JP4014514B2 - Coating device for protective layer forming material - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coating device for a protective layer forming material for coating a protective layer forming material on the outer surface mainly of a painted portion of a vehicle that has been painted, and in particular, a liquid protective layer that acts as a peelable protective layer after drying. The present invention relates to a coating device for a protective layer forming material for applying a forming material.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Vehicles such as automobiles are often stored in an outdoor stockyard before being handed to the user after manufacture, or are transported by trailers, ships, and the like. During this time, since the vehicle is exposed to dust, metal powder, salt, oil, acid, direct sunlight, etc., during the long-term storage and transportation, the surface layer of the plurality of coating layers on the outer surface of the vehicle Quality may be affected. In order to prevent such a situation, a method is known in which a peelable protective layer is formed on a painted portion in a stage before vehicle shipment (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The peelable protective layer is formed by applying and drying a protective layer forming material (also called a strippable paint) that is a liquid wrap material, and can protect the painted part. Moreover, it can be easily peeled when removed, and does not peel naturally during normal storage.
[0003]
In the step of applying the protective layer forming material before the peelable protective layer is dried, the protective layer forming material is attached to the roller, and a plurality of workers roll the roller to apply the protective layer forming material.
[0004]
A method of spreading the protective layer forming material by blowing air after extracting the protective layer forming material on the body in order to automate such work and reduce the burden on the operator and make the coating quality uniform Has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). According to this method, many of the operations in the coating process of the protective layer forming material are automated, which can reduce the burden on the operator and improve the tact time.
[0005]
In a factory that produces vehicles, a resin cover called a scratch cover may be temporarily attached so as not to damage the body during assembly work. For example, the scratch cover is temporarily attached to the front lateral surface of the body and removed before shipping. It is necessary to prepare a scratch cover having a different shape for each vehicle type, and it is also necessary to prepare a large number of scratch covers according to the daily production number in the transfer line.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-89697 A (paragraphs [0022] to [0027])
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-8-173882 (FIG. 1)
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the method disclosed in Patent Document 2 described above is not necessarily uniform in the extent of the protective layer forming material, and is applied to the edge of the roof in order to prevent the protective layer forming material from scattering. Not.
[0007]
Furthermore, recent automobile bodies are becoming more complicated shapes, and some have uneven portions and complicated curved surfaces. It is difficult to spread the protective layer forming material by air nozzles on such uneven portions and curved surfaces. Furthermore, it is necessary to apply a thicker protective layer forming material to places where coating quality is particularly important, but it is difficult to adjust the coating thickness when expanding the protective layer forming material with an air nozzle. It is.
[0008]
For this reason, after spreading the protective layer forming material with the air nozzle, several workers need to apply the protective layer forming material with the roller to the details such as the edge of the roof and the uneven parts and finish the processing. There is. Therefore, a part of the coating process of the protective layer forming material relies on manual work, which is a burden on the worker and varies in coating quality depending on the skill level of the worker.
[0009]
In order to reduce the work of such an operator and make the quality of the work uniform, it is considered to apply an industrial robot, but it can be attached to the robot and the protective layer forming material No suitable roller and its holding device have been proposed for applying the coating.
[0010]
Further, when the protective layer forming material is applied by pressing the roller against the outer surface of the vehicle, the weight of the roller is effectively used as the pressing force, and the insufficient pressing force due to the weight is compensated by an appropriate actuator. It is desirable. On the other hand, when the protective layer forming material is applied by pressing the roller against the outer surface of the vehicle, if the roller can be rotated in two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise, the degree of freedom of the application path is increased. Larger and preferable.
[0011]
Furthermore, it is desirable that the compensation of the pressing force by the actuator can be stopped or locked so that the position of the roller does not fluctuate according to the shape of the outer surface of the vehicle and the operation state of the robot.
[0012]
The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and further automates the process of applying the protective layer forming material to the outer surface of the vehicle, and also changes the roller to the shape of the outer surface of the vehicle and the operating state of the robot. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a coating device for a protective layer forming material that can be operated by switching to various control states.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A coating device for a protective layer forming material according to the present invention is provided in the vicinity of a conveyance line of a vehicle and can be taught, a roller mechanism connected to the robot and having a rotatable roller, and peeling after drying A supply mechanism that supplies a liquid protective layer forming material that acts as a protective layer to the roller, and a controller that controls the robot and the roller mechanism. The roller is connected to a swing member. The roller mechanism part includes a first pneumatic cylinder and a second pneumatic cylinder that are tilted in opposite directions with respect to the rocking member, and the control unit includes: A first drive in which the rod of the first pneumatic cylinder and / or the second pneumatic cylinder presses the swinging member in a tilting direction in accordance with the operation of the robot. First control state generating a second control state generating the second driving force for separating the rod from the swing member And a third control state in which a third driving force is generated in each of the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder to fix the swing member in accordance with the operation of the robot. Control to switch The third driving force is set larger than the first driving force. It is characterized by that.
[0014]
As described above, the protective layer forming material is applied to the outer surface of the vehicle by individually switching the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder to the first control state and the second control state. The process can be further automated. In addition, the roller's own weight can be effectively used as the pressing force, and the pressing force that is insufficient due to the own weight can be compensated by the first pneumatic cylinder or the second pneumatic cylinder as necessary. Furthermore, by switching the control state of the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder, the roller can be rotated and moved in two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise.
