Chuck device and conveying device

Abstract

To provide a chuck device that can quickly grip a work-piece, with a simple mechanism, and a carrier device.SOLUTION: A chuck 20 that adsorbs and grips a work-piece W comprises a base part 24 that opposes to the work-piece W, a first adsorption pad 44, arranged in the base part 24, which adsorbs the work-piece, and a support piece 41 that supports a side surface of the work-piece W. The support piece 41 is attached to an outer edge side of the base part 24 through a hinge mechanism 40, which is configured to be rotatable with the hinge mechanism 40 as a center with respect to the base part 24. The chuck 20 further comprises a coil spring 42 that applies to the support piece 41 elastic force for rotating the piece in a direction in which the piece separates from the side surface of the work-piece W, and a lever member 43 that protrudes from the support piece 41 toward the work-piece W and is pressed toward the base part 24 to rotate the support piece 41 toward the side surface of the work-piece W against the elastic force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , ,

[0005] , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a chuck device for gripping a workpiece and a transport device to which the chuck device for gripping the workpiece is attached.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a transport device such as a palletizing device for loading a workpiece on a pallet for transporting the workpiece, for example, a chuck as described in Patent Document 1 is used. In the chuck described in Patent Document 1, a suction pad is depressurized to suck and grip the workpiece. [[ID=I4]]

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003] ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[0006] A first means for solving the above problem is a chuck device for adsorbing and gripping a workpiece, comprising: a base facing the workpiece; an adsorption pad disposed on the base and adsorbing the upper surface of the workpiece; a support member supporting the side surface of the workpiece; and a conversion mechanism that converts and transmits the direction of force input to an input unit, wherein the support member is configured to be movable or rotatable with respect to the base, the input unit of the conversion mechanism is configured to be movable or rotatable with respect to the base, and the conversion mechanism converts the direction of force applied to the input unit when the input unit is pressed by the workpiece, thereby moving or rotating the support member toward the side surface of the workpiece.

[0007] As described above, by using a suction pad to hold the workpiece and providing a support member to support the sides of the workpiece when moving the chuck, the oscillation of the workpiece can be suppressed. Therefore, the workpiece can be held stably and moved at high speed.

[0008] Furthermore, when the input section is pressed towards the base by the workpiece, the conversion mechanism changes the direction of that force, thereby moving or rotating the support member towards the side of the workpiece. Therefore, even without a drive source, it is possible to move or rotate the support member towards the side of the workpiece with a simple mechanism.

[0009] A second means for solving the above problems is a chuck device for adsorbing and gripping a workpiece, comprising: a base facing the workpiece; an adsorption pad disposed on the base and adsorbing the upper surface of the workpiece; and a support member supporting the side surface of the workpiece, wherein the support member is attached to the outer edge side of the base via a hinge mechanism and is configured to be rotatable about the hinge mechanism relative to the base, and comprises an elastic body that applies an elastic force to the support member in a direction away from the side surface of the workpiece, and a lever member that protrudes from the support member toward the workpiece and is pressed toward the base, thereby rotating the support member toward the side surface of the workpiece against the elastic force.

[0010] By using a suction pad to hold the workpiece and providing a support member to support the sides of the workpiece when moving the chuck, the oscillation of the workpiece can be suppressed. As a result, the workpiece can be held stably and moved at high speed.

[0011] Furthermore, the support member is attached to the outer edge of the opposing surface via a hinge mechanism and is configured to rotate around the hinge mechanism relative to the base. The lever member protruding from the support member towards the workpiece is pressed towards the base, thereby rotating the support member against the elastic force and causing it to face the side of the workpiece. Therefore, when positioning the workpiece on the base in order to attach it to the suction pad, the lever member is pressed against the workpiece to rotate the support member towards the side of the workpiece, making it possible to position the support member facing the side of the workpiece.

[0012] Furthermore, since the support member is equipped with an elastic body that applies an elastic force to rotate it in a direction that separates it from the side of the workpiece, when the lever member is not pressed by the workpiece, the support member can be rotated outward, separating it from the side of the workpiece. Therefore, without using an actuator such as a motor, a simple mechanism can be used to quickly bring the support member into contact with the side of the workpiece when gripping the workpiece, and to quickly separate the support member from the side of the workpiece when releasing the workpiece. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Perspective view of a palletizing device. [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view of the chuck, and (b) is a side view of the chuck. [Figure 3] A perspective view showing stacked workpieces. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the chuck. [Figure 5] A schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the chuck. [Figure 6] A schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the chuck. [Figure 7]Bottom view of the chuck according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] Perspective view of the chuck according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] Front view of the chuck according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] Top view of the chuck according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] Right side view of the chuck according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] Front view showing the operation mode of the chuck according to the third embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, each embodiment in which the "chuck device" according to the present invention is embodied will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are identical or equivalent to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description of the parts with the same reference numerals is incorporated. Also, in the description of each embodiment and modification, not only the combinations of the explicitly shown configurations, but also the combinations of each embodiment and modification are possible as long as there is no problem with the combination.

[0015] (First Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, the chuck device 20 is attached to a palletizing device 10 as a conveying device. The palletizing device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a device that sequentially conveys the work W from a supply location, aligns it, and stacks it on a portable pallet P installed at a predetermined position, that is, a device for palletizing. The work W is a rectangular parallelepiped box, for example, a cardboard box, and is supplied from an external conveying facility (such as a belt conveyor) to a roller conveyor 1 provided in the palletizing device 10. Then, the supplied work W is positioned at a predetermined stationary position and stopped by a stopper (not shown) provided on the roller conveyor 1. The palletizing device 10 is configured to grip and convey the work W positioned and stationary on the roller conveyor 1. This will be described in detail below.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the palletizing device 10 includes a chuck device 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as the chuck 20) for gripping a workpiece W, a transport mechanism 30 as a moving part for moving the chuck 20, and a rectangular parallelepiped frame body 70 to which the transport mechanism 30 is fixed. Further, the palletizing device 10 includes a control device 100 as a control part for controlling the operations of the chuck 20 and the transport mechanism 30, and a controller (not shown) as an information terminal capable of inputting and outputting various information.

