Material separator

Abstract

To provide a material separator that can separate materials regardless of whether the materials are non-magnetic or magnetic.SOLUTION: A material separator 1 separates, while leaving one material 3A, the other materials 3B from a plurality of thin flat materials 3 that overlap each other. The material separator 1 consists of a material installation part 5, which is provided with a flat top surface 9 and a concave part 11 recessed from the top surface 9 and having a placing part 13 formed at the bottom, so that the top surface of the material 3 is in the same plane as the top surface 9 when the material 3 is placed in the concave part 11, and a moving body 7 that moves from a first position P1 to a second position P2 through the concave part 11, in contact with the top surface of the material installation part 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a material separating device, and more particularly to a device for separating overlapping plate-shaped materials. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a plate material separating device (material separating device) that separates a plurality of plate materials (materials) by lifting them while magnetizing them (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-156585 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional material separation devices are unable to separate non-magnetic materials. The present invention aims to provide a material separation device that separates one sheet of thin, flat material from the others, from multiple sheets of thin, flat material that are overlapped in the thickness direction, and that can separate materials regardless of whether the materials are non-magnetic or magnetic. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A material separation device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a material separation device that separates all but one material from a plurality of thin, flat materials that overlap each other in the thickness direction, and has a material placement section that is configured with a planar upper surface and a recess that is recessed from the upper surface and has a mounting section formed at the bottom, so that when the material enters the recess and is placed, the upper surface of the material is in the same plane as the planar upper surface, and a movable body that moves through the recess in a predetermined direction among the directions in which the upper surface of the material placement part is deployed, from a first position away from the recess to a second position on the opposite side of the recess to the first position, across the recess, in contact with the upper surface of the material placement part or slightly away from the upper surface of the material placement part.

[0006] In addition, in the material separating device according to this aspect of the present invention, the movable body is supported by a movable body support, and the movable body support has elasticity in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the material placement section.

[0007] In addition, a material separating device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured such that a single sheet of material located at the bottom of a plurality of sheets of material overlapping each other in the thickness direction fits into a recess in the material placing section, and in a state in which a plurality of sheets of material are placed on the material placing section, the moving body moves from the first position to the second position, and the remaining sheets of material that have moved away from the single sheet of material located at the bottom together with the moving body are dropped by a chute, and a notch is provided at the lower end of the chute to allow the remaining sheets of material to drop from the chute so that the thickness direction of the remaining sheets of material is vertical or so that the thickness direction of the remaining sheets of material intersects with the vertical direction at a small intersecting angle.

[0008] In addition, in a material separation device according to an aspect of the present invention, the material installation section is configured to include a base body formed in a flat plate shape with a thickness direction in the vertical direction and thus having a planar upper surface, and a recess-forming body formed in a thin flat plate shape with a thickness direction in the vertical direction and having a through hole forming a recess in the material installation section, the recess-forming body is installed on the base body so that the planar lower surface of the recess-forming body is in contact with the planar upper surface of the base body, and the recess-forming body is configured to be attachable and detachable to the base body, and the movable body support is configured to include a thin, flat first support member with a thickness direction in the vertical direction and a thin, flat second support member with a thickness direction in the vertical direction, and the material separation device has a spacer that is provided between the first support member and the second support member so that the thickness direction is in the vertical direction and is attachable and detachable to the first support member and the second support member. Effect of the Invention

[0009] Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a material separating device capable of separating materials regardless of whether the materials are non-magnetic or magnetic. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for separating materials according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a view taken along the arrow II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a view taken along the arrow III in FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a material separation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a chute of a material separating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a view taken along the arrow VB in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A material separating device (material separating device) 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. As shown in Figure 4(b), the material separating device 1 is a device that separates material 3B from a plurality of (e.g., two) thin, flat-plate-like materials 3 (3A, 3B) that overlap each other in the thickness direction, leaving one material 3A.

[0012] For ease of explanation, one predetermined horizontal direction is defined as the X direction (front-back direction), another predetermined horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction (horizontal direction), and a direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions is defined as the Z direction (up-down direction). Note that the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction may be oblique to the horizontal direction and the up-down direction.

[0013] The multiple material sheets (workpieces) 3 have the same shape, i.e., the multiple material sheets 3 have substantially the same thickness dimension t and substantially the same outer diameter dimension d.

[0014] The material 3 is adapted to be subjected to plastic processing such as press working. The material 3 is made of a non-magnetic metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, or a magnetic metal such as steel. When the overlapping sheets of material 3 are viewed in the thickness direction, the material 3 is formed, for example, in a circular shape, and the entire periphery of the material 3 overlaps with each other. For example, when two overlapping sheets of material 3 (3A, 3B) are viewed in the thickness direction, almost the entirety of the first sheet of material overlaps with almost the entirety of the second sheet of material.