[0015]
in front The control unit further generates a third driving force in each of the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder to fix the swing member in accordance with the operation of the robot. The third driving force is set to be larger than the first driving force. Do . The rocking member can be locked by the third control state.
[0016]
Further, in the first control state, when the rod is retracted in the first control state, the pressure receiving area becomes an area obtained by subtracting the area of the rod from the total area of the piston, and the first driving force is set to be small. can do.
[0017]
Further, a first drive setting unit that is controlled by the control unit and sets a driving force and a driving direction of the first pneumatic cylinder, and a driving force and driving of the second pneumatic cylinder that is controlled by the control unit. You may provide the 2nd drive setting part which sets a direction. By separately providing the first drive setting unit and the second drive setting unit, the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder can be independently controlled, and the control procedure is simply set. be able to.
[0018]
When there is a regulator that sets an air pressure for generating the first driving force and / or the second driving force in the first pneumatic cylinder and / or the second pneumatic cylinder, the first driving force and / or Alternatively, the second driving force can be set to an appropriate magnitude.
[0019]
Furthermore, when an acrylic copolymer agent is used as the material for the protective layer forming material, the painted portion of the vehicle can be more reliably protected and easily removed when removed.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a protective layer forming material coating apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the protective layer forming material coating apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is provided in a transport line 12 of an automobile and forms a protective layer on a vehicle 14 that has been painted. The material is applied. The coating apparatus 10 includes three robots 16a, 16b, and 16c that are industrial robots, a control unit 18 that controls the entire system, a tank 20 in which a protective layer forming material is accommodated, and each robot from the tank 20 The coating material pipeline 22 communicates with 16a, 16b, and 16c, and the water pipeline 26 that supplies water from the water supply source 24 to the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c. The robots 16a, 16b, and 16c are controlled by robot controllers 28a, 28b, and 28c connected to the control unit 18, respectively.
[0022]
The robots 16a and 16c are provided on the left hand side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 14 in the transport line 12, and the robot 16b is provided on the right hand side in the traveling direction. Further, the robot 16a is provided in the forward direction, the robot 16b is provided in the middle in the forward direction, and the robot 16c is provided in the rear in the forward direction. The robots 16 a, 16 b and 16 c can move on the slide rail 30 parallel to the transport line 12.
[0023]
A pump 32 is provided in the middle of the coating material pipe line 22 to suck up the protective layer forming material from the tank 20 and supply it to the robots 16a, 16b and 16c. Moreover, the tank 20 and the coating material pipe line 22 are temperature-controlled by a heater and a thermometer (not shown) to keep the protective layer forming material at an appropriate temperature. Roller mechanisms 34 to which the protective layer forming material is supplied by the coating material pipe line 22 are provided at the distal ends of the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c.
[0024]
The material of the protective layer forming material is mainly composed of an acrylic copolymer agent, and preferably has two kinds of acrylic copolymer parts having different glass transition temperatures. Specifically, for example, the protective layer forming material disclosed in Patent Document 1 may be used. Further, the protective layer forming material can adjust the viscosity by changing the mixing ratio with water and the temperature, and when it is dried, it adheres to the vehicle 14 and becomes dust, metal powder, salt, oil, acid, direct sunlight, etc. Thus, the painted part of the vehicle 14 can be protected chemically and physically. Furthermore, when removing the vehicle 14 at the time of delivery to a user etc., it can be made to peel easily.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 3, the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c are, for example, industrial multi-joint robots. The base unit 40, the first arm 42, It has an arm 44 and a third arm 46, and a roller mechanism 34 is provided at the tip of the third arm 46. The roller mechanism 34 is detachable from the third arm 46 and acts as a so-called end effector. The first arm 42 can be rotated by axes J1 and J2 that can be rotated horizontally and vertically with respect to the base portion 40. The second arm 44 is connected to the first arm 42 so as to be rotatable about an axis J3. The second arm 44 can be twisted and rotated by the axis J4. The third arm 46 is connected to the second arm 44 so as to be rotatable about an axis J5. The third arm 46 can be rotated by the axis J6.
[0026]
By such operations of the six-axis robots 16a, 16b and 16c, the roller mechanism 34 connected to the tip can be moved to an arbitrary position in the vicinity of the vehicle 14 and set to an arbitrary direction. Is possible. In other words, the roller mechanism 34 can move with six degrees of freedom. The robots 16a, 16b, and 16c may have an operation unit such as an expansion / contraction operation and a parallel link operation in addition to the rotation operation.
[0027]
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the roller mechanism 34 is attached to the tip of the third arm 46, and has a cylindrical shape and a roller 48 that can absorb and store the protective layer forming material, And a thrust rotation mechanism 69 that is an attachment portion for the third arm 46 of the robot 16a. The thrust rotating mechanism 69 includes a mounting member 70 for the third arm 46, a thrust rotating member 74 that is rotatably supported by the mounting member 70 via a bearing 72, and a thrust rotating member 74 below the thrust rotating member 74. And an attached base portion 76.
