Binding device, binding method, and binding system

Abstract

To provide a binding device capable of being miniaturized.SOLUTION: The binding device 100 includes a reinforcing bar binding machine 1 that binds a plurality of reinforcing bars with a wire, a reel housing part 200 that houses a reel 20 around which a wire W to be supplied to the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 is wound, and a slack forming part 2 that pulls out the wire W from the reel 20 housed in the reel housing part 200. The reinforcing bar binding machine 1 and the slack forming part 2 are controlled in the order of a pull-out step of pulling out the wire W by the slack forming part 2, a winding step of winding the wire W around the reinforcing bar, a locking step of locking the wire W, a pull-back step of pulling back the wire W, a cutting step of cutting the wire W, a twisting step of twisting the wire W, and a preliminary feeding step of preliminarily feeding the wire.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bundling device for bundling reinforcing bars with wire, a bundling method for the bundling device, and a bundling system equipped with the bundling device. [Background technology]

[0002] Steel bars are used in concrete structures to increase their strength, and are tied together with wire to prevent the bars from shifting from their designated positions when the concrete is poured.

[0003] Conventionally, a binding machine called a rebar binding machine has been proposed, which has a wire feeding section that feeds wire to a binding section, winds the wire around two or more rebars, and twists the wire wound around the rebars to bind the two or more rebars with the wire.

[0004] A technique has been proposed in which such a reinforcing bar binding machine is applied to equipment that is installed and used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] Furthermore, a bundling device has been proposed that can shorten bundling time by feeding wire in advance (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-060996 [Patent Document 2] US Patent Publication No. 2017 / 0145704 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When applying a rebar tying machine to equipment that is installed and used, it is possible to increase the amount of wire that can be stored by making the reel on which the wire is wound larger than the reels that can be loaded into previous rebar tying machines.

[0008] However, when using a reel that is larger than the size that can be loaded into previous reel tying machines, the larger reel increases the load required to feed the wire, and there is a possibility that the wire feeding section provided on the reel tying machine alone will not be able to feed the wire sufficiently to the tying section.

[0009] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a binding device in which a reel storage section that stores a reel wound with wire is configured independent of the rebar binding machine, and which is equipped with a wire pull-out mechanism that pulls out the wire from the reel stored in the reel storage section by moving a roller or the like in a direction that intersects with the direction in which the wire extends, making it possible to pull out the amount of wire required to bind the rebar.

[0010] The wire pulling-out mechanism is configured to pull out the wire from the reel by moving a roller or the like in a direction intersecting the direction in which the wire extends, thereby forming a slack portion in the wire between the rebar binding machine and the reel.

[0011] In a binding device equipped with a wire pull-out mechanism, when considering a configuration in which the wire is fed in advance as described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to pull out the wire using the wire pull-out mechanism before the wire is fed in advance. Alternatively, it is necessary to increase the amount of wire pulled out by the wire pull-out mechanism in consideration of the amount of wire to be fed in advance. In order to increase the amount of wire pulled out, it is necessary to increase the amount of movement of rollers, etc. However, increasing the amount of movement of rollers, etc., increases the size of the device.

[0012] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has an object to provide a binding device, a binding method for a binding device, and a binding system that can be made smaller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a bundling machine that bundles a plurality of reinforcing bars with wire, a reel housing that houses a reel around which wire is wound and supplied to the bundling machine, an unwinding unit that unwinds the wire from the reel housed in the reel housing, and a control unit that controls the bundling machine and the unwinding unit, the bundling machine having a wire feeding unit that feeds the wire, a cutting unit that cuts the wire, and a bundling unit that twists the wire, the bundling unit having a locking unit that locks the wire, and the control unit This is a binding device that controls the binding machine and the draw-out section in the following order: a drawing-out process in which the wire is drawn out by the draw-out section; a winding process in which the wire is fed in a first direction by the wire feed section and wound around the reinforcing bar; a locking process in which the wire is locked by the locking section; a pulling-back process in which the wire feed section pulls the wire back in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a cutting process in which the wire is cut by the cutting section; a twisting process in which the wire is twisted by the binding section; and a pre-feeding process in which the wire feed section feeds the wire in the first direction.

[0014] The present invention also provides a bundling method for a bundling device including a bundling machine for bundling a plurality of reinforcing bars with wire, a reel housing portion for housing a reel wound with wire to be supplied to the bundling machine, an unwinding portion for unwinding the wire from the reel housed in the reel housing portion, and a control portion for controlling the bundling machine and the unwinding portion, wherein the bundling machine includes a wire feeding portion for feeding the wire, a cutting portion for cutting the wire, and a bundling portion for twisting the wire, and the bundling portion includes a locking portion for locking the wire, the method comprising: a unwinding step for unwinding the wire by the unwinding portion; and a step of feeding the wire unwound in the unwinding step in a first direction by the wire feeding portion to twist the wire into the reinforcing bars. This is a bundling method for a bundling device, comprising: a winding process for winding the wire around a muscle; a locking process for locking the wire wound in the winding process with a locking section; a retracting process for retracting the wire in a second direction opposite to the first direction with a wire feed section while the wire is locked in the locking process; a cutting process for cutting the wire in a state where it has been retracted in the retracting process with a cutting section; a twisting process for twisting, in a bundling section, the wire that has been cut in the cutting process and that has been retracted in the retracting process; and a pre-feeding process for feeding, in the first direction, the wire that has been wound on a reel and that has been cut in the cutting process with the wire feed section.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention provides a binding device comprising a binding machine that binds a plurality of reinforcing bars with wire, a reel housing that houses a reel around which wire is wound and is to be supplied to the binding machine, a pull-out section that pulls out the wire from the reel housed in the reel housing, and a control unit that controls the binding machine and the pull-out section, the binding machine comprising a wire feeding section that feeds the wire, a cutting section that cuts the wire, and a binding section that twists the wire, and the binding section comprising a locking section that locks the wire. The control unit controls the binding machine and the unwinding unit in the following order: a drawing-out process in which the wire is drawn out by the drawing-out unit; a winding process in which the wire is fed in a first direction by the wire feeding unit and wound around the rebar; a locking process in which the wire is locked by the locking unit; a pulling-back process in which the wire feeding unit pulls the wire back in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a cutting process in which the wire is cut by the cutting unit; a twisting process in which the wire is twisted by the binding unit; and a pre-feeding process in which the wire feeding unit feeds the wire in the first direction.

