Deburring device

Abstract

To provide a deburring device capable of appropriately removing burrs from a workpiece with a relatively simple configuration. [Solution] The deburring device 1 comprises a lower clamp 5 that supports the workpiece W from below, an upper clamp 6 that is arranged opposite and above the lower clamp 5 and clamps the workpiece W between it and the lower clamp 5, a first cylinder 7 that moves the lower clamp 5 in an up and down direction, a second cylinder 8 that moves the upper clamp 6 in an up and down direction, and multiple brushes 9 that are arranged around the orbit C1 along which the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6 move and polish the workpiece W. The workpiece W is clamped between both the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6, and both clamps 5, 6 are configured to be movable up and down in the same direction.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a deburring device for removing burrs from a workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] A known deburring device for removing burrs that occur on the peripheral surface of a workpiece when the workpiece is formed by die casting, press processing, laser processing or the like includes a guide rail that is installed extending parallel to the floor surface, a slider that is movably mounted on the guide rail, a tool bed that is mounted below the guide rail (on the floor surface) and has a length dimension equivalent to that of the workpiece W, and a tool that is movably mounted on the tool bed, and is configured to suck and hold the workpiece before processing with a suction tool mounted on the slider, and then move the slider to the position of the tool, thereby removing burrs on the peripheral surface of the workpiece with a brush-like body that is rotatable and vertically movable on the tool (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-233350 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the deburring device disclosed in the above Patent Document 1 requires the tool to be moved precisely along the outer peripheral shape of the workpiece in order to properly remove burrs from the peripheral surface of the workpiece, which results in a problem that the overall configuration, including the control configuration for the slider and tool and the arrangement of the guide rail and tool bed, becomes complicated.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a deburring device that can appropriately remove burrs from a workpiece with a relatively simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the deburring device of the present invention employs the following technical measures.

[0007] A deburring device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a lower clamp that supports a workpiece from below, an upper clamp that is disposed above and facing the lower clamp and that clamps the workpiece between the lower clamp and the upper clamp, a first cylinder that moves the lower clamp in a vertical direction, a second cylinder that moves the upper clamp in a vertical direction, and a plurality of cylinders that are disposed around a track along which the lower clamp and the upper clamp move, and that clamp the workpiece. The workpiece is rotated and contacted from above and below. and a brush for polishing the workpiece. The workpiece is clamped between the lower clamp and the upper clamp, and both clamps are In the polishing area surrounded by the brush Moves in the same direction up and down By this, the workpiece is brought into sliding contact with the brush in the circumferential direction of the brush. It is composed of:

[0008] The apparatus may include a control device that controls the operation of the first cylinder and the second cylinder, and the control device may have a clamp control unit that repeatedly executes a release operation in which the two clamps are moved away from each other in the vertical direction, a clamp operation in which the two clamps are brought closer to each other in the vertical direction, and a polishing operation in which the two clamps are moved up and down in the same direction while the two clamps are brought close to each other in the vertical direction, in the order of the release operation, the clamp operation, and the polishing operation.

[0009] The clamp control unit is configured to Record Research The clamps may be moved up and down in the same direction so as to make at least one up and down reciprocation across the polishing area.

[0010] The brush may be configured by connecting a plurality of wheel brushes, each of which has bristles radially planted along the outer periphery of a wheel, in the direction of the rotation axis of the brush.

[0011] The brushes may include a front brush positioned in front of the track, a rear brush positioned in rear of the track, a left brush positioned on the left side of the track, and a right brush positioned on the right side of the track.

[0012] The front brush and the rear brush may be arranged side by side, front to back, on either side of the track, to form a first brush section that polishes the workpiece from both the front and the back, and the left brush and the right brush may be arranged side by side, left to right, on either side of the track, to form a second brush section that polishes the workpiece from both the left and right.

[0013] The first brush portion and the second brush portion may be disposed so as to be offset vertically. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the deburring device of the present invention, burrs on the peripheral surface of a workpiece can be appropriately removed by vertically moving a pair of upper and lower clamps, making it possible to simplify the overall configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic deburring system including a deburring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view of a deburring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic pneumatic circuit diagram of the clamp device. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control device. [Figure 10]FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the deburring device during a release operation (work set). [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the deburring device during a clamping operation. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the deburring device during polishing operation (forward). [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the deburring device during a polishing operation (return). [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the deburring device during a release operation (removal of a workpiece). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is an example of the present invention, and the configuration of the present invention is not limited to this specific example.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the deburring device 1 of this embodiment is a device that removes burrs generated on the peripheral surface of a workpiece W during molding, and together with robot arms AR1 and AR2, constitutes an automatic deburring system DS that automatically sets the workpiece W in the deburring device 1 and performs deburring processing.

[0018] Incidentally, the deburring device 1 of this embodiment is suitable for use in removing burrs from a workpiece W formed by aluminum die casting, but may also be used to remove burrs from a workpiece W formed by a manufacturing method other than die casting, such as press processing or laser processing.

[0019] The automatic deburring system DS includes a deburring device 1, a first pallet P1, a second pallet P2, a first robot arm AR1, a second robot arm AR2, and an arm control device CU.

