JPH0719468B2 - Cassette tape automatic assembly equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic assembling apparatus having a conveyor line,
Particularly, it relates to an automatic assembling apparatus for automatically assembling a cassette tape.

Generally, in an automatic assembly apparatus having a conveyor line, a conveyor line for conveying main parts, a knob loading unit for sequentially assembling other parts to the main parts on the conveyor line, a screw tightening unit, a caulking unit, etc. It is composed of the assembling coupling units and the supplying units that supply parts to these assembling coupling units, and the capacity (cycle time) of the automatic assembly device is the most difficult of the assembling of these parts. Limited by time-consuming assembly.

The same is true in the automatic assembly of the cassette tape, and the most difficult and time-consuming is the loading of the tape, which determines the capacity (cycle time) of the automatic assembly apparatus. Since loading of this tape is very difficult as automatic assembly, it is often done only by obtaining this step. In this case, the tape is manually fed to the cassette half to be assembled, and the tape is set to a predetermined size. Charge to go through the route. In the case of automatic assembly, the tape wound in a roll on the reel core passes through a predetermined path within a limited time until it is loaded into the cassette half after being lifted while applying a predetermined tension so as not to collapse. As described above, the tape path has to be formed, but it takes extra time as compared with other steps, and the cycle time is determined by the time required for loading the tape. Therefore, it has been attempted to make only the tape loading process off-line or to use a plurality of tape loading devices, but each of them has advantages and disadvantages and is not satisfactory. The present invention is intended to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and most of the steps for tape loading are carried out during transfer in the tape loading apparatus, and the reel-shaped on the first conveyor line. It is intended to shorten the tape loading time and to drastically reduce the entire cycle time by only lifting the tape and loading the tape in the cassette half on the second conveyor line.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on examples.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the outline of an automatic cassette tape assembling apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

The first conveyor line 1 is an endless conveyor line for conveying and supplying the tape 3 placed on the pallet 2, and is stopped and positioned at a predetermined position by a stopper 4. Tape 3 on pallet 2 stopped in place
Is picked up by the tape holding means 6 of the tape loading device 5 which is moved up and down. The tape loading device 5 is capable of intermittent index rotation of a predetermined number (six in this embodiment),
The tape 3 is transported by indexing and rotating in a clockwise direction. The pallet 2 that has been emptied by supplying the tape 3 is delivered downstream by the stopper 4 being removed, and the next pallet is loaded and stopped and positioned by the stopper 4. The empty pallets sent out downstream are returned by the return conveyors 7 arranged in parallel in the first conveyor line 1.

The tape 3 held by the tape holding means 6 is indexed and rotated while being shaped so as to pass through a predetermined path in a state where the tape between the two reels is tensioned during the transfer (details will be described later). And is supplied onto the second conveyor line 8.

The second conveyor line 8 is a main conveyor line for automatically assembling the cassette tape, and is used as a tape loading device after the cassette half 10 on the pallet 9 has been assembled as required in the preceding step (not shown). Is transported below 5,
It is stopped and positioned by the stopper 4. Here, the tape holding means 6 of the tape loading device 5 descends to load the tape into the cassette half 10 on the pallet 9, and the stopper 4
When the tape is removed, the cassette half with the tape loaded is sent out and conveyed to the next step.

3 to 6 are views showing the details of the tape loading device 5, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a tape transfer loading unit including the tape holding means 6, and FIG. 4 is a tape transfer loading unit. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3, and FIG.

In the drawing, an indexing plate 11 for indexing and rotating the tape loading device 5
A tape transfer charging unit 12 is mounted on the top. The tape transfer / loading unit 12 is composed of a substrate 13, tape holding means 6 and 6'combined with two pieces, and a lever mechanism for molding the tape so as to pass through a predetermined path.

The tape holding means 6, 6 ′ has suction heads 17, 18 to which three to four suction pads 16 (four in the figure) are attached to suck the tape reels 14, 15, respectively. The suction head 17 is frictionally engaged with the central shaft 20 by a friction plate 19 biased by a spring 21 so as to be rotatable with a predetermined friction torque. The central shaft 20 is rotatably supported around a vertical shaft by a bearing sleeve 22 attached to the base plate 13, and is biased upward by a spring 23. A head 17 is attached. The central shaft 20 is interlocked with a gear 25 through a tool 24 provided at the upper end, and the gear 25 is a fixed gear 27 fixed to the main body of the tape loading device 5 via an intermediate gear 26.
Meshes with. The gear 25 is fitted on the outer circumference of the bearing sleeve 22, and is rotatable by a pin 29 inserted in a circumferential groove 28 and is immovable in the axial direction. The tape reel 14 is sucked and held by the suction pad 16 by the vacuum pressure from a vacuum source (not shown) supplied via the coupling 30 provided on the bearing sleeve 22.