[0028]
The roller mechanism portion 34 includes pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80 provided at both ends of the base portion 76, and a swing member 84 pivotally supported by a swing shaft 82 at a substantially lower end of the base portion 76. The holder 86 holding the roller 48 and the holder connecting portion 88 connecting the swing member 84. The roller 48 is swingable in the radial direction around the swing shaft 82. The swing member 84 has two upward extending portions 84a extending upward, and a pin 90 parallel to the swing shaft 82 is provided at substantially the upper end of the upward extending portion 84a. The pin 90 is set above the swing shaft 82. Further, the roller mechanism section 34 has two pin pressing members 92 and 94 that rotate around the swing shaft 82 under the force of the rods 78a and 80a of the pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80. The pressing surface 92a of the pin pressing member 92 presses the left surface of the pin 90 in FIG. 6 when the rod 78a is retracted, and the pressing surface 94a of the pin pressing member 94 is the pin 90 in FIG. 6 when the rod 80a retracts. Press the right side of.
[0029]
Between the two upper extending portions 84a, two lower extending portions 76a extending downward from the base portion 76 are arranged, and pressing surfaces 92a and 94a are arranged between the two lower extending portions 76a. Has been.
[0030]
A rotation restricting member 96 is provided on the thrust rotating member 74, and a small protrusion 98 that protrudes downward from the attachment member 70 is disposed in a recess 96 a on the upper surface of the rotation restricting member 96. The width of the small protrusion 98 is slightly smaller than the width of the recess 96a, and the thrust rotating member 74 is rotatable in the thrust direction in the range of the gap. The thrust direction here is a direction orthogonal to the axis of the roller 48 itself, and is a rotation direction around the axis C of the third arm 46. The bolt 100 for attaching the attachment member 70 to the third arm 46 may also be used as the small protrusion 98.
[0031]
The holder connecting portion 88 is provided with two clampers 102 and 104 that face each other at the upper and lower portions. These clampers 102 and 104 hold an aluminum pipe 106, and the swing member 84 and the holder 86 are connected by the aluminum pipe 106. An annular groove 106 a is provided on the surface of the aluminum pipe 106.
[0032]
Both ends of the roller 48 are rotatably held by a holder 86, and the coating material conduit 22 communicates with the inside of the roller 48 through one end of the holder 86. The roller 48 is detachable from the holder 86.
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 7, a combined hydraulic and pneumatic circuit (supply mechanism unit) 150 for supplying the protective layer forming material to the roller 48 (see FIG. 8) includes a compressor 152 and a discharge unit of the compressor 152. , An air tank 154 connected to the air, a manual pneumatic injection valve 156 for switching between supply and cutoff of air pressure, a regulator 158 for reducing the secondary pressure by an electric signal supplied from the control unit 18, and the regulator 158 And a regulator operation valve 160 that is pilot-operated by the secondary pressure and reduces the pressure in the coating material pipe line 22. In addition, the composite circuit 150 includes an MCV (Material Control Valve) 162 to which the secondary side pipe of the regulator operation valve 160 and the water pipe 26 are connected, a secondary side of the MCV 162, and a roller 48 (see FIG. 8). ) And a trigger valve 164 provided therebetween. In the MCV 162, switching valves 162a and 162b for switching between communication and blocking of the coating material pipe line 22 and the water pipe line 26 are provided, and the secondary sides of the switching valves 162a and 162b communicate with each other. 7 and FIG. 11, FIG. 14, and FIG. 16, which will be described later, indicate pneumatic lines.
[0034]
The MCV 162, the trigger valve 164, and the regulator operation valve 160 are not limited to the pneumatic pilot type but may be of a driving type such as an electric solenoid.
[0035]
The composite circuit 150 further includes an MCV switching electromagnetic valve 166 for operating the switching valves 162a and 162b in a pilot type by switching the air pressure supplied from the pneumatic injection valve 156, and a trigger switching electromagnetic valve for operating the trigger valve 164 in a pilot manner. 168. The MCV switching electromagnetic valve 166 makes one of the switching valves 162 a and 162 b communicate with each other and shuts off the other by an electric signal supplied from the control unit 18, and switches between water and a protective layer forming material and supplies the trigger valve 164. To do. The trigger switching electromagnetic valve 168 switches the trigger valve 164 to a communication / blocking state by an electric signal supplied from the control unit 18 and supplies water or a protective layer forming material to the roller 48.
[0036]
Manual stop valves 170 and 172 are provided in the middle of the coating material pipeline 22 and the water pipeline 26, respectively. Normally, stop valves 170 and 172 are kept in communication. In the composite circuit 150, silencers 174 are provided at the air discharge ports, respectively, to reduce exhaust noise. The compressor 152, the pump 32, and the water supply source 24 are provided with a relief valve (not shown) that prevents an excessive pressure increase.
[0037]
Note that the compressor 152, the air tank 154, the water supply source 24, and the pump 32 in the composite circuit 150 are common to the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c, and other devices are individually provided in the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c. ing. Further, the pipes denoted by “α” and “β” in FIG. 7 are connected to the pipes denoted by “α” and “β” in the pneumatic cylinder circuit 180 shown in FIGS. 8, 11, 14, and 16, respectively. Has been.
