Stud supply mechanism in stud weld device

Abstract

To provide a stud supply mechanism in a stud weld device, for eliminating a feed tube for connecting the stud supply machine and the stud weld device, for preventing interference between the stud weld device and the feed tube, and occurrence of a stud supply error.SOLUTION: A stud supply mechanism is configured so that: supply of a weld gun 41 to a stud S stored in a stud storage part 61 of a second magazine 6 which is provided on a stocker 5 provided on a stud weld device 4, supply of a new stud S from a stud supply machine 1, to a corresponding stud storage part 31 of a first magazine 3 provided on a stud supply station 2, and storage of the stud, are executed in association each other. At a position of the stud supply station 2, the first magazine 3 and the second magazine 6 are stacked, and the stud S stored in the stud storage part 31 of the first magazine 3 is supplied to the stud storage part 61 of the second magazine 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stud supply mechanism in a stud welding apparatus that supplies studs from a stud supply machine to a welding gun of the stud welding apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to supply studs from a stud supply machine to the welding gun of a stud welding device, a stud supply mechanism has been proposed and put into practical use in which studs are supplied one by one from the stud supply machine via a feed tube by air transport, as shown in FIG. 1(a) (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-171683 [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-113777 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the stud supply mechanism in the above-mentioned conventional stud welding equipment connects the stud supply machine and the stud welding equipment, which are installed on either side of a fence separating the manned and unmanned spaces, with a feed tube that is up to approximately 10 m in length. This creates problems such as the stud welding equipment, which moves freely according to the welding location like a welding robot, interfering with the feed tube, or the feed tube being twisted, which can easily result in incorrect stud supply.

[0005] In view of the problems inherent in the stud supply mechanisms in conventional stud welding equipment described above, the present invention has an object to provide a stud supply mechanism for a stud welding equipment which does not require a feed tube connecting the stud supply machine and the stud welding equipment, thereby preventing interference between the stud welding equipment and the feed tube and preventing errors in supplying studs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the stud supply mechanism of the stud welding apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that, in the stud welding apparatus which supplies studs from a stud supply machine to a welding gun of the stud welding apparatus, the stud supply mechanism comprises a stud replenishing station equipped with a first magazine in which a plurality of stud storage sections are formed for storing studs one by one supplied from the stud supply machine, and a second magazine which is provided in the stud welding apparatus and in which a plurality of stud storage sections for storing studs one by one are formed to correspond to the stud storage sections of the first magazine, and a stocker which sequentially supplies the studs stored in the stud storage sections of the second magazine to the welding gun, wherein the studs stored in the stud storage sections of the second magazine are supplied to the welding gun, and new studs are supplied from the stud supply machine to the corresponding stud storage section of the first magazine and stored therein, and further comprises stud replenishing means which replenishes the studs stored in the stud storage sections of the first magazine to the stocker of the stud welding apparatus in a batch process.

[0007] In this case, the supply of studs stored in the stud storage section of the second magazine to the welding gun and the supply and storage of new studs from the stud supply device to the corresponding stud storage section of the first magazine can be synchronized.

[0008] The stud supply means may also be adapted to overlap the first magazine and the second magazine at the stud supply station and supply studs stored in the stud storage section of the first magazine to the stud storage section of the second magazine.

[0009] Also, the studs can be supplied by air conveyance from the stud supplying machine via a feed tube to the stud storage section of the first magazine of the stud replenishing station.