Similarly, the tape holding means 6'has a vertically extending central shaft 32 supported by a bearing sleeve 31 fixed to the base plate 13, and a suction head 18 having a suction pad 16 is fixed to the lower end thereof, and a spring. It is urged upwards by 33, but by the fixed gear 27
There is no gear part that meshes with, and it is made non-rotatable by the key 34 and slidable only in the up and down direction, and it passes through the coupling 35 connected to the vacuum source (not shown) and the suction pad.
Vacuum pressure is supplied to 16.

Adjusting screws 36, 36 are screwed onto the upper ends of the two central shafts 20, 32 to adjust the height, and the pressing plate descends by the operation of an air cylinder 37 mounted on a mounting plate 39.
The central shafts 20 and 32 are pushed down by 38.

Tape 3 on the pallet 2 on the first conveyor line 1
Is placed and supplied. At this time, the tape reel 1
The magnetic tape between 4 and 15 is arranged along the path indicated by the phantom line A in FIG. This is a cassette half
A lever mechanism is provided on the base plate 13 for molding so as to pass through a predetermined path for loading into 10.

The forming levers 41 and 42 each have a pin 43 at the tip thereof for forming a magnetic tape by expanding it to a predetermined position, and a spring 44
Are urged toward each other by.

Adjusting screws are attached to the other ends of the forming levers 41 and 42, respectively.
45, which are in contact with the same contact surface of the cam lever 46, and when the cam lever 46 swings, the forming lever 4
1, 42 open and close at the same time. The pivot 47 of the cam lever 46 is fixed to the indexing plate 11 and rotates together with the tape transfer and loading unit 12 for indexing. The tip of the cam lever 46 has the aforementioned adjustment screw contact surface, and the cam roller provided on the rear side
It is in contact with the fixed cam 49 by 48. Since the fixed cam 49 is fixed to the main body of the tape loading device 5 like the fixed gear 27 described above, the relative rotation between the fixed cam 49 and the cam lever 46 occurs due to the indexing rotation of the indexing plate. The levers 41 and 42 are opened and closed by the swing of the cam lever 46 caused by the displacement.

Guide pins 50, 50 hang down from the substrate 13 at positions corresponding to the guide pins of the cassette half 10, and cooperate with the pins 43 of the forming levers 41, 42 to form the magnetic tape into a predetermined shape, that is, a first shape. It shape | molds in the shape shown by B in FIG. The guide pin 50 is urged downward by a spring 51,
It is supported slidably in the axial direction by 13 and blocks 52, 52 '.

A pad escape pin 53 is provided so as to penetrate the block 52 and the substrate 13 in parallel with the guide pin 50, and the tip end thereof is formed in a conical shape and is urged upward by a spring 54. In the tape loading device, the pad release pin 53 is lowered by the operation of the air cylinder 55 provided above the pad release pin 53, and the pad on the cassette half is pushed to be released, and a path for loading the magnetic tape is provided. I'll open it. After loading the tape, the cylinder retracts, and immediately before the loading device rises, the pin
53 rushes.

The operation of the present invention will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pallet 2 on which the tape 3 is placed is supplied onto the first conveyor line 1 manually or by any other supply means. The pallet 2 supplied to the first conveyor line 1 is conveyed by the conveyor line, and stopped and positioned by a stopper 4 at a predetermined position, that is, a tape supply position to the tape loading device 5. In this case, it is desirable to provide two stoppers 4 as shown in the figure in order to prevent interference by the subsequent pallet so that only one pallet is carried into the tape supply position.

When the pallet 2 is stopped and positioned at the tape feeding position, the pallet 3 is stopped above the pallet at the tape feeding position.
The air cylinder 37 located further above the tape transfer / loading unit 12 shown in FIGS. 6 to 6 is actuated, and the pressing plate 38 descends to press down the central shafts 20 and 32 at the same time.
7 and 18 suction pads 16 and tape 3 tape reels 14 and 15
It is pressed onto the surface of the tape and sucked by a vacuum pressure from a vacuum source (not shown), and then the air cylinder 37 is retracted so that the central shafts 20 and 32 ascend while the tape 3 is sucked. At this time, the pins 43 of the forming levers 41 and 42 are located between the tape reels 14 and 15 and the path A of the magnetic tape as shown by an imaginary line in FIG.

When the central shafts 20 and 32 rise, the indexing plate 11 rotates for indexing, the stopper 4 comes off, the empty pallet is discharged, and a new pallet is supplied to the tape supply position. Store empty pallets at the end of the conveyor line, or
Alternatively, it is returned by the return conveyor 7 as illustrated.

When the indexing plate 11 starts to rotate for indexing, the gear 25 moves to the intermediate gear 26.
Since it is meshed with the fixed gear 27 via the gear, the gear 25 rotates counterclockwise, and the center shaft 20 rotates counterclockwise via the breaker 24. This rotation of the central shaft 20 is transmitted to the suction head 17 via the friction plate 19, and rotates the tape reel 14 in the counterclockwise direction, that is, in the direction in which the magnetic tape is wound around the tape reel 14, thereby applying a predetermined tension to the magnetic tape. The rotation of the friction plate
Slip between 19 and suction head 17.

