Conveyance device

Abstract

Provided is a conveyance device comprising an articulated robot arm and capable of reducing manufacturing cost. The conveyance device 1 carries a workpiece 101 into or out from an external device, and comprises: a guide rail 2 disposed above the external device; a carrier 10 that can freely reciprocate on the guide rail 2; one articulated robot arm 30 mounted on the carrier 10; and a temporary placement carriage 40 that can freely reciprocate on the guide rail 2 and is connected to the carrier 10. In addition, the temporary placement carriage 40 comprises: a first temporary placement part for temporarily placing the workpiece 101 carried out from the external device by the robot arm 30; and a second temporary placement part for temporarily placing a workpiece to be carried into the external device by the robot arm 30.

Description

Transfer device

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer device for loading and unloading a workpiece to and from an external device.

[0002] Conventionally, a transfer device for loading and unloading a workpiece to and from an external device has been known. For example, when the external device is a processing device, the transfer device constructs an automatic processing line. Conventionally, as such a transfer device, for example, a transfer device that grips a workpiece with a gantry loader that reciprocates on a guide rail is known. A conventional transfer device equipped with a gantry loader can secure a passage for people in a direction crossing the guide rail below the transfer device.

[0003] In addition, as a transfer device that can secure a passage for people in a direction crossing the guide rail below the transfer device, a transfer device equipped with an articulated robot arm has also been proposed for a conventional transfer device (see Patent Document 1). Specifically, the transfer device described in Patent Document 1 includes a guide rail disposed above an external device and a carrier provided to be reciprocally movable on the guide rail. And the transfer device described in Patent Document 1 is provided with two articulated robot arms for gripping a workpiece on the carrier. Specifically, one of the two articulated robot arms grips the workpiece to be carried into the external device. Also, the other of the two articulated robot arms holds the workpiece to be carried out from the external device. A conventional transfer device equipped with such an articulated robot arm can take out the workpiece carried into the transfer device from a pallet or the like on which the workpieces are stacked in a pile, and can obtain effects such as suppressing the height of the transfer device as compared with a conventional transfer device equipped with a gantry loader.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023 - 107062

[0005] Conventional transport systems with two articulated robot arms mounted on a single carrier offer advantages over conventional transport systems with gantry loaders, such as the ability to retrieve workpieces from a loader where workpieces are loosely stacked, and the ability to reduce the overall height of the transport system. However, conventional transport systems with two articulated robot arms mounted on a single carrier have the drawback of higher manufacturing costs compared to conventional transport systems with gantry loaders.

[0006] The present invention was made against the background of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a transport device equipped with a multi-joint robot arm that can reduce manufacturing costs compared to a conventional transport device in which two multi-joint robot arms are provided on a single carrier.

[0007] The conveying device according to the present invention is a conveying device for loading and unloading workpieces into and out of an external device, comprising: a guide rail positioned above the external device; a carrier provided on the guide rail so as to be reciprocally movable; a multi-joint robot arm mounted on the carrier; and a temporary storage trolley provided on the guide rail so as to be reciprocally movable and connected to the carrier, wherein the temporary storage trolley comprises a first temporary storage section for temporarily storing workpieces loaded from the external device by the robot arm, and a second temporary storage section for temporarily storing workpieces to be loaded into the external device by the robot arm.

[0008] The conveying device according to the present invention is equipped with a temporary storage trolley for temporarily placing workpieces, so that it can reduce the number of articulated robot arms mounted on the carrier from two to one while ensuring the same effects as a conventional conveying device in which two articulated robot arms are mounted on one carrier. For this reason, the conveying device according to the present invention can reduce manufacturing costs compared to a conventional conveying device in which two articulated robot arms are mounted on one carrier, while ensuring the same effects as a conventional conveying device in which two articulated robot arms are mounted on one carrier.

[0009] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, observed from the front. This is a partial cross-sectional view of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, observed from the side. This is a partial cross-sectional view of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, observed from the side. This is a partial cross-sectional view of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, observed from the rear. This is a diagram illustrating the operation of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention partial cross-sectional view of a modified example of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, observed from the front.

