Vibration-type component transport device

Abstract

Provided is a vibration-type component transport device in which intermediate vibrating bodies (3a, 3b) are disposed on the lower side of a base (1), horizontal vibrating plate springs (6a, 6b) are disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction while avoiding the base (1), the upper ends of the horizontal vibrating plate springs (6a, 6b) are fixed to an upper vibrating body (4), and the lower ends of the horizontal vibrating plate springs (6a, 6b) are fixed to the intermediate vibrating bodies (3a, 3b).

Description

Vibration type parts conveyor

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibratory component transport device that transports components by vibrating a trough.

[0002] A known vibratory component transport device that transports components by vibrating a trough having a component transport path that extends linearly in the front-to-rear direction is a composite vibration type that generates vertical and horizontal vibrations using separate vibrating electromagnets and transports components using a combined vibration of the vertical and horizontal vibrations (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The vibration-type part transport device of Patent Document 1 includes a base supported on a floor member via vibration-isolating members, an intermediate vibrator connected to the base via a horizontal vibration leaf spring, an upper vibrator connected to the intermediate vibrator via a vertical vibration leaf spring, a trough attached to the upper vibrator, a vertical vibration electromagnet that imparts vertical vibrations to the upper vibrator, and a horizontal vibration electromagnet that imparts front-to-rear vibrations to the upper vibrator. The trough is provided with a part transport path that extends linearly in the front-to-rear direction.

[0004] This vibration-type part transport device generates elliptical vibrations (movement in which each point on the trough moves back and forth along an elliptical trajectory with its major axis inclined relative to the horizontal) in the upper vibrating body by combining, with a predetermined phase difference, vertical vibrations generated by a vertical vibration electromagnet and horizontal vibrations generated by a horizontal vibration electromagnet, and this elliptical vibration moves the parts on the trough from the rear to the front.

[0005] JP 2013-95597 A

[0006] When a horizontal vibration is applied to the upper vibrator in the front-to-rear direction by a horizontal excitation electromagnet fixed to the base, opposing forces act on the upper vibrator and the base in the front-to-rear direction due to an action-reaction relationship. At this time, a pitching motion (a swaying motion tilting forward and backward) occurs in each of the upper vibrator and the base due to a misalignment between the lines of action of the respective forces acting on the upper vibrator and the base and the center of gravity. The pitching motion of the upper vibrator as seen from above the floor is a combination of the pitching motion of the base as seen from above the floor and the relative pitching motion of the upper vibrator with respect to the base. Furthermore, the pitching motion of the base as seen from above the floor and the relative pitching motion of the upper vibrator with respect to the base are in opposite phases. Therefore, in the vibration-type part conveyor disclosed in Patent Document 1, a weight for adjusting the mass of the base is provided so that the pitching motion of the upper vibrator can be effectively canceled out by the pitching motion of the base. The amplitude of the pitching motion of the base as seen from above the floor can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the weight.

[0007] However, if the weights used to adjust the mass of the base are increased in order to adjust the amplitude of the pitching motion of the base, the mass of the entire device also increases, which reduces the natural frequency of the entire device and slows down the part transport speed.

[0008] In addition, in the vibration-type part conveying device of Patent Document 1, the spring connecting the upper vibrator and the intermediate vibrator is a vertical vibration leaf spring, and the spring connecting the intermediate vibrator and the base is a horizontal vibration leaf spring. Therefore, when vibration is applied to the upper vibrator by a horizontal vibration electromagnet, the trough, the upper vibrator, the intermediate vibrator, and the base vibrate together in the front-to-back direction, and the base moves in the front-to-back direction in the opposite phase. Here, the ratio of the front-to-back amplitude of the upper vibrator to the front-to-back vibration of the base is the ratio of the reciprocal of the total mass of the trough, the upper vibrator, and the intermediate vibrator to the reciprocal of the mass of the base. As a result, the front-to-back amplitude of the upper vibrator (i.e., the front-to-back vibration of the trough) tends to be small, making it difficult to increase the part conveying speed.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a vibration type component transport device capable of transporting components at a high transport speed.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a vibratory component transport device having the following configuration: [Configuration 1] A vibratory component transport device comprising: a base supported on a floor member via a vibration-isolating member, an intermediate vibrator connected to the base via a vertical vibration leaf spring, an upper vibrator connected to the intermediate vibrator via a horizontal vibration leaf spring, a trough attached to the upper vibrator and having a component transport path extending linearly in the front-to-rear direction, a vertical vibration electromagnet that imparts vertical vibrations to the upper vibrator, and a horizontal vibration electromagnet that imparts front-to-rear vibrations to the upper vibrator, wherein the intermediate vibrator is disposed below the base, the horizontal vibration leaf spring is disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction while avoiding the base, and the upper end of the horizontal vibration leaf spring is fixed to the upper vibrator, and the lower end of the horizontal vibration leaf spring is fixed to the intermediate vibrator.

[0011] With this configuration, the spring connecting the upper vibrator and the intermediate vibrator is a horizontal vibration leaf spring, and the spring connecting the intermediate vibrator and the base is a vertical vibration leaf spring. Therefore, when vibration is applied to the upper vibrator by the horizontal vibration electromagnet, the trough and the upper vibrator vibrate together in the front-to-back direction, and the base and the intermediate vibrator move together in the front-to-back direction in the opposite phase. Here, the ratio of the magnitude of the front-to-back amplitude of the upper vibrator to the magnitude of the front-to-back amplitude of the base is the ratio of the reciprocal of the total mass of the trough and the upper vibrator to the reciprocal of the total mass of the base and the intermediate vibrator. Therefore, the front-to-back amplitude of the upper vibrator can be made larger than when the horizontal vibration leaf spring and the vertical vibration leaf spring are reversed (i.e., when the upper vibrator and the intermediate vibrator are connected by a vertical vibration leaf spring and the intermediate vibrator and the base are connected by a horizontal vibration leaf spring), enabling parts to be conveyed at a high conveying speed.

[0012] In addition, since the intermediate vibrator is located below the base, the horizontal vibration leaf spring is located so as to extend vertically away from the base, and the upper end of the horizontal vibration leaf spring is fixed to the upper vibrator, and the lower end of the horizontal vibration leaf spring is fixed to the intermediate vibrator, the horizontal vibration leaf spring is long. As a result, the amplitude of the upper vibrator in the front-to-rear direction can be set large, and parts can be conveyed at a high conveying speed.

[0013] [Configuration 2] The vibratory component conveying device according to Configuration 1, wherein the intermediate vibrator is composed of a front intermediate vibrator and a rear intermediate vibrator arranged at a distance from each other in the front-to-rear direction, the horizontal vibration leaf springs are composed of a front horizontal vibration leaf spring that connects the front intermediate vibrator and the upper vibrator, and a rear horizontal vibration leaf spring that connects the rear intermediate vibrator and the upper vibrator, and the vertical vibration leaf springs are composed of a front vertical vibration leaf spring that connects the front intermediate vibrator and the base, and a rear vertical vibration leaf spring that connects the rear intermediate vibrator and the base.

[0014] When this configuration is adopted, the intermediate vibrator is composed of a front intermediate vibrator and a rear intermediate vibrator that are arranged at a distance from each other in the front and rear directions, and the front intermediate vibrator and the rear intermediate vibrator can move up and down independently of each other with respect to the base, so that the pitching motion of the base can be prevented from being restricted by the intermediate vibrator. Therefore, the pitching motion of the upper vibrator can be effectively canceled out by the pitching motion of the base.

[0015] [Configuration 3] The vibratory component conveying device of Configuration 2, wherein the front horizontal vibration leaf springs are provided in a pair facing each other with a gap in the front-to-back direction, the upper ends of the pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs sandwich a front spring fixing piece provided on the upper vibrator from the front and rear, and the lower ends of the pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs sandwich the front intermediate vibrator from the front and rear, and the rear horizontal vibration leaf springs are provided in a pair facing each other with a gap in the front-to-back direction, the upper ends of the pair of rear horizontal vibration leaf springs sandwich a rear spring fixing piece provided on the upper vibrator from the front and rear, and the lower ends of the pair of rear horizontal vibration leaf springs sandwich the rear intermediate vibrator from the front and rear.

