Workpiece handling equipment and processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a workpiece transport device and a processing device capable of returning a workpiece to a predetermined position with a simple configuration without using a complex mechanism.SOLUTION: A workpiece transport device includes a transport unit 2 having a drive roller 21 and a driven roller 22 which can come into contact with the drive roller 21, and transporting a workpiece 51 by applying torque to the workpiece 51 sandwiched between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, a guide 31 provided to come into contact with the side surface 51a of the workpiece 51 and a release unit 32 that temporarily releases the contact pressure from the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to the workpiece 51, and a positional deviation correction unit 3 that corrects the positional deviation of workpiece 51 by the repulsive force caused by the pressing of the misaligned workpiece 51 against the guide 31 and the release of the contact pressure by the release unit 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work transfer device for transferring a sheet-shaped work and a processing device equipped with the work transfer device.

Background Art

[0002] A paper transfer device for transferring an object to be transferred such as paper is known (for example, Patent Document 1). The paper transfer device is built in, for example, an image forming apparatus, and transfers the paper supplied from a paper feed tray to a secondary transfer unit.

[0003] When the control device of such a paper transfer device detects a deviation in the position of the paper during the transfer of the paper with a deviation sensor, the control device corrects the deviation in the position of the paper by a lateral movement mechanism unit. Specifically, the lateral movement mechanism unit corrects the deviation in the position of the paper by moving a registration roller pair against which the leading end of the paper is abutted in a direction orthogonal to the paper transfer direction (width direction). The lateral movement mechanism unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above includes a rack extending in the rotation axis direction of the registration roller pair, a pinion meshing with the rack, and a motor that rotationally drives the pinion based on the detection by the deviation sensor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the lateral movement mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, it was necessary to place the lateral movement mechanism using a rack and pinion, as well as the alignment sensor, near the pair of registration rollers, which resulted in problems with installation space and the size of the device. Furthermore, since this lateral movement mechanism controls the amount of rotation of the pinion according to the amount of paper displacement in the width direction of the paper, a memory and control program were required to store the amount of rotation of the pinion in relation to the amount of paper displacement.

[0006] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a workpiece transfer device that can correct workpiece misalignment without using a complex mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve this objective, a first aspect of the present invention provides a workpiece conveying device for conveying a sheet-like workpiece in a predetermined direction, comprising: a conveying unit having a drive roller and a driven roller capable of contacting the drive roller, and conveying the workpiece by applying torque to the workpiece sandwiched between the drive roller and the driven roller; a guide provided to be in contact with the side surface of the workpiece, and a release unit that temporarily releases the contact pressure from the drive roller and the driven roller to the workpiece, and a misalignment correction unit that corrects the misalignment of the workpiece by the repulsive force caused by the workpiece pressing against the guide when misalignment occurs and the release of the contact pressure by the release unit.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a workpiece transport device according to the first aspect, wherein the release portion comprises a magnetic member that supports the rotation axis of the driven roller, a spring that biases the magnetic member in a direction that brings the driven roller into contact with the drive roller, and an electromagnet that attracts the magnetic member against the biasing force of the spring, and is provided on the bearing portion of the driven roller.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is a workpiece transport device according to the second aspect, wherein the release portion is provided at both ends of the rotation axis of the driven roller.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a workpiece transport device according to the first aspect, wherein the drive roller and the driven roller are formed from cylindrical members that rotate about a rotation axis, and are arranged so that their respective rotation axes are parallel.

[0011] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a workpiece conveying device according to the first aspect, wherein the guide is positioned at a predetermined location downstream of the conveying section with a predetermined length in the conveying direction of the workpiece, and the predetermined length and position are such that, when the contact pressure is released by the release section, the workpiece that has shifted position can be corrected from the point of contact with the drive roller and the driven roller to the predetermined position.

