JPH079753Y2 - Tire gripping hand - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a hand for gripping a tire of a tire transfer device used in a process of assembling a tire on a wheel of an automobile assembly line or a process of mounting a spare tire on a vehicle body. It is a thing.

2. Description of the Related Art Spare tires are mounted on a vehicle body by a spare tire mounting device which is one of tire transfer devices on an automobile assembly line. This spare tire loading device is a device that transports and loads the tire received from the tire supply device to a predetermined position in the luggage room of the vehicle body, and the applicant has already proposed a spare tire loading device as this type of device. (Practical application Sho 62-6869). This spare tire loading device has a loading arm equipped with a clamp mechanism for gripping a tire at the tip, and while the tire is gripped by the clamp mechanism at the tip, the loading arm is tilted and rotated at a predetermined angle. Is a device for sending a gripped tire to a predetermined place such as in a luggage room of a vehicle body to mount a spare tire. Then, in this device, the clamp mechanism is configured to grip the spare tire from the outer periphery.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional spare tire loading device, since the outer periphery of the tire is gripped by the clamp mechanism, it is necessary to carry this tire to the back of the luggage room. It is difficult because a part of the clamp mechanism is sandwiched between the tire and the tire, or when the grip of the tire is released, the space necessary for expanding the clamp mechanism is lost, and the like. The location of the spare tire storage area is limited to the entrance and exit of the luggage room, and the tires are dropped from a position distant upward from the floor of the luggage room. There is a problem that the positioning accuracy of the mounting position becomes considerably low.

In addition, as a device that improves the positioning accuracy of the tire mounting position by gripping the tire using the wheel center hole instead of gripping it from the surroundings and prevents noise when the spare tire is mounted, There is a mounting hand (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-107465).

This hand for mounting a spare tire is attached to the tip of an arm of an automatic machine, and has a long columnar fixed base that is attached to a multi-joint arm of a robot, and an L-shaped bracket is attached to the tip of this fixed base. A vane motor as a swinging means is attached, and a movable base having a spare tire gripping means attached is fixed to a rotating shaft of the vane motor. This spare tire gripping means is
The movable base has a clamp mechanism for temporarily holding a clamp member for fixing a spare tire and fixing the clamp member to the vehicle body side. The spare tire gripping means provided on the movable base includes a locking claw. 3 chucks and a piston rod that drives each of these chucks. A conical cone-shaped guide taper portion and a collar-shaped return plate are provided on the tip end side of the piston rod. When the guide taper portion is driven forward and backward, the guide taper portion pushes each of the chucks arranged radially, and drives the locking claws of the chuck that are curved outward in the radial direction. At the same time, press and hold three points on the periphery of the wheel center hole,
Further, the return plate operates so as to return each chuck and release the grip by the locking claw.

However, since the thickness of the wheel disk of the spare tire is considerably different between the thickest and the thinnest, the curved locking pawls only need to press and hold the peripheral edge of the wheel center hole. Then, the range of the thickness of the wheel disc that can be gripped is narrow, and therefore, depending on the thickness of the wheel disc, there is a high possibility that a defect such as center shift or wobble will occur in the spare tire when gripping. In addition, since the height from the lower surface of the spare tire (the side that becomes the lower surface when stored) to the wheel disk surface differs depending on the type of tire, when the hand grips or releases the grip of the spare tire, Depending on the type, it was necessary to change the teaching of the robot or install equipment to absorb the height difference.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has a simple structure and is less likely to malfunction, and has a different wheel center hole diameter, a different wheel disc thickness, or a different offset amount from the side of the tire. An object of the present invention is to provide a tire gripping hand that can handle various kinds of tire grips such as when the heights up to the disk surface are different.

Means for Solving the Problems As a means for solving the above problems, the present invention is mounted on the tip of a robot arm and detachably grips a tire in a wheel center hole formed in the center of a wheel disc. In a tire gripping hand, an abutting stop plate fixed to the robot arm side and abutting against one side surface of a wheel disc, and two abutting stop plates that vertically penetrate the abutting stop plate and can approach and separate from each other Of the centering arm and the tip of each of the centering arms penetrating the abutment plates, and the edge of the wheel center hole is held between the abutment plate and the other side surface of the wheel disc. Gripping claw to
While being connected to the base ends of both centering arms,
A centering drive mechanism for synchronously driving both centering arms in a direction toward or away from each other with respect to the center of the device, and a centering drive mechanism are provided so as to move integrally with the centering drive mechanism, and are driven by driving the contact stop plate. It is characterized in that it is provided with a grip drive mechanism for relatively bringing the stop plate and the grip claws toward or away from each other.