[0016] With this configuration, the front intermediate vibrator and the upper vibrator are connected by a pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs that are arranged facing each other at a distance in the front-to-back direction, so that even when the front horizontal vibration leaf spring deforms in the front-to-back direction, the inclination of the upper vibrator relative to the front intermediate vibrator is restricted, and the upper vibrator moves in the front-to-back direction while maintaining parallelism to the front intermediate vibrator. Similarly, the rear intermediate vibrator and the upper vibrator are connected by a pair of rear horizontal vibration leaf springs that are arranged facing each other at a distance in the front-to-back direction, so that even when the rear horizontal vibration leaf spring deforms in the front-to-back direction, the inclination of the upper vibrator relative to the rear intermediate vibrator is restricted, and the upper vibrator moves in the front-to-back direction while maintaining parallelism to the rear intermediate vibrator. This makes it possible to obtain stable front-to-back vibration of the upper vibrator.

[0017] [Configuration 4] A vibratory component conveying device according to Configuration 3, wherein the pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs are provided on the left and right sides of the upper vibrating body, respectively, and the front spring fixing pieces are protrusions protruding from the upper vibrating body on the left and right sides, respectively; the pair of rear horizontal vibration leaf springs are provided on the left and right sides of the upper vibrating body, respectively, and the rear spring fixing pieces are protrusions protruding from the upper vibrating body on the left and right sides, respectively.

[0018] When this configuration is adopted, when viewed from above, a total of four horizontal vibration leaf springs, two front horizontal vibration leaf springs on the left and right, and two rear horizontal vibration leaf springs on the left and right, surround the center of gravity of the upper vibrator from the front, back, left and right, making the horizontal vibration of the upper vibrator and trough particularly stable.

[0019] [Configuration 5] A vibratory parts conveying device as set forth in Configuration 3 or 4, wherein one front horizontal vibration leaf spring and the other front horizontal vibration leaf spring constituting the pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs are each formed of a plurality of leaf springs stacked one on top of another, and one rear horizontal vibration leaf spring and the other rear horizontal vibration leaf spring constituting the pair of rear horizontal vibration leaf springs are each formed of a plurality of leaf springs stacked one on top of another.

[0020] With this configuration, the front and rear horizontal vibration leaf springs each consist of multiple stacked leaf springs, which allows for thinner leaf springs to be used than if a single leaf spring with the same spring constant as the stacked leaf springs was used. This makes it possible to set the spring constants of the front and rear horizontal vibration leaf springs large while preventing spring breakage, thereby increasing the part conveying speed.

[0021] [Configuration 6] A vibratory part conveying device according to any one of Configurations 2 to 5, wherein the front vertical vibration leaf springs are provided in a pair facing each other with a gap in the vertical direction, the pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs sandwiching the front intermediate vibrating body and a front spring fixing block provided on the base from above and below at positions spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and the rear vertical vibration leaf springs are provided in a pair facing each other with a gap in the vertical direction, and the pair of rear vertical vibration leaf springs sandwiching the rear intermediate vibrating body and a rear spring fixing block provided on the base from above and below at positions spaced apart in the horizontal direction.

[0022]

[0013] With this configuration, the front intermediate vibrator and the base are connected by a pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs that are spaced apart in the vertical direction and face each other, so that even when a rotational force acts on the front intermediate vibrator from the front horizontal vibration leaf spring, tilt of the front intermediate vibrator with respect to the base is restricted, preventing the front horizontal vibration leaf spring from tipping over. Similarly, the rear intermediate vibrator and the base are connected by a pair of rear vertical vibration leaf springs that are spaced apart in the vertical direction and face each other, so that even when a rotational force acts on the rear intermediate vibrator from the rear horizontal vibration leaf spring, tilt of the rear intermediate vibrator with respect to the base is restricted, preventing the rear horizontal vibration leaf spring from tipping over. This allows for stable front-to-rear and up-to-down vibration of the upper vibrator.

[0023] [Configuration 7] A vibratory part conveying device as described in any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the vertical vibration electromagnet is arranged at the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the base, the horizontal vibration electromagnet is arranged at a position shifted in one direction in the front-to-rear direction from the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the base, and the base is provided with a base center-of-gravity adjustment convex portion having a mass corresponding to the horizontal vibration electromagnet at a position shifted in the other direction in the front-to-rear direction from the center position in the front-to-rear direction.

[0024] By adopting this configuration, the shift in the center of gravity of the base caused by placing the horizontal vibration electromagnet at a position shifted in one direction from the center position of the base in the fore-and-aft direction can be eliminated by providing a base center of gravity adjustment convex portion having a mass corresponding to the horizontal vibration electromagnet at a position shifted in the other direction from the center position of the base in the fore-and-aft direction, making it possible to position the center of gravity of the base at the center position of the base in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0025] [Configuration 8] A vibratory part conveying device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the upper vibrator is provided with a vertical excitation iron core that faces the vertical excitation electromagnet with a gap in the up-down direction, and a horizontal excitation iron core that faces the horizontal excitation electromagnet with a gap in the front-to-rear direction, the vertical excitation iron core is arranged in a central position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrator, the horizontal excitation iron core is arranged in a position shifted in one direction in the front-to-rear direction from the central position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrator, and the upper vibrator is provided with an upper center-of-gravity adjustment convex part having a mass corresponding to the horizontal excitation iron core in a position shifted in the other direction in the front-to-rear direction from the central position in the front-to-rear direction.

[0026] By adopting this configuration, the shift in the center of gravity of the upper vibrator caused by placing the horizontal vibration iron core at a position shifted in one direction from the center position of the upper vibrator in the fore-and-aft direction can be eliminated by providing an upper center of gravity adjustment convex portion having a mass corresponding to the horizontal vibration iron core at a position shifted in the other direction from the center position of the upper vibrator in the fore-and-aft direction, making it possible to position the center of gravity of the upper vibrator at the center position of the upper vibrator in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0027] [Configuration 9] A vibratory part conveying device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein a front weight fixing rail extending in the front-to-back direction is provided at the front end of the base, a front weight is fixed to the front weight fixing rail so that the fixing position of the weight can be adjusted in the front-to-back direction, and a rear weight fixing rail extending in the front-to-back direction is provided at the rear end of the base, and a rear weight is fixed to the rear weight fixing rail so that the fixing position of the weight can be adjusted in the front-to-back direction.

[0028] With this configuration, the moment of inertia around the center of gravity of the base can be increased by shifting the position of the weight attached to the front weight rail attached to the front end of the base toward the front, and by shifting the position of the weight attached to the rear weight rail attached to the rear end of the base toward the rear. Conversely, the moment of inertia around the center of gravity of the base can be decreased by shifting the position of the weight attached to the front weight rail attached to the front end of the base toward the rear, and by shifting the position of the weight attached to the rear weight rail attached to the rear end of the base toward the front. In other words, the moment of inertia of the base can be adjusted without changing the mass of the base, and the amplitude of the pitching motion of the base as seen from above the floor can be adjusted. Therefore, the moment of inertia of the base can be adjusted to cancel the pitching motion of the upper vibrator with the pitching motion of the base without increasing the mass of the entire device. Adjusting the moment of inertia of the base does not reduce the natural frequency of the entire device or slow down the part conveying speed.

[0029] [Configuration 10] The vibratory component transport device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 9, wherein side plates for adjusting mass are detachably attached to both the left and right side surfaces of the base.

[0030] By adopting this configuration, it is possible to change the ratio between the total mass of the trough and upper vibrator and the total mass of the base (including the side plates for adjusting the mass) and the intermediate vibrator by changing the mass of the side plates, which in turn changes the ratio between the magnitude of the front-to-back amplitude of the upper vibrator and the magnitude of the front-to-back amplitude of the base, thereby making it possible to adjust the part conveying speed.

