Transfer device and transfer method

Abstract

To provide a transfer device and transfer method that can improve the work efficiency when transferring long materials from the conveying device to the placement area.SOLUTION: A transfer device 1 is equipped with a transfer section 3 that transfers a long member 10 from a transport device 100, which transports the long member 10 along the longitudinal direction in the transport direction (X direction), to a mounting section 200 adjacent to the transport device 100. The transfer section 3 includes: a movable part 4 that extends along the facing direction (Y direction) between the transport device 100 and the mounting section 200, allowing for the placement of the long member 10; and an inclined part 5 that tilts the movable part 4 so that it is higher on the side of the transport device 100 than on the side of the mounting section 200. The inclined part 5 can switch between a transportable state where the movable part 4 is separated from the long member 10 and a transfer state where the long member 10 is placed on the movable part 4 and the movable part 4 is inclined.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer device and a transfer method for long members.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a method for manufacturing a long molded product used for structural members of moving means such as automobiles, motorcycles, railway vehicles, ships, and aircraft has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the method for manufacturing a long molded product described in Patent Document 1, a molded product is formed by deforming a single steel plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Long members such as long molded products and their material steel plates as described in Patent Document 1 are appropriately conveyed in a factory and subjected to predetermined processing and treatment. Although there are also processes and treatments that can be performed with the long member placed on a conveying device, depending on the work content, it may be necessary to transfer the long member from the conveying device to another placement part before performing the operation. However, depending on the dimensions and material of the long member, it may become heavier, and there is a disadvantage that the work efficiency during transfer is low, such as requiring a plurality of workers.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a transfer device and a transfer method capable of improving the work efficiency when transferring a long member from a conveying device to a placement part.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a transfer device for a support member according to the present invention includes a transfer device that transfers a long member with its longitudinal direction along the transfer direction, and a transfer unit that transfers the long member to a placement unit adjacent to the transfer device. The transfer unit includes a movable part that extends along the facing direction between the transfer device and the placement unit and on which the long member can be placed, and an inclination part that inclines the movable part so that the side closer to the transfer device is higher than the side closer to the placement unit. The inclination part is capable of switching between a transportable state in which the movable part is separated from the long member and a transfer state in which the long member is placed on the movable part and the movable part is inclined.

[0007] In the transfer device for a support member according to one aspect of the present invention, the movable part is rotatably supported by the transfer device about a rotation axis along the transfer direction, and the inclination part raises and lowers a portion of the movable part on the side of the transfer device in the facing direction with respect to the rotation axis.

[0008] In the transfer device for a support member according to one aspect of the present invention, in the movable part, a plurality of rollers having a rotation axis along the transfer direction are arranged along the facing direction between the transfer device and the placement unit, thereby forming a roller row.

[0009] In the transfer device for a support member according to one aspect of the present invention, in the movable part, a plurality of the roller rows are formed, and in at least two of the plurality of roller rows, the rotation axis of one of the roller rows and the rotation axis of the other roller row are displaced in the facing direction.

[0010] The method for transferring a support member according to the present invention includes a detection step of detecting the conveyance direction position of a long member conveyed by a conveyance device so that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the conveyance direction, and a transfer step of transferring the long member from the conveyance device to an adjacent placement portion. When the long member reaches a predetermined position in the detection step, the conveyance by the conveyance device is stopped and the transfer step is performed. In the transfer step, a movable portion that extends along the direction facing the conveyance device and the placement portion and on which the long member can be placed is inclined so that the side of the conveyance device is higher than the side of the placement portion.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the transfer device and the transfer method of the present invention, the working efficiency when transferring a long member from a conveyance device to a placement portion can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a transport device 100 provided with a transfer device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state where the transfer device 1 is in a transportable state in the transport device 100. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state where the transfer device 1 is in a transfer state in the transport device 100. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a movable part 4 of the transfer device 1. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the movable part 4.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the transfer device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a transfer unit 3 that transfers a long member 10 from a transport device 100 that transports the long member 10 with its longitudinal direction along the transport direction (X direction) to a placement unit 200 adjacent to the transport device 100. The transfer unit 3 includes a movable part 4 that extends along the direction (Y direction) facing the transport device 100 and the placement unit 200 and on which the long member 10 can be placed, and an inclined part 5 that inclines the movable part 4 so that the side closer to the transport device 100 is higher than the side closer to the placement unit 200. The inclined part 5 can switch between a transportable state in which the movable part 4 is separated from the long member 10 and a transfer state in which the long member 10 is placed on the movable part 4 and the movable part 4 is inclined. Hereinafter, the transfer device 1 will be specifically described.

