Component replacement device and component replacement system

Abstract

A blade component replacement device (1) for replacing a blade component (103) that is screwed by a screw (104) has a cylindrical member (2), a cylindrical member support (3) that supports the cylindrical member (2) so as to be movable in the direction of a center axis (C), and a screwdriver bit (4) that is inserted into the cylindrical member (2) so as to be axially rotatable independently of the cylindrical member (2). A gap that serves as an air passage (18) is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member (2) and the outer peripheral surface of the screwdriver bit (4). Since the replaced component and the screw can be adsorbed together, the operation of replacing the replaced component and the screw together is made efficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a component replacement device and a component replacement system for replacing a component that has been screwed on. Background Technology

[0002] like Figure 10 As shown, in the insert-changeable tool 101, the bladed insert component 103 is fixed to the cylindrical retainer 102 by means of screws 104. Because the bladed insert component 103 is subject to the reaction force during machining, it needs to be firmly fixed to the retainer 102. Therefore, most of the part except for the part in contact with the material being cut is embedded in the retainer 102.

[0003] Because the blade component 103 is smaller than the operator's fingertip and has a sharp cutting edge, the operator needs to wear protective gloves and manually change the blade component 103. Although the replacement of this small component is done with the fingertip, the difficulty of performing this operation while wearing gloves is not low.

[0004] Because small cutting debris (chips) adheres to the machined insert component 103, screw 104, and retainer 102, the operator needs to blow air to remove these chips before disassembling the insert component 103. This chip removal is an inefficient operation. Furthermore, if chips remain between the insert component 103 and the retainer 102, the machining accuracy may deteriorate, potentially causing machining defects. Therefore, chip removal cannot be ignored.

[0005] Furthermore, as mentioned above, since most of the blade assembly 103, except for the blade itself, is embedded in the retainer 102, and the portion protruding from the retainer 102 is very small, it is difficult to hold by a robotic arm or similar device. Magnetic adsorption was considered for picking up the blade assembly 103, but when the blade assembly 103 is magnetized, magnetic chips adhere, making chip removal even more difficult. Of course, if the blade assembly 103 is made of a non-magnetic material, magnetic adsorption is not possible. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] The goal is to make the process of replacing the parts along with the screws more efficient.

[0008] means for solving problems

[0009] One aspect of this disclosure discloses a component replacement device for replacing a component tightened by a screw. It comprises: a cylindrical member; a cylindrical member support supporting the cylindrical member for free movement along a central axis; and a screwdriver bit inserted into the cylindrical member in a manner that allows it to rotate freely independently of the cylindrical member. A gap serving as an air passage is provided between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member and the outer circumferential surface of the screwdriver bit. The tip of the screwdriver bit protrudes from the opening at the front end of the cylindrical member. To ensure a predetermined gap between the inner circumferential surface of the opening of the cylindrical member and the outer circumferential surface of the screwdriver bit and to hold the component to be replaced, the inner diameter of the opening of the cylindrical member is longer than the outer diameter of the screwdriver bit. To hold the screw, a central hole is provided on the screwdriver bit, extending from the tip of the screwdriver bit to a predetermined distance behind it, and this central hole communicates with the air passage.

[0010] Invention Effects

[0011] According to this method, since the replaced parts and screws can be adsorbed together with air, the replacement of the replaced parts can be carried out efficiently. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the blade component replacement device according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 AA cross-section view.

[0014] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the front end shape of the nozzle of the cylindrical component.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the front end of the cylindrical member in a modified example of the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 The diagram shows a blade replacement device installed at the front end of a robot arm in a blade replacement system.

[0017] Figure 6 It is shown by Figure 1 The diagram shows the blade replacement process performed by the blade replacement device.

[0018] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 6 The diagram shows the process of replacing the blade components after the previous process.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the blade component replacement device according to the second embodiment.

