JP2007275746A - Automatic coating apparatus and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic coating apparatus preventing leakage or the like of a coating during a filling work by accurately pressing only a cartridge becoming an object filled with the coating by a simple constitution, and its method. <P>SOLUTION: A cartridge exchange apparatus 6 is provided with a support part 66 provided movably between a coating apparatus 4 and a coating filling apparatus 5 and a pair of grasping arms 67, 68 mounted to the support part 66 and capable of grasping the cartridge 3. One grasping arm 67 is mounted through a spring member 70 such that the cartridge 3 can be pressed in a filling direction of the coating when the coating is filled in the empty cartridge 3 by the coating filling apparatus 5. The other grasping arm 68 is displaceably mounted to the support part 66 in a direction not obstructing pressing of the cartridge 3 by one grasping arm 67 when the cartridge 3 is pressed by one grasping arm 67 through a support rod 71. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic coating apparatus and a method thereof, and more specifically, it is possible to continuously repeat a paint filling operation into an empty cartridge while performing a painting operation by automatically replacing cartridges filled with a paint sequentially. The present invention relates to an automatic coating apparatus and a method thereof.

Generally, in the painting process of automobiles, the body to be painted is continuously or intermittently carried into the painting booth by the conveyor and placed in the painting booth with the painting object stopped or moved. Painting is performed by the applied coating apparatus.
This type of painting equipment is usually attached to a painting robot, etc., and is configured to apply paint to an object to be coated, and is equipped with a cartridge filled with paint. By doing so, each color can be painted.

  Among them, an automatic coating apparatus that enables automatic and continuous painting work on an object to be coated is known, and this automatic coating apparatus is usually used to fill an empty cartridge in the coating apparatus with a paint. A configuration in which a paint filling device is connected, and empty cartridges and filled cartridges are sequentially transported between the painting device and the paint filling device, and the paint filled cartridges are sequentially replenished to the painting device. It is said that.

  As a configuration of such a conventional automatic painting apparatus, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a painting apparatus that is attached to a painting robot provided in a painting booth and performs painting while replacing individual cartridges for each color. A paint filling device that fills an empty cartridge with a paint, and a cartridge exchange device that has a gripping part for gripping the cartridge separately and exchanges an empty cartridge and a paint-filled cartridge with the coating device. Is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).

  In this type of automatic coating apparatus, when the cartridge is replaced, the paint-filled cartridge filled with the paint is taken out from the paint filling apparatus by the gripping portion of the cartridge gripping apparatus provided in the cartridge replacement apparatus. The used cartridge is held in the state of being gripped by the grip portion, and the used empty cartridge is removed from the coating apparatus by the other grip portion. With such a configuration, immediately after the empty cartridge is removed from the coating apparatus, the cartridge filled with the paint gripped by one gripping portion can be attached to the coating apparatus, and the cartridge replacement work is simplified. It can be made.

  By the way, when the empty cartridge is filled with the paint by the paint filling device, the cartridge is pushed in the axial direction of the paint filling table by the cartridge holding device while the cartridge is placed on the paint filling table. It is pressed so that This is provided at the joint between the feed tube provided on the cartridge side and the feed tube insertion port provided on the paint filling table side and the filling valve, and on the thinner supply / discharge hole provided on the cartridge side and the paint filling table side. This is a process for preventing paint and thinner from leaking out at the joint portion of the thinner supply / discharge path.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the conventional cartridge gripping device 164 is provided in a cartridge exchange device for transferring an empty cartridge 103 or a cartridge 103 filled with paint between a painting device and a paint filling device (not shown). It is supported so as to be movable in three axial directions. In the paint filling device, the cartridges 103 are arranged so as to be aligned at a predetermined interval. The cartridge gripping device 164 is provided with support portions 165 and 166 supported so as to be movable up and down, and a pair of grip arms 167 and 168 attached to the support portion 166 and capable of gripping the cartridge 103 individually. Each unit is configured to be movable.

  A support portion 166 is attached to the support portion 165 via spring members 170 and 170, and gripping arms 167 and 168 are attached to the lower surface of the support portion 166 and a rod-like pressing member that presses the cartridge 103. 180 is attached to a substantially middle position of the grip arms 167 and 168 so as to protrude vertically downward. In addition, the gripping arm 167 (168) is provided with a pair of gripping claws 167a and 167a (168a and 168a) which are swing-operated so that the distal end portions thereof are close to or away from each other, and the gripping claws 167a (168a) are provided. ), The gripping protrusion 133 of the cartridge 103 is gripped or released.

