Workpiece transport device and processing device

Abstract

To provide a workpiece transport device and a processing device capable of returning a workpiece to a predetermined position with a simple configuration without using a complex mechanism.SOLUTION: A workpiece transport device includes a transport unit 2 having a drive roller 21 and a driven roller 22 which can come into contact with the drive roller 21, and transporting a workpiece 51 by applying torque to the workpiece 51 sandwiched between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, a guide 31 provided to come into contact with the side surface 51a of the workpiece 51 and a release unit 32 that temporarily releases the contact pressure from the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to the workpiece 51, and a positional deviation correction unit 3 that corrects the positional deviation of workpiece 51 by the repulsive force caused by the pressing of the misaligned workpiece 51 against the guide 31 and the release of the contact pressure by the release unit 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work transfer device for transferring a sheet-like work and a processing device including the work transfer device.

Background Art

[0002] A paper transfer device for transferring an object to be transferred such as paper is known (for example, Patent Document 1). The paper transfer device is incorporated in, for example, an image forming apparatus, and transfers the paper supplied from a paper feed tray to a secondary transfer unit.

[0003] When a control device of such a paper transfer device detects a deviation in the position of the paper during the transfer of the paper with a deviation sensor, the control device corrects the deviation in the position of the paper by a lateral movement mechanism unit. Specifically, the lateral movement mechanism unit corrects the deviation in the position of the paper by moving a pair of registration rollers against which the leading end of the paper abuts in a direction orthogonal to the paper transfer direction (width direction). The lateral movement mechanism unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above includes a rack extending in the rotational axis direction of the pair of registration rollers, a pinion meshing with the rack, and a motor that rotationally drives the pinion based on the detection by the deviation sensor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the lateral movement mechanism section disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, it is necessary to arrange a lateral movement mechanism section using a rack and a pinion and a deviation sensor near the resist roller pair, and there are problems such as installation space and enlargement of the apparatus. Further, since this lateral movement mechanism section controls the rotation amount of the pinion according to the deviation width of the paper position in the width direction of the paper, a memory and a control program for storing the rotation amount of the pinion with respect to the deviation width of the paper position are required.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a work transfer device capable of correcting the positional deviation of a work without using a complicated mechanism.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve this object, a first aspect of the present invention is a work transfer device for transferring a sheet-like work in a predetermined direction, having a drive roller and a driven roller that can be brought into contact with the drive roller, and applying torque to the work sandwiched between the drive roller and the driven roller to transfer the work. A conveyance unit, a guide provided so as to be in contact with a side surface of the work, and a release unit that temporarily releases the contact pressure from the drive roller and the driven roller with respect to the work, and the work whose position has deviated. And a positional deviation correction unit that corrects the positional deviation of the work by the repulsive force due to the pressing of the work against the guide and the release of the contact pressure by the release unit.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is the work transfer device according to the first aspect, wherein the release unit includes a magnetic member that supports a rotation shaft of the driven roller, a spring that biases the magnetic member in a direction in which the driven roller is brought into contact with the drive roller, and the spring. And an electromagnet that attracts the magnetic member against the biasing force of the spring, and is provided at a bearing portion of the driven roller.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is the work transfer device according to the second aspect, wherein the release unit is provided at both ends of a rotation shaft of the driven roller.

[0010] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the work transfer device according to the first aspect, the drive roller and the driven roller are formed by cylindrical members that rotate about a rotation axis, and are arranged such that their respective rotation axes are parallel.

[0011] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the work transfer device according to the first aspect, the guide has a predetermined length on the downstream side of the transfer unit with respect to the transfer direction of the work and is arranged at a predetermined position, and the predetermined length and the predetermined position are such that when the contact pressure is released by the release unit, the length and position are such that the misaligned work can be corrected from the position where it contacts the drive roller and the driven roller to a predetermined position.