[0015] The material separating device 1 is configured to include a material placement section 5 and a moving body (pusher piece) 7. The material placement section 5 is provided with a planar upper surface (for example, an upper surface that is developed in a horizontal direction; an upper surface that is perpendicular to the Z direction) 9, and a recess 11 that is provided in the upper surface 9 and recessed downward from the upper surface 9. A placement section 13 is provided at the bottom of the recess 11. The thickness direction of the flat plate-shaped material 3 placed on the placement section 13 is the Z direction. When one piece of material 3 enters the recess 11 and is placed on the material placement section 5, the upper surface of the material 3 is in the same plane as the planar upper surface 9. Note that when the material 3 enters the recess 11 and is placed on the material placement section 5, the material 3 may be held by vacuum adsorption or the like. That is, the lower surface of the material 3 may be adsorbed to the plane 13 and held.

[0016] More specifically, the placement portion 13 is formed, for example, by a flat surface 13 parallel to the upper surface 9. The depth dimension h of the recess 11 (the dimension h between the upper surface 9 and the flat surface 13 at the bottom) is equal to the thickness dimension t of one sheet of material 3. It is almost impossible for the depth dimension h of the recess 11 and the thickness dimension t of one sheet of material 3 to be completely equal. Thus, if the difference between the depth dimension h of the recess 11 and the thickness dimension t of one sheet of material 3 is within 0.3 mm, it is considered that the depth dimension h of the recess 11 and the thickness dimension t of one sheet of material 3 are equal to each other.

[0017] The value of the inner diameter dimension i of the recess 11 is slightly larger than the value of the outer diameter dimension d of the material 3. For example, the value of the inner diameter dimension i of the recess 11 is approximately 1 mm to 10 mm larger than the value of the outer diameter dimension d of the material 3. Furthermore, the value of the inner diameter dimension i of the recess 11 may be approximately 1 / 100 to 1 / 10 of the value of the outer diameter dimension d of the material 3.

[0018] The material 3 is placed in the material placement section 5 so that its thickness direction coincides with the depth direction of the recess 11, and when multiple sheets of material 3 are stacked, the lowest sheet of material 3A fits into the recess 11. When materials 3 are stacked, material 3B is placed on top of the lowest sheet of material 3A.

[0019] To explain further, when one sheet of material 3 is inserted into the material placing section 5 and placed thereon (single-sheet-placed-state), the thickness direction of the material 3 is, for example, the up-down direction. In the single-sheet-placed-state, the lower surface of the material 3 is in contact with the flat surface 13 at the bottom of the recess 11, so that the single sheet of material 3 is placed on the flat surface 13 at the bottom of the recess 11. In addition, in the single-sheet-placed state, the upper surface of the material 3 and the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5 are located within approximately the same plane.

[0020] The state where two sheets of material 3 (3A, 3B) overlapping each other in the thickness direction are placed on the material placement section 5 (two-sheet material placement state) will be described. In the two-sheet material placement state, the lower sheet of material 3A is in the above-mentioned one-sheet material placement state. In the two-sheet material placement state, the upper sheet of material 3B is placed on top of the lower sheet of material 3A and is located above the upper surface 9 of the material placement section 5. In addition, in the two-sheet material placement state, the upper surface of the lower sheet of material 3A, the upper surface 9 of the material placement section 5, and the lower surface of the upper sheet of material 3B are located within a single plane.

[0021] In the case of three or more sheets of material 3 overlapping each other in the thickness direction, the lowermost sheet of material 3A is in the above-mentioned state of one material placed. The second-lowest sheet of material 3B is in the above-mentioned state of one upper sheet of material 3B in the state of two materials placed. The third-lowest and subsequent sheets of material 3 are placed on top of the second-lowest sheet of material 3B.

[0022] The moving body 7 is located above the material placing section 5. The moving body 7 is in contact with the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5, or is slightly separated from the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5. In a mode in which the moving body 7 is slightly separated from the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5, the moving body 7 is separated from the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5 by a value smaller than the value of the thickness dimension t of the material 3. For example, the moving body 7 is separated from the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5 by about 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0023] The movable body 7 is configured to move linearly through the recess 11 (through the recess 11 when viewed in the Z direction) from a first position (rear position) P1 to a second position (front position) P2 in a predetermined direction (for example, the X direction) among the directions in which the upper surface 9 of the material placement section 5 is deployed.

[0024] The first position P1 is located behind the recess 11 and is a predetermined distance away from the recess 11. The second position P2 is located in front of the recess 11 and is a predetermined distance away from the recess 11, and is a position on the opposite side of the recess 11 from the first position P1.