The process of filling the empty cartridge 103 with the coating material using such a cartridge gripping device 164 will be described. The cartridge gripping device 164 is lowered in a state where the pressing member 180 is positioned on the axis of the target cartridge 103. The cartridge 103 is pressed by the pressing member 180. Then, the cartridge 103 is pushed into a state where it is completely pushed into a paint filling table (not shown), that is, until the cartridge 103 can be filled with paint (see FIG. 6).
JP 2000-176333 A

  However, according to the configuration of the cartridge gripping device 164 as described above, in the step of filling the empty cartridge 103 with the paint, the pressing member 180 is displaced from the axial center of the cartridge 103 and the force point for pushing the cartridge 103 is shifted. If the cartridge 103 is pressed in this state, the cartridge 103 may be squeezed (see FIG. 7), and the paint or thinner may leak out and the cartridge 103 may not be filled. In addition, since each component member has variations in processing accuracy and the like, the pressing member 180 is accurately positioned with respect to the cartridge 103 (the center thereof) so that the cartridge 103 is reliably pressed along the filling direction. It was difficult to control.

  Therefore, the present invention relates to an automatic coating apparatus and method for solving the above-described conventional problems. With a simple configuration, only a cartridge to be filled with paint is accurately pressed, and the filling operation is being performed. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic painting apparatus and method for preventing leakage of paint.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above. Next, means for solving the problem will be described.

  That is, in claim 1, a cartridge filled with paint is replaceably attached, a paint part for painting an object to be painted, a paint filling part connected to the paint part and filling the cartridge with paint, A cartridge filled with paint is transferred from the paint filling unit to the coating unit, and an empty cartridge attached to the coating unit is replaced with a cartridge filled with paint, and an empty cartridge is filled with the paint from the coating unit. An automatic coating apparatus comprising a cartridge replacement unit that transports to a part, wherein the cartridge replacement unit includes a support unit movably provided between the coating unit and the paint filling unit, and the support unit And a pair of gripping portions capable of gripping the cartridge. The mounting means supports one gripping portion as the support. When the paint filling unit fills the empty cartridge with the paint, the supply side attaching means for supporting the cartridge in the paint filling direction by one gripping part and the other gripping part And a collection-side mounting means for supporting the other gripping portion so that the other gripping portion can be displaced in a direction that does not prevent the pressing of the cartridge by the one gripping portion when the cartridge is pressed by the one gripping portion. is there.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the collection side attaching means attaches the other gripping portion to the support portion and supports the slidable in the direction opposite to the direction in which the one gripping portion presses the cartridge.

  The supply side mounting means includes a buffering means for displacing one gripping part with respect to the support part when pressing the cartridge, and the support part of the one gripping part by the buffering means is provided. The displacement of the other gripping portion relative to the support portion by the collection side attachment means is larger than the displacement relative to the support portion.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the paint filling unit is provided for each number of colors, and a plurality of paint filling bases to which cartridges are detachably attached are disposed, and the collection side attaching means is provided in the support portion. An insertion hole provided, a rod having one end inserted through the insertion hole and the other end connected to the other gripping portion, and a stopper provided on the rod to prevent the other gripping portion from falling under its own weight. When the cartridge is pressed in the paint filling direction by one gripping portion in the paint filling portion, the other gripping portion comes into contact with the cartridge on the paint filling table adjacent to the cartridge, and one grip With the pressing of the cartridge by the part, the other gripping part is pressed in the reverse direction and slid.

  6. The paint cartridge according to claim 5, wherein a cartridge filled with paint is replaceably attached, a paint portion for painting an object to be painted, a paint filling portion connected to the paint portion and filling the cartridge with paint, and the cartridge A pair of gripping portions capable of gripping, and transferring a cartridge filled with paint from the paint filling portion to the coating portion, replacing an empty cartridge attached to the coating portion with a cartridge filled with paint An automatic coating method in an automatic coating apparatus comprising a cartridge replacement unit for transferring an empty cartridge from the coating unit to the paint filling step, and filling the empty cartridge with the paint filling unit When pressing the cartridge, the cartridge is pressed in the paint filling direction by the one gripping portion, and the cartridge is pressed by the one gripping portion. To when pressing in the direction that does not interfere with the pressing of the cartridge according to one of the gripping portion, it is intended to displace the other grip portion to the support portion.

  As effects of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  Since it is set as the structure shown in Claim 1, only the cartridge used as the object filled with a coating material can be accurately pressed with a simple structure, and the leakage of the coating material during the filling operation can be prevented.

  Since the structure shown in claim 2 is adopted, the cartridge can be retracted by sliding the other gripping portion upward in conjunction with the operation of moving one gripping portion downward and pushing the cartridge in the filling direction. The paint filling operation can be performed in a series of operations, and the work efficiency can be improved.

  According to the configuration shown in claim 3, the impact when one gripping part comes into contact with the cartridge can be buffered, and the other gripping part can be displaced more greatly than the one gripping part, and the cartridge can be moved by the one gripping part. Can be reliably pushed in the filling direction.

  Since it is set as the structure shown in Claim 4, the drive device etc. which mechanically slide the other holding part become unnecessary, for example, and a support part and a holding part can be comprised lightweight and compactly.

