Robot for mold control on a glass bottle manufacturing machine and method for coupling a control element support tool to the robot

Abstract

The robot (1) is equipped with a control arm (2) to which is attached a coupler (4) intended to be fixed to a tool (5) supporting at least one mold control element (6) (7). The coupler has a first part (11) fixed to the control arm (2) and a second part (12) intended to be fixed to the element support (5). Means are provided for fixing the two parts (11, 12) of the coupler (4) to each other and coupling the tool supporting the element (5) to the control arm (2) of the robot (1). The two parts (11, 12) of the coupler (4) are arranged to automatically lock together by one (11) fitting into the other (12). (See diagram: Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Robot for controlling molds of a glass bottle manufacturing machine and method for coupling a control element support tool to the robot technical field

[0001] The field of the invention of the present application is the manufacture of glass bottles. This is done using so-called roughing and finishing molds. These molds require lubrication using lubrication nozzles. For many years, lubrication robots have been used for both roughing and finishing molds.

[0002] The nozzles are fixed on a support which must be coupled to the robot, more particularly to the wrist of the robot arm by means of a coupler fixed to an adapter disc fixed to the wrist of the robot, coupler through which all the means of controlling the nozzles pass (electrical signals, compressed air, lubricant).

[0003] Incidentally, standard spraying robots are animated around six or seven axes of articulation, or even more, to drive the arm carrying the support for the spray nozzles.

[0004] It should be noted that one of the functions of the robot, in fact the essential function, is to move the nozzle support to place them correctly between the roughing and finishing molds.

[0005] The coupler is in two parts, male and female, one fixed to the adapter disc, the other to the nozzle support, called tool.

[0006] The problem underlying the invention of the present application is related to the coupling, or fixing, of the two parts of the coupler.

[0007] Until now, the two parts of the coupler were coupled using a locking lever which a qualified operator had to manipulate.

[0008] However, a manufacturer of glass bottles is often obliged to change nozzles, in particular different sizes, and therefore nozzle supports, especially since glass bottles today have complex structures.

[0009] At the time when the frequency of changing nozzles and therefore their supports was not very high, the bottle manufacturer did not hesitate to send an operator to proceed with the decoupling and recoupling of the nozzles to the robots.

[0010] Now that this frequency of change has increased considerably, the handling of the locking and coupling levers, sometimes once an hour, has become a problem.

[0011] This problem has become all the more crucial as there are now so-called "tandem" glass bottle manufacturing machines which manufacture several bottles at once, comprising two groups of individual sections each manufacturing one bottle.

[0012] It should be noted that although the invention of the present application originates from the lubrication of glass bottle manufacturing molds using robots for roughing or finishing molds to which spray nozzles are attached, it is evident that the applicant does not intend to limit the scope of its application to spray nozzles and that it therefore extends the field of its application to robots intended for the manufacture of glass bottles, on the side of roughing or finishing molds, but implemented not only for mold lubrication nozzles, but also for other mold control devices, such as temperature, pressure measuring devices, ..., cameras, gripping elements, etc.

[0013] Thus, to solve the problem raised above, the applicant first proposes a robot for the control of roughing or finishing molds of at least one machine for manufacturing at least one glass bottle, the robot being provided with a control arm to which is attached a coupler intended to be attached to a support tool of at least one control element of the molds, the coupler comprising a first part attached to the control arm and a second part intended to be attached to the support of the element, means being provided for attaching the two parts of the coupler to each other and coupling the support tool of the element to the control arm of the robot, characterized by the fact that the two parts of the coupler are arranged to attach themselves automatically to each other by a fitting of one into the other.

[0014] Besides the fact that the invention solves the problem posed, it constitutes a particularly inventive innovation which makes it possible to do away with a very old laborious manipulation of a locking instrument.

[0015] In a preferred shaping of the robot of the invention, one of the parts of the coupler has a male portion arranged to fit tightly and securely into a bore of the other part of the coupler.

[0016] Advantageously, the two parts of the coupler lock together by snapping.

[0017] Advantageously, said male portion includes spring-mounted retractable balls and said bore includes ball retention means, preferably an annular collar.

[0018] Preferably, the robot is intended to operate at least one spray nozzle of roughing or finishing molds for manufacturing glass bottles.

[0019] Preferably, the part of the coupler containing the male portion is always fixed to the robot.

