Parts supply device

Abstract

To provide a part supply device capable of completely delivering a component from a linear rail part to a component reception part.SOLUTION: A part supply device 1 includes a conveyance unit 10 which arranges components W in a straight manner before conveyance and a component reception unit 20 which receives a component W discharged from the conveyance unit 10 at a reception position and loads the component at a supply position. The component reception unit 20 includes a reception member 21 for receiving the component W discharged from the rear end side of the conveyance unit 10; a frame body 22 for guiding the reception member 21 to be slidable; a reciprocating member 23 for reciprocating the reception member 21; and a push-in member 30 for pushing the component W positioned at the rear end of the conveyance unit 10 into the reception member 21. The push-in member 30 includes a claw 31 which can rotate upward the component conveyance surface of the conveyance unit 10. Thus, the component W positioned at the rear end of the conveyance unit 10 is completely pushed in the reception member 21 by the rotation of the claw 31 to be stably supplied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a component supplying device that conveys components in series and supplies them to the next process in sequence. [Background technology]

[0002] As shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a conventional component supplying device includes a straight rail section that conveys components in series, a component receiving section that is arranged at the rear end of the straight rail section and can receive the components one by one, and a reciprocating section that can reciprocate the component receiving section in a direction perpendicular to or diagonal to the component conveying direction of the straight rail section. The conventional component supplying device thus configured conveys the components by lining them up on the straight rail section and using vibration or the like to move them toward the component receiving section. As a result, the components that advance to the rear end of the straight rail section are sequentially fed into the component receiving section that does not vibrate, and are separated from the straight rail section by the operation of the reciprocating means and conveyed horizontally to a predetermined position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 2533452 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-48561 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional component supplying device, if the vibration of the straight rail section is weak or the vibration time is short, the component may remain between the straight rail section and the component receiving section, resulting in an incomplete delivery state. If the reciprocating means is operated with such a component in an incomplete delivery state, the component is sandwiched between the straight rail section and the component receiving section that moves to be separated from the straight rail section. Therefore, the conventional component supplying device is prone to an incomplete delivery state of the component to the component receiving section, and there is a problem that the component cannot be supplied to the next process. In order to solve this problem, it is also possible to install an arrival confirmation sensor that detects whether the part is delivered to the component receiving section in the correct posture, but in this case, there is also a problem that the control of the reciprocating means becomes complicated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention is a component supplying device comprising a transport unit for transporting components arranged in series, and a component receiving unit capable of receiving the components discharged from the transport unit at a receiving position and transferring them to a supplying position, the component receiving unit comprising a receiving member for receiving and supporting the components discharged from the rear end side of the transport unit, a frame for slidably guiding the receiving member, a reciprocating body for reciprocating the receiving member, and a pushing member for pushing the components located at the rear end of the transport unit into the receiving member, the pushing member comprising a claw that can rotate freely above the component transport surface of the transport unit. It is preferable that the pushing member comprises an urging member that constantly urges the claw to rotate in the component transporting direction. It is also preferable that the pushing member is configured to slide integrally with the receiving member, and comprises a partition member that, during the process of sliding from the supplying position to the receiving position and returning, enters between the component located at the rear end of the transport unit and the component located immediately before it to maintain a distance between the components. Furthermore, it is desirable that the frame body comprises a cutout portion formed to allow the part to enter from the conveying unit, and a wall portion formed to extend from the cutout portion toward the conveying unit, the cutout portion forming the space necessary for the claw to rotate, while the wall portion has a height that abuts against the side of the claw to restrict the rotation. Effect of the Invention