[0020] Figure 9This is a supplementary diagram illustrating the installation operation of the blade component by the blade component replacement device of the second embodiment.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a perspective view showing a blade-changing type of cutting tool.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0023] 1…blade replacement device, 2…cylindrical component, 3…cylindrical component support, 4…screwdriver bit, 5…nut tightener, 6…nut tightener support, 7…base block. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following is a reference to the appendix. Figure 1 The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used for constituent elements having the same function and structure, and the description will be repeated only where necessary. This disclosure relates to a screw tightening device for loosening and tightening screws, and in particular to a component replacement device that can hold and replace a replaceable part, such as a screw that has been tightened to a base, along with the screw, by air adsorption. Furthermore, here, a cutting tool component used for workpiece cutting, which is the replaceable part, will be used as an example for description.

[0025] (First Implementation)

[0026] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the blade component replacement device according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of section AA. Furthermore, for ease of explanation, the lower side of the paper is referred to as the front end or bottom, and the upper side of the paper as the rear end or top. The blade component changing device 1 includes: a cylindrical hollow cylindrical member 2; a cylindrical member support 3 that supports the cylindrical member 2 so that it can move freely along the central axis C; a screwdriver bit 4 inserted into the cylindrical member 2 in a manner that allows it to rotate freely on its own axis independently of the cylindrical member 2; a nut tightener 5 for driving the rotation of the axis of the screwdriver bit 4; and a nut tightener support 6 that secures the nut tightener 5 to itself by means of a clamping mechanism or the like. The nut tightener support 6 is connected to the cylindrical member support 3. The nut tightener support 6 and the cylindrical member support 3 are integrally formed into a U-shaped or U-shaped base block 7.

[0027] A cylindrical through hole 8 is formed in the cylindrical member support 3. A cylindrical member 2 is coaxially inserted into this through hole 8. An inwardly projecting annular flange 9 is provided at the periphery below the through hole 8 in the cylindrical member support 3. An outwardly projecting annular flange 10 in the middle section of the cylindrical member 2 abuts against the flange 9, restricting downward movement of the cylindrical member 2. A disc-shaped support cover 11 covers the through hole 8 of the cylindrical member support 3. The support cover 11 is screwed onto the upper surface of the cylindrical member support 3 at four points by bolts 12. The support cover 11 restricts upward movement of the cylindrical member 2. The cylindrical member 2 is supported by the cylindrical member support 3 to move freely between the flange 9 and the support cover 11.

[0028] Typically, the opening 17 of the cylindrical member 2, located at the foremost (lowest) position, is positioned slightly rearward than the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4. In other words, the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 protrudes slightly forward than the opening 17 of the cylindrical member 2 at the lowest position. This allows the operator to visually confirm the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 while inserting it into the bit insertion slot 106 of the screw 104. The amount of protrusion of the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 relative to the opening 17 of the cylindrical member 2 at the lowest position is adjusted arbitrarily by taking the maximum value as the distance (embedding amount) of the recess of the surface of the screw head 105 relative to the surface of the blade member 103 fixed to the retainer 102. Therefore, when the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 is inserted into the bit insertion slot 106 of the screw 104 in the retainer 102, contact between the opening 17 of the cylindrical member 2 and the surface of the blade member 103 ensures that it can be drawn in by air. In addition, although the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 is located at the same position as the opening 17 of the bottommost cylindrical member 2 and the two are aligned, the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 may be slightly recessed from the opening 17 of the bottommost cylindrical member 2.

[0029] Here, by removing the bracket cover 11 from the cylindrical component bracket 3, the cylindrical component 2 can be pulled upwards through the through hole 8 of the cylindrical component bracket 3, or the cylindrical component 2 can be inserted upwards into the through hole 8 of the cylindrical component bracket 3, thus enabling easy assembly and disassembly. Figure 3As shown in examples (a) to (d), depending on the cutting method and specifications, it is possible to appropriately distinguish and use insert components 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 with different insert shapes. Since the insert component changing device 1 contacts the opening 17 of the cylindrical member 2 with the surface of the insert component 103 and adsorbs air, it is preferable to use a cylindrical member 2 with a cylindrical shape suitable for the surface shape of the insert component 103. From the various cylindrical members 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, and 2-4 with different opening shapes of 17-1, 17-2, 17-3, and 17-4, any cylindrical member suitable for any one of the insert components 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 can be easily replaced. Furthermore, as... Figure 4 As shown, the cylindrical member 2 may also consist of a cylindrical member body 21 and a nozzle 23 that is detachable from the cylindrical member body 21 by means of screwing or fitting, and the nozzle 23 may be appropriately replaced with a cylindrical shape that is suitable for the surface shape of the blade member 103.