With the above configuration, the robot arm is driven to insert the tire gripping hand into the wheel center hole of the tire in the initial state in which the two centering arms are brought close to each other, and Insert it until it touches one side of the wheel disc. Next, the centering drive mechanism drives the two centering arms in a direction in which they are separated from each other to bring them into contact with the inner peripheral sides of the wheel center holes, respectively, so that the center lines of the tire gripping hand and the wheel center hole coincide with each other. Let After that, when the grip drive mechanism drives the contact stop plate toward the grip claw, the corresponding stop plate is fixed to the robot arm, so the grip claw moves integrally with the grip drive mechanism and approaches the contact stop plate. To do. Then, the grip claw that moves in the direction of the contact stop plate presses against the other side surface of the wheel disc to hold the wheel disc between the contact stop plate and the grip claw, and firmly grip the tire in the centered state. .

Further, in order to release the gripping state by the tire gripping hand, first, the gripping drive mechanism moves the gripping claw and the contact stop plate in a direction in which they are separated from each other, and the centering drive mechanism causes both centering arms to approach each other.
Next, after the gripping drive mechanism moves the gripping claws toward the stopper plate again to initialize the robot, the robot arm is driven to extract the centering arm from the wheel center hole and return it to the standby position.

Embodiment An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a spare tire gripping hand of a spare tire mounting device will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The spare tire gripping hand 1 includes a disc-shaped contact stop plate 2 arranged horizontally in FIG. 1, and this contact stop plate 2.
A first base 3 which is provided in parallel above the first base 3 and the first base 3 and the abutting stop plate 2 which are vertically arranged.
A pair of linear way rails 4 and linear way sliders 5 are connected so as to be able to change the vertical spacing while maintaining parallel to each other, and a second base 6 is fixed to each of the linear way rails 4. Has been done and this second
The lower end of the base 6 is connected to the stopper plate 2, and the robot mounting portion 7 is fixed to the upper portion of the second base 6, and the connecting flange 7a of the robot mounting portion 7 is fixed.
The spare tire gripping hand 1 is attached to the tip of the robot arm.

Further, on the upper surface of the first base 3, a first linear way rail (not shown), a first linear way slider 8 that engages with the first linear way rail and linearly moves in the horizontal direction, and the first linear way. A second linear way rail 9 arranged in parallel with the rail and a second linear way slider 10 that engages with the rail 9 and moves linearly in the horizontal direction are provided. At the ends on the same side of the way sliders 8 and 10 (right ends in FIG. 1), extensions of the third base 11 and the fourth base 12, which are mounted on the upper surfaces of both linear way sliders 8 and 10, respectively, are overlapped. Racks 13 and 14 of a rack and pinion mechanism are provided in 11a and 12a so as to face each other, and between both racks 13 and 14, there are pinions 15 meshed with the racks 13 and 14, respectively. First
It is rotatably provided on the base 3. Further, a pair of centering arms 17 and 17 are provided on the opposite side of the first and second linear way sliders 8 and 10 to the side where the racks 13 and 14 are provided, and the upper ends of the centering arms 17 and 17 are respectively attached to the first and second linear ways. The way sliders 8 and 10 are connected and fixed to the lower surfaces thereof, and the lower portions of the way sliders 8 and 10 are hung downward from the openings 3a formed in the first base 3. Semi-circular plate-shaped gripping claws 18, 18 are horizontally attached to the lower ends of the holes 2a extending vertically downward, and both centering arms 17, 17 are attached to the first base 3 Opening 3a and long hole 2a of the stopper plate 2
By this, the movement in the direction approaching and separating from each other on the same straight line is allowed.