[0017] In the present embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the frame body 70 is defined as the X-axis direction, the short-side direction (the direction perpendicular to the X-axis) is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is defined as the Z-axis direction. Since the palletizing device 10 is usually installed on a plane, the Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction. Also, the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction correspond to the horizontal direction.

[0018] The transport mechanism 30 has a column part 50 fixed to the frame body 70 and formed to extend along the Z-axis direction, and an arm part 60 fixed to the column part 50 and formed to extend along the Y-axis direction.

[0019] An X-axis guide rail 51 is provided along the X-axis direction on the frame body 70, and the column part 50 is fixed to the X-axis guide rail 51 so as to be movable along the X-axis direction. The column part 50 is drivingly connected to the output shaft of an X-axis servo motor (not shown) disposed at the bottom of the frame body 70 via a toothed belt or the like. That is, the column part 50 is configured to reciprocate in the X-axis direction along the X-axis guide rail 51 based on the driving force of the X-axis servo motor.

[0020] A Z-axis guide rail 61 is provided along the Z-axis direction on the column part 50, and the arm part 60 is fixed to the Z-axis guide rail 61 so as to be movable along the Z-axis direction. The arm part 60 is drivingly connected to the output shaft of a Z-axis servo motor provided on the column part 50 via a toothed belt or the like. That is, the arm part 60 is configured to reciprocate in the Z-axis direction along the Z-axis guide rail 61 based on the driving force of the Z-axis servo motor.

[0021] A Y-axis guide rail 21 is provided on the arm portion 60 along the Y-axis direction, and the chuck 20 is fixed to the Y-axis guide rail 21 so as to be movable along the Y-axis direction. The chuck 20 is driven and connected to the output shaft of a Y-axis servo motor provided on the arm portion 60 via a toothed belt or the like. In other words, the chuck 20 is configured to reciprocate along the Y-axis guide rail 21 in the Y-axis direction based on the driving force of the Y-axis servo motor.

[0022] As described above, the transport mechanism 30 is configured to allow the chuck 20 to move linearly in two orthogonal directions in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction), and in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the chuck 20 is fixed to the arm portion 60 via a rotating mechanism 23 which acts as a swivel section. The rotating mechanism 23 is configured to allow the chuck 20 to swivel around the Z-axis (in the direction of arrow R in Figure 1) based on the driving force of a built-in swivel servo motor (not shown).

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the chuck 20 has a rectangular base 24 attached to a rotating mechanism 23. The base 24 has an opposing surface 25 at its lower part that faces the upper surface of the workpiece W. The base 24 is fixed to the rotating mechanism 23 such that its opposing surface 25 is perpendicular to the Z-axis. A first suction pad 26 for adsorbing the workpiece W is provided on this opposing surface 25. In this embodiment, a plurality of first suction pads 26 are provided. Each first suction pad 26 is connected to an ejector via air piping (not shown). The operation of the ejector creates negative pressure inside the first suction pad 26, which makes it possible to adsorb the upper surface of the workpiece W.

[0025] The control device 100 is an electronic control device equipped with a well-known microcomputer consisting of a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. The control device 100 is equipped with a drive circuit for driving the various servo motors described above, and is configured to control the operation of the various servo motors via the drive circuit. Furthermore, the control device 100 is configured to operate the ejector and control the suction operation of the workpiece W by the first suction pad 26.

[0026] Furthermore, the control device 100 is connected to various sensors, servo motors, and controllers, and is configured to acquire various types of information. The control device 100 also has various functions and executes these functions based on the acquired information. These functions are realized by executing programs stored in the storage device (memory) of the control device 100. These functions may be realized by hardware electronic circuits, or at least a part of them may be realized by software, i.e., by processing executed on a computer.

[0027] Among the various functions, there is, for example, a palletizing function that transports workpieces W and loads them onto a pallet P. Briefly explaining the palletizing function, the control device 100 grips the workpieces W, which are positioned and stationary at a predetermined stationary position, with a chuck 20, moves the chuck 20 together with the workpieces W onto the pallet P using the transport mechanism 30, and releases them to load the workpieces W. With this function, the workpieces W are stacked on the pallet P in multiple layers in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), as shown in Figure 3, and in each layer, they are stacked in multiple rows in a predetermined direction (X-axis direction or Y-axis direction) (two rows in the X-axis direction in Figure 3).

[0028] By the way, if the workpiece W is constructed with its contents wrapped in packaging material such as a cardboard box, depending on the weight of the contents or the strength of the packaging material, simply suctioning the top surface of the workpiece W may not provide a stable grip on the workpiece W. In other words, when suctioning the top surface of the workpiece W and moving the chuck horizontally, it may oscillate horizontally due to the influence of its inertial force. If the workpiece W oscillates violently, there is a risk that the suction will detach, so it is necessary to gradually accelerate when starting to move the workpiece W and decelerate when stopping, making it difficult to move the workpiece W at high speed. Therefore, the chuck 20 of this embodiment is configured as follows. This will be explained in detail below with reference to Figure 2.

[0029] A support piece 41 is provided on the opposing surface 25 of the base 24, attached to the outer edge side of the opposing surface 25 via a hinge mechanism 40, and serves as a support member. In this embodiment, the base end of the support piece 41 is attached to the short-side end of the base 24 via the hinge mechanism 40. The support piece 41 is positioned on only one side in the short-side direction, with the base 24 (opposing surface 25) as the center.

[0030] The support piece 41 is formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape to support the side of the workpiece W, and is attached to the base 24 such that its tip is downward, that is, so that it hangs down. At that time, the support piece 41 is attached so that its surface faces the side of the opposing surface 25 (i.e., the side of the workpiece W). That is, when the tip of the support piece 41 is positioned downward along the Z-axis direction (perpendicular to the opposing surface 25), the support piece 41 is positioned such that the vertical direction of the side surface of the support piece 41 is aligned with the shorter side. In this case, the side of the support piece 41 facing the opposing surface 25 is referred to as the inner side surface 41a, and the opposite side surface is referred to as the outer side surface 41b.

[0031] The support piece 41 is configured to rotate around the hinge mechanism 40 relative to the opposing surface 25. This rotation direction (direction of arrow Y1) is along the shorter side of the base 24 (opposing surface 25). The support piece 41 is also configured to rotate within a certain allowable angle range. The allowable angle is set such that the angle α (see Figure 4) between the support piece 41 and the inner surface 41a with respect to the Z-axis direction is 3 degrees or more, 45 degrees or less, and more preferably 15 degrees or less.