[0038]
As shown in FIG. 8, the pneumatic cylinder circuit 180 that drives the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the pneumatic cylinder 80 sets the regulator 182 that reduces the supplied air to a predetermined pressure Pa, and the driving force and driving direction of the pneumatic cylinder 78. And a second drive setting unit 186 that sets the driving force and the driving direction of the pneumatic cylinder 80. The pressure Pa set by the regulator 182 is set to a relatively large pressure within the rated pressure range that can be used by the pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80. The pneumatic cylinder circuit 180 is individually provided in each robot 16a, 16b, 16c.
[0039]
Air is supplied to the regulator 182 from the air pressure input valve 156 (see FIG. 7), and the air decompressed to the pressure Pa by the regulator 182 is supplied to the first drive setting unit 184 and the second drive setting unit 186. Has been derived. Silencers 188 and 190 as air outlets are connected to the first drive setting unit 184 and the second drive setting unit 186.
[0040]
The first drive setting unit 184 operates to switch the air pressure in the second chamber 78c of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192 having the function of switching the air pressure in the first chamber 78b of the pneumatic cylinder 78. And a first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194. The first chamber 78b is a chamber that is closer to the rod 78a than the piston 78d in the cylinder tube, and the second chamber 78c is a chamber that is located opposite to the first chamber 78b with the piston 78d interposed therebetween.
[0041]
A first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192, a first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194, and a second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206 and a second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208, which will be described later, are an A port, a B port, a P port, and an R1 port, respectively. And 5 ports of R2 port. These solenoid valves are controlled to be switched by the control unit 18, and in a non-excited state, the A port and the R1 port, the B port and the P port communicate with each other, and the R2 port is closed. In the excited state, the A port and the P port, the B port and the R2 port communicate with each other, and the R1 port is closed. Each R1 port can be exhausted through a silencer 188, and each R2 port can be exhausted through a silencer 190.
[0042]
Further, the first drive setting unit 184 includes a check valve 198 provided in the pipe 196a out of the two pipes 196a and 196b communicating from the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192 to the first chamber 78b, It has a regulator 200 provided in parallel to the check valve 198 and a shuttle valve 202 for communicating one of the pipe lines 196a and 196b on the high pressure side with the first chamber. The check valve 198 causes air to flow from the first chamber 78b toward the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192, and blocks the flow of air going in the reverse direction.
[0043]
The A port and B port of the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192 are connected to pipes 196a and 196b, respectively. The A port of the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194 communicates with the second chamber 78c. The B port of the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194 communicates with the P port of the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192. Air set to the pressure Pa by the regulator 182 is supplied to the P port of the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194.
[0044]
The second drive setting unit 186 has a function of switching the air pressure in the second chamber 80c of the pneumatic cylinder 80 and the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206 having a function of switching the air pressure in the first chamber 80b of the pneumatic cylinder 80. And a second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208. The first chamber 80b is a chamber located on the rod 80a side of the piston 80d in the cylinder tube, and the second chamber 80c is a chamber located at a position facing the first chamber 80b and the piston 80d.
[0045]
Further, the second drive setting unit 186 includes a check valve 212 provided in the pipe line 210a among the two pipe lines 210a and 210b communicating from the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206 to the first chamber 80b, It has the regulator 213 provided in parallel with the check valve 212, and the shuttle valve 214 for communicating one of the high-pressure sides of the pipes 210a and 210b to the first chamber. The check valve 212 causes air to flow from the first chamber 80b toward the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206, and blocks the flow of air going in the reverse direction.
[0046]
The A port and B port of the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206 are connected to the pipelines 210a and 210b, respectively. The A port of the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208 communicates with the second chamber 80c. The B port of the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208 communicates with the P port of the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206. Air set to a pressure Pa by the regulator 182 is supplied to the P port of the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208.
[0047]
With such a configuration of the pneumatic cylinder circuit 180, the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194 and the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208 are excited, so that the pressure Pa supplied from the regulator 182 is a relatively high pressure. Air can be supplied to the second chamber 78c and the second chamber 80c, respectively.
[0048]
Further, when the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194 is not excited, the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192 is excited to supply air to the first chamber 78b. At this time, the pressure of the air supplied to the first chamber 78 b is set to a small value by the action of the regulator 200. When the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208 is de-energized, the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206 can be excited to supply air to the first chamber 80b. At this time, the pressure of the air supplied to the first chamber 80 b is set to a small value by the action of the regulator 213.
[0049]
Furthermore, when both the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194 and the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192 are de-energized, air having a pressure Pa set by the regulator 182 can be supplied to the first chamber 78b. When both the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208 and the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206 are de-energized, air having a pressure Pa set by the regulator 182 can be supplied to the first chamber 80b.
[0050]
Next, a method of applying the protective layer forming material to the vehicle 14 using the protective layer forming material application apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described.
[0051]
First, the robot 16a, 16b, 16c is instructed to operate in advance. Instruct the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c to share the bonnet portion 14a (see FIG. 1), the roof center portion 14b, and the roof rear portion 14c of the vehicle 14, respectively, and apply the protective layer forming material to each responsible portion. The taught teaching data is recorded and held in a predetermined recording unit of the control unit 18. When the vehicle 14 is a sedan type, the robot 16c shares the trunk portion.
