Conveying system

Abstract

This system provides a transport mechanism that allows a workpiece to be accurately positioned in a predetermined location without the operator having to visually inspect the workpiece. [Solution] The transport system 1 includes a positioning pin 102 provided on the main body 10 and extending in the vertical direction, and a cylindrical member 104 fixedly positioned near the location where the workpiece W is to be positioned, into which the positioning pin 102 can be inserted. By pushing down the main body 10 so that the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104, the workpiece W held by the holding part 20 is positioned in a direction along the horizontal plane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conveying system for conveying workpieces.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various conveying systems for conveying workpieces have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a hanging tool configured in a shape that does not interfere with a hanging support portion when gripping a cargo and putting it into a container, enabling smooth operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is a need for an operator who supports the conveyance of workpieces by the conveying system to accurately position the workpiece at a predetermined position without looking at the workpiece.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such points, and an object thereof is to provide a conveying system capable of accurately positioning a workpiece at a predetermined position without the operator looking at the workpiece.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The conveying system of the present disclosure is a conveying system for conveying workpieces, a main body portion that is suspended from a crane and is at least movable in the vertical direction and can be pushed down by an operator, a holding portion provided on the main body portion for holding a workpiece, a positioning pin provided on the main body portion and extending in the vertical direction, A cylindrical member is provided in a fixed position near the location where the workpiece is positioned, into which the positioning pin can be inserted. Equipped with, The workpiece held by the holding portion is positioned in a direction along the horizontal plane by the operator pushing down the main body so that the positioning pin is inserted into the cylindrical member.

[0007] In the transport system of this disclosure, the holding portion may be positioned behind the positioning pin in the direction the worker is facing when the worker pushes down the main body portion.

[0008] The transport system of this disclosure further comprises a handle provided on the main body, The operator may, while holding the handle, be able to push down the main body so that the positioning pin is inserted into the cylindrical member.

[0009] In the transport system of this disclosure, the holding portion may be positioned further back than the handle in the direction the worker is facing when the worker pushes down the main body portion while holding the handle.

[0010] Furthermore, when the operator pushes down the main body while holding the handle, the holding portion may be positioned further back than the positioning pin in the direction the operator is facing.

[0011] In the transport system of this disclosure, at least two positioning pins are provided, and at least two cylindrical members may be provided corresponding to the positioning pins.

[0012] Furthermore, the positioning pin may be a substantially cylindrical member.

[0013] Furthermore, the lower end portion of the positioning pin may be tapered.

[0014] Further, the lower end portion of the positioning pin may be substantially conical or substantially frustoconical.

[0015] Also, the internal space of the cylindrical member may be substantially cylindrical.

[0016] Also, the internal space of the cylindrical member may be such that the cross-section in the direction along the horizontal plane at the upper end portion of the cylindrical member becomes larger upward in the vertical direction.

[0017] Also, the internal space of the cylindrical member may be tapered at the upper end portion of the cylindrical member.

[0018] The conveying system of the present disclosure includes a guide rail extending in the horizontal direction, a slide mechanism provided movably on the guide rail, and further includes a gravity canceling cylinder may be disposed between the slide mechanism and the main body portion.

[0019] In the conveying system of the present disclosure, the workpiece held by the holding portion is cylindrical, at the location where the workpiece held by the holding portion is placed, a mounting table that enters the inside of the cylindrical workpiece is fixedly provided, The magnitude of the difference between the diameter of the positioning pin and the diameter of the internal space of the cylindrical member may be smaller than the magnitude of the difference between the diameter of the internal space of the cylindrical workpiece and the diameter of the mounting table.