[0012] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber for performing a predetermined process on a workpiece, and a workpiece transport device according to any of the first to fifth aspects for transporting the workpiece to the processing chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the workpiece conveying device of the first aspect of the present invention, a sheet-like workpiece is held between a drive roller and a driven roller, and the drive roller is driven, thereby conveying the workpiece in a predetermined direction while receiving torque from the drive roller. If the workpiece is displaced, it will press against the guide in contact with its side surface and receive a repulsive force from the guide due to the pressing. When the contact pressure from the drive roller and driven roller is released by the release section, the workpiece returns to its predetermined position due to the repulsive force from the guide. This has the effect of correcting the workpiece's displacement using the guide and release section without using a complex mechanism.

[0014] The workpiece conveying device according to the second aspect of the present invention provides the following effects in addition to those of the workpiece conveying device according to the first aspect. Specifically, during workpiece conveying, the magnetic member supporting the driven roller is biased by a spring, biasing the driven roller in a direction that brings it into contact with the drive roller. As a result, the workpiece is held between the drive roller and the driven roller, and the workpiece is conveyed by the torque from the drive roller. On the other hand, when the electromagnet is turned on, the magnetic member is attracted to the electromagnet against the biasing force of the spring, thereby releasing the workpiece from the contact pressure between the drive roller and the driven roller. As a result, the electromagnet only needs to be energized when releasing the contact pressure between the drive roller and the driven roller, which has the effect of correcting the misalignment of the workpiece with a simple configuration and low power consumption. Furthermore, by directly attracting the magnetic member with the electromagnet, it is possible to reliably separate the driven roller from the driven roller.

[0015] The workpiece conveying device according to the third aspect of the present invention provides the following effects in addition to those of the workpiece conveying device according to the second aspect. That is, even if the electromagnet of one release section fails to attract the magnetic member, the attraction of the magnetic member by the electromagnet of the other release section shortens the distance between the electromagnet of the one release section and the magnetic member. As a result, attraction is also induced at the release section, which has the effect of more reliably releasing the contact pressure between the drive roller and the driven roller compared to the case where one release section is provided on the rotation axis of the driven roller.

[0016] The workpiece conveying device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention provides the following effects in addition to those of the workpiece conveying device according to the first aspect. Specifically, the shape of the drive roller and the driven roller, and the positional relationship of their rotation axes, allow the surface pressure of the contact surface between the workpiece and the drive roller and the driven roller to be kept constant, thus preventing the workpiece from shifting out of position. However, even with this configuration, positional shifts may still occur due to errors on the contact surface of the drive roller and the driven roller or on the surface of the workpiece. In such cases, the provision of guides and release sections allows the workpiece to be returned to its predetermined position by eliminating the shift in position.

[0017] According to the workpiece transfer device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects exhibited by the workpiece transfer device according to the first aspect, the following effects are exhibited. That is, when the contact pressure is released by the release portion, the workpiece that has been displaced can be surely corrected to a predetermined position from the location where it contacts the drive roller and the driven roller.

[0018] According to the processing device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the workpiece is transferred by the workpiece transfer device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the effects exhibited by the corresponding workpiece transfer device are obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a side view of a workpiece transfer device and a processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a plan view of the workpiece transfer device and the processing device. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1 of the workpiece transfer device. [Figure 4] It is a plan view showing a state in which the workpiece of the workpiece transfer device is displaced. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III showing a state in which the release portion (electromagnet) of the workpiece transfer device attracts the magnetic member. [Figure 6] It is a plan view showing a state in which the displacement of the workpiece of the workpiece transfer device has been corrected.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that all the embodiments described below show preferred specific examples of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions of components, connection forms, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Accordingly, among the components in the following embodiments, components not described in the independent claims indicating the most superior concept of the present invention are described as optional components. Also, in each figure, the same reference numerals are given to substantially the same configurations, and overlapping explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a work transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a side view of a work transfer device 11 and a processing device 1 according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the work transfer device 11 and the processing device 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the work transfer device 11 taken along line III-III. In the description of the present embodiment, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are used. That is, in the side view of FIG. 1, the direction from the left side to the right side is the X-axis, the direction perpendicular to the X-axis from the front side of the drawing to the back side in the same side view is the Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis in the same side view and from the lower side to the upper side is the Z-axis. Also, the work transfer device 11 is configured to arrange the work 51 such that the width direction of the sheet-like (or tape-like) work 51 described later is in the Y-axis direction, and to transfer the work 51 with the X-axis direction as the transfer direction.