  Since it is set as the structure shown in Claim 5, only the cartridge used as the object filled with a coating material can be accurately pressed with a simple structure, and the leakage of the coating material during a filling operation, etc. can be prevented.

Next, the best mode for carrying out the invention will be described.
1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of an automatic coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of a paint filling apparatus and a cartridge exchange apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a front view of a cartridge gripping apparatus. 4 is a diagram showing the state of the paint filling operation by the cartridge gripping device, FIG. 5 is a front view of the conventional cartridge gripping device, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the state of the paint filling operation by the conventional cartridge gripping device, and FIG. It is a figure showing the state of the paint filling operation | work by the cartridge holding | grip apparatus of this.
In the present embodiment, as an example, an automatic coating apparatus 1 for coating a body, a chassis, a trim, etc. as an object to be coated in an automobile painting process will be described. However, the scope of application of the embodiment is limited to this. Is not to be done.

First, the overall configuration of the automatic coating apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be outlined below.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an automatic painting apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a painting robot 2 provided in a painting booth, and a cartridge 3 that is attached to the painting robot 2 and filled with paint. A coating device 4 that is attached in a replaceable manner and that coats an object (not shown), a coating material filling device 5 that fills the cartridge 3 with a coating material, and the cartridge 3 is transferred between the coating device 4 and the coating material filling device 5. And the cartridge exchange device 6 to be exchanged.
This automatic painting apparatus 1 is arranged in a painting process of an automobile, and a body or the like to be coated is continuously or intermittently carried into a painting booth by a conveying device such as a conveyer, and the object to be painted is stopped or moved. In this state, painting is performed by the painting device 4 attached to the painting robot 2.

  The painting robot 2 is configured as a vertical articulated robot in which a plurality of arm portions are movable in the vertical direction. Specifically, the base 20 is fixed in position, and the base 20 can rotate and swing. The first arm portion 21 is attached to the first arm portion 21 and the second arm portion 22 is swingably connected to the first arm portion 21. The coating device 4 is provided at the tip of the second arm portion 22. By rotating or swinging the arm portions 21 and 22 of the painting robot 2, the coating device 4 provided on the second arm portion 22 is moved relative to the object to be coated. Paint is applied to the predetermined place.

The cartridge 3 is filled with a predetermined single color paint for each cartridge 3. Specifically, the resin tank part 30 for storing paint and a cone provided so as to close one end of the tank part 30. And a feed tube 32 or the like protruding in the axial direction from the tip of the mounting portion 31.
The tank part 30 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is formed of a resin having transparency so that the remaining amount of paint can be visually observed from the outside. The rear end portion which is the base end side of the tank portion 30 is closed, and a gripping projection 33 protrudes in a convex shape substantially at the center of the shaft, and the gripping projection 33 forms a grip constituting a cartridge exchange device 6 which will be described later. It is gripped by the arms 67 and 68. Thus, the cartridge 3 is transferred between the coating device 4 and the paint filling device 6 in a state where the gripping projections 33 provided at the base end are gripped by the gripping arms 67 and 68, and the coating device 4 And is attached to and detached from the paint filling device 6.

The attachment portion 31 is formed integrally with the tank portion 30, and is engaged with the tip end portion of the second arm portion 22 described above and a paint filling base 50 of the paint filling device 5 described later, so that the cartridge 3 is axially moved. And it is positioned and fixed in the radial direction.
The feed tube 32 is formed with a paint supply / discharge path (not shown) extending coaxially inside, and the base end side is opened, and the paint supply from the inside of the tank unit 30 with the cartridge 3 attached to the coating device 4 is performed. The paint is discharged through the discharge path, and the paint is supplied into the tank unit 30 through the paint supply / discharge path in a state where the paint is mounted on the paint filling device 5.

  The coating device 4 is mounted such that the cartridge 3 filled with the paint for each color is replaceable, and the mounting portion 31 of the cartridge 3 is engaged with the coating device 4 to be positioned and fixed. The coating device 4 is provided with a nozzle part 40 as a paint spraying device, and the paint filled in the cartridge 3 is sent to the nozzle part 40 via the feed tube 32 and sprayed from the nozzle part 40. In addition, as the nozzle part 40, a well-known structure can be employ | adopted and it does not specifically limit.

The paint filling device 5 is configured to supply the paint to the tank unit 30 and fill the cartridge 3 in a state where the paint in the tank unit 30 is empty. Hereinafter, the cartridge 3 in which the paint in the tank unit 30 is empty is referred to as “empty cartridge 3”. Further, the cartridge 3 in which the tank portion 30 is filled with the paint is referred to as a “paint filled cartridge 3”.
Specifically, the paint filling device 5 is in a state in which a plurality of paint filling bases 50, 50... Provided for each number of paint colors are aligned at predetermined intervals in the front-rear and left-right directions (5 rows, 5 rows). Corresponding cartridges 3 are detachably attached to the paint filling table 50, respectively. The paint filling base 50 is connected to the cartridge attachment part 51 to which the cartridge 3 is attached, the paint supply path 52 for supplying the paint to the cartridge 3 attached to the cartridge attachment part 51, and the paint supply path 52 connected to the cartridge 3. It is composed of a paint reservoir 53 and the like for storing the supply paint.