Fixed cam 49 and cam lever by the next indexing plate 11 indexing rotation
Due to the relative movement with respect to 46, the position of the cam roller 48 of the cam lever 46 moves from the valley of the fixed cam 49 to the mountain, and the forming levers 41 and 42 gradually open from the position of the imaginary line in FIG. It is opened to the position shown and the path of the magnetic tape is shaped so as to have a predetermined shape, that is, path A in cooperation with the guide pin 50. At this time, the change in the length of the magnetic tape between the tape reels causes a slip between the friction plate 19 and the suction head 17 as in the winding of the magnetic tape,
There is no change in the tension applied to the magnetic tape.

As described above, when the tape transfer / loading unit, which holds the tape having the predetermined shape and the predetermined tension, reaches the tape loading position, the second conveyor line 8 or the cassette tape is removed. The cassette half on which the predetermined components have been assembled has reached the tape loading position on the main conveyor line for assembly, and is stopped and positioned at a predetermined position by the stopper 4. The tape transfer loading unit that has reached the tape loading position is stopped, the air cylinder 37 provided above the tape loading position is activated, and the central shafts 20 and 32 are lowered to move the tape 3 as in the tape feeding position. Is charged into the cassette half 10. At this time,
In order to release the pad of the cassette half and insert the magnetic tape, the air cylinder 55 is operated prior to the lowering of the central shafts 20 and 32, the pad releasing pin 53 is lowered, and the pad is pushed to provide a gap for loading the magnetic tape. When the loading of the tape 3 is completed, the air cylinders 37 and 55 are respectively retracted, the tape transfer loading unit 12 and the pad escape pin 53 are raised, and the loading of the tape is completed.

This tape loading is performed during the stop time of the indexing rotation of the indexing plate 11, and naturally the first conveyor line 1
Since it is performed in parallel with the tape feeding at the upper tape feeding position, no extra cycle time is required, and it is achieved in almost the same time as the assembling work of other parts. In the embodiment of the present invention, the tape transfer / loading unit 12 is provided with the indexing plate 11 from the tape feeding position to the tape loading position.
It moves by performing indexing rotations a number of times, but it is also possible to configure so that the tape is supplied and charged at each time of this ratio rotation, and this embodiment also saves the time of ratio rotation in this way. is doing.

The tape 3 loaded in the cassette half 10 is the pallet 9
The other tape emergency device (not shown) provided in the machine always applies a proper amount of tension, and the assembly for the next step and thereafter is performed.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the operation of the tape loading device at the tape feeding position and the tape loading position is performed by simply adsorbing and picking up the tape or loading the formed tape. Operation time is greatly shortened,
This has a great effect that the cycle time of the entire cassette tape automatic assembling apparatus can be greatly shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a plan view showing the outline of an automatic cassette tape assembling apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the same, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a tape loading apparatus, and FIG. 4 is a tape transfer loading unit and its unit. Front sectional view of the drive source, FIG. 5 is a side view, FIG.
FIG. 1 ... 1st conveyor line, 3 ... tape 5 ... tape loading device, 6 ... tape holding means 8 ... second conveyor line 10 ... cassette half, 11 ... indexing plate 11 ... Tape transfer charging unit 16 …… Suction pad, 17,18 …… Suction head 19 …… Friction plate, 20,32 …… Center shaft 22,31 …… Bearing sleeve, 25 …… Gear 26 …… Intermediate gear, 27 ...... Fixed gear 38 …… Pressing plate 41, 42 …… Forming lever 43 …… Pin, 46 …… Cam lever 49 …… Fixed cam, 50 …… Guide pin

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-56-111171 (JP, A) JP-A-51-103414 (JP, A) JP-A-52-5514 (JP, A) JP-A-55- 132573 (JP, A) JP-A-52-145213 (JP, A) JP-A-52-11022 (JP, A) JP-B-50-5465 (JP, B1)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first reel, the both ends of which are fixed to a pair of reel cores and which conveys a tape wound in a roll shape on the reel cores.
Conveyor line, a second conveyor line that conveys the cassette halves that have been assembled in the previous step to mount the tape, and is located at the center of the first and second conveyor lines, and is on the first conveyor line. A tape loading device for picking up the tape from the tape and transferring it to the cassette half on the second conveyor line to load the tape into the cassette half. And a plurality of tape holding means for loading the formed tape into the cassette half on the second conveyor line and at the same time picking up a new tape from the first conveyor line. An automatic cassette tape assembling apparatus comprising: 2. A tape loading device, wherein a pair of tape holding means that can be moved up and down by indexing and rotation together with a rotatable central shaft for indexing, and a predetermined tension are applied to the tape held by the tape holding means. The automatic cassette tape assembling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a tension applying unit that applies a tension, and a tape forming mechanism that includes a lever mechanism that is drive-controlled by a fixed cam.