Deburring device

Abstract

To provide a deburring device that can improve the appearance of molded products.SOLUTION: The heater unit 30 having an infrared lamp heater 40 that irradiates infrared rays, the molded product holding section 5 that positions and holds the molded product M, and the circumferential mechanism 10 that causes the heater unit 30 to circumvent the molded product M held in the molded product holding section 5 in the direction that irradiates infrared rays to the molded product M held in the molded product holding section 5, thereby removing thread burrs from the molded product M and improving the appearance of the molded product M.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a deburring device, and more particularly to a deburring device that removes thread burrs from resin molded products. [Background technology]

[0002] When a resin molded product is formed by injection molding, thin thread-like burrs may occur on the surface of the molded product at positions corresponding to the mold mating surfaces. Because burrs on the surface of a molded product can lead to poor appearance, devices for removing burrs have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a finishing device for plastic molded products in which synthetic rubber heated by a heater is pressed against the burrs on the molded product, melting them and fusing them to the surface of the molded product, thereby eliminating and removing the burrs. Patent Document 2 also describes an air heater in which a temperature sensor is located near the hot air outlet, enabling control of the temperature of the hot air being blown out. Patent Document 2 describes deburring of plastic parts as an example of an application of an air heater that blows hot air onto a heated object. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-137432 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-198207 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a heated object, such as heated synthetic rubber, is pressed against a molded product to melt the burrs, the molten resin may adhere to the heated object. In this case, a portion of the molded product's surface may be separated and removed, resulting in a defect in appearance other than the thread burrs. Furthermore, because the temperature of the hot air blown from the air heater decreases immediately after it is released into the atmosphere, even if the temperature is sufficiently high at the hot air outlet, the temperature may be lower at the molded product. Therefore, when removing burrs by blowing hot air from an air heater onto a molded product, it is difficult for the surface temperature of the molded product to rise to a temperature sufficient to melt the burrs, making burr removal difficult. For these reasons, it has been extremely difficult to properly remove burrs from the surface of molded products and eliminate the defect in appearance.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a deburring device that can improve the appearance of a molded product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the deburring device of the present invention comprises a heater unit having an infrared lamp heater that irradiates infrared rays, a molded product holding section that positions the molded product and holds the molded product, and a rotation mechanism that rotates the heater unit around the molded product held in the molded product holding section in an orientation that irradiates the infrared rays onto the molded product held in the molded product holding section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The deburring device according to the present invention has the effect of improving the appearance of a molded product. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a post-molding process device including a deburring device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the deburring device shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the heater unit shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a view taken along the arrow BB in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a detailed view of an infrared lamp heater used in the heater unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the carbonaceous heating element of the infrared lamp heater. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of an orbital heater device included in the deburring device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a post-molding process device including a deburring device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the deburring device shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a detailed view of the hand unit shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a deburring device according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are replaceable and easily conceivable by a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a post-molding process device including a deburring device 1 according to embodiment 1. The deburring device 1 according to embodiment 1 is capable of removing burrs that occur on the surface of a molded product M made of resin molded by an injection molding machine 100. For this reason, the deburring device 1 is disposed adjacent to the transport path of the molded product M molded by the injection molding machine 100.

[0011] <Injection molding machine 100> An injection molding machine 100 that molds a molded product M has an injection unit 101 and a mold clamping unit 110. The injection unit 101 has a heating barrel 102 that melts a resin material that is the raw material of the molded product M, and a nozzle 103 that injects the resin melted in the heating barrel 102 into a mold 115 that the mold clamping unit 110 has.

[0012] Furthermore, the mold clamping unit 110 is disposed at a position facing the nozzle 103 of the injection unit 101, and has a fixed die 111 and a movable die 112. The movable die 112 is disposed on the opposite side of the fixed die 111 from the side where the injection unit 101 is located, and can be moved relative to the fixed die 111 by a mold clamping mechanism (not shown).

[0013] A mold 115 that molds the resin material injected from the injection device 101 is attached to a fixed die 111 and a movable die 112, with a fixed mold 116 attached to the fixed die 111 and a movable mold 117 attached to the movable die 112. In the mold 115, the opposing surfaces of the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 are formed in shapes that mold the resin material into a desired shape. The injection molding machine 100 molds a molded product M by injecting the resin material molten in the injection device 101 into the portion between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117.

[0014] The injection molding machine 100 also has a control device 200 that performs various controls of the injection molding machine 100. The control device 200 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs arithmetic processing, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) that function as memories for storing various information. All or part of the functions of the control device 200 are realized by loading an application program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing it on the CPU, thereby reading and writing data from and to the RAM and ROM. The control device 200 is also capable of controlling peripheral devices of the injection molding machine 100.

[0015] <Ejecting device 120> In the injection molding machine 100, a take-out device 120 is arranged from below the mold 115 in the mold clamping device 110 toward the outside of the injection molding machine 100. The take-out device 120 is capable of taking out the molded article M molded in the mold 115 to the outside of the injection molding machine 100. The take-out device 120 is formed, for example, by a so-called belt conveyor that extends from below the mold 115 toward the outside of the injection molding machine 100. The take-out device 120 moves the molded article M molded in the mold 115 along the belt of the belt conveyor, thereby taking out the molded article M to the outside of the injection molding machine 100.

[0016] The deburring device 1 is disposed adjacent to the take-out device 120 that takes out the molded product M thus molded by the injection molding machine 100. Further, downstream of the take-out device 120, a conveying device 140 is disposed that conveys the molded product M, from which thread burrs have been removed by the deburring device 1, further downstream in the conveying path of the molded product M. In the present embodiment 1, the conveying device 140 is configured by a belt conveyor, similar to the take-out device 120. Further, in the present embodiment 1, the conveying device 140 extends in a direction that intersects with the extending direction of the take-out device 120.

[0017] <Mobile Robot 130> A mobile robot 130 is disposed near the take-out device 120 to move the molded article M taken out by the take-out device 120. The mobile robot 130 is a so-called articulated robot having multiple joints. The mobile robot 130 is provided with a chuck 135 at the tip of its arm, and the chuck 135 is capable of holding the molded article M. The chuck 135 may be either a clamp chuck or a vacuum chuck, as long as it is capable of holding the molded article M.

[0018] The mobile robot 130 is disposed near the deburring device 1 disposed adjacent to the take-out device 120, and like the deburring device 1, the mobile robot 130 is also disposed adjacent to the take-out device 120. More specifically, the mobile robot 130 is disposed on the same side of the take-out device 120 as the deburring device 1, and the deburring device 1 and the transport device 140 are disposed adjacent to the take-out device 120. Therefore, the mobile robot 130 can move the chuck 135 to any of the positions of the take-out device 120, the deburring device 1, and the transport device 140.

