Object handling device and processing system equipped with same

Abstract

To provide a processing system in which maintenance is easy through a work opening of a processing device and the tip of a robot device can reach the depth in a processing region.SOLUTION: There is provided a processing system equipped with an NC lathe 2 (processing device), and an object handling device for supplying a processing object and / or taking out the processing object that has been processed. The NC lathe 2 includes a body cover 8, and an opening / closing door 16 for opening / closing a work opening 14 provided in the body cover 8. The object handling device includes a trestle 32, an attachment table 34 supported by the trestle 32, and a robot device 36 mounted on the attachment table 34. The attachment table 34 is supported by the trestle 32 so as to freely move between a work position positioned on the front side of the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2, and a retreat position retreated from the work position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an object handling device used when a robot device is used to supply and / or remove workpieces from a processing device, and to a processing system equipped with this object handling device. [Background technology]

[0002] A machining system equipped with an object handling device that uses a robot device to supply and / or remove workpieces to a machine tool has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this machining system, a work opening is provided on the side of the machine tool (machining device), and an opening / closing door is provided in association with this work opening. When machining the workpiece, this opening / closing door is kept closed to prevent machining fluid, chips, etc. from scattering into the surrounding area and to ensure work safety, and when supplying and / or removing the workpiece, it is kept open to supply the workpiece via the robot device and / or receive the machined workpiece from the robot device.

[0003] This object handling system includes a robot device for transporting the object to be processed. The robot device has a base member and a robot main body attached to the base member, and the robot main body is attached so as to be rotatable about a first axis extending perpendicular to the base member. In addition, a platform member with an inclined upper surface is fixed to the factory floor or the like, and the base member of the robot device is attached to the inclined surface of the platform member.

[0004] In this machining system, the object handling device is disposed on the side of the work opening of the machine tool, and the base member of the robot is installed at a position horizontally offset from the work opening of the machine tool. The inclined surface of the platform member is inclined downward toward the work opening of the machine tool, and the base member of the robot device is attached to this inclined surface. Because of this configuration, the first axis of the robot device extends at an incline toward the work opening of the machine tool, and the robot body is rotated while inclined toward the work opening.

[0005] By configuring it in this manner, the robot body can be prevented from overlapping the work opening (i.e., the cover member) of the machine tool, making it easy to perform maintenance on the machine tool through this work opening, and also making it possible for the tip of the arm member of the robot body to reach deep into the machining area of ​​the machine tool. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4603604 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in conventional machining systems, a platform member is fixedly attached to the factory floor or the like, and the base member of the robot device is attached to the inclined surface of this platform member. Therefore, in order to prevent the robot device from overlapping with the work opening of the machine tool, the platform member (in other words, the base part attached to it) needs to be positioned away from this work opening. When positioned in this way, the base member of the robot device is away from the work opening of the machine tool, making maintenance through the work opening easier, but it makes it difficult to reach the tip of the robot body deep into the machining area of ​​the machine tool.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a processing system that allows easy maintenance through the work opening of the processing device and allows the tip of the robot device to reach deep into the processing area of ​​the processing device.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide an object handling device that, when applied to a processing device, allows the tip of the robot device to reach deep into the processing area of ​​the processing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The processing system of the present invention is a processing system comprising a processing device that processes an object to be processed as required, and an object handling device that supplies the object to the processing device and / or removes the processed object from the processing device, The processing device includes a main body cover that covers the exterior of the processing device main body, and an opening / closing door for opening and closing a work opening provided in the main body cover, the opening / closing door being attached so as to be movable between an open position that opens the work opening and a closed position that covers the work opening, The object handling device includes a base disposed in relation to the work opening of the processing device, a mounting table supported by the base, and a robot device mounted on the mounting table. a storage box for storing the workpiece; the mounting table is supported by the frame so as to be movable between a working position located on the front side of the working opening of the processing device and a retracted position retracted from the working position, the mounting table is disposed on one end side of the stand so as to be movable between the working position and the retracted position, and the storage box is disposed on the other end side of the stand; and the robot device includes a base portion attached to the mounting table, a rotating member supported so as to be rotatable about a first axis extending perpendicular to the base portion, and a first arm member supported on the rotating member so as to be rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and the base portion of the robot device is attached to the mounting table so as to be inclined downward toward the working position. It is characterized by:

[0011] In such a processing system, it is preferable to provide a pair of guide rails on the upper end of the base of the object handling device, a pair of guided members on the mounting table at the bottom, and to support the pair of guided members on the mounting table movably on the pair of guide rails on the base, thereby allowing the mounting table to move smoothly between the working position and the retracted position.It is also preferable to provide the mounting table with braking means acting on one or both of the pair of guide rails, thereby allowing the mounting table to be held at any position between the working position and the retracted position.