  The cartridge attachment portion 51 is formed so that the upper end surface is recessed in a conical shape, and the attachment portion 31 of the cartridge 3 is brought into contact with and engaged. Further, the end of the paint supply path 52 is opened at the center of the shaft of the cartridge mounting portion 51, and the feed tube 32 is inserted into the paint supply path 52 in a state where the cartridge 3 is attached to the cartridge mounting portion 51. Is done. That is, the cartridge 3 is moved up and down in a state where the feed tube 32 is positioned coaxially with the paint supply path 52, and the empty cartridge 3 is attached by being moved vertically with respect to the paint filling table 50. On the other hand, the cartridge 3 filled with paint is moved vertically with respect to the paint filling table 50 and removed. The paint supply path 52 is provided with an adjustment valve 54 in the middle of the paint reservoir 53, and the paint supplied from the paint reservoir 53 to the cartridge 3 when the regulator valve 54 is opened and closed. The flow rate is adjusted.

  The cartridge exchanging device 6 is disposed between the coating device 4 and the coating material filling device 5, and a cartridge gripping device 64 to be described later is provided so as to be movable in the three axial directions of the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction. Specifically, the cartridge exchanging device 6 includes a frame body 60 erected so as to surround the paint filling device 5, a pair of rail members 61 and 61 laid in parallel on the upper surface of the frame body 60, A base 62 attached to one rail member 61 61 so as to be horizontally movable; a second rail member 63 provided on the base 62; a cartridge gripping device 64 attached to the second rail member 63 so as to be horizontally movable; It consists of

  The frame body 60 is configured by assembling a plurality of long plate-like frames 60 a and 60 b into a cubic shape, and the frame 60 a constituting the leg body is erected vertically at the four corners of the outer periphery of the paint filling device 5. The frame 60b is attached so as to be positioned on a straight line (hereinafter referred to as the X direction; see FIG. 1) connecting the coating device 4 and the coating material filling device 5 by connecting the upper ends of the frames 60a. . The first rail members 61 are respectively laid on the upper surfaces of a pair of opposed frames 60b.

  The base portion 62 is formed in a rectangular housing in plan view, and both end portions of the base portion 62 abut against the pair of first rail members 61 and 61 from above via a slider (not shown), respectively. -It is supported so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction along 61. In other words, the base portion 62 is bridged so as to be slidable in the X direction so as to be separated from the first rail members 61 and 61 as a whole. The base 62 reciprocates in the upper space between the paint filling bases 50 at the X direction in the upper space between the paint filling bases 50, 50... At least at both ends in the X direction. It is configured to be possible.

The second rail member 63 is attached to the upper surface of the base 62 and is configured to be horizontally movable integrally with the base 62. A connecting portion 65 is in contact with the second rail member 63 from above, and the connecting portion 65 is perpendicular to the first rail members 61 and 61 along the second rail member 63 (hereinafter referred to as the Y direction). (See FIG. 2).
The connection portion 65 is formed in a rectangular housing in plan view, and is connected to the second rail member 63 from above, and is connected to the second rail member 63 so as to be horizontally movable, and the connection base portion 65a. The slider 65b extends and is fixed in the vertical vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as Z direction; see FIGS. 1 and 2) with respect to 65a. Thus, the cartridge gripping device 64 is attached to the slider 65b so as to be slidable in the vertical direction (Z direction) with respect to the extending direction of the slider 65b, that is, the connecting base portion 65a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cartridge gripping device 64 is attached to a slider 66 b of the connecting portion 65 and a lower portion of the support 66 at a predetermined interval, and grips and supports the cartridge 3. It is composed of a pair of gripping arms 67, 68 and the like.
The support portion 66 is a long plate-like member formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and is connected and fixed to the slider 65b at one end side edge portion from the longitudinal center portion.
The grip arms 67 and 68 are formed in substantially the same shape, and are respectively suspended at positions below the support portion 66. Further, the attachment is made so that the separation is substantially the same as the separation of the adjacent paint filling bases 50, 50, and is moved integrally with the support portion 66.
However, as will be described later, the gripping arms 67 and 68 are attached so as to be moved relative to the support portion 66 when the cartridge 3 is gripped or when the cartridge 3 is filled with paint, for example. . Details of the mounting structure of the grip arms 67 and 68 will be described later (see FIG. 4).