[0020] In the conveying system of the present disclosure, after the conveying system holds the workpiece by the holding portion at the first position, it may rotate along the horizontal direction while maintaining the posture of the main body portion facing the operator around the position of the operator facing the main body portion, and be able to release the workpiece from the holding portion at the second position.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the conveying system of the present disclosure, the operator can accurately position the work at a predetermined position without looking at the work.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] It is a side view of the conveying system shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a top view of the conveying system shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a front view showing the configurations of the main body part, holding part, positioning pin, handle, slide mechanism, gravity canceling cylinder, etc. in the conveying system shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing an enlarged configuration of the gravity canceling cylinder shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing an enlarged configuration of the main body part, positioning pin, and handle shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] (a) and (b) are diagrams schematically showing the operation when positioning the work held by the holding part of the conveying system shown in FIG. 1 at a predetermined position. [Figure 8] (a), (b), and (c) are diagrams schematically showing the operation when inserting the positioning pin of the conveying system shown in FIG. 1 into a cylindrical member provided with a fixed position. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view showing the state when the positioning pin of the conveying system shown in FIG. 1 is inserted into a cylindrical member provided with a fixed position. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing details of the configuration of the lower end portion of the positioning pin of the conveying system shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 11] It is a cross-sectional view showing details of the configuration of the hollow portion of a cylindrical member provided with a fixed position. [Figure 12]Figures (a) to (d) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation in which the workpiece is held by the holding part of the transport system at the first position, then the workpiece is temporarily released from the holding part at the second position to perform welding on the workpiece, and then the workpiece is held again by the holding part of the transport system at the second position, and finally released from the holding part at the third position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 11 show the configuration of the transport system 1 according to this embodiment, and Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation in which the workpiece W is held by the holding part 20 of the transport system 1 at a first position, the workpiece W is temporarily released from the holding part 20 at a second position to perform welding on the workpiece W, and then the workpiece W is held again by the holding part 20 of the transport system 1 at a second position, and then released from the holding part 20 at a third position. In each figure, the worker is indicated by reference numeral O and the workpiece is indicated by reference numeral W.

[0024] The transport system 1 of this embodiment transports a workpiece W and positions the transported workpiece W at a predetermined position in a direction along the horizontal plane. The transport system 1 is suspended from a crane 2 and is movable at least in the vertical direction and includes a main body 10 that can be pushed down by an operator, a holding part 20 provided on the main body 10 to hold the workpiece W, a pair of left and right positioning pins 102 provided on the main body 10 and extending in the vertical direction, a pair of left and right cylindrical members 104 provided in a fixed position near the location where the workpiece W is positioned and into which the positioning pins 102 can be inserted, and a pair of left and right handles 34 provided on the main body 10 that can be grasped by the operator with the left and right hands respectively. The main body 10 is suspended from a slide mechanism 70 that slides along second guide rails 64a and 64b that extend in the horizontal direction, and a gravity cancellation cylinder 80 is arranged between the slide mechanism 70 and the main body 10.

[0025] In this transport system 1, the operator grips each handle 34 and pushes down the main body 10 so that each pair of positioning pins 102 is inserted into each pair of cylindrical members 104, thereby positioning the workpiece W held by the holding part 20 in a direction along the horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the workpiece W is made of stacked metal disc members (e.g., SUS plate, SPCC plate, electrical steel plate) with a circular opening near the center, but the workpiece W is not limited to this form. That is, in this embodiment, the workpiece W is cylindrical with a through hole near the center, but it is not limited to this shape. The components of this transport system 1 are described in detail below.

[0026] First, the configuration of the main body 10 will be described. As mentioned above, the main body 10 is movable at least in the vertical direction and can be pushed down and pushed up by an operator. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the main body 10 is provided with a holding part 20 for holding the workpiece W, a pair of left and right handles 34, a pair of left and right positioning pins 102, an operation panel 36, and the like.

[0027] Next, the configuration of the holding unit 20 will be described. The holding unit 20 holds a cylindrical workpiece W, which is made up of stacked metal disc members, by clamping it from the left and right sides with a pair of chucks 20a. Each of these left and right chucks 20a moves forward and backward in directions toward each other and away from each other by means of an air cylinder or the like. The holding unit 20 also has a workpiece rotation mechanism 20b that rotates the workpiece W to a specified angle while holding the workpiece W with the pair of chucks 20a. This workpiece rotation mechanism 20b makes it possible to invert the workpiece W held by the pair of chucks 20a up and down.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the pair of left and right handles 34 will be described. As shown in Figure 6, the pair of left and right handles 34 are each held by the left and right hands of the operator. After the operator holds each of the left and right handles 34 with their left and right hands, pushing down on each handle 34 causes the main body 10 to move vertically downward. Conversely, pushing up on each handle 34 causes the main body 10 to move vertically upward.

