Tape material sticking device

Abstract

To provide a tape material sticking device capable of speedily and securely sticking a tape material.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a tape sticking device 1 that comprises an articulated robot 10, an end effector 20, and a controller 30. The end effector 20 comprises a rotary roll 40, a movable part 50, a drive part 60, and a suction part 70. One end part of a tape material T stuck on backing paper M is held between the rotary roll 40 and the movable part 50, the tape material T is peeled off from the base paper M by rotating the rotary roll 40 forward and sucked and retained on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary roll 40, and then the other end part of the tape material T is pressed against an object to stick the tape material T on the object by reversing the rotary roll 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tape application device. [Background technology]

[0002] In various industries, including the automotive industry, it is common to peel tape from a backing and apply it to an object. There are a wide variety of tape materials available, including those that are extremely thin or long, making them difficult to pick up, those that are weak and easily deform when peeled from the backing, and those that are large sheets or irregularly shaped, making them difficult to peel from the backing without damaging it or causing it to stick to itself.

[0003] Furthermore, the adhesive layer of tape used in automotive applications is often thick to prevent peeling due to vibration after application. In this case, the strong adhesive strength makes it easy for errors to occur when peeling the tape from the backing. Furthermore, in high-temperature environments such as automobile manufacturing sites, where temperatures typically exceed 40°C in the summer, the adhesive layer of the tape melts, making it difficult to remove. Even if the tape is successfully peeled, problems such as the tape sticking together, deformation, and sagging can easily occur. For this reason, in actual operations, the tape is often not applied properly, resulting in frequent stoppages of production line operations at this step.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a device capable of peeling tape material from a backing sheet and attaching it to an object. The device brings the curved top of a flat roller into contact with the longitudinal center of a label on the backing sheet, and uses suction to peel the label off the backing sheet and adhere it to the object. After that, compressed air is blown out from both sides of the curved top at the attachment position to attach the label to the object.

[0005] However, as mentioned above, in high temperature environments such as summer, it is often difficult to peel the tape from the backing, which has led to problems such as a decrease in the operating rate of the production line due to failure to remove the tape and an increase in the rate of defective products. For this reason, in actual production sites, automation has not been introduced and the process has had to be done manually, resulting in situations where workers have to work in harsh working conditions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 3-23416 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tape application device that can quickly and reliably peel a tape from a backing and apply it to an object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The object of the present invention is achieved by a tape application device comprising an articulated robot, an end effector provided at the tip of an arm of the articulated robot, and a control device for controlling the articulated robot and the end effector, wherein the end effector comprises a rotating roll that can be rotated, a movable part that is provided so as to be movable toward and away from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll, a drive part that drives the movable part, and a suction part that vacuum-sucks a tape material and holds it on the outer peripheral surface, and wherein one end of the tape material adhered to a backing is clamped between the rotating roll and the movable part, and the rotating roll is rotated in a forward direction to peel the tape material from the backing and hold it on the outer peripheral surface by suction, and then the other end of the tape material is pressed against an object and the rotating roll is rotated in the reverse direction, thereby adhering the tape material to the object.

[0009] In this tape application device, it is preferable that the rotating roll comprises a cylindrical roll body and a polygonal support body fixed inside the roll body, and it is preferable that the drive unit and the suction unit are attached to the support body.

[0010] It is preferable that the movable part comprises a flat base extending tangentially to the outer peripheral surface, and a pressing part that bends from the rear end of the base in the positive rotation direction to approach the outer peripheral surface and presses one end of the tape material toward the outer peripheral surface when the drive part is activated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tape application device that can quickly and reliably peel a tape from a backing and apply it to an object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a tape application device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the tape applying device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the tape application device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the state of the tape application device during operation. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other states during operation of the tape applying device. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing still another state during operation of the tape application device. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing still another state during operation of the tape application device. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing still another state during operation of the tape application device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a tape application device (hereinafter simply referred to as "application device") according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 are a side view and a front view, respectively, of the application device shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the application device 1 includes an articulated robot 10, an end effector 20 attached to the articulated robot 10, and a control device 30 that controls the articulated robot 10 and the end effector 20, and can peel a tape T from a backing sheet M placed on a mounting table 100 and apply it to an object (not shown).

