Parts extraction device and its driving method

Abstract

The present invention provides a device for extracting a predetermined number of parts, even lightweight and complexly shaped parts, and a method for driving the same. [Solution] A guide member is placed between a base member and a surface member, and the guide member has a parts storage section, an outlet, and a guide groove. A parts breaking member is slidably mounted on the guide member, and a storage section air ejection hole is provided on the parts breaking member to eject air into the storage section. A parts separating member having a storage section capable of storing one part is slidably mounted on the guide member in the direction transverse to the guide groove, and a stepped section air ejection hole is provided below the parts separating member to eject air to the upstream side of the guide groove. The driving of the parts breaking member and the parts separating member, and the ejection of compressed air from the storage section air ejection hole and the stepped section air ejection hole are controlled according to the signal from a parts sensor that detects a part being discharged from the outlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a parts predetermined quantity taking-out device capable of taking out a predetermined quantity of lightweight and complex-shaped parts, such as a resin clip used when assembling automobile parts to a cluster panel or the like, and a driving method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] Since parts such as this type of resin clip are lightweight and have a complex shape, even when trying to take out a predetermined number of parts using a parts predetermined quantity taking-out device, the parts are likely to get entangled with each other and are also likely to clog the parts conveyance path. Therefore, it has been difficult to untangle the resin clips one by one, accurately count them, and take them out.

[0003] As a conventional device of this type, for example, there is Patent Document 1.

[0004] The parts predetermined quantity taking-out machine of Patent Document 1 is configured as follows. That is, the taking-out machine guides the parts stored in the hopper to the container part through a cylindrical supply pipe, stores the parts in the container part, and also fills the supply pipe with parts. A vibrating rod of a vibration device is inserted into the supply pipe. A plurality of soroban ball-shaped pieces are attached to the vibrating rod. By vibrating the vibrating rod, the parts in the supply pipe are stirred, and the flow of the parts in the supply pipe and the container part is made smooth. On the other hand, a disk-shaped parts taking-out member is provided in the container part, and an inclined plate is provided. Parts are supplied to the parts taking-out member from the inclined plate and the inside of the container part. The parts taking-out member has a large number of taking-out grooves on the outer periphery of the disk shape, and the parts are inserted into the taking-out grooves one by one. The taking-out grooves have inclined surfaces that incline outward. The parts inserted into the taking-out grooves are taken out along the inclined surface from above the disk as the parts taking-out member rotates, and are counted by a detector at the time of taking out and stored in a taking-out box. When the number of parts stored in the taking-out box reaches a predetermined number, the driving of the disk-shaped parts taking-out member is stopped by a quantity setting means, and the taking out of the predetermined quantity of parts is completed. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-103792 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the parts extraction machine of Patent Document 1, configured as described above, the parts can be separated one by one and smoothly extracted by the action of the excitation rod of the excitation device. However, if the parts are lighter and have a complex shape, entanglement of the parts within the container may not be sufficiently eliminated. For this reason, there is a need for a parts extraction machine that can better eliminate entanglement of parts within the device, even for lightweight and complexly shaped parts.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a device for extracting a predetermined number of parts, and a method for driving the same, which can better prevent entanglement within the device, even with lightweight and complexly shaped parts, and can reliably separate and remove each individual part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The parts dispensing device according to the present invention is a parts dispensing device that includes a hopper capable of storing parts to be counted, and counts the parts supplied from the hopper and discharges them into a predetermined parts dispensing container, and the parts dispensing device includes a base member, surface members arranged at predetermined intervals on the base member, a storage section arranged within a predetermined interval between the base member and the surface member and storing parts, a discharge port capable of dispensing parts one by one, a guide member that guides parts from the storage section to the discharge port and has a guide groove with a stepped section in the middle, at least one parts breaking member slidably provided on the guide member and capable of protruding into and retracting toward the storage section, and a storage section air ejection hole that is opened on the end face of the parts breaking member facing the storage section and at least a part of the end face of the guide member forming the storage section and ejects air toward the storage section, and The internal member comprises: a parts separation member slidably mounted in a direction across the guide groove at a stepped portion of the internal member and having a storage portion capable of accommodating one part; a parts separation member drive mechanism that drives the parts separation member in a direction across the guide groove; a parts stopping member slidably mounted in a direction across the guide groove at an upstream position of the parts separation member on the guide member, movable in a direction to close or open the guide groove, and linked to the movement of the parts separation member; a parts stopping member biasing means that biases the parts stopping member in a direction to constantly close the guide groove; a parts sensor provided near the discharge port for detecting parts that are separated and discharged one by one from the discharge port; a parts counter that receives a signal from the parts sensor and counts the number of parts that have passed through the discharge port; and a stepped portion air ejection hole provided in the stepped portion of the guide member and ejecting air from a position below the parts separation member toward the upstream side of the guide groove. The storage portion of the guide member is configured to have an inclined surface that widens upward, and the guide groove has a substantially straight upper guide groove and a lower guide groove provided in the upper guide groove via a step, the step portion is formed such that the upper central axis of the upper guide groove and the lower central axis of the lower guide groove are separated by a distance approximately equivalent to or slightly longer than the length of one part, furthermore the upper part of the upper guide groove is in communication with the lower part of the inclined surface of the storage portion, and the lower part of the lower guide groove is in communication with the discharge port, and the upper guide groove and the lower guide groove have a cross-sectional shape through which one of the parts can pass, and part separation The interlocking mechanism that links the component and the part stopping member is configured such that when the central axis of the storage section of the part separation member coincides with the upper central axis, the part separation member drives the part stopping member in an interlocking manner against the part stopping member biasing means to open the guide groove; on the other hand, when the central axis of the storage section of the part separation member coincides with the lower central axis, the interlocking drive between the part separation member and the part stopping member is released, allowing the part stopping member to be driven in a direction that closes the guide groove by the biasing force of the part stopping member biasing means. This is a device for extracting a predetermined number of parts.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable to have different height positions for the inclined surfaces on both sides that constitute the entrance portion of the guide groove of the storage section.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the parts breaking member is provided so as to be able to protrude from and retract into the inclined surfaces on both sides of the inclined surface that expands above the storage section.