[0012] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a processing device including a processing chamber that performs predetermined processing on a work, and a work transfer device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects that transfers the work to the processing chamber.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the work transfer device according to the first aspect of the present invention, by driving the drive roller while sandwiching a sheet-shaped work between the drive roller and the driven roller, the work is conveyed in a predetermined direction while receiving torque from the drive roller. Here, a work that has become misaligned presses against a guide that contacts its side surface and receives a repulsive force due to the pressing from the guide. When the contact pressure from the drive roller and the driven roller is released by the release unit in this state, the work returns to a predetermined position due to the repulsive force from the guide. As a result, there is an effect that the misalignment of the work can be corrected by the guide and the release unit without using a complicated mechanism.

[0014] According to the work transfer device according to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects achieved by the work transfer device according to the first aspect, the following effects are achieved. That is, during work transfer, the magnetic member that supports the driven roller is biased by a spring and biased in the direction in which the driven roller contacts the driving roller. As a result, the work is sandwiched between the driving roller and the driven roller, and the work is transferred by the torque from the driving roller. On the other hand, when the electromagnet is turned on, the magnetic member is attracted by the electromagnet against the biasing force of the spring, so that the work is released from the contact pressure between the driving roller and the driven roller. Thus, it is only necessary to energize the electromagnet only when releasing the contact pressure between the driving roller and the driven roller, and there is an effect that the displacement of the work can be corrected with a simple configuration and power saving. Further, by directly attracting the magnetic member with the electromagnet, there is an effect that the driven roller can be surely separated from the driving roller.

[0015] According to the work transfer device according to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects achieved by the work transfer device according to the second aspect, the following effects are achieved. That is, even if the electromagnet of one release portion fails to attract the magnetic member, the distance between the electromagnet and the magnetic member of one release portion is shortened by the attraction of the magnetic member by the electromagnet of the other release portion. As a result, suction in the release portion is also induced, so that there is an effect that the contact pressure between the driving roller and the driven roller can be released more reliably than in the case where one release portion is provided at one location on the rotation axis of the driven roller.

[0016] According to the work transfer device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects achieved by the work transfer device according to the first aspect, the following effects are achieved. That is, due to the shapes of the driving roller and the driven roller and the positional relationship between their rotation axes, the surface pressure of the contact surfaces of the work with the driving roller and the driven roller can be made constant, so that there is an effect that the spread of the displacement of the work can be prevented. However, even in such a configuration, displacement may occur due to errors on the contact surfaces of the driving roller and the driven roller or on the surface of the work. However, by providing a guide and a release portion, there is an effect that the displacement of the work can be eliminated and returned to a predetermined position.

[0017] According to the work transfer device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects achieved by the work transfer device according to the first aspect, the following effects are achieved. That is, when the contact pressure is released by the release portion, the work that has been displaced can be reliably corrected to a predetermined position from the location where it contacts the drive roller and the driven roller.

[0018] According to the processing device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the work is transferred by the work transfer device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the effects achieved by the corresponding work transfer device are obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that all the embodiments described below show preferred specific examples of the present invention. Therefore, numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the arrangement positions of the components, connection forms, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Accordingly, among the components in the following embodiments, the components not described in the independent claims indicating the uppermost concept of the present invention are described as optional components. Also, in each figure, the same reference numerals are given to substantially the same configurations, and redundant descriptions are omitted or simplified.

[0021] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a work transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a side view of a work transfer device 11 and a processing device 1 according to this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the work transfer device 11 and the processing device 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of the work transfer device 11. In the description of this embodiment, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are used. That is, in the side view of FIG. 1, the direction from the left side to the right side is the X-axis, the direction perpendicular to the X-axis from the front side of the paper surface to the back in the same side view is the Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis in the same side view and from the lower side to the upper side is the Z-axis. Also, the work transfer device 11 is configured to arrange the work 51 such that the width direction of a sheet-like (or tape-like) work 51 described later is in the Y-axis direction, and to transfer the work 51 with the X-axis direction as the transfer direction.

