Patent Application
20130232779
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a unit configuration type machine tool, a conveyance apparatus, and a processing equipment, in which any one of the machine tool and the conveyance apparatus for a work transportation is designed to be of a unit configuration type capable of recombining and/or expanding and which can be transformed to various configurations to enable a mixed production or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, in a machine tool, a unit configuration type machine tool has been suggested (as disclosed in, for example, the JP Laid-open Utility Model Publication No. S61-205701 listed below) in which a feed slide, a headstock, a tool post, and other elements are rendered to be of a unit configuration type and by recombining the units, a turning center, for example, is formed or a machining center is formed. The machine tool of a recombinable type discussed above is known as a module configuration machine tool or block build type machine tool.
Also, as a conveyance apparatus to deliver or discharge workpieces in or from a machine tool such as, for example, a lathe or turning machine, the type which includes a lifter, mounted on a traveling member movable along a guide rail, and a chuck provided in a loader head at a lower end of the lifter to hold a workpiece has been well known. In this type of conveyance apparatus, the traveling member moves along a linear transport path. It has, however, been found that only with the linear transport path, an installation space for a machine tool is limited and it is difficult to achieve efficient utilization of the floor space available in a factory. Because of this, suggestions have been made to include at least one curved section in the transport path such as disclosed in, for example, the JP Laid-open Patent Publication No. H04-283039 and JP Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-149269.
The conventional unit configuration type machine tool is such that what is unitized is merely limited to mechanism components such as, for example, a feed slide, a headstock and a tool post, and wiring for drive sources such as, for example, motors provided in the units are individually designed and realized for each unit after assembly has been completed. For this reason, a wiring work is complicated and therefore, it is difficult to achieve recombination in the field. In particular, even amplifiers or the like for driving the units, which form accessory elements such as a chuck changing device or the like have hitherto been installed on a control panel and, therefore, the wiring varies considerably depending on whether those accessory units are to be installed or whether they should not be installed, resulting in further complication in wiring work.
Also, the conventional unit configuration type processing equipment is such that the conveyance apparatus has not yet been unitized. Thus, where recombination and/or expansion of the machine tool is carried out, a design of the conveyance apparatus suitably employed in the machine tool which has been expanded has been required. Because of this, even though the machine tool is of a unit configuration type, effects of a free property in recombining have not been sufficiently demonstrated. By way of example, a rail employed in the conventional conveyance apparatus of a gantry type or the like is such that a track rail has been formed by processing a square pipe and then installing a linear guide on the processed square pipe. For this reason, once the layout changes, the entire rail need be replaced. However, a quick change in machine tool and/or processing equipment, which are to be installed within the factory, have come to be desired in view of the recent trend of large item small scale production and/or the desire to change products accelerated by product development.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a unit configuration type machine tool, a unit configuration type conveyance apparatus, and a unit configuration type processing equipment, as well as units for the machine tool and travel guide units, in which, when including a connecting work of a wiring system, the degree of freedom of recombination and expansion is high and the recombination can be easily and quickly accomplished in the field.
In view of the foregoing, the present invention according to a first preferred embodiment thereof provides a unit configuration type machine tool that includes a plurality of mechanism units, in which case each of the mechanism units includes a connecting unit to mechanically connect the other mechanism units or one of component elements of the machine tool with each other, and at least one of the mechanism units are assembly component parts of a kind including a movable portion and/or a drive source and also including a unit portion wiring and a terminal to connect the unit portion wiring.
According to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the mechanism units is an assembly component part of a kind including a movable portion and/or a drive source and also including a unit portion wiring and a terminal to connect the unit portion wiring. Because of this, the degree of freedom of recombination and expansion, including a connecting work of the wiring system, is high and the recombination can be easily and quickly accomplished in the field. For this reason, the present preferred embodiment can quickly accommodate a change in processing equipment in dependence on the mixed production. It is to be noted that the term “machine tool” referred to in the description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention made hereinabove and hereinafter should be construed as including not only a narrowly defined machine tool such as, for example, a lathe or the like capable of performing a mechanical processing such as, for example, a cutting process, but also a broadly defined machine tool including a sheet metal processing machine such as, for example, a punch press, a laser processing machine, and so on.
