Bolt supply device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11299349-B2
Application number	US-202017077538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Feb 21, 2020
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A bolt supply device includes a conveyor, a bolt absorbing portion, a bolt storage portion, and an allocation portion. The conveyor is an endless belt and is provided to circulate between a first height and a second height above the first height. The bolt absorbing portion protrudes on an outer surface of a ring formed by the conveyor and is configured to absorb a bolt. The bolt storage portion is provided in a region where the bolt absorbing portion ascends, the region located at the first height. The allocation portion is configured to swing to drop the bolt in either one of both width directions of the conveyor at the second height, the bolt absorbed by the bolt absorbing portion in the bolt storage portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bolt supply device comprising:
an endless belt conveyor provided to circulate between a first height and a second height above the first height;
a bolt absorbing portion protruding on an outer surface of a ring formed by the conveyor, the bolt absorbing portion being configured to absorb a bolt;
a bolt storage portion provided in a region where the bolt absorbing portion ascends, the region being located at the first height; and
an allocation portion configured to swing to separate the bolt from the bolt absorbing portion and drop the bolt in either one of both width directions of the conveyor at the second height.

2. The bolt supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising a support shaft supporting the allocation portion at the second height to allow the allocation portion to be swingable, wherein:
the allocation portion includes a base portion, a protruding portion protruding from the base portion, and a hole provided along the base portion; and
by engagement of the support shaft with the hole, the protruding portion is swingably suspended below the support shaft, and the protruding portion is configured to come in contact with the bolt absorbed by the bolt absorbing portion and swing to drop the bolt.

3. The bolt supply device according to claim 2 , wherein the protruding portion includes a narrowing portion having a width that is narrowed along a protruding direction away from the base portion and a hook portion extending to spread outward, the hook portion being provided on an opposite side of the narrowing portion from the base portion along the protruding direction.

4. The bolt supply device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the hole of the allocation portion is an elongated hole provided along the base portion to allow the support shaft to be slidable in the hole; and
the allocation portion has a center of gravity in a region surrounded by both end portions of the elongated hole and the protruding portion.

5. The bolt supply device according to claim 4 , wherein the allocation portion further includes an adjustment mechanism at an end portion of the elongated hole, the adjustment mechanism configured to advance and retreat in an extending direction of the elongated hole for adjusting a range in which the support shaft is engageable with the elongated hole.

6. The bolt supply device according to claim 2 , further comprising stoppers respectively on outer sides of the conveyor in the both width directions of the conveyor at the second height, wherein the stoppers are configured to regulate a position of the protruding portion.

7. The bolt supply device according to claim 6 , wherein each of the stoppers is disposed such that, in a state where the protruding portion is in contact with the stopper, the support shaft is located between the protruding portion and a center of gravity of the allocation portion in the width direction of the conveyor.

8. The bolt supply device according to claim 2 , wherein the allocation portion includes, in the protruding portion, an inflection portion in which a reduction rate of a width of the protruding portion is reduced along a protruding direction away from the base portion.

9. The bolt supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the allocation portion is configured to contact the bolt in a state in which the bolt is absorbed by the bolt absorbing portion and is ascending towards the first height before the bolt is dropped.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kira Kazuhiko

Classifications

• B65G11/081 Primary

  for articles (B65G11/085 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G47/26 Primary

  arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles · CPC title

• B25B23/04

  for feeding screws or nuts · CPC title

• B65G15/58

  with means for holding or retaining the loads in fixed position, e.g. magnetic · CPC title

• B65G47/1471 Primary

  Movement in one direction, substantially outwards · CPC title