[0016] In the present invention, a preliminary feeding process is carried out by utilizing the slack portion of the wire formed between the reel housed in the reel housing section and the binding machine during the retraction process in which the wire wound around the reinforcing bar is wound around the reinforcing bar. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, the amount of wire feed required in the winding process can be reduced, which reduces the amount of movement of the draw-out section and enables the binding device to be made smaller. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1A] 1 is a side view showing an example of a binding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] 1 is a side view showing an example of a binding device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with some components not shown. [Figure 1C] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a binding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1D] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing an example of the binding device of the present embodiment. [Figure 1E]1 is a side view seen from the back side showing an example of a binding device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an internal configuration of an example of a reinforcing bar binding machine. [Figure 3] 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a binding device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a binding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the binding device. [Figure 6A] 1 is a side view showing an example of the operation of the binding device of the present embodiment, with some components omitted from the illustration. FIG. [Figure 6B] 1 is a side view showing an example of the operation of the binding device of the present embodiment, with some components omitted from the illustration. FIG. [Figure 6C] 1 is a side view showing an example of the operation of the binding device of the present embodiment, with some components omitted from the illustration. FIG. [Figure 6D] 1 is a side view showing an example of the operation of the binding device of the present embodiment, with some components omitted from the illustration. FIG. [Figure 6E] 1 is a side view showing an example of the operation of the binding device of the present embodiment, with some components omitted from the illustration. FIG. [Figure 6F] 1 is a side view showing an example of the operation of the binding device of the present embodiment, with some components omitted from the illustration. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a binding device, a binding method for a binding device, and a binding system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] <Configuration example of binding device according to this embodiment> Fig. 1A is a side view showing an example of the binding device of this embodiment, Fig. 1B is a side view showing an example of the binding device of this embodiment with some components omitted, Fig. 1C is a perspective view showing an example of the binding device of this embodiment, Fig. 1D is a rear view showing an example of the binding device of this embodiment, and Fig. 1E is a side view of the example of the binding device of this embodiment as seen from the back.

[0021] The binding device 100 includes a reinforcing bar binding machine 1 that binds the intersections of reinforcing bars S arranged in a grid pattern with wire W, a slack forming unit 2 that pulls out the wire W from a reel 20 and forms slack in the wire W between the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 and the reel 20, and a reel storage unit 200 that stores the reel 20. Note that the slack forming unit 2 does not need to have the function of pulling out the wire W from the reel 20 as long as it can form slack.

[0022] 2 is a side view of the internal configuration of an example of a reinforcing bar binding machine. The reinforcing bar binding machine 1 is an example of a binding machine, in which a wire W is fed in a forward direction indicated by an arrow F, which is a first direction, to wind it around a reinforcing bar S, and then the wire W wound around the reinforcing bar S is fed in a reverse direction indicated by an arrow R, which is a second direction opposite to the first direction, to wind it around the reinforcing bar S and cut it, and then the wire W is twisted and the reinforcing bar S is bound with the wire W.

[0023] To achieve the above-mentioned functions, the rebar binding machine 1 is equipped with a wire feeding unit 3 that feeds the wire W and a wire guide 4 that guides the wire W. The rebar binding machine 1 also has a curl forming unit 5 that forms a path for winding the wire W fed by the wire feeding unit 3 around the rebar S, and a cutting unit 6 that cuts the wire W wound around the rebar S. The rebar binding machine 1 is further equipped with a binding unit 7 that twists the wire W wound around the rebar S, and a drive unit 8 that drives the binding unit 7.

[0024] The wire feeding unit 3 includes a pair of feed gears 30 that sandwich and feed the wire W. The rotation of a feed motor 31 (see FIG. 3 ), which will be described later, is transmitted to the wire feeding unit 3, causing the feed gear 30 to rotate. As a result, the wire feeding unit 3 feeds the wire W sandwiched between the pair of feed gears 30 along the extension direction of the wire W. In a configuration in which multiple pieces of wire W, for example, two pieces of wire W, are fed to bind the reinforcing bars S, the two pieces of wire W are fed in a parallel state.

[0025] The wire feed unit 3 switches the rotation direction of the feed motor 31 between forward and reverse, thereby switching the rotation direction of the feed gear 30 and switching the feed direction of the wire W between forward and reverse, either feeding the wire W in the forward direction indicated by arrow F or feeding the wire W in the reverse direction indicated by arrow R.

[0026] The wire guides 4 are provided at predetermined positions upstream and downstream of the wire feeding unit 3 with respect to the feeding direction in which the wire W is fed in the forward direction. In a configuration in which two wires W are fed to bind reinforcing bars S, the wire guide 4 provided upstream of the wire feeding unit 3 regulates the radial orientation of the two wires W, aligns the two incoming wires W in parallel, and guides them between a pair of feed gears 30. The wire guide 4 provided downstream of the wire feeding unit 3 regulates the radial orientation of the two wires W, aligns the two incoming wires W in parallel, and guides them to the cutting unit 6 and the curl forming unit 5. Note that the wire guide upstream of the wire feeding unit 3 is not shown in FIG. 2.

[0027] The curl forming unit 5 includes a curl guide 50 that curls the wire W fed by the wire feeding unit 3, and an guiding guide 51 that guides the wire W curled by the curl guide 50 to the bundling unit 7. In the rebar bundling machine 1, the path of the wire W fed by the wire feeding unit 3 is regulated by the curl forming unit 5, so that the trajectory of the wire W becomes a loop Ru as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 2, and the wire W is wound around the rebar S.

[0028] The cutting unit 6 includes a fixed blade unit 60 and a movable blade unit 61 that cuts the wire W in cooperation with the fixed blade unit 60. The cutting unit 6 cuts the wire W by the rotational movement of the movable blade unit 61 with the fixed blade unit 60 as a fulcrum axis. In the cutting unit 6, the movement of the binding unit 7 is transmitted to the movable blade unit 61.

