Parts supply device

Abstract

To provide a parts supply device which can easily supply even specially shaped parts and is small with a small installation area.SOLUTION: A parts supply device 1 includes a parts storage part 2 that stores multiple parts, a drum 3 which is rotatably arranged around a horizontal axis and which attracts parts 12 from the parts storage section 2 and holds them on the upper surface of the outer periphery and conveys them using a magnet 19 provided therein, a conveyor 4 that is disposed downstream of the drum 3 and conveys parts 12 falling from the drum 3, a parts take-out part 8 that takes out parts 12 on the conveyor 4, a parts detection part 9 that detects components on the conveyor 4, and a parts photographing part 10 that photographs parts 12 on the conveyor 4. If the parts 12 photographed by the parts photographing part 10 are parts that can be taken out by the parts take-out part 8, the parts 12 that is ready to be taken out is taken out from the conveyor 4, and if the parts photographed by the parts photographing part 10 is not in a state that can be taken out by the parts take-out part 8, the parts are conveyed on.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a component supply device that takes out components from a component storage section for storing a plurality of components and supplies them to the next process such as processing or assembly.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a component supply device including a bucket for storing a plurality of components and a drum for taking out components from the bucket by a predetermined number. Components are taken out one by one from the bucket by inserting the components into recesses formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum or by magnetically attracting the components with magnets built in the drum, and supplied onto a disk of a component alignment device.

[0003] In the component supply device of Patent Document 1, components are held by the recesses or magnets of the drum. When a plurality of components are held, the drum is rotated forward and backward to return them to the bucket. Therefore, components with a special shape that are bent at 90° and have a large portion at the tip are held by the recesses or magnets of the drum with a plurality of components entangled, making it difficult to supply the components.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes an article supply device including three upstream conveyors from the first to the third for conveying articles, a downstream conveyor having a different conveying direction and a step from the upstream conveyor and for conveying articles that fall from the upstream conveyor, and a return conveyor. The state of an article on the upstream conveyor is detected. When the state of the article is a predetermined state, the article is taken out from the upstream conveyor. When the state of the article is not the predetermined state, the article is supplied to the downstream conveyor.

[0005] In the article supply device described in Patent Document 2, the three upstream and downstream conveyors are arranged so that they convey in different directions, and articles are taken out from both the upstream and downstream conveyors, resulting in a large installation area. Furthermore, specially shaped parts, as mentioned above, are prone to becoming entangled with other articles, which may lead to them being refused for retrieval and circulating indefinitely. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-48713 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6703230 specification [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the aforementioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a parts supply device that can easily supply parts with special shapes, has a small footprint, and is compact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The component supply device of the present invention, which is a means for solving the above problem, A component housing section that accommodates multiple components, A drum is rotatably positioned around a horizontal axis and, using magnets installed inside, attracts parts from the parts storage section and holds them on the upper surface of its outer circumference for transport. A conveyor is positioned downstream of the drum and transports parts falling from the drum, A parts removal unit for removing parts from the conveyor, A component detection unit for detecting components on the conveyor, The system includes a parts imaging unit for photographing parts on the conveyor, If the part photographed by the part photography unit is a part that can be removed by the part removal unit, the part that can be removed is removed from the conveyor. The system is configured to transport parts if the parts photographed by the parts imaging unit are not in a state where they can be removed by the parts removal unit.

[0009] (2) In the parts supply device described in (1) above, When the component detection unit detects a component on the conveyor, it is configured to stop the drum and the conveyor in sync.

[0010] (3) In the parts supply device described in (1) or (2) above, A recovery conveyor is provided downstream of the conveyor, which receives parts falling from the conveyor via a first chute, transports them to the upstream side of the drum, and collects them in the parts storage section via a second chute.

[0011] (4) In the parts supply device described in any of (1) to (3) above, The magnet consists of a plurality of magnets arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the drum, and the plurality of magnets are arranged offset in the axial direction of the drum.

[0012] (5) In the parts supply device described in (4) above, A switching device is provided to switch between the aforementioned plurality of magnets, each with a different attractive force.

