Parts holder

Abstract

To provide a parts holder that can make a space for storing replacement parts smaller to secure work spaces including other maintenance spaces.SOLUTION: A support bar 40 is suspended and supported, to extend in a vertical direction, on a mounting member 39 arranged in an upper machine frame of a frame in a gate shape. A plurality of racks 41A-41F which can store a robot hand 37 and replacement parts 24B and 30B are arranged, with an interval in a vertical direction, in the support bar 40. The racks 41A-41F are provided to extend in a horizontal direction from the support bar 40. The racks 41A-41F, which are arranged in the support bar 40 adjacently to each other in the vertical direction, are arranged in the support bar 40 so that support parts 45, 46 and 49 supporting the replacement parts do not overlap with one another in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a parts holder for storing various replacement parts required for processing work by a robot. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, in order to make up for labor shortages in food and other production sites, there has been a demand for automation of various processing steps in production equipment, and there has been active adoption of unmanned equipment through the introduction of robotic systems using robots.

[0003] In unmanned production facilities that have introduced robot systems, when a robot performs multiple processing tasks, the robot hands are changed depending on the processing content of the robot, and parts of different sizes and shapes are automatically replaced by the robot depending on the production type. Such production facilities require a storage unit for storing replacement parts such as robot hands and replacement parts, and these replacement parts are arranged flat on a mounting table (see, for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 58-66682 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 59-115131 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-55478 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a configuration in which multiple replacement parts are stored in a flat arrangement on a mounting table, as in the storage units of Patent Documents 1 to 3, it is necessary to secure a large installation space for the mounting table depending on the size of the replacement parts and the required number of parts, which ends up restricting the installation area for other production equipment at the production site.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a parts holder that can reduce the space required to store replacement parts and ensure work space for other maintenance and other purposes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the first means is: A parts holder for storing replacement parts (24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, 36, 37) that are automatically replaced by the robot (32) and are required for various processing operations by the robot (32), a support bar (40) erected in a movable area (M) of the robot (32); The support bar (40) is characterized by being provided with a plurality of racks (41A to 41F) arranged at intervals in the vertical direction and capable of storing replacement parts (24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, 36, 37). According to this configuration, the replacement parts can be stored in a vertically aligned manner, which reduces the storage space required for the replacement parts and allows for more space for other work.

[0008] The second means is that the racks (41A to 41F) are provided with support portions (45a, 46, 49a) that support the replacement parts (24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, 36, 37) around the support bar (40); The racks (41A to 41F) arranged adjacent to the support bar (40) vertically are characterized in that they are arranged on the support bar (40) so that the support portions (45a, 46, 49a) are positioned at different angular positions around the support bar. This configuration allows the vertical spacing between racks to be narrowed without causing contact or interference between replacement parts supported by adjacent racks above and below. It also reduces the storage space required for replacement parts, allowing a larger number of replacement parts to be supported.

[0009] The third means is characterized in that the racks (41A to 41F) are arranged on the support bar (40) so as to be vertically movable. With this configuration, the height position of the rack can be adjusted to suit the size of the replacement parts to be stored.

[0010] The fourth means is characterized in that the replacement parts (36, 37) are robot hands (36, 37) for different processing tasks performed by the robot (32), and the robot hands (36, 37) attached and detached by the robot itself are placed and stored on any of the plurality of racks (41A, 41C). With this configuration, the robot itself can attach and detach multiple types of robot hands used for different processing tasks and store them on one of the multiple racks, so that replacement robot hands can be properly stored in the rack without human intervention when switching processing tasks.

[0011] The fifth means is characterized in that the replacement parts (24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, 36, 37) are replaced by a robot (32), and the replacement parts (24A, 24B, 30A, 30B) of the processing machine and the robot hands (36, 37) are configured to be stored in different racks (41A to 41F), respectively. According to this configuration, robot hands for different processing tasks can be stored together with replacement parts for the processing machine in the parts holder, resulting in good storage efficiency.

[0012] The sixth means is characterized in that the racks (41B, 41D to 41F) are provided with hooks (49) that receive the hooking members (43, 44) provided on the replacement parts (24A, 24B, 30A, 30B), and regulating pieces (51a) that press the hooking members (43, 44) against the hooks (49). This configuration allows replacement parts to be stored stably in a supported state.