In the unit configuration type machine tool designed in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, a base and a plurality of mechanism units are provided, and at least one of the mechanism units are assembly component parts including the movable portion and the drive source. The base referred to above includes a plurality of unit installing seats to removably install any one of the mechanism units, a base portion wiring, and terminals on a main control device side and a mechanism unit side that are connected with the base portion wiring. Each of the mechanism units may be of a type that is removably installed on the unit installing seat of the base or on the mechanism unit mounted on the unit installing seat of the base, and including a terminal and a unit portion wiring that are connected with a terminal on the mechanism unit side of the base or a terminal of the unit portion wiring provided in the other mechanism unit.
In the case of the above described construction, at least one of the mechanism units includes the unit portion wiring and the terminal thereof. As a result, when the mechanism unit is recombined, connection between the terminals provided in the base and the mechanism unit makes it possible to complete a wiring work of the machine tool. For this reason, the degree of freedom of recombination and expansion, including a connecting work of the wiring system, is high and the recombination can be easily and quickly accomplished in the field. As a result, the present preferred embodiment can quickly accommodate a change in processing equipment in dependence on the mixed production. Also, since use is made of the base on which the mechanism unit is installed and since the base includes the unit installing seat, the base portion wiring and the terminal of that wiring, the recombination can be further easily and further quickly accomplished.
In the unit configuration type machine tool of the type referred to above, at least one of the mechanism units may include a unit built-in control circuit arranged and programmed to drive the drive source of the mechanism unit, in which case the unit built-in control circuit is connected with the main control device through the unit portion wiring of the mechanism unit and the base portion wiring of the base. The unit built-in control circuit is a circuit that is arranged and programmed to perform a control function of a strong current system which includes, for example, an electric motor drive current. Where the unit built-in control circuit arranged and programmed to drive the drive source for the mechanism unit is provided in the mechanism unit in this way, there is no need to newly use a drive circuit within the main control device nor is there a need to modify the drive circuit within the main control device, and the main control device suffices to include a portion of its program to which a modification is made. For this reason, the recombination and expansion of the machine tool can be further easily and further quickly accomplished.
The present invention in accordance with a second preferred embodiment thereof provides a unit configuration type conveyance apparatus to load and unload a work onto and from a machine tool, which includes a guide equipped frame including a travel guide, and a traveling member movable along the travel guide. The traveling member includes a holding unit arranged to hold the work and the guide equipped frame includes a plurality of travel guide units connected with each other in a direction conforming to a traveling direction of the traveling member. Since it is constructed by connecting the plurality of the travel guide units, recombination and expansion of the transport path can be easily and quickly accomplished.
The travel guide unit referred to above may include one of an electric component and an electric wiring. Since in this way the travel guides in the conveyance apparatus are unitized and one of the electric component and the electric wiring is provided in each of the travel guide units, the recombination and expansion of the transport path, including an electric system, can be easily and quickly accomplished.
A drive source to cause the traveling member of the conveyance apparatus to move may be a linear motor, in which case the linear motor includes a plurality of armatures on a primary side, that are arranged along the travel guide, and a mover provided in the traveling member, and each of the travel guide units is provided with the armatures and a sensor to detect a position of the mover as the electric component parts. Because the drive source to drive the traveling member includes the linear motor, and the armatures and the sensor to detect the position of the mover are provided in the travel guide unit, the recombination and expansion of the transport path, including the drive system, can be easily and quickly accomplished.
Where each of the travel guide units includes an inverter to supply an electric driving power to each of the armatures and a control portion arranged and programmed to control the armatures by controlling the inverter, the recombination and expansion of the transport path, including the guide, the drive system and the electric system, can be easily and quickly accomplished.
The plurality of the travel guide units may include a travel guide unit which defines a rectilinear section of the travel guide, and a travel guide unit which defines a curved section of the travel guide. If the travel guide unit includes the rectilinear section and the curved section, by a combination of the units, the transport path can be designed to include a path configuration having a free property such as, an L-shape and a ring shape.
The present invention in accordance with a third preferred embodiment thereof provides a unit configuration type processing equipment which includes a machine tool and a conveyance apparatus to load and unload a work relative to the machine tool, in which case the machine tool is a unit configuration type machine tool equipped with a plurality of types of mechanism units. Each of the mechanism units includes a connecting unit to mechanically connect the other mechanism units or one of component elements of the machine tool with each other, and at least one of the mechanism units is an assembly component part of a kind including a movable portion and/or a drive source and also including a unit portion wiring and a terminal to connect the unit portion wiring.