[0052]
The thickness of the protective layer forming material applied to the vehicle 14 can be adjusted by the pressure control by the regulator 158, the operation speed of the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c, and the control of the force applied to the rods 78a and 80a.
[0053]
Needless to say, the vehicle 14 at this time may be an incomplete vehicle to which the painting has been completed and no parts or the like are attached.
[0054]
The vehicle 14 to which the protective layer forming material is applied by the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c is transported to the next process by the transport line 12. The robots 16a, 16b, and 16c stand by in a standby posture that does not interfere with the vehicle 14, and wait until the next vehicle 14 is carried. At this time, the trigger valve 164 is shut off and the supply of the protective layer forming material is stopped.
[0055]
The applied protective layer forming material is naturally dried or dried while blowing to form a peelable protective layer to protect the painted portion of the vehicle 14.
[0056]
As shown in FIG. 9, teaching is performed such that the distance between the third arm 46 of the robot 16a and the surface of the vehicle 14 is appropriately maintained, and the inclination angle of the swing member 84 is a predetermined angle θ. Although the inclination angle of the swing member 84 is basically maintained at the angle θ, for example, the concave portion 500 and the convex portion 502 may be ignored, and the tilt angle of the swing member 84 may be changed somewhat. By ignoring the shallow concave portion 500 and the relatively low convex portion 502 as described above, the operation teaching of the robot 16a is facilitated.
[0057]
The process of applying the protective layer forming material is taught to end within the tact time set for each vehicle 14 in the transport line 12.
[0058]
Next, when the protective layer forming material is applied to the vehicle 14, the tank 20 (see FIG. 7) and the coating material conduit 22 are heated to a suitable temperature by a predetermined heater, and the compressor 152, the water supply source 24, and The pump 32 is operated. Further, the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c are put on standby at positions where they do not interfere with the vehicle 14, and the pneumatic injection valve 156 is communicated.
[0059]
Next, the painted vehicle 14 is carried in by the transfer line 12 and stopped near the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c. The controller 18 recognizes that the vehicle 14 has been carried in by a signal or a sensor (not shown) supplied from the transfer line 12 and operates each robot 16a, 16b, 16c based on the teaching data.
[0060]
At this time, the control unit 18 controls the regulator operation valve 160 via the regulator 158 (see FIG. 7) to control the coating material pipeline 22 to an appropriate pressure. Further, the control unit 18 controls the MCV 162 via the MCV switching electromagnetic valve 166 to connect the coating material pipeline 22 and shut off the water pipeline 26. Furthermore, the control unit 18 causes the trigger valve 164 to communicate by operating the trigger switching electromagnetic valve 168. By such an action of the control unit 18, the protective layer forming material is supplied to the roller 48 of the roller mechanism unit 34 while maintaining an appropriate pressure and temperature, and an appropriate amount oozes out from the surface of the roller 48.
[0061]
Next, when applying the protective layer forming material to the vehicle 14 while moving the robot 16a to the right, the right side so as to generate a relatively weak force (first driving force) Fa in the direction in which the rod 80a retracts. Air is supplied to the pneumatic cylinder 80 (first control state). Further, air is supplied to the left pneumatic cylinder 78 so that the rod 78a extends (second control state). By doing so, the pressing surface 94 a of the right pin pressing member 94 presses the right surface of the pin 90 with a relatively weak force, and the pressing surface 92 a of the left pin pressing member 92 is separated from the pin 90. Therefore, the swing member 84 and the roller 48 receive counterclockwise force about the swing shaft 82, and the roller 48 is pressed against the surface of the vehicle 14 with an appropriate pressing force, so that the clockwise direction in FIG. The protective layer forming material can be applied while rotating in the same manner. The force Fa may be appropriately adjusted according to the application location and moving method of the roller 48.
[0062]
At this time, the control unit 18 excites the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194 and the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206 and deactivates the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208. As a result, as indicated by a thick line in FIG. 8, air having a pressure Pa is supplied to the second chamber 78 c of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and a small pressure reduced by the regulator 213 is supplied to the first chamber 80 b of the pneumatic cylinder 80. Air is supplied.
[0063]
Further, the second chamber 80c communicates with the silencer 188 via the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208 and can be exhausted freely. The pipes 196a and 196b connected to the first chamber 78b communicate with either the silencer 188 or 190 regardless of whether the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192 is excited or not, and can be exhausted.
[0064]
Therefore, as described above, it is possible to generate the relatively weak force Fa in the direction in which the rod 80a retracts and to reliably extend the rod 78a with a relatively large force (second driving force). These forces can also be adjusted by regulators 182 and 213.
[0065]
Further, the pneumatic cylinder 80 is a single rod type cylinder, and the piston 80d has a smaller pressure receiving area on the first chamber 80b side having the rod 80a than the pressure receiving area on the second chamber 80c side. Therefore, rather than pressurizing the second chamber 80c and extending the rod 80a, the force generated by pressurizing the first chamber 80b and retracting the rod 80a becomes smaller, and the force Fa is accurately set to a small value. can do. Further, the force applied to the roller 48 can be finely adjusted.