[0010] In the following embodiment, an example of a conveying device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Embodiments. Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. Figures 2 and 3 are partial cross-sectional views of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the side. Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear. In addition, in Figures 1 and 4, the receiving component 70 has been cut at the position of the bottom plate 71 and the side plate 72 on the front side of the paper has been removed to facilitate observation of the carrier 10, robot arm 30 and temporary storage trolley 40, etc. Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the conveying device 1 viewed from the right side of the paper in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the conveying device 1 viewed from the left side of the paper in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows the state in which the workpiece 101 is temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 41. Figure 3 shows the state in which the workpiece 101 is temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 42.

[0012] The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment is a conveying device that loads and unloads workpieces 101 into and out of an external device 100 such as a processing device. For details of the external device 100, please refer to Figures 5 to 20, which will be described later. This conveying device 1 includes a guide rail 2, a carrier 10, a robot arm 30, and a temporary storage trolley 40.

[0013] The guide rail 2 is, for example, a long component with a roughly rectangular tube shape. As shown in Figures 5 to 20 described later, the guide rail 2 is supported by pillars (not shown) and positioned above the external device 100.

[0014] The carrier 10 is mounted on the guide rail 2 so as to be able to reciprocate. The configuration in which the carrier 10 is mounted on the guide rail 2 so as to be able to reciprocate is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the carrier 10 is mounted on the guide rail 2 so as to be able to reciprocate as follows. The carrier 10 has a main body 11. The carrier 10 also has a plurality of rollers 14 that are rotatably mounted on the main body 11. These rollers 14 contact the guide rail 2 and support the main body 11 so as not to fall off the guide rail 2. In this way, the carrier 10 is mounted on the guide rail 2 so as to be able to reciprocate.

[0015] Furthermore, the carrier 10 is configured to be able to move along the guide rail 2 by the driving force of the motor 15. Specifically, in this embodiment, the carrier 10 is configured to be able to move along the guide rail 2 as follows: The transport device 1 includes a motor 15, a rack 16, and a pinion 17. The motor 15 is attached to the main body 11 of the carrier 10. The pinion 17 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 15. The pinion 17 may be attached to the output shaft of the motor 15 via a reduction gear, or it may be attached directly to the output shaft of the motor 15. The rack 16 is attached to the guide rail 2 along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 2 and meshes with the pinion 17. As a result, when the output shaft of the motor 15 rotates, the carrier 10 moves along the guide rail 2.

[0016] The robot arm 30 is a multi-joint robot arm. In this embodiment, the robot arm 30 is configured such that its components are rotatably connected by rotational axes 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, and 30f. In other words, the robot arm 30 in this embodiment is a six-axis robot arm. The robot arm 30 is mounted on a carrier 10. One robot arm 30 is mounted on the carrier 10. A gripping part (not shown) for gripping a workpiece 101 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 30.

[0017] The configuration for mounting the robot arm 30 on the carrier 10 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the robot arm 30 is mounted on the carrier 10 as follows. The carrier 10 has a mounting portion 12 that extends from the main body portion 11 in a lateral direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 2. This mounting portion 12 has a mounting surface 13 that faces the temporary storage trolley 40. The first axis frame 31, which is the most base (root) component of the robot arm 30, is attached to the mounting surface 13. As a result, when the carrier 10 moves along the guide rail 2, each component of the robot arm 30 can be positioned at a height above the position of the first axis frame 31. In other words, by mounting the robot arm 30 on the carrier 10 as in this embodiment, it becomes easy to secure a path for people to move below the transport device 1.

[0018] The temporary storage trolley 40 is mounted on the guide rail 2 so as to be able to reciprocate. The configuration in which the temporary storage trolley 40 is mounted on the guide rail 2 so as to be able to reciprocate is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the temporary storage trolley 40 is mounted on the guide rail 2 so as to be able to reciprocate as follows. The temporary storage trolley 40 has a first trolley section 44 which corresponds to the main body section 11 of the carrier 10. That is, the first trolley section 44 can also be called the main body section of the temporary storage trolley 40. The temporary storage trolley 40 also has a plurality of rollers 43 that are rotatably mounted on the first trolley section 44. These rollers 43 contact the guide rail 2 and support the first trolley section 44 so as to prevent it from falling off the guide rail 2. In this way, the temporary storage trolley 40 is mounted on the guide rail 2 so as to be able to reciprocate. That is, in this embodiment, the first trolley section 44 of the temporary storage trolley 40 is mounted on the guide rail 2 so as to be able to reciprocate. Furthermore, the temporary storage trolley 40 is connected to the carrier 10. That is, when the carrier 10 moves along the guide rail 2, the temporary storage trolley 40 also moves along the guide rail 2 together with the carrier 10. In this embodiment, the first trolley portion 44 of the temporary storage trolley 40 and the main body portion 11 of the carrier 10 are connected by a connecting component 18.

