion gear and the pair of rack gears are disengaged, and when released, they lock automatically, so the relative position of each vacuum cup can be quickly adjusted with a simple one-touch operation. Moreover, it can be adjusted accurately, and its position can be adjusted over a wide range within a plane, so it has a wide range of applicability.

Further, according to the invention set forth in claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention set forth in claim 1, since the structure is provided with an attachment/detachment mechanism consisting of a U-shaped coupling, a sleeve, etc., relative positioning can be performed in advance. Since two or more vacuum cups can be replaced and installed in an instant, even irregularly shaped or thin plate materials can be reliably picked up, further expanding the applicability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures show one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration, Figure 2 is a plan view based on the arrow line ■-■ in Figure 1, and Figure 3 mainly shows sliding. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the relationship between the child and the main axis, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow line v--■ in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a partially sectional front view. Figure 7 is a side view showing the attachment/detachment mechanism and Figure 8.
The figure is also a plan view based on the arrow line ■-■ in FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Base, 5... Cylinder device, 8... Main shaft, 10... Guide member, 11 11R, IIL... Side plate material, 13... Space, 14... Sliding guide Convex portion, 15 15R, 15L... Rack gear, 20... Slider 21... Concave portion, 30... Main shaft, 1... Pinion gear, 4... Knob, 5... Spring, 0. ... Eccentric shaft, 1 ... Insertion part (recess), 3 ... Locking part, 0 ... Crank, 3 ... Sliding key 0 ... Vacuum cup, 2 ... Cup holder 3. ...U-shaped eraser, 5...U-shaped coupling (detachable mechanism), 0...sleeve (detachable mechanism), 2...knob, 3...spring.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A guide member supported by a base so as to be movable up and down, a pair of opposing rack gears attached to this guide member, a slider attached to the guide member so as to be movable in its longitudinal direction, and a slider fixed to the upper part. a main shaft having a pinion gear mounted on the slider so as to be movable up and down and rotatable; It includes a vacuum cup attached to the lower end, and a spring that biases the main shaft against the slider in a direction in which the pinion gear meshes with the rack gear, and resists the biasing force of the spring to push the main shaft against the slider. A plate material pickup device, characterized in that the pinion gear is configured to separate from the rack gear when the device is moved. (2) The vacuum cup includes a cup holder having a U-shaped coupling that is removably attached to a recess provided at the lower end of the eccentric shaft, and a spring-loaded sleeve that connects the U-shaped coupling to the eccentric shaft. 2. The plate material pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the plate material pickup device is attached to the eccentric shaft via an attachment/detachment mechanism.