[0022] The processing device 1 is a device that performs a processing operation of applying printing by laser light to a flexible sheet-like (or tape-like) work 51 having a predetermined thickness (for example, 0.25 mm). Note that the printing by laser light on the work 51 is an example of the processing operation, and the processing operation performed on the work 51 in the processing device 1 may be arbitrary.

[0023] The processing chamber 4 is a box-shaped space for holding the workpiece 51 in a predetermined position during the processing. As shown in Figure 1, the processing chamber 4 is equipped with a pair of guides 31 for positioning the workpiece 51 in the width direction and vertical direction, a laser irradiation device 41 for irradiating the workpiece 51 with laser light, and a laser cutter 42 for cutting the processed workpiece. The guides 31 not only perform the positioning but also constitute the misalignment correction unit 3 of the workpiece transport device 11. Details thereof will be described later in the description of the misalignment correction unit 3.

[0024] The workpiece transfer device 11 is a transfer device for transferring the workpiece 51 to the processing chamber 4. The workpiece transfer device 11 comprises a workpiece supply unit 5, a transfer unit 2, and a positional misalignment correction unit 3.

[0025] The work supply unit 5 stores the workpieces 51 wound into a roll and supplies the workpieces 51 to be transported to the processing chamber 4 to the transport unit 2 located downstream of the work supply unit 5. Alternatively, the work supply unit 5 may supply workpieces 51 one by one, each made of a rectangular flat plate, instead of the workpieces wound into a roll.

[0026] The conveying unit 2 conveys the workpiece 51 supplied from the workpiece supply unit 5 to the processing chamber 4, and consists of a pair of upper and lower rollers: a drive roller 21 and a driven roller 22 located below the drive roller 21. The conveying unit 2 grips both sides of the workpiece 51 with the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, and conveys the workpiece 51 in the conveying direction (X-axis direction) by applying torque to the workpiece 51 through contact pressure from the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22. This conveying direction corresponds to the predetermined direction of the present invention.

[0027] The drive roller 21 rotates around the rotating shaft 21a and is a roller that transmits rotational torque to the workpiece 51 and the driven roller 22. The drive roller 21 is made of an inelastic material such as metal and is an inelastic roller with a perfect cylindrical shape and a constant diameter in the axial direction. The rotating shaft 21a is positioned at the center of the perfect cylindrical shape and fixed to the drive roller 21. The rotating shaft 21a extends from one end of the drive roller 21 and is connected to the motor 23 via a belt 24 at the extended portion. As a result, the driving force of the motor 23 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 21a via the belt 24, and the drive roller 21 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the rotating shaft 21a. The rotating shaft 21a of the drive roller 21 is positioned in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (X-axis direction) of the workpiece 51, and the rotating shaft 21a extending from one end of the drive roller 21 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 21b fixed to the housing (not shown) of the processing device 1.

[0028] In this embodiment, the drive roller 21 is made of a non-elastic material such as metal, but is not limited to this, and may be an elastic roller whose surface is covered with an elastic material such as urethane. Also, the rotating shaft 21a may extend from the other end of the drive roller 21, and the rotating shaft 21a extending from the other end may be rotatably supported by a bearing portion 21b fixed to the housing of the processing device 1 at the other end.

[0029] The driven roller 22 is a roller positioned opposite the drive roller 21, on its underside, and capable of contacting the drive roller 21. It rotates around its axis of rotation 22a. The driven roller is an elastic roller with a cylindrical shape and a constant diameter in the axial direction, and its surface is covered with an elastic material such as urethane. The rotation 22a of the driven roller 22 is positioned at the center of the cylindrical shape and fixed to the driven roller 22. It is also positioned in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (X-axis direction) of the workpiece 51, parallel to the rotation 21a of the drive roller 21. Both ends of the rotation 22a of the driven roller 22 are rotatably supported by bearings 22b. In this embodiment, the driven roller 22 is an elastic roller covered with an elastic material such as urethane, but it is not limited to this and may be made of a non-elastic material such as metal.