[0012] In such a processing system, it is preferable to provide a mounting table at one end of the stand and a storage box at the other end, and with this configuration, workpieces stored in the storage box can be supplied to the processing device by the robot device and / or processed workpieces processed by the processing device can be removed by the robot device and stored in the storage box. Also, it is preferable to attach the base of the robot device to the mounting table so that it is inclined downward toward the work position, and with this configuration, the tip of the robot device can reach the back corners of the work area of ​​the processing device.

[0013] It is also preferable to mount the base of this robot device on the mounting table at a downward incline of 10 to 20 degrees from the horizontal plane toward the work position. This configuration allows the robot device to reach the corners of the work area through the work opening of the machine tool.

[0014] Furthermore, in this processing system, one end of the stand is extended to at least a portion of the front side of the work opening in the main body cover, and when it is moved to a retracted position, the robot device is able to move out of the work opening in the main body cover. In addition, it is preferable to provide a work space at one end of the stand that extends inward from that end. By configuring it in this way, workers can freely enter and exit the work space of the stand from one end of the stand, and can easily perform maintenance on the processing device through the work opening while inside this work space.

[0015] Furthermore, the object handling device of the present invention comprises a stand, an attachment table supported by the stand, a robot device mounted on the attachment table, and a storage box for storing objects to be processed, the attachment table being disposed at one end of the stand so as to be movable between a working position and a retreated position, and the storage box being disposed at the other end of the stand, The robot device further includes a base portion attached to the mounting table, a rotating member supported to be rotatable about a first axis extending perpendicular to the base portion, and a first arm member supported on the rotating member to be rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and the base portion of the robot device is attached to the mounting table inclined downward toward the work position, the storage box comprises a box body attached to the stand and a drawer structure attached to the box body, the drawer structure comprising a plurality of drawers arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction and on which storage trays for storing workpieces are placed, the plurality of drawers being capable of being pulled out between a drawer position pulled out to the robot device side and a storage position stored within the box body, Furthermore, the mounting table is provided with a partition wall for partitioning the outside of the robot device, and the partition wall is configured to cover the front side of the work opening of the processing device when the mounting table is positioned at the work position, and to open the front side of the work opening when the mounting table is positioned at the retracted position, Furthermore, the storage box The box body is characterized in that a door is provided on the rear side thereof so as to be able to be opened and closed freely.

[0016] In this object handling device, a partition wall is provided to separate the outside of the robot device, and this partition wall is preferably configured to cover the front side of the work opening of the processing device when the mounting table is in the work position, and to open the front side of the work opening when the mounting table is in the retracted position.This allows the partition wall to move as required along with the movement of the mounting table (robot device), ensuring operational safety and ease of maintenance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the processing system of the present invention, an object handling device that supplies workpieces to a processing device and / or removes processed workpieces from the processing device includes a platform disposed relative to the work opening of the processing device, a mounting table supported by the platform, and a robot device mounted on the mounting table, with the mounting table being movable between a work position and a retracted position retracted from the work position. When the mounting table is positioned in the work position, the mounting table, i.e., the robot device mounted thereon, is located on the front side of the work opening of the processing device, allowing the tip of the robot device to reach corners of the processing area within the processing device through the work opening, facilitating the supply and / or removal of workpieces to the processing device. When the mounting table is moved to the retracted position, the mounting table, i.e., the robot device mounted thereon, is removed from the front side of the work opening of the processing device, thereby creating a work space on the front side of the work opening, which can be used to easily perform maintenance and other operations through the work opening. Furthermore, since the mounting table is provided at one end of the stand and the storage box is provided at the other end, the robot device can supply the workpieces stored in the storage box to the processing device and / or remove the processed workpieces processed by the processing device and store them in the storage box. Furthermore, since the base of the robot device is attached to the mounting table so as to be inclined downward toward the work position, the tip of the robot device can reach the back corners of the work area of ​​the processing device.