[0025] When one material is placed, even if the moving body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, nothing happens to the material 3. When two materials are placed, the moving body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2. Then, when the moving body 7 approaches the recess 11 of the material placement section 5, it comes into contact with the upper material 3B. When the moving body 7 moves further, the lower material 3A that has entered the recess 11 does not move and remains in the recess 11, but the upper material 3B moves together with the moving body 7, and the upper material 3B is separated from the lower material 3A. In the case of three or more materials 3 that overlap each other in the thickness direction, the remaining materials 3 move together with the moving body 7, leaving only the lowermost material 3A.

[0026] The movable body 7 is supported by a movable body support (pusher piece mounting plate) 15. The movable body 7 is provided integrally with the movable body support 15. Here, the movable body 7 is configured to move together with the movable body support 15 while remaining in contact with the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5. The movable body support 15 has elasticity in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5 (Z direction).

[0027] The movable body support 15 has the above-mentioned elasticity, and when the movable body support 15 is elastically deformed, the movable body 7 moves slightly in the Z direction in response to this elastic deformation.

[0028] A more detailed explanation will be given below. It is assumed that the movable body 7 is in contact with the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5, and two sheets of material 3 are placed, with the thickness dimension t of one sheet of material 3 being slightly larger than the depth dimension h of the recess 11.

[0029] In this state where two sheets of material are placed, the upper surface of the lower sheet of material 3A and the lower surface of the upper sheet of material 3B are located slightly above the upper surface 9 of the material placement section 5. In this state, the moving body 7 starts to move from the first position P1 to the second position P2 and reaches the material 3 (the recess 11 of the material placement section 5). Then, the side of the moving body 7 abuts against the edge (side) of the upper sheet of material 3A, and the bottom surface (part of the bottom surface) of the moving body 7 that was in contact with the upper surface 9 of the material placement section 5 abuts against the upper surface of the lower sheet of material 3A. Then, the moving body 7 receives an upward force from the lower sheet of material 3A, and the moving body support 15 bends slightly upward (elastically deforms), and the moving body 7 moves slightly upward.

[0030] The moving body 7 moves further toward the second position P2. Then, the lower sheet of material 3A remains in the recess 11 of the material placement section 5, but the moving body 7 moves together with the upper sheet of material 3B while contacting the upper surface of the lower sheet of material 3A. Then, when the moving body 7 leaves the lower sheet of material 3A (recess 11 of the material placement section 5), the moving body support 15 returns to its original position, and the moving body 7 comes into contact with the upper surface 9 of the material placement section 5 again. Such slight upward movement and restoration of the moving body 7 occurs even when only one sheet of material is placed (thickness dimension t>depth dimension h).

[0031] The upper sheet of material 3B continues to abut against the moving body 7, and together with the moving body 7, it moves over the lower sheet of material 3A and the material placing section 5 while making contact and sliding against the upper surface of the lower sheet of material 3A and the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5.

[0032] Next, assume that the movable body 7 is in contact with the upper surface 9 of the material placement section 5 and two pieces of material are placed such that the thickness dimension t of one piece of material 3 is slightly smaller than the depth dimension h of the recess 11.

[0033] With two materials placed in this manner, the top surface of the lower material 3A and the bottom surface of the upper material 3B are located slightly below the top surface 9 of the material placement section 5. In this state, the moving body 7 starts to move from the first position P1 to the second position P2, and reaches the material 3 (the recess 11 of the material placement section 5). Then, the side of the moving body 7 comes into contact with the edge (side surface) of the upper material 3B, and a part of the bottom surface of the moving body 7 that was in contact with the top surface 9 of the material placement section 5 of the moving body 7 continues to be in contact with the top surface 9 of the material placement section 5 of the moving body 7. The bottom surface of the moving body 7 is slightly separated from the lower material 3A.

[0034] The moving body 7 moves further toward the second position P2. Then, the lower sheet of material 3A remains in the recess 11 of the material placement section 5, but the moving body 7 moves together with the upper sheet of material 3B while contacting the upper surface 9 of the material placement section 5. When the upper sheet of material 3B is pushed by the moving body 7, the lower end of the edge (side surface) of the upper sheet of material 3B is expected to get caught in the recess 11 because the value of the thickness dimension t of the sheet of material 3 is slightly smaller than the value of the depth dimension h of the recess 11. However, since the difference between the value of the depth dimension h of the recess 11 and the value of the thickness dimension t of the sheet of material 3 is small, the upper sheet of material 3B easily overcomes the edge of the recess 11 and the above-mentioned catch does not occur.

[0035] The material separating device 1 is also provided with a chute 17. The chute 17 is provided to allow the remaining material 3 (3B) to fall freely. The remaining material 3 (3B) will be described. It is assumed that the multiple sheets of material 3 are placed on the material placing section 5 such that the sheet of material 3A located at the bottom of the multiple sheets of material 3 overlapping each other in the thickness direction enters the recess 11 of the material placing section 5. In this state, the remaining material 3 (3B) is the material that has moved away from the sheet of material 3A located at the bottom together with the moving body 7 as the moving body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2.

