Conveyor system

Abstract

Provided is a conveying system that can accurately position a workpiece at a predetermined position without the operator having to look at the workpiece. 【Solution means】The conveying system 1 is provided in the main body 10 and includes a positioning pin 102 extending in the vertical direction and a cylindrical member 104 that is fixedly positioned near the location where the workpiece W is positioned and into which the positioning pin 102 can be inserted. By the operator pushing down the main body 10 so that the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104, positioning in the direction along the horizontal plane of the workpiece W held by the holding portion 20 is performed.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various conveyance systems for conveying workpieces have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a hanging tool that holds a cargo and is configured in a shape that does not interfere with the hanging support part when 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 conveyance 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 conveyance 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 conveyance system of the present disclosure is a conveyance system for conveying workpieces, a main body part that is suspended from a crane and is movable at least in the vertical direction and can be pushed down by an operator, a holding part provided on the main body part for holding a workpiece, a positioning pin provided on the main body part and extending in the vertical direction, A cylindrical member is fixedly provided in the vicinity of the location where the workpiece is positioned and into which the positioning pin can be inserted. It includes By the operator pressing down the main body so that the positioning pin is inserted into the cylindrical member, positioning is performed in the direction along the horizontal plane of the workpiece held by the holding portion.

[0007] In the conveying system of the present disclosure, in the direction in which the operator faces when pressing down the main body, the holding portion may be disposed deeper than the positioning pin.

[0008] The conveying system of the present disclosure further includes a handle provided on the main body. The operator may be able to press down the main body so that the positioning pin is inserted into the cylindrical member while holding the handle.

[0009] In the conveying system of the present disclosure, in the direction in which the operator faces when pressing down the main body while holding the handle, the holding portion may be disposed deeper than the handle.

[0010] Also, in the direction in which the operator faces when pressing down the main body while holding the handle, the holding portion may be disposed deeper than the positioning pin.

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

[0012] Also, the positioning pin may be a member having a substantially cylindrical shape.

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

[0014] Further, the lower end portion of the positioning pin may have a substantially conical shape or a substantially frustum shape.

[0015] Also, the internal space of the cylindrical member may have a substantially cylindrical shape.

[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 increases upward in the vertical direction.

[0017] Also, the internal space of the cylindrical member may have a tapered shape 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 has a cylindrical shape, a mounting table that enters the inside of the cylindrical workpiece is fixedly provided at a position where the workpiece held by the holding portion is placed, 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, the main body portion rotates along the horizontal direction while maintaining the posture facing the operator around the position of the operator facing the main body portion, and may 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

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 11 are diagrams showing the configuration of a transfer system 1 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of holding a workpiece W by a holding unit 20 of the transfer system 1 at a first position, then performing welding of the workpiece W by once releasing the workpiece W from the holding unit 20 at a second position, and then, after holding the workpiece W again by the holding unit 20 of the transfer system 1 at the second position, releasing the workpiece W from the holding unit 20 at a third position. In each figure, an operator is indicated by reference numeral O, and a workpiece is indicated by reference numeral W.

[0024] The transfer system 1 of this embodiment conveys a workpiece W and positions the conveyed workpiece W in a direction along a horizontal plane at a predetermined position. The transfer system 1 is suspended from a crane 2 and is movable at least in the vertical direction, and includes a main body portion 10 that can be pushed down by an operator, a holding unit 20 provided on the main body portion 10 for holding the workpiece W, a pair of left and right positioning pins 102 provided on the main body portion 10 and extending in the vertical direction, a pair of left and right cylindrical members 104 provided in a position-fixed manner near a 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 portion 10 and respectively gripped by the left and right hands of the operator. Further, the main body portion 10 is suspended from a slide mechanism 70 that slides along second guide rails 64a and 64b extending in the horizontal direction, and a gravity cancellation cylinder 80 is disposed between the slide mechanism 70 and the main body portion 10.