[0006] The component supplying device according to the present invention has a claw that can rotate above the component conveying surface, and therefore has the advantage that, for example, even if the conveying unit is not vibrating or otherwise operating, the component located at the rear end of the conveying unit can be pushed into the receiving member by the rotation of the claw. In addition, since the component supplying device according to the present invention has a claw that rotates by the biasing force of the biasing member, it has the advantage that no special driving source such as air is required when pushing in the component. Furthermore, since the component supplying device according to the present invention is configured such that a partition member that slides integrally with the receiving member is disposed on the pushing member, the claw can push the component into the receiving member, and the partition member can separate the components between the conveying unit and the component receiving unit, by a series of sliding actions. As a result, the components pushed into the receiving member are completely separated from the components on the conveying unit, and therefore there is also the advantage that the components can be stably supplied without being affected by vibrations of the conveying unit. In addition, the component supplying device according to the present invention has a frame body with a notch portion that is a space that allows the claw to rotate and a wall portion that restricts the rotation of the claw, so that the rotating claw can push the component into the receiving member located at the receiving position. Moreover, since the claw can continue to push the component once pushed into the receiving member while it is held at the receiving position, it also functions as a stopper to prevent the next part from entering the receiving member. Therefore, the component supplying device according to the present invention has the advantage that problems such as parts getting caught in the moving parts due to the entry of multiple parts are less likely to occur. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic explanatory views showing an example of a component supplying device according to the present invention, in which FIG. [Diagram 2] 1(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1(a), and FIG. 1(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1(b). [Diagram 3]2(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the receiving member starting from the state shown in FIG. 2(b), moving from the receiving position to the supply position, and returning from the supply position to the receiving position, where (a) shows the state in which the receiving member is moving toward the supply position, (b) shows the point in time when the receiving member has arrived at the supply position, and (c) shows the state in which the receiving member returns from the supply position to the receiving position after the part has been removed from the receiving member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The component supplying device according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The component supplying device 1 according to the present invention comprises a transport unit 10 that transports components W arranged in series as shown in Figures 1(a), (b) and 2(a), and a component receiving unit 20 that can receive the components W discharged from the rear end of the transport unit 10 as shown in Figures 2(b) and 3(c).

[0009] The part W comprises a small diameter shaft portion W1 having a screw thread, a large diameter shaft portion W2 having a larger diameter than the small diameter shaft portion W1, and a third shaft portion W3 having approximately the same diameter as the small diameter shaft portion W1 but not having a screw thread, and the large diameter shaft portion W2 is arranged to be located between the small diameter shaft portion W1 and the third shaft portion W3.

[0010] The transport unit 10 includes support rails 11, 11 that support the large diameter shaft portion W2 of the part W, and a vibrating body (not shown) connected to the support rails 11, 11. The support rails 11, 11 are configured to allow the parts W to be arranged in series in a vertical position, and two members are arranged facing each other with a predetermined gap between them to guide the small diameter shaft portion W1 or the third shaft portion W3. The vibrating body is configured to be able to transmit vibration to the support rails 11, 11, and is configured to be able to transport the part W supported by the support rails 11, 11 in a straight line toward the rear end of the transport unit 10.

[0011] The part receiving unit 20 comprises a receiving member 21 capable of hanging parts W successively discharged from the rear end of the transport unit 10, a frame body 22 which guides the receiving member 21 in a slidable manner, a reciprocating movable body 23 which can reciprocate the receiving member 21 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the parts W of the transport unit 10, a guide block 24 which guides the reciprocating movable body 23 in a slidable manner and is arranged below the frame body 22, and a pushing member 30 which is connected to the reciprocating movable body 23 and pushes the parts W located at the rear end of the transport unit 20 into the receiving member 21.

[0012] The receiving member 21 is provided with a notched groove 21a that is slightly wider than the gap between the support rails 11, 11 that guide the small diameter shaft portion W1 or the third shaft portion W3 of the part W and that can suspend the large diameter shaft portion W2.

[0013] The frame 22 is fixed to a guide block 24 that guides the reciprocating body 23, and is disposed so as to cover the receiving member 21. The frame 22 also includes a notch 22a formed to allow the part W to enter from the transport unit 10, and a wall 22b formed to protrude from the notch 22a toward the transport unit 10 and not to interfere with the support rails 11, 11.

[0014] The notch portion 22a constitutes a space necessary for the rotation of a claw 31 of the pushing member 30, which will be described later, while the wall portion 22b has a height that abuts against a side surface of the claw 31 to restrict the rotation of the claw 31.

[0015] The reciprocating body 23 is configured to be able to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the parts W of the conveying unit 10 by receiving the pressure of compressed air supplied from the outside. The reciprocating body 23 is normally held at a receiving position where the parts W discharged from the rear end of the conveying unit 10 can be received by the receiving member 21 as shown in Fig. 2(b), but by receiving the pressure of the compressed air, it can be moved away from the receiving position as shown in Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 3(b) to a supplying position where the parts W are supplied to the next process by another unit (not shown). The reciprocating body 23 can also be moved from the supplying position to the receiving position as shown in Fig. 3(c), and in this case, it is returned from the supplying position to the receiving position by supplying compressed air in the opposite direction to the previous one.

[0016] The pushing member 30 is composed of a claw 31 that is rotatable above the part transport surface of the transport unit 10, a pin member 34 that rotatably supports the claw 31, a compression spring 32 which is an example of a biasing member that biases the claw 31 to always rotate in one direction, and a partition member 33 that supports the claw 31 rotatably and can be positioned with the compression spring 32 partially protruding.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2(b), the claw 31 is released from interference with the wall portion 22b by the notch portion 22a of the frame body 22, and is therefore biased by the compression spring 32 and rotated in the direction in which the part W is pushed into the receiving member 21. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 3(a), the claw 31 has rotated in the opposite direction from the pushing direction due to interference with the wall portion 22b, and changed the direction of its tip. After this, the claw 31 continues to move together with the partition member 33 as shown in Fig. 3(b), so that the compression spring 32 is kept in a compressed state.