[0013] (6) In the parts supply device described in (5) above, The switching device is configured to move the magnet between an operating position close to the outer surface of the drum and a non-operating position retracted from the outer surface of the drum. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, parts are adsorbed by a magnet, held on the upper surface of the outer periphery of the drum and conveyed, and then dropped onto the conveyor. Therefore, even if a plurality of parts are entangled on the drum, they can be separated and conveyed on the conveyor, and parts with special shapes can also be easily supplied. Further, since it includes a drum that adsorbs parts by a magnet, holds them on the upper surface of the outer periphery and conveys them, and a conveyor that is arranged on the downstream side of the drum and conveys the parts that drop from the drum, the number of conveyors is small, and it has the effect of being small in installation area and compact.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] Plan view of a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Front view of the parts supply device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the drum. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view taken along a plane including the rotation axis of the drum. [Figure 5] Enlarged cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of the cylinder and magnet arranged inside the drum. [Figure 6] Diagram showing the arrangement and adsorption force of the magnets on the outer peripheral surface of the drum. [Figure 7] Perspective view showing the shape of the parts. [Figure 8] Diagram showing the normal state of the parts on the parts alignment conveyor. [Figure 9] Diagram showing the abnormal state of the parts on the parts alignment conveyor.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figures 1 and 2 show a parts supply device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The parts supply device 1 is a device that supplies parts (hose fittings) to the process of assembling hydraulic piping for automobile brakes, and comprises a parts storage section 2, a drum 3, a parts alignment conveyor 4, a first chute 5, a parts recovery conveyor 6, a second chute 7, a parts removal device 8, a parts detection device 9, a parts imaging device 10, and a control unit 11.

[0018] The parts storage section 2 is composed of a container that houses a large number of parts 12. The parts storage section 2 has an open top surface 2a and a side surface 2b facing the drum 3, and its bottom surface 2c slopes downward toward the drum 3. The parts storage section 2 houses parts 12, which are metal fittings connected to hoses. As shown in Figure 7, these parts 12 have a special shape in which a socket portion 12b is located at one end of a tubular portion 12a bent at approximately 90°, and a ring portion 12c is located at the other end, with a pin portion 12d protruding from the ring portion 12c.

[0019] The drum 3 is used to pick up parts 12 from the parts storage section 2, hold them on the upper surface of its outer circumference, and transport them. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the drum 3 comprises a horizontally positioned rotating shaft 13, two circular end plates 14 fixed to the rotating shaft 13, a plurality of support plates 15 (24 in this embodiment) radially attached to the outer circumference of each of the two end plates 14, and a rectangular outer plate 16 whose ends are attached between two axially opposing support plates 15. The outer plate 16 is aligned in the circumferential direction and is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on the rotating shaft 13. Multiple recesses (8 in this embodiment) 16a are formed at regular intervals on the inner surface of the outer plate 16 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 13.

[0020] As shown in Figure 5, an L-shaped arm 17 extending axially from a support plate 15 is provided inside the drum 3, and a cylinder 18 is attached to this arm 17 as a device for switching the attractive force. The cylinder 18 has a pneumatically operated piston 18a and a rod 18b, with a magnet 19 attached to the tip of the rod 18b. The magnet 19 is located in a recess 16a on the inner surface of the outer plate 16 of the drum 3. When air pressure is supplied to the cylinder 18 and it is turned on, as shown by the solid line in Figure 5, the piston 18a and rod 18b move forward, and the magnet 19 is pressed against the back of the recess 16a and moves to the operating position, and the attractive force of the magnet 19 acts on the outside of the outer plate 16 of the drum 3, making it possible to attract the part 12. Furthermore, when the supply of air pressure to the cylinder 18 is cut off and turned off, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, the piston 18a and rod 18b retract due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown), and the magnet 19 moves to a non-operating position where it is retracted from the recess 16a. As a result, the attractive force of the magnet 19 no longer acts on the outside of the outer plate 16 of the drum 3, making it impossible to attract the part 12.

[0021] The magnets 19 have three types of attractive force: "strong," "medium," and "weak." One magnet 19 with one of these attractive forces is placed on each outer plate 16 of the drum 3. Each magnet 19 is offset in the axial direction of the drum 3, and magnets 19 with the same attractive force are placed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the drum 3. Figure 6 is an unfolded view of the outer circumference of the drum 3, showing an example in which magnets are placed in 8 sections A to H in the axial direction and 24 sections 1 to 24 in the circumferential direction. The "strong" magnets 19 are placed at 45° intervals in the circumferential direction of the drum 3, offset in the axial direction so that they are not located on the same circumferential surface. The "medium" and "weak" magnets 19 are placed in a similar manner.