[0015] The long member 10 may be, for example, a component that constitutes a part of the ceiling or floor of a railway vehicle, and its length is, for example, 17 to 21 m. The long member 10 is transported by the transport device 100 so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the transport direction. However, the longitudinal direction of the long member 10 may be slightly inclined with respect to the transport direction. Hereinafter, the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction, the transport direction of the transport device 100 is defined as the X direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the X direction and the Z direction is defined as the Y direction.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, a conveying device 100 for conveying a long member 10 includes a plurality of rollers 101 on which the long member 10 is placed and arranged in the X direction, a frame 102 that rotatably supports each of the plurality of rollers 101, and a rotational drive unit that rotates the rollers 101. The rotational drive unit may rotate all of the plurality of rollers 101, or may convey the long member 10 by rotating a part of them.

[0017] A placement unit 200 is arranged adjacent to the conveying device 100 in the Y direction. That is, the facing direction between the conveying device 100 and the placement unit 200 is the Y direction. The placement unit 200 is composed of a plurality of placement tables 201 arranged at a predetermined interval in the X direction, on which the long member 10 is placed and a predetermined operation is carried out. Note that the interval and number between the placement tables 201 in the placement unit 200 may be appropriately selected according to the length, weight, etc. of the long member 10.

[0018] The detection unit 2 is arranged on the conveying device 100 and detects the conveying direction position of the long member 10 by, for example, detecting that the downstream end of the long member 10 has reached a predetermined position in the X direction. The detection unit 2 may be, for example, an optical detection means such as an infrared sensor or a camera, or may be a means for detecting the position of the long member 10 by calculation based on the rotation speed of the roller 101, and the detection method is not particularly limited. The detection unit 2 transmits a stop signal when the long member 10 reaches a predetermined conveying direction position, and the rotational drive unit of the conveying device 100 stops the rotation of the roller 101 by this stop signal.

[0019] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the transfer unit 3 has a plurality of movable parts 4, an inclined part 5 provided for each of the plurality of movable parts 4, and one control unit. The interval between adjacent movable parts 4 may be appropriately set according to the weight of the long member 10, etc. Also, in Fig. 1, for the sake of convenience, a state in which three movable parts 4 are provided is illustrated, but an appropriate number of movable parts 4 may be provided according to the length of the long member 10.

[0020] The movable part 4 includes a main body frame 41 supported by the frame 102 of the conveying device 100, and two roller units 42 and 43 fixed to the main body frame 41, and is provided between the rollers 101 adjacent to each other in the X direction in the conveying device 100. The movable part 4 can be tilted as will be described later. However, when describing the shapes and the like of the respective parts of the transfer part 3 below, unless otherwise specified, the state where the movable part 4 is not tilted (that is, the long member 10 is not transferred by the transfer part 3) as shown in FIG. 2 is taken as a reference.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 4, the main body frame 41 has a rectangular bottom plate portion 411 extending along the XY plane and having the Y direction as the longitudinal direction. The bottom plate portion 411 has a supported portion 411A that is rotatably supported by the frame 102 on the side of the placement portion 200 rather than the central portion in the Y direction. The rotation axis A1 in the supported portion 411A extends along the X direction. By having such a main body frame 41, the movable part 4 extends along the Y direction and is rotatably supported by the conveying device 100 about the rotation axis A1 along the X direction. When the main body frame 41 rotates about the rotation axis A1, the entire movable part 4 is tilted.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 5, the roller units 42 and 43 each include a plurality of rollers 44 and a support portion 45 that supports the plurality of rollers 44. The rollers 44 have rotation axes A2 and A3 along the X direction and are supported by the support portion 45. A roller row 46 is formed by arranging the plurality of rollers 44 in the Y direction. That is, the roller units 42 and 43 each have one roller row 46, and two roller rows 46 are formed in the movable part 4.

[0023] The rotation axis A2 of the roller row 46 in one roller unit 42 and the rotation axis A3 of the roller row 46 in the other roller unit 43 are offset (i.e., staggered) in the Y direction. In other words, in the Y direction, the rotation axis A3 in the other roller unit 43 is arranged between the rotation axes A2 in one roller unit 42. At this time, it is preferable that the rotation axis A3 in the other roller unit 43 is arranged at the central portion between the rotation axes A2 in one roller unit 42.