[0025] In such a conveying system 1, an operator holds each handle 34 by hand and pushes down the main body 10 so that a pair of left and right positioning pins 102 are inserted into a pair of left and right cylindrical members 104, thereby positioning the workpiece W held by the holding portion 20 in the direction along the horizontal plane. As the workpiece W, in this embodiment, a stacked body of metal disk members (for example, SUS plate, SPCC plate, electromagnetic steel sheet) provided with a circular opening near the center is used, but the workpiece W is not limited to such a form. That is, in this embodiment, a cylindrical workpiece W provided with a through hole near the center is used as the workpiece W, but it is not limited to such a shape. Each component of such a conveying system 1 will be described in detail below.

[0026] First, the configuration of the main body 10 will be described. As described above, the main body 10 is at least movable in the vertical direction and can be pushed down and pushed up by an operator. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 and the like, the main body 10 is provided with a holding portion 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 portion 20 will be described. The holding portion 20 is configured to hold a cylindrical workpiece W in which metal disk members are stacked by sandwiching it from both left and right by a pair of chucks 20a. Each of such a pair of chucks 20a is configured to perform forward and backward movement in the direction of approaching each other and the direction of separating from each other by an air cylinder or the like. Further, the holding portion 20 has a workpiece rotation mechanism 20b that rotates the workpiece W by a specified angle while holding the workpiece W by the pair of chucks 20a. With such a workpiece rotation mechanism 20b, the workpiece W held by the pair of chucks 20a can be turned upside down.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the pair of left and right handles 34 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6 and the like, the pair of left and right handles 34 are each adapted to be gripped by the left and right hands of the operator. After the operator grips each of the pair of left and right handles 34 with the left and right hands, by pressing down each handle 34, the main body 10 is moved downward in the vertical direction. Further, when the operator pushes up each handle 34, the main body 10 is moved upward in the vertical direction.

[0029] In addition, an operation panel 36 is provided on the main body 10. A plurality of operation buttons 50 are provided on the operation panel 36. Each operation button 50 functions as an input unit for the operator to perform a desired operation of the transport system 1, and is composed of, for example, buttons, switches, keyboards, and the like. Further, a notification unit 40 is provided on the operation panel 36. The notification unit 40 is composed of a lamp, a buzzer, and the like, and notifies the operator of information such as an abnormality of the transport system 1 and whether or not the work W is held by the holding unit 20 by means of display contents, voice contents, and the like.

[0030] The crane 2 is composed of a framework 60 such as columns and guide rails. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the framework 60 has a pair of left and right first guide rails 62a and 62b extending in the horizontal direction, and a pair of left and right second guide rails 64a and 64b extending in a direction orthogonal to each of the first guide rails 62a and 62b in the horizontal direction. Here, a moving body composed of the main body 10 and the pair of left and right second guide rails 64a and 64b can move along each of the first guide rails 62a and 62b in the extending direction of these first guide rails 62a and 62b. Further, a slide mechanism 70 by which the main body 10 and the like are suspended can move along each of the second guide rails 64a and 64b in the extending direction of these second guide rails 64a and 64b.

[0031] Next, the configuration of the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 will be described. The gravity cancellation cylinder 80 cancels the weight of the work W held by the holding portion 20, and enables the operator to move the main body portion 10 with a relatively small force even when the weight of the work W is large when the operator moves the main body portion 10 upward or downward in the vertical direction. The gravity cancellation cylinder 80 is provided between the slide mechanism 70 and the main body portion 10, extends in the vertical direction, and is configured to expand and contract along the vertical direction. When the operator pushes down the main body portion 10 in the vertical direction, the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 extends, and when the operator pushes up the main body portion 10 in the vertical direction, the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 contracts. At this time, since the weight of the work W is cancelled, the operator can expand and contract the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 with a relatively small force when moving the main body portion 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 penetrate the receiving portion 82. Further, the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 is also provided so as to penetrate the receiving portion 82, and the four vertical movement guides 84 are arranged around the gravity cancellation cylinder 80. Here, when the main body portion 10 moves in the vertical direction, the vertical movement guides 84 integrated with the receiving portion 82 stabilize this vertical movement as a guide (preventing load sway), further suppress the instability that is a concern during human operation, and can enhance the stability of the gravity cancellation cylinder 80.