[0020] The first pallet P1 carries the workpiece W before processing. The second pallet P2 carries the workpiece W after processing. The first robot arm AR1 is disposed adjacent to the deburring device 1, and sets the workpiece W before processing that is loaded on the first pallet P1 in the deburring device 1. The second robot arm AR2 is disposed adjacent to the deburring device 1, and takes the workpiece W after processing from the deburring device 1 and transfers it to the second pallet P2.

[0021] The arm control device CU controls the setting operation of the workpiece W by the first robot arm AR1 and the removal operation of the workpiece W by the second robot arm AR2. In detail, the first robot arm AR1 repeats the operation of picking up one unmachined workpiece W from the first pallet P1 and setting it in the deburring device 1 at a predetermined timing. The second robot arm AR2 repeats the operation of picking up the processed workpiece W that has been deburred by the deburring device 1 from the deburring device 1 and transferring it to the second pallet P2 at a predetermined timing.

[0022] Although the automatic deburring system DS is configured so that the two robot arms AR1, AR2 share the work of setting and removing the workpiece W, it may be configured so that one robot arm performs the work of setting and removing the workpiece W. Alternatively, the automatic deburring system DS may be configured so that three or more robot arms share the work of setting and removing the workpiece W.

[0023] When the deburring device 1 detects that the workpiece W has been set at a predetermined position, it clamps the workpiece W with the clamps 5 and 6 and moves the portion where the brush 9 is disposed in the vertical direction. As a result, the burrs on the peripheral surface of the workpiece W are removed by the brush 9. In this manner, the deburring device 1 appropriately repeats the deburring process for removing the burrs on the peripheral surface of the workpiece W.

[0024] In detail, the deburring device 1 includes a stand 10, a clamp device 2, a brush device 3, and a control device 4. The clamp device 2 includes a lower clamp 5, an upper clamp 6, a first cylinder 7, and a second cylinder 8. The brush device 3 includes a plurality of brushes 9 and a drive motor 11. The deburring device 1 of this embodiment includes drive motors 11 in a number corresponding to the number of brushes 9. That is, each of the brushes 9 of this embodiment is driven by an independent drive motor 11.

[0025] In this embodiment, a first direction (indicated by arrows X1 and X2 in FIG. 2) parallel to the installation surface G of the deburring device 1 is referred to as the front-rear direction, a second direction (indicated by arrows Y1 and Y2 in FIGS. 1 and 2) parallel to the installation surface G and perpendicular to the first direction is referred to as the left-right direction, and a third direction (indicated by arrows Z1 and Z2 in FIGS. 1 and 2) perpendicular to each of the first and second directions is referred to as the up-down direction.

[0026] The frame 10 is a support base that supports the first cylinder 7, the second cylinder 8, the brushes 9, and the control device 4. As shown in Fig. 2, the frame 10 has a base frame 12, a top frame 13, a support column 14, a first support frame 15, a second support frame 16, a first support frame 17, a second support frame 18, and a third support frame 19.

[0027] The base frame 12 is a frame in which frame materials with rectangular cross sections are arranged and connected in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and constitutes the bottom of the stand 10. The base frame 12 has a center rail portion 12A. The center rail portion 12A extends between the left and right frames of the base frame 12 in approximately the center between the front and rear of the base frame 12.

[0028] The first cylinder 7 is provided between the base frame 12 and the first support frame 15. The lower end of the first cylinder 7 is supported and fixed to the center rail portion 12A of the base frame 12, and the upper end of the first cylinder 7 is supported and fixed to the center of the first support frame 15.

[0029] The top frame 13 is a frame in which frame materials having a rectangular cross section are arranged and connected in an H shape when viewed from above, and constitutes the upper part of the stand 10. The top frame 13 has a middle rail portion 13A. The middle rail portion 13A extends between the left and right frames of the top frame 13 in an approximately central portion between the front and rear of the top frame 13.

[0030] The second cylinder 8 is provided between the second support frame 16 and the top frame 13. The lower end of the second cylinder 8 is supported and fixed to the center of the second support frame 16, and the upper end of the second cylinder 8 is supported and fixed to the middle rail portion 13A of the top frame 13.

[0031] The pillars 14 are frame materials with a rectangular tubular cross section, and two of them are erected in parallel with a gap in the left-right direction at the rear of the base frame 12. The upper ends of the left and right pillars 14 are each connected to the rear of the top frame 13. In other words, the pillars 14 extend from the rear of the base frame 12 to the rear of the top frame 13, and support the top frame 13 from below.

[0032] The first support frame 15 is a frame in which frame materials with rectangular cross-sections are arranged and connected in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is disposed at a predetermined interval above the base frame 12. The first support frame 15 is connected to and supported by the front parts of the pillars 14, and extends in parallel with the base frame 12 toward the front of the pillars 14.

[0033] The first support frame 15 has a brush cover 20. The brush cover 20 is provided on the upper part of the first support frame 15. The brush cover 20 is a cover member having a substantially trapezoidal box shape, and is disposed so as to cover substantially the outer half of the brush 9 that faces the outside of the base 10.