[0011] In the present invention, the biasing means for the part stopping member is preferably composed of a compression coil spring interposed between the part stopping member and the guide member.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable to provide a first photoelectric sensor located slightly above the center of the storage section for detecting the presence of parts in the storage section, and a second photoelectric sensor located near the entrance of the upper guide groove for detecting the presence of parts near the entrance of the upper guide groove.

[0013] The driving method for a parts extraction device according to the present invention is as follows: In the parts extraction device described in paragraph 0008, the steps are: loading parts into a hopper; turning on power to activate the parts separation member driving mechanism; detecting the discharge of parts from the discharge port of the guide member with a parts sensor; continuing to operate the parts separation member driving mechanism until the count value of the parts counter based on the count value of the parts detected by the parts sensor reaches a set value; and when the count value of the counter based on the count value of the parts detected by the parts sensor reaches a set value, the parts separation member driving mechanism The system includes the steps of: stopping the operation of the drive mechanism; detecting whether a part has been removed from the parts removal container after stopping the operation of the parts separation member drive mechanism, and stopping the operation of the parts separation member drive mechanism until the removal is complete; counting whether the number of times parts have been removed from the parts removal container has reached the required number, and repeating the above steps until the required number is reached; and stopping the parts separation member drive mechanism and stopping the parts removal operation after the number of times parts have been removed from the parts removal container has reached the required number. This is a method for driving a device that dispenses a predetermined number of parts.

[0014] The driving method for a parts extraction device according to the present invention is a parts extraction device that, in addition to the configuration of the parts extraction device described in paragraph 0008, is provided with a first photoelectric sensor that detects the presence of parts in the storage section at a position slightly above the center of the storage section, and a second photoelectric sensor that detects the presence of parts near the entrance of the upper guide groove at a position near the entrance of the upper guide groove, and comprises the steps of loading parts into a hopper, turning on the power to operate the parts separation member driving mechanism, and discharging parts from the discharge port of the guide member. The process involves detecting the part with a parts sensor, continuing to operate the parts separation member drive mechanism until the count value of the parts counter based on the count value of the parts detected by the parts sensor reaches a set value, confirming the storage state of the parts in the storage section with a first photoelectric sensor, and when the count value of the counter based on the count value of the parts detected by the parts sensor has not reached a set value, and the parts sensor has not counted the discharge of parts from the discharge port of the guide member even after a predetermined set time has elapsed, and the parts in the storage section are in a storage state, then from the storage section air ejection hole The process involves: blowing air out; checking the storage state of parts at the entrance of the guide groove with a second photoelectric sensor; if the counter value based on the count value of parts detected by the parts sensor has not reached a set value, and the parts sensor has not counted the discharge of parts from the discharge port of the guide member even after a predetermined set time has elapsed, and if parts at the entrance of the guide groove are in a stored state, blowing air out from the stepped air ejection hole; and activating the parts separation member drive mechanism when the counter value based on the count value of parts detected by the parts sensor reaches a set value. The system includes the steps of: stopping the operation of the parts separation member drive mechanism; detecting whether a part has been removed from the parts removal container after stopping the operation of the parts separation member drive mechanism, and stopping the operation of the parts separation member drive mechanism until the removal is complete; counting whether the number of times parts have been removed from the parts removal container has reached the required number of parts, and repeating the above steps until the required number of parts has been removed; and stopping the parts separation member drive mechanism and stopping the parts removal operation after the number of times parts have been removed from the parts removal container has reached the required number of parts. This is a method for driving a device that dispenses a predetermined number of parts.

[0015] In the driving method of the parts predetermined number extraction device according to the present invention described in the above paragraph 0013 or paragraph 0014, it is preferable to include a step of operating the parts collapsing member driving mechanism at a predetermined timing.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a parts predetermined number extraction device and its driving method that can better prevent entanglement in the device and reliably separate and take out each part even for parts with a light weight and a complex shape.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a parts predetermined number extraction device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the housing removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a parts supply port portion of a hopper in the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a base member in the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of left and right upper guide members in the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken at the center in the plate thickness direction between a left upper guide member and a first parts collapsing member in the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a parts separating member in the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a parts separating member and a parts stopping member in the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 11]Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating state of a part in the lower right guide member in one embodiment of Figure 1. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an example of a control unit in one embodiment of Figure 1. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operating state in one embodiment of Figure 1. [Figure 14] Figures 14(A) and (B) are explanatory diagrams showing the operating state within the guide groove in one embodiment of Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the figures, Figures 1 to 3 show the overall configuration of this embodiment, but the perspective view of Figure 1 and the front view of Figure 2 do not show the surface member, which is made of a transparent material and will be described later. Furthermore, although mounting holes and fixing screws for each component are omitted in the diagrams, each component is attached and secured using standard methods such as bolts and nuts.

[0019] The parts extraction device 10 according to this embodiment is a device that can count and extract a predetermined number of parts P, such as those shown in Figure 5. Part P is a plastic clip made from a plastic material, with a roughly arrowhead-shaped front surface, used when assembling automotive parts to cluster panels and the like. Part P measures approximately 20mm in height, 10mm in width, and 7mm in depth (thickness).

[0020] The parts extraction device 10 according to this embodiment includes a base 21, on which a housing 23 is provided via four column members 22. A control box 150 is provided on the back of the housing 23. The control box 150 houses various control components, including a control unit which will be described later, as well as various display devices which are not shown. A hopper 30 is provided at the top of the enclosure 23. The hopper 30 has a bottom plate 31, and side walls 32 are provided around the bottom plate 31. A lid 36 is provided above the side walls 32 so that it can be opened and closed, and when the lid 36 is open, parts P (not shown, see Figures 2, 4, and 5) can be supplied into the hopper 30.