[0018] Furthermore, according to the object handling device of the present invention, a mounting table is disposed at one end of a stand so as to be movable between a working position and a retracted position, and a storage box for storing workpieces is disposed at the other end of the stand. Therefore, a robot device mounted on the mounting table can be used to remove and supply workpieces stored in the storage box and / or store processed workpieces in the storage box. Furthermore, because the mounting table is movable between the working position and the retracted position, the mounting table and the robot device mounted thereon can be positioned, for example, in front of a work opening of the processing device and retracted from the front of the work opening. Furthermore, because the base of the robot device is attached to the mounting table at an angle downward toward the working position, the first axis of the robot device is inclined toward the working position, thereby increasing the movable range of the tip of the robot device toward the working device. In addition, the storage box includes a box body attached to the stand and a drawer structure attached to the box body, and the drawer structure includes a plurality of drawers on which storage trays for storing the workpieces are placed, so that each drawer can be pulled out to a pull-out position on the robot device side. Also, the mounting table is provided with a partition wall for separating the outside of the robot device, and box An opening and closing door is provided on the back side of the box body, so that the processing work area on the robot device side and the safety work area on the worker side can be separated by the partition wall and the opening and closing door, and by opening the opening and closing door, the storage tray can be safely placed in the drawer or removed from the drawer from the safety work area side. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a simplified front view of one embodiment of a processing system according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a simplified plan view showing the processing system of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view of an object handling device in the processing system of FIG. 1; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a robot device in the object handling system of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing the tip of the robot device of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 4 is a partial perspective view showing a storage box in the object handling device of FIG. 3; FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a perspective view of the object handling apparatus of FIG. 3 with the mounting table positioned in a retracted position; FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a simplified range of movement of the tip of the robot device when the attachment table is located at the working position in the object handling device of FIG. 3; FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a simplified range of movement of the tip of the robot device when the mounting table is in the retracted position in the object handling device of FIG. 3; FIG. [Figure 10]4 is an explanatory diagram showing a simplified range of movement of the tip of the robot device in the object handling device of FIG. 3 when the first axis is vertical. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] An embodiment of a processing system (and object handling device) according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] 1 and 2, the illustrated machining system includes an NC lathe 2 as a machining device that machines a workpiece W (see FIG. 5) as a machining object, and an object handling device 4 that supplies the workpiece W to the NC lathe 2 and removes the machined workpiece W from the NC lathe 2. The NC lathe 2 includes a lathe body 6 (see FIG. 2) as the machining device body that is installed on the floor of a factory or the like, and a body cover 8 that covers the exterior of the lathe body 6 (machining device body). The body cover 8 includes a front cover 10 (see FIG. 1) that covers the front surface of the lathe body 6 and an upper cover 12 (see FIG. 2) that covers the upper surface of the lathe body 6. A rectangular work opening 14 is provided in approximately the center of the front cover 10 in the width direction (the left-right direction in FIGS. 1 and 2), and this work opening 14 is provided from the front cover 10 to the front part of the upper cover 12.

[0022] An opening / closing door 16 is disposed so as to be freely openable and closable in association with the access opening 14 of the main body cover 8. The opening / closing door 16 is provided with a handle 18, which can be grasped and moved in the opening direction indicated by arrow 20 (i.e., to the left in FIGS. 1 and 2) to an open position (the position indicated by the solid line in FIGS. 1 and 2), and can also be moved in the closing direction indicated by arrow 22 (to the right in FIGS. 1 and 2) to a closed position (the position indicated by the dashed line in FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0023] When this opening / closing door 16 is placed in the open position, the work opening 14 in the main body cover 8 is opened, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Through this opened work opening 14, as will be described later, a workpiece W can be supplied to the NC lathe 2 using the object handling device 4, and the machined workpiece W can be removed from the NC lathe 2. Furthermore, maintenance inside the NC lathe 2 can be performed through this opened work opening 14.

[0024] Furthermore, when the opening / closing door 16 is placed in the closed position, the work opening 14 in the main body cover 8 is closed (not shown), which prevents chips, machining fluid, etc. generated during machining from scattering around, and also ensures safety for workers and others during machining.