[0014] The articulated robot 10 has a multi-axis (e.g., four to seven axes) structure in which a plurality of arms 11 are rotatably connected via joints, and an end effector 20 is detachably attached to a rotation mechanism 12 at the tip of the arm 11. The end effector 20 includes a rotating roll 40, a movable part 50, a drive part 60, and a suction part 70.

[0015] The rotating roll 40 comprises a cylindrical roll body 41 and a regular hexagonal support body 42 fixed to the inside of the roll body 41. Openings at both ends of the roll body 41 are closed by disk-shaped end plates 43, and the rotating roll 40 can be driven to rotate in both forward and reverse directions via a rotation shaft 44 fixed to the center of the end plate 43. Note that in Figures 1 to 3, one of the end plates 43 is shown removed.

[0016] The support 42 is formed in the shape of a regular hexagonal frame, with each apex abutting and fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the roll body 41. A drive unit 60 consisting of an air cylinder is attached to one side of the support 42, and suction units 70 consisting of vacuum suction pads are attached to the other two opposing sides of the support 42. Note that air piping and air supply sources for the drive unit 60 and suction unit 70 are not shown in Figures 1 to 3. The shape of the support 42 is not necessarily limited to a hexagon, but may be a polygonal shape with a triangular or higher polygonal shape, on either side of which the drive unit 60 and suction unit 70 can be attached. Alternatively, the support 42 may have a shape other than a polygon, as long as the drive unit 60 and suction unit 70 can be fixed to a predetermined position within the rotating roll 40.

[0017] The driving unit 60 is equipped with a rod 61 that advances and retreats in the radial direction of the rotating roll 40. The rod 61 protrudes toward the outer periphery of the roll body 41 through a through-hole formed in the support 42 and the roll body 41, and the movable unit 50 is fixed to the tip of the rod 61. The movable unit 50 is movable toward and away from the outer periphery of the rotating roll 40 by operation of the driving unit 60, and can clamp one end of the tape material T between the movable unit 50 and the outer periphery of the rotating roll 40.

[0018] The suction section 70 has an adsorption surface exposed to the outer peripheral surface of the roll body 41 through a through hole formed in the roll body 41, and the adsorption surface vacuum-sucks and adsorbs the tape material T, thereby holding the tape material T on the outer peripheral surface of the roll body 41.

[0019] The movable unit 50 is disposed so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll 40, and includes a flat base 51 and a pressing unit 52 that bends from the base 51 to approach the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll 40. The base 51 is fixed to the tip of a rod 61 of the driving unit 60 so as to extend in a tangential direction to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll 40. The pressing unit 52 extends from the rear end of the rotating roll 40 in the forward rotation direction, and presses one end of the tape material T toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll 40 when the driving unit 60 is operated.

[0020] Next, a method for applying a tape material using the application device 1 having the above-described configuration will be described. First, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a backing sheet M to which a tape material T has been applied is fixed to a mounting table 100. The tape material T has an adhesive layer on one side of a base material made of, for example, a felt material, a sponge material, or a film, and this adhesive layer adheres to an easily releasable surface of the backing sheet M made of release paper or peel-off paper. The tape material T is formed in a strip shape, and multiple pieces are arranged parallel to each other. The tape material T may be in various shapes other than a strip shape, and its size is not particularly limited.

[0021] Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, one edge of the backing sheet M is bent away from the tape material T and is sandwiched between a drive roller 101 and a press roller 102 provided on a mounting table 100, thereby maintaining one end of the tape material T in a state separated from the backing sheet M. After the mounting table 100 has been set in this manner, the control device 30 controls the operation of the articulated robot 10 to move the movable part 50 to the vicinity of one end of the tape material T, and then operates the drive part 60 to sandwich one end of the tape material T between the outer circumferential surface of the rotating roll 40 and the press part 52.

[0022] 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the state during operation in the subsequent tape material T peeling process, with (a) being a perspective view and (b) being a front view. After clamping one end of the tape material T between the rotating roll 40 and the movable part 50, the control device 30 rotates the rotating roll 40 in the forward direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4) and moves it horizontally toward the other end of the tape material T, while activating the suction unit 70. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the tape material T gradually peels off from the backing sheet M and is sucked by the suction unit 70. As shown in FIG. 6, the entire tape material T is sucked and held on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll 40. The suction units 70 are only required to be positioned so that at least the other end of the tape material T is sucked and held. The number and spacing of the suction units 70 may be appropriately determined depending on the length, weight, etc. of the tape material T so that the tape material T can be reliably sucked and held on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll 40. The number of suction units 70 does not necessarily have to be multiple; if the tape material T is short, a single suction unit may be used.