[0032] Furthermore, a coil spring 42, acting as an elastic body, is provided between the base 24 and the support piece 41. This coil spring 42 is attached to the shaft 40a of the hinge mechanism 40. The shaft 40a of the hinge mechanism 40 is positioned along the longitudinal direction of the base 24. The coil spring 42 applies an elastic force to the support piece 41 (more specifically, the lever member 43, which will be described later) that causes it to rotate outward from the opposing surface 25. In other words, the coil spring 42 applies an elastic force in the direction that widens the angle α of the inner surface 41a of the support piece 41 with respect to the Z-axis direction (in the direction that moves it away from the side surface of the workpiece W).

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the support piece 41 is provided with a lever member 43 that protrudes from its inside. The lever member 43 protrudes from the support piece 41 inward toward the opposing surface 25 and overlaps with the opposing surface 25 in the direction perpendicular to the opposing surface 25 (Z-axis direction). The lever member 43 is fixed at a predetermined angle with respect to the inner side surface 41a of the support piece 41. In this embodiment, the lever member 43 is fixed at a 90-degree angle with respect to the inner side surface 41a of the support piece 41. Therefore, the lever member 43 is pressed toward the side (upper side) of the base 24, causing the support piece 41 to rotate toward the side of the workpiece W (i.e., in the direction of arrow Y2 in Figure 6) against the elastic force of the coil spring 42. The coil spring 42 is positioned between the base 24 and the lever member 43 and applies an elastic force to the lever member 43 in a direction away from the base 24.

[0034] Furthermore, the inner side surface 41a of the support piece 41 is provided with a second suction pad 44, which serves as a side suction pad for adsorbing the side surface of the workpiece W. In this embodiment, multiple second suction pads 44 are provided. Each second suction pad 44 is connected to an ejector via air piping (not shown), similar to the first suction pad 26, and by creating negative pressure inside the second suction pad 44 using the ejector, it is possible to adsorb the side surface of the workpiece W.

[0035] Next, the operation of the chuck 20 configured in this way will be explained with reference to Figures 4 to 6. First, the operation when the chuck 20 grips the workpiece W will be explained. As shown in Figure 4, the control device 100 moves the chuck 20 by the transport mechanism 30 so that the workpiece W is positioned below the base 24, that is, so that the upper surface of the workpiece W faces the opposing surface 25 of the base 24 in the Z-axis direction. At that time, it is desirable for the control device 100 to rotate the chuck 20 so that the longitudinal direction of the workpiece W is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the base 24.

[0036] As shown in Figure 5, when the workpiece W is positioned below the base 24, the control device 100 lowers the chuck 20 in the Z-axis direction. When the chuck 20 is lowered, the lever member 43 is positioned between the opposing surface 25 and the upper surface of the workpiece W, so the lever member 43 is pressed toward the opposing surface 25 (i.e., upward).

[0037] As shown in Figure 6, when the lever member 43 is pressed against the opposing surface 25, the support piece 41 rotates inward around the hinge mechanism 40, against the elastic force of the coil spring 42. In other words, the support piece 41 rotates in a direction that reduces the angle α of the inner surface 41a of the support piece 41 with respect to the Z-axis direction (direction of arrow Y2 in Figure 6). As a result, the support piece 41 rotates toward the side surface of the workpiece W.

[0038] Since the angle β (see Figure 4) between the lever member 43 and the inner side surface 41a of the support piece 41 is set to approximately 90 degrees, when the lever member 43 contacts the opposing surface 25, the inner side surface 41a of the support piece 41 comes into contact with the side surface of the workpiece W.

[0039] In this state, the control device 100 uses the first suction pad 26 to grip the upper surface of the workpiece W and the second suction pad 44 to grip the side surface of the workpiece W, thereby gripping both the upper and side surfaces of the workpiece W. In this state, the control device 100 moves the workpiece W to the desired position.

[0040] When moving the workpiece W together with the chuck 20, it is desirable that the control device 100 move only in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) of the opposing surface 25, or in the direction in which the tip of the support piece 41 moves inward of the opposing surface 25 (direction of arrow Y3 in Figure 2). The direction of arrow Y3 is the shorter direction, which is from the outside to the inside of the base 24. In other words, when the control device 100 moves the workpiece W together with the chuck 20 in the horizontal direction, it is desirable that the chuck 20 be rotated by the rotation mechanism 23 so that the support piece 41 is positioned behind the workpiece W in the direction of travel, and then the workpiece W is moved in the horizontal direction. As a result, the support piece 41 will be positioned behind the workpiece W in the direction of travel.

[0041] Then, when the workpiece W has been moved to the desired position, the control device 100 operates the chuck 20 to release the grip on the workpiece W. To release the grip on the workpiece W, the reverse operation is performed. That is, the control device 100 releases the suction of the first suction pad 26 and the second suction pad 44, thereby releasing the top and side surfaces of the workpiece W.

[0042] Next, the control device 100 moves the chuck 20 upward. When the chuck 20 is moved upward, the elastic force of the coil spring 42 causes the lever member 43 to move downward (away from the opposing surface 25) and the support piece 41 to rotate outward. As a result, the opposing surface 25 of the base 24 separates from the upper surface of the workpiece W, and the support piece 41 separates from the side surface of the workpiece W.

[0043] According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

[0044] By providing the chuck 20 with a support piece 41 that supports the side of the workpiece W, the palletizing device 10 to which the chuck 20 is attached can suppress the oscillation of the workpiece W when the chuck 20 is moved horizontally while the workpiece W is being held by the first suction pad 26. As a result, the workpiece W can be held stably and moved at high speed.

[0045] Furthermore, the support piece 41 is attached to the outer edge side of the base 24 via a hinge mechanism 40 and is configured to rotate around the hinge mechanism 40 relative to the base 24. The lever member 43, which protrudes from the support piece 41 towards the side of the workpiece W, is pressed towards the base 24, thereby rotating the support piece 41 against the elastic force. Therefore, when pressing the workpiece W towards the opposing surface 25 in order to adsorb the workpiece W onto the first suction pad 26, the lever member 43 is pressed towards the opposing surface 25, rotating the support piece 41 inward and bringing the inner side surface 41a of the support piece 41 into contact with the side of the workpiece W.

