Core conveying device and core conveying method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046924-B2
Application number	US-201715837351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A core conveying device includes a plurality of holding devices, a support section, a moving device, and a mounting table. The support section has a hole formed at a position corresponding to a positioning pin and is connected so as to slide in a horizontal direction with respect to the moving device. A size of a lower end opening of the hole is larger than a size of an upper end of the positioning pin. The support section is configured such that, when the support section is moved downward so as to grip the core, as the positioning pin abuts against an inner surface of the hole and the support section slides in the horizontal direction with respect to the moving device, a position of the support section in the horizontal direction with respect to the core is determined.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A core conveying device comprising:
a plurality of holding devices, each of the holding devices including a gripping part configured to be expanded and contracted by a fluid, the gripping part being configured to be expanded so as to grip a core;
a support section that supports the holding devices;
a moving device that is connected to the support section and is configured to move the support section; and
a mounting table that includes a positioning pin that extends in an upward direction and is configured to accommodate the core, wherein:
the support section has a hole formed at a position corresponding to the positioning pin and is connected so as to slide in a horizontal direction with respect to the moving device;
a size of a lower end opening of the hole is larger than a size of an upper end of the positioning pin; and
the support section is configured such that, when the support section is moved downward so as to grip the core, as the positioning pin abuts against an inner surface of the hole and the support section slides in the horizontal direction with respect to the moving device, a position of the support section in the horizontal direction with respect to the core is determined.

2. The core conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein:
a shape of the positioning pin is a cone shape that tapers in an upward direction; and
the inner surface of the hole is a tapered shape of which a diameter becomes gradually smaller in the upward direction.

3. The core conveying device according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing device that fixes the support section to the moving device.

4. A core conveying method for a core conveying device, the core conveying device including a plurality of holding devices, a support section, a moving device, and a mounting table, each of the holding devices including a gripping part configured to be expanded and contracted by a fluid, the support section supporting the holding devices, the moving device being connected to the support section and being configured to move the support section, the mounting table being configured to accommodate the core, the mounting table including a positioning pin that extends in an upward direction, the support section having a hole formed at a position corresponding to the positioning pin, the support section being connected so as to slide in a horizontal direction with respect to the moving device, and a size of a lower end opening of the hole being larger than a size of an upper end of the positioning pin, the core conveying method comprising:
moving the support section downward to make the positioning pin abut against an inner surface of the hole when the core is gripped by the gripping part; and
sliding the support section in the horizontal direction with respect to the moving device and determining a position of the support section in the horizontal direction with respect to the core when the positioning pin abuts against the inner surface of the hole.

5. The core conveying method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
expanding the gripping parts to grip the core after the position of the support section in the horizontal direction with respect to the core is determined; and
fixing the support section to the moving device using a fixing device that fixes the support section to the moving device after the core is gripped.

6. The core conveying method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
releasing a state where the support section is fixed to the moving device and making a mold positioning pin abut against the inner surface of the hole, when the gripped core is fitted in a mold, the mold positioning pin being provided on the mold and extending in an upward direction from the mold; and
sliding the support section in the horizontal direction with respect to the moving device and determining a position of the support section in the horizontal direction with respect to the mold, when the mold positioning pin abuts against the inner surface of the hole.

7. The core conveying method according to claim 4 , wherein:
a shape of the positioning pin or a mold positioning pin is a cone shape that tapers in an upward direction; and
the inner surface of the hole is a tapered shape of which a diameter becomes gradually smaller in the upward direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kikuchi Makoto
• Ito Tsubasa
• Tanaka Yoshitaka
• Nakahashi Tadashi

Classifications

• B25J15/0023 Primary

  Gripper surfaces directly activated by a fluid (flexible fingers B25J15/12) · CPC title

• B22C23/00

  Tools; Devices not mentioned before for moulding · CPC title

• B66C1/46

  by inflatable elements · CPC title

• B65G47/90 Primary

  Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials · CPC title

• B65G47/908

  with inflatable picking-up means (inflatable gripping members on load engaging elements for cranes B66C1/46) · CPC title