[0019] Furthermore, the mobile robot 130 is capable of operating in accordance with the molding timing of the injection molding machine 100. The mobile robot 130 is capable of transmitting and receiving electrical signals, for example, via wire or wirelessly, to and from a control device 200 that controls the injection molding machine 100. This allows the control device 200 that controls the injection molding machine 100 to control the mobile robot 130. Therefore, the mobile robot 130 receives control signals from the control device 200 in accordance with the molding timing of the injection molding machine 100, and operates in accordance with the control signals, thereby being able to operate in accordance with the molding timing of the injection molding machine 100.

[0020] <Deburring device 1> The deburring device 1 is installed on a base frame 3. Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the deburring device 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2. The deburring device 1 has a molded product holding section 5 that holds a molded product M from which thread burrs are to be removed by the deburring device 1, an orbital heater device 20 that has a heater unit 30 that irradiates infrared rays onto the molded product M held by the molded product holding section 5, and rails 11 that are arranged around the molded product holding section 5.

[0021] The molded product holding unit 5 is capable of holding the molded product M and positioning the molded product M. For example, by arranging a plurality of protrusions (not shown) on the upper surface of the molded product holding unit 5 that restrict horizontal movement of the molded product M, the molded product holding unit 5 is able to restrict horizontal movement of the molded product M and position the molded product M. As a result, when removing thread burrs from the molded product M using the deburring device 1, the molded product holding unit 5 can position and hold the molded product M from which thread burrs are to be removed in a desired position.

[0022] The orbital heater device 20 is capable of traveling along the rail 11. The orbital heater device 20 has a main body 21 that supports the heater unit 30, a grip 22 attached to the main body 21, and a traveling unit 25 that causes the orbital heater device 20 to travel along the rail 11. The main body 21 supports the heater unit 30 in an orientation such that the heater unit 30 is disposed on the side where the molded product holding unit 5 is located when the orbital heater device 20 travels along the rail 11. This enables the orbital heater device 20 to irradiate infrared rays emitted from the heater unit 30 onto the molded product M held by the molded product holding unit 5.

[0023] The grip 22 is disposed above the main body 21 and serves as a part that an operator grasps with his or her hand when removing thread burrs from the molded product M using the deburring device 1. The orbital heater device 20 can be moved along the rail 11 by an operator grasping the grip 22 with his or her hand and moving it. Specifically, the grip 22 has a generally cylindrical shape that is thick enough to be easily gripped by hand and is disposed to extend upward from the main body 21. Furthermore, the grip 22 can be rotated relative to the main body 21 around the axis of the cylinder that forms the shape of the grip 22, so that the operator can move the orbital heater device 20 while holding it in his or her hand.

[0024] The traveling unit 25, together with the rail 11, constitutes the orbiting mechanism 10. The orbiting mechanism 10 is configured to rotate the heater unit 30 around the molded product M held in the molded product holding unit 5 in a direction that irradiates infrared rays onto the molded product M held in the molded product holding unit 5. The traveling unit 25, which constitutes the orbiting mechanism 10 together with the rail 11, is disposed below the main body 21 and has a plurality of wheels 26. The plurality of wheels 26 of the traveling unit 25 are arranged rotatably in a direction that allows the traveling unit 25 to travel in the extension direction of the rail 11 while supporting the orbiting heater device 20 by contacting the rail 11. This allows the traveling unit 25 to support the heater unit 30 via the main body 21 and travel along the rail 11.

[0025] The rail 11, on which the orbital heater device 20 can run, is an endless rail that is disposed around the molded product holding unit 5. The rail 11 also has a retraction section 12. Specifically, the distance from the rail 11, which is disposed around the molded product holding unit 5, i.e., the distance from the molded product M held by the molded product holding unit 5, is approximately constant at positions other than the retraction section 12. On the other hand, at the retraction section 12, the distance from the molded product holding unit 5 and the molded product M is greater than at portions of the rail 11 other than the retraction section 12. The retraction section 12 is formed by a gentle curve that is convex in the direction in which the distance between the rail 11 and the molded product holding unit 5 increases. The length of the retraction section 12 in the extension direction of the rail 11 is long enough to include one orbital heater device 20 in the same direction.

[0026] In the first embodiment, two orbital heater devices 20 are arranged for the rail 11 formed in this manner. The two orbital heater devices 20 are capable of traveling along the rail 11 independently of each other.

[0027] <Heater unit 30> Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the heater unit 30 shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view taken along the arrow BB in Fig. 4. The heater unit 30 is configured such that an infrared lamp heater 40 that irradiates infrared rays is disposed in a lamp case 31, and in the first embodiment, three infrared lamp heaters 40 are disposed in the lamp case 31. Each of the three infrared lamp heaters 40 is curved in an arc shape or a U shape, and is disposed in the lamp case 31 in a curved state.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the infrared lamp heater 40 used in the heater unit 30. The infrared lamp heater 40 used in the first embodiment uses a carbonaceous heating element 41 as a heating element. The carbonaceous heating element 41 has a high melting point and can be used at high temperatures, making it possible to increase the energy density. In the infrared lamp heater 40, a plate-shaped carbonaceous heating element 41 is sealed in a glass tube 45 in which an inert gas is sealed. Lead wires 44 are connected to both ends of the carbonaceous heating element 41 in the glass tube 45 in the longitudinal direction. The lead wires 44 are connected to a power source (not shown) and can supply power from the power source to the carbonaceous heating element 41 in the glass tube 45. As a result, the infrared lamp heater 40 can radiate infrared rays by causing the carbonaceous heating element 41 to heat up using the power supplied to the carbonaceous heating element 41 from the lead wires 44.

[0029] Fig. 7 is a detailed view of the carbonaceous heating element 41 of the infrared lamp heater 40. Fig. 7 is a developed plan view of the carbonaceous heating element 41 shown in Fig. 6. The carbonaceous heating element 41 of the infrared lamp heater 40 is formed in the shape of a long thin plate, and lead wire connection parts 42 are formed on both ends in the longitudinal direction. Lead wires 44 connected to the infrared lamp heater 40 are connected to the lead wire connection parts 42 located on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the carbonaceous heating element 41, respectively.

[0030] The carbonaceous heating element 41 has alternating opposing slits 43 cut from one longitudinal edge to just before the other longitudinal edge between the lead wire connection portions 42 at both ends. Adjacent slits 43 in the longitudinal direction of the carbonaceous heating element 41 are formed at equal intervals, and the intervals between these slits 43 are standardized to the same dimension as the remaining intervals of the slits 43.

[0031] The infrared lamp heater 40, in which the carbonaceous heating element 41 formed as described above is sealed in a glass tube 45, is curved such that the thickness direction of the carbonaceous heating element 41 in the glass tube 45 is the radial direction of the curvature. The carbonaceous heating element 41 is formed so that at least the range in which the slit 43 is formed is located in the curved portion.