[0046] Furthermore, since the support piece 41 is equipped with a coil spring 42 that applies an elastic force to rotate it in a direction away from the side of the workpiece W, when the lever member 43 is not pressed by the workpiece W, the support piece 41 can be rotated outward, causing the support piece 41 to be separated from the side of the workpiece W. Therefore, without using an actuator such as a motor, a simple mechanism can be used to quickly bring the support piece 41 into contact with the side of the workpiece W when gripping the workpiece W, and to quickly separate the support piece 41 from the side of the workpiece W when releasing the workpiece W.

[0047] The support piece 41 is equipped with a second suction pad 44 that adheres to the side of the workpiece W. By adhering to the side of the workpiece W with the second suction pad 44, the side of the workpiece W can be gripped more stably, and the oscillation of the workpiece W during horizontal movement can be further suppressed. Therefore, the workpiece W can be moved at a higher speed. Furthermore, if the second suction pad 44 is operated simultaneously with the first suction pad 26, there is no need to provide extra operating time for gripping the side of the workpiece W.

[0048] The support piece 41 is positioned on only one side, centered on the workpiece W (or opposing surface 25). In other words, the support piece 41 is provided on only one side in the short direction. Therefore, when used as a chuck 20 of the palletizing device 10, the workpieces W can be arranged without gaps as shown in Figure 3. That is, the support piece 41 can be moved so that it does not position itself between the workpieces W, and no gaps are formed between the workpieces W aligned on the pallet P by the support piece 41.

[0049] Furthermore, because the support piece 41 is provided on only one side in the short direction, the oscillation of the workpiece W during horizontal movement can be reliably suppressed, as it is equipped with a second suction pad 44 that adheres to the side of the workpiece W.

[0050] (Second Embodiment) The configuration of the first embodiment described above may be modified as shown in the second embodiment below. In the second embodiment, the differences from the configurations described in each of the above embodiments will be mainly explained. In the second embodiment, the basic configuration of the palletizing device 10 will be described using the one from the first embodiment as an example.

[0051] As shown in Figure 7, in the chuck 20 of the second embodiment, support pieces 41 are attached not only to one side in the short direction of the base 24 but also to one side in the longitudinal direction. Here, the support piece 41 provided on one side in the short direction of the base 24 is referred to as the first support piece 411 as the first support member, and the support piece 41 provided on one side in the longitudinal direction of the base 24 is referred to as the second support piece 412 as the second support member. The first support piece 411 is the same as in the first embodiment, so its description is omitted.

[0052] The second support piece 412, like the first support piece 411, has its base end attached to the longitudinal end of the base 24 via a hinge mechanism 40. The second support piece 412 is positioned on only one side in the longitudinal direction, centered on the opposing surface 25.

[0053] The second support piece 412 is formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape to support the side surface (the longitudinal side surface) of the workpiece W, and is attached to the base 24 such that its tip is downward, that is, so that it hangs down. At that time, the support piece 41 is attached so that the surface of the second support piece 412 faces the side of the opposing surface 25 (that is, the longitudinal side surface of the workpiece W). In other words, when the tip of the second support piece 412 is positioned downward so that it is aligned with the Z-axis direction, the support piece 41 is positioned so that the vertical direction of the side surface of the second support piece 412 is aligned with the longitudinal direction.

[0054] The second support piece 412 is configured to rotate around the hinge mechanism 40 relative to the opposing surface 25. This rotation direction is along the longitudinal direction of the opposing surface 25. Therefore, the first support piece 411 and the second support piece 412 are positioned on the opposing surface 25 such that the first direction in which the tip of the first support piece 411 moves inward towards the opposing surface 25 (indicated by arrow Y11 in Figure 7) and the second direction in which the tip of the second support piece 412 moves inward towards the opposing surface 25 (indicated by arrow Y12 in Figure 7) are perpendicular to each other. In other words, the support piece 41 consists of a first support piece 411 that faces the workpiece W in the first direction, and a second support piece 412 that faces the workpiece W in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0055] Note that the other components of the second support piece 412 and the first support piece 411 are the same, so their explanation will be omitted. Also, the operation of the chuck 20 is almost the same as in the first embodiment.

[0056] According to the configuration of the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0057] The chuck 20 comprises a first support piece 411 and a second support piece 412, and the first support piece 411 and the second support piece 412 are positioned on the opposing surface 25 such that the first direction in which the tip of the first support piece 411 moves inward and the second direction in which the tip of the second support piece 412 moves inward are perpendicular to each other. In other words, the support piece 41 has a first support piece 411 that faces the workpiece W in the first direction and a second support piece 412 that faces the workpiece W in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. As a result, it is possible to support two perpendicular sides of the workpiece W, and compared to supporting only one side, the oscillation of the workpiece W during horizontal movement can be suppressed more effectively. In addition, because it supports two perpendicular sides of the workpiece W, the effort required to rotate the workpiece W can be reduced.

[0058] The first support piece 411 is positioned on only one side in the first direction (short direction), and the second support piece 412 is positioned on only one side in the second direction (long direction). Therefore, as in the first embodiment, when used as a chuck 20 of a palletizing device 10, the workpieces W can be arranged without gaps as shown in Figure 3. In other words, the support pieces 41 can be moved so that they do not position themselves between the workpieces W, and no gaps are formed between the workpieces W aligned on the pallet P by the support pieces 41.

[0059] (modified version) In the above embodiment, the allowable angle α of the angle α of the inner surface 41a of the support piece 41 (including the first support piece 411 and the second support piece 412; the same applies hereinafter) with respect to the Z-axis direction may be changed arbitrarily. Similarly, the angle β between the lever member 43 and the inner surface 41a of the support piece 41 is not limited to 90 degrees and may be changed arbitrarily. However, the allowable angle α of the angle α of the inner surface 41a with respect to the Z-axis direction must be set such that the angle from the opposing surface 25 to the inner surface 41a of the support piece 41 is greater than the angle β between the lever member 43 and the inner surface 41a of the support piece 41.

