Stud supply mechanism for stud welding equipment

Abstract

To provide a stud supply mechanism in a stud weld device, for eliminating a feed tube for connecting the stud supply machine and the stud weld device, for preventing interference between the stud weld device and the feed tube, and occurrence of a stud supply error.SOLUTION: A stud supply mechanism is configured so that: supply of a weld gun 41 to a stud S stored in a stud storage part 61 of a second magazine 6 which is provided on a stocker 5 provided on a stud weld device 4, supply of a new stud S from a stud supply machine 1, to a corresponding stud storage part 31 of a first magazine 3 provided on a stud supply station 2, and storage of the stud, are executed in association each other. At a position of the stud supply station 2, the first magazine 3 and the second magazine 6 are stacked, and the stud S stored in the stud storage part 31 of the first magazine 3 is supplied to the stud storage part 61 of the second magazine 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stud supply mechanism in a stud welding apparatus that supplies studs from a stud supply machine to a welding gun of the stud welding apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to supply studs from a stud supply machine to the welding gun of a stud welding machine, a stud supply mechanism has been proposed and put into practical use, in which studs are supplied one by one from the stud supply machine via a feed tube by air conveyance, as shown in FIG. 1(a) (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-171683 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-113777 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the stud supply mechanism in the above-mentioned conventional stud welding device connects the stud supply machine and the stud welding device, which are installed on either side of a fence separating the manned and unmanned spaces, with a feed tube that is approximately 10 m long. This has led to problems such as interference between the stud welding device, which moves freely according to the welding location like a welding robot, and the feed tube, or errors in stud supply due to twisting of the feed tube, etc.

[0005] In view of the problems with the stud supply mechanisms in conventional stud welding equipment described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a stud supply mechanism for a stud welding equipment that does not require a feed tube to connect the stud supply machine and the stud welding equipment, thereby preventing interference between the stud welding equipment and the feed tube and preventing stud supply errors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the stud supply mechanism of the stud welding apparatus of the present invention is a stud supply mechanism for a stud welding apparatus that supplies studs from a stud supply machine to a welding gun of the stud welding apparatus, and is characterized by comprising: a stud replenishing station equipped with a first magazine in which a plurality of stud storage sections are formed, each storing one stud supplied from the stud supply machine; and a second magazine provided in the stud welding apparatus, in which a plurality of stud storage sections, each storing one stud, are formed to correspond to the stud storage sections of the first magazine, and a stocker that supplies the studs stored in the stud storage sections of the second magazine to the welding gun in sequence, so that the studs stored in the stud storage sections of the second magazine are supplied to the welding gun and new studs are supplied and stored from the stud supply machine to the corresponding stud storage section of the first magazine in a corresponding manner; and further comprising stud replenishing means that replenishes the studs stored in the stud storage sections of the first magazine to the stocker of the stud welding apparatus in a batch process.

[0007] In this case, the supply of studs stored in the stud storage section of the second magazine to the welding gun and the supply and storage of new studs from the stud supply device to the corresponding stud storage section of the first magazine can be synchronized.

[0008] The stud supply means may be configured to overlap the first magazine and the second magazine at the stud supply station and supply the studs stored in the stud storage section of the first magazine to the stud storage section of the second magazine.

[0009] Also, the studs can be supplied from the stud supply machine via a feed tube to the stud storage section of the first magazine of the stud supply station by air conveyance.