  The gripping arm 67 (68) is provided with a pair of gripping claws 67a and 67a (68a and 68a) which are swing-operated so that the distal end portions are close to or away from each other. The gripping protrusion 33 of the cartridge 3 is gripped or released. As described above, the support 66 is moved up and down along the slider 65b in a state where the gripping claws 67a (68a) grip the gripping projections 33 of the cartridge 3, thereby moving the support 66 up and down while gripping the cartridge 3. It is configured to be able to.

  One gripping arm 67 out of the gripping arms 67 and 68 mainly removes the paint-filled cartridge 3 attached to the paint-filling base 50 from the paint-filling base 50 and transfers it to the coating device 4 for painting. Used when attached to the device 4. The other gripping arm 68 is used when the empty cartridge 3 attached to the coating device 4 is detached from the coating device 4 and transferred to the paint filling device 5 and attached to the paint filling table 50.

  As described above, the cartridge exchanging device 6 has the cartridge gripping device 64 supported by the connecting portion 65 so as to be movable in the vertical vertical direction (Z direction), and the connecting portion 65 is attached to the second rail member 63 provided on the base portion 62. The base portion 62 is supported so as to be movable along the first rail member 61 in the horizontal direction (X direction). That is, in the cartridge exchanging device 6 of this embodiment, the cartridge gripping device 64 is supported by the base 62 and the connecting portion 65 so as to be movable in the three axial directions of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. The cartridge 3 supported by 68 is configured to be movable in the three axial directions of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction, like the cartridge gripping device 64.

  In this embodiment, the cartridge gripping device 64 has a range of movement in the X direction and the Y direction that is a space above the paint filling bases 50, 50. The reciprocation is possible in the upper space between the bases 50. The cartridge gripping device 64 is moved up to a position where the cartridge 3 supported by at least the gripping arms 67 and 68 does not come into contact with the coating device 4, the paint filling device 5, etc. The device 64 is moved down to a position where the gripping projections 33 of the cartridge 3 attached to the coating device 4 and the paint filling device 5 can be gripped by at least the gripping claws 67a and 68a of the gripping arms 67 and 68.

  Note that the base 62, the connecting portion 65 (the connecting base portion 65a and the slider 65b), the gripping arms 67 and 68 (the gripping claws 67a and 68a) and the like that constitute each cartridge exchange device 6 are described above via a drive mechanism (not shown). The drive is controlled so that such a predetermined operation is performed.

Here, the cartridge replacement control mechanism in the automatic coating apparatus 1 will be described in detail below.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the control mechanism of each device (painting robot 2, coating device 4, paint filling device 5, cartridge replacement device 6, etc.) when the cartridge 3 is replaced in the automatic coating device 1. explain. First, when the paint robot 2 is operated and the paint device 4 paints the object to be coated, and the paint in the tank 30 of the cartridge 3 becomes empty, the paint by the paint device 4 is temporarily interrupted. The coating device 4 is moved to the position P1. The coating device 4 is stopped with the gripping projection 33 of the cartridge 3 positioned above.

  At this time, in the paint filling device 5, the cartridge replacement device 6 takes out the paint-filled cartridge 3 from the predetermined paint filling table 50 and transfers it to the coating device 4. Specifically, first, the cartridge gripping device 64 is horizontally moved in the X direction and the Y direction, and is stopped at an upper position P2 of a predetermined paint filling table 50 that supplies paint of the same color as the paint that has been emptied. In this embodiment, the cartridge exchanging device 6 is stopped so that one gripping arm 67 of the cartridge gripping device 64 is positioned vertically above the cartridge 3 attached to the predetermined paint filling base 50.

Next, the cartridge gripping device 64 is moved vertically downward in the Z direction, and is stopped at a position P3 where one of the gripping arms 67 can grip the cartridge 3 filled with paint. With the cartridge gripping device 64 positioned at the position P3, the gripping projection 33 of the cartridge 3 is gripped by the gripping claws 67a of one gripping arm 67.
Then, the cartridge gripping device 64 is moved vertically upward while gripping the paint-filled cartridge 3 by one gripping arm 67, and then horizontally moved in the X direction toward the painting robot 2, 3 is stopped at a position P4 where the replacement operation 3 is performed. At the position P4, the cartridge exchange device 6 is stopped in a state where the other gripping arm 68 of the cartridge gripping device 64 is positioned vertically above the cartridge 3 attached to the coating device 4.

  The cartridge 3 filled with the paint transferred from the paint filling device 5 to the painting device 4 by the cartridge exchange device 6 in this manner is removed from the empty cartridge 3 attached to the painting device 4 and then transferred to the painting device 4. It is attached. First, the cartridge gripping device 64 is moved up and down in the Z direction, and the empty cartridge 3 is gripped by the other gripping arm 68 and removed from the coating device 4. Next, the cartridge gripping device 64 is horizontally moved in the Y direction, the one gripping arm 67 is stopped in a state of being positioned vertically above the coating device 4, and is moved up and down again in the Z direction, so that one gripping arm is moved. The cartridge 3 filled with paint held by 67 is attached to the coating device 4.