[0025] To further outline the NC lathe 2, in this embodiment, a spindle unit (not shown) is provided on the left side of the lathe main body 6 (machining device main body), and a spindle 24 is rotatably supported on this spindle unit. A chuck means 26 is attached to the spindle 24, and a workpiece W (object to be machined) to be machined is detachably attached to this chuck means 26. A turret 28 serving as a tool holding means is disposed opposite the spindle 24, and a machining tool (e.g., a cutting tool) (not shown) for machining the workpiece W is attached to this turret 28. The turret 28 is rotated by a predetermined angle, thereby selecting the machining tool to machine the workpiece W. A machining zone S exists between the spindle unit (not shown) and the turret 28, and machining of the workpiece W is performed in this machining zone S.

[0026] When the door 16 is in the open state, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the machining area S within the NC lathe 2 is opened, and the object handling device 4 can attach a workpiece W to the chuck means 26 of the NC lathe 2 through the opened work opening 14, and can also remove the machined workpiece W from the chuck means 26 and take it out through the work opening 14. An operation panel 30 is provided on the right side of the NC lathe 2, and this operation panel 30 is used to set the machining conditions of the NC lathe 2. In this embodiment, a turret-type NC lathe equipped with a turret 28 is used, but the present invention can also be applied to a comb-type NC lathe equipped with a comb-tooth structure for attaching machining tools, for example.

[0027] Next, the object handling device 4 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6 as well as Figures 1 and 2. The object handling device 4 shown in the figure includes a stand 32 that is installed on the floor of a factory or the like, an attachment table 34 supported by the stand 32, a robot device 36 mounted on the attachment table 34, and a storage box 38 that stores a workpiece W (object to be processed).

[0028] The mount 32 comprises a pair of lower vertical frames 40, 42 disposed on the lower side and a pair of upper vertical frames 44, 46 disposed on the upper side, and these vertical frames 40 to 46 extend in the longitudinal direction of the mount 32. The pair of lower vertical frames 40, 42 are connected by a plurality (three in this embodiment) of lower horizontal frames 48, and the pair of upper vertical frames 44, 46 are connected by a plurality (three in this embodiment) of upper horizontal frames 50 (one shown in FIG. 6 and the other shown in FIG. 7), and the plurality of lower horizontal frames 48 and the plurality of upper horizontal frames 50 are arranged corresponding to each other in the vertical direction.

[0029] Furthermore, the lower vertical frame 40 and upper vertical frame 44 on one side are connected by multiple (three in this embodiment) upper and lower frames 52, and the lower vertical frame 42 and upper vertical frame 46 on the other side are connected by multiple (three in this embodiment) upper and lower frames 54 (two are shown in Figures 3 and 7, and the remaining one is shown in Figure 6), and the multiple upper and lower frames 52 on one side and the multiple upper and lower frames 54 on the other side are arranged in correspondence with each other in the horizontal direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, the mounting table 34 is disposed on one side of the pedestal 32 (the right side in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the left side in FIG. 3), and the storage box 38 is disposed on the other side. Explaining further, an upper plate 55 is attached to the upper surface of the pedestal 32 (in this embodiment, the upper surfaces of the pair of upper vertical frames 44, 46 and the plurality of upper horizontal frames 50), and a pair of guide rails 56, 58 are provided on both sides of this upper plate 55, and these guide rails 56, 58 extend in the axial direction of the upper vertical frames 44, 46. Furthermore, a pair of guided members 60 are attached to the bottom of the mounting table 34 (in this embodiment, its underside) in correspondence with one of the guide rails 56, and a pair of guided members (not shown) are attached in correspondence with the other guide rail 58, and these guided members 60 are slidably mounted on the corresponding guide rails 56.