[0013] The seventh means is characterized in that the support bar (40) is arranged outside the packaging work area (N) of the packaging machine serving as the processing machine, inside a gate-shaped frame (19) surrounding the packaging machine, within the movable area (M) of the robot (32). According to this configuration, the parts holder can be installed in a position that does not interfere with maintenance or other various processing operations, while ensuring sufficient space for an operator to perform maintenance on the processing machine. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, even when storing multiple replacement parts, various replacement parts can be supported and stored on multiple racks arranged one above the other in a small space without expanding the storage area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a horizontal bag making and filling machine. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the part holder shown in a state where no replacement parts are stored in the rack. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of replacement parts are stored in a rack of a parts holder. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the part holder shown in FIG. 3, seen from a different viewpoint. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a robot hand stored in a parts holder is attached to a robot arm and removed. [Figure 6]An explanatory diagram showing an example of placing replacement parts for a processing device on a parts holder rack, where (a) shows the state of the rack and robot before and after the robot places the bag-making means on the rack, and (b) shows the state of the rack on which the bag-making means is placed and the robot hand. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Next, a parts holder according to the present invention will be described below by way of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment, a horizontal form-fill-seal machine (packaging machine) will be used as a processing device in which parts are automatically replaced by a robot, but the processing device may also be various other types of packaging machines, various processing devices installed on packaging lines, or various processing devices installed in other production facilities. [Example]

[0017] The horizontal form-fill-seal machine shown in FIG. 1 includes a bag-making means 11 that forms a strip of film pulled from a raw roll (packaging material supply source) 10 into a tubular film, and a horizontal sealing means 14 that vertically seals both overlapping edges of the resulting tubular film and horizontally seals and cuts the tubular film between articles fed into the tubular film at predetermined intervals in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the tubular film (width direction). Packaged products obtained by horizontal sealing and cutting by the horizontal sealing means 14 are transported to the next process by a discharge conveyor 16. The strip of film pulled from the raw roll 10 is wrapped around and guided by multiple guide rollers 18 and drawn into the bag-making means 11. The horizontal form-fill-seal machine of this embodiment is installed inside a main frame consisting of a gate-shaped frame 19 and a door equipped with a transparent panel or the like. One side of the film transport path for the strip film or tubular film is set as the operating side of the horizontal form-fill-seal machine, and this operating side will be referred to as the front, and the opposite side as the back.

[0018] 1, the web roll 10 is rotatably supported on a loading shaft 20 inside the gate-shaped frame 19. The end of the strip film pulled out from the web roll 10 is held by a film pulling hand 36 of a robot 32 (described later), and the film is pulled and guided from multiple guide rollers 18, past the position where the bag making means 11 is located, to a position just upstream of the horizontal sealing means 14.

[0019] 1, the bag making means 11 is composed of a lower forming section 23 and an upper forming section (replacement part) 24A. The upper forming section 24A is disposed on a movable member 25 that is moved up and down by an elevating means. When a packaging material holding the end of a strip of film pulled from a raw roll by a film pulling hand 36 is pulled to a position upstream of the end sealing means 11, the upper forming section 24A is lifted by the elevating means to separate the upper forming section 24A from the lower forming section 23 by a predetermined distance, thereby adjusting the distance to allow the film pulling hand 36 to pass. The upper forming section 24A is removably positioned and fixed to the movable member 25 by a locking means, and can be removed from the movable member 25 by releasing the fixation by the locking means. In addition, above the conveying path of the tubular film from the bag making means 11 to the horizontal sealing means 14, an auxiliary feed conveyor 26 is arranged to support the upper part of the tubular film containing the articles and to auxiliary feed it toward the horizontal sealing means 14.

[0020] The horizontal sealing means 14 includes a pair of sealing bodies that face each other vertically across the tubular film transport path and move toward and away from each other. The pair of sealing bodies sandwich and heat the tubular film between each of the articles fed to the tubular film at predetermined intervals, forming horizontal seals across the tubular film, while a knife 28 attached above the sealing bodies cuts the tubular film midway between the seal positions. A knife unit 30A including a knife 28 (see Figures 3 and 4) that cuts the tubular film and an advancing / retracting means 29, such as an air cylinder, that moves the knife 28 back and forth vertically is detachably disposed on a support member 27 that supports the upper sealing body. When the tubular film is sandwiched between the pair of sealing bodies, the advancing / retracting means 29 moves the knife 28 back and forth to cut the tubular film widthwise. The knife unit 30A is removably positioned and fixed to the support member 27 by a locking means, and is configured so that the knife unit 30A can be removed from the support member 27 by releasing the fixation of the locking means.