[0060] In the above embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the second suction pad 44 on the support piece 41. In this case, when moving the chuck 20 horizontally with the workpiece W, it is desirable to rotate the chuck 20 in advance so that the support piece 41 is positioned behind or in front of the workpiece W in the direction of travel. Also, if the second suction pad 44 is not provided on the support piece 41, the support pieces 41 may be positioned at both ends in the short direction (or long direction) to support the sides of the workpiece W on both sides in the direction of travel.

[0061] In the above embodiment, when the support piece 41 is provided with the second suction pad 44, the side surface of the workpiece W can be suctioned and gripped, so when moving the chuck 20 horizontally with the workpiece W, it is not necessary to rotate the chuck 20 so that the support piece 41 is positioned behind or in front of the workpiece W in the direction of travel.

[0062] In the above embodiment, a protrusion may be provided on the inner side surface 41a of the support piece 41 instead of the second suction pad 44. Alternatively, a cushioning material such as rubber, a spring, or a sponge may be provided.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the support piece 41 does not need to be configured as a flat plate; for example, it may be formed in a claw shape and supported on its side by multiple claws.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the support piece 41 is provided on only one side in the short direction, but it may also be provided on both sides. Furthermore, the support piece 41 may be provided on only one side in the long direction, or on both sides in the long direction.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the configuration of the suction pads 26 and 44 may be arbitrarily changed. For example, suction pads 26 and 44 that utilize sponge material may be used in the contact portion with the workpiece W.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the shape of the workpiece W may be arbitrarily changed as long as there is a surface (suction surface) that faces the opposing surface 25 of the base 24. For example, the side surface of the workpiece W may have an uneven shape. Also, for example, the upper surface of the workpiece W may be closed by a lid member, and the lid member may protrude from the side surface of the workpiece W in a flange shape. In this case, it is necessary to adjust the protrusion dimension of the second suction pad 44 or the convex portion (contact portion) from the support piece 41 so that the second suction pad 44 or the convex portion can contact the side surface of the workpiece W.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the hinge mechanism 40 and the lever member 43 constitute a conversion mechanism that converts and transmits the direction of the force input to the lever member 43. In this case, the lever member 43 functions as an input part. The support piece 41 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the base 24, and the lever member 43 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the base 24. As described above, in the chuck 20 of the first or second embodiment, when the lever member 43 is pressed by the workpiece W, the direction of the force applied to the lever member 43 is converted, and the support piece 41 rotates toward the side of the workpiece W against the elastic force of the coil spring 42.

[0068] (Third embodiment) The configuration of the first embodiment described above may be modified as shown in the third embodiment below. In the third embodiment, the differences from the configurations described in each of the above embodiments will be mainly explained. In the third embodiment, the basic configuration of the palletizing device 10 will be described using the one from the first embodiment as an example.

[0069] As shown in Figure 8, the chuck 120 of the third embodiment has a rectangular plate-shaped base 124 that is attached to the rotating mechanism 23. The base 124 has an opposing surface 125 on its lower part that faces the upper surface of the workpiece W. The base 124 is fixed to the rotating mechanism 23 such that its opposing surface 125 is perpendicular to the Z-axis.

[0070] A pair of elongated first support rods 101 are fixed to both ends of the base 124 in the longitudinal direction. The first support rods 101 are configured to extend along the short direction of the base 124. As shown in Figure 9, the first support rods 101 are inserted into a joint 102, which is a fixing fitting fixed to the opposing surface 125 of the base 124 (i.e., below the base 124 in the Z-axis direction), and are fixed so as to be suspended from the base 124.

[0071] The first support rods 101 protrude from both sides of the base 124 in the shorter direction. Furthermore, each first support rod 101 is fixed such that the amount of protrusion from the base 124 is greater (longer) on one side (right side in Figure 9) than on the other side (left side).

[0072] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, a first suction pad 126 for adsorbing a workpiece W is fixed to the first support rod 101 so as to be suspended from it. In this embodiment, a plurality (four) of first suction pads 126 are provided, and on each first support rod 101, they are arranged on both sides in the short direction of the base 124. The configuration and control method of the first suction pad 126 are the same as those of the first suction pad 26, and are therefore omitted.

[0073] Furthermore, a side support portion 110 is provided on one side of the first support rod 101 (the side with the greater protrusion, the right side in Figure 9) as a support member for supporting the side surface of the workpiece W. This side support portion 110 is mounted so as to be movable along the first support rod 101 in the short-side direction of the base portion 124 (left-right direction in Figure 9).

[0074] The side support section 110 will now be described in detail. The side support section 110 comprises a pair of slide members 111 fixed to the first support rod 101, a connecting member 112 that connects the pair of slide members 111, a pair of second support rods 113 fixed to the connecting member 112, and a second suction pad 144 fixed to the second support rods 113.

[0075] As shown in Figure 8, each slide member 111 is formed in a rectangular tubular shape, and the first support rod 101 is inserted through the through hole of each slide member 111. Each slide member 111 is configured to be movable along the first support rod 101.

[0076] The connecting member 112 is formed in the shape of a long plate and is fixed to the lower surface of each slide member 111 in the Z-axis direction. In this way, the connecting member 112 connects the pair of slide members 111.

[0077] As shown in Figure 11, the second support rod 113 is formed in the shape of a rod extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and its upper end is fixed to the connecting member 112. In other words, the second support rod 113 is fixed so as to be suspended from the lower side of the connecting member 112.

[0078] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the second support rod 113 is arranged symmetrically around the midpoint of the pair of first support rods 101, avoiding the midpoint of the pair. Note that, as shown in Figure 8, etc., a reinforcing member 114 may be provided below the second support rod 113 to connect and reinforce the lower ends of the pair of second support rods 113.

[0079] A second suction pad 144 is fixed to each second support rod 113 at two locations, above and below, so that they are aligned vertically. The second suction pad 144 is fixed so that it faces the side of the first suction pad 126 in the direction in which the first support rod 101 extends (the short side direction of the base 124), that is, it faces the side of the workpiece W. The configuration and control method of the second suction pad 144 are the same as those of the second suction pad 44.