[0029] The bundling unit 7 includes a locking member 70 that locks the wire W, and a sleeve 71 that operates the locking member 70. The driving unit 8 includes a torsion motor 80 and a reducer 81 that reduces speed and amplifies torque.

[0030] When the binding unit 7 is driven by the drive unit 8, the sleeve 71 activates the locking member 70 to lock the wire W. After the cutting unit 6 cuts the wire W in conjunction with the operation of the sleeve 71, the binding unit 7 twists the wire W by rotating the locking member 70 and the sleeve 71 to bind the reinforcing bar S.

[0031] In the rebar tying machine 1, the tying unit 7 is provided on an imaginary straight line 10L that is along the axial direction of the torsion motor 80, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2. In addition, when the imaginary straight line 10L of the rebar tying machine 1 is oriented in the vertical direction, a curl guide 50 and an induction guide 51 are provided at the lower end of the machine in a form that protrudes from the main body 10.

[0032] Furthermore, the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 is provided with a wire feeding unit 3 on one side along a direction intersecting with the imaginary straight line 10L, which is a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the torsion motor 80.

[0033] Furthermore, in the binding device 100, a slack forming unit 2 is provided on the side of the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 where the wire feeding unit 3 is provided, i.e., on one side of the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 along a direction that intersects with the imaginary line 10L, which in turn intersects with the axial direction of the torsion motor 80. The slack forming unit 2 forms slack in the wire W between the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 and the reel 20.

[0034] Furthermore, in the binding device 100, a reel storage section 200 is provided above the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 along the direction in which the imaginary line 10L, which is the direction along the axial direction of the torsion motor 80, extends.

[0035] The reel housing 200 rotatably and detachably houses a reel 20 around which a long wire W is wound so as to be able to be unwound. The wire W is a wire made of a metal wire that can be plastically deformed, a wire made of a metal wire coated with resin, or a twisted wire.

[0036] When the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 is configured to bind reinforcing bars S with one wire W, the reel storage unit 200 stores one reel 20 around which one wire W is wound, and the reel 20 is configured to pull out one wire W as it rotates. When the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 is configured to bind reinforcing bars S with multiple wires W, the reel storage unit 200 stores multiple reels 20 corresponding to the number of wires W, and each reel 20 is configured to pull out multiple wires W as it rotates. For example, when the reinforcing bar binding machine 1 is configured to bind reinforcing bars S with two wires W, the reel storage unit 200 stores two reels 20 around which one wire W is wound, and each reel 20 is configured to pull out two wires W as it rotates.

[0037] The reel accommodating section 200 may be provided with a braking section that allows rotation of the reel 20 in the direction in which the wire W is pulled out, but restricts rotation of the reel 20 in the opposite direction.

[0038] The slack forming unit 2 includes a first slack forming unit 21 and a second slack forming unit 22. The first slack forming unit 21 is an example of a slack forming mechanism, and includes a first slack forming roller 21a, a guide plate 21b, and guide members 21c and 21d.

[0039] First slack forming roller 21a is an example of a pull-out member that is a pull-out section, and is provided on one side of the wire W that extends between reel 20 stored in reel storage section 200 and rebar binding machine 1. First slack forming roller 21a is in the shape of a disk that is thicker than the diameter of wire W, and guide surface 21f that comes into contact with wire W is formed on the outer periphery of the disk. First slack forming roller 21a is supported between a pair of guide plates 21b so as to be rotatable about shaft 21g.

[0040] Guide plates 21b are provided on both axial sides of first slack forming roller 21a, sandwiching first slack forming roller 21a. In a configuration in which reinforcing bars S are bound with two wires W, first slack forming rollers 21a are provided on both sides of one guide plate 21b, and guide plates 21b are provided on the outer sides of each first slack forming roller 21a.

[0041] Guide member 21c is provided opposite guide surface 21f of first slack forming roller 21a in the path of wire W entering first slack forming unit 21. Guide member 21c is provided between the pair of guide plates 21b in the form of, for example, a cylindrical member extending in a direction intersecting with guide plates 21b.

[0042] The guide member 21d is provided on the path of the wire W coming out of the first slack forming portion 21. The guide member 21d is, for example, a roller that is rotatable about a shaft 21h as a fulcrum and is provided between the pair of guide plates 21b.

[0043] The shafts 21h of the guide members 21c and 21d also function as spacers that define the gap between the pair of guide plates 21b.

[0044] Guide plate 21b is shaped to cover at least a portion of the side of first slack forming roller 21a and at least a portion of the side of guide members 21c and 21d, and to support first slack forming roller 21a and guide members 21c and 21d.

[0045] The second slack forming unit 22 is an example of a slack forming mechanism, and includes a second slack forming roller 22a, a guide plate 22b, and guide members 22c and 22d.

[0046] The second slack forming roller 22a is an example of a pull-out member, and is provided on the other side of the wire W extending between the reel 20 stored in the reel storage section 200 and the rebar binding machine 1. The second slack forming roller 22a is in the shape of a disk with a thickness greater than the diameter of the wire W, and a guide surface 22f with which the wire W comes into contact is formed on the outer periphery of the disk. The second slack forming roller 22a is supported between a pair of guide plates 22b so as to be rotatable about an axis 22g as a fulcrum.

[0047] Guide plates 22b are provided on both axial sides of second slack forming roller 22a, sandwiching second slack forming roller 22a. In a configuration in which reinforcing bars S are bound with two wires W, second slack forming rollers 22a are provided on both sides of one guide plate 22b, and guide plates 22b are provided on the outer sides of each second slack forming roller 22a.

[0048] The guide member 22c is provided on the path of the wire W that enters the second slack forming portion 22 from the first slack forming portion 21. The guide member 22c is, for example, a roller that is rotatable about an axis 22h as a fulcrum and is provided between the pair of guide plates 22b.

[0049] Guide member 22d is provided opposite guide surface 22f of second slack forming roller 22a in the path of wire W exiting second slack forming section 22. Guide member 22d is provided between the pair of guide plates 22b in the form of, for example, a cylindrical member extending in a direction intersecting with guide plates 22b.