[0021] 1, a robot travel rail 31 is disposed on the front side of the interior of the gate-shaped frame 19, extending horizontally from the raw fabric roll 10 to a predetermined position downstream of the position where the horizontal sealing means 14 is disposed, and a robot 32 is suspended and supported on the robot travel rail 31. The robot 32 is a so-called ceiling-suspended robot that moves back and forth along the robot travel rail 31 by a movement mechanism 33 operated by a drive motor such as a servo motor. The robot 32 is configured to be automatically detachably and interchangeably attached to various robot hands 36, 37 prepared for different processing tasks of the packaging machine by means of a master holder 35 provided at the tip of an arm 34 of the articulated robot.

[0022] The robot 32 has a film pulling hand 36 attached to its arm 34, and while the film pulling hand 36 adsorbs and holds the strip of film pulled out from the raw roll 10 at the packaging material supply source of the horizontal bag making and filling machine, the film pulling hand 36 passes through the location of the bag making means 11 along a path that allows the strip of film to be wrapped around and guided around the multiple guide rollers 18, and on the path from the bag making means 11 to a position upstream of the horizontal sealing means 14, it moves in a straight line along the film transport path, passing below the auxiliary feed conveyor 26 to a position just upstream of the horizontal sealing means 14, and the movement mechanism 33 is controlled to operate and transport the strip of film to a position upstream of the horizontal sealing means 14.

[0023] 1 and 2, inside the gate-shaped frame 19, a robot exchange parts holder (hereinafter simply referred to as the parts holder) is disposed downstream of a work area (packaging work area) N, which is an area required for an operator to perform various processing tasks, such as various settings and maintenance required to prepare the packaging machine for operation, outside the work area N of the packaging machine, and within the robot movement area M, to which the robot 32 is moved downstream by the movement mechanism 33. The parts holder is supported by a mounting shaft 40a suspended from a mounting member 39 disposed on an upper machine casing 38 of the gate-shaped frame 19, so that a cylindrical support bar 40 made of a hollow pipe is erected. Support bar 40 is provided with a plurality of racks 41A, 41B, 41C, 41D, 41E, and 41F disposed vertically at intervals. Each of the racks 41A to 41F is configured to be able to support and store replacement parts, such as the multiple types of robot hands 36, 37 that are replaced depending on the processing work, such as the automatic film withdrawal process as the initial packaging preparation work in a horizontal form-fill-seal machine, or the part replacement that is required when switching packaging types or parts are worn out, or the various replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B of the packaging machine that are automatically replaced by the robot 32 using the robot hands, by placing or hanging them on them, and each of the racks 41A to 41F is arranged to extend radially outward from the support bar 40.

[0024] 5, the robot 32 is provided with replaceable robot hands (replacement parts) including a film drawing hand 36 having a holder 36a for adsorbing a strip-shaped film and a part replacement hand 37 having fingers 37a for hooking automatically replaceable parts, and these robot hands 36, 37 are stored on corresponding racks 41A, 41C of the part holder. The film drawing hand 36 and the part replacement hand 37 are provided with tool holders 42 at the base ends of the holders 36a and fingers 37a, respectively, that can be automatically attached by the master holder 35 attached to the tip of the arm 34. Furthermore, in the horizontal form-fill-seal machine of the embodiment, the bag making means 11 (upper forming sections 24A, 24B) and knife units 30A, 30B are configured as replacement parts that can be automatically replaced by robot 32. Different types of bag making means 11 (upper forming sections 24A, 24B) and knife units 30A, 30B are provided that require replacement depending on the product being packaged, and each bag making means 11 (upper forming sections 24A, 24B) and knife unit 30A, 30B is stored by hanging it on corresponding racks 41B, 41D, 41E, 41F of the parts holder. In the embodiment, the two types of bag making means 11 (upper forming sections 24A, 24B) are referred to as the first upper forming section 24A and the second upper forming section 24B, and the two types of knife units 30A, 30B are referred to as the first knife unit 30A and the second knife unit 30B. Each upper molding section 24A, 24B and each knife unit 30A, 30B is provided with a hooking member 43, 44 having a hooking portion 43a, 44a that can be hooked by the finger portion 37a of the part replacement hand 37, and is configured so that the hooking portion 43a, 44a can be hooked from below by the finger portion 37a of the part replacement hand 37 and can be carried.