[0080] Furthermore, the chuck 120 includes a conversion mechanism 150, which is a mechanism for positioning the side support portion 110 on the side of the workpiece W when the workpiece W is picked up by the first suction pad 126. The conversion mechanism 150 changes the direction of the force that pushes the workpiece W upward when the input lever 151, which acts as an input portion, is pressed upward by the workpiece W, thereby moving the side support portion 110 to the side of the workpiece W. The conversion mechanism 150 will be described below.

[0081] As shown in Figures 8 to 11, the conversion mechanism 150 comprises an input lever 151, a connecting belt 152 as a belt section, an idler 153 as a gear device, and a spring member 154 as an elastic body.

[0082] As shown in Figures 8 and 11, the input lever 151 is formed to extend in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). Specifically, the input lever 151 has a pair of rods 151a, a lower end portion 151b that connects the lower ends of the pair of rods 151a and contacts the workpiece W, and an upper end portion 151c that connects the upper ends of the pair of rods 151a and to which one end of the connecting belt 152 is fixed.

[0083] The input lever 151 is fixed to the base 124 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the input lever 151 is inserted through a through hole provided in a plate member connecting a pair of first support rods 101 and supported thereby. The input lever 151 is fixed to the base 124 such that its lower end portion 151b is positioned within a predetermined range centered on the first suction pad 126 in the horizontal direction. The predetermined range centered on the first suction pad 126 in the horizontal direction means the range of the upper surface of the workpiece W to be gripped. In other words, when the workpiece W is picked up by the first suction pad 126, it is desirable that the lower end portion 151b of the input lever 151 is positioned within the range of the upper surface of the workpiece W.

[0084] Furthermore, assuming that the workpiece W is a cardboard box or the like, it is desirable for the contact surface on the workpiece W to be as close as possible to the outer edge of the workpiece W in terms of strength. However, if it is too close to the outer edge of the workpiece W, the lower end portion 151b may not contact the workpiece W, so it is preferable to leave a certain margin from the outer edge. For this reason, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9 and 11, the pair of first suction pads 126, which are arranged on the side support portion 110 in the short direction of the base portion 124, are positioned at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 124.

[0085] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12(a), when the workpiece W is not gripped by the chuck 120, the input lever 151 is fixed to the base 124 such that the lower end portion 151b of the input lever 151 protrudes below the first suction pad 126 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction).

[0086] The connecting belt 152 is connected at one end to the upper end 151c of the input lever 151 and at the other end to the side support portion 110. The other end of the connecting belt 152 is fixed to the intermediate portion of the pair of sliding members 111 on the upper surface of the connecting member 112 of the side support portion 110. The connecting belt 152 is a toothed belt, with teeth provided on one side (the upper side as shown in Figure 8).

[0087] The idler 153 is interposed between the connecting belts 152 to apply tension to them. The idler 153 is a free gear that changes the direction of the force applied to the connecting belts 152 and is configured to mesh with the teeth of the connecting belts 152. The idler 153 is fixed so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 153a that extends longitudinally from the base 124. Both ends of the rotation axis 153a are fixed to a pair of first support rods 101 by fixing devices 153b.

[0088] Furthermore, a spring member 154 is provided between the fixing device 153b and the slide member 111, acting as an elastic body to apply elastic force along the first support rod 101. Since the fixing device 153b is fixed immovably to the first support rod 101, this spring member 154 applies elastic force to the slide member 111 in a direction away from the fixing device 153b. In other words, the spring member 154 applies force to the side support portion 110 in a direction away from the base portion 124 (to the right in Figure 9).

[0089] Next, the operation of the conversion mechanism 150 when the chuck 120 grips the workpiece W will be explained based on Figure 12. Figure 12(a) is a front view of the chuck 120 before the workpiece W is gripped. Figure 12(b) is a front view of the chuck 120 when the workpiece W is gripped. In Figure 12, the movement of the input lever 151 and the side support portion 110 is exaggerated, but the actual movement may be less than that shown in Figure 12.

[0090] As shown in Figure 12(a), before the workpiece W is gripped by the chuck 120, the lower end 151b of the input lever 151 protrudes below the first suction pad 126 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction).

[0091] First, the control device 100 moves the chuck 120 using the transport mechanism 30 so that the workpiece W is positioned below the base 124, that is, so that the upper surface of the workpiece W faces the opposing surface 125 of the base 124 in the Z-axis direction. At this time, it is desirable for the control device 100 to rotate the chuck 120 so that the longitudinal direction of the workpiece W is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the base 24.

[0092] Subsequently, when the workpiece W is positioned below the base 124, the control device 100 lowers the chuck 120 in the Z-axis direction. As the chuck 120 is lowered, the lower end 151b of the input lever 151 protrudes below the first suction pad 126, so the input lever 151 is pressed towards the base 124 (i.e., upward).

[0093] As shown in Figure 12(b), when the input lever 151 is pressed against the base 124, one end of the connecting belt 152 is pulled upward by the input lever 151. When one end of the connecting belt 152 is pulled upward by the input lever 151, the conversion mechanism 150 pulls the other end of the connecting belt 152 horizontally via the idler 153, causing the side support portion 110 connected to that other end to move horizontally. In other words, when the input lever 151 is pressed against the workpiece W, the conversion mechanism 150 changes the direction of the force applied to the input lever 151, causing the side support portion 110 to move against the elastic force of the spring member 154. As a result, the side support portion 110 moves to the side of the workpiece W and faces the side of the workpiece W.

[0094] In this state, the control device 100 uses the first suction pad 126 to attract the upper surface of the workpiece W and the second suction pad 144 to attract the side surface of the workpiece W, thereby gripping the upper surface and side surface of the workpiece W. After gripping, the control device 100 moves the workpiece W to the desired position.

[0095] When moving the workpiece W together with the chuck 120, it is desirable that the control device 100 move only in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) of the opposing surface 125, or in the short-side direction of the base 124. In other words, when moving horizontally, it is desirable that the side support portion 110 be positioned either at the front or rear in the direction of movement. Furthermore, when the control device 100 moves the workpiece W together with the chuck 120 in the horizontal direction, it is preferable that the chuck 120 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 23 so that the side support portion 110 is positioned at the rear in the direction of travel, and then the workpiece W is moved horizontally. As a result, the side support portion 110 is positioned behind the workpiece W in the direction of travel.