[0010] The first and second magazines may each be a rotary cylindrical magazine. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding equipment of the present invention, at the stud resupply station, studs stored in the stud storage section of a first magazine provided at the stud resupply station are replenished to the stud storage section of a second magazine provided at the stud welding equipment, thereby eliminating the need for a feed tube connecting the stud supply machine and the stud welding equipment and preventing interference between the stud welding equipment and the feed tube and preventing errors in stud supply. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A shows an outline of a stud supply mechanism in a stud welding apparatus, and FIG. 1B shows the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding apparatus of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a stud replenishing station of the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding apparatus and a first magazine and a second magazine of the stud welding apparatus overlapped with each other. [Diagram 3]4A and 4B are perspective views showing a stud welding device of a stud supply mechanism in the stud welding device, in which (a) shows a state in which the shutter is open, and (b) shows a state in which the shutter is closed. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding device (when supplying studs to the welding gun of the stud welding device), where (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the stud welding device and (b) is a plan view of the stocker. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding apparatus (when studs are supplied and stored in the first magazine from the stud supply machine), where (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the first magazine, and (b) is a plan view of the same. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding equipment (when the first magazine and the second magazine are overlapped at the stud supply station, and studs stored in the stud storage section of the first magazine are supplied to the stud storage section of the second magazine), where (a) is an external perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the first magazine and the second magazine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a stud supply mechanism in a stud welding apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] 1(b) to 6 show an embodiment of a stud supply mechanism in the stud welding apparatus of the present invention. The stud supply mechanism in this stud welding device is for supplying studs S from a stud supply machine 1 to a welding gun 41 of a stud welding device 4 such as a welding robot. the stud supply station 2 is equipped with a first magazine 3 in which a plurality of stud storage sections 31 are formed, each for storing a single stud S supplied from a stud supply machine 1; and a second magazine 6 is provided in a stud welding device 4 and in which a plurality of stud storage sections 61, each for storing a single stud S, are formed to correspond to the stud storage sections 61 of the first magazine 3, and a stocker 5 is provided which sequentially supplies the studs S stored in the stud storage sections 61 of the second magazine 6 to a welding gun 41, so that the studs S stored in the stud storage sections 61 of the second magazine 6 are supplied to the welding gun 41, and new studs S are supplied and stored from the stud supply machine 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3, and the first magazine 3 and second magazine 6 are overlapped at the position of the stud supply station 2, and the studs S stored in the stud storage sections 31 of the first magazine 3 are supplied to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6.

[0015] In this case, the mechanism for supplying studs S from the stud supply machine 1 to the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 in the stud supply station 2 transports the studs S pneumatically via a feed tube 7 connecting the stud supply machine 1 and the stud supply station 2, which are installed on either side of a fence F that separates the manned space from the unmanned space. The mechanism for supplying the studs S from the stud supply machine 1 to the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 in the stud replenishing station 2 can be a mechanism commonly used as a parts supply mechanism, such as a mechanism for transporting parts along an inclined rail or a mechanism for grasping and transporting parts using a multi-axis robot.

[0016] The first magazine 3 provided in the stud supply station 2 and the second magazine 6 provided in the stocker 5 installed in the stud welding equipment 4 are not limited to any particular type or shape as long as they have corresponding stud storage sections 31 and 61, specifically, as long as the first magazine 3 and the second magazine 6 are overlapped at the stud supply station 2 and the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 can be supplied to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6; however, in this embodiment, a rotating cylindrical magazine is used.

[0017] The first magazine 3 provided in the stud supply station 2 stores the studs S supplied from the stud supply machine 1 one by one in the stud storage section 31, and by opening a shutter 32 provided at the bottom, the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 can be replenished to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 by the weight of the studs S (or an air blowing mechanism (not shown)).

[0018] The second magazine 6 provided in the stocker 5 installed in the stud welding equipment 4 is capable of supplying the studs S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 one by one to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding equipment 4. In addition, the second magazine 6 is provided with a shutter 62 that closes the opening of the second magazine 6 so that the studs S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 do not fly out of the stud storage section 61 when the stud welding device 4 operates in accordance with the welding location.

[0019] Next, the operation of the stud supply mechanism in this stud welding apparatus will be described.

[0020] First, as shown in FIG. 4, a predetermined number of studs S are stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6, and these stored studs S are supplied one by one to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding device 4.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, the supply of the studs S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding equipment 4 and the supply and storage of new studs S from the stud supply machine 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 are performed in synchronization. Specifically, each time a stud S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 is supplied to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding equipment 4, a new stud S is supplied from the stud supply machine 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 and stored therein.