[0022] The processing device 1 is a device that performs a processing operation of printing on a flexible sheet-like (or tape-like) work 51 having a predetermined thickness (for example, 0.25 mm) using laser light. Note that printing on the work 51 using laser light is an example of the processing operation, and the processing operation performed on the work 51 in the processing device 1 may be arbitrary.

[0023] The processing chamber 4 is a box-shaped space for holding the workpiece 51 in a predetermined position during the above-mentioned processing of the workpiece 51. As shown in FIG. 1, in the processing chamber 4, a pair of guides 31 for positioning the workpiece 51 in the width direction and the vertical direction, a laser irradiation device 41 for irradiating the workpiece 51 with laser light, and a laser cutter 42 for cutting the processed workpiece are provided. The guide 31 not only performs the above-mentioned positioning but also constitutes the misalignment correction unit 3 of the workpiece transfer device 11. Details thereof will be described later in the description of the misalignment correction unit 3.

[0024] The workpiece transfer device 11 is a transfer device for transferring the workpiece 51 to the processing chamber 4. The workpiece transfer device 11 includes a workpiece supply unit 5, a transfer unit 2, and a misalignment correction unit 3.

[0025] The workpiece supply unit 5 stores the workpiece 51 wound in a roll shape and supplies the workpiece 51 to be transferred to the processing chamber 4 to the transfer unit 2 provided on the downstream side of the workpiece supply unit 5. Note that the workpiece supply unit 5 may supply the workpiece 51 made of a rectangular flat plate one by one instead of the workpiece wound in a roll shape.

[0026] The transfer unit 2 transfers the workpiece 51 supplied from the workpiece supply unit 5 to the processing chamber 4 and is composed of a pair of upper and lower rollers, namely a driving roller 21 and a driven roller 22 provided below the driving roller 21. The transfer unit 2 sandwiches both surfaces of the workpiece 51 with the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22, and applies the torque of the driving roller 21 to the workpiece 51 by the contact pressure from the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22, thereby transferring the workpiece 51 in the transfer direction (X-axis direction). This transfer direction corresponds to the predetermined direction of the present invention.

[0027] The drive roller 21 rotates about the rotation axis 21a and is a roller for transmitting rotational torque to the workpiece 51 and the driven roller 22. The drive roller 21 is formed of an inelastic material such as metal and is an inelastic roller having a regular cylindrical shape with a constant diameter in the axial direction. The rotation axis 21a is disposed at the center of the regular cylindrical shape and is fixed to the drive roller 21. Further, the rotation axis 21a extends from one end of the drive roller 21, and at the extending portion, it is connected to the motor 23 via the belt 24. Thus, the driving force of the motor 23 is transmitted to the rotation axis 21a via the belt 24, and the drive roller 21 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the rotation axis 21a. Also, the rotation axis 21a of the drive roller 21 is arranged in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (X-axis direction) of the workpiece 51, and the rotation axis 21a extending from one end of the drive roller 21 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 21b fixed to the housing (not shown) of the processing apparatus 1.

[0028] In the present embodiment, the drive roller 21 is formed of an inelastic material such as metal, but is not limited thereto, and may be an elastic roller whose surface is covered with an elastic material such as urethane. Also, the rotation axis 21a may extend from the other end of the drive roller 21, and the rotation axis 21a extending from the other end may also be rotatably supported by a bearing portion 21b fixed to the housing of the processing apparatus 1 on the other end side.

[0029] The driven roller 22 is a roller provided to face a position where it can contact the drive roller 21 below the drive roller 21 and rotates about the rotation axis 22a. The surface of the driven roller is covered with an elastic body such as urethane, and it is an elastic roller having a regular cylindrical shape with a constant diameter in the axial direction. The rotation axis 22a of the driven roller 22 is disposed at the center of the regular cylindrical shape and is fixed to the driven roller 22, and is arranged in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (X-axis direction) of the workpiece 51 so as to be parallel to the rotation axis 21a of the drive roller 21. Both ends of the rotation axis 22a of the driven roller 22 are rotatably supported by bearing portions 22b. In the present embodiment, the driven roller 22 is an elastic roller covered with an elastic material such as urethane, but is not limited thereto, and may be formed of an inelastic material such as metal.

