JP3890029B2 - Transport device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transfer device used in a work assembly line or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an assembly line of workpieces, for example, an operator who sequentially places workpieces on a belt conveyor at a predetermined interval and takes charge of a predetermined assembly operation is a task assigned to the assembly operation in the movement path of the workpiece. Assembly work is performed while moving the section together with the workpiece on the conveyor.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, if the worker performs assembly work while moving with the workpiece on the conveyor in this way, not only the workability is bad, but also one of the plurality of work sections assigned to the workpiece movement path is assembled. If the delay is delayed, the entire line is stopped and workers in other sections are waiting to work, so that there is a problem that the operation rate of the line is deteriorated.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to provide a transport apparatus that can solve such problems and can be used in an assembly line or the like to improve workability and operating rate.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The transport device of this invention is
A conveyor having a mounting surface continuous in the conveying direction;
A plurality of carriages for placing workpieces, wherein at least some of the wheels are placed on the conveyor, separated from each other along the conveyor, and movable with the conveyor;
A stopper provided in the middle of the movement path of the carriage, and stops the carriage in response to a stop input;
A wheel lock mechanism that normally locks the wheels on the conveyor so as not to rotate and releases the lock in response to the carriage stopping operation of the stopper is provided.
[0006]
According to this configuration, for example, when used for transferring workpieces in an assembly line, the stopper that blocks the carriage entering the work section according to the stop input by the operator, and in response to this, the wheel lock mechanism of the carriage is a conveyor. The upper wheel is unlocked so that it can rotate from the previous locked state, so that the carriage stops in the work section without being pulled by the moving conveyor, and the operator performs a predetermined operation on the workpiece on the stopped carriage. Assembling work can be easily performed, and workability is improved. Even if the work is delayed in one work section, the carriage surely enters the other work section as the conveyor moves, so it is not necessary to stop the entire work and the line operating rate is improved. When the assembly operation is completed and the operator gives a stop release input to the stopper, the wheel lock mechanism locks the wheels on the conveyor again, so that the carriage moves together with the conveyor. Further, since the cart can be easily taken out from the conveyor, the cart can be easily maintained and inspected.
[0007]
In this invention , the wheel lock mechanism has a locking gear fixed to the wheel on the conveyor coaxially with the wheel, and a lock pin that can be engaged with and disengaged from the gear, and is pivotally supported by the carriage. Then, the lock pin is engaged with the locking gear by a spring bias, and is swung to abut against the stopper when the carriage is stopped, so that the lock pin is disengaged from the locking gear. since it is made of a member, it can be constructed car wheel lock mechanism simple and compact.
[0008]
In this invention, the stopper contact portion of the swing member may be a damper portion that protrudes forward from the main body of the carriage.
When configured in this way, when the worker accidentally enters the front of the moving carriage and the operator hits the carriage, the damper portion of the swinging member protruding forward of the carriage main body will hit the operator. Therefore, the wheel lock mechanism is unlocked in the same way as when responding to the stopper, the wheels on the conveyor are switched from the non-rotatable state to the rotatable state, and the cart can be stopped instantaneously, and the cart to the worker The impact of the collision can be mitigated, and safety is increased accordingly.
[0009]
In the present invention, a guide rail may be provided along the conveyor, and an engagement member that is detachably engaged with the guide rail may be provided on the carriage.
When comprised in this way, when a trolley | bogie moves with a conveyor, a trolley | bogie can be moved with a conveyor more stably, without detaching | leave from a conveyor. In addition, even when the carriage is stopped, the carriage does not move in the width direction of the movement path, and the operation while stopped can be performed more easily.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The transport device of this embodiment is used for transporting workpieces in an assembly line, for example, and is endlessly mounted on a pair of sprockets 1 and 2 as shown in FIG. 1 showing a plan view of the overall schematic configuration. A slat conveyor 3 in which a large number of plate pieces are connected to a chain (not shown) to form a mounting surface continuous in the conveying direction, and a plurality of carriages on which at least some wheels 4 are mounted on the slat conveyor 3 5. Each carriage 5 is for placing a work (not shown) that is an object of assembly work, and is arranged separately along the slat conveyor 3 in the front-rear direction. Here, among the four front and rear wheels 4 of the carriage 5, the inner front and rear wheels 4 with respect to the slat conveyor 3 are placed on the slat conveyor 3, and the outer front and rear wheels 4 are on the outer peripheral side of the slat conveyor 3. Is mounted on a moving path 6 having the same height as that of the slat conveyor 3 installed on the slat conveyor. Accordingly, each cart 5 can be moved together with the slat conveyor 3 by driving the slat conveyor 3. The drive source 7 of the slat conveyor 3 includes a motor 8 and a transmission mechanism 9 that decelerates the rotational output of the motor 8 and transmits it to the sprocket 1.