[0031] [Configuration 11] A vibratory component conveying device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 10, wherein a vertical displacement sensor that detects the up-and-down displacement of the upper vibrating body relative to the base, and a horizontal displacement sensor that detects the front-to-rear displacement of the upper vibrating body relative to the base, are provided in a central portion of the base in the front-to-rear direction.

[0032] When this configuration is adopted, even when the upper vibrator is pitching relative to the base, the relative positional relationship of the upper vibrator to the base is less affected in the central part of the base in the front-to-back direction, so the vertical displacement sensor and horizontal displacement sensor provided in the central part of the base in the front-to-back direction can accurately detect the displacement of the upper vibrator relative to the base.

[0033] In the vibratory part transport device of this invention, the spring connecting the upper vibrator and the intermediate vibrator is a horizontal vibration leaf spring, and the spring connecting the intermediate vibrator and the base is a vertical vibration leaf spring, so that when vibration is applied to the upper vibrator by the horizontal vibration electromagnet, the trough and the upper vibrator vibrate together in the front-to-back direction, and the base and the intermediate vibrator move together in the front-to-back direction in the opposite phase. Therefore, the amplitude of the front-to-back direction of the upper vibrator can be made larger than in a device where the horizontal vibration leaf spring and the vertical vibration leaf spring are reversed, making it possible to transport parts at a high transport speed.

[0034] In addition, since the intermediate vibrator is located below the base, the horizontal vibration leaf spring is located so as to extend vertically away from the base, and the upper end of the horizontal vibration leaf spring is fixed to the upper vibrator, and the lower end of the horizontal vibration leaf spring is fixed to the intermediate vibrator, the horizontal vibration leaf spring is long. As a result, the amplitude of the upper vibrator in the front-to-rear direction can be set large, and parts can be conveyed at a high conveying speed.

[0035] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4; and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 4. The vibrating part transport device shown in FIG. 1 is shown from above with part of the trough omitted. The vibrating part transport device shown in FIG. 1 is shown from below. The vibrating part transport device shown in FIG. 1 is shown from above with part of the trough omitted. The vibrating part transport device shown in FIG. 1 is shown from below. The vibrating part transport device shown in FIG. 10 shows the time change (dashed line graph) of the relative displacement of the front end of the upper rigid body to the front end of the lower rigid body in the state of FIG. 10, the time change (dashed line graph) of the absolute displacement of the front end of the lower rigid body, and the time change (solid line graph) of the absolute displacement of the front end of the upper rigid body. 13 shows a state in which the fixed position of the rear weight is brought closer to the center of gravity of the lower rigid body (base). 14 shows the time change (dashed line graph) of the relative displacement of the front end of the upper rigid body with respect to the front end of the lower rigid body in the state of FIG. 12, the time change (dash-dotted line graph) of the absolute displacement of the front end of the lower rigid body, and the time change (solid line graph) of the absolute displacement of the front end of the upper rigid body. 15 shows a schematic diagram of the simplified model shown in FIG. 9 in which a trough is attached to the upper rigid body, and the amplitude of the pitching motion of the lower rigid body becomes smaller than the amplitude of the pitching motion of the upper rigid body relative to the lower rigid body. 14 shows the time change (dashed line graph) of the relative displacement of the front end of the upper rigid body with respect to the front end of the lower rigid body, the time change (dash-dotted line graph) of the absolute displacement of the front end of the lower rigid body, and the time change (solid line graph) of the absolute displacement of the front end of the upper rigid body in the state of FIG. 14. FIG. 15 shows the state in which the fixed positions of the front weight and the rear weight shown in FIG. 14 are moved away from the center of gravity of the lower rigid body (base). 16 shows the time change (dashed line graph) of the relative displacement of the front end of the upper rigid body with respect to the front end of the lower rigid body, and the time change (dash-dotted line graph) of the absolute displacement of the front end of the lower rigid body.18 shows the change over time in absolute displacement of the front end of the upper rigid body (solid line graph). FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which the front intermediate vibrator and the upper vibrator are connected by a single front horizontal vibration leaf spring. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the front horizontal vibration leaf spring is elastically deformed when the upper vibrator shown in FIG. 18 moves in the front-to-back direction relative to the front intermediate vibrator. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which the front intermediate vibrator and the upper vibrator are connected by a pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs that are arranged opposite each other with a gap in the front-to-back direction. FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the front horizontal vibration leaf spring is elastically deformed when the upper vibrator shown in FIG. 20 moves in the front-to-back direction relative to the front intermediate vibrator. Figure showing a modified example in which two leaf springs are stacked on top of each other. Figure showing a schematic diagram of a state in which a rotational force acts on the front intermediate vibrator in a configuration in which the front intermediate vibrator and the base are connected by a single front vertical vibration leaf spring. Figure showing a schematic diagram of a state in which a rotational force acts on the front intermediate vibrator in a configuration in which the front intermediate vibrator and the base are connected by a pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs that are spaced apart in the vertical direction. Figure showing a simple model for explaining vertical displacement accompanying reciprocating motion in the front-to-back direction in the vibration type part conveying device shown in Figure 1. Figure explaining vertical displacement accompanying reciprocating motion in the front-to-back direction in a comparative example in which the center of gravity of the upper vibrator shown in Figure 1 and the center of gravity of the base are shifted in the front-to-back direction.

[0036] 1 shows a vibration-type component conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This vibration-type component conveying device includes a base 1, vibration-isolating members 2a and 2b supporting the base 1, intermediate vibrators 3a and 3b arranged below the base 1, an upper vibrator 4 arranged above the base 1, vertical vibration leaf springs 5a and 5b connecting the base 1 to the intermediate vibrators 3a and 3b, horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a and 6b connecting the intermediate vibrators 3a and 3b to the upper vibrator 4, a trough 7 attached to the upper vibrator 4, a vertical vibration electromagnet 8 that imparts vertical vibration to the upper vibrator 4, and a horizontal vibration electromagnet 9 that imparts longitudinal vibration to the upper vibrator 4 (left and right in the drawing). The vertical vibration leaf springs 5a and 5b are leaf springs for vibrating the upper vibrator 4 in the vertical direction, and the horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a and 6b are leaf springs for vibrating the upper vibrator 4 in the longitudinal direction.

[0037] The trough 7 has a component conveying path 10 that extends linearly in the front-to-rear direction (the component conveying direction). As shown in Fig. 6, the component conveying path 10 is a groove that extends horizontally on the top surface of the trough 7. The trough 7 is detachably fixed to the upper vibrating body 4 with bolts (not shown).

[0038] 2, the upper vibrating body 4 is a rectangular member that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction when viewed from above. A trough mounting surface 11 is formed on the top surface of the upper vibrating body 4. The trough mounting surface 11 is an upward-facing flat surface on which screw holes (not shown) for fixing the trough 7 are formed.

[0039] The upper vibrating body 4 is formed in a frame shape with a plurality of rectangular lightening openings 12 that penetrate vertically and are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction. The upper vibrating body 4 has a pair of left and right side frame portions 13 extending in the front-to-rear direction, a front frame portion 14 that connects the front ends of the left and right side frame portions 13, a rear frame portion 15 that connects the rear ends of the left and right side frame portions 13, a central frame portion 16 that connects central portions in the front-to-rear direction of the left and right side frame portions 13, a front reinforcing frame portion 17 that connects the left and right side frame portions 13 between the central frame portion 16 and the front frame portion 14, and a rear reinforcing frame portion 18 that connects the left and right side frame portions 13 between the central frame portion 16 and the rear frame portion 15.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1 , the base 1 is attached to a floor member 19 via vibration-isolating members 2a and 2b provided between the base 1 and the floor member. The vibration-isolating members 2a and 2b are composed of a front vibration-isolating member 2a that supports the front end of the base 1 and a rear vibration-isolating member 2b that supports the rear end of the base 1. Each of the vibration-isolating members 2a and 2b is a member that elastically deforms in the vertical and longitudinal directions in response to vibrations of the base 1 so as to prevent the vibrations of the base 1 from being transmitted to the floor member 19. The vibration-isolating members 2a and 2b may be made of rubber in their elastically deforming portions. The upper ends of the vibration-isolating members 2a and 2b are fixed to the lower surface of the base 1, and the lower ends of the vibration-isolating members 2a and 2b are fixed to the upper surface of the floor member 19.