According to the unit configuration type processing equipment of the construction referred to above, the machine tool is a unit configuration type machine tool, each of the mechanism units includes a connecting unit to mechanically connect, and at least one of the mechanism units is a assembly component part of a kind including a movable portion and/or a drive source and also including a unit portion wiring and a terminal to connect the unit portion wiring. Because of this, with respect to the machine tool, the degree of freedom of recombination and expansion, including a connecting work of the wiring system, can be easily and quickly accomplished. For this reason, it is possible to accommodate a change in processing equipment according to the mixed production.
The unit configuration type processing equipment according the preferred embodiments present invention is a processing equipment which includes a machine tool and a conveyance apparatus to load and unload a work relative to the machine tool, in which case the machine tool is a unit configuration type machine tool equipped with a plurality of types of mechanism units, and a base may include a plurality of unit installing seats to removably install any one of the mechanism units, a base portion wiring, and terminals on a main control device side and a mechanism unit side that is connected with the base portion wiring. Each of the mechanism units is of a type that may be removably installed on the unit installing seat of the base or on the mechanism unit mounted on the unit installing seat of the base, and including a terminal and a unit portion wiring that are connected with a terminal on the mechanism unit side of the base or a terminal of the unit portion wiring provided in the other mechanism unit.
In the case of the construction described above, the machine tool is a unit configuration type machine tool and at least one of the mechanism units includes a unit portion wiring and a terminal thereof. Because of this, when the mechanism unit is recombined, the wiring work of the machine tool completes when connection is made between terminals provided in the base and the mechanism units. For this reason, the degree of freedom of recombination and expansion, including the connecting work of the wiring system, is high and the recombination and expansion in the field can be easily and quickly accomplished. As a result, it is possible to quickly accommodate any change in processing equipment according to the mixed production. Also, the unit configuration type machine tool includes a base on which the mechanism units are installed, and this base includes unit installing seats, the base portion wiring, and the terminal of that wiring. Accordingly, the recombination can further be easily and quickly accomplished.
The different unit configuration type processing equipment of the preferred embodiments of the present invention may be processing equipment which includes a machine tool and a conveyance apparatus to load and unload a work relative to the machine tool, in which case the conveyance apparatus is a unit configuration type conveyance apparatus including a guide equipped frame including a travel guide, and a traveling member movable along the travel guide. The traveling member includes a holding unit arranged to hold the work and the guide equipped frame includes a plurality of travel guide units connected with each other in a direction conforming to a traveling direction of the traveling member. In the case of the construction described above, since the conveyance apparatus is the unit configuration type conveyance apparatus assembled by connecting the plurality of travel guide units, recombination and expansion of the transport path can be easily and quickly accomplished and it is also possible to quickly accommodate any change in installing position and in form of the machine tool.
The travel guide unit may include one of an electric component and an electric wiring. In this case, the recombination and expansion of the transport path, including the installation of the electric component and the electric wiring work, can be easily and quickly accomplished.
The unit configuration processing equipment of the preferred embodiments of the present invention may be a processing equipment which includes a machine tool and a conveyance apparatus to load and unload a work relative to the machine tool, in which case the machine tool is a unit configuration type machine tool equipped with a plurality of types of mechanism units. Each of the mechanism units includes a connecting unit to mechanically connect the other mechanism units or one of component elements of the machine tool with each other, and at least one of the mechanism units is a assembly component part of a kind including a movable portion and/or a drive source and also including a unit portion wiring and a terminal to connect the unit portion wiring. The conveyance apparatus is a unit configuration type conveyance apparatus including a guide equipped frame including a travel guide, and a traveling member movable along the travel guide. The traveling member includes a holding unit arranged to hold the work and the guide equipped frame includes a plurality of travel guide unit connected with each other in a direction conforming to a traveling direction of the traveling member.
In the case where both of the machine tool and the conveyance apparatus are made to be a unit configuration type, the degree of freedom of change in form of the processing equipment can be further increased. Also, since some of the mechanism units of the machine tool have the unit portion wiring and the terminal thereof, the degree of freedom of recombination and expansion, including the connecting work of the wiring system, can be enhanced and the recombination can be easily and quickly accomplished in the field. Even with the conveyance apparatus, since it is constituted by connecting the travel guide units, a recombining work and an expanding work can be easily and quickly performed. As a result, it is possible to quickly accommodate a moderate change in processing equipment according to the mixed production.