[0022] As shown in Figure 4, each cylinder 18 is connected to three air passages 21, designated "strong," "medium," and "weak," formed on the rotating shaft 13 via pneumatic piping 20. The three air passages 21 on the rotating shaft 13 communicate with a pneumatic manifold 22 that is fitted around the rotating shaft 13 in a sealed state, and each port of the pneumatic manifold 22 is connected to a pneumatic supply device 23. The pneumatic supply device 23 supplies air pressure to each cylinder 18 to turn the cylinder 18 on or off.

[0023] The parts alignment conveyor 4 is a belt conveyor that transports parts 12 falling from the drum 3. The parts alignment conveyor 4 is positioned horizontally downstream of the drum 3 and below the drum 3's rotation axis 13. The transport direction X1 of the parts alignment conveyor 4 is the same as the transport direction X1 as viewed from the plane of the drum 3. Between the upstream end of the ascending belt of the parts alignment conveyor 4 and the outer surface of the drum 3, a scraping plate 24 is provided to scrape off parts 12 that have been attracted to the drum 3.

[0024] The first chute 5 is an inclined plate that supplies parts 12 falling from the downstream end of the ascending belt of the parts alignment conveyor 4 to the parts recovery conveyor 6. The upstream side of the first chute 5 is located downstream of the parts alignment conveyor 4 and below the downstream end of the ascending belt of the parts alignment conveyor 4, while the downstream side of the first chute 5 is located above the upstream side of the ascending belt of the parts recovery conveyor 6. The transport direction Y1 of the first chute 5, as viewed from the plane, is perpendicular to the transport direction X1 of the parts alignment conveyor 4.

[0025] The parts recovery conveyor 6 is a belt conveyor that receives parts 12 falling from the parts alignment conveyor 4 via the first chute 5 and transports them to the upstream side of the drum 3. The parts recovery conveyor 6 is inclined such that the upstream side of the upward belt is located below the downstream side of the first chute 5, and the downstream side of the upward belt is located above the parts storage section 2. The transport direction X2 of the parts recovery conveyor 6, as viewed from the plane, is opposite to the transport direction X1 of the parts alignment conveyor 4. Cleats 6a that hold the parts 12 at regular intervals are provided on the upper surface of the upward belt of the parts recovery conveyor 6.

[0026] The second chute 7 is an inclined plate that supplies parts 12 falling from the downstream end of the ascending belt of the parts recovery conveyor 6 to the parts storage section 2. The upstream side of the second chute 7 is located downstream of the parts recovery conveyor 6, below the downstream end of the ascending belt of the parts recovery conveyor 6, and the downstream side of the second chute 7 is located above the parts storage section 2. The transport direction Y2 as viewed from the plane of the second chute 7 is perpendicular to the transport direction X2 as viewed from the plane of the parts recovery conveyor 6.

[0027] The parts picking device 8 is a robotic hand that picks up parts 12 from the parts alignment conveyor 4. The parts picking device 8 is positioned to the side of the parts alignment conveyor 4 and is capable of grasping and picking up a predetermined portion of the parts 12 on the parts alignment conveyor 4 and supplying it to a predetermined part in the next process.

[0028] The part detection device 9 is a sensor that detects parts 12 on the part alignment conveyor 4. The part detection device 9 consists of a light-emitting unit 9a located on one side of the part alignment conveyor 4 and a light-receiving unit 9b located on the other side of the part alignment conveyor 4. The part detection device 9 detects a part 12 when the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 9a is blocked by the part 12 being transported on the part alignment conveyor 4, and the light-receiving unit 9b does not detect the light.

[0029] The parts imaging device 10 is a camera, such as a CCD camera, that photographs the parts 12 on the parts alignment conveyor 4. The parts imaging device 10 is positioned above the parts alignment conveyor 4 and is capable of photographing the part detection position by the parts detection device 9 and its surroundings.

[0030] The control unit 11 is a computer that controls the drum 3, the parts alignment conveyor 4, the parts retrieval conveyor 6, and the parts extraction unit 8 based on parts detection signals from the parts detection device 9 and image signals from the parts imaging device 10.

[0031] Next, the operation of the component supply device 1 by the control unit 11 will be described.