[0018] In addition, when the claw 31 moves from the supply position shown in Figure 3(b) to the receiving position shown in Figure 2(b), it is configured to reach the cutout portion 22a as shown in Figure 3(c) and begin to rotate in the direction of pushing in the part W by being biased by the compression spring 32.

[0019] The partition member 33 is disposed along the wall portion 22b as shown in Figures 1(a) and (b), and is disposed so as to protrude above the rear end of the transport unit 10 at the receiving position. In addition, a slope is formed at the tip of the partition member 33 as shown in Figure 2(b), and is configured to separate the parts W to be pushed into the receiving member 21 and the parts W suspended from the transport unit 10 at the receiving position. This allows the partition member 33 to separate the parts W that come into contact with the slope from moving straight toward the receiving member 21.

[0020] The operation of the component supplying device 1 according to the present invention configured as described above will be described below. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the receiving member 21, which remains at the receiving position and supports the component W, starts to slide within the frame 22 together with the reciprocating body 23 toward the supplying position by the compressed air. As a result, the component W supported by the receiving member 21 comes into contact with the chamfered portion of the large diameter shaft portion W2 as shown in Figure 3(a) and is pushed backward. Eventually, the receiving member 21 reaches the supplying position shown in Figure 3(b) and remains at the supplying position while supporting the component W.

[0021] The part W that has arrived at the supply position in this manner is removed by a part removal device (not shown), and when removal of the part W by this part removal device is completed, the compressed air within the frame body 22 is released to the outside and new compressed air is supplied from the opposite direction to that used previously.

[0022] As a result, the reciprocating body 23 starts to return to the receiving position, and the receiving member 21 not supporting the part W moves to the position together with the partition member 33. At this time, the claw 31 moves while its rotation is restricted by the wall portion 22b, but reaches the cutout portion 22a from the wall portion 22b as shown in Fig. 3(c). As a result, the claw 31 is released from the restriction on its rotation by the wall portion 22b, and rotates so as to push the part W located at the rear end of the support rails 11, 11 into the receiving member 21.

[0023] At this time, the partition member 33 enters above the support rail 11, so that the part W pushed in by the claw 31 can be separated from the part W suspended on the support rails 11, 11 located immediately in front of it. Eventually, the receiving member 21 reaches the receiving position, so that the state shown in Fig. 2(b) is reached and the part W pushed in by the claw 31 can be suspended and supported.

[0024] In this way, the component supplying device 1 according to the present invention can push the component W located at the rear end of the transport unit 10 into the receiving member 21 by the claws 31 when the receiving member 21 moves from the supply position to the receiving position. Therefore, the delivery of the component W to different members of the support rails 11, 11 and the receiving member 21 is ensured, enabling a stable supply of components.

[0025] In this embodiment, the part W has the large diameter shaft portion W2 disposed between the small diameter shaft portion W1 and the third shaft portion W3, but is not limited thereto, and may be composed of the large diameter shaft portion W2 supported by the support rails 11, 11, and either the small diameter shaft portion W1 or the third shaft portion W3 guided in the gap between the support rails 11, 11. In this case, the claw 31 is configured to abut against the large diameter shaft portion W2 located above the support rails 11, 11, and push the part W into the receiving member 21. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 … Parts supply device 10 … Transport unit 11 … Support rail 20 … Parts receiving unit 21 ... Receiving member 22b…Wall part 30 ... Push-in member 31 ... Nails 32 ... Compression spring 33 ... Partition member

Claims

1. A component supply device comprising a transport unit which transports components arranged in series, and a component receiving unit which receives the components discharged from the transport unit at a receiving position and moves the components to a supply position, the component receiving unit includes a receiving member that receives and supports the component discharged from the rear end side of the transport unit at the receiving position, a reciprocating body that reciprocates the receiving member between the receiving position and the supply position, and a pushing member that pushes the component located at the rear end of the transport unit into the receiving member; Component supplying device, characterized in that the pushing member rotates above the transport unit and has a claw that pushes the component toward a receiving member.

2. 2. The component supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the pushing member includes a biasing member for constantly biasing the claw so as to rotate in the component conveying direction.

3. The part supply device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the pushing member is configured to slide integrally with the receiving member, and is provided with a partition member that fits between the part located at the rear end of the transport unit and the part located just before it during the process of sliding from the supply position to the receiving position and returning.

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