[0050] The shafts 22h of the guide members 22c and 22d also function as spacers that define the gap between the pair of guide plates 22b.

[0051] Guide plate 22b is shaped to cover at least a portion of the side of second slack forming roller 22a and at least a portion of the side of guide members 22c and 22d, and to support second slack forming roller 22a and guide members 22c and 22d.

[0052] The binding device 100 includes a first guide portion 21i that guides the movement of the first slack forming portion 21, a second guide portion 22i that guides the movement of the second slack forming portion 22, and a drive portion 25 that moves the first slack forming portion 21 and the second slack forming portion 22.

[0053] The first guide portion 21i, the second guide portion 22i and the drive portion 25 are examples of moving portions, which move the first slack forming portion 21 equipped with the first slack forming roller 21a and the second slack forming portion 22 equipped with the second slack forming roller 22a relatively in directions toward and away from each other along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the wire W.

[0054] The first guide portion 21i movably guides the first slack forming portion 21 in a direction along the feed path WL of the wire W entering the rebar binding machine 1, which is defined by the wire feed portion 3, the wire guide 4, etc. The second guide portion 22i movably guides the second slack forming portion 22 in a direction along the feed path WL of the wire W entering the rebar binding machine 1. The second guide portion 22i supports the second slack forming portion 22 so that the guide surface 22f of the second slack forming roller 22a is positioned on an extension of the feed path WL of the wire W entering the rebar binding machine 1, which is defined by the wire feed portion 3, the wire guide 4, etc.

[0055] Driving unit 25 includes a pair of pulleys 25a and 25b, a belt 25c wound around pulleys 25a and 25b, and a motor 25d that drives one of pulleys 25a. Driving unit 25 also includes a first connecting portion 25e that connects first slack forming portion 21 and belt 25c, and a second connecting portion 25f that connects second slack forming portion 22 and belt 25c.

[0056] Pulley 25a is provided on the side closer to the rebar binding machine 1 in the movement direction of first slack forming unit 21 and second slack forming unit 22. Pulley 25b is provided on the side farther from the rebar binding machine 1 in the movement direction of first slack forming unit 21 and second slack forming unit 22. Belt 25c extends in the movement direction of first slack forming unit 21 and second slack forming unit 22. First connecting portion 25e is connected to one side of belt 25c extending between the pair of pulleys 25a, 25b, and second connecting portion 25f is connected to the other side of belt 25c extending between the pair of pulleys 25a, 25b.

[0057] One side and the other side of belt 25c stretching between a pair of pulleys 25a, 25b move in the opposite direction as pulley 25a is rotated by motor 25d, whereby first slack forming portion 21 and second slack forming portion 22 move relatively toward or away from each other depending on the direction of rotation of motor 25d.

[0058] The first slack forming roller 21a comes into contact with the wire W from one side as the first slack forming portion 21 and the second slack forming portion 22 move relatively toward and away from each other along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the wire W. The second slack forming roller 22a comes into contact with the wire W from the other side as the first slack forming portion 21 and the second slack forming portion 22 move relatively toward and away from each other along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the wire W.

[0059] The binding device 100 includes a first guide portion 23 and a second guide portion 24. The first guide portion 23 is provided between the reel 20 and the first slack forming portion 21. The first guide portion 23 directs the path of the wire W, which passes between a pair of guide plates 23a and is pulled out from the reel 20, toward the first slack forming portion 21.

[0060] The second guide portion 24 is provided between the second slack forming portion 22 and the rebar binding machine 1. The second guide portion 24 allows the wire W to pass through when the wire feeding portion 3 feeds the wire W, and may be provided with a braking portion that restricts the passage of the wire W when the slack forming portion 2 forms slack in the wire W.

[0061] The wire W unwound from the reel 20 extends laterally across the axial direction of the torsion motor 80 relative to the rebar binding machine 1, and its path is changed by the first guide unit 23 toward the slack forming unit 2. The wire W passing through the slack forming unit 2 has its path changed by the second slack forming roller 22a toward the wire feed unit 3 of the rebar binding machine 1.

[0062] The binding device 100 includes a guide portion 26 that forms a path through which the wire W passes between the reel 20 and the first guide portion 23. In a configuration in which the reinforcing bars S are bound with two wires W, the first guide portion 23 and the guide portion 26 are provided corresponding to each reel 20. Furthermore, in order to accommodate the difference in the spacing between the two reels 20 and the spacing between the two first guide portions 23, the guide portion 26 guides the path through which the two wires W pass so that the spacing between the paths gradually narrows from each reel 20 toward the first guide portion 23.

[0063] In the binding device 100, the rebar binding machine 1 is attached to the binding machine support part 101, and the reel storage part 200 is attached to the storage part support part 102. In addition, the binding machine support part 101 is attached to the storage part support part 102. Furthermore, in the binding device 100, the slack forming part 2 is attached to the slack forming part support part 103. In addition, in the binding device 100, the storage part support part 102 and the slack forming part support part 103 are attached to the support part 104.

[0064] The binding device 100 has a support part 104 provided above the rebar binding machine 1 and the reel storage part 200 along the axial direction of the torsion motor 80, and an attachment part 105 to which the robot arm 300 is attached is provided on the support part 104.

[0065] The slack forming unit 2 has a first slack forming unit 21, a second slack forming unit 22, and a drive unit 25 provided on one side of the slack forming unit support unit 103, and a control unit 250 for the drive unit 25 and the like provided on the other side of the slack forming unit support unit 103. The control unit 250 includes a control board (not shown), a board accommodating unit 250a for accommodating the control board, and the like.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 2, the rebar tying machine 1 has the binding unit 7 provided on an imaginary line 10L that is aligned with the axial direction of the torsion motor 80. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1A, the binding device 100 has the attachment unit 105 provided on the imaginary line 10L. As a result, the binding device 100 has the binding unit 7 and the attachment unit 105 provided on the same imaginary line 10L. Therefore, when the rebar tying machine 1 is oriented in the up-down direction with the curl forming unit 5 facing downward, the binding unit 7 is provided vertically below the attachment unit 105.