[0021] The hopper 30 is made of a transparent plastic, such as acrylic resin. In this case, the material that makes up the hopper 30 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that at least the front side wall 32A is made of a transparent material. If the side wall 32 is made of a transparent material, the storage state of the parts P stored inside the hopper 30 can be seen from the outside, which is preferable. As shown in Figure 5, a slit of a predetermined width is provided between the front side of the bottom plate 31 of the hopper 30 and the side wall 32A, and this slit constitutes a parts supply opening 35.

[0022] Below the hopper 30, the housing 23 is provided with a base member 40, a surface member 50 positioned at a predetermined distance from the base member 40, and a guide member 60 positioned within the predetermined distance between the base member 40 and the surface member 50, as shown in detail in Figure 4. As mentioned above, the surface member 50 is a transparent plate and is therefore not shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0023] As shown in Figure 6, the base member 40 is formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate. A first through-hole 41 for allowing light from the optical sensor (described later) to pass through is provided in the upper central part of the base member 40, and a second through-hole 42 similar to the first through-hole 41 is provided in the center in the vertical direction and approximately in the center in the horizontal direction. On both sides of the second through-hole 42, there are a first elongated hole 43 and a second elongated hole 44 that are elongated in the vertical direction, and these first elongated holes 43 and second elongated holes 44 allow the drive member of the parts-breaking member, which will be described later, to be inserted so as to move in the longitudinal direction. Below the first elongated hole 43 and the second elongated hole 44, there are a third elongated hole 45 and a fourth elongated hole 46, which are horizontally elongated. The third elongated hole 45 allows the drive member of the parts separation member, which will be described later, to be inserted so as to move in the longitudinal direction. The fourth elongated hole 46 allows the horizontal mounting position of the parts sensor, which will be described later, to be adjusted.

[0024] The surface member 50 is made of a transparent plastic such as acrylic resin and is formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate with an outer shape that faces the base member 40.

[0025] As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the guide member 60 is composed of four separate members arranged within a predetermined distance between the base member 40 and the surface member 50, namely, the left upper guide member 61, the right upper guide member 62, the left lower guide member 63, and the right lower guide member 64.

[0026] In the left upper guide member 61, as shown in detail in Figure 7, the upper end face of the left upper guide member 61 is formed as a sloping surface 61A that slopes downward to the right. An upper notch 61B is provided in the middle of this sloping surface 61A for housing the first part breaking member 71 so that it can move up and down and slide, and a lower notch 61C is provided on the lower right side. In the right upper guide member 62, as shown in detail in Figure 7, the upper end face of the right upper guide member 62 is formed as a left-sloping inclined surface 62A. An upper notch 62B is provided in the middle of this inclined surface 62A for housing the second part breaking member 72 so that it can move up and down slidably, and a lower notch 62C is provided on the lower left side. A central notch 62D is provided above this lower notch 62C, and a biasing means housing recess 62E is provided in the middle of the central notch 62D. These left upper guide member 61 and right upper guide member 62 are fixed to the base member 40 at a predetermined distance apart. This predetermined distance forms the upper guide groove 65A of part P, and this upper guide groove 65A has a cross-sectional shape through which one of the parts P can pass.

[0027] The left lower guide member 63 and the right lower guide member 64 are provided substantially symmetrically, as shown in detail in Figures 1, 2, and 4. The left lower guide member 63 is shaped like a key curved to the right, and the right lower guide member 64 is shaped like a key curved to the left. The upper ends of the left lower guide member 63 and the right lower guide member 64 are fixed to the base member 40 at a predetermined distance apart. This predetermined distance forms the lower guide groove 65B of the part P, and this lower guide groove 65B has a cross-sectional shape through which one of the parts P can pass. In this case, the upper central axis L of the upper guide groove 65A and the lower central axis M of the lower guide groove 65B are formed at a distance approximately equivalent to or slightly longer than one part P. Due to this misalignment between the upper central axis L and the lower central axis M, a stepped portion 65C is formed between the upper guide groove 65A and the lower guide groove 65B. The upper guide groove 65A, lower guide groove 65B, and stepped portion 65C form the guide groove 65 of part P.

[0028] As is clear from Figures 1 and 2, the inclined surfaces 61A and 61D that form the end face of the left upper guide member 61 and the inclined surface 62A that forms the end face of the right upper guide member 62 are at different heights than the inclined surfaces 61A and 61D of the left upper guide member 61 and the inclined surface 62A of the right upper guide member 62, which constitute the entrance to the guide groove 65 of the storage section 67, described later. This allows the part P inserted into the storage section 67 to be smoothly introduced into the guide groove 65.

[0029] Within a predetermined distance between the base member 40 and the surface member 50, a storage section 67 for parts P is formed by a V-shaped space that expands upward, surrounded by the inclined surface 61A of the left upper guide member 61, the inclined surface 62A of the right upper guide member 62, and the parts supply port 35 of the hopper 30. Furthermore, the lower end of the lower guide groove 65B serves as the discharge port 68 for the part P.

[0030] Figure 8 shows cross-sections of the left upper guide member 61 and the first part breaking member 71 along the thickness direction. The upper end face of the first part breaking member 71, which is housed in the upper notch 61B of the left upper guide member 61 so as to be vertically slidable, has an inclined surface 71A that is in line with the inclined surface 61A of the left upper guide member 61 and an inclined surface 71B that is steeper than this inclined surface 71A. In addition, a plurality of interconnected storage air passages 73A are provided inside the first part breaking member 71. The openings of these storage air passages 73A are storage air ejection holes 73B that eject air toward the storage section 67, and the interconnected base ends of the storage air passages 73A are connected to a storage air inlet 73C and to a compressed air source (not shown) so that compressed air can be supplied to the storage air passages 73A. Here, the storage section air ejection means 73 is formed by the storage section air passage 73A, the storage section air ejection hole 73B, and the storage section air inlet 73C, and compressed air can be forcefully ejected toward the storage section 67 by supplying compressed air from the storage section air inlet 73C. Furthermore, on the lower right side of the upper end face of the left upper guide member 61, an inclined surface 61D is formed that is at a steeper angle than the inclined surface 61A and follows the inclined surface 71B.