[0029] The main unit 10 is also provided with an operation panel 36. The operation panel 36 is provided with a number of operation buttons 50. Each operation button 50 functions as an input unit for the operator to perform desired operations on the transport system 1, and consists of, for example, buttons, switches, keyboards, etc. The operation panel 36 is also provided with a notification unit 40. The notification unit 40 consists of lamps, buzzers, etc., and notifies the operator of information such as abnormalities in the transport system 1 or whether the workpiece W is being held by the holding unit 20, through displayed content, audio content, etc.

[0030] Crane 2 is composed of a framework 60 including columns and guide rails. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the framework 60 has a pair of left and right first guide rails 62a, 62b extending horizontally, and a pair of left and right second guide rails 64a, 64b extending horizontally in a direction perpendicular to each of the first guide rails 62a, 62b. Here, the movable body composed of the main body 10 and the pair of left and right second guide rails 64a, 64b is movable along each of the first guide rails 62a, 62b in the direction in which they extend. In addition, the slide mechanism 70 from which the main body 10 is suspended is movable along each of the second guide rails 64a, 64b in the direction in which they extend.

[0031] Next, the configuration of the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 will be described. The gravity cancellation cylinder 80 cancels the weight of the workpiece W held by the holding part 20, allowing the operator to move the main body 10 with relatively little force even when the workpiece W is heavy, when moving the main body 10 vertically upward or downward. The gravity cancellation cylinder 80 is installed between the slide mechanism 70 and the main body 10, extends vertically, and expands and contracts along the vertical direction. When the operator pushes the main body 10 vertically downward, the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 expands, and when the operator pushes the main body 10 vertically upward, the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 contracts. In this case, the weight of the workpiece W is canceled, so the operator can expand and contract the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 with relatively little force when moving the main body 10. More specifically, the slide mechanism 70 has a receiving portion 82 made of a flat plate member extending along a horizontal plane, and four vertical movement guides 84 extending parallel to each other and in the vertical direction are integrally provided with the receiving portion 82 so as to pass through the receiving portion 82. The gravity cancellation cylinder 80 is also provided so as to pass through the receiving portion 82, and the four vertical movement guides 84 are arranged around the gravity cancellation cylinder 80. Here, when the main body 10 moves in the vertical direction, the vertical movement guides 84 integrated with the receiving portion 82 act as guides to stabilize this vertical movement (preventing load sway), further suppressing the instability that is a concern when operated by a person, and further enhancing the stability of the gravity cancellation cylinder 80.

[0032] The gravity cancellation cylinder 80 and the vertical movement guide 84 may be directly connected to the main body 10, or they may be indirectly connected to the main body 10 via the rotation mechanism 90 (see Figure 4). In this way, the main body 10 and the workpiece W can be moved vertically by the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 and the vertical movement guide 84.

[0033] The rotation mechanism 90 is provided between the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 and the main body 10, and the rotation mechanism 90 allows the operator to always maintain the orientation of the operation panel 36 in the desired direction. Such a rotation mechanism 90 is positioned directly above the holding part 20. The rotation mechanism 90 enables the horizontal arc movement of the main body 10. In this way, in addition to the forward / backward and left / right movement of the main body 10, variations can be made in the movement of the workpiece W by the conveying system 1. An example of the rotation mechanism 90 is a bearing.