[0032] The gravity cancellation cylinder 80 and the vertical movement guides 84 may be directly connected to the main body portion 10, or may be indirectly connected to the main body portion 10 via the rotation mechanism 90 (see FIG. 4). In this way, the main body portion 10 and the work W can be moved in the vertical direction by the gravity cancellation cylinder 80 and the vertical movement guides 84.

[0033] The rotation mechanism 90 is provided between the gravity canceling cylinder 80 and the main body 10. By means of the rotation mechanism 90, an operator can always maintain the orientation of the operation panel 36 in a desired orientation. Such a rotation mechanism 90 is disposed directly above the holding portion 20. The rotation mechanism 90 enables the main body 10 to move in an arc in the horizontal direction. Thus, in addition to the movement of the main body 10 in the front-rear and left-right directions, variations can be provided to the movement of the workpiece W by the transport system 1. As an example of the rotation mechanism 90, a bearing can be cited.

[0034] Although there is no limitation on the set position (height) of the rotation mechanism 90, by providing the rotation mechanism 90 directly above the holding portion 20, it is possible to prevent a wiring cable or the like (not shown) from being caught during the movement of the main body 10. Further, when the rotation mechanism 90 is provided directly above the holding portion 20, there is also an advantage that the movement distance of the operator can be reduced because the operation panel 36 always comes in front of the operator by the rotation mechanism 90.

[0035] Also, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 12 etc., a restraining mechanism 92 is provided to limit the movement of the main body 10 in the front-rear and left-right directions within a predetermined range. By such a restraining mechanism 92, the movement of the main body 10 can only be in an arc as shown in FIG. 12(d). The restraining mechanism 92 can be provided on the gravity canceling cylinder 80. That is, below the restraining mechanism 92, the holding portion 20 including the gravity canceling cylinder 80 is disposed. By such a restraining mechanism 92, in the process of holding the workpiece W from a previous process (outside the transport system 1), placing the workpiece W on the mounting table 200 of the main process, and further transporting the workpiece W from the mounting table 200 of the main process to a subsequent process, the operator can safely transport the workpiece W within the transport system 1 by the restraining mechanism 92.

[0036] Next, the details of the configurations of the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11. In the present embodiment, the positioning mechanism 100 is constituted by a combination of the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 each have tapered portions 102c and 104a, and the positioning pin 102 can be inserted into the cylindrical member 104 while rubbing against the respective tapered portions 102c and 104a. Here, the tapered portion 102c has a substantially frustum shape, and the cross-section of the tapered portion 104a in the direction along the horizontal plane gradually increases upward in the vertical direction.

[0038] The pair of left and right positioning pins 102 are each provided on the main body portion 10, and the pair of left and right cylindrical members 104 are provided at predetermined working positions within the framework 60. Then, by inserting each of the pair of left and right positioning pins 102 into each of the pair of left and right cylindrical members 104, the main body portion 10 is positioned at a predetermined position along the horizontal plane. At this predetermined position, a mounting table 200 on which the work W is placed is provided.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 7, when fitting the cylindrical workpiece W onto the cylindrical mounting table 200, the disc member constituting the workpiece W needs to be accurately centered. To fit the workpiece W without touching the side surface of the mounting table 200, extremely high positioning accuracy is required, but it is difficult for a person to achieve such high positioning accuracy. In order to solve this problem, the inventors formed a part of each of the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 into a tapered shape (tapered portions 102c, 104a), and by inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 while rubbing them, the tolerance (gap) on the positioning mechanism 100 side is made stricter than the tolerance (gap) of the workpiece W, and even with human accuracy, the fitting between the cylindrical workpiece W and the cylindrical mounting table 200 becomes easier. The operator conceived a mechanism that can remotely place the workpiece W on the mounting table 200 with high precision without visually observing the workpiece W itself. Further, in this embodiment, the workpiece W held by the holding portion 20 is cylindrical, and at the location where the workpiece W held by the holding portion 20 is placed, a mounting table 200 that enters the inside of the cylindrical workpiece W is fixedly provided. The magnitude of the difference between the diameter of the positioning pin 102 and the inner diameter of the cylindrical member 104 is smaller than the magnitude of the difference between the inner diameter of the cylindrical workpiece W and the diameter of the mounting table 200. Specifically, for example, in the examples shown in Figs. 7 and 9, the gap (tolerance: 0.2 mm) between the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 is set narrower than the gap (tolerance: 0.5 mm) between the workpiece W and the mounting table 200. In this way, it is possible to prevent the workpiece W itself from being damaged (tolerance management).