  After the paint-filled cartridge 3 is attached to the coating device 4, the empty cartridge 3 is transferred to the paint filling device 5 by the cartridge exchange device 6 and attached to a predetermined paint filling table 50.

  However, the cartridge exchange control mechanism in the automatic painting apparatus 1 is such that the painting apparatus 4 stops the painting apparatus 4 at the position P1 by the painting robot 2 and then paints the cartridge 3 filled with paint from the paint filling apparatus 5 by the cartridge exchange apparatus 6. You may control to make it transfer to 4. In addition, the cartridge 3 is replaced not only when the cartridge 3 attached to the coating apparatus 4 becomes empty as described above, but also when the color of the paint to be applied to the object to be coated is replaced. Is called.

Next, the mounting structure of the gripping arms 67 and 68 in the cartridge gripping device 64 will be described in detail below.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the cartridge gripping device 64 of this embodiment, one gripping arm 67 causes the cartridge 3 to move in the axial direction of the paint filling base 50 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as “filling direction”). The other gripping arm 68 is supported in a direction that does not prevent the pressing of the cartridge 3 by the one gripping arm 67 when the cartridge 3 is pressed by the one gripping arm 67. The part 66 is supported so as to be displaceable.

  As described above, one gripping arm 67 is mainly used for supplying the cartridge 3 filled with paint, and is attached to the support portion 66 by a spring member 70 as supply side attaching means. Specifically, one gripping arm 67 is suspended below the support portion 66 by being positioned at a lower position with respect to the support portion 66 by the spring member 70. As the spring member 70, a compression coil spring formed in a coil shape or the like is used. Further, the spring member 70 is provided with a rod-shaped stopper (not shown), and the upper position of the grip arm 67 with respect to the support portion 66 is regulated by this stopper.

  In this way, by attaching one gripping arm 67 to the support portion 66 via the spring member 70, the impact between the gripping arm 67 and the cartridge 3 when gripping the cartridge 3 can be reduced. That is, when the gripping arm 67 receives an impact from the cartridge 3 when coming into contact with the cartridge 3, the spring member 70 is elastically deformed and moved upward relative to the support portion 66, thereby reducing the impact. The When one gripping arm 67 of this embodiment is pressed so as to be pushed up from below, the spring member 70 is once elastically deformed and moved upward, and the elastic force of the spring member 70 eventually exceeds the pressing force. And no more is moved upward.

  As described above, the other gripping arm 68 is mainly used for collecting the empty cartridge 3 and is attached to the support portion 66 by the support rod 71 which is a rod-like member as the collection side attachment means. One end of the support rod 71 is inserted through an insertion hole 66 a formed in the support portion 66 and protrudes above the support portion 66, and the other end is connected to the other gripping arm 68. A stopper 72 is attached to a protruding end of the support rod 71 from the support portion 66. The other gripping arm 68 is suspended below the support portion 66 by its own weight, and the stopper 72 is locked to the upper surface of the support portion 66 to position the lower position. The lower positions of one gripping arm 67 and the other gripping arm 68 are adjusted to be substantially the same in the horizontal direction.

  A bearing 73 is provided in the insertion hole 66a. The bearing 73 is slidably contacted with the outer surface of the support rod 71, and the support rod 71 is supported so as to be movable up and down. That is, the other gripping arm 68 is positioned at the lower position by its own weight, and when pushed up from below, the side surface of the support rod 71 is moved upward relative to the support portion 66 while being in sliding contact with the bearing 73. .

  By the way, when the coating material filling device 5 fills the empty cartridge 3 with paint, the automatic painting device 1 is pressed so that the target cartridge 3 is pushed in the filling direction. This is because the feed tube 32 of the cartridge 3 and the paint supply path 52 and the regulating valve 54 of the paint filling table 50 are joined, and a thinner supply / discharge hole (not shown) provided on the cartridge 3 side and the paint filling table 50 side are provided. This is because the paint is filled in the cartridge 3 while preventing the paint and thinner from leaking out at the joint portion of the thinner supply / discharge passage (not shown).

  Therefore, in this embodiment, in the cartridge gripping device 64, one gripping arm 67 is attached to the support portion 66 so as to be able to press the cartridge 3 in the filling direction, and the paint filling device 5 applies the paint to the empty cartridge 3. When the cartridge 3 is filled, the cartridge 3 is pushed into the paint filling table 50 by the one gripping arm 67, and the other gripping arm 68 is the direction in which the one gripping arm 67 presses the cartridge 3 (filling direction). It is attached to the support portion 66 so as to be slidable in the reverse direction, and is configured so that when the empty cartridge 3 is filled with the paint, it is retracted upward so as not to prevent the pressing by one gripping arm 67. .