[0041] 2, the base 1 is formed into a rectangular shape that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in the figure) when viewed from above. The base 1 and the upper vibrating body 4 are arranged so that the center position of the base 1 in the front-to-rear direction (center of gravity of the base 1) coincides with the center position of the upper vibrating body 4 in the front-to-rear direction when viewed from above.

[0042] 1 , the intermediate vibrators 3a, 3b are composed of a front intermediate vibrator 3a and a rear intermediate vibrator 3b that are arranged spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction. The front intermediate vibrator 3a is arranged between the floor member 19 and a portion of the base 1 that is forward of the center in the front-to-rear direction, while the rear intermediate vibrator 3b is arranged between the floor member 19 and a portion of the base 1 that is rear of the center in the front-to-rear direction. The front intermediate vibrator 3a and the rear intermediate vibrator 3b are separate members that are arranged spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction so that they can move up and down independently of each other. The front intermediate vibrator 3a and the rear intermediate vibrator 3b are each formed in the shape of a rectangular pillar that extends in the left-to-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in the figure).

[0043] The horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a, 6b are composed of a front leaf spring 6a for horizontal vibration that connects the front intermediate vibrating body 3a and the upper vibrating body 4, and a rear leaf spring 6b for horizontal vibration that connects the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b and the upper vibrating body 4. The front leaf spring 6a for horizontal vibration and the rear leaf spring 6b for horizontal vibration are each arranged so that the front-to-rear direction is the thickness direction and the up-to-down direction is the longitudinal direction.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4 , the front leaf springs for horizontal vibration 6 a are provided in pairs facing each other in parallel with a gap in the front-to-rear direction, and the upper ends of the pair of front leaf springs for horizontal vibration 6 a are fixed to the front spring fixing piece 20 a provided on the upper vibrating body 4 in a state in which the front spring fixing piece 20 a is sandwiched between them from the front and rear, and the lower ends of the pair of front leaf springs for horizontal vibration 6 a are fixed to the front intermediate vibrating body 3 a in a state in which the front intermediate vibrating body 3 a is sandwiched between them from the front and rear.

[0045] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, the rear leaf springs for horizontal vibration 6b are also provided in a pair facing each other in parallel with a gap in the front-to-rear direction, and the upper ends of the pair of rear leaf springs for horizontal vibration 6b are fixed to the rear spring fixing piece 20b provided on the upper vibrating body 4 in a state in which the rear spring fixing piece 20b is sandwiched between them from the front and rear, and the lower ends of the pair of rear leaf springs for horizontal vibration 6b are fixed to the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b in a state in which the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b is sandwiched between them from the front and rear.

[0046] 2, the front horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a are provided on the left side (lower side in the figure) and right side (upper side in the figure) of the upper vibrating body 4, and the front spring fixing pieces 20a are also provided on the left side and right side of the upper vibrating body 4. The front spring fixing pieces 20a are protrusions that protrude to the left and right from a portion forward of the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrating body 4. The front reinforcing frame 17 is located at the same position in the front-to-rear direction as the pair of left and right front spring fixing pieces 20a.

[0047] Similarly, the rear horizontal vibration leaf springs 6b are provided on the left and right sides of the upper vibrating body 4, and the rear spring fixing pieces 20b are also provided on the left and right sides of the upper vibrating body 4. The rear spring fixing pieces 20b are protrusions that protrude to the left and right sides from a portion rearward of the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrating body 4. The rear reinforcing frame 18 is disposed at the same position in the front-to-rear direction as the pair of left and right rear spring fixing pieces 20b.

[0048] When viewed from above, the pair of left and right front spring fixing pieces 20a are provided so as to protrude outward from the left and right side surfaces of the base 1. The pair of left and right rear spring fixing pieces 20b are also provided so as to protrude outward from the left and right side surfaces of the base 1. A total of four horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a, 6b, consisting of two front horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a on the left and right and two rear horizontal vibration leaf springs 6b on the left and right, are arranged so as to surround the center of gravity of the upper vibrating body 4 from the front, back, left and right.

[0049] 3 , the front intermediate vibrator 3 a has a dimension longer than the dimension of the base 1 in the left-right direction so that both left and right ends of the front intermediate vibrator 3 a protrude outward beyond the left and right side surfaces of the base 1 when viewed from below. Similarly, the rear intermediate vibrator 3 b has a dimension longer than the dimension of the base 1 in the left-right direction so that both left and right ends of the rear intermediate vibrator 3 b protrude outward beyond the left and right side surfaces of the base 1 when viewed from below.

[0050] Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper end of the front leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6a is fixed to the portion of the front spring fixing piece 20a that protrudes outward from the left and right side surfaces of the base 1 when viewed from above, and as shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the front leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6a is fixed to the portion of the front intermediate vibrating body 3a that protrudes outward from the left and right side surfaces of the base 1 when viewed from below, thereby making it possible to position the front leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6a so that it extends in the vertical direction, avoiding the base 1, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0051] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper end of the rear leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6b is fixed to the part of the rear spring fixing piece 20b that protrudes outward from the left and right side surfaces of the base 1 when viewed from above, and as shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the rear leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6b is fixed to the part of the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b that protrudes outward from the left and right side surfaces of the base 1 when viewed from below, thereby making it possible to position the rear leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6b so that it extends in the vertical direction, avoiding the base 1, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0052] 1, the vertical vibration leaf springs 5a, 5b are made up of a front vertical vibration leaf spring 5a that connects the front intermediate vibrating body 3a to the base 1, and a rear vertical vibration leaf spring 5b that connects the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b to the base 1. The front vertical vibration leaf spring 5a and the rear vertical vibration leaf spring 5b are each a leaf spring that is arranged so that the up-down direction is the plate thickness direction and the front-to-rear direction is the longitudinal direction.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 4 , the front vertical vibration leaf springs 5 ​​a are provided in pairs facing each other in parallel with a gap in the vertical direction, and the pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs 5 ​​a facing each other in the vertical direction are assembled in such a manner that they sandwich the front intermediate vibrating body 3 a and the front spring fixing block 21 a fixed to the base 1 from above and below at positions spaced apart in the horizontal direction.

[0054] Specifically, the front and rear ends of a pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs 5a facing each other in the vertical direction are fixed to the underside of the base 1 in a state where they sandwich the front spring fixing block 21a provided on the base 1 from above and below, and the central parts of the pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs 5a are fixed to the front intermediate vibrating body 3a in a state where they sandwich the front intermediate vibrating body 3a from above and below.

[0055] Here, a groove 22 extending in the left-right direction (a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in the figure) is formed in the underside of the base 1 in a portion facing the front intermediate vibrator 3a. The groove width of the groove 22 is greater than the width dimension of the front intermediate vibrator 3a. Of a pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs 5a facing each other in the up-down direction, the upper front vertical vibration leaf spring 5a is provided spanning the groove 22, with both ends of the leaf spring fixed to the underside of the base 1. Furthermore, a pair of front spring fixing blocks 21a are fixed to the underside of both ends of the upper front vertical vibration leaf spring 5a, and the front intermediate vibrator 3a is fixed to the underside of the central portion of the upper front vertical vibration leaf spring 5a. Of the pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs 5 ​​a facing each other in the vertical direction, both ends of the lower front vertical vibration leaf spring 5 a are fixed to the underside of the pair of front spring fixing blocks 21 a, and the center of the lower front vertical vibration leaf spring 5 a is fixed to the underside of the front intermediate vibrating body 3 a. The vertical thickness of the front spring fixing block 21 a is the same as the vertical thickness of the front intermediate vibrating body 3 a.

[0056] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, the rear vertical vibration leaf springs 5b are also provided in pairs facing each other in parallel with a gap in the vertical direction, and the pair of rear vertical vibration leaf springs 5b facing each other in the vertical direction are assembled in such a manner that they sandwich the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b and the rear spring fixing block 21b fixed to the base 1 from above and below at positions spaced apart in the horizontal direction.