[0019] The temporary storage trolley 40 configured in this way has multiple temporary storage sections where the workpiece 101 is temporarily placed. In this embodiment, a temporary storage trolley 40 having two temporary storage sections is shown as an example. Hereinafter, one of the two temporary storage sections will be referred to as temporary storage section 41. The other of the two temporary storage sections will be referred to as temporary storage section 42. Furthermore, below, the temporary storage section where the workpiece 101 unloaded from the external device 100 by the robot arm 30 is temporarily placed will be referred to as the first temporary storage section. The temporary storage section where the workpiece 101 being loaded into the external device 100 by the robot arm 30 is temporarily placed will be referred to as the second temporary storage section. That is, the temporary storage trolley 40 has at least one first temporary storage section and at least one second temporary storage section. In this embodiment, if temporary storage section 41 is the first temporary storage section, then temporary storage section 42 becomes the second temporary storage section. Also, the first temporary storage section and the second temporary storage section may be swapped. In other words, the temporary storage section 41 may become the second temporary storage section, and the temporary storage section 42 may become the first temporary storage section.

[0020] The workpieces 101 temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 move together with the temporary storage trolley 40 when the trolley moves along the guide rail 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to prevent the workpieces 101 temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 from falling when they move, the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 are equipped with a holding structure 50 that holds the temporarily placed workpieces 101. The configuration of the holding structure 50 is not particularly limited, but the holding structure 50 according to this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of protrusions 51 positioned on the outer circumference side of the workpiece 101. As a result, when the workpieces 101 temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 move, the workpieces 101 that are about to come out of the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 are restricted from moving by the protrusions 51 and held in the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42. The holding structure 50 may be a recess into which the lower part of the workpiece 101 is inserted.

[0021] Furthermore, the holding structure 50 according to this embodiment includes a configuration for clamping the workpiece 101 in order to further suppress the workpiece 101 temporarily placed in the temporary placement section 41 and the temporary placement section 42 from falling when moved. Specifically, the holding structure 50 includes a first clamping piece 52, a second clamping piece 53, and an actuator 54, which is, for example, an air cylinder. The first clamping piece 52 is a component fixed to the temporary placement section 41 and the temporary placement section 42. In this embodiment, one of the protrusions 51 is used as the first clamping piece 52. The second clamping piece 53 is attached to the actuator 54 and is moved by the actuator 54. The actuator 54 moves the second clamping piece 53 toward the first clamping piece 52 and presses the temporarily placed workpiece 101 with the second clamping piece 53. The actuator 54 then clamps the temporarily placed workpiece 101 between the first clamping piece 52 and the second clamping piece 53. With the holding structure 50 having this configuration, the workpiece 101 temporarily placed can be moved to a predetermined position by gripping it with the first clamping piece 52 and the second clamping piece 53. Therefore, with the holding structure 50 having this configuration, it becomes easier to adjust the position of the workpiece 101 temporarily placed in the temporary placement section 41 and the temporary placement section 42 when setting up the conveying device 1, improving the usability of the conveying device 1.

[0022] The placement of the temporary storage sections 41 and 42 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the temporary storage sections 41 and 42 are located on the temporary storage trolley 40 in the following positions. The temporary storage trolley 40 includes a first trolley section 44 and a second trolley section 45. The second trolley section 45 is connected to the first trolley section 44 by a connecting component 46. The second trolley section 45 includes the temporary storage sections 41 and 42. In other words, the temporary storage sections 41 and 42 are provided on the second trolley section 45. The temporary storage sections 41 and 42 may also be provided on the upper surface 44a of the first trolley section 44, etc. If the temporary storage sections 41 and 42 are provided on the first trolley section 44, the second trolley section 45 and the connecting component 46 become unnecessary.