The unit configuration type processing equipment according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention may be a processing equipment which includes a machine tool and a conveyance apparatus to load and unload a work relative to the machine tool, in which case the machine tool is a unit configuration type machine tool including a base and a plurality of types of mechanism units, and at least one of the mechanism units is an assembly component part of a kind including a movable portion and/or a drive source. The base referred to above includes a plurality of unit installing seats to removably install any one of the mechanism units, a base portion wiring and terminals on a main control device side, and a mechanism unit side that is connected with the base portion wiring. Each of the mechanism units is removably installed on the unit installing seat in the base or removably mounted on a mechanism unit installed on the unit installing seat of the base and includes a terminal and a unit portion wiring that are connected with the terminal of the unit portion wiring connected with the terminal on the mechanism unit side of the base or a terminal of the unit portion wiring provided in the other mechanism unit.
Even in the case of the construction described above, since both of the machine tool and the conveyance apparatus are designed to be of a unit configuration type, the degree of freedom of change in the form of the processing apparatus can increase further. Also, some of the mechanism units of the machine tool include the unit portion wiring and the terminal thereof, the degree of freedom of recombination and expansion, including the connecting work of the wiring system, can be enhanced and the recombination and expansion can be easily and quickly accomplished in the field. In addition, the unit configuration type machine tool includes the base on which the mechanism units are installed and the base in turn includes a unit installing seat, a base portion wiring, and a terminal of the wiring. Therefore, the recombination can be further easily and further quickly accomplished. Even with the conveyance apparatus, since it is constructed by connecting the travel guide units, the recombination and expansion can be easily and quickly accomplished. For this reason, it is possible to quickly accommodate a moderate change in processing equipment according to the mixed production.
Where at least one of the various mechanism units of the machine tool includes the unit built-in control circuit to drive the drive source of the mechanism unit and this unit built-in control circuit is connected with the main control device through the unit portion wiring and terminal of the mechanism unit and the base portion wiring and terminal of the base, for the purpose of the recombination or the like there is no need to use a new drive circuit within the main control device nor to modify the drive circuit within the main control device and the main control device may work satisfactorily if the program used therein is partially modified. For this reason, the recombination and expansion of the machine tool can be further easily and further quickly accomplished.
Where each of the travel guide units includes one of the electric component and the electric wiring, the recombination and expansion of the transport path, including the electric system, can be easily and quickly accomplished. Where the drive source to drive the traveling member of the conveyance apparatus is a linear motor and includes a plurality of the armatures on the primary side, which are arranged along the travel guide, and a mover provided in the traveling member, in which case each of the travel guide units is provided with the electric element and a sensor to detect a position of the mover, the recombination and expansion of the transport path, including the drive system, can be easily and quickly accomplished.
Where each of the travel guide units includes an inverter arranged to supply an electric driving power to each of the armatures and a control portion arranged and programmed to control the armatures by controlling the inverter, the recombination and expansion of the transport path, including the guide, the drive system, and the electric system, can be easily and quickly accomplished.
Where the plurality of the travel guide units include a travel guide unit which defines the rectilinear section of the travel guide, and the travel guide unit which defines the curved section of the travel guide, by the combination of the units the transport path can be shaped to represent any desired path shape such as, for example, an L-shape or a ring shape.
The present invention in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment thereof provides a mechanism unit of a machine tool that includes an assembly component including a movable portion and a drive source, which mechanism unit includes a terminal and a unit portion wiring, adapted to be connected either with a terminal of the base on the mechanism unit side or with a terminal of a unit portion wiring provided in a mechanism unit on a low stage side, and a unit built-in control circuit to drive the drive source. Because of the mechanism unit constructed as described above, the degree of freedom of recombination and expansion, including a connecting work of the wiring system, is high and the recombination can be easily and quickly accomplished in the field. In addition, any change in control system can also be accomplished quickly.
The present invention in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment thereof provides a travel guide unit of a unit configuration type conveyance apparatus, which includes a travel guide section defining a portion of a lengthwise direction of the travel guide, a frame portion including the travel guide section installed therein, an armature installed in the frame portion, a mover provided in the traveling member, and a sensor installed in the frame portion to detect a position of the mover. According to this travel guide unit of the structure described above, the recombination and expansion of the travel path can be easily and quickly accomplished.