[0032] The component storage section 2 already contains a large number of components 12. Depending on the weight or shape of the components 12 stored in the component storage section 2, a cylinder 18 corresponding to one of the "strong," "medium," or "weak" magnets 19 capable of attracting the component 12 is turned on, and the magnet 19 is in an operating position close to the outer surface of the drum 3. In this embodiment, in Figure 6, the cylinder 18 of the magnet 19 in the "strong" position is turned on by supplying air pressure, while the cylinders 18 of the magnets 19 in the other "medium" and "weak" positions are turned off without supplying air pressure. One component 12 is attracted to the outer surface of the drum 3 by one magnet 19 in the "strong" position.

[0033] First, the drum 3 and the parts alignment conveyor 4 are driven. The parts 12 stored in the parts storage section 2 are attracted to the outer surface of the drum 3 by the magnets 19 on the drum 3, and are transported along the upper surface of the outer circumferential surface of the drum 3 in the X1 direction in Figure 1 as the drum 3 rotates. Multiple parts 12 may become entangled or overlap when attracted to the magnets 19, but all but one of the parts 12 fall back into the parts storage section 2 before reaching the top of the drum 3. Even if multiple parts 12 are attracted beyond the top of the drum 3, as they descend from the top, all but one of the parts 12 fall onto the parts alignment conveyor 4 or are scraped onto the parts alignment conveyor 4 by the scraping plate 24. Because the magnets 19 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the drum and offset in the axial direction, the parts 12 attracted to and transported on the outer circumferential surface of the drum 3 are transported at equal intervals from each other on the parts alignment conveyor 4 in the X1 direction and in directions perpendicular to X1.

[0034] When a part 12 falls onto the parts alignment conveyor 4, it is transported along the parts alignment conveyor 4 in the direction of arrow X1. When it reaches the area between the light-emitting unit 9a and the light-receiving unit 9b of the parts detection device 9, the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 9a is blocked. As a result, the control unit 11 detects that the part is in a predetermined position on the parts alignment conveyor 4 because the signal from the light-receiving unit 9b is turned off, and synchronizes the driving of the drum 3 and the parts alignment conveyor 4 to stop.

[0035] Next, the control unit 11 instructs the parts imaging device 10 to image the parts 12 on the parts alignment conveyor 4, and acquires an image of the parts 12 from the parts imaging device 10. From the image of the parts 12, the control unit 11 extracts the planar shape of the parts 12, and based on this planar shape of the parts 12, determines whether or not the parts 12 are in a state where they can be grasped and removed by the parts removal device 8 at a predetermined position.

[0036] A state in which a part can be removed by the part removal device 8 is a normal state in which the part 12 is a single item with no other parts 12 around it, as shown in Figure 8. This can be any of the following states: face up as shown in Figure 8(a), face up as upside down as shown in Figure 8(a), or vertical as shown in Figure 8(b) with one end of the ring portion on the belt. A state in which a part cannot be removed by the part removal device 8 is a state in which the parts 12 are close together or in contact with each other, as shown in Figure 9(a), an abnormal state in which the parts 12 are overlapping or entangled as shown in Figure 9(b), or a state in which the part is protruding from the side edge of the conveyor, or is in contact with or close to the conveyor wall. The external shape of a part 12 in a normal state is stored in the control unit 11 as a reference image in advance, and by comparing the captured image with the reference image, it can be determined that the state is normal if the difference is within an acceptable range, and abnormal if it is not.

[0037] If the part 12 photographed by the part imaging device 10 is in a state where it can be picked up by the part pick-up device 8, the control unit 11 drives the part pick-up device 8, grasps the part 12 at a predetermined position, picks it up from the part alignment conveyor 4, and supplies it to the next process area A (not shown). In this area A, the part 12 is used in the processing and assembly processes.

[0038] If the part 12 photographed by the part photographing device 10 is not in a state where it can be picked up by the part picking device 8, the control unit 11 restarts the operation of the drum 3 and the part alignment conveyor 4 in sync without driving the part picking device 8. As a result, the part 12 that was not picked up by the part picking device 8 is transported in the X1 direction, transported in the Y1 direction via the first chute 5, and slides down to the upstream side of the part recovery conveyor 6.

[0039] Parts that slide down onto the parts recovery conveyor 6 are transported along the parts recovery conveyor 6 in the X2 direction, which is opposite to the X1 method of the parts alignment conveyor 4, and are transported from the downstream end via the second chute 7 in the Y2 direction to be recovered in the parts storage section 2.