[0067] Furthermore, when the binding device 100 is viewed from the side, the reel storage section 200 stores the reel 20 so that the axis of rotation of the reel 20 is located on an imaginary line 10L that passes through the binding section 7 and the attachment section 105. When the binding device 100 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the imaginary line 10L, the position of the axis of rotation of each reel deviates from the imaginary line 10L depending on the number of reels used. However, it is sufficient that the reels are arranged so that the center of the line connecting the axes of rotation of all the reels used is located on the imaginary line 10L; in other words, it is sufficient that the line connecting the axes of rotation of multiple reels used is located on the imaginary line 10L.

[0068] 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a binding device according to this embodiment. A control unit 250 controls a feed motor 31 that drives the wire feed unit 3, a torsion motor 80 of a drive unit 8 that drives the binding unit 7, and a motor 25d of a drive unit 25 that drives the slack forming unit 2. The control unit 250 controls the rebar binding machine 1 to bind the rebars S with the wire W, and controls the slack forming unit 2 to unwind the wire W from the reel 20 and form slack in the wire W between the reel 20 and the rebar binding machine 1.

[0069] <Configuration example of the bundling system according to this embodiment> 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a binding system according to the present embodiment. The binding system 301 includes the binding device 100 described above, a robot arm 300, and a stand 311 on which the robot arm 300 is mounted.

[0070] In the description of the binding system 301, the X, Y, and Z directions refer to the directions shown in Fig. 4. The X, Y, and Z directions are perpendicular to each other, the XY plane is a substantially horizontal plane, and the Z direction is a direction substantially along the vertical.

[0071] The mount 311 includes four pillars 312 erected at the four corners in the X and Y directions, and a plurality of beams 313 spanning the upper ends of the pillars 312 in the X and Y directions.

[0072] In the bundling system 301, a workpiece B, which is made up of a plurality of reinforcing bars S arranged in a lattice pattern, is held by a workpiece holding unit 302. The workpiece holding unit 302 includes a holder 321 for holding the workpiece B.

[0073] The holder 321 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate with four sides aligned along the X and Y directions. Support plates 321a are erected on the four sides of the holder 321 to support a plurality of reinforcing bars S that constitute the workpiece B. The support plates 321a have a plurality of U-shaped grooves 321b that open upward, and the reinforcing bars S are inserted into the U-shaped grooves 321b. The multiple reinforcing bars S are arranged in a lattice pattern along the X and Y directions with their ends inserted into the U-shaped grooves 321b of the support plates 321a.

[0074] The robot arm 300 is an example of a moving body, and is supported by a moving mechanism 346 to move the binding device 100 to a desired position.

[0075] The movement mechanism 346 includes a Y-direction slider 346a suspended on the beam 313 of the stand 311. The Y-direction slider 346a moves the robot arm 300 in the Y direction. Note that the movement mechanism 346 may include, for example, a mechanism for moving the robot arm 300 in the X direction. Furthermore, if the operating range of the robot arm 300 can cover the entire binding area E2 without relying on the movement mechanism 346, the movement mechanism 346 does not need to be provided.

[0076] The robot arm 300 is a ceiling-suspended articulated robot, and is installed facing downward on a Y-direction slider 346a suspended on a beam 313. Specifically, the robot arm 300 includes a base 341, a plurality of arms 342, an end effector 343, and a plurality of joints 344. Note that the robot arm 300 is not limited to an articulated robot.

[0077] The arms 342 are connected in series with each other at the base end portion of the base portion 341. The base portion 341 is supported by a Y-direction slider 346a of a movement mechanism 346 and is movable in the Y direction.

[0078] The plurality of joints 344 rotatably connect the base 341, the plurality of arms 342, and the end effector 343. Each joint 344 is provided with a motor (not shown) and is driven by the motor to rotate.

[0079] The end effector 343 is connected to the tips of the multiple arms 342. The binding device 100 is supported on the end effector 343 via the attachment portion 105.

[0080] The binding system 301 moves the binding device 100 to the position of the intersection P of the binding target by the robot arm 300, and performs the binding operation.

[0081] The bundling system 301 may be configured to include an overall photographing unit that photographs the entire work B all at once or for each of its divided areas, and an individual photographing unit that photographs the intersections P of the rebars S to be bound individually at a higher resolution than that of the overall photographing unit.The bundling system 301 may then obtain positional information of the intersections P of the rebars S for each bundling target from the image information obtained by the individual photographing unit, which information is more accurate than the positional information of each intersection P of the rebars S obtained by photographing the entire work B with the overall photographing unit, and move the binding device 100 with the robot arm 300.

[0082] <Example of operation of the binding device according to this embodiment> Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the binding device, and Figures 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, and 6F are side views with some parts omitted showing an example of the operation of the binding device of this embodiment, and show an example of a binding method of the binding device of this embodiment.

[0083] As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 250 controls the rebar binding machine 1 and the slack forming unit 2 in the following order: a drawing-out process (step SA1) in which the wire W is drawn out by the slack forming unit 2 and slack is formed in the wire W; a winding process (step SA2) in which the wire feeding unit 3 feeds the wire W in the forward direction and wraps it around the rebar S; a locking process (step SA3) in which the wire W wound around the rebar S is locked with a locking member 70; a pulling-back process (step SA4) in which the wire feeding unit 3 feeds the wire W in the reverse direction and pulls it back, and winds the wire W around the rebar S; a cutting process (step SA5) in which the wire W is cut by the cutting unit 6; a twisting process (step SA6) in which the wire W is twisted by the binding unit 7; and a pre-feeding process (step SA7) in which the wire feeding unit 3 feeds the wire W in the forward direction.

[0084] As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 6A , the initial state of the binding device 100 is a state in which the wire W is guided by the curl guide 50 of the curl forming unit 5 and fed to a preliminary feed position where the tip of the wire W is between the curl guide 50 and the leading guide 51 and does not protrude beyond the curl guide 50. The initial state shown in FIG. 6A is the state after the binding operation has been completed in each of the above steps. Note that a loading operation may be performed in which the reel 20 is stored in the reel storage unit 200 and the wire W wound on the reel 20 is loaded into the rebar binding machine 1 through the slack forming unit 2, thereby feeding the wire W to the preliminary feed position. Furthermore, after the unwinding step has been performed, the preliminary feed step may be performed before the unwinding step in the next binding operation.