Any combination of at least two constructions, disclosed in the following description and/or the accompanying drawings should be construed as included within the scope of the present invention. The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
In any event, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will become more clearly understood from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the preferred embodiments and the drawings are given only for the purpose of illustration and explanation, and are not to be taken as limiting the scope of the present invention in any way whatsoever, which scope is to be determined by the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals are used to denote like parts throughout the several views.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with particular reference to
The machine tool 2 is preferably a unit configuration type machine tool and includes a base 2A, a plurality of types of mechanism units 2U (2U1, 2U2 and 2U3). Any of the mechanism units 2U are replaceable with other mechanism units 2U that are prepared outside the machine as will be described in detail with particular reference to
The base 2A is an element that will become a bed or a base frame or the like, and preferably includes a plurality of unit installing seats 61 arranged to receive any mechanism unit 2U replaceably installed thereon, a base portion wiring 62, and terminals 63 and 64 of a main control device 31 side and the mechanism unit 2U connected with the base portion wiring 62, respectively. Each of the unit installing seats 61 includes a portion, which defines a seat to replaceably install the mechanism unit 2U thereon, and a mounting hole (not shown). It is to be noted that the unit installing seat 61 may be a rail for guiding purposes.
Each of the mechanism units 2U is preferably an element having a particular actuating function of a tool post, a feed slide, a headstock and others in the machine tool, and is replaceably installed on the unit installing seat 61 of the base 2A or on the mechanism unit 2U installed on the unit installing seat 61 of the base 2A. In the example as shown in
One of the mechanism units 2U, on which a different mechanism unit 2U may possibly be installed, is preferably provided with a unit installing seat 61U on an upper surface thereof. The mechanism unit 2U that is installed on the other mechanism unit 2U is installed on the unit installing seat 61 through the installing portion 65 thereof and connected therewith by the connecting element 66. In other words, the unit installing seats 61, 61u, the installing portion 65 and the connecting element 66 cooperate with each other to define a connecting unit.
Although the base 2A and each of the unit installing seats 61, 61u of the mechanism unit 2U are available in a plurality of types, they are standardized to the dimension and the shape that are predetermined for each of groups, and the installing portion 65 of each of the mechanism units 2U is standardized to the dimension and the shape, that are enough to accommodate the base 2A and the unit installing seats 61 and 61u of the mechanism unit 2U for each of the groups. Accordingly, replacement of the mechanism units 2U within the group is made possible.
Each of the mechanism units 2U preferably includes a unit portion wiring 67. Also, each of the mechanism units 2U is connected with a terminal 64 of the base 2A on a mechanism unit side via the unit portion wiring 67 or includes a terminal 69 that is connected with a terminal 68 on a front end side of the unit portion wiring 67 in the other mechanism unit side 2U on a lower stage side on a base end side thereof. The unit portion wiring 67 is connected with a drive source 2Uc of the mechanism unit side 2U on a base end side thereof. Also, the unit portion wiring 67 of the mechanism unit 2U, with which the other mechanism unit 2U in the next stage thereof is possibly connected, include a wiring relative to the drive source 2Ub possessed by itself and a wiring to connect with the other mechanism unit 2U in the next stage.
At least one of the mechanism units 2U defining respective portions of the machine tool 2 preferably includes a unit built-in control circuit 2Ud arranged and programmed to drive the drive source 2Ub of this mechanism unit 2U. In the example as shown in
Although the base portion wiring 62 and the unit portion wiring 67 are assumed to be one in number in
Even with respect to the terminals 63, 64, 68, and 49, the signal wiring and the electric power wiring may be laid at the same position or, alternatively, laid at different positions. It is to be noted that the signal wiring of the base portion wirings 62 is preferably connected with the main control device 31, and the electric power wiring thereof may be connected with a commercial alternating current source available at a position different from the main control device 31.
On the cross slide device which is the mechanism unit 2UG21 of the group G2, an arbitrarily chosen mechanism unit 2U of the group G3 can be selectively installed. The mechanism units 2U of the group G3 includes, for example, a mechanism unit 2UG31, which defines a headstock device for a high rigidity, and a mechanism unit 2UG32 which defines a headstock device for a high speed. To the mechanism units 2UG31 and 2UG32 of the group 3, the mechanism unit 2U of the group G4 is mountable. As the mechanism unit 2U of the group G4, in the instance as shown, a mechanism unit 2UG41 defining an automatic chuck changing or replacing main shaft to replace a chuck on a main shaft in a work holding condition is made available. This mechanism unit 2UG41 defining the automatic chuck changing main shaft is mounted as desired.
Other than that, a mechanism unit 2UG51 of a chuck changing device is mountable on the unit installing seat (not shown) of the base 2A as the mechanism unit 2U of the group G5. The mechanism unit 2UG51 of the chuck changing device is operable to replace the chuck in the mechanism unit 2UG41 of the automatic chuck changing main shaft.