[0096] Then, when the workpiece W has been moved to the desired position, the control device 100 operates the chuck 120 to release the grip on the workpiece W. To release the grip on the workpiece W, the reverse operation is performed. That is, the control device 100 releases the suction of the first suction pad 126 and the second suction pad 144, thereby releasing the top and sides of the workpiece W.

[0097] Next, the control device 100 moves the chuck 120 upward. When the chuck 120 is moved upward, the elastic force of the spring member 154 causes the side support portion 110 to move away from the base portion 124 (to the right in Figure 12(b)), and the input lever 151 moves downward. As a result, the opposing surface 125 of the base portion 124 separates from the upper surface of the workpiece W, and the side support portion 110 separates from the side of the workpiece W, returning to the initial state shown in Figure 12(a).

[0098] According to the third embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

[0099] By providing the chuck 120 with a side support portion 110 that supports the side of the workpiece W, the palletizing device 10 to which the chuck 120 is attached can suppress the oscillation of the workpiece W when the chuck 120 is moved horizontally while the workpiece W is being held by the first suction pad 126. As a result, the workpiece W can be held stably and moved at high speed.

[0100] Furthermore, when the workpiece W is attached to the first suction pad 126, the conversion mechanism 150 changes the direction of the upward force applied to the input lever 151 by the workpiece W, thereby moving the side support portion 110 to the side of the workpiece W. Therefore, when the workpiece W is pressed towards the base portion 124 in order to attach it to the first suction pad 126, the input lever 151 is pressed towards the base portion 124, and the conversion mechanism 150 moves the side support portion 110 to the side of the workpiece W. In this way, it becomes unnecessary to provide a drive source such as a motor to move the side support portion 110 to the side of the workpiece W, making it possible to simplify the chuck 120 structure and reduce its weight. In addition, since the top surface of the workpiece W is brought closer to the first suction pad 126 and the side support portion 110 is brought closer to the side of the workpiece W by the conversion mechanism 150, the time required to fix the workpiece W can be shortened.

[0101] Furthermore, the side support portion 110 is equipped with a spring member 154 that applies an elastic force to rotate it in a direction away from the side of the workpiece W. Therefore, when the input lever 151 is not pressed against the upper surface of the workpiece W, the elastic force of the spring member 154 can move the side support portion 110 away from the side of the workpiece W. In other words, when the chuck 120 is moved upward after the suction of the first suction pad 126 is released to move the workpiece W away from the base 124, the elastic force of the spring member 154 moves the side support portion 110 away from the base 124, and the lower end portion 151b of the input lever 151 can be moved to a position below the first suction pad 126. Thus, without using an actuator such as a motor, the side support portion 110 can be quickly separated from the side of the workpiece W when the workpiece W is released using a simple mechanism.

[0102] The side support portion 110 is equipped with a second suction pad 144 that adheres to the side of the workpiece W. Therefore, by adhering to the side of the workpiece W with the second suction pad 144, the side of the workpiece W can be gripped more stably, and the oscillation of the workpiece W during horizontal movement can be further suppressed.

[0103] The side support portion 110 is positioned on only one side, centered on the workpiece W (or base portion 124). Therefore, as in the first embodiment, when used as a chuck 120 of the palletizing device 10, the workpieces W can be arranged without gaps as shown in Figure 3.

[0104] (Modified version of the third embodiment) In the third embodiment described above, it is not necessary to provide the second suction pad 144 on the side support portion 110. In this case, when moving the chuck 120 horizontally with the workpiece W, it is desirable to rotate the chuck 120 in advance so that the side support portion 110 is positioned behind or in front of the workpiece W in the direction of travel. Also, if the second suction pad 144 is not provided on the side support portion 110, the side support portions 110 may be positioned at both ends in the short direction (or long direction) to support the sides of the workpiece W on both sides in the direction of travel.

[0105] In the third embodiment described above, when the second suction pad 144 is provided on the side support portion 110, the side of the workpiece W can be suctioned and gripped, so when moving the chuck 120 horizontally with the workpiece W, it is not necessary to rotate the chuck 120 so that the side support portion 110 is positioned behind or in front of the workpiece W in the direction of travel.

[0106] In the third embodiment described above, the side support portion 110 may be provided with a protrusion that extends from the side support portion 110 instead of the second suction pad 144. Alternatively, a cushioning material such as rubber, a spring, or a sponge may be provided.

[0107] In the third embodiment described above, the side support portion 110 is provided on only one side in the short direction of the base portion 124, but it may also be provided on both sides. Alternatively, the side support portion 110 may be provided on only one side in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 124, or it may be provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction.

[0108] In the third embodiment described above, the configuration of the suction pads 126 and 144 may be changed as desired. For example, suction pads 126 and 144 that utilize sponge material in the contact portion with the workpiece W may be used.

[0109] In the third embodiment described above, the conversion mechanism 150 included a connecting belt 152 and an idler 153, but its configuration may be arbitrarily changed as long as it can convert the direction of force. For example, the connecting belt 152 does not have to be a toothed belt. Also, the idler 153 may be changed to, for example, a fixed pulley.

[0110] In the third embodiment described above, the shape of the workpiece W may be arbitrarily changed as long as there is a surface (adsorption surface) that faces the opposing surface 125 of the base 124. For example, the side surface of the workpiece W may have an uneven shape. Also, for example, the upper surface of the workpiece W may be closed by a lid member, and the lid member may protrude from the side surface of the workpiece W in a flange-like manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 10...Palletizing device, 20,120...Chuck, 24,124...Base, 25,125...Opposite surfaces, 26,126...First suction pad, 30...Conveying mechanism, 40...Hinge mechanism, 41...Support piece, 42...Coil spring, 43...Lever member, 44,144...Second suction pad, 50...Column section, 60...Arm section, 100...Control device, 110...Side support section, 150...Conversion mechanism, 151...Input lever, 152...Connecting belt, 153...Idler, 154...Spring member, 411...First support piece, 412...Second support piece, P...Pallet, W...Workpiece.