[0030] The bearing portion 22b is erected on the upper surface of the base 25 together with the release portion 32 of the misalignment correction portion 3, which will be described later. The support column 26 that supports the lower surface of the base 25 is provided with a lever 27 that can rotate within a predetermined range in the vertical direction. When the operator rotates the lever 27 upward, the support column 26 moves downward, and the bearing portion 22b also moves downward, separating the driven roller 22 from the drive roller. On the other hand, when the operator rotates the lever 27 downward, the support column 26 moves upward, and the bearing portion 22b also moves upward, positioning the driven roller 22 in a position where it can contact the drive roller 21. This lever 27 is used when setting the workpiece 51 in the conveying portion 2 before maintenance of the conveying portion 2 or before starting operation of the workpiece conveying device 11, and is not for correcting misalignment during workpiece 51 conveying, such as the release portion 32 which will be described later.

[0031] The misalignment correction unit 3 corrects the misalignment of the workpiece 51 caused by changes in the thickness of the workpiece 51 and changes in the contact pressure received from the drive roller 21 and driven roller 22 during the transport of the workpiece 51. The misalignment correction unit 3 consists of a guide 31 and a release unit 32.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the guide 31 restricts the position of the conveyed workpiece 51 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). It is positioned on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the conveying section 2 with a predetermined length s at a predetermined position (distance t from the entrance 31c of the guide 31 to the point 2a where the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 make contact). The guide 31 is composed of a pair of L-shaped steel beams with an L-shaped cross-section when viewed from the X-axis direction. Each of the pair of L-shaped steel beams has a guide surface 31b that is erected in the Z-axis direction as an inner side surface facing each other. The guide surface 31b is provided so as to be in contact with at least one side surface 51a of the workpiece 51 that is parallel to the X-axis. In addition, each of the pair of L-shaped steel beams has a mounting surface 31a parallel to a plane specified by the X-axis and Y-axis, and the workpiece 51 is placed on this mounting surface 31a. The workpiece 51 enters between the pair of guide surfaces 31b and moves on the mounting surface 31a in the conveying direction.

[0033] The guide 31 configured in this way plays the role of returning the workpiece 51 to its predetermined position by applying a repulsive force to the workpiece 51 in response to the pressure exerted on the guide surface 31b by the workpiece 51 when it has shifted position.

[0034] The predetermined length s of the guide 31 and the predetermined position (distance t) where the guide 31 is installed are set to a length and position that, when the contact pressure from the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to the workpiece 51 is released by the release section 32 described later, allows the workpiece 51 that has shifted position to be corrected from the point 2a that contacts the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to the predetermined position.

[0035] Here, the distance between the transport unit 2 and the processing chamber 4 should be short in order to minimize the effect of misalignment on the processing of the workpiece 51 in the processing chamber 4, and the length s of the guide 31 is restricted by the distance between the transport unit 2 and the processing chamber 4. On the other hand, in order to provide sufficient repulsive force to correct the misalignment of the workpiece 51 when it occurs, the length s of the guide 31 should be long. Therefore, the distance t from the entry point 31c of the guide 31 to the point 2a where the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 make contact should be as short as possible, and ideally it should be zero. Furthermore, the shorter the distance t, the more accurately the misaligned workpiece 51 can be corrected to the predetermined position at the point 2a where it contacts the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22.

[0036] The distance between the transport unit 2 and the guide 31 (the distance t from the entry point 31c of the guide 31 to the point 2a where the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 make contact) that allows for correction of such misalignment varies depending on the rigidity of the workpiece itself, which is determined by the workpiece width and thickness, but is preferably about 20 mm or less. Similarly, the length s of the guide 31 also varies depending on the rigidity of the workpiece itself, which is determined by the workpiece width and thickness, but is preferably about 100 mm or more.