[0032] The heater unit 30 is formed by arranging three curved infrared lamp heaters 40 inside a lamp case 31. When viewed in the axial direction of the curvature inside the lamp case 31, the three infrared lamp heaters 40 are arranged so that they overlap and are curved in the same direction (see FIG. 4).

[0033] The three infrared lamp heaters 40 are arranged in the lamp case 31 so that the distance between adjacent infrared lamp heaters 40 is smaller on the curved, arc-shaped side than on the side where the lead wires 44 are connected (see Figure 5).

[0034] The lamp case 31, inside which the three infrared lamp heaters 40 are arranged, has an opening at least in a portion located near the curved, arc-shaped portion of the infrared lamp heaters 40. In other words, the curved, arc-shaped portion of the infrared lamp heaters 40 is exposed to the outside of the lamp case 31. In this way, the opening in the lamp case 31, where the infrared lamp heaters 40 are exposed to the outside of the lamp case 31, is formed as an irradiation section 32 of the infrared lamp heater 40. The irradiation section 32 is a section that irradiates infrared rays generated by the infrared lamp heaters 40 toward the outside of the lamp case 31, and is a section that irradiates infrared rays to any irradiation target.

[0035] When the orbital heater device 20 is arranged on the rail 11, the heater unit 30 is arranged on the orbital heater device 20 with the irradiation unit 32 facing inward on the rail 11 that is arranged around the molded product holding unit 5, i.e., in the direction in which the molded product holding unit 5 is arranged. Furthermore, when the orbital heater device 20 is arranged on the rail 11, the heater unit 30 is arranged at a position such that when the molded product M is placed on the molded product holding unit 5, the vertical position of the molded product M is approximately the same as the vertical position of the irradiation unit 32.

[0036] <Action of deburring device 1> The deburring device 1 according to the first embodiment has the above-described configuration, and its operation will be described below. A molded product M, from which thread burrs on the surface have been removed by the deburring device 1, is molded by an injection molding machine 100. The injection molding machine 100 injects a molten resin material into a mold 115 held by a mold clamping device 110, and molds the molded product M by the mold 115. The molded product M molded by the injection molding machine 100 is removed to the outside of the injection molding machine 100 by an removal device 120 that is arranged from below the mold 115 toward the outside of the injection molding machine 100.

[0037] Here, when molding a molded article M using the injection molding machine 100, the molded article M is molded by performing a series of steps made up of a plurality of steps by the injection molding machine 100, and the injection molding machine 100 repeatedly performs this series of steps to continuously mold the molded article M. In this way, the injection molding machine 100 molds the molded article M each time a series of steps for molding the molded article M is performed, and therefore the injection molding machine 100 molds the molded article M intermittently.

[0038] The take-out device 120 takes out the molded article M, which is molded intermittently as a series of processes are performed, from the injection molding machine 100 to the outside of the injection molding machine 100. That is, the take-out device 120 takes out the molded article M molded by the injection molding machine 100 from below the mold 115 of the injection molding machine 100 to the outside of the injection molding machine 100 by means of a belt conveyor. When the molded article M transported by the take-out device 120 is transported to a position where it can be held by the chuck 135 of the mobile robot 130, the mobile robot 130 extends its arm and holds the molded article M by the chuck 135.

[0039] That is, since the mobile robot 130 can be controlled by the control device 200 that controls the injection molding machine 100, the control device 200 controls the injection molding machine 100 and also controls the mobile robot 130, so that the mobile robot 130 can operate in accordance with the molding timing of the injection molding machine 100. As a result, the mobile robot 130 operates in accordance with the timing when the molded product M molded by the injection molding machine 100 is taken out by the take-out device 120 and transported by the take-out device 120 to the vicinity of the mobile robot 130, and holds the molded product M with the chuck 135.

[0040] After holding the molded product M, the mobile robot 130 places the held molded product M on the molded product holding unit 5 of the deburring device 1. The molded product holding unit 5 is capable of restricting horizontal movement of the molded product M and positioning the molded product M, so by having the mobile robot 130 place the molded product M on the molded product holding unit 5 and hold it with the molded product holding unit 5, the molded product M can be positioned with respect to the orbiting mechanism 10 of the deburring device 1.

[0041] Specifically, the molded product M is placed on the molded product holding unit 5 so that the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 when molding is performed by the injection molding machine 100 faces the side where the rail 11 is located, i.e., faces outward. In other words, the molded product M is placed on the molded product holding unit 5 so that the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 of the injection molding machine 100 is positioned along the rail 11 on the inner circumferential side of the rail 11 of the circulating mechanism 10, and is positioned by holding the molded product M with the molded product holding unit 5. In other words, when the molded product M is held by the molded product holding unit 5, the rail 11 is arranged around the molded product holding unit 5 at a position on the outer circumferential side of the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 of the molded product M, along the outer circumferential surface.

[0042] Once the molded product M is held by the molded product holding unit 5, an operator who will be performing the work of removing thread burrs from the molded product M uses the orbital heater device 20 of the deburring apparatus 1 to remove the thread burrs. The operator turns on the power supply to the heater unit 30 of one of the two orbital heater devices 20 arranged on the rail 11, thereby supplying power to the heater unit 30. At that time, the power supply to the heater unit 30 of the other orbital heater device 20 is turned off and the other orbital heater device 20 is positioned in the retraction section 12 of the rail 11. The power supply to the heater unit 30 of the orbital heater device 20 is switched on and off by a power switch (not shown) arranged on the orbital heater device 20. The power switch is arranged, for example, on the main body 21 of the orbital heater device 20.

[0043] When power is supplied to the orbital heater device 20, the carbonaceous heating element 41 of the infrared lamp heater 40 of the heater unit 30 generates heat and emits infrared rays due to the supplied power. The infrared rays emitted from the carbonaceous heating element 41 of the infrared lamp heater 40 are irradiated from an irradiation portion 32, which is an opening portion of the lamp case 31 of the heater unit 30, toward the outside of the lamp case 31.

[0044] The irradiation section 32 of the heater unit 30 of the orbital heater device 20 faces the direction in which the molded product holding section 5 is arranged, and its position in the vertical direction is approximately the same as the position of the molded product M held by the molded product holding section 5. Therefore, the infrared rays irradiated from the infrared lamp heater 40 are irradiated from the irradiation section 32 of the heater unit 30 to the molded product M held by the molded product holding section 5.

[0045] When infrared rays are irradiated onto the molded product M, the temperature of the irradiated portion increases due to the infrared rays. Here, the molded product M is held by the molded product holding unit 5 with the outer peripheral surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 facing outward when molded by the injection molding machine 100. During molding by the injection molding machine 100, resin material is injected into the mold 115 at high pressure, which can cause a small amount of molten resin to leak from the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117, resulting in the formation of burrs. The deburring device 1 can remove burrs from molded products M that may have burrs on their outer peripheral surface by irradiating infrared rays from the heater unit 30.