[0066]
As shown in FIG. 10, when the protective layer forming material is applied to the vehicle 14 while moving the robot 16a to the left, the left air pressure is generated so that a relatively weak force Fa is generated in the direction in which the rod 78a retracts. Air is supplied to the cylinder 78 (first control state). Further, air is supplied to the right pneumatic cylinder 80 so that the rod 80a extends (second control state). By doing so, the pressing surface 92 a of the left pin pressing member 92 presses the left surface of the pin 90 with a relatively weak force, and the pressing surface 94 a of the right pin pressing member 94 is separated from the pin 90. Therefore, the rocking member 84 and the roller 48 receive a clockwise force around the rocking shaft 82, and the roller 48 is pressed against the surface of the vehicle 14 with an appropriate pressing force, so that the counterclockwise direction in FIG. The protective layer forming material can be applied while rotating in the same manner.
[0067]
At this time, the control unit 18 excites the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208 and the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192, and de-energizes the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194. As a result, as indicated by a thick line in FIG. 11, air having a pressure Pa is supplied to the second chamber 80 c of the pneumatic cylinder 80, and a small pressure reduced by the regulator 200 is supplied to the first chamber 78 b of the pneumatic cylinder 78. Air is supplied.
[0068]
Further, the second chamber 78c communicates with the silencer 188 via the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194, and can be exhausted. The pipes 210a and 210b connected to the first chamber 80b communicate with either the silencer 188 or 190 regardless of whether the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206 is excited or not, and can be freely exhausted.
[0069]
Therefore, as described above, it is possible to generate a relatively weak force Fa in the direction in which the rod 78a retracts and to reliably extend the rod 80a with a relatively large force (second driving force). These forces can also be adjusted by regulators 182 and 200.
[0070]
Further, the pneumatic cylinder 78 is a single rod type cylinder, and the piston 78d has a smaller pressure receiving area on the first chamber 78b side having the rod 78a than the pressure receiving area on the second chamber 78c side. Therefore, rather than pressurizing the second chamber 78c and extending the rod 78a, the force generated by pressurizing the first chamber 78b and retracting the rod 78a is reduced, and the force Fa is accurately set to a small value. can do. Further, the force applied to the roller 48 can be finely adjusted.
[0071]
Thus, the roller 48 can be appropriately pressed against the surface of the vehicle 14 by controlling the flow direction and pressure of the air supplied to the pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80 in accordance with the traveling direction of the robot 16a. it can. In other words, the weight of the roller 48 can be effectively used as the pressing force, and the pressing force insufficient due to the weight of the roller 48 can be compensated by the pneumatic cylinder 78 or the pneumatic cylinder 80.
[0072]
Thereby, the roller 48 does not idle or jumps when passing through the concave portion 500 and the convex portion 502. Further, the protective layer forming material tends to ooze out from the roller 48. At this time, since the roller 48 can swing around the swing shaft 82, it is possible to apply the protective layer forming material while also being in close contact with the concave portion 500 and the convex portion 502. That is, when the roller 48 passes through the concave portion 500 and the convex portion 502, the rod 78a or 80a expands and contracts according to the depth d of the concave portion 500 and the height of the convex portion 502. The pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80 can operate flexibly because air having high compressibility is used as a driving fluid, and easily absorb fluctuations in external force.
[0073]
Further, even when the operation of the robot 16 a slightly deviates from the predetermined teaching path due to an unexpected situation and the third arm 46 approaches the surface of the vehicle 14, the roller 48 can move up and down with respect to the surface of the vehicle 14. At the same time, the pressing force on the surface is controlled by the air pressure supplied to the first pneumatic cylinder 78 and the second pneumatic cylinder 80, so that no excessive force is applied to the vehicle 14.
[0074]
The pin pressing member 92 connected to the rod 78a of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the pin pressing member 94 connected to the rod 80a of the pneumatic cylinder 80 are pressed in directions opposite to the swing member 84 via the pins 90, respectively. Therefore, even when the swinging member 84 is inclined in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction, it can be appropriately operated. Thereby, the protective layer forming material can be applied in both the right direction and the left direction.
[0075]
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 12, you may make it act so that both the rod 78a of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the rod 80a of the pneumatic cylinder 80 may degenerate. For example, when the robot 16a is moved in the right direction in FIG. 12, a relatively weak force Fa is generated in the direction in which the rod 80a retracts, and a very weak force Fb is generated in the direction in which the rod 78a retracts. The force Fa is set larger than the force Fb, and the rollers 48 can be pressed against the surface of the vehicle 14 with an appropriate force by appropriately setting these forces Fa and Fb.
[0076]
Further, as shown in FIG. 13, both the rod 78a of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the rod 80a of the pneumatic cylinder 80 may be extended. In this way, both the pressing surface 92a of the pin pressing member 92 and the pressing surface 94a of the pin pressing member 94 are separated from the pin 90, and there is no force applied to the swing member 84. Therefore, the roller 48 presses the surface of the vehicle 14 only by its own weight. In particular, when the roller 48 is relatively heavy and has a sufficient pressing force against the surface of the vehicle 14, it is preferable to extend both the rods 78a and 80a so that the swing member 84 can swing.
[0077]
At this time, the control unit 18 excites the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194 and the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208. Thereby, as indicated by a thick line in FIG. 14, air having a pressure Pa is supplied to the second chamber 78 c of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the second chamber 80 c of the pneumatic cylinder 80.