[0030] The bearing portion 22b is erected on the upper surface of the base 25 together with a release portion 32 (to be described later) of the position deviation correction portion 3. A lever 27 that can rotate within a predetermined range in the vertical direction is provided on a support column 26 that supports the lower surface of the base 25. When an operator rotates the lever 27 upward, the support column 26 moves downward, and accordingly, the bearing portion 22b also moves downward, separating the driven roller 22 from the driving roller. On the other hand, when the operator rotates the lever 27 downward, the support column 26 moves upward, and accordingly, the bearing portion 22b also moves upward, positioning the driven roller 22 at a position where it can contact the driving roller 21. This lever 27 is used when performing maintenance on the conveying portion 2 or setting the workpiece 51 on the conveying portion 2 before starting the operation of the workpiece conveying device 11, and is not for correcting the position deviation during the conveyance of the workpiece 51 like the release portion 32 to be described later.

[0031] The position deviation correction portion 3 corrects the position deviation of the workpiece 51 caused by changes in the thickness of the workpiece 51 or changes in the contact pressure received from the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 during the conveyance of the workpiece 51. The position deviation correction portion 3 is composed of a guide 31 and a release portion 32.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the guide 31 regulates the position of the conveyed workpiece 51 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and is disposed at a predetermined position (the distance t from the entrance 31c of the guide 31 to the portion 2a where the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 are in contact) with a predetermined length s on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the conveying portion 2. The guide 31 is composed of a pair of L-shaped steels whose cross-section viewed from the X-axis direction is L-shaped. The pair of L-shaped steels each have a guide surface 31b erected in the Z-axis direction as an inner side surface facing each other. The guide surface 31b is provided so as to contact at least one side surface 51a of the workpiece 51 parallel to the X-axis. Further, the pair of L-shaped steels each have a placement surface 31a parallel to the plane specified by the X-axis and the Y-axis, and the workpiece 51 is placed on the placement surface 31a. The workpiece 51 enters between the pair of guide surfaces 31b and moves in the conveyance direction on the placement surface 31a.

[0033] The guide 31 configured in this manner plays a role of returning the workpiece 51 to a predetermined position by applying a repulsive force against the pressing from the workpiece 51 with misalignment to the guide surface 31b to the workpiece 51.

[0034] The predetermined length s of the guide 31 and the predetermined position (distance t) where the guide 31 is disposed are determined to be lengths and positions that can correct the workpiece 51 with misalignment from the contact portion 2a with the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to a predetermined position when the contact pressure from the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to the workpiece 51 is released by the release portion 32 described later.

[0035] Here, the distance between the conveying unit 2 and the processing chamber 4 is preferably short in order to reduce the influence of misalignment on the processing of the workpiece 51 in the processing chamber 4, and the length s of the guide 31 is restricted by the distance between the conveying unit 2 and the processing chamber 4. On the other hand, in order to apply a sufficient repulsive force to correct the misalignment to the workpiece 51 with misalignment, the length s of the guide 31 is preferably long. Therefore, the shorter the distance t from the inlet 31c of the guide 31 to the contact portion 2a where the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 are in contact, the better, and ideally it is preferably zero. Also, the shorter the distance t, the more accurately the workpiece 51 with misalignment can be corrected to a predetermined position at the contact portion 2a with the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22.

[0036] The interval between the conveying unit 2 and the guide 31 (the distance t from the inlet 31c of the guide 31 to the contact portion 2a where the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 are in contact) that enables such correction of misalignment varies depending on the rigidity of the workpiece itself resulting from the workpiece width and workpiece thickness, but is preferably about 20 mm or less. Similarly, the length s of the guide 31 also varies depending on the rigidity of the workpiece itself resulting from the workpiece width and workpiece thickness, but is preferably about 100 mm or more.