[0020] In this case, this male part of the coupler is fixed to the robot by means of an adapter disc itself fixed to an end handle attached to the robot, the male part of the coupler not being able to be fixed directly to the handle of the robot.

[0021] The present application also relates to a method of coupling, to a robot according to one of the claims stated above, a tool supporting control elements of roughing or finishing molds of a glass bottle manufacturing machine, in which the tool is fixed to a first part of the coupler, the second part of the coupler being fixed to the control arm of the robot and the two parts of the coupler are fixed to each other, characterized in that the control arm of the robot is actuated to bring the second part of the coupler closer to the first part of the coupler until the two parts automatically fit together.

[0022] It is important to emphasize here the unique nature of the invention in this application, the claimed coupling method forming a single general inventive concept with the robot. Moreover, the method claim, which depends on the robot claims, directly relates to the use of the robot; the technical relationship between the robot and the method of coupling it to the control element support tool, which is therefore part of the robot's use, is evident.

[0023] The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of the robot of the invention, with reference to the attached drawing, in which

[0024] Fig. 1 represents an elevational view of the robot, with its tool-fixing coupler supporting control elements for glass bottle manufacturing molds;

[0025] Figure [Fig. 2] shows a perspective view from below of one embodiment of the male portion of the coupler and

[0026] Fig. 3 represents a top perspective view of the female portion of the coupler associated with the male portion of Fig. 2.

[0027] With reference to [Fig. 1], the robot 1, known in the field of the invention, comprises forearms and a terminal arm 2 articulated to each other in pairs. The terminal arm 2 has at its end a handle 3 for attaching a coupler 4 for attaching a tool 5 supporting control elements 6 thus coupled to the robot 1. The robot is mobile.

[0028] It is in fact a question of controlling molds 7, here of four, either roughing or finishing, of a machine 8 for manufacturing glass bottles which will be produced in the spaces 9 arranged between these molds 7.

[0029] If the invention originates from the use of mold spray nozzles, these nozzles must be considered as control elements for molds by spraying, because other control elements can perfectly be implemented, such as temperature, pressure measuring elements, cameras, gripping elements, ....

[0030] As written above, the robot of the invention is a standard robot and the attachment of the coupler to the wrist 3 of the terminal arm 2 must often, as here, be carried out by means of an adapter disc 10 arranged to be attached, on one side to the wrist 3 and, on the other side, to the coupler 4, for example by screwing.

[0031] The screw fixing of the disc 10 should not be considered exclusive of the invention.

[0032] Other conventional means of fastening can be considered.

[0033] Figure 1 shows a tool with two control elements, here spray nozzles, but this number is not limiting to the invention. There could be only one or more than two.

[0034] The coupler 4 comprises two parts, a male part 11 and a female part 12, one of the two attached to the control arm 2, the other attached to the tool 5.

[0035] Preferably, it is the male part 11 that is associated with the control arm 2, because it is more logical to drive the arm 2 and the male part 11 downwards so that the male part 11 fits, or is fitted, into the female part 12, but one could obviously proceed in the same way with the female part 12 associated with the control arm.

[0036] The fitting of the two parts 11,12 of the coupler causes them to be fixed to each other.

[0037] With reference to figures 2 and 3, the two parts of the coupler 11,12 are in this case complementary blocks here of octagonal section, of a certain thickness not really particular, but sufficient to support the tool 5.

[0038] The male block 11 has a projecting central ring 13 in the side wall 14 of which are arranged, in housings, retractable balls 15 held partly projecting out of this side wall 14 by return springs pushing them outwards, in a locking position which will be described below, the retractable balls 15 being able to be pushed back inwards into their housing against the action of their spring.

[0039] The female block 12, which is complementary in shape to the male block 11 in terms of its cross-section and substantially the same thickness, has a central bore 16 with an inner diameter very slightly larger than the outer diameter of the ring 13 of the male block 11, so that this block can be inserted into the bore in a tight and locking manner, as will also be described below. The bore 16 of the female block 12 has, near its edge and the surface 17 of the block intended to bear against the surface 18 of the male block 11, beyond which the ring 13 extends, an annular collar 19 with an inner diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the lateral wall 14 of the ring 13.

[0040] The fixing of the two blocks 11,12 of the coupler 4 to each other, and therefore the coupling of the tool 5 to the control arm 2 of the robot 1, is carried out automatically by fitting the two blocks into each other and, here, thanks to the retractable balls 15 of the male block and the collar 19 of the female block, by snapping.