[0034] The second support frame 16 is a frame in which frame materials with rectangular cross-sections are arranged and connected in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is disposed at a predetermined interval below the top frame 13. The second support frame 16 is connected to and supported by the front part of the support column 14, and extends in parallel with the top frame 13 toward the front of the support column 14.

[0035] The first support frames 17 are frame materials with a rectangular tubular cross section, and two of them are erected in parallel with a gap in the left-right direction at the front of the base frame 12. The upper ends of the left and right first support frames 17 are each connected to the front of the first support frame 15. In other words, the first support frames 17 extend from the front of the base frame 12 to the front of the first support frame 15, and support the first support frame 15 from below.

[0036] In this way, the first support frame 15 is supported from below by a total of four frames: the two pillars 14 and the two first support frames 17. The control device 4 is supported and fixed to the front parts of the left and right first support frames 17.

[0037] The second support frame 18 is a frame material with a rectangular tubular cross section, extends diagonally downward from each of the left and right support columns 14, and is connected to the front part of the second support frame 16. In other words, the second support frame 18 serves as a reinforcing frame for the second support frame 16, supporting the front part of the second support frame 16 from above with respect to the support columns 14.

[0038] The third support frame 19 is a frame material with a rectangular tubular cross section, which extends diagonally upward from each of the left and right support columns 14 and is connected to the front part of the top frame 13. That is, the third support frame 19 serves as a reinforcing frame for the top frame 13, supporting the front part of the top frame 13 from below relative to the support columns 14.

[0039] 1 and 3, the lower clamp 5 is connected to the tip (upper end) of a piston rod 7R of a first cylinder 7, and is configured to be movable up and down by the first cylinder 7. The workpiece W before machining is placed on the upper part of the lower clamp 5. In other words, the upper part of the lower clamp 5 is the set position of the workpiece W before machining.

[0040] 3, the lower clamp 5 has a support plate 21, a support pin 22, and a guide piece 23. The support plate 21 is a plate-like member having a smooth upper surface. A plurality of support pins 22 and a plurality of guide pieces 23 are provided upright on the upper surface of the support plate 21.

[0041] In this embodiment, six support pins 22 are provided at predetermined intervals along the periphery of the support plate 21. When the workpiece W is placed on the lower clamp 5, the support pins 22 come into contact with the lower surface of the workpiece W and support the workpiece W from below.

[0042] Incidentally, only three support pins 22 may be provided on the upper surface of the support plate 21, or four or more support pins 22 may be provided on the upper surface of the support plate 21, so long as the support pins 22 can stably support the workpiece W from below. Alternatively, the lower clamp 5 may have one trapezoidal convex portion instead of the multiple support pins 22.

[0043] In this embodiment, two guide pieces 23 are erected at a predetermined interval at positions near one side edge of the support plate 21. When an unmachined workpiece W is placed on the lower clamp 5, the guide pieces 23 abut and engage with a predetermined edge portion of the workpiece W (such as a side edge portion of a rib formed on the lower surface of the workpiece W or an inner peripheral edge portion of an opening portion formed in the workpiece W) to prevent movement of the workpiece W in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0044] In more detail, for example, the workpiece W has a plate-shaped workpiece body W1, a shaft part W2 erected in the center of the upper surface of the workpiece body W1, and a rectangular opening part W3 penetrating between the upper and lower surfaces of the workpiece body W1. The first robot arm AR1 holds the shaft part W2 of the workpiece W from above, rotates the workpiece W in a direction such that the guide piece 23 of the lower clamp 5 is inserted into the opening part W3, and places the workpiece W on the upper part of the lower clamp 5. As a result, the workpiece W is supported by the lower clamp 5 in a state in which movement in the front-rear and left-right directions is prevented.

[0045] Furthermore, as long as the guide piece 23 can appropriately prevent the workpiece W from moving forward / backward and left / right relative to the lower clamp 5, a single guide piece 23 may be provided on the upper surface of the support plate 21, or three or more guide pieces 23 may be provided.

[0046] 1 and 3, the upper clamp 6 is disposed above and facing the lower clamp 5. The upper clamp 6 is connected to the tip (lower end) of a piston rod 8R of a second cylinder 8, and is configured to be movable up and down by the second cylinder 8. In other words, the upper clamp 6 is configured to be movable up and down at a position above the lower clamp 5, and clamps the workpiece W between itself and the lower clamp 5.

[0047] 3, the upper clamp 6 has a pressing plate 24 and pressing pins 25. The pressing plate 24 is a plate-like member having a smooth lower surface. A plurality of pressing pins 25 are provided upright on the lower surface of the pressing plate 24.

[0048] In this embodiment, four pressing pins 25 are provided at predetermined intervals along the periphery of the pressing plate 24. The pressing pins 25 come into contact with the upper surface of the workpiece W placed on the lower clamp 5, and press the workpiece W from above.

[0049] These four pressing pins 25 are provided at positions facing above the support pins 22 provided on the lower clamp 5. That is, the pressing pins 25 of the upper clamp 6 and the support pins 22 of the lower clamp 5 are arranged with their tips facing each other in the vertical direction. The workpiece W is clamped from above and below by these pressing pins 25 and support pins 22.