[0034] There are no limitations on the position (height) of the rotating mechanism 90, but by positioning the rotating mechanism 90 directly above the holding part 20, it is possible to prevent wiring cables, etc. (not shown) from getting caught in the main body 10 while it is moving. In addition, when the rotating mechanism 90 is positioned directly above the holding part 20, the operating panel 36 is always in front of the operator, which has the advantage of reducing the distance the operator has to move.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 12, a restraining mechanism 92 is provided to restrict the movement of the main body 10 in the forward / backward and left / right directions to a predetermined range. With such a restraining mechanism 92, the movement of the main body 10 is limited to an arc as shown in Figure 12(d). The restraining mechanism 92 can be installed on top of the gravity cancellation cylinder 80. That is, the holding unit 20, including the gravity cancellation cylinder 80, is positioned below the restraining mechanism 92. With such a restraining mechanism 92, in the process of holding the workpiece W from a preceding process (outside the transport system 1), placing the workpiece W onto the mounting table 200 of the main process, and then transporting it from the mounting table 200 of the main process to a subsequent process, the restraining mechanism 92 allows the worker to safely transport the workpiece W within the transport system 1.

[0036] Next, the details of the configuration of the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 will be explained with reference to Figures 6 to 11. In this embodiment, the positioning mechanism 100 is composed of a combination of the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104.

[0037] As shown in Figures 8 to 11, the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 each have tapered portions 102c and 104a, respectively, and the positioning pin 102 can be inserted into the cylindrical member 104 by rubbing against each other at the respective tapered portions 102c and 104a. Here, the tapered portion 102c is roughly frustoconical in shape, and the tapered portion 104a has a cross-section that gradually increases in the direction along the horizontal plane toward the vertical upward direction.

[0038] A pair of left and right positioning pins 102 are provided on the main body 10, and a pair of left and right cylindrical members 104 are provided at predetermined work locations within the frame 60. By inserting each of the left and right positioning pins 102 into each of the left and right cylindrical members 104, the main body 10 is positioned at a predetermined location along the horizontal plane. A mounting table 200 on which the workpiece W is placed is provided at this predetermined location.

[0039] As shown in Figure 7, when fitting a cylindrical workpiece W onto a cylindrical mounting base 200, the disc-shaped member constituting the workpiece W must be precisely centered. To fit the workpiece W without touching the sides of the mounting base 200, extremely high positioning accuracy is required, but it is difficult for a human to achieve this high positioning accuracy. To solve this problem, the inventors have devised a mechanism in which a portion of the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 are tapered (tapered portions 102c and 104a), and by inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 while these parts rub against each other, the tolerance (gap) on the positioning mechanism 100 side can be made stricter than the tolerance (gap) of the workpiece W, and fitting of the cylindrical workpiece W and the cylindrical mounting base 200 can be easily performed even with human accuracy. This allows the operator to remotely place the workpiece W onto the mounting base 200 with high precision without visually inspecting the workpiece W itself. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the workpiece W held by the holding part 20 is cylindrical in shape, and a mounting table 200 that fits inside the cylindrical workpiece W is fixedly provided at the location where the workpiece W held by the holding part 20 is placed. The difference between the diameter of the positioning pin 102 and the diameter of the internal space of the cylindrical member 104 is smaller than the difference between the diameter of the internal space of the cylindrical workpiece W and the diameter of the mounting table 200. Specifically, for example, in the examples shown in Figures 7 and 9, the gap between the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 (tolerance: 0.2 mm) is set to be narrower than the gap between the workpiece W and the mounting table 200 (tolerance: 0.5 mm). In this way, damage to the workpiece W itself can be prevented (tolerance control).

[0040] As part of a mechanism that allows the workpiece W to be placed on the mounting table 200 with high precision, the positioning pin 102 is provided with a flange-shaped head portion 102a, as shown in Figures 6, 8, and 9, and the head portion 102a is formed to be wider than the diameter of the positioning pin 102 body and the cylindrical member 104. The bottom surface 102b of this wide head portion 102a is the part that contacts the top portion 104b of the cylindrical member 104 (Figure 9), and the area in contact between the bottom surface 102b and the top portion 104b is not particularly limited.