[0057] Specifically, both front-to-rear end portions of the pair of rear vertical vibration leaf springs 5b facing each other in the up-down direction are fixed to the underside of the base 1 in a state where they sandwich from above and below the rear spring fixing block 21b provided on the base 1, and also the central portions of the pair of rear vertical vibration leaf springs 5b are fixed to the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b in a state where they sandwich the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b from above and below. The rear vertical vibration leaf spring 5b and its surrounding structure are similar to the front vertical vibration leaf spring 5a, so corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] 3, the front vertical vibration leaf springs 5a are provided on the left side (upper side in the figure) and right side (lower side in the figure) of the base 1. Similarly, the rear vertical vibration leaf springs 5b are provided on the left side and right side of the base 1. The four vertical vibration leaf springs 5a, 5b in total, including the two front vertical vibration leaf springs 5a on the left and right and the two rear vertical vibration leaf springs 5b on the left and right, are arranged to surround the center of gravity of the base 1 from the front, back, left and right.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 1 , the vertical excitation electromagnet 8 is fixed to the center of the base 1 in the front-to-rear direction. The vertical excitation electromagnet 8 is an AC electromagnet (a coil wound around a core made of laminated electromagnetic steel sheets). A vertical excitation iron core 23 is fixed to the underside of the upper vibrating body 4, facing the vertical excitation electromagnet 8 with a gap in between. The vertical excitation iron core 23 is disposed in the center of the upper vibrating body 4 in the front-to-rear direction. When an AC voltage with a predetermined frequency is applied to the vertical excitation electromagnet 8, an electromagnetic attraction force acts intermittently between the vertical excitation electromagnet 8 and the vertical excitation iron core 23, applying a vertical excitation force to the upper vibrating body 4 in the up-down direction.

[0060] The horizontally exciting electromagnet 9 is fixed at a position shifted rearward (to the right in the figure) from the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the base 1. The horizontally exciting electromagnet 9 is an AC electromagnet. A horizontally exciting iron core 24 is fixedly provided on the underside of the upper vibrating body 4, facing the horizontally exciting electromagnet 9 in the front-to-rear direction with a gap in between. The horizontally exciting iron core 24 is disposed at a position shifted rearward (to the right in the figure) from the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrating body 4. When an AC voltage with a predetermined frequency is applied to the horizontally exciting electromagnet 9, an electromagnetic attraction force acts intermittently between the horizontally exciting electromagnet 9 and the horizontally exciting iron core 24, applying a horizontal exciting force in the front-to-rear direction to the upper vibrating body 4.

[0061] The base 1 is provided with a base center of gravity adjusting protrusion 25, which has a mass corresponding to the horizontal vibration electromagnet 9, at a position shifted forward from the center position in the front-to-rear direction. By providing this base center of gravity adjusting protrusion 25, the forward shift of the center of gravity of the base 1, which occurs when the horizontal vibration electromagnet 9 is positioned shifted forward from the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the base 1, is eliminated, and the center of gravity of the base 1 is returned to the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the base 1.

[0062] The upper vibrating body 4 is also provided with an upper center-of-gravity adjusting protrusion 26 having a mass corresponding to the horizontal vibration iron core 24, at a position shifted forward from the center position in the front-to-rear direction. By providing this upper center-of-gravity adjusting protrusion 26, the forward shift of the center of gravity of the upper vibrating body 4 that occurs when the horizontal vibration iron core 24 is positioned shifted forward from the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrating body 4 is eliminated, and the center of gravity of the upper vibrating body 4 is returned to the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrating body 4.

[0063] A front weight fixing rail 27a extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided at the front end of the base 1. A front weight 28a is fixed to the front weight fixing rail 27a so that the fixing position of the weight can be adjusted in the front-to-rear direction. Similarly, a rear weight fixing rail 27b extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided at the rear end of the base 1. A rear weight 28b is fixed to the rear weight fixing rail 27b so that the fixing position of the weight can be adjusted in the front-to-rear direction.

[0064] 4 and 7, the front weight 28a has a U-shaped cross section and includes a pair of opposing pieces 29 that face each other laterally with the front weight-fixing rail 27a sandwiched therebetween, and a connecting piece 30 that connects the upper ends of the pair of opposing pieces 29. The pair of opposing pieces 29 are formed with threaded holes 31 that penetrate in the left-right direction, and the front weight 28a can be fixed to the front weight-fixing rail 27a by inserting male screw members 32 into the threaded holes 31 and tightening them to press the tips of the male screw members 32 against the front weight-fixing rail 27a. The rear weight 28b has a similar structure to the front weight 28a.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 4 , a vertical displacement sensor 33 that detects the vertical displacement of the upper vibrator 4 relative to the base 1 and a horizontal displacement sensor 34 that detects the vertical displacement of the upper vibrator 4 relative to the base 1 are attached at the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the base 1. A vertical displacement detection dog 35 is fixedly provided on the underside of the upper vibrator 4 so as to face the vertical displacement sensor 33 in the vertical direction. The vertical displacement sensor 33 outputs a signal that changes depending on the distance between the opposing surface and the vertical displacement detection dog 35, and the vertical displacement of the vertical displacement detection dog 35 can be detected based on the output signal. In addition, a horizontal displacement detection dog 36 is fixedly provided on the underside of the upper vibrator 4 so as to face the horizontal displacement sensor 34 in the front-to-rear direction. The horizontal displacement sensor 34 outputs a signal that changes depending on the distance between the opposing surface and the horizontal displacement detection dog 36, and the front-to-rear displacement of the horizontal displacement detection dog 36 can be detected based on the output signal.

[0066] As shown by the two-dot chain lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, side plates 37 for adjusting the mass can be detachably attached to the left and right side surfaces of the base 1.

[0067] This vibration-type part conveying device controls the voltage applied to the vertical vibration electromagnet 8 and the horizontal vibration electromagnet 9 based on the horizontal displacement in the front-to-back direction of the upper vibrator 4 detected by the horizontal displacement sensor 34 and the vertical displacement in the up-down direction of the upper vibrator 4 detected by the vertical displacement sensor 33, thereby generating elliptical vibration in the trough 7 (a reciprocating movement in which each point on the trough 7 moves along an elliptical trajectory with its major axis inclined relative to the horizontal), and this elliptical vibration moves the parts on the trough 7 from the rear to the front.

[0068] When generating elliptical vibration in the trough 7, there is a possibility that a pitching motion (a rocking motion tilting back and forth) will occur in which the trough 7 and the upper vibrating body 4 are tilted relative to the horizontal direction. This pitching motion of the trough 7 and the upper vibrating body 4 is a major issue in generating the desired elliptical vibration in the trough 7. This pitching motion will be described below.

[0069] 1 is energized, the horizontal excitation iron core 24 is attracted to the horizontal excitation electromagnet 9, causing the upper vibrating body 4 to move horizontally backward (to the right in the figure) and the base 1 to move horizontally forward (to the left in the figure) as shown in Fig. 8. Here, the ratio of the movement distance of the upper vibrating body 4 to the movement distance of the base 1 is the ratio of the reciprocal of the total mass of the trough 7 and the upper vibrating body 4 to the reciprocal of the total mass of the base 1 and the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a and 3b.

[0070] At this time, a rotational force is generated in the upper vibrating body 4 and the base 1 around the center of gravity of the entire device, causing the upper vibrating body 4 and the base 1 to swing in opposite directions. Specifically, as shown by the arc arrows in Fig. 8, the upper vibrating body 4 swings such that the front portion of the upper vibrating body 4 moves upward and the rear portion of the upper vibrating body 4 moves downward, while the base 1 swings such that the front portion of the base 1 moves downward and the rear portion of the base 1 moves upward.

[0071] When the power supply to the horizontally exciting electromagnet 9 shown in FIG. 1 is cut off, the electromagnetic attraction force of the horizontally exciting electromagnet 9 disappears, and the elastic restoring force of the horizontally exciting leaf springs 6 a, 6 b causes the upper vibrating body 4 and the base 1 to move horizontally in the direction opposite to when the horizontally exciting electromagnet 9 is energized, and also to oscillate in the direction opposite to when the horizontally exciting electromagnet 9 is energized.