[0023] Here, the transport device 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a receiving component 70. The receiving component 70 is provided below the guide rail 2, the carrier 10, and the temporary storage trolley 40. More precisely, at least the bottom plate 71 of the receiving component 70, which will be described later, is provided below the guide rail 2, the carrier 10, and the temporary storage trolley 40. Also, when the carrier 10 and the temporary storage trolley 40 move along the guide rail 2, the robot arm 30 provided on the carrier 10 is positioned above the bottom plate 71 of the receiving component 70, which will be described later. This receiving component 70 is equipped with a bottom plate 71 and a pair of side plates 72 extending upward from the bottom plate 71. The bottom plate 71 extends along the guide rail 2. The pair of side plates 72 face each other in a lateral direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 2. Also, as shown in Figures 5 to 20 described later, the receiving component 70 has an opening 73 through which the robot arm 30 passes, located above the external device 100. The opening 73 may be formed only in the bottom plate 71, or it may be formed in both the bottom plate 71 and the side plate 72. Also, if the opening 73 is formed in both the bottom plate 71 and the side plate 72, the receiving component 70 may be separated into multiple parts. By providing the receiving component 70 in the conveying device 1, it is possible to prevent oil, etc. that has fallen from the guide rail 2, carrier 10, temporary storage trolley 40, etc., from falling onto the human movement path located below the conveying device 1.

[0024] When the conveying device 1 is equipped with a receiving component 70, it is preferable that the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 are provided on the second trolley section 45. As can be seen from Figure 3, the second trolley section 45 can be positioned in the space 74 enclosed by the bottom plate 71 and the pair of side plates 72 of the receiving component 70. In other words, the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 can be positioned in the space 74. With the conveying device 1 configured in this way, even if a workpiece 101 temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 were to fall, the workpiece 101 could be caught by the receiving component 70. For this reason, the conveying device 1 configured in this way has improved safety.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the temporary storage trolley 40 is equipped with a drive device 60 that moves the first temporary storage section and the second temporary storage section relative to the robot arm 30. That is, in this embodiment, the temporary storage trolley 40 is equipped with a drive device 60 that moves the temporary storage section 41 and the temporary storage section 42 relative to the robot arm 30. In this embodiment, the drive device 60 moves the temporary storage section 41 and the temporary storage section 42 along the guide rail 2 in a direction approaching the robot arm 30 and in a direction away from the robot arm 30.

[0026] The configuration of the drive unit 60 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the drive unit 60 has the following configuration. The drive unit 60 includes a guide 61, a motor 62, a rack 63, and a pinion 64. The guide 61 is, for example, a linear guide and extends in the direction of movement of the temporary storage section 41 and the temporary storage section 42. In this embodiment, the guide 61 is provided on the second bogie section 45 and supports the temporary storage section 41 and the temporary storage section 42 so that they can move freely relative to the second bogie section 45. When the temporary storage section 41 and the temporary storage section 42 are provided on the first bogie section 44, the guide 61 is provided on the first bogie section 44. The motor 62 is fixed to, for example, the first bogie section 44 of the temporary storage bogie 40. A pinion 64 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 62. The pinion 64 may be attached to the output shaft of the motor 62 via a reduction gear, or it may be attached directly to the output shaft of the motor 62. The rack 63 is attached to the temporary support section 41 and temporary support section 42 along the longitudinal direction of the guide 61 and meshes with the pinion 64. As a result, when the output shaft of the motor 62 rotates, the temporary support section 41 and temporary support section 42 move along the guide 61 relative to the robot arm 30.

[0027] In order to move the tip of the robot arm 30 up and down, a certain distance must be secured between the robot arm 30 and the temporary storage trolley 40. That is, a certain distance must be secured between the temporary storage section 41, which is the temporary storage section closer to the robot arm 30, and the robot arm 30. Also, as the workpiece 101 becomes larger, the distance between the temporary storage section 42, which is the temporary storage section further away from the robot arm 30, and the robot arm 30 increases. For this reason, if the temporary storage sections 41 and 42 are configured not to move relative to the robot arm 30, it becomes more difficult to temporarily place the workpiece 101 on the temporary storage section 42 as the workpiece 101 becomes larger. On the other hand, the transport device 1 equipped with a drive device 60 can secure space for moving the tip of the robot arm 30 up and down by moving the temporary storage sections 41 and 42 in a direction away from the robot arm 30. Furthermore, the transport device 1 equipped with the drive unit 60 makes it easy to temporarily place the workpiece 101 in the temporary placement section 42 by moving the temporary placement section 41 and 42 in a direction toward the robot arm 30. For this reason, the transport device 1 equipped with the drive unit 60 can transport larger workpieces 101 than the transport device 1 without the drive unit 60. Note that as long as the temporary placement section 41 and 42 can move toward the robot arm 30 and toward the robot arm 30, the direction in which the temporary placement section 41 and 42 move is not limited to the direction along the guide rail 2.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the transport device 1 is equipped with a stopper 3 at the position of the moving end of the temporary storage trolley 40 on the temporary storage trolley 40 side of the carrier 10, which contacts the temporary storage trolley 40 and restricts the movement of the carrier 10 and the temporary storage trolley 40. When the transport device 1 is equipped with a stopper 3 and the above-described drive device 60, it is preferable that the stopper 3 contacts the first trolley section 44, and the temporary storage sections 41 and 42 are provided on the second trolley section 45. This suppresses the impact of the stopper 3 and the temporary storage trolley 40 contacting each other and affects the drive device 60, thereby improving the reliability of the transport device 1.