[0025] 2, the parts holder includes a first rack 41A, a second rack 41B, a third rack 41C, a fourth rack 41D, a fifth rack 41E, and a sixth rack 41F arranged from top to bottom on the support bar 40, with the first rack 41A and the third rack 41C configured to store the film drawing hand 36 and the part replacement hand 37, the second rack 41B and the fifth rack 41E configured to store the first upper molding unit 24A and the second upper molding unit 24B, and the fourth rack 41D and the sixth rack 41F configured to store the first knife unit 30A and the second knife unit 30B. Each of the racks 41A to 41F includes a holder 45 extending outward from the support bar 40 and a receiving member 46 arranged perpendicular to the extending end of the holder 45. Holder 45 is detachably and replaceably arranged and fixed to support bar 40 by fasteners such as bolts, and racks 41A-41F can be removed from support bar 40 by releasing the fasteners. Note that a support structure that allows racks 41A-41F to move up and down along support bar 40 may be employed, so that racks 41A-41F can be arranged and fixed at any height. Also, a configuration may be employed in which racks 41A-41F extending radially from support bar 40 can be adjusted to any extension angle around support bar 40 and fixed in position.

[0026] 2 to 4, in the first rack 41A and the third rack 41C storing the processing task-specific robot hands such as the part replacement hand 37 and the film drawing hand 36, the receiving member 46 is composed of two rod-shaped members 47, 47 extending in directions perpendicular to each other from the extending end of a holder 45, and a beam member 48 is provided at a position facing the extending ends of the two rod-shaped members 47, 47 and spaced a predetermined distance from the holder 45. Further, a recessed groove 45a is formed on the upper surface of the holder 45 in the first rack 41A and the third rack 41C, and a positioning hole (not shown) on the lower surface of the tool holder 42 disposed on each robot hand 37, 36 fits into a positioning pin 45b protruding from the recessed groove 45a, whereby the robot hands 37, 36 are placed in a positioned state on the racks 41A, 41C and are releasably held therein. In each of the first rack 41A and the third rack 41C, the groove 45a and the receiving member 46 provided in the holder 45 serve as a support portion on which the part replacement hand 37 and the film pulling hand 36 are placed and stored around the support bar 40.

[0027] 2 to 4, in the second rack 41B and fifth rack 41E in which the upper molding sections 24A and 24B are stored and the fourth rack 41D and sixth rack 41F in which the knife units 30A and 30B are stored, the receiving member 46 is composed of two short hooks 49 extending outward from a holder 45. Circumferential grooves 49a and 49a of a predetermined length in the extending direction are formed on the extending ends of the hooks 49, and by hooking hook portions 43a and 44a of hook members 43 and 44 of the corresponding replacement parts into the two circumferential grooves 49a and 49a, the corresponding upper molding sections 24A and 24B and knife units 30A and 30B can be stored in a suspended state so as not to fall off. The second rack 41B, fifth rack 41E, fourth rack 41D, and sixth rack 41F each have circumferential grooves 49a, 49a formed on hooks 49, 49 serving as receiving members 46, which serve as support portions for hanging and storing the upper molding portions 24A, 24B and knife units 30A, 30B around the support bar 40. The hooks 49, 49 are set at a distance wider than the support distance of the fingers 37a of the part replacement hand 37, so that replacement parts hung by the fingers 37a of the part replacement hand 37 can be delivered to the hooks 49, 49. Each of the racks 41A to 41F is provided with a sensor 50 as detection means for detecting that a replacement part 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, 36, 37 has been placed thereon. Additionally, second rack 41B, fourth rack 41D, fifth rack 41E and sixth rack 41F, which hang and store replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, are provided with holding means 51 that operates based on detection by sensor 50. Holding means 51 includes holding members (regulating pieces) 51a that press hooks 43a, 44a against receiving member 46 to hold receiving member 46 on rack 41, and operating means 51b consisting of an air cylinder that moves holding member 51a up and down and rotates it horizontally by 90 degrees.The operating means 51b is configured to move upward to a release position to release the holding of the hook members 43, 44 by the holding member 51a, and to a holding position to press the hook members 43, 44 against the receiving member 46, and the operating means 51b is controlled to move the holding member 51a from the release position to the holding position based on the detection of the replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B by the sensor 50, and to move the holding member 51a from the holding position to the release position based on a signal from the robot 32 to remove the replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B.