[0072] By repeating the above operation, the upper vibrating body 4 and the base 1 perform pitching motions in opposite phases to each other.

[0073] 8, if the fixing position of weight 28a to front weight fixing rail 27a is moved forward (to the left in the figure) and the fixing position of weight 28b to rear weight fixing rail 27b is moved rearward (to the right in the figure), the moment of inertia around the center of gravity of base 1 increases, and the amplitude of the pitching motion of base 1 decreases. Conversely, if the fixing position of weight 28a to front weight fixing rail 27a is moved rearward (to the right in the figure) and the fixing position of weight 28b to rear weight fixing rail 27b is moved forward (to the left in the figure), the moment of inertia around the center of gravity of base 1 decreases, and the amplitude of the pitching motion of base 1 increases. Furthermore, the pitching motion of the upper vibrating body 4 as seen from above the floor is a combination of the pitching motion of the base 1 as seen from above the floor and the relative pitching motion of the upper vibrating body 4 with respect to the base 1. Therefore, by adjusting the moment of inertia of the base 1, the amplitude of the pitching motion of the base 1 can be made closer to the amplitude of the relative pitching motion of the upper vibrating body 4, making it possible to suppress the pitching motion of the upper vibrating body 4 (i.e., the pitching motion of the trough 7).

[0074] Furthermore, a method for suppressing pitching motion will be specifically described using a simple model shown in FIG.

[0075] 9, the upper rigid body 40 corresponds to the upper vibrating body 4 and the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a and 3b shown in Fig. 1, and the lower rigid body 41 corresponds to the base 1 shown in Fig. 1. The intermediate vibrating bodies 3a and 3b are connected to the upper vibrating body 4 via horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a and 6b, but because the horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a and 6b do not deform in the up and down direction, here the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a and 3b are regarded as a rigid body integrated with the upper vibrating body 4.

[0076] 10 and 11 show a simplified model in which the amplitude of the pitching motion of the upper rigid body 40 relative to the lower rigid body 41 is smaller than the amplitude of the pitching motion of the lower rigid body 41. The dashed line in Fig. 11 indicates the relative vertical displacement of the front end 42 of the upper rigid body 40 shown in Fig. 10 with respect to the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41, the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 11 indicates the absolute vertical displacement (displacement as seen from above the floor) of the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41 shown in Fig. 10, and the solid line in Fig. 11 indicates the absolute vertical displacement of the front end 42 of the upper rigid body 40 shown in Fig. 10.

[0077] As shown in Figure 11, the vertical relative displacement (dashed line) of the front end 42 of the upper rigid body 40 with respect to the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41 and the vertical absolute displacement (dash-dotted line) of the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41 are in opposite phase, and the amplitude of the vertical relative displacement (dashed line) of the front end 42 of the upper rigid body 40 with respect to the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41 is smaller than the amplitude of the vertical absolute displacement (dash-dotted line) of the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41.

[0078] 12, the fixed position of the front weight 28a is moved rearward and the fixed position of the rear weight 28b is moved forward so that the positions of the front weight 28a and the rear weight 28b are closer to the center of gravity of the base 1, thereby reducing the moment of inertia of the lower rigid body 41 and increasing the amplitude of the pitching motion of the lower rigid body 41. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, the amplitude of the pitching motion of the lower rigid body 41 is brought closer to the amplitude of the pitching motion of the upper rigid body 40 relative to the lower rigid body 41, making it possible to suppress the pitching motion of the upper rigid body 40.

[0079] 14 and 15 show a simplified model in which a trough 7 is attached to the upper rigid body 40 and the amplitude of the pitching motion of the upper rigid body 40 relative to the lower rigid body 41 becomes larger than the amplitude of the pitching motion of the lower rigid body 41.

[0080] As shown in Figure 15, the vertical relative displacement (dashed line) of the front end 42 of the upper rigid body 40 with respect to the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41 and the vertical absolute displacement (dash-dotted line) of the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41 are in opposite phase, and the amplitude of the vertical relative displacement (dashed line) of the front end 42 of the upper rigid body 40 with respect to the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41 is greater than the amplitude of the vertical absolute displacement (dash-dotted line) of the front end 43 of the lower rigid body 41.

[0081] 16, the fixed position of the front weight 28a is moved forward and the fixed position of the rear weight 28b is moved rearward so that the positions of the front weight 28a and the rear weight 28b are moved away from the center of gravity of the base 1, thereby increasing the moment of inertia of the lower rigid body 41 and reducing the amplitude of the pitching motion of the lower rigid body 41. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17, the amplitude of the pitching motion of the lower rigid body 41 is brought closer to the amplitude of the pitching motion of the upper rigid body 40 relative to the lower rigid body 41, making it possible to suppress the pitching motion of the upper rigid body 40.

[0082] 1, in this vibratory part transport device, the springs connecting the upper vibrating body 4 and the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a, 3b are horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a, 6b, and the springs connecting the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a, 3b and the base 1 are vertical vibration leaf springs 5a, 5b, so that when vibration is applied to the upper vibrating body 4 by the horizontal vibration electromagnet 9, of the trough 7, upper vibrating body 4, intermediate vibrating bodies 3a, 3b, and base 1, the trough 7 and the upper vibrating body 4 vibrate together in the front-to-rear direction, and the base 1 and the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a, 3b move together in the front-to-rear direction in opposite phase. Here, the ratio of the magnitude of the front-to-rear amplitude of the upper vibrating body 4 to the magnitude of the front-to-rear amplitude of the base 1 is the ratio of the reciprocal of the total mass of the trough 7 and upper vibrating body 4 to the reciprocal of the total mass of the base 1 and the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a, 3b. Therefore, the amplitude of the upper vibrating body 4 in the front-to-rear direction can be made larger than when the horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a, 6b and the vertical vibration leaf springs 5a, 5b are reversed (i.e., when the upper vibrating body and the intermediate vibrating body are connected by a vertical vibration leaf spring and the intermediate vibrating body and the base are connected by a horizontal vibration leaf spring, as in JP 2013-95597 A (Patent Document 1)), and parts can be transported at a high transport speed.

[0083] 1, this vibration-type component transport device has intermediate vibrators 3a, 3b disposed below base 1, horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a, 6b disposed so as to extend vertically away from base 1, with the upper ends of horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a, 6b fixed to upper vibrator 4 and the lower ends of horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a, 6b fixed to intermediate vibrators 3a, 3b, resulting in a long length of horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a, 6b. This allows the amplitude of vibration of upper vibrator 4 to be set large in the front-to-rear direction, enabling components to be transported at a high transport speed.

[0084] 1, this vibration-type part transport device is configured with intermediate vibrators 3a, 3b, which are configured with a front intermediate vibrator 3a and a rear intermediate vibrator 3b spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear direction, and the front intermediate vibrator 3a and the rear intermediate vibrator 3b can move independently of each other in the vertical direction relative to the base 1, so that the pitching motion of the base 1 can be prevented from being restricted by the intermediate vibrators 3a, 3b. Therefore, the pitching motion of the upper vibrator 4 can be effectively canceled out by the pitching motion of the base 1.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 4, in this vibration-type component conveying device, the front intermediate vibrating body 3a and the upper vibrating body 4 are connected by a pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a that are arranged facing each other at a distance in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, even when the front horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a are deformed in the front-to-rear direction, the inclination of the upper vibrating body 4 relative to the front intermediate vibrating body 3a is restricted, and the upper vibrating body 4 moves in the front-to-rear direction while maintaining its parallelism with the front intermediate vibrating body 3a.

[0086] That is, assuming a configuration in which the front intermediate vibrator 3a and the upper vibrator 4 are connected by a single front leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6a as shown in FIG. 18, when the front leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6a is deformed in the front-to-back direction as shown in FIG. 19, the bending of the front leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6a causes the upper vibrator 4 to tilt relative to the front intermediate vibrator 3a, and the front spring fixing piece 20a of the upper vibrator 4 may not be able to withstand the torsional stress and may be damaged, or the front-to-back vibration of the upper vibrator 4 may become unstable.