Also, the rack of the first and second linear way sliders 8 and 10
An air cylinder 19 for driving centering is fixed on the first base 3 on an extension line on the side opposite to the side on which 13, 14 are provided. This air cylinder 19 has a tip of its piston rod 19a. It is connected to the first linear way slider 8 to drive the first linear way slider 8 forward (to the right in FIG. 1) and backward, and the piston rod 19a extends and both centering arms 17 and 17 approach each other. When the first linear way slider 8 is driven backward by shortening the piston rod 19a of the air cylinder 19 for centering drive from the initial state (the state shown in FIG. 1) in which the first linear way slider 8 abuts on the device center line CL. 1 linear way slider 8
Moves to the left in FIG. 1 and
The pinion 15 meshing with the rack 13 of the linear way slider 8 is rotated, and the second linear way slider 10 with the rack 14 meshing with this pinion 15 is the same as the moving distance of the first linear way slider 8. It is driven to the right in FIG. 1 by a distance. Therefore, the pair of centering arms 17, 17 that have approached and abutted on the apparatus center line CL in the initial state are driven on the same straight line in the directions away from each other with the apparatus center line CL as a reference, and the centering state (first 3).

Conversely, when the piston rod 19a of the air cylinder 19 is extended and the first linear way slider 8 is driven forward,
The first linear way slider 8 and the second linear way slider 10 in the separated state are driven in a direction in which they approach each other,
The two centerings 17, 17 approach each other and return to the initial state where they abut on the apparatus center line CL (see FIG. 2).

Further, an air cylinder 20 for gripping drive is fixed to the first base 3 with its piston rod 20a vertically arranged downward, and the lower end of this piston rod 20a is the upper surface of the contact stop plate 2. Connected to this air cylinder 20
Thus, the stopper plate 2 can be driven in the vertical direction in FIG.

Therefore, since the contact stop plate 2 is fixed to the robot mounting portion 7 via the second base 6, the piston stop 20a of the air cylinder 20 is extended to extend the contact stop plate 2.
Is pushed downward in FIG. 1, the first base 3 to which the air cylinder 20 is fixed is pushed upward, and as a result, the first and second linear ways provided on the first base 3 are pushed. The pair of centering arms 17 and 17 whose upper ends are connected to the sliders 8 and 10 are also integrally raised,
The grip claws 18, 18 attached to the lower ends of the centering arms 17, 17 move in the direction of approaching the contact stop plate 2. Conversely, the piston rod 20 of the air cylinder 20
When a is shortened, the first base 3 descends, and the gripping claws 18, which are attached to the lower ends of both centering arms 17, 17,
18 moves in a direction away from the contact stop plate 2.

Next, the operation when the spare tire gripping hand 1 configured as described above is attached to the tip of the robot arm of the spare tire mounting device to grip and release the spare tire will be described.

The spare tire gripping hand 1 is attached to the tip of the robot arm of the spare tire mounting device. Then, when gripping the spare tire, first, the robot arm is driven so that the device center line CL of the spare tire gripping hand 1 substantially coincides with the center line L of the tire T supplied from the tire supply device. To (see Fig. 5). Then 2
The centering arms 17, 17 of the book are fitted into a wheel center hole H formed in the center of the wheel disc D of the tire T in an initial state in which they are brought close to each other, and are inserted until the abutting stop plate 2 comes into contact with the upper surface of the wheel disc D. Then, both centering arms 1
The gripping pawls 18, 18 attached to 7, 7 are driven in a direction away from the contact stop plate 2, and the centering arms 17, 17 are driven in a direction away from each other by an air cylinder 19 for driving centering (first (See Figure 6).

The centering arms 17, 17 are driven by the racks 13 and 14 and the pinion 15 of the rack and pinion mechanism so that they are equidistant from the center line CL of the apparatus in the directions away from each other. By contacting the inner circumferences of the wheel center holes H and pressing them outward, respectively, so that the device center line CL of the spare tire gripping hand 1 and the center line L of the tire T are completely aligned with each other. Centering of the tire T is achieved.
(See FIG. 7).

Both the centering arms 17 and 17 have wheel center holes H.
When the centering is completed by making contact with the inner circumferences of
Next, the air cylinder 20 for gripping drive is operated, and the first base 3 is driven in the direction away from the contact stop plate 20 to raise both centering arms 17, 17. As a result, the grip claws 18, 18 approach the direction of the contact stop plate 2 without moving the position of the contact stop plate 2 that is in contact with the wheel disk D, and the contact between the grip claws 18, 18 is stopped. The peripheral edge of the wheel center hole H of the wheel disk D is clamped between the plate 2 and the spare tire T to be firmly gripped in the centered state (see FIG. 8).

The tire T gripped by the spare tire gripping hand 1 is
After the robot arm of the spare tire mounting device is rotated and is transported into the luggage room of the vehicle body, the spare tire gripping hand 1 releases the grip and mounts the spare tire at a predetermined storage position.