One example of the machine tool 2 constructed with the use of the mechanism units 2U shown in
Referring to
A drive source to drive the traveling member 3 is a linear motor 5 of a synchronous type including a plurality of individual motors 6 which are armatures on a primary side arranged along the travel guide 4, a mover 7 provided in the traveling member 3. The individual motors 6 are spaced relative to each other. Each of the travel guide units 12U is provided with the individual motors 6 and sensors 15 arranged to detect the position of the mover 7 as electric component parts. The sensors 15 are preferably linear sensors and are respectively provided for each of the individual motors 6. A travel control unit 10, which is a control unit of the linear motor 5, preferably includes a single multiple unit controller 10A (best shown in
As shown in
The processing equipment integrity control unit 33 preferably is programmed to perform a function of controlling the machine tool 2 and a function of controlling the conveyance apparatus 1 and accessory equipment 72 and, of the controls of the machine tool 2, the numerical control is carried out by the numerical control device 32. The host computer 35 referred to above is operable to perform a production management and is connected with the processing equipment integrity control unit 33 through a local area network (LAN) or the like so as to provide the processing equipment integrity control unit 33 with a production command such as, for example, a production schedule or the like.
Of the mechanism units 2U of the machine tool 2, a mechanism unit 2U that requires a shaft moving control by use of a feedback control such as, for example, a mechanism unit 2U defining a cross slide device, a mechanism unit 2U defining a headstock and a mechanism unit 2U defining a rotary tool, in the instance as shown, has no built-in control circuit 2Uc built therein and the drive sources 2Ub therefor are connected with the numerical control device 32 so that they can be directly controlled by the numerical control device 32.
Of the mechanism units 2U of the machine tool 2, the mechanism unit 2U driven by the sequence control has the built-in control circuit 2Uc built therein such that with a command of the processing equipment integrity control unit 33 given to the built-in control circuit 2Uc, the control of the drive source 2Ub within the mechanism unit 2U can be performed by the built-in control circuit 2Uc. Accordingly, where the mechanism unit 2U is recombined with a different type, the processing equipment integrity control unit 33 sends a simple control signal such as, for example, an ON/OFF signal, and the detailed control is carried out by the built-in control circuit 2Uc. Wirings for the transmission of the signals are carried out through the base portion wiring 62, the unit portion wiring 67 and their related terminals 64, 68, and 69, all of which have been previously described with particular reference to
Regarding the conveyance apparatus 1, various portions preferably have respective control units built therein, each of which control units is programmed and operable in response to a corresponding command of the processing equipment integrity control unit 33 to cause the respective drive source to be controlled by the control unit built therein. In other words, the guide equipped frame 12, which is a conjugation of the travel guide units, preferably includes a travel control unit 10 arranged and programmed to drive the linear motor 5 which is a drive source for traveling. The traveling member mounting mechanism 3B preferably includes drive sources 16a and 17a (only one of which is representatively shown in
Even in the accessory device 72 such as, for example, a stocker, a built-in control circuit 72b arranged and programmed to control a drive source 72a is provided, which drive source 72a is controlled through the built-in control circuit 72b in accordance with a command of the processing equipment integrity control unit 33. Transmission of signal to the respective built-in control circuits 16b and 19b of the traveling member mounting mechanism 3B and the loader chuck 19 is accomplished through a wireless local area network from the processing equipment integrity control unit 33 or the control panel 34.
The processing equipment integrity control unit 33 provided for each of the machine tool 2 is connected with the numerical control device 32 and the control panel 34 through LANs 38 and 39. A local area network capable of performing a high speed communication effective to obtain a real-time property is used for the local area network (LAN) 39 that is used to connect between the processing equipment integrity control unit 33 and the numerical control device 32. The processing equipment integrity control unit 33 and the numerical control device 32 may be either spaced a distance from each other or provided within the same housing or control panel. The host computer 35 is connected with the control panel 34 and the numerical control device 32 of each of the machine tools 2 through a local area network 37 and a hub 36. Each of the control panels 34 preferably includes a computer such as, for example, a personal computer or the like, an image display device such as, for example, a liquid crystal display device or the like, and an input key. The processing equipment integrity control unit 33 and the built-in control circuit 72b, which defines an accessory control unit, are connected with each other through a controller area network (CAN) communication linkage 40.