[0078]
Further, the pipes 196a and 196b connected to the first chamber 78b communicate with either the silencer 188 or 190 regardless of whether the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192 is excited or not, and can be exhausted. On the other hand, the pipes 210a and 210b connected to the first chamber 80b communicate with either the silencer 188 or 190, regardless of whether the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206 is excited or not, and can be exhausted. Therefore, as described above, the rod 78a and the rod 80a can be reliably extended.
[0079]
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15, when the protective layer forming material is applied to the narrow groove 504 with a narrow width, both the rod 78a and the rod 80a are degenerated with a strong force (third driving force) Fc. (3rd control state) is good. In this case, the swing member 84 is set in a direction that coincides with the axis C (see FIG. 6) due to a mechanical balance, and is difficult to swing in either the left or right direction, so-called locked state. Become. Thus, the protective layer forming material oozes out from the roller 48 by pushing the roller 48 into the groove 504 relatively strongly with the rocking member 84 locked, and the protective layer forming material is applied to the groove 504. it can.
[0080]
Further, when the roller 48 is moved a relatively long distance without being brought into contact with the surface of the vehicle 14, the swing member 84 may be locked. By locking, the rocking member 84 does not rock unintentionally and can be moved over a long distance at high speed.
[0081]
At this time, the control unit 18 de-energizes all the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192, the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194, the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206, and the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208. Accordingly, as indicated by a thick line in FIG. 16, the pressure in the first chamber 78 b of the pneumatic cylinder 78 is passed through the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194, the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192, and the shuttle valve 202 in order. Pa air is supplied. On the other hand, air of pressure Pa is supplied to the first chamber 80b of the pneumatic cylinder 80 through the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208, the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206, and the shuttle valve 214 in this order.
[0082]
Further, the second chamber 78c communicates with the silencer 188 via the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194, and can be exhausted. The second chamber 80c communicates with the silencer 188 via the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208 and can be exhausted.
[0083]
Therefore, as described above, the rod 78a and the rod 80a can be reliably retracted with the strong force Fc.
[0084]
Next, as shown in FIG. 17, a roller mechanism 34a, which is a modified example of the roller mechanism 34, replaces the pin pressing members 92 and 94 (see FIG. 4) in the roller mechanism 34 (see FIG. 4) with the pin pressing members. 306 and 308 are replaced. The pin pressing members 306 and 308 receive the force from the rods 78a and 80a and rotate around the swing shaft 82, respectively. The pressing surface 306a of the pin pressing member 306 presses the right surface of the pin 90 in FIG. 16 when the rod 78a extends, and the pressing surface 308a of the pin pressing member 308 corresponds to the above-described FIG. 17 when the rod 80a extends. The left surface of the pin 90 is pressed. With such a configuration, the pressing force of the roller 48 can be adjusted by controlling the extending force of the rods 78a and 80a. In this case, the direction of the force applied to the rods 78a and 80a is opposite to that of the roller mechanism 34.
[0085]
In order to drive the roller mechanism portion 34a, in the pneumatic cylinder circuit 180 (see FIG. 8) for driving the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the pneumatic cylinder 80 of the roller mechanism portion 34, piping connected to the first chamber 78b and The pipe connected to the second chamber 78c may be connected in reverse, and the pipe connected to the first chamber 80b and the pipe connected to the second chamber 80c may be connected in reverse. Thereby, the direction of the force applied to the rods 78a and 80a can be reversed.
[0086]
As described above, according to the protective layer forming material coating apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the roller mechanism portion 34 or 34a including the roller 48 is operated by the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c, and the protective layer is formed on the roller 48. By supplying the material, the process of applying the protective layer forming material can be automated and the coating quality can be made uniform.
[0087]
In addition, the process of applying the protective layer forming material to the surface of the vehicle 14 can be further automated as compared with the prior art, and the roller 48 can always be brought into close contact with the surface of the vehicle 14. Furthermore, the operation teaching of the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c can be easily performed.
[0088]
Furthermore, the roller mechanism portions 34 and 34a have a function of pressing the roller 48 against the surface of the vehicle 14 and passively raising and lowering the roller 48 according to the unevenness, so that the roller 48 is in close contact with the outer surface of the vehicle 14. The protective layer forming material can be appropriately applied.
[0089]
Moreover, since the process of applying the protective layer forming material by the operator is eliminated by automation, the number of processes can be reduced and the production efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, air conditioning equipment for workers can be omitted. Therefore, it is possible to save energy by reducing the electric power required for air conditioning, improve the environmental resistance, and reduce the operating cost of the factory.
[0090]
The peelable protective layer formed of the protective layer forming material can protect the painted part after shipment of the vehicle 14, but can also protect the painted part even in the factory, and serves as a substitute for the scratch cover. Therefore, a large number of scratch covers having different shapes for each vehicle type can be omitted.
[0091]
Some of the bumpers of the vehicle 14 are colored and need not be painted, but the protective layer forming material may be applied to a portion other than the painted portion of such a bumper.