[0087] In contrast to this, when the front intermediate vibrator 3a and the upper vibrator 4 are connected by a pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a that are arranged facing each other with a gap in the fore-and-aft direction as shown in FIG. 20, even if the front horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a deform in the fore-and-aft direction, as shown in FIG. 21, the inclination of the upper vibrator 4 relative to the front intermediate vibrator 3a is restricted, and the upper vibrator 4 moves in the fore-and-aft direction while remaining parallel to the front intermediate vibrator 3a.

[0088] 5, the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b and the upper vibrating body 4 are connected by a pair of rear horizontal vibrating leaf springs 6b that are arranged facing each other with a gap in the front-to-rear direction, so that even when the rear horizontal vibrating leaf springs 6b deform in the front-to-rear direction, the inclination of the upper vibrating body 4 relative to the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b is restricted, and the upper vibrating body 4 moves in the front-to-rear direction while maintaining its parallelism with the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b. Therefore, this vibratory component conveying device can obtain stable front-to-rear vibration of the upper vibrating body 4.

[0089] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, when viewed from above, this vibratory parts conveying device has two front horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a on the left and right and two rear horizontal vibration leaf springs 6b on the left and right, so that the four horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a, 6b surround the center of gravity of the upper vibrating body 4 and the center of gravity of the base 1 from the front, back, left and right, thereby making the horizontal vibration of the upper vibrating body 4 and the trough 7 particularly stable.

[0090] In addition, as shown in Figure 2, this vibration-type part transport device uses horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a and 6b in a total of eight locations, which makes it possible to increase the overall spring constant of the horizontal vibration leaf springs 6a and 6b and increase the part transport speed.

[0091] 22, this vibration-type part transport device can use a plurality of stacked leaf springs as the front horizontal vibration leaf spring 6a, and similarly, a plurality of stacked leaf springs can be used for the rear horizontal vibration leaf spring 6b. In this way, a thinner leaf spring can be used than if a single leaf spring with the same spring constant as the stacked leaf springs was used, so the spring constants of the front horizontal vibration leaf spring 6a and the rear horizontal vibration leaf spring 6b can be set large while preventing spring breakage, thereby enabling the part transport speed to be increased.

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, in this vibration-type parts conveying device, the front intermediate vibrating body 3a and the base 1 are connected by a pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs 5a that are arranged facing each other with a gap in the vertical direction. Therefore, even when a rotational force acts on the front intermediate vibrating body 3a from the front horizontal vibration leaf spring 6a, the inclination of the front intermediate vibrating body 3a relative to the base 1 is restricted, and the front horizontal vibration leaf spring 6a can be prevented from falling over.

[0093] That is, assuming a configuration in which the front intermediate vibrating body 3a and the base 1 are connected by a single front vertical vibration leaf spring 5a as shown in FIG. 23, when a rotational force acts on the front intermediate vibrating body 3a from the front horizontal vibration leaf spring 6a, the front vertical vibration leaf spring 5a deforms, causing the front intermediate vibrating body 3a to tilt relative to the base 1, causing the front horizontal vibration leaf spring 6a to fall over, and there is a risk that the front-to-back and up-down vibrations of the upper vibrating body 4 will become unstable.

[0094] In contrast to this, as shown in FIG. 24 , if the front intermediate vibrating body 3 a and the base 1 are connected by a pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs 5 ​​a that are arranged facing each other with a gap in the vertical direction, even when a rotational force acts on the front intermediate vibrating body 3 a from the front horizontal vibration leaf springs 6 a, the inclination of the front intermediate vibrating body 3 a relative to the base 1 is restricted, and it is possible to prevent the front horizontal vibration leaf springs 6 a from falling over.

[0095] 5, since the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b and the base 1 are connected by the rear vertical vibration leaf springs 5b, which are provided as a pair facing each other with a gap in the vertical direction, even when a rotational force acts on the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b from the rear horizontal vibration leaf spring 6b, the inclination of the rear intermediate vibrating body 3b with respect to the base 1 is restricted, and the rear horizontal vibration leaf spring 6b can be prevented from falling over. Therefore, this vibratory component transport device can obtain stable front-rear and up-down vibrations of the upper vibrating body 4.

[0096] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, this vibration-type part conveying device is provided with a base center-of-gravity adjusting protrusion 25 having a mass corresponding to the horizontal vibration electromagnet 9, thereby positioning the center of gravity of the base 1 at the center in the front-to-rear direction of the base 1, and with an upper center-of-gravity adjusting protrusion 26 having a mass corresponding to the horizontal vibration iron core 24, thereby positioning the center of gravity of the upper vibrating body 4 at the center in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrating body 4. As a result, the positions of the centers of gravity of the trough 7 and the upper vibrating body 4 and the positions of the centers of gravity of the intermediate vibrating bodies 3 a, 3 b and the base 1 are aligned vertically without any misalignment in the front-to-rear direction, making it possible to keep vertical displacement accompanying the arc-shaped reciprocating motion in the front-to-rear direction small.

[0097] An explanation will be given based on the simplified model shown in Fig. 25. When the horizontally exciting electromagnet 9 shown in Fig. 1 is energized, the trough 7 and the upper vibrating body 4 vibrate horizontally together, and the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a, 3b and the base 1 vibrate horizontally together in the opposite phase to the horizontal vibration. Therefore, in the simplified model shown in Fig. 25, the trough 7 and the upper vibrating body 4 are upper members 50, and the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a, 3b and the base 1 are lower members 51.

[0098] In this simple model, the centers of gravity of the upper member 50, the lower member 51, and the center of gravity G of the entire device are aligned vertically without any misalignment in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in the figure). The centers of gravity of the upper member 50 and the lower member 51 reciprocate in an arc with amplitudes of x1 and x2, centered on the center of gravity G of the entire device. At this time, the centers of gravity of the upper member 50 and the lower member 51 undergo vertical displacements of z1 and z2 due to the reciprocating arc motion.

[0099] 26, if the centers of gravity of the upper member 50, the lower member 51, and the center of gravity G of the entire device are misaligned in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in the figure), the vertical displacements z1' and z2' of the centers of gravity of the upper member 50 and the lower member 51 caused by the arc-shaped reciprocating motion of amplitudes x1 and x2 will be larger than the vertical displacements z1 and z2 shown in Fig. 25. In other words, the greater the misalignment of the centers of gravity of the upper member 50, the lower member 51, and the center of gravity G of the entire device in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in the figure), the larger the vertical displacements of the centers of gravity of the upper member 50 and the lower member 51 caused by the arc-shaped reciprocating motion of the centers of gravity of the upper member 50 and the lower member 51 about the center of gravity G of the entire device, and as a result, the device as a whole is more likely to experience a large pitching motion.

[0100] In this regard, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, by providing a base center of gravity adjustment convex portion 25 and an upper center of gravity adjustment convex portion 26, the positions of the centers of gravity of the trough 7 and the upper vibrating body 4 and the positions of the centers of gravity of the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a, 3b and the base 1 are aligned in the vertical direction without any deviation in the front-to-back direction, so that vertical displacement accompanying the arc-shaped reciprocating motion in the front-to-back direction can be effectively suppressed, and the pitching motion of the entire device can be suppressed to a small amount.

[0101] 1, it is possible to adjust the moment of inertia of the base 1 and adjust the amplitude of the pitching motion of the base 1 as seen from the floor, without changing the mass of the base 1. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the moment of inertia of the base 1 so that the pitching motion of the upper vibrator 4 is counteracted by the pitching motion of the base 1 without increasing the mass of the entire device, and adjusting the moment of inertia of the base 1 does not result in a decrease in the natural frequency of the entire device or a decrease in the part conveying speed.