[0010] The first and second magazines may each be a rotary cylindrical magazine. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the stud supply mechanism of the stud welding apparatus of the present invention, at the stud supply station, studs stored in the stud storage section of a first magazine provided at the stud supply station are supplied to the stud storage section of a second magazine provided at the stud welding apparatus, thereby eliminating the need for a feed tube connecting the stud supply machine and the stud welding apparatus and preventing interference between the stud welding apparatus and the feed tube and preventing stud supply errors. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show an outline of a stud supply mechanism in a stud welding device, where FIG. 1A is a stud supply mechanism in a conventional stud welding device, and FIG. 1B is a stud supply mechanism in the stud welding device of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a stud supply station of the stud supply mechanism of the stud welding apparatus and a state in which the first magazine and the second magazine of the stud welding apparatus are overlapped. [Figure 3]3A and 3B are perspective views showing the stud welding device of the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding device, in which FIG. 3A shows the shutter in an open state and FIG. 3B shows the shutter in a closed state. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding device (when supplying studs to the welding gun of the stud welding device), where FIG. 1A is a front cross-sectional view of the stud welding device and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the stocker. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding device (when studs are supplied from the stud supply machine to the first magazine and stored therein), where (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the first magazine and (b) is a plan view of the same. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the stud supply mechanism in the stud welding device (when the first magazine and the second magazine are overlapped at the stud supply station, and studs stored in the stud storage section of the first magazine are supplied to the stud storage section of the second magazine), where (a) is an external perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the first magazine and the second magazine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a stud supply mechanism for a stud welding apparatus according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] 1(b) to 6 show an embodiment of a stud supply mechanism in the stud welding apparatus of the present invention. The stud supply mechanism in this stud welding device is configured to supply studs S from a stud supply machine 1 to a welding gun 41 of a stud welding device 4 such as a welding robot. The stud supply station 2 is equipped with a first magazine 3 which has a plurality of stud storage sections 31 which store the studs S supplied from the stud supply machine 1 one by one, and a second magazine 6 which is provided in the stud welding device 4 and which has a plurality of stud storage sections 61 which store the studs S one by one to correspond to the stud storage sections 61 of the first magazine 3, and a stocker 5 which supplies the studs S stored in the stud storage sections 61 of the second magazine 6 to the welding gun 41 in sequence, so that the studs S stored in the stud storage sections 61 of the second magazine 6 are supplied to the welding gun 41 in a corresponding manner, and new studs S are supplied and stored from the stud supply machine 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3, and the first magazine 3 and second magazine 6 are overlapped at the position of the stud supply station 2, and the studs S stored in the stud storage sections 31 of the first magazine 3 are supplied to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 in a corresponding manner.

[0015] In this case, the mechanism for supplying studs S from the stud supply machine 1 to the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 provided in the stud supply station 2 transports the studs S pneumatically via a feed tube 7 connecting the stud supply machine 1 and the stud supply station 2, which are installed across a fence F separating the manned space from the unmanned space. The mechanism for supplying the studs S from the stud supply machine 1 to the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 provided in the stud supply station 2 can be a mechanism that is generally used as a parts supply mechanism, such as a mechanism that transports parts along an inclined rail or a mechanism that grasps and transports parts using a multi-axis robot.

[0016] The first magazine 3 provided in the stud supply station 2 and the second magazine 6 provided in the stocker 5 installed in the stud welding device 4 are not limited to any particular type or shape, as long as they are equipped with corresponding stud storage sections 31 and 61, specifically, so long as the first magazine 3 and the second magazine 6 can be placed one on top of the other at the stud supply station 2 and the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 can be supplied to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6, but in this embodiment a rotary cylindrical magazine is used.

[0017] The first magazine 3 provided in the stud supply station 2 stores the studs S supplied from the stud supply machine 1 one by one in the stud storage section 31, and by opening the shutter 32 provided at the bottom, the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 can be replenished to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 by the weight of the studs S (or an air blowing mechanism (not shown)).

[0018] The second magazine 6 provided in the stocker 5 provided in the stud welding device 4 is capable of supplying the studs S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 one by one to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding device 4. In addition, the second magazine 6 is provided with a shutter 62 that closes the opening of the second magazine 6 so that the studs S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 do not fly out of the stud storage section 61 when the stud welding device 4 operates according to the welding location.

[0019] Next, the operation of the stud supply mechanism in this stud welding device will be described.

[0020] First, as shown in FIG. 4, a predetermined number of studs S are stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6, and these stored studs S are supplied one by one to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding device 4.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, the supply of studs S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding equipment 4 and the supply and storage of new studs S from the stud supply machine 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 are synchronized. Specifically, each time a stud S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 is supplied to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding equipment 4, a new stud S is supplied from the stud supply machine 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 and stored therein.