  Specifically, one gripping arm 67 is supported so that the cartridge 3 can be pressed by the biasing force of the spring member 70, and the other gripping arm 68 is slidable up and down via a support rod 71, and The support portion 66 is supported so that the vertical position can be displaced. When filling the empty cartridge 3 with the paint filling device 5, the cartridge gripping device 64 is moved downward in the filling direction (Z direction) so that the cartridge 3 is filled by one gripping arm 67. The other gripping arm 68 is in contact with the cartridge 3 (or paint filling table 50) adjacent to the target cartridge 3 and is relatively close to the support portion 66 (upward). Moved and saved.

  With reference to FIG. 4, the process of filling the empty cartridge 3 with the paint in the paint filling device 5 will be described. First, the cartridge gripping device 64 is in a state where the empty cartridge 3 is placed on the paint filling table 50. The downward movement is started, and the tip of one gripping arm 67 (grip claw 67a) is brought into contact with the upper surface of the cartridge 3. At this time, one gripping arm 67 receives an impact from the cartridge 3 when coming into contact with the cartridge 3, but the spring member 70 is elastically deformed to reduce the impact.

When the downward movement of the cartridge gripping device 64 is continued, the elastic force of the spring member 70 supporting the one gripping arm 67 eventually exceeds the pressing force of the cartridge 3, and the cartridge 3 starts to be pushed along the filling direction. The cartridge 3 is pushed into a state where the cartridge 3 is completely pushed into the paint filling table 50, that is, until the cartridge 3 can be filled with the paint.
At this time, the other gripping arm 68 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the cartridge 3 adjacent to the target cartridge 3 at the same time as the one gripping arm 67 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the cartridge 3 to be filled with paint. The Then, as the cartridge gripping device 64 continues to move downward, the other gripping arm 68 is pressed upward, and the support rod 71 slides through the insertion hole 66a so as to approach the support portion 66, that is, vertically upward. The relative position is varied.

  With the above-described configuration, one gripping arm 67 is used as a pressing unit that presses the cartridge 3 from above in addition to gripping and transferring the cartridge 3, and the other is used for filling the paint. Since the gripping arm 68 is supported so as to be displaceable in a direction that does not prevent the pressing of the cartridge 3 by the one gripping arm 67, with a simple configuration, only the cartridge to be filled with paint is accurately pressed, It is possible to prevent leakage of paint during filling operation. That is, it is not necessary to separately provide a member for pressing the cartridge 3, and since one gripping arm 67 can also serve as the member, the configuration is simple and the positioning of the one gripping arm 67 is easy. Further, it is possible to prevent the force point for pushing the cartridge 103 from being shifted from the center of the cartridge 103 and the like, and it is possible to prevent the paint or thinner from leaking due to the cartridge 3 being squeezed.

  In particular, the cartridge gripping device 64 according to the present embodiment has a direction in which one gripping arm 67 presses the cartridge 3 by a support rod 71 slidably attached to the support 66 by the other gripping arm 68. That is, since the cartridge 3 (paint filling table 50) is slidably attached in the direction opposite to the filling direction which is the axial direction of the cartridge 3 (the paint filling table 50), the support portion 66 is moved downward to move one gripping arm 67 downward. In conjunction with the operation of pushing the cartridge 3 in the filling direction, the other gripping arm 68 can be slid upward to be retracted, so that the paint filling operation to the cartridge can be performed in a series of operations, Work efficiency can be improved.

  That is, in the cartridge gripping device 64 in the present embodiment, the other gripping arm 68 is connected to a support rod 71 inserted into an insertion hole 66a having one end drilled in the support portion 66, and the support portion of the support rod 71 is supported. A stopper 72 provided at the projecting end from 66 is supported so as to prevent falling of its own weight from the support portion 66, and the cartridge 3 in the paint filling direction by one gripping arm 67 in the paint filling device 5. Is pressed against the cartridge 3 on the paint filling table 50 adjacent to the cartridge 3, and the other gripping arm 68 is brought into contact with the pressing of the cartridge 3 by the one gripping arm 67. Since it is configured to be slid by being pressed in the opposite direction, for example, a driving device or the like that mechanically slides the other gripping arm 68 is provided. Essential, and the supporting portion 66 and the gripping arm 67, 68 can be configured light and compact.

  Further, the cartridge gripping device 64 in the present embodiment is configured such that the relative displacement of the other gripping arm 68 is larger than the relative displacement of the one gripping arm 67 relative to the support portion 66. With such a configuration, one gripping arm 67 is attached to the support portion 66 by a spring member 70 as a buffering means, and the shock when the one gripping arm 67 contacts the cartridge 3 can be buffered. In addition, the other gripping arm 68 is slidably supported by the support rod 71, thereby displacing the other gripping arm 68 more than the one gripping arm 67 and using the elastic force of the spring member 70. The cartridge 3 can be reliably pushed in the filling direction.