[0046] That is, the deburring device 1 raises the temperature near the surface of the molded product M by irradiating the molded product M with infrared rays from the heater unit 30. At this time, since the volume of the thread burrs is small relative to the surface area, the temperature of the thread burrs increases easily, and the increased temperature makes the thread burrs melt easily, so the thread burrs can be removed by increasing the temperature and melting them.

[0047] In particular, the infrared lamp heater 40 according to the first embodiment uses a carbonaceous heating element 41 as a heating element, and therefore can be used at high temperatures, with high energy and high energy density. Furthermore, the heater unit 30 has three infrared lamp heaters 40, and the distance between the three infrared lamp heaters 40 is reduced near the irradiation section 32 of the lamp case 31. This allows the energy of the infrared rays irradiated from the irradiation section 32 to be further increased.

[0048] As a result, when the molded product M is irradiated with infrared rays from the heater unit 30, burrs that have occurred on the surface of the molded product M are easily melted by the irradiation of high-energy infrared rays, and the burrs disappear as the molten resin adheres to the surface of the molded product M. In this way, the deburring device 1 irradiates the molded product M with high-energy infrared rays from the heater unit 30, so that burrs that have occurred on the surface of the molded product M can be easily melted, and the burrs can be eliminated and removed without separating from the molded product M.

[0049] When removing thread burrs from a molded product M using the deburring device 1, the worker moves the orbital heater device 20 along the rail 11 while irradiating the molded product M with infrared rays from the heater unit 30. At this time, the orbital heater device 20 starts near a retraction section 12 formed in the rail 11 and moves along the rail 11. When the worker moves the orbital heater device 20, the worker holds the grip 22 of the orbital heater device 20 with his or her hand and moves it.

[0050] The rails 11 are arranged around the molded product holding unit 5 along the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 of the molded product M held by the molded product holding unit 5. Therefore, by moving the orbital heater device 20 along the rails 11 while irradiating infrared rays, it is possible to irradiate the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 of the molded product M with infrared rays.

[0051] The worker moves the orbital heater device 20 along the rail 11 while irradiating the molded product M with infrared rays, thereby moving the orbital heater device 20 approximately one revolution along the rail 11 and moving it to the part of the rail 11 where the retraction section 12 is formed. This allows infrared rays to be irradiated onto the molded product M from the heater unit 30 of the orbital heater device 20 along the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 in the molded product M, over approximately one circumference of the molded product M. In the molded product M irradiated with infrared rays from the heater unit 30 of the orbital heater device 20 over approximately one circumference of the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117, burrs are melted by the infrared rays and removed over approximately one circumference.

[0052] In this way, the molded product M from which the thread burrs have been removed by the infrared rays irradiated from the heater unit 30 is moved from the molded product holding unit 5 by the mobile robot 130. In detail, the mobile robot 130 holds the molded product M held by the molded product holding unit 5 with a chuck 135, and moves the molded product M from the position of the molded product holding unit 5 onto the conveying device 140. After moving the molded product M onto the conveying device 140, the mobile robot 130 places the molded product M on the conveying device 140.

[0053] Since the conveying device 140 is configured by a belt conveyor, the molded product M placed on the conveying device 140 is conveyed to a subsequent process by the conveying device 140. In other words, the molded product M from which the thread burrs have been removed by the deburring device 1 is conveyed to a subsequent process by the conveying device 140.

[0054] After transferring the molded article M from the molded article holding unit 5 to the conveying device 140, the mobile robot 130 further holds the molded article M, which has been molded by the injection molding machine 100 and removed from the injection molding machine 100 by the removal device 120, in a chuck 135 and places it on the molded article holding unit 5. In other words, since the injection molding machine 100 continuously molds the molded articles M, the removal device 120 continuously removes and conveys the molded articles M molded by the injection molding machine 100.

[0055] The mobile robot 130 places the molded article M being transported by the take-out device 120 on the molded article holding unit 5 and holds it there, and moves the molded article M held by the molded article holding unit 5 to the transport device 140, in accordance with the timing of the transport of the molded article M being continuously transported by the take-out device 120. When the molded article M is molded by the injection molding machine 100, the mobile robot 130 repeatedly performs these operations. When the molded article M is molded by the injection molding machine 100, the timing of the operations of the mobile robot 130 that perform these operations is set in advance to match the molding timing of the injection molding machine 100.

[0056] After the burrs on the molded product M are removed by the circumferential heater device 20, the molded product M held by the molded product holding unit 5 is replaced by the mobile robot 130, and then the worker replaces the circumferential heater device 20 that is performing the burr removal work and removes the burrs.

[0057] That is, after the burrs on the molded product M have been removed by the orbital heater device 20 and the molded product M has been removed from the molded product holding section 5 by the mobile robot 130, the worker turns off the power supply to the heater unit 30 of the orbital heater device 20 that had been in use until then. Meanwhile, the worker turns on the power supply to the heater unit 30 of the orbital heater device 20 that had been positioned in the evacuation section 12 until then, moves the orbital heater device 20 from the evacuation section 12, and positions the orbital heater device 20, with the power supply to the heater unit 30 turned off, in the evacuation section 12.

[0058] For the molded product M newly held by the molded product holding section 5, the power supply to the heater unit 30 is turned on and the molded product holding section 5 is moved from the retraction section 12 to perform the work of removing burrs. That is, while infrared rays emitted from the infrared lamp heater 40 are irradiated onto the molded product M from the irradiation section 32 of the heater unit 30, the orbital heater device 20 is moved along the rail 11, and the infrared rays are irradiated along approximately one circumference of the molded product M. In this way, the thread burrs are removed from the molded product M newly held by the molded product holding section 5.

[0059] During this time, the power supply to the heater unit 30 is turned off, and the orbital heater device 20 positioned in the evacuation section 12 of the rail 11 is cooled down as the temperature of the infrared lamp heater 40, which had been high, drops. In other words, during the operation of removing thread burrs from the molded product M by the deburring device 1, the period when the power supply to the heater unit 30 is turned off and the heater unit 30 is positioned in the evacuation section 12 is a cooling period for the infrared lamp heater 40. When cooling the infrared lamp heater 40, the orbital heater device 20 is positioned in the evacuation section 12 and the heater unit 30 is separated from the molded product M, and cooling is performed.

[0060] When removing thread burrs from molded products M that are continuously molded by an injection molding machine 100 using a deburring device 1, two circumferential heater devices 20 arranged on the rail 11 are used alternately for each molded product M, as shown above, to continuously remove thread burrs.