[0050] Incidentally, only three pressing pins 25 may be provided on the lower surface of the pressing plate 24, or five or more pressing pins 25 may be provided, so long as the workpiece W can be stably and reliably clamped between the pressing pins 25 and the lower clamp 5. Alternatively, the upper clamp 6 may have one trapezoidal convex portion instead of the multiple pressing pins 25.

[0051] 3 and 4, the first cylinder 7 has a cylinder tube 7A, a piston 7P, and a piston rod 7R. Similarly to the first cylinder 7, the second cylinder 8 also has a cylinder tube 8A, a piston 8P, and a piston rod 8R.

[0052] 1, the first cylinder 7 and the second cylinder 8 are arranged vertically so that the central axis C1 passing through the shaft centers of both piston rods 7R and 8R coincides with each other. Therefore, both the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6 move vertically along the central axis C1.

[0053] 4, both the first cylinder 7 and the second cylinder 8 are air cylinders, and piston rods 7R, 8R are operated by compressed air supplied from an air supply source 30. Both cylinders 7, 8 are double-acting cylinders, and the piston rods 7R, 8R are moved up and down by switching the supply direction of compressed air to two upper and lower pressure chambers 31, 32 inside the cylinders and adjusting the amount of air discharged from the pressure chambers 31, 32.

[0054] In this way, by using air cylinders for both the first cylinder 7 and the second cylinder 8, it is possible to make the entire deburring device 1 compact and lightweight while maintaining high clamping force and mobility. Furthermore, the pneumatic piping for supplying compressed air to both cylinders 7 and 8 can be configured relatively simply, which improves durability and maintainability. Both cylinders 7 and 8 may be electric cylinders or hydraulic cylinders.

[0055] The cylinder tube 7A of the first cylinder 7 and the cylinder tube 8A of the second cylinder 8 each have a lower pressure chamber 31, an upper pressure chamber 32, a first pipe connection portion 33, and a second pipe connection portion .

[0056] The lower pressure chamber 31 and the upper pressure chamber 32 are defined above and below within the cylinder tubes 7A, 8A, sandwiching the pistons 7P, 8P therebetween. The first piping connection 33 is a pipe connection that connects the first air piping L1, and communicates with the lower pressure chamber 31. The second piping connection 34 is a pipe connection that connects the second air piping L2, and communicates with the upper pressure chamber 32.

[0057] The clamp device 2 has, in addition to a lower clamp 5, an upper clamp 6, a first cylinder 7, and a second cylinder 8, an air supply source 30, a first speed controller 35, a second speed controller 36, a first directional control valve 37, a second directional control valve 38, and an FRL unit (filter regulator lubricator unit) 39.

[0058] The air supply source 30 and the FRL unit 39 are provided in the main air flow path L3. The first speed controller 35 and the first directional control valve 37 are provided in a first branch flow path L4 branched from the main air flow path L3. The second speed controller 36 and the second directional control valve 38 are provided in a second branch flow path L5 branched from the main air flow path L3. These branch flow paths L4, L5 branch in parallel from the main air flow path L3 and are connected to the pipe connections 33, 34 of the cylinders 7, 8 through the air pipes L1, L2.

[0059] The air supply source 30 supplies compressed air to the first cylinder 7 and the second cylinder 8. More specifically, the air supply source 30 supplies compressed air to the lower pressure chamber 31 through the first air pipe L1. As a result, the internal pressure of the lower pressure chamber 31 increases, pushing up the pistons 7P, 8P. Meanwhile, the air supply source 30 supplies compressed air to the upper pressure chamber 32 through the second air pipe L2. As a result, the internal pressure of the upper pressure chamber 32 increases, pushing down the pistons 7P, 8P.

[0060] The first speed controller 35 is connected to the first piping connection portion 33 of the cylinders 7, 8 through the first air piping L1, and controls the downward movement speed of the pistons 7P, 8P (piston rods 7R, 8R) by adjusting the amount of air discharged from the lower pressure chamber 31.

[0061] The second speed controller 36 is connected to the second piping connection portion 34 of the cylinders 7, 8 through the second air piping L2, and controls the upward movement speed of the pistons 7P, 8P (piston rods 7R, 8R) by adjusting the amount of air discharged from the upper pressure chamber 32.

[0062] The first directional control valve 37 is connected to the first piping connection portion 33 of the cylinders 7, 8 through the first air piping L1, and switches the direction of air flow between the air supply source 30 and the lower pressure chamber 31 or blocks the flow of air.

[0063] The second directional control valve 38 is connected to the second piping connection portion 34 of the cylinders 7, 8 through the second air piping L2, and switches the direction of air flow between the air supply source 30 and the upper pressure chamber 32 or blocks the flow of air.

[0064] The FRL unit 39 is a unit composed of an air filter 39F, a regulator 39R, and a lubricator 39L. The air filter 39F removes dust, dirt, tar, drainage, etc. from the air supplied to the main air flow path L3. The regulator 39R maintains (reduced) the pressure in the main air flow path L3 at a set pressure. The lubricator 39L supplies lubricating oil (oil mist) into the main air flow path L3.