[0030] Back Figure 1 , Figure 2 A guide hole 13 for inserting a screwdriver bit 4 is provided in the center of the support cover 11. Two guide holes 14 extend through the periphery of the guide hole 13 in the support cover 11. A guide pin 15, protruding from the rear end of the cylindrical member 2, slides freely into the guide hole 14. This suppresses tilting of the cylindrical member 2 and ensures movement parallel to the central axis C of the cylindrical member 2.

[0031] A compression coil spring 16 is fitted over the cylindrical member 2. The compression coil spring 16 is positioned between the support cover 11 and the raised edge 10. The cylindrical member 2 is subjected to a force in the forward direction by the compression coil spring 16. Alternatively, the compression coil spring 16 can be replaced with other force-applying components such as a tension spring or a leaf spring.

[0032] The front end of the cylindrical member 2 is thinner, forming the nozzle 19. The inner diameter of the cylindrical member 2 is not uniform from the front opening 17 to the rear end, but changes midway along the central axis C. The inner diameter of the portion from the front end of the cylindrical member 2 to a predetermined rear position (the front portion) is wider, while the inner diameter of the portion further rear than the front portion (the rear portion) is narrower than the inner diameter of the front portion. The inner diameter of the rear portion is configured to be slightly wider than the outer diameter of the screwdriver bit 4, allowing the screwdriver bit 4 to rotate and suppressing its wobble to a substantially similar degree. In contrast, the inner diameter ID1 of the front portion is configured such that the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 2 is spaced a predetermined distance, for example, several millimeters, from the outer circumferential surface of the screwdriver bit 4, and is wider than the outer diameter of the screwdriver bit 4, sufficient to ensure a gap as an air passage 18 between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 2 and the outer circumferential surface of the screwdriver bit 4.

[0033] Furthermore, the inner diameter ID1 of the front portion of the cylindrical member 2 is configured to be narrower than the outer diameter (or outer dimension) ED1 of the surface of the blade member 103, which is the replaced component, and wider than the inner diameter (or inner dimension) ID2 of the surface of the blade member 103. As a result, since the cylindrical opening 17 is in contact with the surface of the blade member 103, and the inner portion of the surface of the blade member 103 that is in contact with the cylindrical opening 17 is exposed relative to the air passage 18, the blade member 103 will not be sucked into the cylindrical member 2 when the air passage 18 is drawn into negative pressure, and can be adsorbed by the cylindrical member 2.

[0034] In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the rear part of the cylindrical member 2 is circular, which will not obstruct the rotation of the screwdriver bit 4. The cross-sectional shape of the front part of the cylindrical member 2 that constitutes the air passage 18 is typically circular, but it can also be a polygon such as a triangle or a quadrilateral.

[0035] A circular opening 24 is formed on the side wall of the front portion of the cylindrical member 2. The opening 24 communicates with the air passage 18, and a tubular air connector 25 is installed outwardly within the opening 24. Figure 5 As shown, an air connection 25 is connected to an air hose 41, and an air pump device (vacuum pump device) 40 is connected to the opposite side of the air hose 41. Air is drawn from the air passage 18 by the air pump device 40. This creates a negative pressure in the air passage 18, which can attract the blade component 103 and the screw 104 together. An air switch 42 is located within the air hose 41. By switching the air switch 42, air is supplied to the air passage 18. This supply of air to the air passage 18 causes air to be blown out from the nozzle 17. This blowing removes the chips adhering to the blade component 103 and the screw 104.

[0036] The operator can hold the blade replacement device 1 to replace the blade component 103. Additionally, as... Figure 5 As shown, the blade replacement device 1 can also be mounted on the tool replacement device 34 at the front end of the multi-joint arm 31 of the robot 30, thus automating the replacement of the blade component 103. In the latter case, the blade replacement device 1 and the control device (not shown) constitute a blade replacement system, and the control device controls the robot 30, the blade replacement device 1, and the robot 30 to perform the blade replacement operation. Furthermore, the replacement action will be described below using the blade replacement system as an example.