In the middle of the movement path of the carriage 5, a plurality of stoppers 11 are installed to stop the carriage 5 in response to a stop input. Each of these stoppers 11 is individually installed for each work section allocated to each assembly work in the carriage movement path of the assembly line.
[0011]
FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a partial configuration of part A in FIG. The stopper 11 includes a slider 12 having a stopper main body 13 at the tip and capable of moving forward and backward in the path of the slat conveyor 3, and a cylinder 14 that is a drive source of the slider 12. The slider 12 is slidably provided by, for example, a linear motion rolling bearing. The stopper 11 moves back and forth in response to a stop input and a stop release input by an operator. The entire stopper 11 has a height that does not hinder the passage of the carriage 5.
[0012]
Each carriage 5 is provided with a wheel lock mechanism 15 that locks the wheels 4 on the slat conveyor 3 so as not to rotate. The wheel lock mechanism 15 is connected to the front wheel of the wheels 4 on the slat conveyor 3, as shown in FIG. 4, and a locking gear 16 fixed coaxially to the front wheel 4. And a rocking member 17 that has a lock pin 18 and is pivotally supported by the carriage 5. As shown in the plan view of FIG. 2, the swing member 17 is a fork-like member having a general shape in which the lower end portions of the pair of left and right arm portions 17a and 17a are connected by a horizontal plate portion 17b. 17a is supported by a pair of support arms 19a, 19a integrally formed on both side walls of the wheel boss 19 via a support shaft 20 so as to be swingable. The lock pin 18 is pivotally supported on the upper end of one arm portion 17 a of the swing member 17. As shown in FIG. 3, which shows a cross-sectional view of the carriage 5 from the rear, the upper end of the other arm portion 17 a of the swing member 17 is connected to the lower portion of the wheel boss 19 by a coil spring 21. The rocking member 17 is biased toward the rotating side where the lock pin 18 is engaged with the locking gear 16 as shown in FIG.
The horizontal plate portion 17b of the swing member 17 is a portion where the stopper main body 12 of the stopper 11 advancing into the path of the slat conveyor 3 abuts, and as shown in FIG. 2, the damper protrudes forward from the cart main body 5a. It is considered to be a part.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of guide rails 22, 22 are provided on the inner and outer periphery of the slat conveyor 3, and the engaging members are detachably engaged with one of the two guide rails 22. 23 is provided on the cart 5. The engaging member 23 is composed of a pair of guide rollers 24 and 24 which are attached to a roller attaching portion 19b integrally formed at the lower portion of the wheel boss 19 and sandwich the guide rail 22 from both sides. It is configured by arranging pairs.
[0014]
Next, the operation of the transport device will be described. When the slat conveyor 3 moves in the conveying direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 1, each carriage 5 on which the inner wheels 4 are mounted on the slat conveyor 3 moves together with the slat conveyor 3. That is, at this time, in each cart 5, as shown in FIG. 4, the swing member 17 is urged by the coil spring 21 in the turning direction to engage the lock pin 18 with the lock gear 16, and the front wheels Since 4 is locked so as not to rotate, the frictional force between the carriage 5 and the slat conveyor 3 increases, and the carriage 5 does not move relative to the slat conveyor 3 but moves stably with the slat conveyor 3. In addition, since the engaging member 23 of the carriage 5 is also engaged with the guide rail 24 along the slat conveyor 3, the carriage 5 moves with the slat conveyor 3 more stably without being detached from the slat conveyor 3. At this time, the outer wheel 4 placed on the moving path 6 removed from the slat conveyor 3 is freely rotated as the carriage 5 moves.