[0061] <Effects of the First Embodiment> The deburring device 1 according to the first embodiment described above has an orbiting mechanism 10 that can rotate the heater unit 30 around the molded product M held by the molded product holding section 5 in a direction that irradiates infrared rays onto the molded product M. As a result, even if a burr occurs on the outer surface of the mating surface of the mold 115 of the molded product M molded by the injection molding machine 100, the burr can be melted and removed by the infrared rays irradiated from the heater unit 30 that orbits around the molded product M. As a result, the appearance of the molded product M can be improved.

[0062] Furthermore, in the deburring device 1 according to the first embodiment, the orbiting mechanism 10 for orbiting the heater unit 30 is configured by the rail 11 arranged around the molded product holding portion 5 and the traveling unit 25 that supports the heater unit 30 and travels on the rail 11. This makes it possible to easily configure the orbiting mechanism 10 for orbiting the heater unit 30 around the molded product M, and enables the heater unit 30 to irradiate infrared rays onto the molded product M from around the molded product M. As a result, the appearance of the molded product M can be easily improved.

[0063] Furthermore, the infrared lamp heater 40 uses a carbonaceous heating element 41 that can be used at high temperatures as a heating element, so it can quickly raise the temperature of burrs that have occurred on the molded product M, and remove the burrs in a short time. As a result, the time required to remove the burrs can be shortened, and the appearance of the molded product M can be efficiently improved.

[0064] Furthermore, the infrared lamp heater 40 uses a carbonaceous heating element 41 as a heating element. While the carbonaceous heating element 41 can be used at high temperatures and has a high energy density, it is susceptible to damage and breakage when subjected to a large impact. In contrast, in the deburring device 1 according to the first embodiment, the orbital heater device 20 equipped with the heater unit 30 can be moved along the rail 11 constituting the orbital mechanism 10. Therefore, when switching the heater unit 30 on and off to start use or when cooling the infrared lamp heater 40, the operating state of the heater unit 30 can be switched without impacting the infrared lamp heater 40. This prevents impacts from being applied to the carbonaceous heating element 41 of the infrared lamp heater 40, thereby preventing damage and even breakage of the carbonaceous heating element 41. As a result, interruptions to the thread deburring process due to a malfunction of the heater unit 30 can be minimized, thereby improving the manufacturing efficiency of the molded product M.

[0065] Furthermore, because the infrared lamp heater 40 of the heater unit 30 is curved in a U-shape, the shape of the irradiation section 32, which is the part of the heater unit 30 that irradiates infrared rays, i.e., the shape of the part of the heater unit 30 that faces the molded product M, can be made compact. As a result, even if a flange-shaped member or a protruding member is formed on the molded product M near the part that is irradiated with infrared rays from the heater unit 30, the rail 11 can be positioned so that the heater unit 30 is as close as possible to the molded product M. Therefore, infrared rays can be irradiated from the heater unit 30 to the molded product M at an appropriate distance, regardless of the shape of the molded product M. As a result, burrs that occur on the surface of the molded product M can be removed, regardless of the shape of the molded product M.

[0066] [Embodiment 2] The deburring device 1 according to the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the deburring device 1 according to the first embodiment, but is characterized in that the traveling unit 25 has a drive motor 50. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted and the same reference numerals will be used.

[0067] 8 is a side view of the orbital heater device 20 included in the deburring device 1 according to the second embodiment. In the deburring device 1 according to the second embodiment, the heater unit 30 is disposed in the orbital heater device 20, similarly to the deburring device 1 according to the first embodiment. The orbital heater device 20 includes a main body 21 that supports the heater unit 30 and a traveling unit 25 that causes the orbital heater device 20 to travel along the rail 11. The traveling unit 25, together with the rail 11, constitutes an orbiting mechanism 10 that causes the heater unit 30 to travel around the molded product M held by the molded product holding unit 5 in a direction that irradiates infrared rays onto the molded product M. For this reason, the traveling unit 25 has a plurality of wheels 26 that rotate while in contact with the rail 11.

[0068] In the second embodiment, the traveling unit 25 has a drive motor 50 that is a drive source for self-propelling on the rails 11. In the second embodiment, a drive motor 50 is provided for each of the plurality of wheels 26 of the traveling unit 25, and each of the plurality of wheels 26 can be rotated by the driving force generated by the drive motor 50.

[0069] The drive motor 50 can be controlled by the control device 200, which controls the injection molding machine 100, for example, by wirelessly transmitting an electric signal from the control device 200. In the second embodiment, the control device 200 can also control the ON / OFF switching of the power supply to the heater unit 30 of the orbital heater device 20.

[0070] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the orbital heater device 20 is not provided with a grip 22 (see FIG. 3) that an operator would grasp with his / her hand. That is, in the second embodiment, the orbital heater device 20 is capable of self-propelling by the driving force generated by the drive motor 50, and therefore is not provided with a grip 22 that an operator would use to move the orbital heater device 20. In the second embodiment, two orbital heater devices 20 configured in this manner are arranged on the rail 11, as in the first embodiment.

[0071] <Operation of Embodiment 2> In the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the molded product M molded by the injection molding machine 100 is removed by the removal device 120. The molded product M removed by the removal device 120 is held by the mobile robot 130 and placed on the molded product holding unit 5, where it is held.

[0072] In the deburring device 1 holding the molded product M by the molded product holding section 5, one of the two orbital heater devices 20 arranged on the rail 11 has power supply to the heater unit 30 turned ON, and the other orbital heater device 20 has power supply to the heater unit 30 turned OFF. In other words, the orbital heater devices 20 of the deburring device 1 are controlled by the control device 200 that controls the injection molding machine 100, so that the power supply to the heater unit 30 of the orbital heater device 20 is switched and the drive of the drive motor 50 is controlled in accordance with the timing of molding of the molded product M by the injection molding machine 100.

[0073] The orbital heater device 20 whose power supply to the heater unit 30 is turned ON travels by itself along the rail 11 by being driven by the drive motor 50 of the traveling unit 25. As a result, the orbital heater device 20 whose power supply to the heater unit 30 is turned ON travels around the molded product M along the rail 11 while irradiating infrared rays from the heater unit 30 to the molded product M held by the molded product holding section 5. When infrared rays are irradiated from the heater unit 30 of the orbital heater device 20, any burrs that have formed on the surface of the molded product M are melted by the infrared rays irradiated from the heater unit 30 and removed from the surface of the molded product M.

[0074] On the other hand, the orbital heater device 20 whose power supply to the heater unit 30 has been turned off moves to the evacuation section 12 on the rail 11. As a result, the orbital heater device 20, which is not emitting infrared rays from the heater unit 30 due to the power supply to the heater unit 30 being turned off, waits in the evacuation section 12 with the heater unit 30 away from the molded product M.

[0075] The orbiting heater device 20 whose power supply to the heater unit 30 is turned on starts from a position near the retreat section 12 formed on the rail 11, travels along the rail 11 by itself, makes almost one full circle around the rail 11, and returns to a position near the retreat section 12, whereupon it finishes the operation of removing the thread burrs from the molded product M currently held by the molded product holding section 5.