[0085] The control unit 250 performs the unwinding process when it has moved the binding device 100 to the position of the intersection of the binding target by the robot arm 300. Note that the control unit 250 may perform the unwinding process while it is moving the binding device 100 to the position of the intersection of the binding target by the robot arm 300. In the unwinding process, the motor 25d is driven to move the first slack forming unit 21 and the second slack forming unit 22 from the standby position shown in FIG. 6A to the slack forming position shown in FIG. 6B in directions in which they move relatively away from each other, and also move them from the slack forming position shown in FIG. 6B to the standby position shown in FIG. 6C in directions in which they move relatively closer to each other.

[0086] In the binding device 100, when the first slack forming unit 21 moves from the standby position to the slack forming position, the first slack forming roller 21a moves in a direction approaching the rebar binding machine 1. When the first slack forming roller 21a moves in a direction approaching the rebar binding machine 1, the guide surface 21f of the first slack forming roller 21a comes into contact with the wire W from one side of the wire W extending between the reel 20 and the rebar binding machine 1, and pulls the portion of the wire W in contact with the guide surface 21f in a direction approaching the rebar binding machine 1.

[0087] In the binding device 100, when the second slack forming unit 22 moves from the standby position to the slack forming position, the second slack forming roller 22a moves in a direction away from the rebar binding machine 1. When the second slack forming roller 22a moves in a direction away from the rebar binding machine 1, the guide surface 22f of the second slack forming roller 22a comes into contact with the wire W from the other side of the wire W extending between the reel 20 and the rebar binding machine 1, and pulls the portion of the wire W in contact with the guide surface 22f in a direction away from the rebar binding machine 1.

[0088] The path of the wire W between the reel 20 and the first slack forming roller 21a is changed by the first guide portion 23 toward the slack forming portion 2. As a result, the first slack forming roller 21a moves in a direction approaching the rebar binding machine 1, and the portion of the wire W in contact with the guide surface 21f is pulled in a direction approaching the rebar binding machine 1, applying a force that pulls out the wire W from the reel 20.

[0089] In addition, when the second slack forming roller 22a moves in a direction away from the rebar binding machine 1, the portion of the wire W in contact with the guide surface 22f is pulled in a direction away from the rebar binding machine 1, and a force is applied via the first slack forming roller 21a to pull the wire W out from the reel 20.

[0090] The reel 20 can rotate when a force is applied to pull out the wire W. As a result, the wire W is pulled out from the reel 20 when the first slack forming roller 21a moves in a direction toward the rebar binding machine 1 and the second slack forming roller 22a moves in a direction away from the rebar binding machine 1.

[0091] In the binding device 100, when the first slack forming unit 21 moves from the slack forming position to the standby position, the first slack forming roller 21a moves in a direction away from the rebar binding machine 1. When the first slack forming roller 21a moves in a direction away from the rebar binding machine 1, the guide surface 21f moves away from the wire W. Furthermore, in the binding device 100, when the second slack forming unit 22 moves from the slack forming position to the standby position, the second slack forming roller 22a moves in a direction approaching the rebar binding machine 1. When the second slack forming roller 22a moves in a direction approaching the rebar binding machine 1, the guide surface 22f moves away from the wire W. As a result, a slack portion WB is formed in the wire W between the reel 20 and the rebar binding machine 1.

[0092] The second slack forming unit 22 is supported by the second guide unit 22i so that the guide surface 22f is located on an extension of the feed path WL of the wire W entering the rebar binding machine 1, which is defined by the wire feed unit 3, the wire guide 4, etc. The second slack forming unit 22 is also guided by the second guide unit 22i so that it can move in a direction along the feed path WL of the wire W entering the rebar binding machine 1. This prevents the wire W entering the rebar binding machine 1 from changing significantly with respect to the feed path WL when the second slack forming unit 22 moves from the standby position to the slack forming position, and from the slack forming position to the standby position.

[0093] When the first slack forming unit 21 moves from the slack forming position to the standby position, the guide member 22c guides the wire W between the pair of guide plates 21b. As a result, the pair of guide plates 21b prevent the wire W entering the first slack forming unit 21 from moving in the axial direction of the first slack forming roller 21a. This prevents the wire W entering the first slack forming unit 21 from becoming tangled with the first guide unit 23, etc. Furthermore, in a configuration in which two wires W are used to bind the rebar S, the two wires W are prevented from becoming tangled in the slack forming unit 2.

[0094] Furthermore, the wire W emerging from the first slack forming portion 21 is guided between the pair of guide plates 21b by the guide member 21d. As a result, the pair of guide plates 21b prevent the wire W emerging from the first slack forming portion 21 from moving in the axial direction of the first slack forming roller 21a. Furthermore, the guide member 21d prevents the wire W emerging from the first slack forming portion 21 from moving toward the second slack forming portion 22. Therefore, the wire W emerging from the first slack forming portion 21 is prevented from becoming tangled with the second slack forming portion 22, etc. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the reinforcing bars S are bound with two wires W, the two wires W are prevented from becoming tangled in the slack forming portion 2.

[0095] Furthermore, the wire W entering the second slack forming unit 22 is guided between the pair of guide plates 22b by the guide member 22c. As a result, the pair of guide plates 22b prevent the wire W entering the second slack forming unit 22 from moving in the axial direction of the second slack forming roller 22a. Also, the guide member 22c prevents the wire W entering the second slack forming unit 22 from moving toward the first slack forming unit 21. Therefore, the wire W entering the second slack forming unit 22 is prevented from becoming entangled with the first slack forming unit 21, etc. Furthermore, in a configuration in which two wires W are used to bind the reinforcing bars S, the two wires W are prevented from becoming entangled in the slack forming unit 2.

