Conveyance device and conveyance head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10850431-B2
Application number	US-201715830884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2017
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A conveyance device includes a plurality of holding mechanisms and one or more pressing mechanisms, the holding mechanisms each include a holder that holds a molding material and a holder movement mechanism that moves the holder, and the pressing mechanisms each include a pusher that comes into contact with and pushes the molding material and a pusher movement mechanism that moves the pusher.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveyance device that supports a melted and softened molding material containing reinforcement fibers and a thermoplastic resin, conveys the molding material between a pair of molds that have been opened, and places the molding material on one of the pair of molds, comprising:
a plurality of holding mechanisms;
one or more pressing mechanisms, wherein:
the holding mechanisms each include a holder that holds the molding material and a holder movement mechanism that moves the holder, and
the pressing mechanisms each include a pusher that comes into contact with and pushes the molding material and a pusher movement mechanism that moves the pusher; and
a controller that controls an operation of conveying the molding material and an operation of placing the molding material, wherein the controller:
controls the holding mechanisms to hold each portion of the molding material by a plurality of the holders and convey the molding material between the pair of molds while supporting the molding material in a state where the pusher does not come into contact with the molding material,
controls the holding mechanisms and the pressing mechanisms to start preforming for pushing the molding material held by the plurality of holders by the pusher to follow the one of the pair of molds and deforming the molding material into a predetermined shape before the molding material comes into contact with the one of the pair of molds, and
controls the holding mechanisms to release holding of the molding material, on which the preforming has been performed, by the holders and place the molding material on the one of the pair of molds.

2. The conveyance device according to claim 1 , further comprising a conveyance device body and a conveyance head attached to the conveyance device body and provided with the plurality of holding mechanisms and the one or more pressing mechanisms.

3. The conveyance device according to claim 2 , wherein
the conveyance head includes a head body having a mesh-like framework structure to which the plurality of holding mechanisms and the one or more pressing mechanisms are attached.

4. The conveyance device according to claim 3 , wherein
the head body includes an attachment provided in a vicinity of an edge of the head body having the mesh-like framework structure and attached to the conveyance device body.

5. The conveyance device according to claim 4 , wherein
the conveyance device body or the attachment includes a joint, and
the head body is attached to the conveyance device body via the joint.

6. The conveyance device according to claim 2 , wherein
the holder movement mechanism includes a holder rotation restriction mechanism that restricts rotation of the holder about a direction in which the holder is moved by the holder movement mechanism and maintains an orientation of the holder in a predetermined direction, and
the pusher movement mechanism includes a pusher rotation restriction mechanism that restricts rotation of the pusher about a direction in which the pusher is moved by the pusher movement mechanism and maintains an orientation of the pusher in a predetermined direction.

7. The conveyance device according to claim 2 , wherein
the holding mechanisms provided on the conveyance head are larger in number than the pressing mechanisms provided on the conveyance head.

8. The conveyance device according to claim 2 , wherein
the conveyance device body is an articulated robot.

9. The conveyance device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the holder movement mechanism and the pusher movement mechanism includes a pneumatic cylinder.

10. The conveyance device according to claim 1 , wherein
the holding mechanisms each include a slide mechanism that slides the holder in a direction that intersects with a direction in which the holder is moved by the holder movement mechanism.

11. The conveyance device according to claim 10 , wherein
the slide mechanism includes a pneumatic cylinder.

12. The conveyance device according to claim 10 , wherein
the plurality of holding mechanisms each including the slide mechanism include a first holding mechanism including a first holder and a first slide mechanism that slides the first holder in a first direction, a second holding mechanism including a second holder and a second slide mechanism that slides the second holder in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction in a planar view, and a third holding mechanism including a third holder and a third slide mechanism that slides the third holder in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction in the planar view.

13. The conveyance device according to claim 1 , wherein
the pusher has a spherical shape, a conical shape, a pyramidal shape, a rod shape, or a plate shape.

14. A conveyance device that supports a melted and softened molding material containing reinforcement fibers and a thermoplastic resin, conveys the molding material between a pair of molds that have been opened, and places the molding material on one of the pair of molds, comprising:
a plurality of holding mechanisms; and
one or more pressing mechanisms, wherein:
the holding mechanisms each include a holder that holds the molding material and a holder movement mechanism that moves the holder,
the pressing mechanisms each include a pusher that comes into contact with and pushes the molding material and a pusher movement mechanism that moves the pusher, and
the holder includes one or more holding needles that hold the molding material by sticking into the molding material.

15. The conveyance device according to claim 14 , wherein
the holder includes a plurality of the holding needles, and
the plurality of holding needles are disposed symmetrically with respect to a centerline of the holder that extends in a direction in which the holder is moved by the holder movement mechanism.

16. The conveyance device according to claim 14 , wherein the holding needles are arcuate, and are arcuately pivotable.

Assignees

• Toshiba Machine Co Ltd
• Teijin Ltd
• Shibaura Machine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sato Kazuhito
• Shigematsu Chiaki
• Yokomizo Hodaka
• Yoneda Tetsuya
• Obata Akihiko

Classifications

• B29C70/54

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations {, e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing} · CPC title

• B29C31/04 Primary

  Feeding {of the material to be moulded}, e.g. into a mould cavity {(B29C39/08 takes precedence; using a material distribution system to two or more fixed injection moulds B29C45/125)} · CPC title

• B29B13/022 Primary

  Melting the material to be shaped · CPC title

• B29C31/085

  combined with positioning the preforms according to predetermined patterns, e.g. positioning extruded preforms on conveyors (B29C70/30 takes precedence; for building tyres B29D30/08) · CPC title

• B29C43/04

  using movable moulds · CPC title