[0037] The release unit 32 is a mechanism that temporarily releases the contact pressure from the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 on the workpiece 51 clamped by the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22, and as shown in FIG. 3, it is provided on the bearing portion 22b of the driven roller 22. The release unit 32 is composed of a spring 32a, a magnetic member 32b, and an electromagnet 32c.

[0038] One end of the spring 32a is fixed to the base 25, and the other end is fixed to the magnetic member 32b and erected in the Z-axis direction. It is a coil spring that biases the driven roller 22 toward the driving roller 21 (in the Z-axis direction) through the magnetic member 32b. The magnetic member 32b is provided to support the rotating shaft 21a of the driven roller 22 while receiving the biasing force of the spring 32a from below, and is a member composed of a magnetic material such as iron. The electromagnet 32c is erected on the base 25, and by forming a magnetic field by energization, it attracts the magnetic member 32b against the biasing force of the spring 32a and moves the driven roller 22 away from the driving roller 21. The release unit 32 is provided at both ends of the rotating shaft 22a of the driven roller 22, respectively.

[0039] The operations of the processing apparatus 1 and the workpiece transfer apparatus 11 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. First, an overview of the operation of the processing apparatus 1 will be described.

[0040] In the processing apparatus 1, first, the workpiece transfer apparatus 11 is operated to transfer the workpiece 51 into the processing chamber 4. At this time, both side surfaces 51b of the workpiece 51 are in contact with the guide surface 31b of the guide 31, so that the movement of the workpiece 51 in the width direction is restricted. Thereby, the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the workpiece 51 is positioned.

[0041] Further, the processing chamber 4 is provided with a mechanism (not shown) that sucks air in the processing chamber 4 from below the processing chamber 4. When the workpiece 51 is transferred into the processing chamber 4, the workpiece 51 is placed while being adsorbed on the placement surface 31a of the guide 31 by the suction. Thereby, the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) of the workpiece 51 is positioned.

[0042] Note that the positioning of the work 51 in the conveying direction (X-axis direction) is performed by the rotation amount of the driving roller 21 of the work conveying device 11 (i.e., the driving amount of the motor 23).

[0043] Next, the processing device 1 irradiates the positioned work 51 with a laser from the laser irradiation device 41 and performs processing such as printing characters or the like preset on the work 51. After that, the processing device 1 operates the work conveying device 11 and conveys the processed work 51 until it is discharged from a discharge port (not shown) provided in the processing chamber. Then, the processing device 1 cuts and separates the work 51 processed using the laser cutter 42.

[0044] At this time, an unprocessed work 51 is conveyed into the processing chamber 4, and the processing device 1 can newly perform processing on this work 51. Then, by repeating the processing, conveyance, and cutting of the work 51, the processing device 1 can generate and discharge a plurality of processed works 51.

[0045] Next, the operation of the workpiece transfer device 11 will be described. First, as preparatory work before the operator operates the workpiece transfer device 11, the operator clamps the workpiece 51 of the workpiece supply unit 5 between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 as follows. First, the operator rotates the lever 27 upward to lower the base 25 and separate the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22. In this state, the operator pulls out the workpiece 51 from the workpiece supply unit 5, passes it between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, and makes it enter between the opposing guide surfaces 31b provided on each of the pair of guides 31 located on the downstream side in the transfer direction. Then, the operator rotates the lever 27 downward to raise the base 25. As a result, the driven roller 22 is pushed up until it contacts the drive roller 21, and the workpiece 51 is clamped between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22. At this time, the electromagnet 32c of the release unit 32 is in the off state, and since the electromagnet 32c does not attract the magnetic member 32b, as shown in FIG. 3, the driven roller 22 is biased in a direction to contact the drive roller 21 by the biasing force of the spring 32a, and the workpiece 51 is receiving the contact pressure with the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22. At this time, the bearing portion 22b is in a state where a gap of a distance r is provided between the upper surface of the electromagnet 32c and the lower surface of the magnetic member 32b.