  In addition, the structure of the spring member 70, the support rod 71, etc. as attachment means of the grip arms 67 and 68 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the attachment means for the other gripping arm 68 may be formed of a spring member having elasticity instead of the support rod 71 described above. However, when the other gripping arm 68 is supported by a spring member, one having a smaller elastic force than that of the spring member 70 supporting the one gripping arm 67 is used. It is set as the structure which does not prevent the press of 3.

  Further, the painting robot 2, the painting device 4, the coating material filling device 5, the cartridge changing device 6, and the cartridge gripping device 64 constituting the automatic painting device 1 of the present embodiment are not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments. In particular, in the cartridge exchange device 6, the cartridge gripping device 64 may be fixedly attached to the tip of a robot arm or the like.

The side view which showed the whole structure of the automatic coating apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention. The front view of a coating material filling apparatus and a cartridge exchange apparatus. The front view of a cartridge holding device. The figure showing the state of the paint filling operation | work by a cartridge holding device. The front view of the conventional cartridge holding | grip apparatus. The figure showing the state of the paint filling operation | work by the conventional cartridge holding | grip apparatus. The figure showing the state of the paint filling operation | work by the conventional cartridge holding | grip apparatus similarly.

Explanation of symbols

1 Automatic painting equipment 3 Cartridge 4 Painting equipment (coating part)
5 Paint filling device (paint filling part)
6 Cartridge changer (cartridge changer)
64 Cartridge gripping device 66 Support portion 67 One gripping arm (one gripping portion)
68 The other gripping arm (the other gripping part)
70 Spring member (supply-side mounting means)
71 Support rod (collection side mounting means)

Claims (5)

A cartridge filled with paint is replaceably attached, and a paint part that paints the object to be painted,
A paint filling unit that is connected to the coating unit and fills the cartridge with paint;
A cartridge filled with paint is transferred from the paint filling unit to the coating unit, and an empty cartridge attached to the coating unit is replaced with a cartridge filled with paint, and an empty cartridge is filled with the paint from the coating unit. An automatic coating apparatus comprising a cartridge exchange part for transporting to a part,
The cartridge replacement part is
A support portion movably provided between the paint portion and the paint filling portion;
A pair of gripping portions attached to the support portion via mounting means and capable of gripping the cartridge;
The attachment means includes
Supply side attachment means for attaching one gripping part to the support part and supporting the cartridge in such a manner that the cartridge can be pressed in the paint filling direction by one gripping part when the paint filling part fills the empty cartridge with the paint. When,
The other gripping part is attached to the support part, and when the cartridge is pressed by the one gripping part, the other gripping part is supported so that the other gripping part can be displaced in a direction that does not prevent the pressing of the cartridge by the one gripping part. And an automatic painting apparatus.   The said collection | recovery side attaching means attaches the other holding part to the said support part, and supports so that a one holding part can slide freely in the direction opposite to the direction which presses a cartridge. Automatic painting equipment. The supply side attachment means has a buffer means for displacing one gripping part with respect to the support part when pressing the cartridge,
The automatic coating according to claim 2, wherein the displacement of the other gripping portion with respect to the support portion by the collection side attachment means is larger than the displacement of the one gripping portion with respect to the support portion by the buffering means. apparatus. The paint filling unit is provided for each number of colors, and a plurality of paint filling bases on which cartridges are detachably attached are disposed.
The collection side mounting means is
An insertion hole drilled in the support part;
A rod having one end inserted through the insertion hole and the other end connected to the other gripping portion;
A stopper provided on the rod to prevent the other gripping portion from falling by its own weight;
When the cartridge is pressed in the paint filling direction by one gripping portion in the paint filling portion, the other gripping portion comes into contact with the cartridge on the paint filling table adjacent to the cartridge, and the cartridge by the one gripping portion is 4. The automatic coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the other gripping portion is pressed and slid in the opposite direction in accordance with the pressing. 5. A cartridge filled with paint is replaceably attached, and a paint part that paints the object to be painted,
A paint filling unit that is connected to the coating unit and fills the cartridge with paint;
A pair of gripping portions capable of gripping the cartridge is provided, and a cartridge filled with paint is transferred from the paint filling portion to the coating portion, and an empty cartridge attached to the coating portion is replaced with a cartridge filled with paint. And an automatic coating method in an automatic coating apparatus comprising a cartridge replacement unit that transfers an empty cartridge from the coating unit to the paint filling step,
When filling an empty cartridge with the paint filling unit, the one gripping part pushes the cartridge in the paint filling direction, and when one cartridge pushes the cartridge with one gripping part, An automatic coating method characterized by displacing the other gripping part with respect to the support part in a direction that does not prevent the cartridge from being pressed by the part.

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