[0031] In this embodiment, the mounting table 34 (and the robot device 36 mounted thereon) is supported by the base 32 so as to be movable between a working position shown in FIG. 3 (the position indicated by the solid line in FIGS. 1 and 2) and a retracted position shown in FIG. 7 (the position indicated by the dashed-dotted line in FIGS. 1 and 2). A first stopper member 62 is provided at one end of the pair of guide rails 56, 58, and one end of the mounting table 34 abuts against the first stopper member 62, thereby preventing the mounting table 34 from moving beyond the working position. A second stopper member 64 is provided at the other end of the pair of guide rails 56, 58, and the other end of the mounting table 34 abuts against the second stopper member 64, thereby preventing the mounting table 34 from moving beyond the retracted position. Note that the first and second stopper members 62, 64 are omitted from FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0032] Brake means 65 are provided in association with the pair of guide rails 56, 58, and in this embodiment, the brake means 65 are attached to the underside of both sides of the mounting table 34 (only one of them is shown in FIGS. 3 and 7). The brake means 65 may be constituted, for example, by an air brake that uses air pressure, and in a braked state, acts on the pair of guide rails 56, 58 to restrict movement of the mounting table 34 (i.e., the robot device 36), and in a released state, allows movement of the mounting table 34 relative to the pair of guide rails 56, 58. By placing the brake means 65 in a braked state, the mounting table 34 (i.e., the robot device 36) can be locked and maintained in the working position (position shown by solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2) and the retracted position (position shown by dashed dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2), and can also be locked and maintained at any position between the working position and the retracted position.

[0033] Although not shown, braking and releasing of the brake means 65 can be performed using, for example, an operation switch and a solenoid valve. For example, an operation switch (not shown) is provided on the operation panel 30 of the NC lathe 2, and by operating this operation switch, a solenoid valve (not shown) can be operated to maintain a braked state by supplying compressed air, or a brake-released state by discharging compressed air.

[0034] Next, the robot device 36 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 3 to 5. The robot device 36 includes a base portion 66 for mounting and supporting, a rotating member 68 rotatably supported on the base portion 66, a first arm member 70 rotatably attached to the rotating member 68, and a second arm member 72 rotatably attached to the first arm member 70. The rotating member 68 is supported on the base portion 66 for rotation about a first axis L1 extending perpendicular to the base portion 66, the first arm member 70 (its base portion) is attached to the rotating member 68 for rotation about a second axis L2 perpendicular to the first axis L1, and the second arm member 72 (its base portion) is attached to the tip of the first arm member 70 for rotation about a third axis L3 parallel to the second axis L2.

[0035] The second arm member 72 has a connecting base 74 and a tip connecting portion 76 attached to the tip side of the connecting base 74, and as described above, the connecting base 74 is connected to the tip of the first arm member 70, and the tip connecting portion 76 is attached to the connecting base 74 so as to be rotatable about a fourth axis L4 extending perpendicular to the third axis L3.

[0036] In this robot device 36, a holding mechanism 80 that holds a workpiece W is further attached to the tip of the second arm member 72, as shown in Fig. 5. This holding mechanism 80 has a mounting base 82 and a tip support part 84 attached to this mounting base 82, this mounting base 82 is attached to the tip connecting part 74 of the second arm member 72 so as to be rotatable about a fifth axis L5 (see Fig. 4) that extends parallel to the third axis L3, and the tip support part 84 is attached to this mounting base 82 so as to be rotatable about a sixth axis L6 that extends perpendicular to the fifth axis L5, and a workpiece holding mechanism 86 that holds the workpiece W is attached to this tip support part 84.

[0037] This workpiece holding mechanism 86 is equipped with two workpiece chuck means, first and second workpiece chuck means 88, 90, that detachably hold the workpiece W, and the first and second workpiece chuck means 88, 90 have pairs of first and second chuck jaws 92, 94 that can be opened and closed. For example, the first workpiece chuck means 88 holds the workpiece W to be machined and transports it to the chuck means 26 of the NC lathe 2, and the second workpiece chuck means 90 receives the workpiece W that has been held in the chuck means 26 of the NC lathe 2 and machined, and removes it from the machining area S.

[0038] 3 and 4, the robot device 36 is attached to the mounting table 34 via an inclined base 96. The illustrated inclined base 96 includes a fixed mounting portion 98 that is fixed to the mounting table 34, and an inclined portion 102 that is attached to the fixed mounting portion 98 via a plurality of support legs 100, and the upper surface of the inclined portion 102, i.e., the inclined mounting surface, is inclined downward toward the work opening 14 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the NC lathe 2.

[0039] The robot device 36 (specifically, its base 66) is attached to the inclined upper surface of the inclined portion 102 of the inclined platform 96. When attached to the mounting table 34, the first axis L1 of the robot device 36 is inclined toward the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2 with respect to an axis L0 that is perpendicular to the mounting table 34 (in other words, the horizontal plane), and this inclination angle α (see FIG. 4) is set to, for example, 10 to 20 degrees. Note that this inclination angle α is preferably set to 12 to 18 degrees. By setting this angle, the tip of the robot device 36, i.e., the workpiece holding mechanism 86, can reach the corners of the work area S of the NC lathe 2, and the workpiece (machined object) machined by the NC lathe 2 can be transported to the back of the storage box 38 and stored therein.