[0046] When the operator completes the above preparatory work and turns on the switch for instructing the start of processing for the processing device 1, the workpiece transfer device 11 transports the workpiece 51 as follows according to a program executed by a control unit (not shown).

[0047] First, the motor 23 is driven, and the drive roller 21 connected to the motor 23 is rotationally driven. As a result, the workpiece 51 is transported in the transport direction (X-axis direction) while being clamped between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 and receiving the rotational torque of the drive roller 21. The workpiece 51 that has entered between the pair of guide surfaces 31b by the operator moves in the transport direction on the placement surface 31a and is directly transported to the processing chamber 4. When a workpiece 51 of a predetermined length is transported, the drive of the motor 23 is stopped, and accordingly, the transport of the workpiece 51 is stopped.

[0048] During the repeated conveyance of the workpiece 51, the workpiece 51 may be misaligned. Here, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, a method for correcting the misalignment of the workpiece 51 in the workpiece conveyance device 11 will be described. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the workpiece 51 is misaligned in the workpiece conveyance device 11, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III showing a state in which the release portion 32 (electromagnet 32c) of the workpiece conveyance device 11 attracts the magnetic member 32b, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the misalignment of the workpiece 51 in the workpiece conveyance device 11 is corrected.

[0049] Incidentally, the reasons for the misalignment of the workpiece 51 during the repeated conveyance of the workpiece 51 are as follows. For example, when there are no irregularities on the front and back surfaces of the workpiece 51 to be conveyed and the thickness of the workpiece 51 is constant, the contact pressures at the portions where the front surface of the workpiece 51 contacts the drive roller 21 and the portion where the back surface of the workpiece 51 contacts the driven roller 22 are both uniform. Therefore, the workpiece 51 moves straight parallel to the conveyance direction.

[0050] However, such an ideal workpiece 51 does not exist, and there are quite a few irregularities on the workpiece 51 and the thickness is not constant. At the portions with such irregularities or where the thickness changes on the workpiece 51, the contact pressure generated between the workpiece 51 and the drive roller 21 or the driven roller 22 changes. As a result, the workpiece 51 is conveyed while slightly changing its orientation from the predetermined conveyance direction, causing misalignment.

[0051] In addition, the workpiece conveyance device 11 is not configured with ideal accuracy. For example, the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 are not perfectly cylindrical and contain some distortion, or the rotation axes 21a of the drive roller 21 and 22a of the driven roller 22 are slightly displaced from the Y-axis direction, etc., containing some errors. And this also causes the workpiece 51 to be conveyed while changing its orientation from the conveyance direction.

[0052] Once the orientation of the workpiece 51 has changed, the positional deviation will become larger as the conveyance progresses. In the workpiece 51 where the positional deviation has occurred, the side surface 51a in the direction where the positional deviation has occurred is conveyed while contacting the guide surface 31b of the guide 31 as shown in FIG. 4. And the force P1 with which the workpiece 51 presses the guide surface 31b of the guide 31 due to the positional deviation will cause a predetermined length s of the guide 31 to occur.

[0053] The control unit that controls the operation of the workpiece conveyance device 11 conveys the workpiece 51 to the processing chamber 4, stops the driving of the driving roller 21, and then turns on the electromagnet 32c of the release unit 32 before starting the processing in the processing chamber 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the electromagnet 32c attracts the spring 32a against the biasing force of the spring 32a, and the driven roller 22 descends by a distance r of the gap from the upper surface of the electromagnet 32c to the lower surface of the magnetic member 32b. As a result, a gap of at least a distance r is generated between the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 this time, and the workpiece 51 is temporarily released from the contact pressure from the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22.