[0041] By actuating the robot 1, its control arm 2 brings the male block 11 closer to the female block 12, the ring 13 of the male block 11 enters the bore 16 of the female block, the retractable balls 15 are pushed into their housing by the collar 19 of the female block 12, then, passing the collar 19 towards the inside of the bore, the balls 15 are pushed by their spring towards the outside of the wall 14 of the ring 13 of the male block 11, the control arm 2 completing the fixing until the surface 18 of the male block 11 comes to rest against the surface 17 of the female block 12.

[0042] The dimensions of the two blocks are such that their coupling is watertight and perfectly blocking.

[0043] It should be noted that the male blocks 11 and 12 have openings, communicating with each other respectively, for the passage of conduits, cables, pipes, control wires for the control devices (the nozzles). These include, but are not limited to, electrical signals, compressed air, lubricant, etc.

[0044] By way of example only, figures 2 and 3 show the pairs of orifices 20-23, one opening onto the side wall of one of the blocks and the other onto the surface intended to be pressed against the surface of the other of the blocks, the pairs 20,21 of the male blocks 11 and female blocks 12, communicating with each other, as well as the pairs 22,23 of the male blocks 11 and female blocks 12.

[0045] It can thus be proclaimed that the two parts 11 and 12 of the coupler 4 of the robot of the invention comprise pairs of orifices 20-23 communicating respectively with each other, for the passage of control means of the control organs 6.

[0046] It is also interesting to note, on the male block 11, the orifice 24, opening onto the surface 18, intended for the passage of a fixing element of this block to the adapter disc 10, for example a screw.

[0047] The coupler can be a magnetic, electromagnetic, electropneumatic, pneumatic, electromechanical coupler.

Claims

Demands

1. A robot (1) for controlling roughing or finishing molds (7) of at least one machine (8) for manufacturing at least one glass bottle (9), the robot (1) being provided with a control arm (2) to which is attached a coupler (4) intended to be fixed to a tool (5) supporting at least one mold control element (6), the coupler (4) comprising a first part (11) fixed to the control arm (2) and a second part (12) intended to be fixed to the element support (5), means (13, 16) being provided for fixing the two parts (11, 12) of the coupler (4) to each other and coupling the element support tool (5) to the control arm (2) of the robot (1), characterized in that the two parts (11, 12) of the coupler (4) are arranged to automatically fix to each other. the other by a nesting of one (11) into the other (12).

2. Robot (1) according to claim 1, wherein one of the parts (11) of the coupler (4) has a male portion (13) arranged to fit tightly and lockingly into a bore (16) of the anterior part of the coupler (4) (12).

3. Robot (1) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the two parts (11,12) of the coupler (4) lock together by snapping.

4. Robot (1) according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein said male portion (13) comprises spring-mounted retractable balls (15) and said bore (16) comprises means (19) for retaining the balls (15).

5. Robot (1) according to claim 4, wherein said ball retention means (15) comprise an annular collar (19).

6. Robot (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the part of the coupler (11) comprising the male portion (13) is fixed to the robot (1).

7. Robot (1) according to claim 6, wherein said male part (11) of the coupler (4) is fixed to the robot (1) by means of an adapter disc (10) itself fixed to an end handle (3) integral with the robot (1).

8. Robot (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the robot (1) is intended to actuate at least one spray nozzle (6) roughing or finishing molds (7) for manufacturing glass bottles (9).

9. Robot (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the two parts (11,12) of the coupler (4) have pairs of orifices (20-23) communicating respectively with each other, for the passage of control means for the control members (6).

10. Robot (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is a robot for roughing molds.

11. Robot (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is a finishing mold robot.

12. A method of coupling to a robot (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, of a tool (5) supporting control elements (6) of roughing or finishing molds (7) of a glass bottle manufacturing machine (8) (9), wherein the tool (5) is fixed to a first part (12) of the coupler (4), the second part (11) of the coupler (4) being fixed to the control arm (2) of the robot (1) and the two parts (11,12) of the coupler (4) are fixed to each other, characterized in that the control arm (2) of the robot (1) is actuated to bring the second part (11) of the coupler (4) closer to the first part (12) of the coupler (4) until the two parts (11,12) automatically fit into each other.

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