In an example shown in
In an example shown in
As described above, by combining the curved travel guide unit 12UB and the rectilinear travel guide unit 12UA together, the guide equipped frames 12 defining the various travel path can be configured. Also, since as the drive source of the traveling member 3, the linear motor 5 including the individual motors 6, which includes respective armatures on the primary side and which are arranged in the guide equipped frame 12, is preferably used, it is easy and possible to quickly install the plurality of the traveling members 3 on the single guide equipped frame 12.
It is to be noted that by combining only the arcuately curved travel guide units 12UB, a ring shaped guide equipped frame 12 or an S-shaped guide equipped frame 12 can also be constructed, as shown in
Next, the details of the conveyance apparatus 1, in which the travel guide units 12U of the construction hereinabove described are combined, and the travel guide units 12U will be described with particular reference to
As shown in
Referring to
As shown in a top plan view in
As shown in a sectional representation in
Referring to
The traveling wheels 21i and 210 in the traveling member 3 are preferably provided on opposite sides widthwise so that the wheels 21i and 210 can run on the two guide surfaces 4u on the opposite sides. The traveling wheel 210 on the outer diameter side is rotatably mounted on a movable wheel support body 28 which is so supported as to be turned in direction about the vertical axis O relative to the traveling member 3. Each of the movable wheel support bodies 28 is preferably provided with a direction manipulating element 25 of a lever shape protruding towards the outer diameter side, and a front end of the direction manipulating element 25 is provided with a cam follower 25a such as, for example, a roller that is rotatable about the vertical axis. A cam surface 26 (best shown in
Referring now to
As shown in
The movers 7, each in the form of N and S magnetic poles defined by a permanent magnet, are provided in a plural number and are arranged on a mover base body 7a in a direction conforming to the traveling direction X. It is also to be noted that the number of the N and S magnetic pole pairs may be arbitrarily designed. The mover 7 has a length B enough to extend over the plurality of the individual motors 6.
Referring to
Each of the individual motor control units 8 is preferably provided by a motor drive circuit (not shown) of a strong current system arranged and programmed to supply an electric motor current to the associated individual motor 6 and a control unit (not shown) of a weak current system arranged and programmed to control the motor drive circuit, and includes a substrate including various circuit elements mounted thereon. The motor drive circuit of the strong current system is preferably provided by an inverter or the like provided with a plurality of switching elements and is connected with a direct current source (not shown) for driving purposes. The control unit of the weak current system for each of the individual motor control units 8 and the multiple unit controller 10A is preferably provided by a microcomputer and a program therefor and various circuit elements and so on.
Each of the individual motor control units 8 preferably is programmed to control a feedback control of the position, velocity and electric current in a cascade control. The position feedback performs a feedback control of a predetermined position loop gain in dependence on a deviation between a detection value of a sensor 15 to detect the current position of the mover 7 relative to the individual motor 6 and a command value of the position command The velocity feedback is carried out with the use of a speed detection value obtained through a derivation of the position detection value of the sensor 15. The current feedback is provided so as to control an electric motor drive current by detecting a drive current, applied to the individual motor 6, with an electric current detecting unit 14, and then generating the electric current value dependent on the deviation between the electric current detection value and the electric current command value with the use of a predetermined electric current loop gain. This electric current control unit is of a type programmed to perform a control through a vector control or the like and is programmed to perform an electric current control in correspondence with the magnetic pole position of the mover 7.
As shown in
More specifically, each of the sensor elements 15a is operable to detect the magnetic pole position of the magnetic pole pair 7P of each of the mover 7. In other words, for the length tp of the magnetic pole pair 7P, a magnetic force having a peak of one N-pole side and S-pole side is generated, and therefore, the detection of the peak position on the N-pole side or S-pole side results in detection of the magnetic pole position. Also, the sensor 15 outputs one position detection value, which is the position of the mover 7, from an output of each of the sensor elements 15a. It is to be noted that the sensor 15 is provided as a position sensor arranged to merely detect the position of the mover 7 and a magnetic pole sensor may be provided separate from the sensor 15, or a particular one of the sensor elements 15a of the sensor 15 may be used as a magnetic pole sensor arranged to detect an electric current through magnetic poles.
It is to be noted that although in the foregoing description the magnetic pole position of the mover 7 has been shown and described as preferably detected directly, positioning of the sensors 15 is difficult to achieve in order to directly detect the magnetic pole position. In view of this, in the preferred embodiment now under discussion, as best shown in
Referring to
As shown in
As best shown in
It is to be noted that the wiring 42a of the non-contact power feeding device 41 may be provided either in the travel guide unit 12U or separate from the travel guide unit 12U. It is to be noted that since an electric current received by the electric power receiving unit 43 is an alternating current resulting from an induced current, the individual motor control unit 8 is provided with a rectifying circuit (not shown) that rectifies the alternating current and the rectifying circuit serves as a direct current power source for the inverter referred to previously.