[0036] At the lower end of the chute 17, a notch 19 is provided for dropping the remaining material 3 (3B) from the chute 17 so that the thickness direction of the remaining material 3 (3B) is as vertical as possible. That is, the notch 19 is provided for dropping the remaining material 3 (3B) so that the thickness direction of the remaining material 3 (3B) is vertical. Alternatively, the notch 19 is provided for dropping the remaining material 3 (3B) so that the thickness direction of the remaining material 3 (3B) intersects with the vertical direction at a small intersecting angle. More specifically, the notch 19 is provided for dropping the remaining material 3 (3B) so that the thickness direction of the remaining material 3 (3B) is at an angle of 30° or less (preferably 20° or less, more preferably 15° or less) with respect to the vertical direction.

[0037] More specifically, the chute 17 is configured to include a first inclined surface 21 and a second inclined surface 23. The notch 19 is provided at the lower end of the second inclined surface 23. The first inclined surface 21 is slightly separated from the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5 and is located below the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5. The second inclined surface 23 is located below the first inclined surface 21 and is connected to the first inclined surface 21, and has a gentler inclination angle than the first inclined surface 21.

[0038] The material placing section 5 is configured with a base body 25 and a recess forming body 27. The base body 25 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the thickness direction is the up-down direction. The base body 25 has a planar upper surface 29 that extends horizontally. The recess forming body 27 is formed in a thin flat plate shape, and the thickness direction is the up-down direction. The recess forming body 27 is formed with a through hole 31 that forms the recess 11 of the material placing section 5. The through hole 31 of the recess forming body 27 is provided, for example, in the center of the recess forming body 27, and penetrates the recess forming body 27 in the thickness direction of the recess forming body 27.

[0039] The recess-forming body 27 is disposed integrally with the base body 25 such that the planar lower surface of the recess-forming body 27 is in contact with the planar upper surface 29 of the base body 25. The recess-forming body 27 is configured so as to be detachable from the base body 25.

[0040] To explain further, the recess forming body 27 is fixed to the base body 25 by a fastener such as a bolt, so that it can be easily attached to and detached from the base body 25. That is, when the recess forming body 27 is fixed to the base body 25, the bolt is loosened and removed from the recess forming body 27 and the base body 25, so that the recess forming body 27 can be removed from the base body 25. Also, when the recess forming body 27 is removed from the base body 25, the recess forming body 27 is placed at an appropriate position on the base body 25. Then, the bolt is engaged with the recess forming body 27 and the base body 25 and the bolt is tightened, so that the recess forming body 27 can be fixed to the base body 25.

[0041] The movable body support 15 is configured to include a thin, flat first support member 33 whose thickness direction is the vertical direction, a thin, flat second support member 35 whose thickness direction is the vertical direction, and a flat spacer 37 whose thickness direction is the vertical direction. The spacer 37 is provided between the first support member 33 and the second support member 35, and is detachable from the first support member 33 and the second support member 35.

[0042] More specifically, the first support member 33, the second support member 35, and the spacer 37 are fixed to each other by fasteners such as bolts. This allows the spacer 37 to be easily attached to and detached from the first support member 33 and the second support member 35.

[0043] That is, in a state where the first support member 33 and the spacer 37 are fixed to the second support member 35, the bolts are loosened and removed from the first support member 33, the spacer 37, and the second support member 35. This allows the first support member 33 and the spacer 37 to be removed from the second support member 35. In addition, in a state where the first support member 33 and the spacer 37 are removed from the second support member 35, the first support member 33, the spacer 37, and the second support member 35 are placed in appropriate positions. Then, the bolts are engaged with the first support member 33 and the spacer 37 and the second support member 35, and the bolts are tightened, allowing the first support member 33 and the spacer 37 to be fixed to the second support member 35.

[0044] The material separating apparatus 1 will now be described in more detail. The material separating apparatus 1 is configured to include a stand 39 and a rectangular, flat-plate base body support (substrate) 41. The rectangular, flat-plate base body support 41 is integrally provided to the stand 39 via stud bolts 43 or the like, with its thickness direction aligned in the up-down direction. The base body support 41 is located above the stand 39, away from the upper end of the stand 39.

[0045] The base body 25 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape, and is integrally provided on the upper side of the base body support 41 by fasteners such as bolts. When viewed in the Z direction, the base body 25 is located at the center of the base body support 41. Also, a rectangular notch 45 is provided at the front end of the base body support 41 for dropping the remaining material 3B described above. The notch 45 penetrates the base body support 41 in its thickness direction. The notch 45 is located at the center of the base body support 41 in the Y direction (horizontal direction), and is provided from the front end of the base body support 41 to the front end of the base body 25 in the X direction.