[0022] In this case, as long as the supply of the studs S stored in the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 to the welding gun 41 and the supply and storage of new studs S from the stud supply device 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 are carried out in a corresponding order, the order of the two is not limited, and both can also be carried out simultaneously. Furthermore, instead of synchronizing the timing of supplying and storing new studs S from the stud supply machine 1 to the corresponding stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 with the supply of studs S to the welding gun 41 of the stud welding device 4 each time, it is also possible to do this on a batch basis, i.e., to process multiple studs S together at once.

[0023] Then, as shown in Figure 6, the first magazine 3 and the second magazine 6 are stacked at the position of the stud supply station 2, and the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 are supplied to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6.

[0024] In this embodiment, the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 are supplied to the stocker 5 of the stud welding equipment 4 in a batch process in which multiple studs S are processed together, by overlapping the first magazine 3 and the second magazine 6 at the stud supply station 2, and the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 are supplied to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6. However, it is also possible, for example, to swap the first magazine 3 in which studs S are stored in the stud storage section 31 with the second magazine 6 provided in the stocker 5 of the stud welding equipment 4 at the stud supply station 2.

[0025] According to the stud supply mechanism of this stud welding apparatus, the studs S stored in the stud storage section 31 of the first magazine 3 provided at the stud supply station 2 are supplied to the stud storage section 61 of the second magazine 6 provided in the stocker 5 provided in the stud welding apparatus 4 at the position of the stud supply station 2, thereby eliminating the need for a long feed tube that is approximately 10 m long connecting the stud supply machine 1 and the stud welding apparatus 4 and preventing interference between the stud welding apparatus 4 and the feed tube and errors in supplying studs S.

[0026] The stud supply mechanism in the stud welding apparatus of the present invention has been described above based on an embodiment thereof, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment, and the configuration can be changed as appropriate within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0027] The stud supply mechanism stud in the stud welding device of the present invention eliminates the feed tube connecting the stud supply machine and the stud welding device, thereby preventing interference between the stud welding device and the feed tube and preventing stud supply errors, and is therefore suitable for use as a stud supply mechanism in a stud welding device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1 Stud supply machine 2 Stud Resupply Station 3 First Magazine 31 Stud reservoir 32 Shutter 4 Stud welding equipment 41 Welding gun 5 Stocker 6 Second Magazine 61 Stud reservoir 62 Shutter 7 Feed Tube F fence S stud

Claims

1. A stud supply mechanism for a stud welding device that supplies studs from a stud supply machine to a welding gun of the stud welding device, a stud supply station including a first magazine having a plurality of stud storage sections for storing studs supplied from a stud supply machine one by one; The stud welding device is provided with a second magazine having a plurality of stud storage sections each for storing studs individually, the stud storage sections corresponding to the stud storage sections of the first magazine, and a stocker that sequentially supplies the studs stored in the stud storage sections of the second magazine to the welding gun, The supply of studs stored in the stud storage section of the second magazine to the welding gun and the supply and storage of new studs from the stud supply device to the corresponding stud storage section of the first magazine are performed in correspondence with each other; Furthermore, the apparatus is provided with a stud supplying means for overlapping the first magazine and the second magazine at the position of the stud supplying station and supplying the studs stored in the stud storage section of the first magazine to the stud storage section of the second magazine in a batch process.

1. A stud supply mechanism for a stud welding device.

2. 2. A stud supply mechanism for a stud welding device according to claim 1, wherein the supply of studs stored in the stud storage section of the second magazine to the welding gun and the supply and storage of new studs from the stud supply device to the corresponding stud storage section of the first magazine are carried out in synchronization.

3. 3. A stud supply mechanism for a stud welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein studs are supplied by air conveyance from the stud supply machine via a feed tube to a stud storage section of a first magazine of the stud supply station.

4. 3. A stud supply mechanism for a stud welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first magazine and the second magazine are rotary cylindrical magazines.

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