[0037] The release section 32 is a mechanism that temporarily releases the contact pressure from the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to the workpiece 51 held between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, and as shown in Figure 3, it is provided on the bearing portion 22b of the driven roller 22. The release section 32 is composed of a spring 32a, a magnetic member 32b, and an electromagnet 32c.

[0038] The spring 32a is a coil spring that is erected in the Z-axis direction with one end fixed to the base 25 and the other end fixed to the magnetic member 32b, and biases the driven roller 22 in a direction (Z-axis direction) that brings it into contact with the drive roller 21 via the magnetic member 32b. The magnetic member 32b is provided to support the rotation axis 21a of the driven roller 22 while receiving the biasing force of the spring 32a from below, and is made of a magnetic material such as iron. The electromagnet 32c is erected on the base 25 and, by applying current, forms a magnetic field, attracting the magnetic member 32b against the biasing force of the spring 32a, and moving the driven roller 22 away from the drive roller 21. The release parts 32 are provided at both ends of the rotation axis 22a of the driven roller 22.

[0039] The operation of the processing apparatus 1 and workpiece transport apparatus 11 of this embodiment, configured as described above, will now be explained. First, the general operation of the processing apparatus 1 will be described.

[0040] In the processing apparatus 1, first, the workpiece transport device 11 is operated to transport the workpiece 51 to the processing chamber 4. At this time, both sides 51b of the workpiece 51 come into contact with the guide surface 31b of the guide 31, thereby restricting the movement of the workpiece 51 in the width direction. This positions the workpiece 51 in the width direction (Y-axis direction).

[0041] Furthermore, the processing chamber 4 is equipped with a mechanism (not shown) that sucks air from the bottom of the processing chamber 4. When a workpiece 51 is transported into the processing chamber 4, the workpiece 51 is placed on the mounting surface 31a of the guide 31 by suction. This positions the workpiece 51 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0042] The positioning of the workpiece 51 in the transport direction (X-axis direction) is determined by the amount of rotation of the drive roller 21 of the workpiece transport device 11 (i.e., the amount of drive of the motor 23).

[0043] Next, the processing device 1 irradiates the positioned workpiece 51 with a laser from the laser irradiation device 41, performing processing such as printing pre-set characters or the like onto the workpiece 51. After that, the processing device 1 operates the workpiece transport device 11 to transport the processed workpiece 51 until it is discharged from an outlet (not shown) provided in the processing chamber. Then, the processing device 1 uses the laser cutter 42 to cut and separate the processed workpiece 51.

[0044] At this time, an unprocessed workpiece 51 is transported into the processing chamber 4, and the processing device 1 can perform processing on this workpiece 51. The processing device 1 can then generate and discharge multiple processed workpieces 51 by repeatedly processing, transporting, and cutting the workpiece 51.

[0045] Next, the operation of the workpiece transport device 11 will be described. First, as preparation for operating the workpiece transport device 11, the operator places the workpiece 51 from the workpiece supply unit 5 between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 as follows. First, the operator rotates the lever 27 upward to lower the base 25 and separate the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22. In this state, the operator pulls the workpiece 51 out of the workpiece supply unit 5, passes it between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, and places it between the opposing guide surfaces 31b provided on each of the pair of guides 31 located on the downstream side in the transport direction. Then, the operator rotates the lever 27 downward to raise the base 25. As a result, the driven roller 22 is pushed up until it contacts the drive roller 21, and the workpiece 51 is placed between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22. At this time, the electromagnet 32c of the release section 32 is in the off state, and the electromagnet 32c is not attracting the magnetic member 32b. As shown in Figure 3, the driven roller 22 is biased by the biasing force of the spring 32a to contact the drive roller 21, and the workpiece 51 is subjected to contact pressure from the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22. At this time, the bearing section 22b has a gap of distance r between the upper surface of the electromagnet 32c and the lower surface of the magnetic member 32b.