To release the gripped state of the tire T by the spare tire gripping hand 1, first, the gripping air cylinder 20 is used to move the gripping pawls 18 and 18 and the stopper plate 2 in a direction in which they are separated from each other, and the centering drive is performed. Air cylinders for 19
The centering arms 17, 17 are moved in a direction to approach each other by means of, and the centering arms 17, 17 approach and abut on the center line CL of the apparatus, and then the gripping claw 18 is held by the air cylinder 20 for gripping drive. , 18 again stop plate 20
To the initial state (see Fig. 9), then drive the robot arm to move the centering arm 17,1
The spare tire gripping hand 1 is moved in the direction in which 7 is pulled out from the wheel center hole H, and is returned to the standby position.

Reference numeral t (indicated by a chain double-dashed line) in FIGS. 5 to 9 is a space saver tire in which the height of the wheel disk surface is reduced and the wheel disc is thinned. In the case of such a special tire,
In the case of the spare tire gripping hand 1 of the present invention, since the air cylinder is adopted as the centering drive mechanism and the gripping drive mechanism, the pair of centering arms 17,1
7 is brought into contact with the inner periphery of the wheel center hole H with a constant pressing force for centering, and the abutting stop plate 2 and gripping claw are
With 18,18, the wheel disc D can be reliably gripped by a constant clamping force.

Further, in the above embodiment, the same effect can be obtained by using a hydraulic cylinder or a screw type cylinder that uses an air cylinder as the centering drive mechanism and the grip drive mechanism.

Effect of the Invention As described above, the tire gripping hand of the present invention is
An abutting stop plate fixed to the robot arm side and abutting against one side surface of the wheel disc, and two centering arms vertically penetrating through the abutting stop plate and capable of approaching and separating from each other, A gripping claw provided at each tip of each centering arm that penetrates the contact stop plate and abutting against the other side surface of the wheel disc to sandwich the peripheral edge portion of the wheel center hole between the centering arm and the contact stop plate; A centering drive mechanism that is connected to the base end side of the centering arm and that synchronously drives both centering arms in a direction toward or away from each other with respect to the center of the device, and is provided so as to move integrally with the centering drive mechanism. Further, by driving the contact stop plate, the stop plate and the gripping claw are relatively moved toward or away from each other. Since it has a grip drive mechanism that allows the wheel center hole to have different diameters, the wheel discs have different thicknesses, or the height of the wheel disc surface is different due to a difference in offset amount, etc. In addition to being able to handle tires, it has the advantages of a simple structure and less breakdown.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a perspective view of a spare tire gripping hand, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a centering arm in an initial state, and FIG. 3 is a centering arm in a centering state. 4 is a perspective view showing a gripping state, FIGS. 5 to 9 are explanatory views showing a tire gripping process by a spare tire gripping hand, and FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a step of substantially matching the lines, FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a step of inserting the centering arms into the wheel center holes, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a step of separating the centering arms from each other,
FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a step of gripping the wheel disc, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a step of releasing the grip. 1 ... Hand for holding spare tire, 2 ... Abutting stop plate,
2a ... elongated hole, 3 ... first base, 3a ... opening, 4 ...
Linear way rail, 5 ... Linear way slider, 6
...... Second base, 7 ...... Robot mounting part, 8 ...... First linear way slider, 10 ...... Second linear way slider, 13,14 ...... Rack, 15 ...... Pinion, 17 ...... Centering arm, 18 ...... Grip claws, 19 ...... Centering drive air cylinders, 20 ...... Grip drive air cylinders,
T, t ... Tire, H ... Wheel center hole, D ... Wheel disk, CL ... Device center line, L ... Tire center line.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A tire gripping hand that is mounted on the tip of a robot arm and detachably grips a tire in a wheel center hole formed in the center of a wheel disc. One of the centering arms that abuts on one side, two centering arms that vertically pass through the centering plate and that can approach and separate from each other, and the centering plates of these centering arms And gripping claws, which are respectively provided at the front ends and abut against the other side surface of the wheel disc to hold the peripheral edge of the wheel center hole between the abutting stop plate and the base end side of both centering arms. , Centering drive that drives both centering arms synchronously in the direction toward or away from each other with the center of the device as the reference And a grip drive mechanism that is provided so as to move integrally with the centering drive mechanism and that drives the contact stop plate to relatively move the stop plate and the grip claw relatively toward or away from each other. A tire gripping hand characterized in that