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

[0041] When the bottom surface 102b (Fig. 8) of the wide head portion 102a contacts the top portion 104b of the cylindrical member 104 (Fig. 9), the height of the cylindrical member 104, the height of the mounting table 200, the arrangement positions, shapes, etc. of the holding portion 20 for holding the workpiece W, the positioning pins 102, etc. 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 inside of the cylindrical member 104, even if the positioning pin 102 does not descend vertically into the accommodating portion 104c of the cylindrical member 104 (is displaced), if the tapered portion 102c descends into this tapered portion 104a, the positioning pin 102 (tapered portion 102c) can descend along the tapered portion 104a, and the positioning pin 102 can be inserted into the cylindrical member 104. In order to suppress damage during contact and collision, examples of the materials of the positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104 (at least the tapered portions 102c, 104a) include SKD11 that has been subjected to hard chromium plating after vacuum quenching. Also, FIGS. 10 and 11 show examples of the dimensions and the like of such a positioning pin 102 and the cylindrical member 104.

[0043] The accommodating portion 104c is a cylindrical space inside the cylindrical member 104 (see Fig. 8) in which the positioning pin 102 including the tapered portion 102c is accommodated.

[0044] Also, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, in the direction in which the operator pushes down the main body 10 while holding the handle 34 (that is, the left direction in FIG. 2), the holding portion 20 that holds the workpiece W is disposed on the back side (that is, the left side in FIG. 2) of the handle 34 and the positioning pin 102. In FIG. 2, the position where the holding portion 20 is disposed is indicated by a two-dot chain line P, and the positions where the handle 34 and the positioning pin 102 are disposed are indicated by a two-dot chain line Q. Thus, 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 to the operator than the workpiece W, and inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 without looking at the workpiece W held by the holding portion 20. In other words, since the distance between the operator's eyes and the positioning pin 102 is larger than the distance between the operator's eyes and the workpiece W, the operator can perform the operation of inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 by looking at the positioning pin 102, which is closer to the operator than the workpiece W, rather than looking at the workpiece W, and as a result, the workpiece W can be positioned at a predetermined position in the horizontal plane. Also, since the handle 34 is closer to the operator than the workpiece W, the operator can perform the operation of inserting 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 work W is placed will be described. As shown in FIG. 12, inside the framework 60, a pedestal C is installed at a predetermined location (working location) where it is desired to place the work W, and the mounting table 200 is provided on this pedestal C. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the mounting table 200 has a cylindrical member into which a cylindrical work W can be fitted. As described above, since the work W is held by the holding portion 20, it is desirable to accurately grasp the positional relationship (arrangement) among the main body portion 10 provided with the holding portion 20, the positioning mechanism 100, and the mounting table 200 (particularly, the cylindrical member). In the present embodiment, the work W is positioned and placed with a slight gap from the outer peripheral surface of the mounting table 200. However, it is very difficult to accurately position the work W in a completely vertical state. This is due to a slight deviation in the position and angle of the work W. For example, when an operator places the work W around the mounting table 200, if the edge of the work W is slightly tilted or the movement of the operator's hand is not completely straight, the work W will come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the mounting table 200. In particular, when the operator is working for a long time, due to fatigue and a decrease in concentration, the operating accuracy of the operator's hand decreases, and the work W often comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the mounting table 200 unintentionally. Thus, humans are not good at making sensitive movement adjustments, and when the same work is repeated for a long time, it is likely that the alignment of the work W will be misaligned. To address such problems, in the transport system 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the trouble that the work W comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the mounting table 200 even when the operator works for a long time. This is because the transport system 1 of the present embodiment uses visual and tactile feedback. That is, it is not possible to accurately align the work W only by vision, such as when the operator adjusts the positional relationship between the work W and the mounting table 200 while looking at the work W. However, when the operator looks at the positioning pin 102 instead of the work W and the operator aligns the work W by tactile sensation by inserting the positioning pin 102 into the inside of the cylindrical member 104 while the tapered portion 102c of the positioning pin 102 contacts the tapered portion 104a of the cylindrical member 104, the positioning of the work W can be accurately performed.