[0076] The mobile robot 130 holds the molded product M, from which the thread burrs have been removed, in a chuck 135 and moves it from the position of the molded product holding unit 5 onto the conveying device 140. The molded product M moved onto the conveying device 140 is transported by the conveying device 140 to a process subsequent to the process of removing the thread burrs from the molded product M. The mobile robot 130, which has moved the molded product M from the position of the molded product holding unit 5 onto the conveying device 140, moves the molded product M transported by the take-out device 120 to the molded product holding unit 5 and places it on the molded product holding unit 5 after the molded product M removed from the injection molding machine 100 by the take-out device 120 has been transported by the take-out device 120 to the vicinity of the mobile robot 130.

[0077] Meanwhile, for the orbital heater device 20 that has completed the operation of removing thread burrs from the molded product M, the power supply to the heater unit 30 is switched OFF by the control device 200 that controls the injection molding machine 100. On the other hand, the orbital heater device 20 that was previously located in the retraction section 12 and had its power supply to the heater unit 30 switched ON by the control device 200, and the drive motor 50 is driven, causing the orbital heater device 20 that has had its power supply to the heater unit 30 switched OFF to move out of the retraction section 12 on the rail 11. The orbital heater device 20 whose power supply to the heater unit 30 has been switched OFF moves to the retraction section 12 on the rail 11. As a result, in the deburring device 1, the orbital heater device 20 that removes thread burrs from the molded product M that is newly held in the molded product holding section 5 is replaced.

[0078] The orbital heater device 20, the power supply to which has been switched ON, irradiates the molded product M newly held in the molded product holding section 5 with infrared rays from the heater unit 30. That is, the orbital heater device 20, the power supply to which has been switched ON, irradiates the molded product M with infrared rays from the heater unit 30, while traveling by itself along the rails 11 by the driving force generated by the drive motor 50, and travels around the molded product M. In the second embodiment, the orbital heater device 20 that irradiates infrared rays to the molded product M is switched for each molded product M held in the molded product holding section 5, and the orbital heater device 20 travels by itself along the rails 11.

[0079] <Effects of the Second Embodiment> In the deburring device 1 according to the second embodiment, the traveling unit 25 of the orbital heater device 20 has a drive motor 50, which is a drive source for self-propelling on the rail 11, so that the orbital heater device 20 can be moved along the rail 11 without the need for an operator to move the orbital heater device 20. As a result, when removing thread burrs from the molded product M using the deburring device 1, the operator can remove the thread burrs without having to move the orbital heater device 20, thereby reducing the number of workers required. As a result, the appearance of the molded product M can be improved while suppressing increases in manufacturing costs.

[0080] [Embodiment 3] The deburring device 1 according to the third embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the deburring device 1 according to the first embodiment, but is characterized in that the orbiting mechanism 10 has an articulated robot 60. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted and the same reference numerals will be used.

[0081] 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a post-molding process device including a deburring device 1 according to embodiment 3. Like the deburring device 1 according to embodiment 1, the deburring device 1 according to embodiment 3 is arranged adjacent to an extracting device 120 that extracts a molded product M molded by an injection molding machine 100. The deburring device 1 is installed on a base stand 3 that is arranged adjacent to the extracting device 120. A mobile robot 130 that moves the molded product M is arranged between the deburring device 1 and a transporting device 140 that transports the molded product M, from which thread burrs have been removed by the deburring device 1, to a post-process.

[0082] 10 is a perspective view of the deburring device 1 shown in FIG. 9. In the deburring device 1 according to the third embodiment, the heater unit 30 is supported by an articulated robot 60. In the third embodiment, a so-called vertical articulated robot is used as the articulated robot 60. A hand unit 65 is disposed at the tip of the arm of the articulated robot 60, and the heater unit 30 is supported by the hand unit 65.

[0083] The articulated robot 60, which supports the heater unit 30 with a hand part 65, is capable of moving the heater unit 30 in various directions. For this reason, in the third embodiment, the articulated robot 60 constitutes an orbiting mechanism 10 that orbits the heater unit 30 around the molded product M. In other words, the articulated robot 60 is capable of orbiting the heater unit 30 around the molded product M held by the molded product holding part 5.

[0084] Fig. 11 is a detailed view of the hand part 65 shown in Fig. 10. A plurality of heater units 30 are arranged on the articulated robot 60. In the third embodiment, two heater units 30 are supported by the hand part 65 of the articulated robot 60. The two heater units 30 are supported by the hand part 65 at portions opposite to the side where the irradiation part 32 is located. The two heater units 30 are supported in orientations such that the irradiation parts 32 face in different directions.

[0085] In the third embodiment, the two heater units 30 are arranged facing in directions that are approximately 90° apart from each other from the hand part 65. The articulated robot 60 can rotate the heater units 30 around the molded product M held by the molded product holding part 5 by rotating the hand part 65 or operating the arms.

[0086] At this time, the articulated robot 60 can rotate the heater units 30 around the molded product M while continuously pointing the irradiation portion 32 of any of the two heater units 30 supported by the hand portion 65 in the direction in which the molded product M is located. In other words, the articulated robot 60 can rotate the heater units 30 around the molded product M while continuously irradiating the molded product M with infrared rays from any of the heater units 30.

[0087] In addition, the articulated robot 60 supporting two heater units 30 in this manner is capable of switching the heater unit 30 that irradiates infrared rays onto the molded product M each time the heater unit 30 is rotated around the molded product M held in the molded product holding section 5.

[0088] Articulated robot 60, which operates as described above, is capable of transmitting and receiving electrical signals via wire or wirelessly to and from control device 200, which controls injection molding machine 100, for example. This allows control device 200 to control articulated robot 60. As a result, articulated robot 60 receives control signals from control device 200 in accordance with the molding timing of injection molding machine 100, and operates in accordance with the control signals, thereby being able to operate appropriately in accordance with the molding timing of injection molding machine 100.

[0089] Furthermore, the deburring device 1 according to the third embodiment includes a heater exchange device 70 that exchanges the heater unit 30 supported by the articulated robot 60 (see FIG. 9). The heater exchange device 70 includes a spare heater unit 35 that is a spare heater unit 30, and is disposed near the articulated robot 60. For example, a tool changer for the articulated robot or a robot hand changer is used as the heater exchange device 70. In other words, the heater exchange device 70 has a configuration similar to that of a device that exchanges a work tool attached to the end of an arm in an industrial articulated robot, and is capable of exchanging the heater unit 30 supported by the hand unit 65 of the articulated robot 60 with the spare heater unit 35.

[0090] <Operation of Embodiment 3> In the third embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the molded product M molded by the injection molding machine 100 is removed by the removal device 120. The molded product M removed by the removal device 120 is held by the mobile robot 130 and placed on the molded product holding unit 5, where it is held.