[0041] When the bottom surface 102b (Figure 8) of the wide head portion 102a contacts the top portion 104b of the cylindrical member 104 (Figure 9), the height of the cylindrical member 104, the height of the mounting table 200, the position and shape of the holding portion 20 and positioning pins 102 that hold the workpiece W are determined so that the workpiece W is placed on the mounting table 200. In the conveying system 1, it is preferable that the height of the cylindrical member 104 is higher than that of the mounting table 200.

[0042] When inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104, even if the positioning pin 102 does not descend perpendicularly into the housing portion 104c of the cylindrical member 104 (even if it wobbles), if the tapered portion 102c descends into the tapered portion 104a, the positioning pin 102 (tapered portion 102c) can descend along the tapered portion 104a, allowing the positioning pin 102 to be inserted into the cylindrical member 104. To suppress damage in the event of contact or collision, the material of the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 (at least the tapered portions 102c and 104a) is SKD11 that has been vacuum hardened and then hardened with chrome plating. Figures 10 and 11 show examples of the dimensions of such a positioning pin 102 and cylindrical member 104.

[0043] The housing portion 104c is a cylindrical space within the cylindrical member 104 that houses the positioning pin 102, including the tapered portion 102c (see Figure 8).

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, when the operator pushes down the main body 10 while holding the handle 34, the holding part 20 that holds the workpiece W is positioned further back (i.e., to the left in Figure 2) than the handle 34 and the positioning pin 102. In Figure 2, the position where the holding part 20 is located is indicated by the dashed line P, and the position where the handle 34 and the positioning pin 102 are located is indicated by the dashed line Q. As a result, the operator can position the workpiece W at a predetermined position in the horizontal plane by looking at the positioning pin 102, which is located closer than the workpiece W, and inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104, without having to look at the workpiece W held by the holding part 20. In other words, because the distance between the worker's eyes and the workpiece W is greater than the distance between the worker's eyes and the positioning pin 102, the worker can position the workpiece W in a predetermined position on the horizontal plane by looking at the positioning pin 102, which is closer than the workpiece W, rather than looking at the workpiece W, and inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104. Furthermore, because the handle 34 is closer to the worker than the workpiece W, the worker can insert the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 in a comfortable posture.

[0045] Next, the configuration of the mounting table 200 on which the workpiece W is placed will be described. As shown in Figure 12, a frame C is installed inside the framework 60 at a predetermined location (work area) where the workpiece W is to be placed, and the mounting table 200 is provided on this frame C. In the example shown in Figure 12, the mounting table 200 has a cylindrical member into which a cylindrical workpiece W can be fitted. As described above, since the workpiece W is held by the holding part 20, it is desirable to accurately understand the positional relationship (arrangement) of the main body 10 on which the holding part 20 is provided, the positioning mechanism 100, and the mounting table 200 (especially the cylindrical member). In this embodiment, the workpiece W is positioned and placed with a small gap between it and the outer surface of the mounting table 200, but it is extremely difficult to accurately position the workpiece W in a perfectly vertical state. This is due to slight deviations in the position and angle of the workpiece W. For example, when a worker places a workpiece W around the mounting platform 200, if the edge of the workpiece W is slightly tilted or the worker's hand movements are not perfectly straight, the workpiece W may come into contact with the outer surface of the mounting platform 200. In particular, when a worker is working for a long time, fatigue and decreased concentration can reduce the precision of the worker's hand movements, often causing the workpiece W to come into contact with the outer surface of the mounting platform 200 unintentionally. Thus, humans are not good at making quick adjustments to their movements, and when the same task is repeated for a long time, misalignment of the workpiece W is likely to occur. To address this problem, the transport system 1 of this embodiment can prevent the workpiece W from coming into contact with the outer surface of the mounting platform 200, even when a worker is working for a long time. This is because the transport system 1 of this embodiment uses visual and tactile feedback. In other words, while the worker cannot accurately position the workpiece W by visual means alone, such as by adjusting the positional relationship between the workpiece W and the mounting table 200 while looking at the workpiece W, the worker can position the workpiece W by looking at the positioning pin 102 instead of the workpiece W. This allows the worker to position the workpiece W by tactile means, as the tapered portion 102c of the positioning pin 102 contacts the tapered portion 104a of the cylindrical member 104, thereby housing the positioning pin 102 inside the cylindrical member 104.