[0031] A second part-breaking member 72 is housed within the upper notch 62B of the right upper guide member 62 so as to be able to move up and down and slide, and an inclined surface 72A is formed on the upper end face of this second part-breaking member 72, which is in line with the inclined surface 62A of the right upper guide member 62.

[0032] Within the space enclosed by the lower notch 61C of the left upper guide member 61, the lower notch 62C of the right upper guide member 62, and the upper surfaces of the left lower guide member 63 and the right lower guide member 64, the parts separation member 81 is housed so as to be slidable in the left-right direction in Figure 2. Furthermore, a part stopper member 91, having an engaging recess 91A on its lower surface, is housed in the central notch 62D of the upper right guide member 62 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction in Figure 2. This part stopper member 91 is constantly biased in a direction that causes it to protrude to the left in Figure 2 by a part stopper member biasing means 93 housed in a biasing means housing recess 62E. In this embodiment, the part stopping member biasing means 93 is composed of, for example, a compression coil spring, but it is not limited to a compression coil spring; it may also be a leaf spring. In short, it may be any other biasing means that constantly biases the part stopping member 91 in the direction of protruding to the left in Figure 2, such as a gas spring.

[0033] As shown in detail in Figure 9, the parts separation member 81 is formed having a left sliding portion 81A, a right sliding portion 81B provided at a predetermined distance from the left sliding portion 81A, a connecting portion 81C that integrally connects the left sliding portion 81A and the right sliding portion 81B, and an engaging projection 81D that protrudes from the upper surface of the right sliding portion 81B and can engage with the engaging recess 91A of the parts stopping member 91. Furthermore, a storage section 81E is formed by the distance between the left sliding section 81A and the right sliding section 81B, and this storage section 81E has a cross-sectional area capable of accommodating one part P. Furthermore, in the parts separation member 81, the left and right spatial dimensions in the lower notches 61C of the left upper guide member 61 and 62C of the right upper guide member 62, as well as the left and right length dimensions of the parts separation member 81, are appropriately set so that the central axis N of the storage section 81E can move from the position of the upper central axis L to the position of the lower central axis M.

[0034] Figure 10 shows the engagement state between the part separation member 81 and the part stopping member 91. When the part separation member 81 is moved to the rightward position shown in Figure 2 by the part separation member drive mechanism 85, which will be described in detail later, the engaging projection 81D of the part separation member 81 is in contact with the right side surface of the engaging recess 91A of the part stopping member 91, and the part stopping member 91 is moved to the rightward against the biasing force of the part stopping member biasing means 93. Due to this movement of the part stopping member 91 to the right, the left end surface of the part stopping member 91 is set to retract from the upper guide groove 65A, as also shown in Figure 14(A). As a result, the part P in the upper guide groove 65A can move and fall freely within the upper guide groove 65A. Furthermore, when the parts separation member 81 is moved to the right, the central axis N of the storage section 81E is moved to a position that coincides with the upper central axis L of the upper guide groove 65A. As a result, one of the parts P in the upper guide groove 65A is stored in the storage section 81E of the parts separation member 81.

[0035] On the other hand, when the parts separation member 81 is moved to the leftward position shown in Figure 2 by the parts separation member drive mechanism 85 described later, the engaging projection 81D of the parts separation member 81 moves away from the right side of the engaging recess 91A of the parts stopping member 91, so that the parts stopping member 91 is moved to the left by the biasing force of the parts stopping member biasing means 93. Due to this movement of the parts stopping member 91 to the left, the left end face of the parts stopping member 91 protrudes from the upper guide groove 65A, as shown in Figure 14(B). When the left end face of the parts stopping member 91 protrudes from the upper guide groove 65A, and a part P is interposed in the upper guide groove 65A, the part P is sandwiched between the left end face of the parts stopping member 91 and the right end face of the left upper guide member 61, and the downward fall of the part P is stopped.

[0036] As shown in Figures 2, 4, and 11, a stepped air ejection hole 101A is opened on the upper left end surface of the lower right guide member 64, at a position opposite the upper central axis L of the upper guide groove 65A. This stepped air ejection hole 101A is connected to the stepped air inlet 101B. As a result, when compressed air is supplied from the stepped air inlet 101B, the compressed air is ejected from the stepped air ejection hole 101A into the upper guide groove 65A, and the parts P present in the upper guide groove 65A are blown upward, i.e., toward the storage section 67, thereby clearing blockages of parts P in the upper guide groove 65A.

[0037] As shown in the rear view of Figure 3, a first photoelectric sensor 111 is provided on the back surface of the base member 40 at a position opposite the first through-hole 41, and a second photoelectric sensor 113 is provided at a position opposite the second through-hole 42. These first and second photoelectric sensors 111 and 113 check for the presence or absence of parts P in the storage section 67 through the first and second through-holes 41 and 42, respectively, and are composed of general reflective photoelectric sensors.

[0038] In Figure 3, the drive shaft 75A of the first parts-breaking member drive mechanism 75, which consists of an air cylinder and the like, is attached to the back of the first parts-breaking member 71, and the main body of the first parts-breaking member drive mechanism 75 is attached to the housing 23. Therefore, when compressed air is supplied to the first parts-breaking member drive mechanism 75 and the direction of supply is switched, the first parts-breaking member drive mechanism 75 protrudes and retracts from the inclined surface 61A of the upper left guide member 61 toward the storage section 67. In addition, the storage section air inlet 73C is connected to the back of the first parts-breaking member 71.