[0040] The above operations are repeated, and only the parts 12 in the parts storage section 2 that are ready to be removed by the parts removal device 8 are supplied to the next process by the parts removal device 8 on the parts alignment conveyor 4.

[0041] In the parts supply device 1 of the above embodiment, the parts 12 are attracted by the magnet 19, held on the upper surface of the outer circumference of the drum 3, and transported, then dropped onto the parts alignment conveyor 4. Therefore, even if multiple parts 12 are entangled on the drum 3, they can be separated and transported on the parts alignment conveyor 4, and parts with special shapes can be easily supplied.

[0042] Furthermore, since the system includes a drum 3 that attracts parts 12 with magnets 19 and holds them on the upper surface of its outer circumference for transport, and a parts alignment conveyor 4 positioned downstream of the drum 3 that transports the parts 12 falling from the drum 3, the number of conveyors is reduced, the installation area is smaller, and the system can be made more compact.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified and changed within the scope of the gist of the invention as described in the claims.

[0044] For example, in the above embodiment, multiple magnets 19 with different attractive forces are provided in advance, and depending on the shape or weight of the part 12 to be attracted, the cylinder 18 corresponding to the magnet 19 with an attractive force capable of attracting the part 12 is turned on to bring the magnet 19 closer to the outer surface of the drum 3. However, instead of a cylinder, a solenoid can be used to electrically switch the magnet 19 between an operating position and a non-operating position. Alternatively, the magnet 19 may be used as an electromagnet, and the current supplied to the electromagnet may be turned on or off.

[0045] Furthermore, the parts alignment conveyor 4 and the parts retrieval conveyor 6 are not limited to belt conveyors; roller conveyors, chain conveyors, vibrating conveyors, etc., can also be used.

[0046] Furthermore, the transport direction of the parts alignment conveyor 4 does not need to be the same as the transport direction as viewed from the plane of the drum 3; it may be perpendicular to the transport direction as viewed from the plane of the drum 3. Also, by making the transport speed of the parts alignment conveyor 4 changeable, the spacing between parts that fall from the drum 3 onto the parts alignment conveyor and are transported can be changed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1... Parts supply device 2...Component housing 3…Drums 4… Parts alignment conveyor 5…First shot 6... Parts recovery conveyor 7...Second shot 8...Parts extraction device 9... Part detection device 10... Parts imaging device 11…Control Unit 12...parts 18…Cylinder (switching device) 19…Magnets

Claims

1. A component housing section that accommodates multiple components, A drum is rotatably positioned around a horizontal axis and, using magnets installed inside, attracts parts from the parts storage section and holds them on the upper surface of its outer circumference for transport. A conveyor is positioned downstream of the drum and transports parts falling from the drum, A parts removal unit for removing parts from the conveyor, A component detection unit for detecting components on the conveyor, The system includes a parts imaging unit for photographing parts on the conveyor, If the part photographed by the part imaging unit is a part that can be removed by the part removal unit, the part that can be removed is removed from the conveyor. If the part photographed by the part imaging unit is not in a state where it can be removed by the part removal unit, the system is configured to transport the part. A parts supply device characterized by having a recovery conveyor downstream of the conveyor that receives parts falling from the conveyor via a first chute, transports them to the upstream side of the drum, and collects them in the parts storage section via a second chute.

2. The parts supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the parts detection unit detects parts on the conveyor, the drum and the conveyor are configured to stop in sync.

3. A component housing section for housing multiple components, A drum is rotatably positioned around a horizontal axis and, using magnets installed inside, attracts parts from the parts storage section and holds them on the upper surface of its outer circumference for transport. A conveyor is positioned downstream of the drum and transports parts falling from the drum, A parts removal unit for removing parts from the conveyor, A component detection unit for detecting components on the conveyor, The system includes a parts imaging unit for photographing parts on the conveyor, If the part photographed by the part imaging unit is a part that can be removed by the part removal unit, the part that can be removed is removed from the conveyor. If the part photographed by the part imaging unit is not in a state where it can be removed by the part removal unit, the system is configured to transport the part. The magnet consists of a plurality of magnets arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the drum, and the plurality of magnets are arranged offset in the axial direction of the drum. A component supply device characterized by being provided with a switching device that switches the plurality of magnets to magnets with different attractive forces.

4. The component supply device according to claim 3, characterized in that the switching device is configured to move the magnet between an operating position close to the outer surface of the drum and a non-operating position retracted from the outer surface of the drum.

Images