[0046] The recess-forming body 27 is formed in a rectangular thin plate shape and is provided integrally with the base body 25 on the upper side of the base body 25. When viewed in the Z direction, the through-hole 31 of the recess-forming body 27 is formed in a circular shape to match the shape of the material 3 and is located in the center of the recess-forming body 27. When viewed in the Z direction, the entire outer periphery of the base body 25 and the entire outer periphery of the recess-forming body 27 overlap with each other. A recess 47 is provided in the center of the base body 25, and a sensor 49 for detecting the material 3 is provided in this recess 47.

[0047] The movable body 7 is formed into a cylindrical shape from a material such as synthetic resin, and is provided integrally with the movable body support 15 so that the central axis of the cylinder is in the Z direction. All components other than the movable body 7 (the movable body support 15, the chute 17, the base body 25, the recess forming body 27, etc.) are made of metal such as steel.

[0048] The first support member 33 of the movable body support 15 is formed in a rectangular thin plate shape, with the thickness direction being the Z direction. The movable body support 15 is provided with a notch 51 that appears to be arch-shaped when viewed in the Z direction. The notch 51 penetrates the first support member 33 in the Z direction. The notch 51 is located at the center of the first support member 33 in the Y direction, and at the front end of the first support member 33 in the X direction. The value of the radius of curvature of the arch-shaped arc of the notch 51 is approximately equal to the value of the radius of the through hole 31 of the recess forming body 27. When viewed in the Z direction, the position of the center of the through hole 31 of the recess forming body 27 in the Y direction and the position of the center of the notch 51 in the Y direction coincide with each other.

[0049] The movable bodies 7 are provided in pairs and are fixed to the first support member 33 with fastening members such as bolts. This allows the movable bodies 7 to be easily replaced. The movable bodies 7 protrude downward in the Z direction from the lower surface of the first support member 33. When viewed in the Z direction, the pair of movable bodies 7 are disposed symmetrically with respect to a line that passes through the center of the first support member 33 (notch 51) and extends in the X direction.

[0050] As a result, the material 3 is positioned between the pair of moving bodies 7, and the pair of moving bodies 7 are brought into contact with the material 3 simultaneously, preventing the material 3 from moving in the Y direction, and allowing the material 3 to move in the X direction in a stable state. Note that three or more moving bodies 7 may be provided. When three moving bodies 7 are provided, the third moving body 7 is provided in the center of the first support member 33 in the Y direction, and when the moving body support 15 moves in the X direction, all three moving bodies 7 come into contact with the material 3 almost simultaneously.

[0051] When the moving bodies 7 and the first support member 33 are viewed in the Z direction, the pair of moving bodies 7 are located near the front end of the first support member 33 in the X direction, and the pair of moving bodies 7 are located outside the notch 51 of the first support member 33 in the Y direction. When viewed in the Z direction, the value of the outer diameter dimension of the moving bodies 7 is sufficiently smaller than the value of the inner diameter dimension of the recess 11 of the material placing unit 5. Furthermore, when viewed in the Z direction, the center of one of the pair of moving bodies 7 is located at one end of the recess 11 of the material placing unit 5, and the center of the other of the pair of moving bodies 7 is located at the other end of the recess 11 of the material placing unit 5.

[0052] A pair of linear guide bearings 53 and an actuator constituted by, for example, an air pressure cylinder 55 are provided on the upper surface of the base body support 41. Note that other actuators such as a servo motor may also be used. Each of the rails 57 of the pair of linear guide bearings 53 extends long in the X direction and is disposed outside the material placing section 5 in the Y direction. The air pressure cylinder 55 is also disposed outside the material placing section 5.

[0053] The second support member 35 of the movable body support 15 is formed in a rectangular, thin plate shape that is elongated in the Y direction. One end in the longitudinal direction of the second support member is fixed to a bearing 59 of one linear guide bearing 53. The other end in the longitudinal direction of the second support member is fixed to a bearing 59 of the other linear guide bearing 53 and to an air pressure cylinder 55. The air pressure cylinder 55 allows the movable body 7, the first support member 33, and the second support member 35 to move in the X direction.

[0054] The spacer 37 is formed in a rectangular plate shape, and is disposed in the center of the second support member 35 together with the first support member 33 in the Y direction. The first support member 33 protrudes forward in the X direction from the second support member 35. The spacer 37 is sandwiched between the first support member 33 and the second support member 35 in the Z direction and disposed between the first support member 33 and the second support member 35. The first support member 33 is located above the second support member 35 in the Z direction. The spacer 37 is not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0055] The chute 17 is configured to include a first inclined surface forming member 61 that forms the first inclined surface 21, and a second inclined surface forming member 63 that forms the second inclined surface 23. The first inclined surface forming member 61 is formed in a rectangular, thin, flat plate shape, and the second inclined surface forming member 63 is also formed in a rectangular, thin, flat plate shape.