[0046] Next, the method for transporting the workpiece W using this transport system 1 will be described below. In the transport system 1 of this embodiment, after the worker holds the workpiece W with the holding part 20 at the first position shown in Figure 12(a), as shown in Figure 12(b), the sliding mechanism 70 rotates the main body 10 etc. while sliding along the second guide rails 64a, 64b in the horizontal direction, while the main body 10 maintains an orientation facing the worker, with the worker's position facing the main body 10 as the center. In Figure 12(d), the range of movement of the restraining mechanism 92, i.e., the path when the main body 10 rotates, is shown by a dashed line. Then, at the second position shown in Figure 12(b), the worker can release the workpiece W from the holding part 20 and place it on the mounting table 200. In this process, the operator grips the handle 34 and pushes the main body 10 down from the sliding mechanism 70 using the gravity cancellation cylinder 80. By looking at the pair of left and right positioning pins 102 and inserting each of these positioning pins 102 into the pair of left and right cylindrical members 104 located near the mounting base 200, the operator can position the workpiece W, which is held by the holding part 20, in a direction along the horizontal plane without looking at the workpiece W or the holding part 20 that holds the workpiece W. In particular, as shown in Figure 2, when the operator pushes down the main body 10 while holding the handle 34, the position of the holding part 20 (indicated by the dashed line P in Figure 2) that holds the workpiece W is located further back (i.e., to the left in Figure 2) than the position of the handle 34 and the positioning pin 102 (indicated by the dashed line Q in Figure 2). Therefore, the operator can position the workpiece W at a predetermined position in the horizontal plane by looking at the positioning pin 102, which is closer than the workpiece W, and inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104, without having to look at the workpiece W held by the holding part 20.

[0047] Subsequently, welding of the workpiece W (specifically, welding of each metal disc constituting the workpiece W) is performed at the position shown in Figure 12(b). After the worker holds the welded workpiece W again with the holding unit 20, the worker pushes the main body 10 vertically upward. Then, as shown in Figure 12(c), the sliding mechanism 70 rotates the main body 10, etc., while the main body 10 maintains an orientation facing the worker, with the worker's position facing the main body 10 as the center, sliding along the second guide rails 64a and 64b in the horizontal direction. Finally, at the third position shown in Figure 12(c), the worker can release the workpiece W from the holding unit 20 and place it on the frame C.

[0048] According to the transport system 1 of this embodiment, which has the above configuration, the system comprises a main body 10 that is suspended from a crane 2 and is movable at least in the vertical direction and can be pushed down by an operator, a holding part 20 provided on the main body 10 for holding a workpiece W, a positioning pin 102 provided on the main body 10 and extending in the vertical direction, and a cylindrical member 104 that is fixedly positioned near the location where the workpiece W is to be positioned and into which the positioning pin 102 can be inserted. By pushing down the main body 10 so that the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104, the workpiece W held by the holding part 20 is positioned in a direction along the horizontal plane. With such a transport system 1, by pushing down the main body 10 so that the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104, the workpiece W can be accurately positioned at a predetermined location without the operator having to look at the workpiece W or the holding part 20 for holding the workpiece W.

[0049] In the transport system 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the holding portion 20 is positioned behind the positioning pin 102 in the direction the worker is facing when pushing down the main body portion 10. In this case, the distance between the worker's eyes and the workpiece W is greater than the distance between the worker's eyes and the positioning pin 102. Therefore, the worker looks at the positioning pin 102, which is closer than the workpiece W, rather than looking at the workpiece W, and performs the action of inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104, thereby enabling the workpiece W to be positioned at a predetermined position in the horizontal plane.

[0050] Furthermore, as described above, the transport system 1 of this embodiment is further equipped with a handle 34 on the main body 10, allowing the operator to push down the main body 10 while holding the handle 34 so that the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104. In this case, when the operator pushes down the main body 10 while holding the handle 34, the operator can push down the main body 10 so that the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104 without having to look at the workpiece W or the holding part 20 for holding the workpiece W.