[0029] Next, we will explain the operation of the transport device 1.

[0030] Figures 5 to 20 are diagrams illustrating the operation of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the external device 100 shown in Figures 5 to 20 is a processing device for processing the workpiece 101. In other words, the conveying device 1 shown in Figures 5 to 20 constructs an automated processing line for the workpiece 101. The side of the external device 100 is the path of movement for people crossing the guide rail 2.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, the transport device 1 moves the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 away from the robot arm 30 to retrieve the workpiece 101 to be processed by the external device 100. In contrast, conventional transport devices equipped with a gantry loader required the workpiece 101 to be retrieved from a work supply device equipped with a conveyor or the like that could transport the workpieces 101 one by one to the retrieval position when the workpiece 101 to be processed by the external device 100 was retrieved by the gantry loader. On the other hand, the transport device 1 according to this embodiment retrieves the workpiece 101 with the robot arm 30, so for example, the workpiece 101 to be processed by the external device 100 can be retrieved from a pallet 110 in which the workpieces 101 are stacked loosely. In other words, the transport device 1 according to this embodiment does not require a work supply device that can transport the workpieces 101 one by one to the retrieval position.

[0032] After the robot arm 30 removes the workpiece 101, which is to be processed by the external device 100, from the pallet 110, the workpiece 101 is temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 41, as shown in Figure 6. Then, as shown in Figure 7, the carrier 10 and the temporary storage trolley 40 move along the guide rail 2 to above the external device 100 on the left side of the paper. When the robot arm 30 moves along the guide rail 2 together with the carrier 10 and the temporary storage trolley 40, it is positioned above the bottom plate 71 of the receiving part 70 in order to avoid contact with the receiving part 70. At this time, the robot arm 30 can be bent, as shown in Figure 7. For this reason, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment can suppress the height of the conveying device 1 compared to a conventional conveying device equipped with a gantry loader when the gantry loader is raised.

[0033] Then, as shown in Figures 8 to 11, the transport device 1 unloads the workpiece 101 processed by the external device 100 on the left side of the page and temporarily places the workpiece 101 in the temporary storage section 42. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the robot arm 30 lowers its tip. The robot arm 30 then passes through the opening 73 of the receiving component 70 and inserts its tip into the external device 100 on the left side of the page, and grips the workpiece 101 processed by the external device 100 on the left side of the page with a gripping part (not shown). After that, as shown in Figure 9, the robot arm 30 raises the workpiece 101 to a position higher than the temporary storage sections 41 and 42. Then, as shown in Figure 10, the transport device 1 moves the temporary storage sections 41 and 42 toward the robot arm 30. Finally, as shown in Figure 11, the robot arm 30 temporarily places the workpiece 101 in the temporary storage section 42.

[0034] The transport device 1 temporarily places the workpiece 101 processed by the external device 100 on the left side of the page into the temporary storage section 42, and then, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, transports the workpiece 101 temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 41 to the external device 100 on the left side of the page. This workpiece 101 is the workpiece 101 that will be processed later by the external device 100 on the left side of the page. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12, the transport device 1 moves the temporary storage section 41 and the temporary storage section 42 away from the robot arm 30. The robot arm 30 then grips the workpiece 101 temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 41 with a gripping section (not shown). After that, as shown in Figure 13, the robot arm 30 lowers its tip. The robot arm 30 then passes through the opening 73 of the receiving component 70 and inserts its tip into the external device 100 on the left side of the page, releasing the grip on the workpiece 101 at the workpiece mounting position of the external device 100 on the left side of the page.