[0040] In this embodiment, the robot device 36 is attached to the mounting table 34 via the inclined base 96. However, for example, instead of omitting the inclined base 96, an inclined portion may be provided on the mounting table 34, and the robot device 36 may be attached to this inclined portion of the mounting table 34.

[0041] Next, we will explain the storage box 38 of this object handling device 4. Mainly referring to Figures 3 and 6, this storage box 38 has a box-shaped box main body 112, and this box main body 112 is attached to the upper plate 55 of the stand 32. The inside of this box main body 112 is configured as a four-tiered drawer structure, with four drawers 114 (first to fourth drawers 114a to 114d) arranged in order from the top to the bottom.

[0042] A pair of drawer support members 116, 118 are provided on both sides of each drawer 114 (114a to 114d) (one drawer support member 116 is shown in Figure 3, and the other drawer support member 118 is shown in Figure 6), and these drawer support members 116, 118 allow the drawer to be freely pulled out and stored between a drawer position pulled out from the box main body 112 towards the front (towards the robot device 36) (the position showing the first drawer 114a in Figures 3 and 6) and a storage position stored within the box main body 112 (the position showing the second and third drawers 114b to 114c in Figures 3 and 6).

[0043] Each of the drawers 114 (first to fourth drawers 114a to 114d) has a bottom wall 120, and a storage tray 122 is positioned and placed on this bottom wall 120. Although not shown, this storage tray 122 stores unmachined workpieces (W) and machined workpieces (W). In addition, a handle 124 is provided on the front side of each of the drawers 114 (first to fourth drawers 114a to 114d), and by pulling this handle 124 towards the user, the drawer 114 can be pulled out from the box body 112, and by pushing this handle 124 towards the user, the drawer 114 can be stored within the box body 112. Such pull-out and storage operations can be performed as required by the robot device 36.

[0044] In this object handling device 4, the front side (the robot device 36 side) and back side (the side opposite the front side) of the box body 112 of the storage box 38 are open, and the first to fourth drawers 114a to 114d are exposed to the outside through the front opening. An openable / closable door 126 (see FIG. 6) is provided at the opening on the back side of the box body 112 so that the back opening can be opened by rotating the openable / closable door 126 in the open direction, and can be closed by rotating the openable / closable door 126 in the close direction. A control box 127 (see FIG. 6) for controlling the robot device 36 is provided in the space below the storage box 38.

[0045] In relation to providing the opening / closing door 126 on the storage box 38, the device is further configured as follows: Referring to Fig. 2, the object handling device 4 is installed adjacent to the NC lathe 2 (processing device) on the front side of its work opening 14 (i.e., the opening / closing door 16 covering it). When installed in this manner, one end of the stand 32 extends to the front side of at least a portion of the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2.

[0046] In this installation state, when the mounting table 34 (i.e., the robot device 36) of the object handling device 4 is positioned at the above-mentioned work position, this mounting table 34 (robot device 36) is located on the front side of the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2, and at least a portion of the base part 66 of the robot device 36 is positioned so as to overlap the area of ​​this work opening 14 (the area in the vertical direction corresponding to the work opening 14 in the horizontal direction of the NC lathe 2).By configuring in this way, the tip side of the robot device 36 can be moved to the back of the work area S through the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2.

[0047] In this regard, the processing system is further provided with a partition wall 132, as shown simply by a thick solid line in Figure 2, which is attached to the mounting table 34 of the object handling device 4. The partition wall 132 covers the outside of the robot device 36 (the surface opposite to the surface facing the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2), and more specifically, it covers the area from one end side of the object handling device 4, past its outer surface, to the front opening of the storage box 38.

[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, when the mounting table 34 (i.e., the robot device 36) is in the working position indicated by the solid line, the partition wall 132 covers the front side of the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2. By covering it in this way, it divides the area into a machining work area S1 including the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2 and the robot device 36 of the object handling device 4, and a safety work area S2 where the worker can work safely, thereby ensuring work safety.

