Conveying apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065324-B2
Application number	US-201615357468-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A conveying apparatus conveys an article between a wait position and a processing position. The conveying apparatus includes a plurality of arms that sandwiches the article between leading ends of the arms located on opposite sides of the article and that is provided to enable base ends of the arms to turn so as to move the leading ends in an up-down direction, and a control apparatus that turns the arms to lift the article located at one of the wait position and the processing position and sandwiched between the arms and that moves the arms with the article kept lifted thereby to the other of the wait position and the processing position, the control apparatus turning the arms to lower and mount the article at the other of the wait position and the processing position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveying apparatus for a processing apparatus that executes predetermined processing on an article mounted at a processing position, and that conveys the article between a wait position and the processing position which is separated from the wait position in both vertical and horizontal directions, the conveying apparatus comprising:
a guide extending between the wait position and the processing position;
a body that engages with the guide so as to be movable in an extending direction of the guide;
a plurality of arms that are pivotable about a horizontal axis adjacent base ends of the arms, the horizontal axis being fixed to the body and extending parallel to the extending direction of the guide, such that leading ends of the arms are able to move between the wait position and the processing position, wherein the arms are also movable linearly toward and away from one another in a path along the direction of the horizontal axis, to maintain a constant spacing of the leading ends of the arms from the horizontal axis for all positions of the arms along said path as viewed in a vertical direction perpendicular to said horizontal axis, and to be able to sandwich the article between the leading ends of the arms; and
a controller that performs control to turn the arms about the axis to lift an article located at one of the wait position and the processing position and sandwiched between the arms, and to move the arms with the article kept lifted by the arms to the other of the wait position and the processing position, the controller also performing control to turn the arms to lower and mount the article at the other of the wait position and the processing position.

2. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising the processing apparatus, wherein
the processing apparatus includes side walls that define a space between the processing position and the wait position and that are not allowed to be opened or closed,
when moving the article from the one of the wait position and the processing position to the other, the controller turns the arms about the axis to lift the article and moves the article kept lifted by the aims to the other of the wait position and the processing position by allowing the article and the arms to pass through a space defined to lie in front of the side walls and located closer to the base ends of the arms than the side walls.

3. The conveying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the wait position that is set on each of opposite sides of the processing position is a pre-loading wait position at which the article not subjected to the predetermined processing yet waits, and a post-unloading wait position at which the article having subjected to the predetermined processing at the processing position waits,
the side walls are a first side wall and a second side wall that define a space between the processing position and the pre-loading wait position and a space between the processing position and the post-unloading wait position, respectively,
the conveying apparatus includes an opening door that is allowed to be opened and closed with respect to an opening between the first side wall and the second side wall that serves as a doorway through which the article is transferred to or from the processing position when the arms are turned to lower the article so as to load and transfer the article to the processing position or when the article is lifted to be unloaded and transferred from the processing position,
the controller includes a loading control unit that performs control to turn the arms about the axis to lift the article located at the pre-loading wait position and sandwiched between the arms, move the lifted article and the arms to pass through the space in front of the first side wall to the processing position, and then turn the arms about the axis to pass through the opening to lower and mount the article at the processing position; and
an unloading control unit that performs control to turn the arms about the axis to lift the article located at, the processing position and sandwiched between the two anus to pass through the opening, move the lifted article and the arms to pass through the space in front of the second side wall to the post-unloading wait position, and then turn the two arms about the axis to lower and mount the article at the post-unloading wait position.

4. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a movement driving unit controlled by the controller to move the body in the extending direction with respect to the guide;
a sandwich driving unit controlled by the controller to change the separation distance between the arms to sandwich the article between the leading ends of the arms located at opposite sides of the article, under a predetermined load at which the article is enabled to be lifted: and
a turn driving unit controlled by the controller to turn the arms about the axis with the article sandwiched between the arms under the predetermined load by the sandwich driving unit around a predetermined turning shaft provided at the base ends of the arms so as to move the leading ends of the arms in the up-down direction and to maintain a state of the arms resulting from turning the arms about the axis through the predetermined turning angle.

5. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing apparatus is a machine tool, and
the article is a workpiece.

6. The conveying apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a receiving member that receives coolant falling down from the article lifted while being tilted according to a turning angle of the arms about the axis when the arms with the article sandwiched between the arms are turned about the axis to lift up the article under control of the controller.

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Eiji
• Ohki minoru
• Yamazaki Koyo
• Ogawa Fumiki

Classifications

• B65G25/06

  having carriers, e.g. belts · CPC title

• B23Q7/1405

  with a series disposition of similar working devices · CPC title

• B23Q11/08

  Protective coverings for parts of machine tools; Splash guards · CPC title

• B65G47/847

  the article-engaging elements being grippers · CPC title

• B23Q7/04

  by means of grippers {(B23Q7/1494 takes precedence)} · CPC title