[0039] In Figure 3, the drive shaft 77A of the second parts-breaking member drive mechanism 77, which is composed of an air cylinder and the like, is attached to the back of the second parts-breaking member 72, and the main body of the second parts-breaking member drive mechanism 77 is attached to the housing 23. Therefore, when compressed air is supplied to the second parts-breaking member drive mechanism 77 and the direction of supply is switched, the second parts-breaking member drive mechanism 77 protrudes and retracts from the inclined surface 62A of the upper right guide member 62 toward the storage section 67.

[0040] In Figure 3, a parts separation member drive mechanism 85A, which consists of an air cylinder and the like, is attached to the back of the parts separation member 81, and the main body of the parts separation member drive mechanism 85 is attached to the housing 23. Therefore, when compressed air is supplied to the parts separation member drive mechanism 85 and the direction of supply is switched, the parts separation member drive mechanism 85 is driven left and right within the space formed by the lower notch 61C of the left upper guide member 61 and the lower notch 62C of the right upper guide member 62.

[0041] A parts sensor 98, consisting of a pair of transmissive photoelectric sensors, is provided below the lower guide groove 65B formed between the upper ends of the left lower guide member 63 and the right lower guide member 64. The optical path of this parts sensor 98 is positioned to cross the drop passage for parts P discharged from the discharge port 68 of the lower guide groove 65B, enabling the counting of parts P discharged from the lower guide groove 65B.

[0042] Furthermore, a large, bowl-shaped parts removal container 180 is provided below the lower guide groove 65B, and the parts P discharged one by one from the lower guide groove 65B fall into the parts removal container 180 and are stored there. On one side of the parts retrieval container 180, on the upper right side in Figures 1 and 2, is a parts retrieval sensor 185 composed of a reflective photoelectric sensor. The optical path of this parts retrieval sensor 185 is set to cross over the parts retrieval container 180, so that when a predetermined number of parts P are stored in the parts retrieval container 180 and the device is stopped, it is possible to detect when parts P are removed from the parts retrieval container 180 by a person or other means.

[0043] Figure 12 shows one embodiment of the control unit 151 located within the control box 150. In Figure 12, the control unit 151 includes a parts counter 152 and a parts extraction counter 154, as well as a CPU, memory, etc. (not shown), enabling various control processes. A parts counter setting means 153 is connected to the parts counter 152, allowing the quantity of parts P to be stored in the parts extraction container 180 to be set. The parts counter 152 receives signals from the parts sensor 98 and counts the parts P being discharged one by one from the discharge port 68. Furthermore, a parts removal counter setting means 155 is connected to the parts removal counter 154, allowing the number of times parts P stored in the parts removal container 180 are removed to be set. The parts removal counter 154 receives a signal from the parts removal sensor 185 and counts the number of times parts P stored in the parts removal container 180 have been removed.

[0044] In addition to the parts sensor 98 and the parts removal sensor 185, the control unit 151 is connected to a first photoelectric sensor 111 and a second photoelectric sensor 113, and the first photoelectric sensor 111 and the second photoelectric sensor 113 input detection signals indicating the presence or absence of parts P in the storage section 67 or the upper guide groove 65A. Furthermore, the control unit 151 is connected to a parts separation member drive mechanism 85, a first parts breaking member drive mechanism 75, and a second parts breaking member drive mechanism 77, and a drive signal is output to each of these drive mechanisms. Furthermore, the control unit 151 is connected to the storage section air ejection means 73 and the stepped section air ejection means 101, and a drive signal is output to each of the air ejection means.

[0045] Furthermore, 190 is a filter-equipped regulator connected to a pneumatic source such as a compressor (not shown), and is capable of supplying compressed air at a predetermined pressure to the parts extraction device 10 that requires compressed air.

[0046] The operation of the 310, configured as described above, will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 13 and the operation diagram in Figure 14.

[0047] In Figure 13, as shown in step S1, when parts P are fed into the hopper 30, the parts P fall from the parts supply port 35 of the hopper 30 into the storage section 67 and are stored. A portion of the stored parts P enters the guide groove 65, resulting in the state shown in Figure 14(A). At this point, the parts separation member 81 has been moved to the initial position of the device operation, as shown in Figure 14(A). Therefore, the central axis N of the storage section 81E coincides with the lower central axis M of the upper guide groove 65A. Consequently, one of the parts P is introduced into the storage section 81E.

[0048] In this state, when the power to the device is turned on, in step S2, the parts separation member drive mechanism 85 is activated, and the parts separation member 81 is moved to the position shown in Figure 14(B). Along with this movement, the central axis N of the storage section 81E is moved to a position that coincides with the lower central axis M of the lower guide groove 65B, and the parts P inside the storage section 81E fall through the lower guide groove 65B and out of the discharge port 68 and are stored in the parts removal container 180. In this case, when the parts separation member 81 is moved to the left, the force exerted by the parts separation member 81 to move the parts stopping member 91 to the right is released, and the parts stopping member 91 is moved to the left by the biasing force of the parts stopping member biasing means 93. As the parts stopping member 91 moves to the left, the left end face of the parts stopping member 91 protrudes into the upper guide groove 65A, pressing the part P located in the upper guide groove 65A against the left side wall of the upper guide groove 65A. This prevents the part P in the upper guide groove 65A from falling downward and does not hinder the movement of the parts separation member 81 to the left.

[0049] When part P falls, as shown in step S3, the part sensor 98 determines whether or not part P has fallen into the part container 180. If a fall is detected, this signal is sent to the control unit 151 and counted by the part counter 152, as shown in step S4.