[0054] As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the workpiece 51 returns to a predetermined position from the state where the positional deviation has occurred due to the repulsive force P2 from the guide 31 caused by the workpiece 51 pressing the guide surface 31b of the guide 31 with the force P1. Thus, the positional deviation of the workpiece 51 can be corrected by the guide 31 and the release unit 32 without using a complicated mechanism. Also, regardless of the degree of positional deviation of the workpiece 51, since the positional deviation can be corrected only by temporarily releasing the contact pressure with the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 by the release unit 32, it is not necessary to measure the amount of positional deviation or to perform a control program for control based on the measured value and to save the measured value, and an increase in memory can be suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, when releasing the contact pressure between the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22, it is only necessary to turn on the electromagnet 32c only when releasing. Since the electromagnet 32c directly attracts the magnetic member 32b connected to the driven roller 22, the release unit 32 can be operated with a simple mechanism and power saving.

[0056] Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the release portions 32 are respectively provided at both ends of the rotation shaft 22a of the driven roller 22. Thereby, even if the electromagnet 32c of one of the two release portions 32 provided at both ends cannot attract the magnetic member 32b, the distance between the electromagnet 32c and the magnetic member 32b of one release portion 32 is shortened due to the attraction of the magnetic member 32b by the electromagnet 32c of the other release portion 32, and as a result, the attraction in the release portion 32 is also induced. Therefore, the work transfer device 11 can more reliably release the contact pressure between the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 than when the release portion 32 is provided at one location on the rotation shaft 22a of the driven roller 22.

[0057] Also, when the release portion 32 is provided near the center in the longitudinal direction of the rotation shaft 22a of the driven roller 22, in order to provide an installation space for the release portion 32, the driven roller 22 cannot be configured to contact the driving roller 21 at that portion, and the entire both sides of the work 51 cannot be clamped with a uniform contact pressure. By providing the release portions 32 at both ends of the rotation shaft 22a of the driven roller 22, the entire both sides of the work 51 receive the contact pressure from the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 uniformly, so that it is possible to suppress the spread of the positional deviation of the work 51 during conveyance.

[0058] Also, the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 are formed by cylindrical members that rotate about the rotation shafts 21a and 22a, and the respective rotation shafts 21a and 22a are arranged in parallel. Thereby, the surface pressure of the contact surface with the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 can be made constant, and it is possible to prevent the positional deviation of the work from spreading. However, even in such a configuration, there is a problem that positional deviation occurs due to errors on the contact surfaces of the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 and the surface of the work 51. By providing the guide 31 and the release portion 32, the positional deviation of the work 51 can be eliminated and returned to a predetermined position.

[0059] Further, the guide 31 has a predetermined length s on the downstream side of the conveying unit 2 with respect to the conveying direction of the workpiece 51 and is arranged at a predetermined position (the distance t from the inlet 31c of the guide 31 to the point 2a where the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 are in contact). The predetermined length and the predetermined position are such that when the contact pressure is released by the release portion 32, the length and position are such that the displaced workpiece 51 can be corrected from the point of contact with the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to a predetermined position. Thereby, when the contact pressure is released by the release portion 32, the displaced workpiece 51 can be surely corrected from the point of contact with the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to a predetermined position.

[0060] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 1 includes a processing chamber 4 that performs a predetermined process on the workpiece 51 and a workpiece conveying apparatus 11 that conveys the workpiece 51 to the processing chamber 4. Thereby, the processing apparatus 1 can exhibit the effects exerted by the workpiece conveying apparatus 11.

[0061] As described above, the present invention has been described based on the embodiments. However, it can be easily inferred that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments at all, and various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, each embodiment may be configured by modifying the embodiment by adding a part or a plurality of parts of the configuration of another embodiment, including the modification examples described below, to the embodiment or exchanging a part or a plurality of parts of the configuration of the embodiment. Further, the numerical values given in the above embodiments are examples, and it is of course possible to adopt other numerical values.

[0062] In the work transfer device 11 of the above-described embodiment, the driving roller 21 is provided on the upper surface of the work 51, and the driven roller 22 is provided on the lower surface of the work 51. However, it is only necessary to be able to apply the contact pressure from the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to the work 51, and the positional relationship between the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 with respect to the work 51 may be arbitrary. Further, the release portion 32 is provided on the bearing portion 22b of the driven roller 22, but it may be provided on the bearing portion 21b of the driving roller 21. However, since the rotation shaft 21a of the driving roller 21 is connected to the motor 23, it is easier for the release portion 32 to be provided on the bearing portion 22b of the driven roller 22 in terms of design / or manufacturing, which is preferable.