[0051] Furthermore, as described above, when the worker pushes down the main body 10 while holding the handle 34, the holding part 20 is positioned further back than the handle 34 in the direction the worker is facing. In this case, the handle 34 is closer to the worker than the workpiece W, so the worker can insert the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 in a comfortable posture.

[0052] Furthermore, as described above, when the operator pushes down the main body 10 while holding the handle 34, the holding part 20 is positioned further back than the positioning pin 102 in the direction the operator is facing. In this case, the distance between the operator's eyes and the workpiece W is greater than the distance between the operator's eyes and the positioning pin 102. Therefore, the operator looks at the positioning pin 102, which is closer than the workpiece W, rather than looking at the workpiece W, and performs the action of inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104, thereby enabling the workpiece W to be positioned at a predetermined position in the horizontal plane.

[0053] Furthermore, as described above, at least two positioning pins 102 are provided, and at least two cylindrical members 104 are provided corresponding to the positioning pins 102. This allows for more accurate positioning of the workpiece W held by the holding part 20 compared to the case where there is only one positioning pin 102 and one cylindrical member 104. Note that the number of positioning pins 102 and cylindrical members 104 is not limited to two each; there may be three or more positioning pins 102 and cylindrical members 104 each.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the positioning pin 102 is a substantially cylindrical member. Also, the lower end portion of the positioning pin 102 (specifically, the tapered portion 102c) is tapered. In this case, compared to the case where the lower end portion of the positioning pin 102 is not tapered, it becomes easier to insert the positioning pin 102 into the internal space of the cylindrical member 104. Alternatively, the lower end portion of the positioning pin 102 can be substantially frustoconical. In this case, it becomes even easier to insert the positioning pin 102 into the internal space of the cylindrical member 104. Note that the lower end portion of the positioning pin 102 may be substantially conical instead of substantially frustoconical.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the internal space of the cylindrical member 104 is substantially cylindrical in shape. In addition, the internal space of the cylindrical member 104 has a cross-section in the direction along the horizontal plane that increases towards the vertical upward direction at the upper end portion of the cylindrical member 104 (specifically, the tapered portion 104a). In this case, it is easier to insert the positioning pin 102 into the internal space of the cylindrical member 104 compared to the case where the upper end portion of the cylindrical member 104 does not have a shape like the tapered portion 104a. Furthermore, the internal space of the cylindrical member 104 has a tapered shape at the upper end portion of the cylindrical member 104. In this case, it is even easier to insert the positioning pin 102 into the internal space of the cylindrical member 104.

[0056] Furthermore, as described above, the transport system 1 of this embodiment includes horizontally extending guide rails (second guide rails 64a, 64b) and a sliding mechanism 70 that is movably mounted on the guide rails, with a gravity cancellation cylinder 80 positioned between the sliding mechanism 70 and the main body 10. In this case, the weight of the workpiece W can be canceled by the gravity cancellation cylinder 80, thereby allowing the operator to move the main body 10 more easily.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the workpiece W held by the holding part 20 is cylindrical in shape, and a mounting base 200 that fits inside the cylindrical workpiece W is fixedly provided at the location where the workpiece W held by the holding part 20 is placed. The difference between the diameter of the positioning pin 102 and the diameter of the internal space of the cylindrical member 104 is smaller than the difference between the diameter of the internal space of the cylindrical workpiece W and the diameter of the mounting base 200. This prevents the workpiece W from coming into contact with the outer surface of the mounting base 200 when the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the transport system 1, after holding the workpiece W with the holding part 20 at the first position, rotates horizontally around the position of the worker facing the main body 10, while maintaining the orientation of the main body 10 facing the worker, and is able to release the workpiece W from the holding part 20 at the second position. In this case, the workpiece W released from the holding part 20 at the second position can be positioned at a predetermined position in a direction along the horizontal plane.

[0059] Furthermore, the transport system 1 described herein is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made.