[0056] The notch 19 of the chute 17 is provided in the second inclined surface forming member 63. When viewed in the thickness direction of the second inclined surface forming member 63, the notch 19 is formed in a semicircular shape. The notch 19 penetrates the second inclined surface forming member 63 in this thickness direction. The notch 19 is provided at the lower end of the second inclined surface forming member 63. The notch 19 is located in the center of the second inclined surface forming member 63 in the Y direction. The value of the radius of the semicircle of the notch 19 is approximately equal to the value of the radius of the through hole 31 of the recess forming body 27. When viewed in the Z direction, the center position of the notch 19 in the Y direction and the center position of the through hole 31 of the recess forming body 27 in the Y direction coincide with each other.

[0057] The material 3 dropped by the chute 17 passes through the notch 19 and falls from the chute 17. To explain further, most of the material 3 located at the position indicated by reference character M1 in FIG. 5(b) is placed on the second inclined surface forming member 63. The material 3 passes through the position indicated by reference character M2 due to the action of gravity and is positioned at the position indicated by reference character M3. The material 3 located at the position indicated by reference character M3 passes through the notch 19 and falls from the chute 17.

[0058] At the position indicated by reference symbol M2, which is the state immediately before reaching position M3, the semicircular arc-shaped edge of the material 3 rests on the second inclined surface-forming member 63, and the center of gravity G of the material 3 is located rearward of the end 65 of the second inclined surface-forming member 63. This keeps the material 3 resting on the second inclined surface-forming member 63 and prevents it from falling off the second inclined surface-forming member 63.

[0059] When the material 3 moves slightly forward from the position indicated by reference symbol M2, the center of gravity G of the material 3 is located forward of the end 65 of the second inclined surface forming member 63, and the material 3 passes through the notch 19 and falls from the chute 17. When the material 3 is no longer placed on the second inclined surface forming member 63, the crescent-shaped edges of the material 3 located at the position indicated by reference symbol M2 leave the second inclined surface forming member 63 almost all at once. This allows the material 3 to fall from the chute 17 with the thickness direction of the material 3 being vertical.

[0060] Next, the operation of the material separating apparatus 1 will be described. The material 3 is supplied from a material supply section (not shown) to the material separating apparatus 1 by a material conveying device 67 using, for example, vacuum suction, and placed in the material placement section 5 of the material separating apparatus 1. The material supply section contains a large number (for example, about 50 to 100 sheets) of thin, flat-plate-shaped materials 3 that are overlapped in the thickness direction. The material conveying device 67 is adapted to adsorb and convey the uppermost material 3 among the materials 3 that are overlapped in the material supply section.

[0061] After the material 3 is supplied to the material placing section 5, the moving body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2. At this time, if two or more sheets of material 3 have been supplied to the material placing section 5, the upper material 3B is separated from the lowermost material 3A, falls from the chute 17 with its thickness direction approximately vertical, and is contained in the material container (work box) 69. The thickness direction of the material 3 contained in the material container 69 is vertical.

[0062] Next, the moving body 7 moves from the second position P2 to the first position P1. After this, one sheet of material 3A present in the material placement section 5 is transported by the material transport device 71 and inserted into a press machine (not shown). Then, the operation of supplying the next sheet of material 3 to the material separating device 1 is repeated.

[0063] The material separating device 1 is configured to include a material placing section 5 having a flat upper surface 9 and a recess 11 provided in the upper surface 9, and a moving body 7 that moves through the recess 11 from a first position P1 to a second position P2. The moving body 7 moves with two overlapping sheets of material 3 placed on the material placing section 5. Then, the lower sheet of material 3A does not move, but the upper sheet of material 3B moves together with the moving body 7, and the upper sheet of material 3B is separated from the lower sheet of material 3A.

[0064] This allows the materials 3 to be reliably separated regardless of whether the materials 3 are non-magnetic or magnetic. Furthermore, even if the materials 3 have burrs or are wet with oil and are stacked together so as to stick to each other, the materials 3 can be easily separated.

[0065] In the material separating device 1, the movable body 7 is supported by the movable body support 15, and the movable body support 15 has elasticity in a direction (Z direction) perpendicular to the upper surface 9 of the material placing section 5. This allows the material 3 to be separated reliably even if the value of the thickness dimension t of one sheet of material 3 relative to the value of the depth dimension h of the recess 11 is slightly different.