[0037] Figure 6 , Figure 7 The process of removing the blade assembly 103 from the holder 102 by the blade assembly replacement device 1 is shown. First, as... Figure 6As shown in (a), the blade replacement device 1 is moved by the movement of the multi-joint arm 31 of the robot 30, and the opening 17 of the cylindrical member 2 and the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 are respectively positioned above the blade part 103 and the screw 104 to be replaced. Then, as... Figure 6 As shown in (b), the blade replacement device 1 descends, and the nozzle 17 approaches the blade component 103 to a predetermined distance. Then, the air pump device 40 is driven to supply air to the air passage 18, and the air is blown out from the nozzle 17. As a result, the chips attached to the blade component 103 and the screw 104 are blown away and removed. By removing the chips, poor engagement of the tip 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 with the bit insertion groove 106 of the screw 104 in subsequent processes is suppressed, and chips are also prevented from being trapped during the reassembly of the new blade component 103, thus preventing a decrease in machining accuracy.

[0038] After chip removal is complete, the blade replacement device 1 descends again. During this descent, because the screw 104 is embedded in the blade assembly 103, it... Figure 6 As shown in (c), the nozzle 17 first contacts the surface of the blade component 103. Then, as... Figure 7 As shown in (a), the blade replacement device 1 descends further until the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 engages with the bit insertion groove 106 of the screw 104. During this period, because the cylindrical member 2 moves freely and is forced forward by the compressed helical spring 16, the opening 17 remains in contact with the surface of the blade member 103 as the blade replacement device 1 descends.

[0039] Then as Figure 7 As shown in (b), the screwdriver bit 4 is rotated by the drive of the nut tightener 5. This loosens the screw 104 and pulls it out of the threaded hole of the retainer 102. Then, the air switch 42 is switched and the air pump device 40 is driven, creating a negative pressure in the air passage 18, causing the blade component 103 to be attracted by the barrel opening 17. Because the screw 104 is pressed against the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4, it is attracted together with the blade component 103 while it is inserted into the threaded hole of the blade component 103. In addition, it also prevents the situation where external gas is drawn in from the threaded hole of the blade component 103, the vacuum state of the air passage 18 is released, and the blade component 103 falls off.

[0040] like Figure 7 As shown in (c), with the rise of the blade component changing device 1 caused by the movement of the multi-joint arm 31 of the robot 30, the blade component 103, which is attracted to the cylinder opening 17, detaches from the holder 102 together with the screw 104. The attracted blade component 103 and screw 104 are directly transported to the blade component tray (not shown).

[0041] Furthermore, the new blade component 103 can be installed onto the retainer 102 by taking the reverse steps of the disassembly process described above.

[0042] As described above, according to this embodiment, since the materials of the blade component 103, which is the replacement part, and the screw 104 that fixes it are independent of each other, it is not necessary to hold the blade component 103 or change the air blowing device. While holding the blade component replacement device 1, a series of operations can be performed, including removing chips by blowing air, loosening the screw 104, and picking up the blade component 103 and the screw 104. Therefore, the replacement of the blade component 103 can be performed efficiently, and the operator is freed from the risks of installing and removing small parts and cutting their fingers. Furthermore, by installing the blade component replacement device 1 at the front end of the robot 30 arm to form a blade component replacement system, the blade component replacement can be automated. In this case, it is not necessary to have two arms holding the screw 104 and the blade component 103 separately, thus reducing equipment costs.

[0043] (Second Implementation)

[0044] In the first embodiment described above, the screw 104 is not directly adsorbed. Therefore, as a preparation, when installing the blade component 103 onto the retainer 102, the screw 104 needs to be inserted into the screw hole of the blade component 103 first. Furthermore, instead of directly blowing air into the bit insertion groove 106 of the screw 104 to remove the chips, the chips are indirectly removed by entraining air blown onto the surface of the blade component 103. The second embodiment achieves direct adsorption of the screw 104 and direct blowing of air into the bit insertion groove 106 of the screw 104 to remove the chips.