[0035] In other words, in the transfer of workpiece 101 between the external device 100 on the left side of the paper and the transport device 1, the first temporary storage area where the workpiece 101 unloaded from the external device 100 by the robot arm 30 is temporarily placed becomes temporary storage area 42. Also, the second temporary storage area where the workpiece 101 being loaded into the external device 100 by the robot arm 30 is temporarily placed becomes temporary storage area 41.

[0036] After loading the workpiece 101 into the external device 100 on the left side of the page, the transport device 1 is positioned so that the robot arm 30 is above the bottom plate 71 of the part 70, as shown in Figure 14. Then, the transport device 1 moves the carrier 10 and the temporary storage trolley 40 above the external device 100 on the right side of the page.

[0037] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the transport device 1, having moved the carrier 10 and temporary storage trolley 40 above the external device 100 on the right side of the page, unloads the workpiece 101 processed by the external device 100 on the right side of the page and temporarily places the workpiece 101 in the temporary storage section 41. Specifically, as shown in Figure 15, the robot arm 30 lowers its tip. The robot arm 30 then passes through the opening 73 of the receiving component 70 and inserts its tip into the external device 100 on the right side of the page, and grips the workpiece 101 processed by the external device 100 on the right side of the page with a gripping part (not shown). Then, as shown in Figure 16, the robot arm 30 raises the workpiece 101 to a position higher than the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42, and then temporarily places the workpiece 101 in the temporary storage section 41.

[0038] The transport device 1 temporarily places the workpiece 101 processed by the external device 100 on the right side of the page into the temporary storage section 41, and then, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, transports the workpiece 101 temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 42 to the external device 100 on the right side of the page. This workpiece 101 is the workpiece 101 that will be processed later by the external device 100 on the right side of the page. Specifically, as shown in Figure 17, the transport device 1 moves the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 toward the robot arm 30. The robot arm 30 then grasps the workpiece 101 temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 42 with a gripping section (not shown). After that, as shown in Figure 18, the transport device 1 moves the temporary storage section 41 and temporary storage section 42 toward the robot arm 30. The robot arm 30 then lowers its tip. Then, the robot arm 30 passes through the opening 73 of the receiving part 70, inserts its tip into the external device 100 on the left and right sides of the paper, and releases gripping the workpiece 101 at the workpiece mounting position of the external device 100 on the right side of the paper.

[0039] In other words, in the transfer of workpieces 101 between the external device 100 on the right side of the page and the transport device 1, the first temporary storage area where workpieces 101 unloaded from the external device 100 by the robot arm 30 are temporarily placed becomes temporary storage area 41. The second temporary storage area where workpieces 101 being loaded into the external device 100 by the robot arm 30 are temporarily placed becomes temporary storage area 42.

[0040] After loading the workpiece 101 into the external device 100 on the right side of the page, the transport device 1 positions the robot arm 30 above the bottom plate 71 of the part 70. Then, the transport device 1 moves the carrier 10 and the temporary storage trolley 40 above the stocker 120.

[0041] As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the transport device 1, having moved the carrier 10 and the temporary storage trolley 40 above the stocker 120, stores the workpiece 101 into the stocker 120. Specifically, the workpiece 101, which is temporarily placed in the temporary storage section 41, is grasped by a gripping section (not shown). Then, the robot arm 30 lowers its tip. The robot arm 30 then passes through the opening 73 of the receiving component 70, inserts its tip into the stocker 120, and releases the grip on the workpiece 101 at the storage position.

[0042] In conventional transport devices equipped with a gantry loader, the stocker into which the workpiece 101 is stored needed to have a conveyor or the like to discharge the workpiece, which had been placed in a specific position by the gantry loader, from that position. On the other hand, the transport device 1 according to this embodiment can store the workpiece 101 in any position in the stocker 120 using the robot arm 30. For example, if the stocker 120 has shelves, the transport device 1 according to this embodiment can arrange the workpiece 101 on the shelves. Also, for example, if the stocker 120 has multiple stands on which the workpiece 101 can be hooked, the transport device 1 according to this embodiment can hook the workpiece 101 onto the stands. Therefore, by using the transport device 1 according to this embodiment, the stocker 120 does not need a conveyor or the like to unload the workpiece 101.