[0022] In this case, as long as the supply of the studs S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 to the welding gun 41 and the supply and storage of new studs S from the stud supply device 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 are carried out in a corresponding order, the order of the two is not limited, and both can also be carried out simultaneously. Furthermore, the timing for supplying and storing new studs S from the stud supply device 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 can be done on a batch basis, i.e., multiple studs S can be processed together at once, instead of being synchronized each time with the supply of the studs S to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding device 4.

[0023] Then, as shown in Figure 6, the first magazine 3 and the second magazine 6 are stacked at the stud supply station 2, and the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 are supplied to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6.

[0024] In this embodiment, the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 are supplied to the stocker 5 of the stud welding equipment 4 in a batch process in which a plurality of studs S are processed together, by overlapping the first magazine 3 and the second magazine 6 at the stud supply station 2 and supplying the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6. However, it is also possible, for example, to replace the first magazine 3 in which the studs S are stored in the stud storage section 31 with the second magazine 6 provided in the stocker 5 of the stud welding equipment 4 at the stud supply station 2.

[0025] According to the stud supply mechanism of this stud welding equipment, at the position of the stud supply station 2, the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 provided at the stud supply station 2 are replenished to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 provided in the stocker 5 provided in the stud welding equipment 4. This eliminates the need for a long feed tube of approximately 10 m in length connecting the stud supply machine 1 and the stud welding equipment 4, preventing interference between the stud welding equipment 4 and the feed tube and preventing errors in supplying studs S.

[0026] The stud supply mechanism in the stud welding apparatus of the present invention has been described above based on an embodiment thereof, however, the present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment, and the configuration can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0027] The stud supply mechanism stud in the stud welding equipment of the present invention eliminates the feed tube connecting the stud supply machine and the stud welding equipment, thereby preventing interference between the stud welding equipment and the feed tube and preventing stud supply errors, and can therefore be suitably used as a stud supply mechanism in a stud welding equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1 Stud feeder 2 Stud Supply Station 3. First Magazine 31 Stud storage section 32 Shutter 4 Stud welding equipment 41 Welding Gun 5 Stocker 6 Second Magazine 61 Stud storage section 62 Shutter 7 Feed Tube F fence S Stud

Claims

1. A stud supply mechanism for a stud welding device that supplies studs from a stud supply machine to a welding gun of the stud welding device, a stud supply station including a first magazine having a plurality of stud storage sections for storing studs supplied from a stud supply machine one by one; the stud welding device is provided with a second magazine having a plurality of stud storage sections each for storing a single stud, the stud storage sections corresponding to the stud storage sections of the first magazine, and a stocker that sequentially supplies the studs stored in the stud storage sections of the second magazine to a welding gun, The supply of studs stored in the stud storage section of the second magazine to the welding gun and the supply and storage of new studs from the stud supply device to the corresponding stud storage section of the first magazine are performed in a corresponding manner; Furthermore, a stud supplying means is provided for supplying the studs stored in the stud storage section of the first magazine to the stocker of the stud welding device in a batch process.

4. A stud supply mechanism for a stud welding apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The stud supply mechanism for a stud welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply of studs stored in the stud storage section of the second magazine to the welding gun and the supply and storage of new studs from the stud supply device to the corresponding stud storage section of the first magazine are performed in synchronization.

3. 3. A stud supply mechanism for a stud welding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stud supply means overlaps the first magazine and the second magazine at the stud supply station position and supplies studs stored in the stud storage section of the first magazine to the stud storage section of the second magazine.

4. 3. A stud supply mechanism for a stud welding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that studs are supplied by pneumatic transport from the stud supply machine via a feed tube to a stud storage section of a first magazine of the stud supply station.

5. 3. The stud supply mechanism for a stud welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first magazine and the second magazine are rotary cylindrical magazines.

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