[0046] Next, a method for transporting the workpiece W by such a transport system 1 will be described below. In the transport system 1 of the present embodiment, after an operator holds the workpiece W by the holding unit 20 at the first position as shown in Fig. 12(a), as shown in Fig. 12(b), with the position of the operator facing the main body unit 10 as the center, while maintaining the posture of the main body unit 10 facing the operator, the slide mechanism 70 slides along the respective second guide rails 64a and 64b in the horizontal direction to rotate the main body unit 10 and the like. Note that in Fig. 12(d), the movement range of the restraining mechanism 92, that is, the path when the main body unit 10 rotates, is indicated by a dashed-dotted line. Then, at the second position shown in Fig. 12(b), the operator can release the workpiece W from the holding unit 20 and place it on the mounting table 200. At this time, the operator holds the handle 34 and pushes down the main body unit 10 from the slide mechanism 70 by the gravity canceling cylinder 80, but while looking at the pair of left and right positioning pins 102, each of these positioning pins 102 is inserted into each of the pair of left and right cylindrical members 104 provided in the vicinity of the mounting table 200, so that the positioning in the direction along the horizontal plane can be performed for the workpiece W held by the holding unit 20 without looking at the workpiece W or the holding unit 20 that holds the workpiece W. In particular, as shown in Fig. 2, in the direction in which the operator moves when pushing down the main body unit 10 while holding the handle 34 (that is, the left direction in Fig. 2), the position of the holding unit 20 that holds the workpiece W (indicated by a two-dot chain line P in Fig. 2) is arranged on the back side (that is, the left side in Fig. 2) of the positions of the handle 34 and the positioning pin 102 (indicated by a two-dot chain line Q in Fig. 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 to the operator than the workpiece W, and inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 without looking at the workpiece W held by the holding unit 20.

[0047] After that, welding of the work W (specifically, welding of each metal disk constituting the work W) is performed at the position shown in FIG. 12(b). After the operator holds the welded work W again by the holding portion 20, the operator pushes up the main body portion 10 in the vertically upward direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 12(c), with the position of the operator facing the main body portion 10 as the center, while maintaining the posture of the main body portion 10 facing the operator, the slide mechanism 70 slides along each of the second guide rails 64a and 64b in the horizontal direction and rotates the main body portion 10 and the like. And at the third position shown in FIG. 12(c), the operator can release the work W from the holding portion 20 and place it on the gantry C.

[0048] According to the conveying system 1 of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration, the main body portion 10 that is suspended from the crane 2 and is at least movable in the vertical direction and can be pushed down by the operator, the holding portion 20 provided on the main body portion 10 for holding the work W, the positioning pin 102 provided on the main body portion 10 and extending in the vertical direction, and the cylindrical member 104 that is fixedly provided in the vicinity of the portion where the work W is positioned and into which the positioning pin 102 can be inserted. By the operator pushing down the main body portion 10 so that the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104, positioning in the direction along the horizontal plane of the work W held by the holding portion 20 is performed. According to such a conveying system 1, by the operator pushing down the main body portion 10 so that the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104, the work W can be accurately positioned at a predetermined position without the operator having to look at the work W or the holding portion 20 for holding the work W.

[0049] In the conveying system 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, in the direction in which the operator faces when pushing down the main body 10, the holding portion 20 is disposed on the back side of the positioning pin 102. In this case, since the distance between the operator's eyes and the positioning pin 102 is greater than the distance between the operator's eyes and the workpiece W, the operator inserts the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 by looking at the positioning pin 102 closer to the operator than the workpiece W rather than looking at the workpiece W. As a result, the workpiece W can be positioned at a predetermined position on the horizontal plane.