[0024] Here, a virtual plane passing through the upper end portions of the rollers 44 of the roller units 42 and 43 is referred to as the "virtual upper surface of the roller units 42 and 43". The virtual upper surfaces of the roller units 42 and 43 are higher than the height of the placement surface of the placement portion 200 and lower than the height of the placement surface of the transfer device 100 (the virtual plane passing through the upper end portions of the rollers 101). Also, the movable portion 4 is arranged such that its end portion is sufficiently close to the placement portion 200 in the Y direction, and the long member 10 that has moved on the roller units 42 and 43 can reach the placement surface of the placement portion 200.

[0025] The inclined portion 5 has a drive portion 51 such as a linear actuator that can be driven to advance and retreat in the Z direction, and a contact portion 52 that is provided at the tip of the drive shaft portion 511 of the drive portion 51 and contacts the bottom plate portion 411. Although the contact portion 52 and the bottom plate portion 411 can be in contact with each other, they are not fixed to each other. At this time, it is preferable that the contact portion 52 is composed of rollers or sliding members so that the contact position with the contact portion 52 can change when the bottom plate portion 411 is inclined.

[0026] The drive portion 51 is controlled by the control portion of the transfer portion 3. By raising the drive shaft portion 511, the position of the bottom plate portion 411 where the contact portion 52 contacts is raised, and thereby the movable portion 4 rotates and inclines about the rotation axis A1. Thereafter, when the drive portion 51 lowers the drive shaft portion 511, the position of the bottom plate portion 411 where the contact portion 52 contacts is lowered, and the movable portion 4 rotates in the reverse direction and the bottom plate portion 411 becomes parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0027] Here, a method for transferring the long member 10 using the transfer device 1 and its mode will be specifically described. First, the long member 10 is conveyed from the previous process by the conveying device 100. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the movable part 4 is not inclined and is in a conveyable state, and the virtual upper surfaces of the roller units 42 and 43 are separated from the long member 10. When the detection unit 2 detects that the long member 10 has reached a predetermined position (that is, a position adjacent to the placement unit 200 in the Y direction) (detection step), the conveyance by the conveying device 100 is stopped. At this time, the detection unit 2 transmits a detection signal not only to the conveying device 100 but also to the control unit of the transfer unit 3.

[0028] When the control unit of the transfer unit 3 receives the detection signal, it controls the drive unit 51 in all the inclined parts 5 to raise the drive shaft part 511. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, all the movable parts 4 are simultaneously inclined to enter the transfer state. In the transfer state, the virtual upper surface of the roller units 42 and 43 will be positioned above the virtual upper surface of the roller 101 of the conveying device 100, and the long member 10 will be placed on the roller units 42 and 43 instead of the roller 101. Since the virtual upper surface of the roller units 42 and 43 is inclined, the long member 10 tries to descend due to the gravity acting on itself, and the roller 44 rotates, causing the long member 10 to slide down on the roller units 42 and 43.

[0029] Since the movable part 4 in the transfer state is inclined such that the side of the conveying device 100 in the Y direction is higher than the side of the mounting part 200, the long member 10 that slides down on the roller units 42 and 43 moves toward the side of the mounting part 200 and is placed on the mounting surface of the mounting part 200. The process in which the movable part 4 is inclined and the long member 10 is transferred to the mounting part 200 as described above is the transfer process. After that, the control unit of the transfer part 3 controls the drive part 51 to lower the drive shaft part 511 to make all the movable parts 4 in a conveyable state and the next long member in a conveyable state. At this time, the switching from the transfer state to the conveyable state may be determined by the operator visually confirming that the long member 10 is placed on the mounting surface of the mounting part 200, or may be determined by using means for detecting the movement of the long member 10.

[0030] As described above, according to the transfer device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, by inclining the movable part 4 to transfer the long member 10 from the conveying device 100 to the mounting part 200, it is not necessary for the operator to manually transfer, and the work efficiency can be improved.

[0031] Further, since the movable part 4 is rotatably supported by the conveying device 100 and the movable part 4 is inclined by the raising and lowering of the inclined part 5, the conveyable state and the transfer state can be easily switched.

[0032] Further, since a roller row 46 in which a plurality of rollers 44 are arranged is formed in the movable part 4, the long member 10 can move smoothly on the movable part 4, and it is easy to suppress the deterioration of the surface state of the long member 10 during transfer.