[0065] As shown in Fig. 2, the brush 9 is supported on the upper part of the first support frame 15 of the stand 10. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, 5 and 6, a plurality of brushes 9 are arranged around a track (central axis) C1 along which the clamps 5 and 6 move. That is, both the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6 are configured to move up and down along the track C1 in the polishing area DP surrounded by these brushes 9.

[0066] The brush 9 includes a front brush 9A, a rear brush 9B, a left brush 9C, and a right brush 9D. The front brush 9A is disposed adjacent to the front side of the track (center axis) C1. The rear brush 9B is disposed adjacent to the rear side of the track C1. The left brush 9C is disposed adjacent to the left side of the track C1. The right brush 9D is disposed adjacent to the right side of the track C1.

[0067] In this embodiment, four brushes 9 are arranged around the orbit (central axis) C1 of the clamps 5, 6, but two or three brushes 9 may be arranged around the orbit C1 as long as the entire peripheral surface of the workpiece W can be appropriately polished. Alternatively, five or more brushes 9 may be arranged around the orbit C1 in accordance with the outer peripheral shape of the workpiece W.

[0068] 5 to 7, the front brush 9A and the rear brush 9B are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction with the track C1 between them. Therefore, when the workpiece W passes through the polishing area DP, the front and rear end faces of the workpiece W are simultaneously brought into sliding contact with the front brush 9A and the rear brush 9B and polished. In this way, the front brush 9A and the rear brush 9B are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction with the track C1 between them, and form a first brush section 41 that polishes the workpiece W from both the front and rear.

[0069] The left brush 9C and the right brush 9D are arranged side by side in the left-right direction with the track C1 in between. Therefore, when the workpiece W passes through the polishing area DP, the left and right end faces of the workpiece W come into sliding contact with the left brush 9C and the right brush 9D and are polished. In this way, the left brush 9C and the right brush 9D are arranged side by side with the track C1 in between, and form the second brush section 42 that polishes the workpiece W from both the left and right sides.

[0070] 7, the first brush part 41 and the second brush part 42 are arranged so as to overlap each other in a top view. In detail, the front brush 9A and the rear brush 9B constituting the first brush part 41 are arranged so that the left and right ends (left and right corners on the polishing area DP side) of the brushes 9A and 9B overlap the front and rear ends (front and rear corners on the polishing area DP side) of the left brush 9C and the right brush 9D constituting the second brush part 42, respectively, in a top view. As a result, when the workpiece W passes through the polishing area DP, the peripheral surface of the workpiece W is polished over the entire circumference.

[0071] As shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, the first brush part 41 is disposed above the second brush part 42. That is, the first brush part 41 and the second brush part 42 are disposed offset from each other vertically. Therefore, when the workpiece W passes through the polishing area DP from above to below, the front and rear end faces of the workpiece W are polished, and then the left and right end faces of the workpiece W are polished. Also, when the workpiece W passes through the polishing area DP from below to above, the left and right end faces of the workpiece W are polished, and then the front and rear end faces of the workpiece W are polished.

[0072] In this embodiment, the brushes 9 are arranged in two rows (first brush portion 41 and second brush portion 42) one above the other around the orbit C1, but may be arranged in three or more rows above and below the orbit C1 as long as the entire peripheral surface of the workpiece W can be properly polished.

[0073] 8, the brush 9 of this embodiment is composed of multiple wheel brushes 50. In detail, the brush 9 has multiple wheel brushes 50 and a rotating shaft 51, and is composed by arranging multiple wheel brushes 50 in the direction of a central axis line (rotation axis line) C2 passing through the shaft center of the rotating shaft 51 and connecting and fixing them to the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 51.

[0074] The wheel brush 50 has a wheel 52 and bristles 53. The wheel 52 is a circular plate having a shaft insertion hole in the center. The bristles 53 are wires having the rigidity and elasticity to appropriately remove burrs from the workpiece W, and are radially planted along the outer circumferential surface of the wheel 52. For the bristles 53 in this embodiment, a metal wire (steel wire, stainless steel wire, etc.) suitable for deburring the workpiece W formed by aluminum die casting is used.

[0075] The length (brush diameter) of the bristles 53 varies depending on the wheel brush 50. Therefore, the brush 9 of this embodiment can be configured by arbitrarily selecting and combining a plurality of wheel brushes 50 having different brush diameters according to the peripheral shape (shape of the part to be polished) of the workpiece W. That is, the brush 9 can be set to have a brush outer shape suited to the shape of each part to be polished in the front brush 9A, rear brush 9B, left brush 9C, and right brush 9D.

[0076] Each of the brushes 9 is connected to a drive motor 11. The drive motor 11 is an electric motor, and is connected to a rotation shaft 51 of the brush 9 via a flexible shaft. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the drive motor 11 is provided adjacent to the base 10. In this embodiment, the drive motor 11 is mounted on a rack 10E provided separately from the base 10 at the rear of the base 10.