[0028] The fourth rack 41D and the sixth rack 41F, which store the knife units 30A and 30B, are suspended downward from the holder 45 and are equipped with protective members 52 that house and protect the cutting edges of the knives 28 in the knife units 30A and 30B and also serve as safety covers.

[0029] 2 to 4, in the embodiment, with respect to the direction of extension of each of the racks 41A to 41F radially outward from the support bar 40, if the extension direction of the receiving member 46 provided on the holder 45 of the first rack 41A arranged at the top is set to 0 degrees around the axis of the support bar 40, the receiving member 46 provided on the holder 45 of the second rack 41B extends in the opposite direction, moved 180 degrees, and the holder 45 and receiving member 46 of the third rack 41C extend in the same direction as the first rack 41A. Furthermore, the holder 45 of the fourth rack 41D extends in the same direction as the first rack 41A, and the receiving member 46 extends in the opposite direction, moved 180 degrees from the first rack 41A. Furthermore, the fifth rack 41E has the same holders 45 and receiving members 46 as the second rack, and the sixth rack 41F has the holders 45 and receiving members 46 arranged in the same positional relationship as the fourth rack 41D. In the embodiment, the racks 41A, 41B, 41C, 41D, 41E, and 41F that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction relative to the support bar 40 have the support portions 45a, 46, and 49a extending at different angles about the support axis (so as to be positioned at different angular positions about the support bar), and are arranged on the support bar 40 so as not to overlap in the vertical direction, and the replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, 36, and 37 supported by the support portions 45a, 46, and 49a are stored in each of the racks 41A to 41F spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other and not in contact with each other above and below.

[0030] Next, the operation of the part holder according to the embodiment will be described. When storing the film drawing hand 36 attached to the arm 34 of the robot 32 in the parts holder, the operator moves the robot 32 to a position downstream from the work area N of the packaging machine, which is disposed within the movable area M of the robot 32 and corresponds to the position of the parts holder, aligns the longitudinal direction of the film drawing hand 36 with the extending direction of the receiving member 46 in the third rack 41C that is empty and does not store replacement parts, and positions the film drawing hand 36 above the third rack 41C, and lowers the film drawing hand 36 to place it on the holder 45 and the receiving member 46. The film drawing hand 36 placed on the third rack 41C has the tool holder 42 housed in the recessed groove 45a of the holder 45 and the positioning holes of the tool holder 42 fitted into the positioning pins 45b, 45b of the holder 45, so that the film drawing hand 36 is stably stored with its movement restricted relative to the third rack 41C. When the sensor 50 of the third rack 41C detects that the film drawing hand 36 has been placed, the robot 32 releases the connection between the master holder 35 and the tool holder 42 and separates the film drawing hand 36 from the arm 34. Next, when replacing a replacement part, the part replacement hand 37 is attached to the arm 34. The part replacement hand 37 moves the arm 34, and the master holder 35 attached to the tip of the arm 34 faces the attachment surface of the tool holder 42 of the part replacement hand 37 stored in the first rack 41A, and the master holder 35 and the tool holder 42 are connected, thereby attaching the part replacement hand 37 to the robot arm 34 (see FIG. 5). The robot 32 raises the arm 34 and picks up the part replacement hand 37 from the first rack 41A of the part holder, thereby completing the replacement of the robot hand.

[0031] When the first upper molding part 24A of the bag making means 11 is removed from the movable member 25 and stored in the parts holder using the part replacement hand 37 attached to the arm 34, as shown in Figure 6(a), the finger portion 37a of the part replacement hand 37 hooks the hooking member 43 of the first upper molding part 24A to remove it from the movable member 25, and then hooks it onto the receiving member 46 of the empty second rack 41B in which nothing is stored, and hands it over. When the hook portion 43a fits into the circumferential grooves 49a, 49a of the receiving member 46, the sensor 50 detects that the first upper molding portion 24A has been properly hung on the receiving member 46 of the second rack 41B, and the operating means 51b is activated, so that the holding member 51a, which is in the released position, moves from the released position to the holding position, as shown in Figure 6(b), and the holding member 51a presses the hook portion 43a against the receiving member 46, thereby holding the first upper molding portion 24A against the second rack 41B and storing it stably.