[0049] With this configuration, the opening on the rear side of the storage box 38 of the object handling device 4 is located in the safe work area S2 during processing work. Therefore, by opening the door 126 and opening its rear side opening (see FIG. 6), an operator can place the storage tray 122 in the drawer 114 (first to fourth drawers 114a to 114d) (for example, to replenish the workpiece W before processing) or remove it from the drawer 114 (first to fourth drawers 114a to 114d) (for example, to remove the workpiece W after processing) in the safe work area S2.

[0050] Furthermore, when the mounting table 34 (robot device 36) is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 20 and positioned at the retracted position indicated by the dashed dotted line, the partition wall 132 moves sideways together with the robot device 36 out of the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2, and the front side of this work opening 14 is opened, and with this configuration, various maintenance operations can be easily performed through the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2. Incidentally, a handle member (not shown) is provided on the partition wall 132 to make such movement of the mounting table 34 easier.

[0051] In this embodiment, the box body 112 has a four-tiered drawer structure, but is not limited to this configuration and can also have two or three tiers, or five or more tiers. Alternatively, instead of such a storage box 38, a conveyor belt mechanism using a conveyor belt or the like may be adopted, and, for example, a workpiece W (object to be processed) before processing may be supplied to the robot device 36 using a supply conveyor belt mechanism, and the processed workpiece (W) from the robot device 36 may be transported to the discharge side using a discharge conveyor belt mechanism, or may be stored in a discharge storage box or the like.

[0052] This object handling device 4 is configured as follows to facilitate maintenance of the NC lathe 2. Referring mainly to Figures 2 and 7, in this object handling device 4, a rectangular notch 142 (see Figure 7) is provided at one end of the upper plate 55 of the stand 32. The width direction of this notch 142 extends to the inside of the pair of upper vertical frames 44, 46, and the vertical direction of this notch 142 extends to the inside of the first upper horizontal frame 50.

[0053] In this regard, an upper and lower frame 52 is provided between one end (the end on the robot device 36 side) of the lower vertical frame 40 and the upper vertical frame 44 on one side, and an upper and lower frame 54 is provided between one end (the end on the robot device 36 side) of the lower vertical frame 42 and the upper vertical frame 46 on the other side. On the other hand, no lower horizontal frame is provided between one end of the pair of lower vertical frames 40, 42, and no upper horizontal frame is provided between the pair of upper vertical frames 44, 46. With this configuration, a work space P where a worker can enter and exit is defined at one end of the pedestal 32, and this work space P extends vertically from one end of the pedestal 32 to the first lower horizontal frame 48 and upper horizontal frame 50, and preferably extends to the inner end of the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2 (the side on the spindle 24 side).

[0054] In relation to this, the mounting table 34 (i.e., the robot device 36) of the object handling device 4 is further configured as follows: When the mounting plate 34 (i.e., the robot device 36) is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 142 (FIG. 3) and positioned at the working position, it is positioned at one end of the base 32, as shown in FIG. 3, and covers the notch 142 of the upper plate 55. When positioned at this working position, the mounting table 34 (robot device 36) is positioned in front of the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with at least a portion of it overlapping the area of ​​this work opening 14. Note that, at this working position, most of the mounting table 34 (robot device 36) may overlap the area of ​​this work opening 14.

[0055] On the other hand, when the mounting table 34 (robot device 36) is moved in the direction indicated by arrow 144 (FIG. 7) to the retracted position, the mounting table 34 (robot device 36) moves out of the area of ​​the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2, opening the front side of the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2, and further opening the notch 142 in the upper plate 55 of the base 32 as shown in FIG. 7. When the partition wall 132 moves back to the position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2, the open side of the notch 142 in the upper plate 55 is also opened. In this state, the worker can freely enter and exit the work space P from one end of the base 32, and by entering the work space P, maintenance of the NC lathe 2 can be easily performed through the work opening 14.

[0056] In this processing apparatus, when the base 66 of the robot device 36 is inclined downward toward the work position (i.e., one end of the stand 32) with respect to the horizontal plane (in this embodiment, the upper surface of the mounting table 34), in other words, when the first axis L1 of the base 66 is inclined toward the work position, the movable range of the tip of the robot device 36 is as shown by the dashed-dotted line R in Figures 8 and 9. On the other hand, when the base 66 of the robot device 36 is not inclined, in other words, when the first axis L1 of the base 66 extends perpendicular to the horizontal plane (the upper surface of the mounting table 34), the movable range of the tip of the robot device 36 is as shown by the dashed-dotted line Q in Figure 10.