[0050] In step S5, the count from the parts counter 152 is compared with the set value g of the parts counter setting means 153. If the count has not reached the set value g, the process returns to step S2 and the operation from step S2 to step S5 is repeated, and the parts P are sequentially stored one by one in the parts removal container 180 from the discharge port 68.

[0051] On the other hand, when the count of the parts counter 152 reaches the set value g, it means that the number of parts P stored in the parts removal container 180 has reached the set value. Therefore, as in step S6, the parts separation member drive mechanism 85 returns the parts separation member 81 to its initial position, i.e., the state shown in Figure 14(A), and the parts separation member drive mechanism 85 is stopped. After the parts separation member drive mechanism 85 stops, in step S7, the parts removal sensor 185 detects and determines whether or not part P has been removed from the parts removal container 180. If the part removal sensor 185 does not detect the removal of part P from the part removal container 180, the process returns to step S6 and the operations from step S6 to step S7 are repeated, and the part separation member drive mechanism 85 remains stopped.

[0052] When the part removal sensor 185 detects the removal of part P from the part removal container 180, the part removal sensor 185 sends a removal detection signal to the control unit 151, which is counted by the part removal counter 154 in step S8. The count in the part removal counter 154 is compared with the set value G of the set number of removals set by the part removal counter setting means 155. If the set value G has not been reached, the process returns to step S2 and the operation from step S2 to step S9 is repeated. On the other hand, if the count in the parts removal counter 154 reaches the set value G, the parts removal operation by 310 will be terminated.

[0053] In step S3, if the part sensor 98 does not detect that part P has fallen, in step S10, the elapsed time t during which no detection occurred is measured, and it is determined whether the elapsed time t has reached a predetermined set time T, for example, 2 seconds. If the elapsed time t has not reached the set time T, the process returns to step S2 and the steps from step S2 onward continue.

[0054] On the other hand, if the elapsed time t reaches the set time T, it is determined that the part P has not flowed into the guide groove 65 and that the part P does not exist in the guide groove 65. This situation in which the part P does not exist in the guide groove 65 occurs when the parts P become entangled in the storage section 67, or when the parts P accumulate in a bridge-like manner at the entrance of the guide groove 65 and the part P does not flow into the guide groove 65, or when the part P itself does not exist in the storage section 67 or at the entrance of the guide groove 65, i.e., when it is empty. Therefore, if the parts P are entangled within the storage section 67 or piled up in a bridge-like manner at the entrance of the guide groove 65, it is necessary to untangle the parts P. Therefore, in step S11, the first part-breaking member drive mechanism 75 of the first part-breaking member 71 is driven. As the first part-breaking member drive mechanism 75 is driven, the first part-breaking member 71 protrudes from the inclined surface 61A of the left upper guide member 61. Simultaneously with the driving of the first part-breaking member drive mechanism 75, or after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of driving, the storage section air ejection means 73 is driven as in step S12, and compressed air is forcefully ejected into the storage section 67 from the storage section air ejection hole 73B. By driving these first parts breaking members 71 and injecting compressed air from the storage section air ejection holes 73B, the lightweight, small parts P are broken apart within the storage section 67, and the parts P are separated one by one and can flow into the guide grooves 65.

[0055] On the other hand, it is possible that parts P are not present in the storage section 67 or at the entrance of the guide groove 65, i.e., the section may be empty. For this reason, the conditions inside the storage section 67 and at the entrance of the guide groove 65 are detected by the first photoelectric sensor 111 and the second photoelectric sensor 113 through the first through-hole 41 and the second through-hole 42. In other words, in step 13, the presence or absence of part P in the storage section 67 is determined by the first photoelectric sensor 111. If the presence of part P in the storage section 67 is detected, in step 14, the presence or absence of part P at the entrance of the guide groove 65 is determined by the second photoelectric sensor 113.

[0056] If the second photoelectric sensor 113 detects the presence of part P at the entrance of the guide groove 65, it is determined that there is a blockage of part P at the entrance of the guide groove 65. Therefore, in step S15, the stepped air ejection means 101 is activated, and compressed air is forcefully ejected from the stepped air ejection hole 101A into the upper guide groove 65A. As a result, the part P that was blocking the entrance of the guide groove 65 is blown into the storage section 67, allowing part P to flow into the guide groove 65. Therefore, after step S15, the process returns to step S2, and the steps from step S2 onward are repeated.

[0057] On the other hand, if the first photoelectric sensor 111 does not detect part P in step S13, the storage unit 67 is empty, so an alarm is issued in step S16, and in step S17, part P is replenished into the hopper 30 as appropriate. After the replenishment of part P, the process returns to step S2, and the steps from step S2 onward are repeated. Furthermore, if, in step S13, the first photoelectric sensor 111 detects the part P in the storage section 67, but the second photoelectric sensor 113 does not detect the part P, then the part P is jammed in the storage section 67. In this case, the process returns to step S11, and the steps from step S11 onward are repeated to resolve any entanglement or blockage of the part P in the storage section 67.

[0058] In steps S13 and S14, the detection signals from the first photoelectric sensor 111 and the second photoelectric sensor 113 are input to the control unit 151, and the following predetermined control operations are performed.

[0059] The operation of the parts extraction device 10 has been described above based on Figure 13, but these operations and their sequence are just examples, and the operation and sequence of the parts extraction device 10 may be different. For example, in addition to the thrusting and retracting of the first parts breaking member 71 and the injection of compressed air from the storage section air ejection means 73, the second parts breaking member drive mechanism 77 may be driven to simultaneously thrust and retract the second parts breaking member 72. By adding this thrusting and retracting of the second parts breaking member 72, entanglement of parts P in the storage section 67 can be more effectively resolved. Furthermore, in Figure 13, in step S13, the part P is replenished when the first photoelectric sensor 111 does not detect the part P. However, the method is not limited to this, and the part P may also be replenished when the second photoelectric sensor 113 does not detect the part P.