[0032] When removing the second upper forming unit 24B stored in the fifth rack 41E, the operating means 51b moves the holding member 51a from the holding position to the release position, and the robot 32 uses the fingers 37a of the part exchange hand 37 to hook and lift the hooking members 43 that are hooked on the receiving members 46, thereby removing the second upper forming unit 24B from the fifth rack 41E. Note that the knife units 30A, 30B also have the same hooking members 43 as the upper forming units 24A, 24B of the bag making means 11, and the storage and removal of the knife units 30A, 30B from the part holder is similar to the storage and removal of the upper forming units 24A, 24B from the part holder described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0033] According to the parts holder of the embodiment, racks 41A-41F capable of storing replacement parts such as replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B and robot hands 36, 37 are arranged at intervals above and below on an upright support bar 40. This allows replacement parts to be stored lined up vertically, eliminating the need for a large storage space even when storing multiple replacement parts, and preventing the worker's workspace from becoming too narrow. This allows storage space for replacement parts to be secured without being restricted by the installation space for processing machines such as horizontal form-fill-seal machines or affecting the workspace for workers performing maintenance work. Furthermore, racks 41A, 41B, 41C, 41D, 41E, and 41F that are adjacent in the vertical direction relative to the support bar 40 have different angles at which they extend radially around the axis of the support bar 40 so that the support portions 45a, 46, and 49a are positioned at different angular positions around the support bar.As a result, even if the spacing between the upper and lower racks 41A to 41F is shortened, replacement parts will not come into contact with each other and interfere with each other, and the storage space for replacement parts can be reduced, allowing more storage space to be arranged in the vertical direction, and more replacement parts can be stored in the parts holder. Furthermore, support bar 40 is located outside the working area N of an operator who performs maintenance on packaging machines such as horizontal form-fill-seal machines and other processing machines, but within movable area M of arm 34 of robot 32. Therefore, the parts holder can be installed in a position that does not interfere with maintenance or other various processing operations while ensuring sufficient space for an operator to perform maintenance on the packaging machine, and multiple replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, 36, 37 can be stored so that they can be automatically replaced by robot 32. Also, by adopting a support structure that allows racks 41A-41F to move up and down along support bar 40, racks 41A-41F can be positioned at an appropriate height according to the shapes and sizes of replacement parts such as replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B and robot hands 36, 37, and various replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, 36, 37 can be stored space-efficiently.

[0034] The parts holder is configured so that the film drawing hand 36 and the part replacement hand 37, which have different uses, can be attached and detached by the robot itself and stored, allowing automatic replacement of different types of robot hands 36, 37 depending on the processing task being performed by the robot 32. The robot hands 36, 37 can be appropriately stored in racks 41A, 41C without human intervention when switching processing tasks, and the cycle time for replacement tasks can be shortened. Furthermore, the same support bar 40 is configured so that replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B for each device in the horizontal form-fill-seal machine are stored in racks 41B, 41D-41F, which are arranged above and below the racks 41A, 41C in which the robot hands 36, 37 are stored. This saves space and improves storage efficiency for replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, along with the robot hands 36, 37. Furthermore, replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, and 30B are stably held in racks 41B, 41D to 41F by receiving member 46 and holding member 51a, so the storage positions of replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, and 30B do not change, preventing automatic replacement by robot 32. Furthermore, common racks are used for each type of replacement part (racks 41A and 41C for robot hands 36 and 37 and racks 41B, 41D to 41F for replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, and 30B), so replacement parts of different shapes and sizes can be placed in empty common racks, improving storage efficiency and time efficiency when storing and retrieving parts from the racks.