[0066] The material separating device 1 is also provided with a chute 17, and a notch 19 is provided at the lower end of the chute 17. The notch 19 is provided so that the thickness direction of the material (remaining material) 3B separated from the lowest sheet of material 3A is as vertical as possible, so that the separated material 3B falls from the chute 17. This prevents the remaining material 3B that falls from the chute 17 from being scratched, and the fallen material 3 can be used for processing without being wasted.

[0067] In the material separating apparatus 1, the recess forming body 27 is configured so as to be detachable from the base body 25, and the movable body support body 15 is configured to include a first support member 33 and a second support member 35. In addition, a spacer 37 is provided between the first support member 33 and the second support member 35, and the spacer 37 is configured so as to be easily detachable from the first support member 33 and the second support member 35.

[0068] As a result, by appropriately changing the thickness of the recess-forming body 27 and the thickness of the spacer 37, it is possible to separate materials 3 of various thicknesses. For example, when the thickness of the material 3 is 1 mm, it is possible to separate a material 3 of 1 mm by setting the thickness of the recess-forming body 27 and the thickness of the spacer 37 to 1 mm. In addition, when the thickness of the material 3 is 1.2 mm, it is possible to separate a material 3 of 1.2 mm by setting the thickness of the recess-forming body 27 and the thickness of the spacer 37 to 1.2 mm.

[0069] When separating a material 3 of a predetermined thickness, the thickness of the recess-forming body 27 and the thickness of the spacer 37 may be different from each other. For example, when separating a material 3 of 1 mm thickness, the thickness of the recess-forming body 27 may be 1 mm and the thickness of the spacer 37 may be 10 mm. When separating a material 3 of 1.2 mm thickness, the thickness of the recess-forming body 27 may be 1.2 mm and the thickness of the spacer 37 may be 10.2 mm.

[0070] Moreover, by changing the size and shape (shape when viewed in the thickness direction) of the through hole 31 of the recess-forming body 27, it is possible to separate materials 3 of various shapes. For example, in FIG. 1 and the like, a thin disk-shaped material 3 is shown as the material 3, and the through hole 31 of the recess-forming body 27 is also circular in shape according to the shape of the material 3. Here, when the value of the outer diameter of the material 3 changes, the inner diameter of the through hole 31 of the recess-forming body 27 is also changed according to the outer diameter of the material 3. Furthermore, when the material 3 has a shape other than a disk (for example, a rectangular flat plate), the through hole 31 of the recess-forming body 27 also has a rectangular shape.

[0071] In addition, depending on the change in the outer diameter value of the material 3 or the shape of the material 3 (the shape when viewed in the thickness direction), the installation position of the movable body 7 on the movable body support 15 may be changed as necessary, or the stroke of the movable body 7 may be changed.

[0072] Further explanation will be given on the material separating device 1, etc. The two-piece separating device (material separating device) 1 according to the present invention is an invention aimed at reliably separating blank pieces of processing material one by one and supplying them to a die attached to a metal processing press.

[0073] The blank material for press processing is wound in a coil shape, so it has a tendency to curl. To correct this, the blank material is flattened using a roll leveler, etc., and then punched with a press die to produce the product.

[0074] The blank materials (material 3) punched out by the press overlap and adhere to each other, making separation difficult. The thickness of the target plates is often thin.

[0075] In the examples, the blanks are mostly thin plates with thicknesses of about 0.3 mm to 4 mm, and the blanks in the examples have outer diameters of about φ30 mm to φ150 mm.

[0076] The outer shape may be round or deformed. When blanks are stored in a stacked state, the weight of the blank increases toward the bottom of the stack, and the pressure applied to the blanks increases, eliminating the gaps between the blanks and making them stick together. In many cases, the blanks are further coated with anti-rust and processing oil.

[0077] Furthermore, when the blanks are stored in a pile for a long period of time and the blanks are subjected to aging conditions, the adhesion between the blanks becomes even stronger, making separation difficult.

[0078] When aging conditions are added to the close contact conditions, the upper and lower blanks become one with each other, making it even more difficult to separate the two or more blanks from each other.

[0079] When storing, the work plates are stacked horizontally or stored diagonally to reduce the pressure between the work plates due to their own weight, preventing adhesion between the work plates over time, or are stacked diagonally just before separation, making separation easier.

[0080] In the case of magnetic metal materials, it is a good idea to use a separator that utilizes the properties of a magnet, which is available on the market. However, there are also parts that do not like residual magnetism, and in those cases the separation method of this machine can be used to solve the problem.

[0081] Magnetic force cannot be used in the case of non-magnetic materials such as stainless steel or aluminum. A technical solution to separate the two plates using magnetic force was a bottleneck that remained unresolved for many years.

[0082] The present invention is an invention that solves the above problems. The structure will be described below.

[0083] The worker first manually separates the work materials into two or three pieces, and then loads them into the destacker magazine to a height of about 150 mm.