[0046] Once the operator has completed the above-mentioned preparations and turned on the switch to instruct the processing device 1 to start processing, the workpiece transport device 11 will transport the workpiece 51 as follows, according to a program executed by a control unit (not shown).

[0047] First, the motor 23 is driven, and the drive roller 21 connected to the motor 23 is rotated. As a result, the workpiece 51 is transported in the transport direction (X-axis direction) while being held between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, receiving the rotational torque of the drive roller 21. The workpiece 51, which has been placed between the pair of guide surfaces 31b by the operator, moves along the mounting surface 31a in the transport direction and is then transported to the processing chamber 4. When a workpiece 51 of a predetermined length has been transported, the motor 23 is stopped, and the transport of the workpiece 51 stops accordingly.

[0048] As the workpiece transport device 11 repeatedly transports the workpiece 51, the workpiece 51 may become misaligned. Here, with reference to Figures 4 to 6, a method for correcting the misalignment of the workpiece 51 in the workpiece transport device 11 will be explained. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the state in which the workpiece 51 has become misaligned in the workpiece transport device 11, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along line III-III showing the state in which the release section 32 (electromagnet 32c) of the workpiece transport device 11 is attracting the magnetic member 32b, and Figure 6 is a plan view showing the state in which the misalignment of the workpiece 51 in the workpiece transport device 11 has been corrected.

[0049] The reason why the workpiece 51 may shift position as it is repeatedly transported is as follows. For example, if the front and back surfaces of the transported workpiece 51 are smooth and the thickness of the workpiece 51 is constant, the contact pressure at the point where the front surface of the workpiece 51 contacts the drive roller 21, and the point where the back surface of the workpiece 51 contacts the driven roller 22, are both uniform, so the workpiece 51 moves straight parallel to the transport direction.

[0050] However, no such ideal workpiece 51 exists; most workpieces 51 have irregularities and their thickness is not uniform. In areas where the workpiece 51 has irregularities or changes in thickness, the contact pressure between the workpiece 51 and the drive roller 21 or driven roller 22 changes. As a result, the workpiece 51 is transported with a slight change in orientation from the predetermined transport direction, causing misalignment.

[0051] Furthermore, the workpiece transport device 11 is not constructed with ideal precision. For example, the drive roller 21 and driven roller 22 are not perfectly cylindrical but contain some distortion, and the rotation axis 21a of the drive roller 21 and the rotation axis 22a of the driven roller 22 are slightly off from the Y-axis direction, among other errors. This also causes the workpiece 51 to change direction during transport.

[0052] Once the workpiece 51 has changed orientation, its positional displacement increases as the transport continues. When a positional displacement occurs on the workpiece 51, the side surface 51a in the direction in which the displacement occurred comes into contact with the guide surface 31b of the guide 31 as it is transported, as shown in Figure 4. The force P1 exerted by the workpiece 51 pressing against the guide surface 31b of the guide 31 due to the positional displacement is generated for a predetermined length s of the guide 31.

[0053] The control unit that controls the operation of the workpiece transport device 11 transports the workpiece 51 to the processing chamber 4, stops the drive of the drive roller 21, and then turns on the electromagnet 32c of the release unit 32 before starting processing in the processing chamber 4. As shown in Figure 5, the electromagnet 32c attracts the spring 32a against the biasing force of the spring 32a, and the driven roller 22 descends by the distance r of the gap that existed from the upper surface of the electromagnet 32c to the lower surface of the magnetic member 32b. As a result, a gap of at least distance r is created between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, and the workpiece 51 is temporarily released from the contact pressure from the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22.