[0045] like Figure 8 As shown, the screwdriver bit 4 mounted on the blade replacement device 1 in this embodiment has an opening at its front end 20, and a central hole 27 is provided from the opening 29 at the front end 20 toward the rear to the middle of the screwdriver bit 4. A transverse hole 28 is provided on the screwdriver bit 4 at its rear end or middle section, and the central hole 27 communicates with the air passage 18 through the transverse hole 28.

[0046] When air is supplied to the air passage 18, air is blown out from the cylinder opening 17 through the air passage 18 between the cylindrical member 2 and the screwdriver bit 4, and air is also blown out from the front opening 29 of the screwdriver bit 4 through the transverse hole 28 and the axial hole 27 (air blowing function). Thus, by directly blowing air into the bit insertion groove 106 of the screw 104, the chips in the bit insertion groove 106 of the screw 104 can be efficiently removed, and the poor engagement of the front end 20 of the screwdriver bit 4 with the bit insertion groove 106 of the screw 104 can be basically eliminated.

[0047] Furthermore, when air is drawn from the air passage 18, a negative pressure is also generated in the axial hole 27 of the screwdriver bit 4, along with the air passage 18. This allows the screw 104 to be individually attracted, for example... Figure 9 As shown, the screw 104 can be picked up by the blade component replacement device and inserted into the screw hole of the blade component 103. The blade component 103 and the screw 104 can be attracted together and transferred and installed into the retainer 102.

[0048] Furthermore, this embodiment can achieve the same effect as the first embodiment.

[0049] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. During implementation, various modifications can be made without departing from its spirit. Furthermore, the embodiments can be appropriately combined, in which case combined effects can be obtained. Moreover, various inventions are included in the above embodiments; by selecting and combining the disclosed constituent elements, various inventions can be extracted. For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments, the technical problem can be solved and the effect can be obtained. In this case, the configuration with the deleted constituent element can also be extracted as an invention.

Claims

1. A component replacement device for replacing a component that has been screwed on, wherein, have: Cylindrical components, A cylindrical component support bracket that supports the cylindrical component so that it can move freely along its central axis, and A screwdriver bit is inserted into the cylindrical member in a manner that allows it to rotate freely on an axis independent of the cylindrical member; A gap is provided between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member and the outer circumferential surface of the screwdriver bit to serve as an air passage. The front end of the screwdriver bit protrudes from the opening at the front end of the cylindrical member. In order to ensure a predetermined gap between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member's opening and the outer circumferential surface of the screwdriver bit, and to hold the replaced part in place, the inner diameter of the cylindrical member's opening is longer than the outer diameter of the screwdriver bit. In order to attract the screw, a central hole is provided on the screwdriver bit, extending from the front end of the screwdriver bit to a predetermined distance behind it, and the central hole is connected to the air passage.

2. The component replacement device according to claim 1, wherein, The component replacement device also has a force-applying member that applies force to the cylindrical component in the forward direction.

3. The component replacement device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The air passage is provided from the opening of the cylindrical member to a position a predetermined distance behind it.

4. The component replacement device according to claim 3, wherein, An O-ring is provided between the cylindrical member and the screwdriver bit at a position behind the air passage.

5. The component replacement device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The component replacement device further includes: a nut tightener bracket connected to the cylindrical component bracket; and a nut tightener, which is detachably held by the nut tightener bracket and is used to drive the screwdriver bit to rotate its shaft.

6. The component replacement device according to claim 1, wherein, An opening communicating with the air passage is provided on the side wall of the cylindrical member, and an air pump device is connected to the opening via an air hose.

7. The component replacement device according to claim 6, wherein, The component replacement device also has a switching section located between the opening and the air pump device, used to switch between air intake and supply.

8. The component replacement device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 6, and 7, wherein, The cylindrical component can be freely attached to and detached from the cylindrical component support.

9. The component replacement device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 6, and 7, wherein, The cylindrical component includes a cylindrical component body and a spout that is detachable from the cylindrical component body.

10. A component replacement system, wherein, have: The component replacement device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 6, and 7; and The robot is equipped with the aforementioned component replacement device at the front end of its arm.

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