[0050] Also, as described above, the conveying system 1 of the present embodiment further includes a handle 34 provided on the main body 10, and the operator can 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 looking at the workpiece W or the holding portion 20 for holding the workpiece W.

[0051] Also, as described above, in the direction in which the operator faces when pushing down the main body 10 while holding the handle 34, the holding portion 20 is disposed on the back side of the handle 34. In this case, since the handle 34 is closer to the operator than the workpiece W, the operator can perform the operation of inserting the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 in a comfortable posture.

[0052] Also, as described above, in the direction in which the operator moves when pushing down the main body 10 while holding the handle 34, the holding portion 20 is disposed on the back side of the positioning pin 102. In this case, since the distance between the operator's eyes and the positioning pin 102 is greater than the distance between the operator's eyes and the work W, the operator inserts the positioning pin 102 into the cylindrical member 104 by looking at the positioning pin 102 closer to the operator than the work W, and as a result, the work W can be positioned at a predetermined position on the horizontal plane.

[0053] Also, 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 makes it possible to more accurately position the work W held by the holding portion 20 compared to the case where there is only one positioning pin 102 and one cylindrical member 104, respectively. Note that the number of the positioning pins 102 and the cylindrical members 104 is not limited to two each, and three or more positioning pins 102 and cylindrical members 104 may be provided respectively.

[0054] Also, in the present embodiment, the positioning pin 102 is a substantially cylindrical member. Further, the lower end portion of the positioning pin 102 (specifically, the tapered portion 102c) has a tapered shape. In this case, it becomes easier to insert the positioning pin 102 into the internal space of the cylindrical member 104 compared to the case where the lower end portion of the positioning pin 102 does not have a tapered shape. Further, the lower end portion of the positioning pin 102 has a substantially frustum shape. 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 have a substantially conical shape instead of a substantially frustum shape.

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

[0056] Also, as described above, the conveying system 1 of the present embodiment includes guide rails (second guide rails 64a, 64b) extending in the horizontal direction and a slide mechanism 70 provided movably on the guide rails. A gravity canceling cylinder 80 is disposed between the slide mechanism 70 and the main body portion 10. In this case, the weight of the workpiece W can be canceled by the gravity canceling cylinder 80, and thus the operator can move the main body portion 10 more easily.

[0057] In addition, in the present embodiment, the workpiece W held by the holding portion 20 has a cylindrical shape, and a mounting table 200 that enters the inside of the cylindrical workpiece W is fixedly provided at the location where the workpiece W held by the holding portion 20 is placed. The magnitude of 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 magnitude of the difference between the diameter of the internal space of the cylindrical workpiece W and the diameter of the mounting table 200. This can prevent the workpiece W from coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the mounting table 200 when the positioning pin 102 is inserted into the cylindrical member 104.

[0058] Also, in this embodiment, after the transfer system 1 holds the workpiece W by the holding unit 20 at the first position, it rotates along the horizontal direction while maintaining the posture of the main body 10 facing the operator around the position of the operator facing the main body 10, and can release the workpiece W from the holding unit 20 at the second position. In this case, the workpiece W released from the holding unit 20 at the second position can be positioned at a predetermined position in the direction along the horizontal plane.

[0059] Note that the transfer system 1 according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described mode, and various modifications can be made.

[0060] For example, the workpiece held by the holding unit 20 is not limited to a cylindrical shape. Workpieces of various shapes can be used as the workpiece held by the holding unit 20. Further, the transfer system 1 of this embodiment is not limited to a mode in which the workpiece held by the holding unit 20 is fitted to the mounting table 200. As another mode, a workpiece held by the holding unit 20 may be placed at a predetermined position on a plane.