[0054] As a result, as shown in Figure 6, the workpiece 51 returns to its predetermined position from its misaligned state due to the repulsive force P2 from the guide 31, which was caused by the force P1 that the workpiece 51 was pressing against the guide surface 31b of the guide 31. This allows the misalignment of the workpiece 51 to be corrected by the guide 31 and the release section 32 without the need for a complex mechanism. Furthermore, regardless of the degree of misalignment of the workpiece 51, the misalignment can be corrected simply by temporarily releasing the contact pressure between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 by the release section 32. Therefore, it is not necessary to measure the amount of misalignment, or to perform control based on the measured value, nor is it necessary to store the measured value or a control program, thus reducing the increase in memory.

[0055] Furthermore, when releasing the contact pressure between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, the electromagnet 32c only needs to be turned on at the time of release. Since the electromagnet 32c directly attracts the magnetic member 32b connected to the driven roller 22, the release section 32 can be operated with a simple mechanism and low power consumption.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the release sections 32 are provided at both ends of the rotation axis 22a of the driven roller 22. As a result, even if the electromagnet 32c of one of the two release sections 32 provided at both ends fails to attract the magnetic member 32b, the attraction of the magnetic member 32b by the electromagnet 32c of the other release section 32 shortens the distance between the electromagnet 32c of the one release section 32 and the magnetic member 32b, thereby inducing attraction at that release section 32 as well. Therefore, the workpiece transport device 11 can more reliably release the contact pressure between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 compared to the case where only one release section 32 is provided on the rotation axis 22a of the driven roller 22.

[0057] Furthermore, if the release portion 32 is provided near the longitudinal center of the rotation axis 22a of the driven roller 22, the driven roller 22 cannot be configured to contact the drive roller 21 in order to provide space for the release portion 32, and the entire surface of the workpiece 51 cannot be gripped with uniform contact pressure. By providing the release portions 32 at both ends of the rotation axis 22a of the driven roller 22, the entire surface of the workpiece 51 receives uniform contact pressure from the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, thereby suppressing the widening of the workpiece 51's displacement during transport.

[0058] Furthermore, the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 are formed from cylindrical members that rotate around the rotation axes 21a and 22a, respectively, and are arranged so that their respective rotation axes 21a and 22a are parallel to each other. This keeps the surface pressure of the contact surfaces with the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 constant, preventing the workpiece from shifting out of position. However, even with this configuration, there is a problem that positional shifts may occur on the contact surfaces of the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 and on the surface of the workpiece 51 due to errors. However, by providing the guide 31 and the release portion 32, the positional shift of the workpiece 51 can be eliminated and returned to the predetermined position.

[0059] Furthermore, the guide 31 is positioned downstream of the conveying section 2 with respect to the conveying direction of the workpiece 51, having a predetermined length s and at a predetermined position (the distance t from the entry point 31c of the guide 31 to the point 2a where the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 make contact). The predetermined length and position are such that, when the contact pressure is released by the release section 32, the workpiece 51 that has shifted position can be corrected from the point of contact with the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to the predetermined position. As a result, when the contact pressure is released by the release section 32, the workpiece 51 that has shifted position can be reliably corrected from the point of contact with the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 to the predetermined position.

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the processing apparatus 1 includes a processing chamber 4 for performing predetermined processing on the workpiece 51, and a workpiece transport device 11 for transporting the workpiece 51 to the processing chamber 4. As a result, the processing apparatus 1 can achieve the effects of the workpiece transport device 11.

[0061] Although the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, it is easy to infer that the present invention is not limited in any way to the above embodiments, and that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, each embodiment may be modified by adding or replacing some or more parts of the configuration of other embodiments with parts or more parts of the configuration of other embodiments, including the modifications described below. Furthermore, the numerical values ​​given in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it is naturally possible to use other numerical values.

[0062] In the workpiece conveying device 11 of the above embodiment, the drive roller 21 is positioned on the upper surface of the workpiece 51 and the driven roller 22 is positioned on the lower surface of the workpiece 51. However, it is sufficient that contact pressure is applied to the workpiece 51 from the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22, and the positional relationship between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 with respect to the workpiece 51 can be arbitrary. In addition, the release portion 32 is provided on the bearing portion 22b of the driven roller 22, but it may also be provided on the bearing portion 21b of the drive roller 21. However, since the rotation axis 21a of the drive roller 21 is connected to the motor 23, it is preferable to provide the release portion 32 on the bearing portion 22b of the driven roller 22, as this makes the design and / or manufacturing easier.