[0077] 9, the control device 4 has a clamp control unit 4A and a brush control unit 4B. The clamp control unit 4A is connected to the first speed controller 35, the second speed controller 36, the first directional control valve 37, the second directional control valve 38, and the workpiece detection sensor 70 via electrical wiring, and controls the operations of the clamps 5 and 6. The brush control unit 4B is connected to the drive motor 11 via electrical wiring, and controls the operation of the brush 9.

[0078] The clamp control unit 4A has a position detection unit 61, a speed control unit 62, a direction control unit 63, and a work detection unit 64. The position detection unit 61 detects the positions of the pistons 7P, 8P based on the position sensors of the clamps 5, 6. The speed control unit 62 controls the operation of the first speed controller 35 and the second speed controller 36 to adjust the amount of air discharged from the cylinders 7, 8. The direction control unit 63 controls the operation of the first direction control valve 37 and the second direction control valve 38 to switch the supply direction of air to the cylinders 7, 8. The work detection unit 64 determines the start timing of the clamp operation based on the work detection sensor 70.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 1, the work detection sensor 70 is provided near the lower clamp 5 on the stand 10, and detects whether or not the work W is placed on the upper part of the lower clamp 5. For example, the work detection sensor 70 is a photoelectric sensor that emits visible light or infrared light to a predetermined set position of the work W and detects the presence or absence of the work W based on a change in the amount of light caused by the light being reflected or blocked. The work detection sensor 70 is not limited to a non-contact sensor such as the photoelectric sensor described above, so long as it can accurately detect the presence or absence of the work W on the lower clamp 5. For example, the work detection sensor 70 may be a contact sensor such as a limit switch or a pressure sensor that turns on and off depending on whether or not the work W is placed on the upper part of the lower clamp 5.

[0080] The brush control unit 4B has a clamp operation detection unit 65 and a rotation control unit 66. The clamp operation detection unit 65 monitors the control state of the clamps 5 and 6 by the clamp control unit 4A. The rotation control unit 66 controls the rotation operation of the brush 9 according to the control state of the clamps 5 and 6.

[0081] The deburring control operation of the control device 4 for the workpiece W will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 10 to 14. When the operation of the deburring device 1 is started, the clamp control section 4A first supplies compressed air to the lower pressure chambers 31 of both the first cylinder 7 and the second cylinder 8, as shown in Fig. 10. As a result, both the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6 move to a predetermined uppermost position. At this time, both clamps 5 and 6 are disposed with a predetermined distance between them in the vertical direction. That is, both clamps 5 and 6 are in a released state in which they are vertically separated from each other.

[0082] Further, the brush control unit 4B keeps the brush 9 in a stopped state. In response to the deburring device 1 entering the released state, the first robot arm AR1 sets the workpiece W above the lower clamp 5 (see FIG. 1).

[0083] In the above-mentioned released state, when the workpiece detection unit 64 detects that the workpiece W has been set in the lower clamp 5, the clamp control unit 4A stops the supply of compressed air to the lower pressure chamber 31 of the second cylinder 8 and supplies compressed air to the upper pressure chamber 32 of the second cylinder 8, as shown in Fig. 11. That is, the clamp control unit 4A switches the supply destination of compressed air to the second cylinder 8 from the lower pressure chamber 31 to the upper pressure chamber 32. As a result, the upper clamp 6 moves downward and approaches the lower clamp 5, and enters a clamped state in which the workpiece W is sandwiched between the upper clamp 6 and the lower clamp 5.

[0084] In addition, the brush control unit 4B rotates the brushes 9 at a predetermined rotation speed. In this embodiment, the brush control unit 4B rotates each brush 9 inwardly so that the brushes 9 come into sliding contact with the circumferential surface of the workpiece W from above to below.

[0085] 12, the clamp control unit 4A stops the supply of compressed air to the lower pressure chamber 31 of the first cylinder 7 while maintaining the supply of compressed air to the upper pressure chamber 32 of the second cylinder 8, and discharges the compressed air from the lower pressure chamber 31 of the first cylinder 7 at a predetermined speed. As a result, the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6 move downward together while maintaining a state in which they are close to each other (clamped state). That is, the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6 move the workpiece W from above to below (forward direction) in the polishing area DP.

[0086] Moreover, the brush control unit 4B maintains the rotating state of the brush 9. As a result, the front and rear end faces of the workpiece W are polished by the first brush unit 41, and then the left and right end faces of the workpiece W are polished by the second brush unit 42. At this time, the brush 9 slides against the circumferential surface of the workpiece W from the same direction as the movement direction of the workpiece W (from above).

[0087] Thereafter, when the position detection unit 61 detects that the upper clamp 6 has moved to a predetermined lowest position, the clamp control unit 4A again supplies compressed air to the lower pressure chamber 31 of the first cylinder 7, stops the supply of compressed air to the upper pressure chamber 32 of the second cylinder 8, and exhausts the compressed air from the upper pressure chamber 32 of the second cylinder 8 at a predetermined speed, as shown in Fig. 13. As a result, the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6 move upward together while maintaining a state in which they are close to each other (clamped state). That is, the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6 move the workpiece W from below to above (return direction) in the polishing area DP.