[0091] In the deburring device 1 holding the molded product M by the molded product holding section 5, the power supply to one of the two heater units 30 supported by the articulated robot 60 is turned ON and the power supply to the other heater unit 30 is turned OFF. In other words, the articulated robot 60 is controlled by the control device 200 that controls the injection molding machine 100, so that the power supply to the heater unit 30 supported by the articulated robot 60 is switched and the heater unit 30 is rotated in accordance with the timing of molding of the molded product M by the injection molding machine 100.

[0092] The articulated robot 60 rotates the heater unit 30 around the molded product M while pointing the irradiation section 32 of the heater unit 30, of the two heater units 30 supported by the articulated robot 60, that has its power supply turned ON, toward the molded product M held by the molded product holding section 5. In more detail, the articulated robot 60 rotates the heater unit 30 while pointing the irradiation section 32 of the heater unit 30 toward the outer peripheral surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 of the injection molding machine 100 in the molded product M.

[0093] As a result, the articulated robot 60 rotates the heater unit 30 along the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 of the injection molding machine 100 while irradiating the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface in the molded product M with infrared rays from the irradiation section 32 of the heater unit 30. In the third embodiment, the articulated robot 60 rotates the heater unit 30 once along the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 in the molded product M while irradiating the molded product M with infrared rays from the heater unit 30.

[0094] At this time, of the two heater units 30 supported by the articulated robot 60, the heater unit 30 with its power supply turned off moves around the molded product M together with the heater unit 30 with its power supply turned on, without emitting infrared rays.

[0095] When infrared rays are irradiated from the heater unit 30 supported by the articulated robot 60 to the molded product M, any burrs that have formed on the surface are melted by the infrared rays irradiated from the heater unit 30 and removed from the surface of the molded product M. When the heater unit 30 to which power supply is turned ON has irradiated infrared rays all around the molded product M, the operation of removing burrs from the molded product M currently held by the molded product holding section 5 is completed.

[0096] Here, the articulated robot 60 can not only rotate the heater unit 30 around the molded product M, but also move the heater unit 30 up and down and change the orientation of the heater unit 30 with respect to the molded product M. Therefore, when removing thread burrs from the molded product M by rotating the heater unit 30 around the molded product M, the heater unit 30 may be moved up and down or the orientation of the heater unit 30 may be changed depending on the shape of the molded product M near the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 of the injection molding machine 100.

[0097] The mobile robot 130 moves the molded product M, from which the thread burrs have been removed in this manner, from the position of the molded product holding unit 5 onto the conveying device 140. The molded product M moved onto the conveying device 140 is transported by the conveying device 140 to a process subsequent to the process of removing the thread burrs from the molded product M. After moving the molded product M from the position of the molded product holding unit 5 onto the conveying device 140, the mobile robot 130 moves the molded product M being transported by the take-out device 120 to the molded product holding unit 5 and places it on the molded product holding unit 5 when the molded product M taken out of the injection molding machine 100 by the take-out device 120 is transported by the take-out device 120 to the vicinity of the mobile robot 130.

[0098] Meanwhile, after the articulated robot 60 has completed the operation of removing burrs from the molded product M, the control device 200 that controls the injection molding machine 100 switches the power supply to the heater units 30 on and off. That is, of the two heater units 30 supported by the articulated robot 60, the power supply to the heater unit 30 that had the power supply on is switched off, and the power supply to the heater unit 30 that had the power supply off is switched on.

[0099] For a molded product M newly held in the molded product holding section 5, the articulated robot 60 rotates the heater unit 30 around the molded product M while irradiating infrared rays from the heater unit 30 to which power supply has been switched ON onto the molded product M. That is, the articulated robot 60 rotates the heater unit 30 once along the outer circumferential surface of the mating surface between the fixed mold 116 and the movable mold 117 of the molded product M while irradiating infrared rays from the heater unit 30 to which power supply has been switched ON onto the molded product M. In the third embodiment, the articulated robot 60 rotates the heater unit 30 around the molded product M while switching the heater unit 30 that irradiates infrared rays onto the molded product M for each molded product M held in the molded product holding section 5 in this way.

[0100] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, when a failure of the heater unit 30 supported by the articulated robot 60 is detected, the heater replacement device 70 replaces the heater unit 30 supported by the articulated robot 60 with a spare heater unit 35. More specifically, when the deburring device 1 removes thread burrs from the molded product M, the control device 200 detects the current value when power is supplied to the heater unit 30. If the current value detected when power is supplied to the heater unit 30 becomes zero, it can be determined that the heater unit 30 has failed. Specifically, it can be determined that the carbonaceous heating element 41 of the infrared lamp heater 40 provided in the heater unit 30 has broken down and no current has flowed, and the control device 200 can detect that the heater unit 30 has failed.

[0101] In this way, when a failure of the heater unit 30 is detected based on the current value when power is supplied to the heater unit 30, the control device 200 controls the articulated robot 60 to perform an operation to replace the heater unit 30 using the heater replacement device 70. As a result, the articulated robot 60 performs an operation to move the hand unit 65 toward the heater replacement device 70, and replaces the heater unit 30 supported by the hand unit 65 in which the failure has been detected with the spare heater unit 35 provided in the heater replacement device 70. After the heater unit 30 supported by the hand unit 65 has been replaced, the control device 200 causes the articulated robot 60 to perform normal operation. In other words, after replacing the heater unit 30 in which the failure has been detected, the articulated robot 60 continues the operation of removing thread burrs that have occurred on the molded product M.

[0102] Here, when molding a molded product M using the injection molding machine 100, a molded product M of a different shape may be molded by replacing the mold 115. In the deburring device 1 according to the third embodiment, the heater unit 30 is rotated by the articulated robot 60, so that even if the shape of the molded product M molded by the injection molding machine 100 changes, the heater unit 30 can be rotated by the articulated robot 60 to match the shape of the molded product M.

[0103] Specifically, a program for the operation of the articulated robot 60 is installed in the control device 200 for each mold 115 used when molding is performed by the injection molding machine 100, that is, for each shape of the molded article M that is expected to be molded by the injection molding machine 100. In other words, for each shape of the molded article M that is expected to be molded by the injection molding machine 100, a trajectory of the heater unit 30 when the heater unit 30 is rotated is set in advance, and a program for operating the articulated robot 60 so as to reproduce that trajectory is installed in the control device 200.

[0104] Therefore, when the mold 115 of the injection molding machine 100 is replaced, thereby changing the shape of the molded product M molded by the injection molding machine 100, the program for operating the articulated robot 60 can be switched to rotate the heater unit 30 in accordance with the shape of the molded product M. As a result, the deburring device 1 according to the third embodiment can remove burrs that have occurred on the surface of the molded product M by the infrared rays irradiated by the heater unit 30, even when the shape of the molded product M molded by the injection molding machine 100 is changed.