[0043] <Effect of the transfer device 1> As described above, the transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment is a transfer device that transfers the workpiece 101 in and out of the external device 100. The transfer device 1 includes a guide rail 2 disposed above the external device 100, a carrier 10 provided to be reciprocally movable on the guide rail 2, and a single articulated robot arm 30 mounted on the carrier 10. Further, the transfer device 1 is provided to be reciprocally movable on the guide rail 2 and includes a temporary placement carriage 40 connected to the carrier 10. The temporary placement carriage 40 includes a first temporary placement portion where the workpiece 101 carried out from the external device 100 by the robot arm 30 is temporarily placed, and a second temporary placement portion where the workpiece to be carried into the external device 100 by the robot arm 30 is temporarily placed.

[0044] The transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment configured as described above can obtain the following effects.

[0045] Similar to a conventional transfer device provided with a gantry loader, as a transfer device capable of securing a human flow line in a direction crossing the guide rail, a transfer device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on one carrier has been proposed. A conventional transfer device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on one carrier holds the workpiece 101 with the robot arm, similar to the transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment. Therefore, a conventional transfer device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on one carrier can take out the workpiece from a pallet 110 or the like on which the workpieces 101 are stacked, and can obtain effects such as suppressing the height of the transfer device, similar to the transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment. However, a conventional transfer device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on one carrier had a higher manufacturing cost than a conventional transfer device provided with a gantry loader.

[0046] On the other hand, in the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, one robot arm 30 is mounted on one carrier 10. Therefore, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment can reduce the number of robot arms and the number of parts required to attach the robot arms compared to a conventional conveying device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on one carrier. Furthermore, by reducing the number of robot arms, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment can also shorten the time required to set the posture of the robot arm 30 when loading and unloading workpieces into and out of the pallet 110, external device 100, and stocker 120, compared to a conventional conveying device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on one carrier. Furthermore, by reducing the number of robot arms and the number of parts required to attach the robot arms, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment can also reduce the assembly man-hours and wiring man-hours of the conveying device 1 compared to a conventional conveying device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on one carrier. Accordingly, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment can reduce manufacturing costs compared to a conventional conveying device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on one carrier.

[0047] A person skilled in the art might think that, due to the reduction in the number of robot arms, the transport device 1 according to this embodiment would not achieve the same effect as a conventional transport device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on a single carrier. More specifically, a person skilled in the art might think that reducing the number of robot arms would slow down the loading / unloading cycle time, which is the cycle time for loading and unloading workpieces 101 into and out of the external device 100. However, the transport device 1 according to this embodiment has the same loading / unloading cycle time as a conventional transport device in which two articulated robot arms are provided on a single carrier.

[0048] Specifically, in a conventional transfer device in which two multi-articular robot arms are provided on one carrier, while one of the two robot arms (hereinafter referred to as the first robot arm) holds the workpiece 101 to be carried into the external device 100, the carrier moves above the external device 100. Then, in a conventional transfer device in which two multi-articular robot arms are provided on one carrier, the other of the two robot arms (hereinafter referred to as the second robot arm) unloads the workpiece from the external device 100. Also, in a conventional transfer device in which two multi-articular robot arms are provided on one carrier, after the second robot arm retracts to a position where it does not interfere with the first robot arm, the first robot arm carries the workpiece 101 into the external device 100. On the other hand, in the transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment, with the workpiece 101 temporarily placed on the second temporary placement part, which is one of the temporary placement parts 41 and 42, the carrier 10 and the temporary placement carriage 40 move above the external device 100. Then, the transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment temporarily places the workpiece unloaded from the external device 100 by the robot arm 30 on the first temporary placement part, which is the other of the temporary placement parts 41 and 42, and then carries the workpiece 101 temporarily placed on the second temporary placement part into the external device 100 by the robot arm 30. Since the transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment can transfer workpieces to and from the external device 100 in this way, it has the same transfer cycle as a conventional transfer device in which two multi-articular robot arms are provided on one carrier.

[0049] Thus, the transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment can obtain the same effects as a conventional transfer device in which two multi-articular robot arms are provided on one carrier. That is, the transfer device 1 according to the present embodiment can ensure the same effects as a conventional transfer device in which two multi-articular robot arms are provided on one carrier, while reducing the manufacturing cost compared to a conventional transfer device in which two multi-articular robot arms are provided on one carrier.