[0023] The application device 1 of this embodiment is configured such that the movable part 50, which moves in a direction toward and away from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll 40, physically clamps one end of the tape material T between the movable part 50 and the rotating roll 40 and rotates the rotating roll 40, thereby peeling the tape material T from the backing sheet M.Therefore, even when the tape material T has high adhesive strength or in a high temperature environment, the tape material T does not wrinkle or sag, and the tape material T can be reliably peeled from the backing sheet M and held along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll 40.

[0024] 7 to 9 are diagrams showing the state during operation in the subsequent process of applying the tape material T, with (a) being a perspective view and (b) being a side view. In Figs. 7 to 9, the object S to which the tape material T is applied is shown in a transparent state from the back side of the application surface. As shown in Fig. 7, the control device 30 controls the operation of the articulated robot 10 to move the tape material T held by the rotating roll 40 to the vicinity of the application start position for the object S, and presses the other end of the tape material T adsorbed by the suction unit 70 against the object S.

[0025] Next, the control device 30 rotates the rotating roll 40 in the opposite direction (the direction of arrow B in FIG. 4) as the suction unit 70 releases the suction of the tape material T, and moves the rotating roll 40 along the object S. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the tape material T is gradually unwound from the rotating roll 40 and attached to the object S from the other end side, and as shown in FIG. 9, the entire tape material T is attached to the object S. Then, after the movable unit 50 releases the clamping of the tape material T, the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll 40 presses one end of the tape material T toward the object S, thereby completing the attachment operation.

[0026] After the above-mentioned peeling and adhering processes have been performed on all the tape materials T on the backing sheet M, the used backing sheet M can be removed from the backing sheet 100 by operating the drive roll 102 of the backing sheet 100, and then a new backing sheet M with the tape material T attached can be set on the backing sheet 100, allowing the adhering work of the tape material T to be continued.

[0027] The shape of the tape material T is not limited to a rectangular shape, but can also be, for example, close to a triangle, and there are a wide variety of shapes to suit the shape of the application area on the object S, such as an automobile. Furthermore, since the shape of the application area of ​​the tape material T is often three-dimensional rather than flat, if the rotating roll 40 is formed into a cylindrical shape, the end of the rotating roll 40 may interfere with the application area or a protruding area nearby, making application impossible. For this reason, it is preferable to appropriately determine the shape and size of the rotating roll 40 according to the shape of the tape material T and the shape of the application area on the object S. This makes it possible to reliably apply the tape material T, which has an irregular shape, to a three-dimensional application area, and easily automate the application of the tape material T, which until now had been almost impossible to automate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1 Tape application device 10 Articulated Robot 11 Arm 20 End Effector 30 Control device 40 Rotating Roll 41 Roll body 42 Support 50 Moving parts 51 Base 52 Pressing section 60 Drive unit 70 Suction part M Mount T tape material

Claims

1. Articulated robots and an end effector provided at the tip of the arm of the articulated robot; a control device for controlling the articulated robot and the end effector, The end effector a rotating roll that can be driven to rotate; a movable portion provided so as to be movable in a direction toward and away from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roll; a drive unit that drives the movable unit; a suction section that vacuum-sucks the tape material and holds it on the outer peripheral surface, A tape application device in which one end of a tape material adhered to a backing is clamped between the rotating roll and the movable part, and the rotating roll is rotated in the forward direction to peel the tape material from the backing and hold it by suction on the outer peripheral surface, and then the other end of the tape material is pressed against an object and the rotating roll is rotated in the reverse direction to adhere the tape material to the object.

2. The rotating roll includes a cylindrical roll body and a polygonal support member fixed inside the roll body, The tape application device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit and the suction unit are attached to the support body.

3. 2. The tape application device according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion comprises a flat base portion extending tangentially to the outer peripheral surface, and a pressing portion bent from the rear end of the base in the positive rotation direction to approach the outer peripheral surface and pressing one end of the tape material toward the outer peripheral surface by operation of the drive unit.

4. 10. A tape application method for applying an irregularly shaped tape to a three-dimensional application portion of an object using the tape application device according to claim 1.

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