[0060] This embodiment provides the following effects. Even if the parts P to be counted are lightweight and have a complex shape and are prone to entanglement, the entanglement of the parts P can be easily untangled by the protrusion from the left upper guide member 61 and the right upper guide member 62 of the first part untangling member 71 and the second part untangling member 72, the injection of compressed air from the storage section air ejection hole 73B, and the injection of compressed air into the upper guide groove 65A from the stepped section air ejection hole 101A. This allows the parts P to flow smoothly into the guide groove 65, ensuring accurate counting of the parts P.

[0061] Furthermore, a stepped section 65C is provided in the middle of the guide groove 65, and a parts separation member 81 having a storage section 81E is slidably mounted in this stepped section 65C in a direction that crosses the guide groove 65. As a result, the parts separation member 81 can reliably discharge the parts P one by one to the discharge port 68. A part stopping member 91 is provided on the upper left guide member 61 upstream of the part separating member 81. When one part P is discharged by the part separating member 81, the part P in the upper guide groove 65A can be stopped to prevent it from falling downwards, thus ensuring that each part is discharged more reliably. A stepped air ejection hole 101A is provided in the lower left guide member 63 at a position corresponding to the upper guide groove 65A. When a blockage of part P occurs on the inlet side of the guide groove 65, compressed air can be ejected from the stepped air ejection hole 101A to the upstream side of the upper guide groove 65A, thereby reliably clearing the blockage of part P on the inlet side of the guide groove 65.

[0062] The upper end surfaces of the left upper guide member 61 and the right upper guide member 62 that constitute the storage section 67 are inclined surfaces 61A and 62A that expand upward as a whole, so that the part P can be smoothly guided toward the guide groove 65 connected to the lower end of the storage section 67. Furthermore, since the height positions of the inclined surfaces 61A and 62A on both sides that constitute the entrance to the guide groove 65 of the storage section 67 are different, the parts P stored in the storage section 67 flow into the entrance side of the guide groove 65 along the inclined surfaces 61A and 62A on both sides, and can also flow smoothly into the upper guide groove 65A from the lower inclined surface 61A.

[0063] Furthermore, by providing a first photoelectric sensor 111 above the storage section 67 and a second photoelectric sensor 113 near the entrance of the guide groove 65, the condition of the parts P inside the storage section 67 and near the entrance of the guide groove 65, i.e., whether they are clogged or empty, can be constantly checked, and the operation of the device can always be kept smooth.

[0064] The guide member 60 is composed of four separate members: a left upper guide member 61, a right upper guide member 62, a left lower guide member 63, and a right lower guide member 64. These four members are attached to the base member 40, allowing for easy modification of the shape of the left upper guide member 61 through the right lower guide member 64, as well as the width of the guide grooves 65 formed between the four members. This makes it even easier to accommodate changes in the shape and size of part P.

[0065] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and any design changes or other modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included. For example, it is not necessary to provide both the first and second part-disrupting members 71 and 72; providing at least one is sufficient. However, providing both allows for appropriate use depending on the entanglement and jamming of the parts P, which has the advantage of resolving the entanglement of the parts P more smoothly.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the parts P, once a predetermined number have been counted, are stored in 180 and removed manually. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the parts may be sequentially placed into containers transported by a conveyor belt or the like. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide member 60 is constructed by dividing it into four parts, but the guide member 60 may also be machined or otherwise cut out and attached integrally with the base member 40. However, dividing it into four parts and forming it separately from the base member 40 has the advantage of easily accommodating changes in the shape of part P, as mentioned above.

[0067] Furthermore, a suitable means for stirring the parts P may be provided within the hopper 30. As an example of a stirring means, there is a method shown in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-103792 in which a number of abacus-bead-shaped pieces are attached to the middle of an excitation rod, and the parts P are prevented from becoming entangled by vibrating this excitation rod. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 10. Parts extraction device (for removing a predetermined number of parts) 30 hoppers 40 Base member 41 First through-hole 42 Second through-hole 50 Surface member 60 Guide members 61 Upper left guide member 61A Slope 62 Upper right guide member 62A Slope 63 Lower left guide member 64 Lower right guide member 65 Guide groove 65A Upper guide groove 65B Lower guide groove 65C Step section 67 Storage section 68 Outlet 71. First part breaking down component 71A Slope 72 Second part breaking component 72A Inclined surface: End surface 73 Storage section air ejection means 73B Storage section air ejection port 75. First part disassembly member drive mechanism 77 Second part disintegration member drive mechanism 81 Parts separation member 81D Engaging projection 81E Storage compartment 85 Parts separation member drive mechanism 91 Parts Stopper 91A Engaging recess 93 Part Stop Member Biasing Means 98 Parts Sensor 101 Stepped section air ejection means 101A Stepped section air outlet 111 First photoelectric sensor 113 Second photoelectric sensor 150 Control Box 151 Control Unit 152 Parts Counter 180 Parts Removal Container 185 Parts extraction sensor L Upper center axis M Lower center axis N Storage compartment central axis P Parts