[0088] Moreover, the brush control unit 4B maintains the rotating state of the brush 9. As a result, the left and right end faces of the workpiece W are polished by the second brush unit 42, and then the front and rear end faces of the workpiece W are polished by the first brush unit 41. At this time, the brush 9 slides against the circumferential surface of the workpiece W from the opposite direction (above) to the movement direction of the workpiece W.

[0089] Thereafter, when the position detector 61 detects that the lower clamp 5 has moved to a predetermined uppermost position, the clamp controller 4A supplies compressed air to the lower pressure chamber 31 of the second cylinder 8 while maintaining the supply of compressed air to the lower pressure chamber 31 of the first cylinder 7, as shown in Fig. 14. This causes the upper clamp 6 to move upward away from the lower clamp 5 and return to the released state.

[0090] Further, the brush control unit 4B stops the rotation of the brush 9. In response to the deburring device 1 entering the released state, the second robot arm AR2 removes the workpiece W from the lower clamp 5 (see FIG. 1).

[0091] In this way, the control device 4 continuously deburrs multiple workpieces W by repeatedly executing, in this order, a release operation in which both clamps 5, 6 are moved away from each other in the vertical direction, a clamping operation in which the workpiece W set in the lower clamp 5 is clamped between both clamps 5, 6, and a polishing operation in which the workpiece W is moved up and down in the polishing area DP.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the brush control unit 4B is configured to move the workpiece W up and down once in the polishing area DP in the polishing operation, but may be configured to move the workpiece W up and down two or more times in the polishing area DP. Alternatively, if the entire peripheral surface of the workpiece W can be polished appropriately, the brush control unit 4B may be configured to move the workpiece W only in one direction, up and down, in the polishing area DP in the polishing operation. For example, after moving the workpiece W from above to below in the polishing area DP, the brush control unit 4B moves the upper clamp 6 upwardly away from the lower clamp 5 to a released state. The second robot arm AR2 removes the workpiece W from the lower clamp 5 while the lower clamp 5 is in the lower position.

[0093] In addition, in the above embodiment, the brush control unit 4B is configured to rotate the brush 9 when the polishing operation is performed, but the brush 9 may be configured to rotate constantly from the point when operation of the deburring device 1 is started, regardless of the operation of the clamps 5 and 6.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the brush control unit 4B is configured to always rotate the brush 9 in a fixed direction during the polishing operation. However, the rotation direction of the brush 9 may be changed according to the operating direction of the clamps 5 and 6.

[0095] Thus, the deburring device 1 of this embodiment comprises a lower clamp 5 that supports the workpiece W from below, an upper clamp 6 that is arranged above and facing the lower clamp 5 and clamps the workpiece W between it and the lower clamp 5, a first cylinder 7 that moves the lower clamp 5 in an up and down direction, a second cylinder 8 that moves the upper clamp 6 in an up and down direction, and multiple brushes 9 that are arranged around the orbit C1 along which the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6 move and polish the workpiece W. The workpiece W is clamped between both the lower clamp 5 and the upper clamp 6, and both the clamps 5, 6 are configured to be movable up and down in the same direction.

[0096] According to the above-mentioned deburring device 1, the burrs on the peripheral surface of the workpiece W can be removed by clamping the workpiece W with a pair of upper and lower clamps 5, 6 and moving it in the vertical direction, so that it is possible to provide a deburring device 1 that can appropriately remove burrs from the workpiece W with a relatively simple configuration.

[0097] The apparatus is equipped with a control device 4 that controls the operation of the first cylinder 7 and the second cylinder 8. The control device 4 has a clamp control unit 4A that repeatedly executes a release operation in which the two clamps 5, 6 are moved away from each other in the vertical direction, a clamp operation in which the two clamps 5, 6 are brought closer to each other in the vertical direction, and a polishing operation in which the two clamps 5, 6 are moved up and down in the same direction while the two clamps 5, 6 are brought close to each other in the vertical direction, in the order of the release operation, the clamp operation, and the polishing operation.

[0098] According to the above-mentioned deburring device 1, a series of deburring operations for the workpiece W can be smoothly repeated, such as setting the workpiece W before processing in the lower clamp 5 by a release operation, clamping the workpiece W between both clamps 5, 6 by a clamping operation, polishing the workpiece W with the brush 9 by a polishing operation, and again removing the processed workpiece W from the lower clamp 5 by a release operation, so that multiple workpieces W can be deburred efficiently.

[0099] The clamp control section 4A moves both the clamps 5 and 6 in the same vertical direction so that the workpiece W makes at least one vertical reciprocating motion in the polishing area DP where the workpiece W is in sliding contact with the brush 9 during the polishing operation.

[0100] According to the above-described deburring device 1, the peripheral surface of the workpiece W can be polished by the brush 9 reciprocating up and down at least once, so that the burrs on the workpiece W can be removed more appropriately.

[0101] The brush 9 is configured by connecting a plurality of wheel brushes 50, each of which has bristles 53 radially planted along the outer periphery of a wheel 52, in the direction of a rotation axis C2 of the brush 9.