[0057] As can be seen by comparing Figures 8 and 9 with Figure 10, when the base portion 66 of the robot device 36 is tilted, its range of motion moves toward one end of the stand 32, and this range of motion is tilted toward one end, improving the balance between the front and rear of this range of motion, compared to when the base portion 66 is not tilted. This makes it possible to move the tip of the robot device 36 to the back of the work area S through the work opening 14 of the NC lathe 2.

[0058] While one embodiment of a processing system (and object handling device) according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0059] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the invention has been described as being applied to an NC lathe 2 as a processing device, but it is not limited to such an NC lathe, and can be similarly applied to various processing devices such as boring machines, milling machines, grinding machines, and injection molding machines. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 2 NC lathe (processing equipment) 4. Object handling equipment 6. Lathe body (machining device body) 8 Main unit cover 14 Working opening 16 Opening and Closing Doors 32 Mounting stand 34 Mounting table 36 Robotic Device 38 Storage Box 56,58 Guide rail 66 Base 68 Rotating member 70 First arm member 72 Second arm member 80 Retention mechanism 96 Slope 114, 114a~114d Drawers S machining area W Workpiece (object to be processed)

Claims

1. A processing system comprising: a processing device that processes a workpiece as required; and an object handling device that supplies the workpiece to the processing device and / or removes the processed workpiece from the processing device, The processing device includes a main body cover that covers the exterior of the processing device main body, and an opening / closing door for opening and closing a work opening provided in the main body cover, the opening / closing door being attached so as to be movable between an open position that opens the work opening and a closed position that covers the work opening, the object handling device includes a platform disposed in relation to the work opening of the processing device, an attachment table supported on the platform, a robot device mounted on the attachment table, and a storage box for storing the object to be processed, the attachment table being supported on the platform so as to be movable between a work position located on the front side of the work opening of the processing device and a retracted position retracted from the work position, the mounting table is disposed on one end of the frame so as to be movable between the work position and the retracted position, and the storage box is disposed on the other end of the frame; and the robot device includes a base portion attached to the mounting table, a rotating member supported so as to be rotatable about a first axis extending perpendicular to the base portion, and a first arm member supported on the rotating member so as to be rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and the base portion of the robot device is attached to the mounting table so as to be inclined downward toward the work position.

2. The processing system described in claim 1, characterized in that a pair of guide rails are provided at the upper end of the base of the object handling device, a pair of guided members are provided at the bottom of the mounting table corresponding to the pair of guide rails on the base side, the pair of guided members on the mounting table side are supported movably on the pair of guide rails on the base side, and the mounting table is further provided with a brake means acting on one or both of the pair of guide rails on the base side.

3. 2. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the base portion of the robot device is attached to the mounting table at an inclination of 10 to 20 degrees downward from the horizontal plane toward the work position.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein one end of the stand of the object handling device extends to the front side of at least a portion of the work opening in the main body cover, and when the mounting table is moved to the retracted position, the robot device mounted on the mounting table is configured to be removed from the work opening in the main body cover, and a work space is provided at one end of the stand and extends inward from that end.

5. a mounting table supported by the mounting table, a robot device mounted on the mounting table, and a storage box for storing workpieces, the mounting table being disposed on one end of the mounting table so as to be movable between a working position and a retreated position, and the storage box being disposed on the other end of the mounting table; The robot device further includes a base portion attached to the mounting table, a rotating member supported to be rotatable about a first axis extending perpendicular to the base portion, and a first arm member supported on the rotating member to be rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and the base portion of the robot device is attached to the mounting table inclined downward toward the work position, the storage box comprises a box body attached to the stand and a drawer structure attached to the box body, the drawer structure comprising a plurality of drawers arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction and on which storage trays for storing workpieces are placed, the plurality of drawers being capable of being pulled out between a drawer position pulled out to the robot device side and a storage position stored within the box body, Furthermore, the mounting table is provided with a partition wall for partitioning the outside of the robot device, and the partition wall is configured to cover the front side of the work opening of the processing device when the mounting table is positioned at the work position, and to open the front side of the work opening when the mounting table is positioned at the retracted position, Furthermore, the object handling device is characterized in that an openable / closable door is provided on the back side of the box body of the storage box.

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