[0015]
When the cart 5 enters a predetermined work section, the worker who is in charge of the work section gives a stop input to the stopper 11. In response to this stop input, the slider 12 of the stopper 11 advances, and the stopper main body 13 stands by at a position where the carriage 5 stops the carriage 5 in front of the carriage 5. The horizontal plate portion 17b (damper portion) of the swinging member 17 in the carriage 5 that has moved contacts the stopper main body 13 that waits as shown in FIG. As a result, the swing member 17 rotates against the urging force of the coil spring 21 (FIG. 3), the lock pin 18 is disengaged from the locking gear 16, and the front wheel 4 on the slat conveyor 3 is moved. It becomes free to rotate. As a result, the frictional force between the slat conveyor 3 and the carriage 5 is reduced, so that the carriage 5 stops without being pulled by the moving slat conveyor 3, and the operator works against the workpiece on the carriage 5 that is stopped. A predetermined assembly operation can be easily performed. Further, since the engagement member 23 of the carriage 5 is engaged with the guide rail 22, the carriage 5 does not move in the width direction of the movement path while the carriage 5 is stopped, and the operation during the stop can be performed. It can be done more easily. When the assembly work is completed and the operator gives a stop release input to the stopper 11, the stopper body 13 moves backward from the path of the slat conveyor 3. As a result, the swinging member 17 that receives the biasing force of the coil spring 21 is rotated and returned, the lock pin 18 is engaged with the locking gear 16 again, and the front wheel 4 on the slat conveyor 3 is locked so as not to rotate. . As a result, the carriage 5 moves again with the slat conveyor 3.
[0016]
The above operation is performed in the same manner in other work sections. In this way, in this transport device, the carriage 5 on which the workpiece is placed is stopped in the work section, and the front wheel 4 on the slat conveyor 3 can be rotated from the non-rotatable state (locked state) until then ( Since the work can be stopped, the assembling work can be easily performed and workability can be improved. Even if work is delayed in one work section, the carriage 5 surely enters another work section as the slat conveyor 3 moves, so there is no need to stop the entire work and the line operating rate is also high. Will improve. Furthermore, since the carriage 5 can be easily removed from the slat conveyor 3, the maintenance and inspection of the carriage 5 can be easily performed.
[0017]
Further, the wheel lock mechanism 15 has a lock gear 16 fixed coaxially to the wheel 4 on the slat conveyor 3 and a lock pin 18 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the gear 16, and can swing on the carriage 5. The lock pin 18 is engaged with the lock gear 16 by spring biasing, and the lock pin 18 abuts on the stopper 11 when the carriage is stopped and swings to disengage the lock pin 18 from the lock gear 16. Since it is comprised with the rocking | swiveling member 17 to be made, the wheel lock mechanism 15 can be comprised simply and compactly.
[0018]
Further, when the operator accidentally enters the moving carriage 5 and hits the operator with the carriage 5, the horizontal plate portion 17b (damper portion) of the swinging member 17 protruding forward of the carriage body 5a. , The wheel lock mechanism 15 is unlocked in the same manner as when the stopper main body 13 comes into contact, and the front wheel 4 is switched from the non-rotatable state to the rotatable state. As a result, the carriage 5 can be stopped instantaneously, the impact of the collision of the carriage 5 on the operator can be reduced, and the safety is increased accordingly.
[0019]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the slat conveyor 3 is used as an example of the conveyor on which the carriage 5 is placed has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any conveyor may be used as long as the conveyor has a continuous loading surface. However, it may be sufficient (for example, a belt conveyor), and the same conveyance apparatus can be comprised.
[0020]
For example, when a belt conveyor is used, a forward belt conveyor and a return belt conveyor are provided, between the end of the forward conveyor and the start of the return conveyor, and between the end of the return conveyor and the start of the forward conveyor. If a means for transferring the carriage 5 between the conveyors is provided between the two, the carriage 5 can be circulated and moved as in the case of the above embodiment.
[0021]
Moreover, depending on the form of the line, after using a conveyor in which the mounting surface only moves from the start end to the end, a work that has been completed such as assembly is lowered from the carriage 5 that has come to the end, and then an empty carriage The carriage 5 may be circulated by transferring the truck 5 to the beginning of the same conveyor by another conveying means.