[0092]
The coating device for the protective layer forming material according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0093]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the coating apparatus for the protective layer forming material according to the present invention, the process of coating the protective layer forming material on the outer surface of the vehicle can be further automated, and the rollers According to the operation state, it is possible to achieve an effect that the operation is switched to various control states. That is, the roller's own weight can be effectively used as the pressing force, and if necessary, the pressing force insufficient with the own weight can be compensated by the first pneumatic cylinder or the second pneumatic cylinder. Further, by switching the control state of the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder, the roller can be rotated and moved in two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise. Furthermore, the swing member to which the roller is connected can be locked by generating a relatively large force in each of the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder.
[0094]
Furthermore, by using an acrylic copolymer as a material for the protective layer forming material, the vehicle can be more reliably protected and easily removed when removed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coating device for a protective layer forming material according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a front view of a coating device for a protective layer forming material according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a robot and a roller mechanism provided in the robot.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a roller mechanism.
FIG. 5 is a partially sectional enlarged front view of a roller mechanism portion.
FIG. 6 is a partially sectional enlarged side view of a roller mechanism portion.
FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing a combined circuit of hydraulic pressure and pneumatic pressure.
FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing, in bold lines, main air flows when the robot is operated to the right while applying the protective layer forming material in the pneumatic cylinder circuit.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between the robot and the surface of the vehicle in the process of moving the robot having the roller mechanism portion in the right direction.
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between the robot and the surface of the vehicle when the robot having the roller mechanism portion is moved leftward.
FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram showing, in bold lines, main air flows when the robot is operated to the left while applying the protective layer forming material in the pneumatic cylinder circuit.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the robot and the surface of the vehicle when the protective layer forming material is applied while retracting the rods of the left and right pneumatic cylinders in the roller mechanism.
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the robot and the surface of the vehicle when applying the protective layer forming material while extending the rods of the left and right pneumatic cylinders in the roller mechanism.
FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram showing, in bold lines, main air flows when the rods of the left and right pneumatic cylinders in the roller mechanism are extended in the pneumatic cylinder circuit.
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the robot and the surface of the vehicle when the protective layer forming material is applied while the rods of the left and right pneumatic cylinders in the roller mechanism are retracted with a strong force.
FIG. 16 is a circuit diagram showing, in bold lines, main air flows when the rods of the left and right pneumatic cylinders in the roller mechanism section are retracted with a strong force in the pneumatic cylinder circuit.
FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional enlarged front view showing a modified example of the roller mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 ... Coating device 12 ... Conveying line
14 ... Vehicles 16a, 16b, 16c ... Robot
18 ... Control unit 20 ... Tank
22 ... Coating material pipe line 26 ... Water pipe line
30 ... slide rail 32 ... pump
34, 34a ... Roller mechanism 48 ... Roller
69: Thrust rotation mechanism 70: Mounting member
72 ... Bearing 74 ... Thrust rotating member
78,80 ... Pneumatic cylinder 78a, 80a ... Rod
78b, 80b ... first chamber 78c, 80c ... second chamber
82 ... Oscillating shaft 84 ... Oscillating member
86 ... Holder 90 ... Pin
92, 94, 306, 308 ... Pin pressing member
92a, 94a, 306a, 308a ... pressing surface
150 ... Composite circuit 180 ... Pneumatic cylinder circuit
182, 200, 213 ... Regulator
184, 186 ... Drive setting section
192, 206 ... Rod pressure switching solenoid valve
194, 208 ... Bottom pressure switching solenoid valve
198, 212 ... Check valve 202, 214 ... Shuttle valve

Claims (5)

A robot that is provided near the vehicle transfer line and capable of teaching;
A roller mechanism connected to the robot and including a rotatable roller;
A supply mechanism for supplying a liquid protective layer forming material that acts as a peelable protective layer after drying to the roller;
A control unit for controlling the robot and the roller mechanism unit;
Have
The roller is connected to a swing member and swingable in a direction perpendicular to the axis,
The roller mechanism includes a first pneumatic cylinder and a second pneumatic cylinder that tilt in opposite directions with respect to the swing member,
The control unit generates a first driving force that presses the swing member in a direction in which the rod of the first pneumatic cylinder and / or the second pneumatic cylinder tilts in accordance with the operation of the robot. The first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic pressure are adjusted in accordance with the control state of the first control state, the second control state of generating the second driving force for separating the rod from the swinging member, and the operation of the robot. controlled to switch the third control state by generating a third driving force respectively to the cylinder to fix the swinging member, the third driving force is Rukoto is set larger than the first driving force An apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material. In the coating apparatus of the protective layer forming material according to claim 1 Symbol placement,
In the first control state, the control unit retracts the rod, and the protective layer forming material coating apparatus. In the coating apparatus of the protective layer forming material of Claim 1 or 2 ,
A first drive setting unit that is controlled by the control unit and sets a driving force and a driving direction of the first pneumatic cylinder;
A protective layer forming material coating apparatus, comprising: a second drive setting unit which is controlled by the control unit and sets a driving force and a driving direction of the second pneumatic cylinder. In the coating device of the protective layer forming material of any one of Claims 1-3 ,
Forming a protective layer, comprising a regulator for setting an air pressure for generating the first driving force and / or the second driving force in the first pneumatic cylinder and / or the second pneumatic cylinder Material applicator. In the coating device of the protective layer forming material of any one of Claims 1-4 ,
The protective layer forming material coating apparatus is characterized in that the material of the protective layer forming material is an acrylic copolymer.

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