Claims

1. In a chuck device that grips and holds a workpiece by suction, The base facing the workpiece, A suction pad is disposed on the base and adheres closely to the upper surface of the workpiece, and adsorbs the upper surface. A support member that supports the side surface of the workpiece, It comprises a conversion mechanism that converts and transmits the direction of the force input to the input section, The support member is configured to be movable horizontally relative to the base, The input section of the conversion mechanism is formed in the shape of a rod extending in the vertical direction and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the base. The input section of the conversion mechanism is located horizontally on the outer edge of the workpiece, closer to the suction pad, and within a predetermined range centered on the suction pad, and the lower end of the input section is located below the suction pad. The conversion mechanism, when the workpiece is attached to the suction pad, converts the direction of the force applied to the input section by pressing the input section upward against the upper surface of the workpiece, thereby moving the support member to the side of the workpiece. The conversion mechanism comprises a belt portion, one end of which is connected to the input portion and the other end of which is connected to the support member, and a gear device that changes the direction of the force applied to the belt portion. The conversion mechanism is a chuck device that, when one end of the belt portion is pulled upward by the input unit, pulls the other end of the belt portion horizontally via the gear mechanism, thereby moving the support member connected to the other end horizontally and moving the support member to the side of the workpiece.

2. The chuck device according to claim 1, further comprising a side-suction pad for adsorbing the side surface of the workpiece on the support member.

3. In a chuck device that grips and holds a workpiece by suction, The base facing the workpiece, A suction pad is placed on the base and adsorbs onto the upper surface of the workpiece, A support member that supports the side surface of the workpiece, It comprises a conversion mechanism that converts and transmits the direction of the force input to the input section, The support member is configured to be movable or rotatable relative to the base, The input section of the conversion mechanism is configured to be movable or rotatable with respect to the base, The conversion mechanism converts the direction of the force applied to the input section by pressing the input section against the upper surface of the workpiece, thereby moving or rotating the support member toward the side of the workpiece. The input unit is positioned on the outer edge side of the workpiece, closer to the workpiece than the suction pad that adheres to and holds the upper surface of the workpiece. A chuck device comprising a support member and a side-suction pad for adsorbing the side surface of the workpiece.

4. The conversion mechanism includes an elastic body that applies an elastic force in a direction that separates the support member from the side surface of the workpiece, which is in a state of adsorption to the adsorption pad. The chuck device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conversion mechanism converts the direction of the force applied to the input when the input is pressed by the workpiece, thereby moving or rotating the support member toward the side of the workpiece against the elastic force of the elastic body.

5. In a chuck device that grips and holds a workpiece by suction, The base facing the workpiece, A suction pad is positioned on the base and adheres to the upper surface of the workpiece, and the suction pad adheres to the upper surface of the workpiece. The workpiece comprises a support member that supports the side surface of the workpiece, The support member is attached to the outer edge of the base via a hinge mechanism and is configured to be rotatable about the hinge mechanism relative to the base. An elastic body that applies an elastic force to the support member in a direction that causes it to rotate away from the side surface of the workpiece, The support member comprises a lever member having an input portion that protrudes from the support member toward the workpiece and is capable of contacting the upper surface of the workpiece, wherein the input portion is pressed toward the base portion, thereby rotating the support member toward the side of the workpiece against the elastic force, The input unit is positioned on the outer edge side of the workpiece, closer to the workpiece than the suction pad that adheres to and holds the upper surface of the workpiece. A chuck device comprising a support member and a side-suction pad for adsorbing the side surface of the workpiece.

6. The lever member protrudes from the base end of the support member toward the workpiece and is fixed to the support member at a predetermined angle. The chuck device according to claim 5, wherein the elastic body is disposed between the base and the lever member, and applies an elastic force to the lever member in a direction away from the base.

7. The chuck device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the support member is arranged on only one side with respect to the workpiece.

8. The chuck device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the support member comprises a first support member facing the workpiece in a first direction and a second support member facing the workpiece in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

9. In a conveying device to which a chuck device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is attached, A moving part for moving the chuck device in the horizontal and vertical directions, The chuck device comprises a rotating part for rotating the chuck device, Before the moving part horizontally moves the chuck device that is gripping the workpiece, the rotating part rotates the chuck device so that the support member is positioned rearward in the direction of travel of the chuck device.

10. A conveying device to which a chuck device for adsorbing and gripping a workpiece is attached, The chuck device is The base facing the workpiece, A suction pad is placed on the base and adsorbs onto the upper surface of the workpiece, A support member that supports the side surface of the workpiece, It comprises a conversion mechanism that converts and transmits the direction of the force input to the input section, The support member is configured to be movable or rotatable relative to the base, The input section of the conversion mechanism is configured to be movable or rotatable with respect to the base, The conversion mechanism converts the direction of the force applied to the input section by pressing the input section against the upper surface of the workpiece, thereby moving or rotating the support member toward the side of the workpiece. The input unit is positioned on the outer edge side of the workpiece, closer to the workpiece than the suction pad that adheres to and holds the upper surface of the workpiece. The aforementioned transport device is A moving part for moving the chuck device in the horizontal and vertical directions, The chuck device comprises a rotating part for rotating the chuck device, Before the moving part horizontally moves the chuck device that is gripping the workpiece, the rotating part rotates the chuck device so that the support member is positioned rearward in the direction of travel of the chuck device.

11. A conveying device to which a chuck device for adsorbing and gripping a workpiece is attached, The chuck device is The base facing the workpiece, A suction pad is positioned on the base and adheres to the upper surface of the workpiece, and the suction pad adheres to the upper surface of the workpiece. The workpiece comprises a support member that supports the side surface of the workpiece, The support member is attached to the outer edge of the base via a hinge mechanism and is configured to be rotatable about the hinge mechanism relative to the base. An elastic body that applies an elastic force to the support member in a direction that causes it to rotate away from the side surface of the workpiece, The support member comprises a lever member having an input portion that protrudes from the support member toward the workpiece and is capable of contacting the upper surface of the workpiece, wherein the input portion is pressed toward the base portion, thereby rotating the support member toward the side of the workpiece against the elastic force, The input unit is positioned on the outer edge side of the workpiece, closer to the workpiece than the suction pad that adheres to and holds the upper surface of the workpiece. The aforementioned transport device is A moving part for moving the chuck device in the horizontal and vertical directions, The chuck device comprises a rotating part for rotating the chuck device, Before the moving part horizontally moves the chuck device that is gripping the workpiece, the rotating part rotates the chuck device so that the support member is positioned rearward in the direction of travel of the chuck device.

Images