[0084] The topmost work plate loaded in the destacker magazine is adsorbed by a vacuum suction cup or the like, and the first work plate is transported by an arm operated by an air cylinder or the like to a concave guide position with a depth equivalent to the thickness of one work plate at a predetermined position in the two-plate separation device, and the work plate is sunk into the concave hole to position it, and the vacuum is broken.

[0085] When multiple sheets (two or more sheets in close contact) of material 3 are transported together at the same time, they will protrude beyond the sinking depth of the recess of one sheet (multiple sheets (two or more sheets in close contact)).

[0086] When two or more work plates are transported from the destack magazine, the work plates may be in close contact with each other (they are work plates to be separated).

[0087] The two-piece separation device sinks only the first blank material at the bottom of the transported blanks, restrains it semi-fixedly, and positions and leaves it. The second and subsequent work plates are pushed out along the upper plane of the blank where the first blank material was sunk by a pusher or the like, pushing out the work materials that are at a height above the top surface of the first blank, destroying the adhesion and separating them.

[0088] Only the bottommost work plate is left in place, and in order to separate the second and subsequent work plates, a recess with a depth equal to the thickness of one plate is pre-formed, and the plate is transported and sunk.

[0089] Regarding this separation device (material separation device) 1, the following four situations are assumed, including normal operation.

[0090] Case 1: When the work plate is not transported Trouble (abnormality). The transport device returns to the origin and transports the work plate again. If this occurs several times in succession, the machine will determine that there is an abnormality.

[0091] Case 2: When only one work plate is being transported Normal state. No separation is required because there is no second or subsequent workpiece (not stuck). Since there is only one work plate, the pusher will not push out the second or subsequent work plates.

[0092] Case 3: When two or more work plates are transported as intended by this device. Normal separation operation. Only the first work plate, which is semi-fixed, remains in the recess, and the second and subsequent work plates (above the top surface of the first plate) are pushed away by the pusher and removed.

[0093] Case 4: When multiple work plates are transported, they are strongly stuck together and the second or subsequent plates cannot be pushed out by the pusher. The pusher push time is longer than normal, and the cycle is delayed (timeout), so the machine detects this. In this case, the conveyor will eject the target work (suck it up and remove it).

[0094] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1. Material separation equipment 3, 3A, 3B Material 5 Material installation section 7 Mobile 9 Top surface (top surface of material placement area) 11 Recess 13 Placement area (flat surface) 15 Mobile support 17 Shooter 19 Cutout (Shooter cutout) 25 Base body 27 Recess formation body 29 Top surface (top surface of base body) 31 Through hole (through hole of recess forming body) 33 First support member 35 Second support member 37 Spacer P1 1st position P2 Second position

Claims

1. A material separating device for separating one sheet of material from the other sheets of thin, flat material that are overlapped in the thickness direction, comprising: a material placement section including a planar upper surface and a recess provided on the upper surface, recessed from the upper surface and having a placement section formed at its bottom, such that when the material is placed in the recess, the upper surface of the material is in the same plane as the planar upper surface; a moving body that moves through the recess in a predetermined direction among the directions in which the upper surface of the material placing part is in contact with the upper surface of the material placing part or slightly away from the upper surface of the material placing part, from a first position away from the recess to a second position on the opposite side of the recess from the first position; A material separation apparatus having:

2. The moving body is supported by a moving body support, The material separating device according to claim 1 , wherein the movable body support has elasticity in a direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the material placement portion.

3. a chute is provided for dropping the remaining materials that have moved away from the bottommost sheet of material together with the movable body by moving the movable body from the first position to the second position in a state in which the bottommost sheet of material among the plurality of sheets of material that overlap each other in the thickness direction fits into a recess in the material mounting section, 2. The material separating device of claim 1, wherein a notch is provided at the lower end of the chute to allow the remaining material to fall from the chute so that the thickness direction of the remaining material is vertical or so that the thickness direction of the remaining material intersects with the vertical direction at a small angle.

4. The material placing section is configured to include a base body formed in a flat plate shape with a thickness direction in the vertical direction and thus having a planar upper surface, and a recess forming body formed in a thin flat plate shape with a thickness direction in the vertical direction and having a through hole that forms a recess in the material placing section, the recess-forming body is installed on the base body such that a planar lower surface of the recess-forming body is in contact with a planar upper surface of the base body; The recess forming body is configured to be detachable from the base body, The movable body support member is configured to include a first support member having a thin, flat plate shape whose thickness direction is in the vertical direction, and a second support member having a thin, flat plate shape whose thickness direction is in the vertical direction, A material separation device as described in claim 2 or claim 3, further comprising a spacer that is arranged between the first support member and the second support member with the thickness direction being vertical and that is capable of being attached and detached to the first support member and the second support member.

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