[0105] <Effects of the Third Embodiment> In the deburring device 1 according to the third embodiment, the rotation mechanism 10 uses an articulated robot 60, and the heater unit 30 rotates around the molded product M held in the molded product holding section 5 by operating the articulated robot 60 that supports the heater unit 30. As a result, when the heater unit 30 rotates while irradiating the molded product M with infrared rays, the heater unit 30 can be rotated without previously installing a rail 11 for rotating the heater unit 30, as in the first embodiment. As a result, the appearance of the molded product M can be easily improved.

[0106] Furthermore, because the heater unit 30 is rotated by the articulated robot 60, even if the shape of the molded article M from which burrs are to be removed changes, the heater unit 30 can be easily rotated along the molded article M by the articulated robot 60 to match the shape of the molded article M. As a result, infrared rays can be irradiated from the heater unit 30 that rotates along the shape of the molded article M, regardless of the shape of the molded article M, and burrs can be removed. As a result, the appearance of the molded article M can be improved regardless of the shape of the molded article M.

[0107] Furthermore, because the heater unit 30 is rotated by the articulated robot 60, the work of removing thread burrs from the molded product M by the deburring device 1 can be automated, thereby reducing the number of workers required. As a result, the appearance of the molded product M can be improved while suppressing increases in manufacturing costs.

[0108] Furthermore, because the heater unit 30 is rotated by the articulated robot 60, it is possible to start and stop the irradiation of infrared rays onto the molded product M without applying any shock to the infrared lamp heater 40. As a result, it is possible to prevent the burr removal work from being unable to be performed due to a break in the carbonaceous heating element 41.

[0109] Furthermore, two heater units 30 are arranged on the articulated robot 60, and the articulated robot 60 switches the heater unit 30 that irradiates infrared rays onto the molded product M for each molded product M held in the molded product holding section 5, thereby preventing the heater units 30 from being used continuously for long periods of time. This makes it possible to provide a period during which each heater unit 30 does not irradiate infrared rays when the deburring device 1 continuously performs thread burr removal work, thereby providing a cooling period for the infrared lamp heater 40. As a result, continuous use of the infrared lamp heater 40 can be prevented, and the durability of the infrared lamp heater 40, i.e., the durability of the heater units 30, can be improved.

[0110] Furthermore, the deburring device 1 according to the third embodiment includes a heater replacement device 70 that replaces the heater unit 30 supported by the articulated robot 60. Therefore, when a heater unit 30 breaks down, the failed heater unit 30 can be replaced with a spare heater unit 35. Therefore, even when a heater unit 30 supported by the articulated robot 60 breaks down, the replacement spare heater unit 35 can be used to continue removing thread burrs from the molded product M. This prevents interruptions to the molding of the molded product M due to a failure of the heater unit 30 when molding the molded product M using the injection molding machine 100. As a result, the time required for the molding of the molded product M can be prevented from increasing.

[0111] [Variations] In the deburring devices 1 according to the first to third embodiments described above, the heater unit 30 includes three infrared lamp heaters 40, but the number of infrared lamp heaters 40 included in the heater unit 30 may be other than three. The number of infrared lamp heaters 40 included in one heater unit 30 is not important as long as the heater unit 30 can melt and remove burrs that occur on the molded product M with infrared rays irradiated from the infrared lamp heaters 40.

[0112] Furthermore, in the deburring device 1 according to the third embodiment described above, two heater units 30 are arranged on the articulated robot 60, but the number of heater units 30 arranged on the articulated robot 60 may be other than two, and three or more heater units 30 may be arranged. By arranging a plurality of heater units 30 on the articulated robot 60 and switching the heater unit 30 that irradiates infrared rays onto the molded product M for each molded product M, the durability of the heater units 30 can be improved.

[0113] Furthermore, in the deburring device 1 according to the third embodiment described above, a vertical articulated robot is used as the articulated robot 60, but the articulated robot 60 may be a robot other than a vertical articulated robot. The articulated robot 60 may be, for example, a SCARA robot, i.e., a horizontal articulated robot. The form of the articulated robot 60 is not important as long as it is configured to rotate the heater unit 30 supported by the articulated robot 60 around the molded product M held by the molded product holding unit 5. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1...Deburring device, 3...Base stand, 5...Molded product holding section, 10...Orbiting mechanism, 11...Rail, 12...Retraction section, 20...Orbiting heater device, 21...Main body section, 22...Grip, 25...Traveling unit, 26...Wheels, 30...Heater unit, 31...Lamp case, 32...Irradiation section, 35...Spare heater unit, 40...Infrared lamp heater, 41...Carbonaceous heating element, 42...Lead wire connection section, 43...Slit, 44...Lead wire, 45... Glass tube, 50... drive motor, 60... articulated robot, 65... hand unit, 70... heater exchange device, 100... injection molding machine, 101... injection device, 102... heating barrel, 103... nozzle, 110... mold clamping device, 111... fixed die, 112... moving die, 115... mold, 116... fixed die, 117... moving die, 120... removal device, 130... moving robot, 135... chuck, 140... conveying device, 200... control device, M... molded product

Claims

1. a heater unit having an infrared lamp heater that irradiates infrared rays; a molded product holding section that positions the molded product and holds the molded product; a rotation mechanism that rotates the heater unit around the molded product held by the molded product holding unit in a direction that irradiates the infrared rays onto the molded product held by the molded product holding unit; Equipped with the heater unit includes a plurality of the infrared lamp heaters and a lamp case in which the plurality of infrared lamp heaters are disposed, the plurality of infrared lamp heaters are formed to be curved in an arc shape, and when viewed in the axial direction of the arc shape in the lamp case, the plurality of infrared lamp heaters are overlapped and arranged such that the directions of the curves are the same; the lamp case has an irradiation portion formed by opening a portion located near a curved, arc-shaped portion of the infrared lamp heater, The deburring device is characterized in that the heater unit is arranged so that the irradiation part faces in the direction in which the molded product holding part is arranged.

2. The orbiting mechanism includes: a rail disposed around the molded product holding portion; a traveling unit that supports the heater unit and travels on the rail; The deburring device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. The deburring device according to claim 2 , wherein the traveling unit has a drive source for self-propelling on the rail.

4. the rotating mechanism has an articulated robot that supports the heater unit and moves the heater unit, The deburring device according to claim 1 , wherein the articulated robot moves the heater unit around the molded product held by the molded product holding portion.

5. a plurality of the heater units are arranged on the articulated robot; The deburring device according to claim 4 , wherein the articulated robot switches the heater unit that irradiates the molded product with the infrared rays for each molded product held in the molded product holding section.

6. The deburring device according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a heater replacement device that replaces the heater unit supported by the articulated robot.

Images