[0050] <Modified Example> Figure 21 is a partial cross-sectional view of a modified example of the conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, observed from the front. In the temporary storage trolley 40 of the conveying device 1 described above, the temporary storage section 41 and the temporary storage section 42 were configured to move relative to the robot arm 30. On the other hand, if it is not difficult to temporarily place the workpiece 101 in the temporary storage section 42 without moving the temporary storage section 41 and the temporary storage section 42, the temporary storage trolley 40 of the conveying device 1 may be configured such that the temporary storage section 41 and the temporary storage section 42 do not move relative to the robot arm 30, as shown in Figure 21.

[0051] Although an example of a conveying device according to the present invention has been described in the embodiments above, the conveying device according to the present invention is not limited to the descriptions of embodiments. The conveying device according to the present invention may implement only a part of the configuration described in the embodiments.

[0052] 1 Conveying device, 2 Guide rail, 3 Stopper, 10 Carrier, 11 Main body, 12 Mounting part, 13 Mounting surface, 14 Roller, 15 Motor, 16 Rack, 17 Pinion, 18 Connecting parts, 30 Robot arm, 30a-30f Rotational central axis, 31 First axis frame, 40 Temporary storage trolley, 41 Temporary storage part, 42 Temporary storage part, 43 Roller, 44 First trolley part, 44a Top surface, 45 Second trolley part, 46 Connecting parts, 50 Holding structure, 51 Protrusion, 52 First clamping piece, 53 Second clamping piece, 54 Actuator, 60 Drive device, 61 Guide, 62 Motor, 63 Rack, 64 Pinion, 70 Receiving parts, 71 Bottom plate, 72 Side plate, 73 Opening, 74 Space, 100 External equipment, 101 workpieces, 110 pallets, 120 stockers.

Claims

1. A transport device for loading and unloading workpieces into and out of an external device, comprising: a guide rail positioned above the external device; a carrier mounted on the guide rail so as to be reciprocally movable; a multi-joint robot arm mounted on the carrier; and a temporary storage trolley mounted on the guide rail so as to be reciprocally movable and connected to the carrier, wherein the temporary storage trolley comprises: a first temporary storage section where workpieces unloaded from the external device by the robot arm are temporarily placed; and a second temporary storage section where workpieces to be loaded into the external device by the robot arm are temporarily placed.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, comprising a receiving component provided below the guide rail, the carrier and the temporary storage trolley, with an opening formed therein at a position above the external device through which the robot arm passes, wherein the receiving component comprises a bottom plate and a pair of side plates extending upward from the bottom plate, and the temporary storage trolley comprises a first trolley section provided on the guide rail so as to be reciprocally movable, and a second trolley section connected to the first trolley section and having a first temporary storage section and a second temporary storage section, wherein the second trolley section is arranged in the space enclosed by the bottom plate and the pair of side plates.

3. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the temporary storage trolley is equipped with a drive device for moving the first temporary storage section and the second temporary storage section relative to the robot arm.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3, comprising a stopper that contacts the temporary storage trolley and restricts the movement of the carrier and the temporary storage trolley, wherein the temporary storage trolley comprises a first trolley section that is reciprocally movable on the guide rail and contacts the stopper, and a second trolley section connected to the first trolley section and having a first temporary storage section and a second temporary storage section.

5. The conveying device according to claim 3, comprising a receiving component provided below the guide rail, the carrier and the temporary storage trolley, with an opening formed therein at a position above the external device through which the robot arm passes, wherein the receiving component comprises a bottom plate and a pair of side plates extending upward from the bottom plate, and the temporary storage trolley comprises a first trolley section provided on the guide rail so as to be reciprocally movable, and a second trolley section connected to the first trolley section and having a first temporary storage section and a second temporary storage section, wherein the second trolley section is arranged in the space enclosed by the bottom plate and the pair of side plates.

6. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first temporary storage section and the second temporary storage section are equipped with a holding structure for holding the temporarily stored workpieces.

7. The conveying device according to claim 6, wherein the holding structure comprises a first clamping piece, a second clamping piece, and an actuator that moves the second clamping piece to press the workpiece temporarily placed by the second clamping piece, thereby clamping the workpiece temporarily placed by the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece.

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