[0060] For example, the workpiece held by the holding part 20 is not limited to a cylindrical shape. Various shapes of workpieces can be used as the workpiece held by the holding part 20. Furthermore, the transport system 1 of this embodiment is not limited to a configuration in which the workpiece held by the holding part 20 is fitted onto the mounting table 200. In other configurations, a system may be used in which the workpiece held by the holding part 20 is placed at a predetermined position on a plane.

[0061] Furthermore, the configuration of the main body 10, the holding part 20, etc., is not limited to the above-described embodiment, as long as it can be suspended from the crane 2 and is equipped with a positioning pin 102 extending in the vertical direction. Various other configurations can be used for the main body 10, the holding part 20, etc. Also, the configuration of the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 is not limited to the configurations shown in Figures 6 to 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1. Conveying System 2 Cranes 10 Main body 20 Holding part 20a Chuck 20b Workpiece rotation mechanism 34 handle 36. Control Panel 40 Hochi Department 50 operation buttons 60 Frame 62a First guide rail 62b First guide rail 64a Second guide rail 64b Second guide rail 70 Slide mechanism 80 Gravity Cancellation Cylinder 82 Receiving part 84 Vertical movement guide 90 rotation mechanism 92 Deterrence Mechanisms 100 Positioning mechanism 102 Positioning pins 102a Head section 102b Bottom 102c Tapered section 104 Cylindrical member 104a Tapered section 104b Top 104c Storage Unit 200 mounting platform

Claims

1. A transport system for transporting workpieces, The main body is suspended from a crane, is movable at least vertically, and can be pushed down by a worker. The main body is provided with a holding part for holding a workpiece, A positioning pin extending vertically is provided on the main body, A cylindrical member is provided in a fixed position near the location where the workpiece is positioned, into which the positioning pin can be inserted. Equipped with, A conveying system in which the operator pushes down the main body so that the positioning pin is inserted into the cylindrical member, thereby positioning the workpiece held by the holding part in a direction along the horizontal plane.

2. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein, in the direction the worker is facing when the worker pushes down the main body, the holding portion is positioned further back than the positioning pin.

3. The main body is further equipped with a handle, The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the operator can hold the handle and push down the main body so that the positioning pin is inserted into the cylindrical member.

4. The conveying system according to claim 3, wherein, in the direction the worker is facing when the worker pushes down the main body while holding the handle, the holding portion is positioned further back than the handle.

5. The transport system according to claim 3, wherein, in the direction the worker is facing when the worker pushes down the main body while holding the handle, the holding portion is positioned further back than the positioning pin.

6. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein at least two positioning pins are provided, and at least two cylindrical members are provided corresponding to the positioning pins.

7. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the positioning pin is a substantially cylindrical member.

8. The conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the lower end portion of the positioning pin has a tapered shape.

9. The conveying system according to claim 8, wherein the lower end portion of the positioning pin is substantially conical or substantially frustoconical in shape.

10. The conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the internal space of the cylindrical member is substantially cylindrical in shape.

11. The conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the internal space of the cylindrical member has a cross-section in the direction along the horizontal plane that increases in the direction upward in the vertical direction at the upper end portion of the cylindrical member.

12. The conveying system according to claim 11, wherein the internal space of the cylindrical member is tapered at the upper end portion of the cylindrical member.

13. A guide rail extending horizontally, A sliding mechanism is provided on the aforementioned guide rail so as to be able to move freely, Furthermore, The transport system according to claim 1, wherein a gravity cancellation cylinder is disposed between the slide mechanism and the main body.

14. The workpiece held by the aforementioned holding portion is cylindrical in shape. A mounting platform that fits inside the cylindrical workpiece is provided in a fixed position at the location where the workpiece held by the aforementioned holding part is placed. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the diameter of the positioning pin and the diameter of the internal space of the cylindrical member is smaller than the difference between the diameter of the internal space of the cylindrical workpiece and the diameter of the stand described above.

15. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the transport system holds the workpiece with the holding part at a first position, and then rotates horizontally around the position of the worker facing the main body while maintaining a posture facing the worker, so that the workpiece can be released from the holding part at a second position.

Images