[0035] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples, etc., and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples are not limited to the following modifications, and various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the gist of the present invention. (1) In the embodiment, the support bar 40 has a circular cross section, but the outer shape may be rectangular or polygonal, and is not limited to a hollow cylinder. Regarding the outer shape of the support bar 40, a circular cross section as in the present embodiment is preferable because it allows the extension angle of the holder 45 around the support bar 40 to be changed, thereby allowing for the free arrangement of the racks 41A to 41F. (2) In the embodiment, the holders 45 of the racks 41A to 41F are configured to be fixed to the support bar 40 using fixing devices such as bolts. However, by adopting a support form that allows the holders 45 to be fixed and unlocked from the support bar 40, it is possible to freely change the arrangement of the racks 41A to 41F around the support bar 40 in addition to adjusting the height position, which is preferable. (3) In the embodiment, the support bar 40 is erected by fixing the mounting shaft 40a to the upper machine frame 38 of the gate-shaped frame 19 and supporting it by hanging it down. However, the mounting shaft 40a may be fixed to the upper and lower machine frames and arranged in an erect position, or the mounting shaft 40a may be fixed to the lower machine frame and the support bar may be erected from below. (4) In the embodiment, the hook members 43, 44 of the replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B are hooked onto the receiving member 46, and the replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B are stored in the racks 41B, 41D to 41F. However, any storage method may be adopted depending on the shape, size, and other properties of the replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B, and the storage method is not limited to the racks 41A to 41F of the embodiment. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which the replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, 30B are placed on a rack for storage, as with the robot hands 36, 37. (5) The holding members 51a for holding the replacement parts 24A, 24B, 30A, and 30B on the racks 41B, 41D to 41F may be provided as needed. (6) In the embodiment, the upper forming sections 24A, 24B of the bag making means 11 and the knife units 30A, 30B of the horizontal sealing means 14 are cited as replacement parts that can be replaced by the robot 32. However, the replacement parts can also be consumable parts or other replacement parts that need to be replaced in the various mechanisms that make up the horizontal bag making and filling machine (processing device). (7) In relation to the robot 32 that performs maintenance on the horizontal form-fill-seal machine and packaging preparation processes, the support bar 40 is disposed at a position where the robot 32 has moved downstream in the film conveyance direction, outside the work area N where an operator performs maintenance on the horizontal form-fill-seal machine and various other processing tasks, and within the movement area M of the robot 32. However, the support bar 40 may be disposed at a position upstream of the work area N of the horizontal form-fill-seal machine, outside the operator's work area N, and within the movement area M of the arm 34, as long as it does not interfere with the processing tasks of the robot 32. Furthermore, the support bar 40 may be disposed at any position within the movement area M of the robot 32 between an outside position beyond the upstream position of the operator's work area N and an outside position beyond the downstream position of the operator's work area N, as long as it does not interfere with the processing tasks of the robot 32. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 24A First Upper Molding Section (Replacement Part), 24B Second Upper Molding Section (Replacement Part) 30A First Knife Unit (Replacement Part) 30B Second knife unit (replacement part), 32 Robot, 34 Arm 36 Film pull-out hand (replacement part) 37 Parts replacement hand (replacement parts), 40 Support bar, 41A~41F Rack 43 hook member, 44 hook member, 45a groove (support portion) 46 receiving member (supporting portion), 49a circumferential groove (supporting portion), 51a holding member M movable area, N working area (packaging work area)

Claims

1. A parts holder for storing replacement parts that are automatically replaced by a robot and are required for various processing operations by the robot, a support bar erected in the movable area of ​​the robot; and a plurality of racks arranged at intervals in the vertical direction on the support bar for storing replacement parts. A part holder characterized by:

2. the rack includes a support portion that supports the replacement part around the support bar; 2. A part holder according to claim 1, wherein the racks arranged adjacent to each other on the upper and lower sides of the support bar are disposed on the support bar so that the support portions are positioned at different angular positions around the support bar.

3. 2. The part holder according to claim 1, wherein said rack is disposed on said support bar so as to be movable up and down.

4. 2. The parts holder according to claim 1, wherein the replacement parts are robot hands for different processing tasks performed by the robot, and the robot hands attached and detached by the robot itself are placed and stored in one of the plurality of racks.

5. 5. The parts holder according to claim 4, wherein said replacement parts are configured so that replacement parts for a processing machine that are replaced by a robot and said robot hand can be stored in different racks.

6. 2. The parts holder according to claim 1, wherein the rack comprises a hook for receiving a hook member provided on the replacement part, and a restricting piece for pressing the hook member against the hook.

7. The part holder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the support bar is arranged outside a packaging work area of ​​the packaging machine serving as the processing machine, inside a gate-shaped frame that surrounds the packaging machine, and within a movable area of ​​the robot.

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