[0033] Further, the rotation axis A2 of the roller row 46 in one roller unit 42 and the rotation axis A3 of the roller row 46 in the other roller unit 43 are displaced in the Y direction. As a result, compared with the case where they coincide, the number of support positions of the long member 10 in the Y direction can be doubled, the movement of the long member 10 becomes smoother, and the deterioration of the surface state of the long member 10 can be further suppressed. That is, the pitch of the rotation axes in one roller unit needs to be larger than the diameter of the roller, but by displacing the rotation axes in the two roller units, the substantial pitch of the rotation axes can be reduced.

[0034] Note that the present invention is not limited to the form of the above-described embodiment, and includes other configurations and the like that can achieve the object of the present invention. Modifications and the like as described below are also included in the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the movable part 4 is rotatably supported by the transport device 100, and the movable part 4 is inclined by raising and lowering the inclined part 5 disposed below the movable part 4. However, the configuration for inclining the inclined part is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a part of the movable part is lifted from above to be inclined may be used. Further, a rotational force may be directly applied to the rotation axis about which the movable part is pivotally supported by the transport device by a motor or the like, and the movable part may be directly inclined by a rotational movement by controlling the rotation angle. Further, the movable part may be supported by a support part provided independently of the transport device.

[0035] Further, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the movable part 4 has two roller units 42 and 43, and the rotation axes A2 and A3 thereof are displaced from each other. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, three or more roller rows may be formed, and the rotation axes of the rollers may be displaced from each other among all of these roller rows, or the rotation axes of the rollers may be displaced only among some of them. Further, for example, when the pitch of the rotation axes in the roller row is sufficiently short, the rotation axes of the rollers may coincide with each other among all of the roller rows, and further, when the width (dimension in the transport direction) of the roller is sufficiently large, only one roller row may be formed.

[0036] In addition, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the roller row 46 is formed on the movable part 4. However, it is sufficient that the long member can move on the movable part by gravity. For example, a plurality of rollers may be arranged so as not to be aligned in the facing direction between the conveying device and the placing part (so as not to form a roller row), or a sliding member formed of fluororesin or the like may be provided on the upper surface of the movable part so that the long member slides down.

[0037] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the transfer device and the transfer method according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, and includes all aspects included in the concept and scope of claims of the present invention. Also, each configuration may be selectively combined as appropriate so as to achieve at least part of the above-described problems and effects. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment can be appropriately changed according to the specific usage mode of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0038] 1... Transfer device, 3... Transfer part, 4... Movable part, 44... Roller, 46... Roller row, 5... Inclined part, 10... Long member, 100... Conveying device, 200... Placing part

Claims

1. A transfer device that conveys a long member such that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the conveyance direction, and includes a transfer unit that transfers the long member from the conveyance device to a placement unit adjacent to the conveyance device. The transfer unit includes a movable unit that extends along the direction facing the conveyance device and the placement unit and on which the long member can be placed, and an inclination unit that inclines the movable unit such that the side closer to the conveyance device is higher than the side closer to the placement unit. The inclination unit is capable of switching between a conveyance-enabled state in which the movable unit is separated from the long member and a transfer state in which the long member is placed on the movable unit and the movable unit is inclined. The transfer device is characterized by this.

2. The movable unit is supported by the conveyance device so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis along the conveyance direction. The inclination unit raises and lowers a portion of the movable unit on the side of the conveyance device in the facing direction relative to the rotation axis. The transfer device according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. In the movable unit, a plurality of rollers having a rotation axis along the conveyance direction are arranged along the direction facing the conveyance device and the placement unit, thereby forming a roller row. The transfer device according to claim 1 or 2 is characterized by this.

4. In the movable unit, a plurality of the roller rows are formed. In at least two of the plurality of roller rows, the rotation axis of one roller row and the rotation axis of the other roller row are offset in the facing direction. The transfer device according to claim 3 is characterized by this.

5. A detection step of detecting the conveyance direction position of a long member conveyed by a conveyance device such that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the conveyance direction, and a transfer step of transferring the long member from the conveyance device to an adjacent placement unit, are included. When the long member reaches a predetermined position in the detection step, the conveyance by the conveyance device is stopped and the transfer step is carried out. In this transfer step, a movable unit that extends along the direction facing the conveyance device and the placement unit and on which the long member can be placed is inclined such that the side closer to the conveyance device is higher than the side closer to the placement unit. The transfer method is characterized by this.

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