[0061] Also, the configurations of the main body 10, the holding unit 20, etc. are not limited to the above-described mode as long as they can be suspended from the crane 2 and are provided with positioning pins 102 extending in the vertical direction. Various other configurations can be used as the main body 10, the holding unit 20, etc. Also, the configurations of the positioning pins 102 and the cylindrical members 104 are not limited to the configurations shown in FIGS. 6 to 11.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0062] 1 Transfer system 2 Crane 10 Main body 20 Holding unit 20a Chuck 20b Workpiece rotation mechanism 34 Handle 36 Operation panel 40 Notification unit 50 Operation Button 60 Framework 62a First Guide Rail 62b First Guide Rail 64a Second Guide Rail 64b Second Guide Rail 70 Slide Mechanism 80 Gravity Cancel Cylinder 82 Receiving Part 84 Guide for Vertical Movement 90 Rotation Mechanism 92 Suppression Mechanism 100 Positioning Mechanism 102 Positioning Pin 102a Head Part 102b Bottom Surface 102c Tapered Part 104 Cylindrical Member 104a Tapered Part 104b Top Part 104c Accommodation Part 200 Mounting Table

Claims

1. A conveying system for conveying a workpiece, comprising: a main body portion that is suspended from a crane and is movable at least in the vertical direction and can be pushed down by an operator; a holding portion provided on the main body portion for holding the workpiece; a positioning pin provided on the main body portion and extending in the vertical direction; a cylindrical member that is fixedly positioned near a location where the workpiece is positioned and into which the positioning pin can be inserted; and when the operator pushes down the main body portion so that the positioning pin is inserted into the cylindrical member, positioning is performed in a direction along the horizontal plane of the workpiece held by the holding portion; the workpiece held by the holding portion has a cylindrical shape; at a 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; a conveying system, wherein the magnitude of the difference between the diameter of the positioning pin and the inner diameter of the cylindrical member is smaller than the magnitude of the difference between the inner diameter of the cylindrical workpiece and the diameter of the mounting table.

2. The conveying system according to Claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the difference between the diameter of the positioning pin and the inner diameter of the cylindrical member is smaller than 0.5 mm.

3. The conveying system according to Claim 2, wherein the magnitude of the difference between the diameter of the positioning pin and the inner diameter of the cylindrical member is smaller than 0.2 mm.

4. The conveying system according to Claim 1, wherein in the direction in which the operator faces when pushing down the main body portion, the holding portion is arranged further back than the positioning pin.

5. further comprising a handle provided on the main body portion, wherein the operator can push down the main body portion while holding the handle so that the positioning pin is inserted into the cylindrical member.

6. The conveying system according to Claim 5, wherein in the direction in which the operator faces when pushing down the main body portion while holding the handle, the holding portion is arranged further back than the handle.

7. The conveying system according to Claim 5, wherein in the direction in which the operator faces when pushing down the main body portion while holding the handle, the holding portion is arranged further back than the positioning pin.

8. The positioning pins are provided in at least two numbers, and the cylindrical member is provided in at least two numbers corresponding to the positioning pins. The conveying system according to claim 1.

9. The positioning pin is a member having a substantially cylindrical shape. The conveying system according to claim 1.

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

11. The lower end portion of the positioning pin has a substantially conical shape or a substantially frustum shape. The conveying system according to claim 10.

12. The internal space of the cylindrical member has a substantially cylindrical shape. The conveying system according to claim 1.

13. In the internal space of the cylindrical member, the cross section in the direction along the horizontal plane at the upper end portion of the cylindrical member becomes larger toward the upper direction in the vertical direction. The conveying system according to claim 1.

14. The internal space of the cylindrical member has a tapered shape at the upper end portion of the cylindrical member. The conveying system according to claim 13.

15. A guide rail extending in the horizontal direction, A slide mechanism provided movably on the guide rail, Further comprising, A gravity canceling cylinder is disposed between the slide mechanism and the main body portion. The conveying system according to claim 1.

16. After the workpiece is held by the holding portion at the first position, the main body portion rotates along the horizontal direction while maintaining the posture facing the operator with the position of the operator facing the main body portion as the center, and the workpiece can be released from the holding portion at the second position. The conveying system according to claim 1.

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