[0063] In the workpiece transfer device 11 of the above embodiment, a magnetic member 32b and an electromagnet 32c are used in the release section 32. However, an electromagnetic solenoid may be used to move the driven roller 22 away from the drive roller 21 against the biasing force of the spring 32a. Alternatively, a cam may be provided on the rotation axis of the driven roller 22, and the cam may be used to push the driven roller 22 away from the drive roller 21, thereby temporarily releasing the contact pressure between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22.

[0064] In the workpiece transport device 11 of the above embodiment, the guide 31 is composed of a pair of L-shaped steel beams with an L-shaped cross-section when viewed from the X-axis direction. However, it is sufficient that the position of the transported workpiece 51 in the width direction (Y-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) can be restricted, and the cross-section when viewed from the X-axis direction may be bent into a U-shape.

[0065] In the workpiece transport device 11 of the above embodiment, the control unit turns on the electromagnet 32c of the release unit 32 after transporting the workpiece 51 to the processing chamber 4, stopping the drive of the drive roller 21, and before starting processing in the processing chamber 4. However, the electromagnet 32c of the release unit 32 may be turned on after transporting the workpiece 51 multiple times.

[0066] In the workpiece transport device 11 of the above embodiment, the control unit temporarily releases the contact pressure between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22 by the release unit 32, regardless of whether or not the workpiece 51 is misaligned. However, a sensor for detecting misalignment may be provided on the transport path that transports the workpiece 51, and when the sensor detects misalignment, the release unit 32 may be used to temporarily release the contact pressure between the drive roller 21 and the driven roller 22. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1 Processing equipment 11 Workpiece Transfer Device 2. Conveying section 21 Drive rollers 21a Rotation axis 21b Bearing section 22 Driven roller 22a Rotation axis 22b Bearing section 23 Motor 24 belts 25 base 26 Posts 27 Lever 3. Positional misalignment correction unit 31 Guide 31a Mounting surface 31b Guide surface 32 Liberation Department 32a Spring 32b Magnetic material 32c electromagnet 4 Processing room 41 Laser irradiation device 42 Laser cutter 5. Work Supply Department 51 Work 51a side

Claims

1. A workpiece conveying device that conveys a sheet-shaped workpiece in a predetermined direction, A conveying unit having a drive roller and a driven roller capable of contacting the drive roller, which conveys the workpiece by applying torque to the workpiece sandwiched between the drive roller and the driven roller, The workpiece has a guide provided to contact the side surface of the workpiece, and a release section that temporarily releases the contact pressure from the drive roller and the driven roller to the workpiece, and a misalignment correction section that corrects the misalignment of the workpiece by the repulsive force caused by the workpiece pressing against the guide when misalignment occurs and the release of the contact pressure by the release section. The aforementioned opening portion is A workpiece conveying device comprising a magnetic member that supports the rotation axis of the driven roller, a spring that biases the magnetic member in a direction that brings the driven roller into contact with the drive roller, and an electromagnet that attracts the magnetic member against the biasing force of the spring, and provided on the bearing portion of the driven roller.

2. The workpiece conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that the release portion is provided at both ends of the rotation axis of the driven roller.

3. The workpiece conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive roller and the driven roller are formed from cylindrical members that rotate about a rotation axis, and their respective rotation axes are arranged to be parallel.

4. The guide is positioned at a predetermined location on the downstream side of the conveying section with respect to the conveying direction of the workpiece, having a predetermined length. The workpiece conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined length and predetermined position are such that, when the contact pressure is released by the release portion, the workpiece that has shifted position can be corrected from the point of contact with the drive roller and the driven roller to the predetermined position.

5. A processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber for performing predetermined processing on a workpiece, and a workpiece transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 for transporting the workpiece to the processing chamber.

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