[0022]
Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where this conveying apparatus was used for an assembly line, it applies to not only this but the various lines which flow a workpiece | work and perform a predetermined process for every work area. Can do.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
The conveyor of the present invention has a conveyor having a mounting surface that is continuous in the conveying direction, and at least some of the wheels are placed on the conveyor, are arranged separately along the conveyor, and can move together with the conveyor. A plurality of carriages for placing workpieces, provided in the middle of the movement path of the carriage, a stopper that stops the carriage in response to a stop input, and normally locks the wheels on the conveyor in a non-rotatable manner, Since it is equipped with a wheel lock mechanism that releases the lock in response to the carriage stop operation of the stopper, for example, when used for workpiece transfer in an assembly line, the carriage entering the work section is used as a stop input by the operator. In response, the stopper stops and the wheel lock mechanism of the carriage makes the wheels on the conveyor rotatable from the previous locked state. Since click cancellation, truck stops work section, can be easily performed a predetermined assembly work on a workpiece on the dolly at rest, the workability is improved. Even if the work is delayed in one work section, the carriage surely enters the other work section as the conveyor moves, so it is not necessary to stop the entire work and the line operating rate is improved. Furthermore, since the carriage can be easily detached from the conveyor, the carriage can be easily maintained and inspected.
In the transport device of the present invention, the wheel lock mechanism has a locking gear fixed to the wheel on the conveyor coaxially with the wheel, and a lock pin that can be engaged with and disengaged from the gear. The lock pin is movably supported, and the lock pin is engaged with the lock gear by a spring bias, and the lock pin abuts on the stopper when the carriage is stopped, and the lock pin is engaged with the lock gear. Since it is composed of the swinging member to be released , the wheel lock mechanism can be configured simply and compactly.
When the stopper contact portion of the swing member is a damper portion protruding forward from the main body of the cart, the operator accidentally enters the front of the moving cart and the worker hits the cart. At that time, the damper part of the swinging member that protrudes forward of the bogie body hits the operator, so that the wheel lock mechanism unlocks in the same way as when responding to the stopper, and the wheels on the conveyor rotate from the non-rotatable state. By switching to the free state, the carriage can be stopped instantaneously, the impact of the carriage collision on the worker can be reduced, and the safety is increased accordingly. When a guide rail is provided along the conveyor, and an engagement member is provided on the carriage for releasable engagement with the guide rail, the carriage is moved from the conveyor when the carriage moves together with the conveyor. The carriage can be moved with the conveyor more stably without being separated. Further, even when the carriage is stopped, the carriage does not move in the width direction of the movement path, and the work while the carriage is stopped can be performed more easily.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a transport apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a partial configuration of part A in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the transport device as viewed from the rear of the carriage.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing a wheel lock mechanism in the transfer device.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an unlocked state of the wheel lock mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Slat conveyor, 4 ... Wheel, 5 ... Dolly, 5a ... Dolly body, 11 ... Stopper, 15 ... Wheel lock mechanism, 16 ... Locking gear, 17 ... Swing member, 17b ... Damper part, 18 ... Lock pin, 21 ... Coil spring, 22 ... Guide rail, 23 ... Engagement member.

Claims (3)

A conveyor having a mounting surface continuous in the conveying direction;
A plurality of carriages for placing workpieces, wherein at least some of the wheels are placed on the conveyor, separated from each other along the conveyor, and movable with the conveyor;
A stopper provided in the middle of the movement path of the carriage, and stops the carriage in response to a stop input;
A wheel lock mechanism that normally locks the wheels on the conveyor in a non-rotatable manner and releases the lock in response to a carriage stop operation of the stopper, and the wheel lock mechanism is attached to the wheels on the conveyor. A locking gear fixed coaxially to the gear, and a lock pin that can be engaged with and disengaged from the gear, and is pivotally supported by the carriage so that the lock pin is engaged with the locking gear by spring force. And a swinging member that swings in contact with the stopper when the carriage is stopped to disengage the lock pin from the locking gear . The transport device according to claim 1, wherein a stopper contact portion of the swing member is a damper portion protruding forward from the main body of the carriage. It said conveyor guide rail provided along the, conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 is provided on the engaging member for detachably engaged with the guide rail the carriage.

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