[0096] Furthermore, the wire W coming out of the second slack forming unit 22 is guided between the pair of guide plates 22b by the guide member 22d. As a result, the pair of guide plates 22b prevent the wire W coming out of the second slack forming unit 22 from moving in the axial direction of the second slack forming roller 22a. Therefore, in a configuration in which the reinforcing bars S are bound with two wires W, entanglement of the two wires W in the slack forming unit 2 is prevented.

[0097] When the first slack forming section 21 and the second slack forming section 22 move from the slack forming position to the standby position, the control section 250 stops driving the motor 25d.

[0098] The control unit 250 performs the winding process in a state in which the binding device 100 has been moved by the robot arm 300 to the position of the intersection of the objects to be bound. In the winding process, the control unit 250 drives the feed motor 31 to feed the wire W in the forward direction indicated by the arrow F by the wire feeding unit 3 shown in FIG. 2, and winds the wire W around the reinforcing bar S by the curl forming unit 5. When the wire feeding unit 3 feeds the wire W in the forward direction indicated by the arrow F, the slack portion WB of the wire W is fed, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D. As a result, it is not necessary to rotate the reel 20 with the force of the wire feeding unit 3 feeding the wire W in the forward direction indicated by the arrow F, and the load on the wire feeding unit 3 is reduced, and the occurrence of wire feeding defects by the wire feeding unit 3 is suppressed.

[0099] Once the control unit 250 has wound the wire W around the reinforcing bar S, it stops driving the feed motor 31 and stops the operation of the wire feed unit 3 to feed the wire W in the forward direction indicated by the arrow F. Next, in the locking process, the control unit 250 drives the torsion motor 80 to operate the locking member 70 with the sleeve 71, and locks the wire W with the locking member 70.

[0100] When the wire W is locked by the locking member 70, the control unit 250 stops driving the torsion motor 80. Next, in the retraction process, the control unit 250 drives the feed motor 31 to cause the wire feeding unit 3 to feed the wire W in the reverse direction indicated by arrow R, thereby winding the wire W around the reinforcing bar S. When the wire feeding unit 3 feeds the wire W in the reverse direction indicated by arrow R to wind the wire W wound around the reinforcing bar S, a slack portion WB is formed in accordance with the amount of wire W fed in the reverse direction, as shown in FIG. 6E . This eliminates the need to rotate the reel 20 with the force of the wire feeding unit 3 feeding the wire W in the reverse direction indicated by arrow R, thereby reducing the load on the wire feeding unit 3 and suppressing the occurrence of wire feeding defects by the wire feeding unit 3.

[0101] When the wire W is wound around the reinforcing bar S in the pulling back process, the control unit 250 stops driving the feed motor 31 and stops the operation of the wire feed unit 3 to feed the wire W in the reverse direction indicated by the arrow R.

[0102] Next, in the cutting process, the control unit 250 drives the torsion motor 80 to operate the sleeve 71. By driving the binding unit 7 with the drive unit 8, the operation of the sleeve 71 is transmitted to the cutting unit 6, and the wire W is cut between the portion wound around the reinforcing bar S and the portion clamped by the pair of feed gears 30 of the wire feed unit 3.

[0103] During the twisting process, the control unit 250 continues to drive the twisting motor 80, so that after the wire W is cut by the cutting unit 6 in conjunction with the operation of the sleeve 71, the wire W is twisted by the rotational movement of the locking member 70 and the sleeve 71 to bind the reinforcing bar S.

[0104] The control unit 250 detects the load applied to the torsion motor 80 via the binding unit 7, and when it determines that binding is complete, stops driving the torsion motor 80. The control unit 250 then reverses the rotation of the torsion motor 80, and controls the robot arm 300 to move the binding device 100 away from the surface on which the rebars S are placed, thereby enabling the wire W that has bound the rebars S to come out of the binding unit 7.

[0105] When the wire W binding the rebars S is released from the binding unit 7 by moving the binding device 100 with the robot arm 300 in a direction away from the intersection of the rebars S where the binding operation has been completed, the control unit 250 then performs a preliminary feeding step. In the preliminary feeding step, the control unit 250 drives the feed motor 31 to feed the wire W in the forward direction indicated by the arrow F with the wire feeding unit 3 shown in FIG. 2. In the preliminary feeding step, the wire W is fed in the forward direction indicated by the arrow F with the wire feeding unit 3, and the slack portion WB1 of the wire W formed in the retraction step is fed, as shown in FIGS. 6E and 6F. As a result, the force of the wire feeding unit 3 feeding the wire W in the forward direction indicated by the arrow F does not need to rotate the reel 20, reducing the load on the wire feeding unit 3 and suppressing the occurrence of wire feeding defects by the wire feeding unit 3.

[0106] When the wire W cut in the cutting unit 6 is guided by the curl guide 50 of the curl forming unit 5 and the tip of the wire W is fed to a preliminary feed position between the curl guide 50 and the induction guide 51 so as not to protrude beyond the curl guide 50, the control unit 250 stops driving the feed motor 31 and stops the operation of the wire feed unit 3 to feed the wire W in the forward direction indicated by arrow F.

[0107] The control unit 250 acquires the retraction amount of the wire W in the retraction process. In the preliminary feed process, the control unit 250 controls the preliminary feed amount to be equal to or less than the retraction amount. Note that if the tip of the wire W protrudes beyond the curl guide 50 between the curl guide 50 and the guiding guide 51, this will hinder the insertion of the reinforcing bar S. Therefore, the maximum value of the preliminary feed amount is set to an amount that prevents the tip of the wire W from protruding beyond the curl guide 50 between the curl guide 50 and the guiding guide 51.

[0108] Conventionally, in a rebar tying machine 1, the tip of the wire W clamped between a pair of feed gears 30 of the wire feed unit 3 is at the cutting unit 6, and is in the initial state before reaching the tying unit 7 and the curl guide 50. The slack forming unit 2 pulls out the wire W from the reel 20 to a length required to wind it around the rebar S, from the state in which the wire W is in the conventional initial position, to form a slack region WB.