[0102] According to the above-mentioned deburring device 1, it is possible to configure the brush 9 by arbitrarily selecting and combining a plurality of wheel brushes 50 having different lengths of bristles 53 in accordance with the peripheral shape of the workpiece W. That is, the above-mentioned deburring device 1 can set the brush 9 to have a brush outer shape that matches the peripheral shape of the workpiece W. This makes it possible to more appropriately remove burrs from the workpiece W.

[0103] The brush 9 includes a front brush 9A arranged in front of the track C1, a rear brush 9B arranged in the rear of the track C1, a left brush 9C arranged on the left side of the track C1, and a right brush 9D arranged on the right side of the track C1.

[0104] According to the above-mentioned deburring device 1, the peripheral surface of the workpiece W can be polished simultaneously from four directions, namely the front, rear, left and right, by the brush 9, so that the burrs on the workpiece W can be removed more efficiently and appropriately.

[0105] The front brush 9A and the rear brush 9B are arranged side by side on either side of the orbit C1 to form a first brush section 41 that polishes the workpiece W from both the front and the back, and the left brush 9C and the right brush 9D are arranged side by side on either side of the orbit C1 to form a second brush section 42 that polishes the workpiece W from both the left and right.

[0106] As in the conventional deburring device described above, if the brush (tool) is brought into contact with only one side of the workpiece periphery (e.g., the front side), the stress generated by the contact is concentrated on the other side (rear side) of the workpiece, which may cause the workpiece to come off the work holder.

[0107] However, according to the above-mentioned deburring device 1, the workpiece W can be polished by being sandwiched from the front and rear directions by the front brush 9A and the rear brush 9B, and also by being sandwiched from the left and right directions by the left brush 9C and the right brush 9D, so that when the brushes 9 come into contact with the workpiece W, the stress at the time of the contact is not biased to one side in the contact direction on the workpiece W. This makes it difficult for the workpiece W to slip out of the clamps 5, 6, and makes it possible to more appropriately remove burrs from the workpiece W.

[0108] The first brush portion 41 and the second brush portion 42 are disposed so as to be offset from each other vertically.

[0109] According to the above-mentioned deburring device 1, after polishing the front and rear parts of the workpiece W with the first brush part 41, the left and right parts of the workpiece W can be successively polished with the second brush part 42, or after polishing the left and right parts of the workpiece W with the second brush part 42, the front and rear parts of the workpiece W can be successively polished with the first brush part 41, thereby making it possible to remove burrs from the workpiece W more efficiently.

[0110] Moreover, in this arrangement, the left and right ends of the front brush 9A and the rear brush 9B constituting the first brush part 41 and the front and rear ends of the left brush 9C and the right brush 9D constituting the second brush part 42 can be arranged to overlap when viewed from above, so that the first brush part 41 can polish the left and right ends of the front and rear parts of the workpiece W, and the second brush part 42 can polish the front and rear ends of the left and right parts of the workpiece W. This makes it difficult for areas to be left unpolished on the entire peripheral surface of the workpiece W, making it possible to more appropriately remove burrs from the workpiece W. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1 Deburring device 2 Clamping device 3 Brush device 4. Control device 5 Lower Clamp 6 Upper clamp 7 No. 1 Cylinder 8 No. 2 cylinder 9. Brush 9A Front Brush 9B Rear Brush 9C Left Brush 9D Right Brush 10 Mounting stand 11 Drive motor 41 First Brush Section 42 Second Brush Section 50 Wheel Brush 51 Rotation axis 52 Wheels 53 Hair body 61 Clamp control section C1 orbit (center axis) C2 Rotation axis DP Polishing Area W work

Claims

1. A lower clamp that supports the workpiece from below; an upper clamp disposed above and facing the lower clamp and configured to clamp the workpiece between the upper clamp and the lower clamp; A first cylinder that moves the lower clamp in a vertical direction; A second cylinder that moves the upper clamp in a vertical direction; A plurality of brushes are arranged around the periphery of the orbit along which the lower clamp and the upper clamp move, and polish the workpiece by rotating and contacting the workpiece from above and below. This deburring device is configured to clamp the workpiece between both the lower clamp and the upper clamp, and to move both clamps in the same vertical direction in the polishing area surrounded by the brush, thereby causing the workpiece to slide against the brush in the circumferential direction of the brush.

2. A control device is provided for controlling the operation of the first cylinder and the second cylinder, The control device includes: a release operation for vertically separating the clamps from each other; a clamping operation for vertically bringing the clamps closer to each other; 2. The deburring device according to claim 1, further comprising a clamp control unit that repeatedly executes the release operation, the clamping operation, and the polishing operation in the order of: a polishing operation in which both clamps are moved up and down in the same direction while the both clamps are brought close to each other in the up and down direction; and

3. The deburring device according to claim 2 , wherein the clamp control section moves both of the clamps vertically in the same direction so that the workpiece makes at least one vertical reciprocating motion in the polishing area during the polishing operation.

4. 2. The deburring device according to claim 1, wherein the brush is configured by connecting a plurality of wheel brushes, each of which has bristles radially planted along the outer periphery of a wheel, in the direction of the rotation axis of the wheel brushes.

Images