Claims

1. A parts dispensing device comprising a hopper capable of storing parts to be counted, and which counts the parts supplied from the hopper and discharges them into a predetermined parts dispensing container, The aforementioned part extraction device, Base member and Surface members arranged at predetermined intervals on the base member, A guide member is provided, which is positioned within a predetermined distance between the base member and the surface member, and includes a storage section for storing the parts, an outlet from which the parts can be separated and discharged one by one, and a guide groove that guides the parts from the storage section to the outlet and has a stepped section along the way. At least one parts breaking member is slidably mounted on the guide member and is provided to be able to protrude and retract toward the storage portion, The end face of the parts breaking member facing the storage portion, and at least a portion of the end face of the guide member forming the storage portion, are open to a storage portion air ejection hole that ejects air toward the storage portion, A parts separation member is provided at the stepped portion of the guide member so as to be slidable in a direction crossing the guide groove, and has a storage portion capable of accommodating one of the parts, A parts separation member drive mechanism drives the parts separation member in a direction that crosses the guide groove, A part stopping member is provided on the guide member at an upstream position of the part separating member so as to be slidable in a direction across the guide groove, and is movable in a direction to close or open the guide groove, and is linked to the movement of the part separating member, A part stop member biasing means that biases the part stop member in a direction that constantly closes the guide groove, A parts sensor is provided near the discharge port and detects the parts that are separated and discharged one by one from the discharge port. A parts counter that receives a signal from the parts sensor and counts the number of parts that have passed through the discharge port, The stepped portion air ejection hole is provided on the stepped portion of the guide member and ejects air from a position below the part separation member toward the upstream side of the guide groove, Equipped with, The storage portion of the guide member is configured to have an inclined surface that expands upward, The guide groove has a substantially straight upper guide groove and a lower guide groove provided in the upper guide groove via the step, the step portion is formed such that the upper central axis of the upper guide groove and the lower central axis of the lower guide groove are separated by a distance approximately equivalent to or slightly longer than the length of one part, the upper part of the upper guide groove is in communication with the lower part of the inclined surface of the storage section, the lower part of the lower guide groove is in communication with the discharge port, and the upper guide groove and the lower guide groove have a cross-sectional shape through which one of the parts can pass. The interlocking mechanism that links the parts separation member and the parts stopping member is configured such that when the central axis of the storage portion of the parts separation member is aligned with the upper central axis, the parts separation member drives the parts stopping member to open the guide groove against the biasing means of the parts stopping member, while when the central axis of the storage portion of the parts separation member is aligned with the lower central axis, the interlocking drive between the parts separation member and the parts stopping member is released, allowing the parts stopping member to be driven in a direction that closes the guide groove by the biasing force of the biasing means of the parts stopping member. A device for extracting a predetermined number of parts.

2. A part extraction device according to claim 1, wherein the height positions of the inclined surfaces on both sides constituting the entrance portion of the guide groove in the storage portion are different.

3. A parts extraction device according to claim 1, wherein the parts breaking member is provided so as to be able to protrude from and retract into the inclined surfaces on both sides of the inclined surface that expands above the storage portion.

4. A part extraction device according to claim 1, wherein the part stopping member biasing means is composed of a compression coil spring interposed between the part stopping member and the guide member.

5. A parts extraction device according to claim 1, further comprising: a first photoelectric sensor provided at a position slightly above the center of the storage section for detecting the presence of the parts in the storage section; and a second photoelectric sensor provided near the entrance of the upper guide groove for detecting the presence of the parts near the entrance of the upper guide groove.

6. In the part extraction device for a predetermined number of parts according to claim 1, The process of loading the aforementioned parts into the hopper, A step of turning on the power and operating the parts separation member drive mechanism, The process includes detecting the discharge of the part from the discharge port of the guide member using the part sensor, The process of continuing to operate the part separation member drive mechanism until the count value of the part counter, based on the count value of the part detected by the part sensor, reaches a set value, The process includes stopping the operation of the part separation member drive mechanism when the count value of the counter, based on the count value of the part detected by the part sensor, reaches a set value, After stopping the operation of the parts separation member drive mechanism, the system detects whether the parts have been removed from the parts removal container and stops the operation of the parts separation member drive mechanism until the removal is complete. After the removal of the parts from the parts removal container is completed, the number of times the parts have been removed from the parts removal container is counted to determine if the required number of parts has been removed, and the above process is repeated until the required number of parts has been removed is reached. After the number of times the parts have been removed from the parts removal container reaches the required number, the parts separation member drive mechanism is stopped to halt the parts removal operation. It is equipped with A method for driving a device that dispenses a predetermined number of parts.

7. In the part extraction device for a predetermined number of parts according to claim 5, The process of loading the aforementioned parts into the hopper, A step of turning on the power and operating the parts separation member drive mechanism, The process includes detecting the discharge of the part from the discharge port of the guide member using the part sensor, The process of continuing to operate the part separation member drive mechanism until the count value of the part counter, based on the count value of the part detected by the part sensor, reaches a set value, A step of checking the storage state of the parts in the storage section with the first photoelectric sensor, If the counter value based on the count value of the part detected by the part sensor has not reached a set value, and the part sensor has not counted the discharge of the part from the discharge port of the guide member even after a predetermined set time has elapsed, and the part is in a stored state in the storage section, then the process of blowing air out from the storage section air ejection hole is performed. The process of checking the storage state of the parts at the entrance of the guide groove with the second photoelectric sensor, If the counter value based on the count value of the part detected by the part sensor has not reached a set value, and the part sensor has not counted the discharge of the part from the discharge port of the guide member even after a predetermined set time has elapsed, and the part at the entrance of the guide groove is in a stored state, then the process of blowing air out from the stepped air ejection hole is performed. The process includes stopping the operation of the part separation member drive mechanism when the count value of the counter, based on the count value of the part detected by the part sensor, reaches a set value, After stopping the operation of the parts separation member drive mechanism, the system detects whether the parts have been removed from the parts removal container and stops the operation of the parts separation member drive mechanism until the removal is complete. After the removal of the parts from the parts removal container is completed, the number of times the parts have been removed from the parts removal container is counted to determine if the required number of parts has been removed, and the above process is repeated until the required number of parts has been removed is reached. After the number of times the parts have been removed from the parts removal container reaches the required number, the parts separation member drive mechanism is stopped to halt the parts removal operation. It is equipped with A method for driving a device that dispenses a predetermined number of parts.

8. A method for driving a device for removing a predetermined number of parts according to claim 6 or claim 7, comprising the step of activating the parts disintegration member driving mechanism at a predetermined timing, A method for driving a device that dispenses a predetermined number of parts.

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