[0102] Furthermore, by changing the mass of the side plate 37 shown by the dotted line in FIG. 1, this vibration-type part conveying device can change the ratio between the total mass of the trough 7 and the upper vibrating body 4 and the total mass of the base 1 (including the side plate 37 for adjusting the mass) and the intermediate vibrating bodies 3a, 3b. This changes the ratio between the magnitude of the amplitude of the upper vibrating body 4 in the front-to-rear direction and the magnitude of the amplitude of the base 1 in the front-to-rear direction, and makes it possible to adjust the part conveying speed.

[0103] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, in this vibration-type part conveying device, the vertical displacement sensor 33 and horizontal displacement sensor 34 are provided in the central portion of the base 1 in the front-to-rear direction, and even when the upper vibrating body 4 is making a pitching motion relative to the base 1, the relative positional relationship of the upper vibrating body 4 to the base 1 is less affected in the central portion of the base 1 in the front-to-rear direction, so that the vertical displacement sensor 33 and horizontal displacement sensor 34 can accurately detect the displacement of the upper vibrating body 4 relative to the base 1.

[0104] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0105] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Base 3a Front intermediate vibrator 3b Rear intermediate vibrator 4 Upper vibrator 5a Front leaf spring for vertical vibration 5b Rear leaf spring for vertical vibration 6a Front leaf spring for horizontal vibration 6b Rear leaf spring for horizontal vibration 7 Trough 8 Vertical vibration electromagnet 9 Horizontal vibration electromagnet 10 Parts conveying path 20a Front spring fixing piece 20b Rear spring fixing piece 21a Front spring fixing block 21b Rear spring fixing block 23 Vertical vibration iron core 24 Horizontal vibration iron core 25 Base center of gravity adjustment convex part 26 Upper center of gravity adjustment convex part 27a Front weight fixing rail 27b Rear weight fixing rail 28a Front weight 28b Rear weight 33 Vertical displacement sensor 34 Horizontal displacement sensor 37 Side panel

Claims

1. A vibration device comprising: a base (1); an intermediate vibrator (3a, 3b) connected to the base (1) via vertical vibration leaf springs (5a, 5b); an upper vibrator (4) connected to the intermediate vibrator (3a, 3b) via horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a, 6b); a trough (7) attached to the upper vibrator (4) and having a part transport path (10) extending linearly in the front-to-rear direction; a vertical vibration electromagnet (8) that applies vertical vibration to the upper vibrator (4); and a horizontal vibration electromagnet (9) that applies front-to-rear vibration to the upper vibrator (4), wherein the intermediate vibrator (3a, 3b) is disposed below the base (1); and the horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a, 6b) are disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction, avoiding the base (1); A vibrating part conveying device in which the upper ends of the horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a, 6b) are fixed to the upper vibrating body (4), and the lower ends of the horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a, 6b) are fixed to the intermediate vibrating body (3a, 3b).

2. The vibratory part conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate vibrating bodies (3a, 3b) are composed of a front intermediate vibrating body (3a) and a rear intermediate vibrating body (3b) arranged at a distance from each other in the front-to-rear direction, the horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a, 6b) are composed of a front horizontal vibration leaf spring (6a) that connects the front intermediate vibrating body (3a) and the upper vibrating body (4) and a rear horizontal vibration leaf spring (6b) that connects the rear intermediate vibrating body (3b) and the upper vibrating body (4), and the vertical vibration leaf springs (5a, 5b) are composed of a front vertical vibration leaf spring (5a) that connects the front intermediate vibrating body (3a) and the base (1) and a rear vertical vibration leaf spring (5b) that connects the rear intermediate vibrating body (3b) and the base (1).

3. The vibratory part transport device according to claim 2, wherein the front horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a) are provided in a pair facing each other with a gap in the fore-and-aft direction, the upper ends of the pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a) sandwich a front spring fixing piece (20a) provided on the upper vibrating body (4) from the front and rear, and the lower ends of the pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a) sandwich the front intermediate vibrating body (3a) from the front and rear, and the rear horizontal vibration leaf springs (6b) are provided in a pair facing each other with a gap in the fore-and-aft direction, the upper ends of the pair of rear horizontal vibration leaf springs (6b) sandwich a rear spring fixing piece (20b) provided on the upper vibrating body (4) from the front and rear, and the lower ends of the pair of rear horizontal vibration leaf springs (6b) sandwich the rear intermediate vibrating body (3b) from the front and rear.

4. A vibratory part conveying device as described in claim 3, wherein the pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a) are provided on the left and right sides of the upper vibrating body (4), the front spring fixing pieces (20a) are protrusions protruding from the upper vibrating body (4) on the left and right sides, respectively; the pair of rear horizontal vibration leaf springs (6b) are provided on the left and right sides of the upper vibrating body (4), and the rear spring fixing pieces (20b) are protrusions protruding from the upper vibrating body (4) on the left and right sides, respectively.

5. A vibration-type part transport device as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein one front horizontal vibration leaf spring (6a) and the other front horizontal vibration leaf spring (6a) constituting the pair of front horizontal vibration leaf springs (6a) are each formed of a plurality of leaf springs stacked one on top of the other, and one rear horizontal vibration leaf spring (6b) and the other rear horizontal vibration leaf spring (6b) constituting the pair of rear horizontal vibration leaf springs (6b) are each formed of a plurality of leaf springs stacked one on top of the other.

6. A vibratory part conveying device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the front vertical vibration leaf springs (5a) are provided in a pair facing each other with a gap in the vertical direction, the pair of front vertical vibration leaf springs (5a) sandwiching the front intermediate vibrator (3a) and a front spring fixing block (21a) provided on the base (1) from above and below at positions spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and the rear vertical vibration leaf springs (5b) are provided in a pair facing each other with a gap in the vertical direction, and the pair of rear vertical vibration leaf springs (5b) sandwiching the rear intermediate vibrator (3b) and a rear spring fixing block (21b) provided on the base (1) from above and below at positions spaced apart in the horizontal direction.

7. A vibration-type part conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vertical vibration electromagnet (8) is arranged at the central position in the fore-and-aft direction of the base (1), the horizontal vibration electromagnet (9) is arranged at a position shifted in one direction in the fore-and-aft direction from the central position in the fore-and-aft direction of the base (1), and the base (1) is provided with a base center-of-gravity adjustment convex portion (25) having a mass corresponding to the horizontal vibration electromagnet (9) at a position shifted in the other direction in the fore-and-aft direction from the central position in the fore-and-aft direction.

8. A vibratory part conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the upper vibrating body (4) is provided with a vertical excitation iron core (23) that faces the vertical excitation electromagnet (8) with a gap therebetween in the up-down direction, and a horizontal excitation iron core (24) that faces the horizontal excitation electromagnet (9) with a gap in the front-to-rear direction, the vertical excitation iron core (23) is arranged in a central position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrating body (4), the horizontal excitation iron core (24) is arranged in a position shifted in one direction in the front-to-rear direction from the central position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper vibrating body (4), and the upper vibrating body (4) is provided with an upper center-of-gravity adjusting convex portion (26) having a mass corresponding to the horizontal excitation iron core (24) in a position shifted in the other direction in the front-to-rear direction from the central position in the front-to-rear direction.

9. A vibratory part conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a front weight fixing rail (27a) extending in the fore-and-aft direction is provided at the front end of the base (1), a front weight (28a) is fixed to the front weight fixing rail (27a) so that the fixing position of the weight can be adjusted in the fore-and-aft direction, and a rear weight fixing rail (27b) extending in the fore-and-aft direction is provided at the rear end of the base (1), and a rear weight (28b) is fixed to the rear weight fixing rail (27b) so that the fixing position of the weight can be adjusted in the fore-and-aft direction.

10. A vibration type parts transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein side plates (37) for adjusting mass are removably attached to both the left and right side surfaces of the base (1).

11. A vibration-type part conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, in which a vertical displacement sensor (33) for detecting the upward and downward displacement of the upper vibrating body (4) relative to the base (1) and a horizontal displacement sensor (34) for detecting the forward and backward displacement of the upper vibrating body (4) relative to the base (1) are provided in the central portion of the base (1) in the forward and backward directions.

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