[0063] In the work transfer device 11 of the above-described embodiment, the magnetic member 32b and the electromagnet 32c are used for the release portion 32. However, an electromagnetic solenoid may be used to move the driven roller 22 in a direction away from the driving roller 21 against the biasing force of the spring 32a. Further, a cam may be provided on the rotation shaft of the driven roller 22, and the cam may be used to push the driven roller 22 in a direction away from the driving roller 21 to temporarily release the contact pressure between the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22.

[0064] In the work transfer device 11 of the above-described embodiment, the guide 31 is composed of a pair of L-shaped steel bars having an L-shaped cross-section when viewed from the X-axis direction. However, it is only necessary to be able to regulate the positions of the conveyed work 51 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The cross-section viewed from the X-axis direction may be bent into a U-shaped shape.

[0065] In the work transfer device 11 of the above-described embodiment, the control unit turns on the electromagnet 32c of the release portion 32 after transporting the work 51 to the processing chamber 4 and stopping the driving of the driving roller 21, and before starting the processing in the processing chamber 4. However, the electromagnet 32c of the release portion 32 may be turned on after repeating the transportation of the work 51 a plurality of times.

[0066] In the workpiece transfer device 11 of the above embodiment, the control unit temporarily releases the contact pressure between the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 by the release unit 32 regardless of whether or not a displacement of the workpiece 51 occurs. However, a sensor for detecting displacement may be provided on the transfer path for transferring the workpiece 51, and when the sensor detects the displacement, the release unit 32 may temporarily release the contact pressure between the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22.

Explanation of Signs

[0067] 1 Processing device 11 Workpiece transfer device 2 Transfer unit 21 Driving roller 21a Rotating shaft 21b Bearing portion 22 Driven roller 22a Rotating shaft 22b Bearing portion 23 Motor 24 Belt 25 Base 26 Support column 27 Lever 3 Displacement correction unit 31 Guide 31a Placing surface 31b Guide surface 32 Release unit 32a Spring 32b Magnetic member 32c Electromagnet 4 Processing chamber 41 Laser irradiation device 42 Laser cutter 5 Workpiece supply unit 51 Workpiece 51a Side surface

Claims

1. A work transfer device for transferring a sheet-shaped work in a predetermined direction, comprising: a driving roller and a driven roller that can be brought into contact with the driving roller, and a transfer unit that transfers the work by applying torque to the work sandwiched between the driving roller and the driven roller; a guide provided so as to be in contact with a side surface of the work, and a release unit that temporarily releases the contact pressure from the driving roller and the driven roller with respect to the work, and a position shift correction unit that corrects the position shift of the work by the repulsive force due to the pressing of the work with the position shift against the guide and the release of the contact pressure by the release unit. A work transfer device characterized by comprising:

2. The release unit is: composed of a magnetic member that supports the rotation shaft of the driven roller, a spring that biases the magnetic member in a direction to bring the driven roller into contact with the driving roller, and an electromagnet that attracts the magnetic member against the biasing force of the spring, The work transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided in a bearing portion of the driven roller.

3. The work transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that the release unit is provided at both ends of the rotation shaft of the driven roller, respectively.

4. The driving roller and the driven roller are formed of a cylindrical member that rotates about a rotation axis, and are arranged such that their respective rotation axes are parallel. The work transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that:

5. The guide has a predetermined length on the downstream side of the transfer unit with respect to the transfer direction of the work and is arranged at a predetermined position, The predetermined length and the predetermined position are lengths and positions that can correct the work with the position shift from a position where it contacts the driving roller and the driven roller to a predetermined position when the contact pressure is released by the release unit. The work transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that:

6. A processing device comprising a processing chamber for performing predetermined processing on a work, and the work transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for transferring the work to the processing chamber.

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