[0109] In contrast, in the preliminary feeding step, the wire W is fed to a preliminary feeding position where the tip of the wire W is between the curl guide 50 and the induction guide 51 but does not protrude beyond the curl guide 50, thereby reducing the amount of wire W fed in the winding step in the next bundling operation. This reduces the amount of movement of the first slack forming unit 21 and the second slack forming unit 22 compared to conventional devices. Therefore, the lengths of the first guide unit 21i that guides the movement of the first slack forming unit 21 and the second guide unit 22i that guides the movement of the second slack forming unit 22 can be shortened, and the binding device 100 can be made smaller.

[0110] Furthermore, as described above, in the retraction process, a slack portion WB is formed in the wire W at the slack forming unit 2 between the reel 20 stored in the reel storage unit 200 and the rebar binding machine 1. In the preliminary feeding process, the slack portion WB of the wire W formed in the retraction process is fed, so there is no need to pull out the amount of wire W required in the preliminary feeding process from the reel 20. This eliminates the need to operate the slack forming unit 2 in the preliminary feeding process, and makes it possible to suppress an increase in the time required to perform the preliminary feeding process.

[0111] Furthermore, in the preliminary feeding step, by controlling the preliminary feeding amount to be equal to or less than the retraction amount, the preliminary feeding amount can be secured without pulling out the wire W from the reel 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 100... Binding device, 101... Binding machine support portion, 102... Storing portion support portion, 103... Slack forming portion support portion, 104... Support portion, 105... Mounting portion, 1... Reinforcing bar binding machine (binding machine), 2... Slack forming portion, 20... Reel, 200... Reel accommodating portion, 21... First slack forming portion (slack forming mechanism portion), 21a... First slack forming roller (pulling member), 21b... Guide plate, 21c, 21d... Guide member, 21f... Guide surface, 21g... Shaft, 21h... Shaft, 21i... First guide portion, 22... Second slack forming portion (slack forming mechanism portion), 22a... Second slack forming roller (pulling member), 22b guide plate, 22c, 22d guide member, 22f guide surface, 22g shaft, 22h shaft, 22i second guide portion, 23 first guide portion, 23a guide plate, 24 second guide portion, 25 drive portion, 25a, 25b pulley, 25c belt, 25d motor, 25e first connecting portion, 25f second connecting portion, 26 guide portion, 250 control portion, 250a substrate receiving portion, 300 robot arm (moving body), 301 binding system

Claims

1. a bundling machine that ties multiple rebars together with wire; a reel housing section for housing a reel around which a wire to be supplied to the binding machine is wound; a drawer that draws out a wire from the reel accommodated in the reel accommodating section; a control unit for controlling the binding machine and the drawing unit, The binding machine includes: a wire feeding unit that feeds the wire; a cutting unit for cutting the wire; a bundling portion for twisting the wire, The bundling part includes a locking part that locks the wire, The control unit controls the binding machine and the unwinding unit in the following order: a drawing out process of drawing out a wire by the drawing unit; a winding process of feeding the wire in a first direction by the wire feeding unit and winding the wire around a reinforcing bar; a locking process of locking the wire by the locking unit; a pulling back process of pulling the wire back in a second direction opposite to the first direction by the wire feeding unit; a cutting process of cutting the wire by the cutting unit; a twisting process of twisting the wire by the binding unit; and a pre-feeding process of feeding the wire in the first direction by the wire feeding unit. Binding device.

2. a curl guide for curling the wire fed by the wire feeding unit; The control unit feeds the wire cut by the cutting unit to a preliminary feed position where the wire is guided by the curl guide and the tip of the wire does not protrude from the curl guide in the preliminary feed step. The binding device of claim 1 .

3. The drawer portion is a wire pull-out section that moves in a direction intersecting a path through which the wire passes, which is formed between the reel accommodated in the reel accommodation section and the binding machine; The binding device of claim 1 .

4. The control unit controls the preliminary feed amount according to the retracted amount of the wire. The binding device of claim 1 .

5. a bundling machine that ties multiple rebars together with wire; a reel housing section for housing a reel around which a wire to be supplied to the binding machine is wound; a drawer that draws out a wire from the reel accommodated in the reel accommodating section; a control unit for controlling the binding machine and the drawing unit, The binding machine includes: a wire feeding unit that feeds the wire; a cutting unit for cutting the wire; a bundling portion for twisting the wire, In the bundling method for a bundling device, the bundling portion is provided with a locking portion that locks a wire, The wire winding method includes a drawing-out step of drawing out the wire with the drawing-out unit, a winding step of feeding the wire drawn out in the drawing-out step in a first direction with the wire feeding unit and winding the wire around a reinforcing bar, a locking step of locking the wire wound in the winding step with the locking unit, a pulling-back step of pulling the wire back in a second direction opposite to the first direction with the wire feeding unit while the wire is locked in the locking step, a cutting step of cutting the wire in a state pulled back in the pulling-back step with the cutting unit, a twisting step of twisting the wire in a state pulled back in the pulling-back step, among the wires cut in the cutting step, with the bundling unit, and a pre-feeding step of feeding the wire wound on a reel, among the wires cut in the cutting step, in the first direction with the wire feeding unit. A method for binding a binding device.

6. A binding device; a moving body that moves the binding device, The binding device is a bundling machine that ties multiple rebars together with wire; a reel housing section for housing a reel around which a wire to be supplied to the binding machine is wound; a drawer that draws out a wire from the reel accommodated in the reel accommodating section; a control unit for controlling the binding machine and the drawing unit, The binding machine includes: a wire feeding unit that feeds the wire; a cutting unit for cutting the wire; a bundling portion for twisting the wire, The bundling part includes a locking part that locks the wire, The control unit controls the binding machine and the unwinding unit in the following order: a drawing out process of drawing out a wire by the drawing unit; a winding process of feeding the wire in a first direction by the wire feeding unit and winding the wire around a reinforcing bar; a locking process of locking the wire by the locking unit; a pulling back process of pulling the wire back in a second direction opposite to the first direction by the wire feeding unit; a cutting process of cutting the wire by the cutting unit; a twisting process of twisting the wire by the binding unit; and a pre-feeding process of feeding the wire in the first direction by the wire feeding unit. Binding system.

Images