Also, the traveling member 3 preferably includes a wireless communicating unit 47 mounted thereon defining the wireless LAN, and a command transmitting unit 48 is mounted on the traveling member 3, which unit 48 controls the respective electrically operated drive sources 16a, 17a, and 19a of the moving mechanism 20 and the chuck 19 in response to a signal communicated by the wireless communicating unit 47. The command transmitting unit 48 may be in the form of a wiring merely transmitting a signal between the wireless communicating unit 47 and the drive sources 16a, 17a, and 19a. Also, the command transmitting unit 48 preferably includes a wiring arranged to send, in addition to a command to drive, signals of various sensors (not shown), provided in the traveling member 3, to the wireless communicating unit 47. The wireless communicating unit 47 on the traveling member 3 communicates with a wireless communicating unit 49a provided in a main control device 31 arranged and programmed to control the entire conveyance system. The various drive sources mounted on the traveling member 3 are all electrically operated ones and, hence, wirings and piping necessary to connect with the ground side are all eliminated.
According to the unit configuration type processing equipment of the construction described hereinabove, as shown in
Regarding the drive source 2Ub among the drive sources 2Ub of the respective mechanism units 2U, which is driven under the sequence control, since the unit built-in control circuit 2d to drive the drive source 2Ub is provided in such mechanism unit 2U, there is no need to add a new drive circuit to the main control device 31 nor to modify the drive circuit in the main control device 31, and a minor change in program or the like is sufficient in the main control device 31. For this reason, recombination and/or expansion of the machine tool 2 can be further facilitated and can be further quickly accomplished.
Since in addition to the unitization of the machine tool 2, the guide equipped frame 12 in the conveyance apparatus 1 is also unitized, not only can the change in form of the machine tool 2 be accomplished, but also the change in form can be accomplished freely as to the number of installations and the change in arrangement. Because of these, the change in form can be quickly achieved to provide optimum processing equipment suited for the mixed production. Since each of the travel guide units 12U preferably includes the individual motor 6, which defines the respective armature of the linear motor 5, and the sensors 15 to detect the position of the mover 7, the recombination can be further easily accomplished and can be quickly carried out. Since each of the travel guide units 12U preferably includes the inverter arranged to supply an electric driving power to the individual motors 6 and the individual motor control unit 8 including a control portion arranged and programmed to control the respective individual motors 6 by controlling the inverter, the recombination can be further easily and quickly accomplished.
Since the travel guide unit 12U is provided with the travel guide unit 12UA, which defines the rectilinear section, and the travel guide unit 12UB, which defines the curved section, by the combination of the travel guide units 12UA and 12UB, the transport path can be arranged to have a free path shape such as, for example, the L-shaped confirmation and/or the ring shape as shown in and described with particular reference to
Also, according to the conveyance apparatus 1 of the construction described above, since the linear motor 5, which includes the individual motors 6, disposed along the travel guide 4 and the movers 7 on the secondary side installed in the traveling member 3, is preferably utilized in driving the traveling member 3, the traveling member 3 can be precisely positioned even in the curved section 4B of the travel guide 4. For this reason, while the transfer table 71 to deliver and receive the work W relative to the travel body 3 is positioned at the curved section 4B, not only can the work W be assuredly delivered and received through the precise halting and positioning, but also the attitude of the work W, the holding position and others can be set properly. With the curved section 4B of the travel path used in delivery and receipt of the work W in this way, limitations imposed on the arrangement of the various machines and equipments within the factory can be relieved and the limited floor space in the factory can be utilized efficiently.
In addition, while the traveling member 3 includes the chuck 19 and the moving mechanism 20 arranged to move the chuck 19, the supply of the electric power is provided through the non-contact power feeding device 41. Accordingly, the use of any cable wiring to supply the electric driving power is dispensed with in view of the structure provided to drive the traveling member 3 by the linear motor 5 including the mover 7 on the secondary side provided in the traveling member 3. Because of this, the use of any cable required to accomplish the electric power supply between the traveling member 3 and the ground is eliminated, allowing the transport path to be freely designed. Also, in the practice of this preferred embodiment, the wireless communicating unit 47 is mounted on the traveling member 3 and through the signal communicated by the wireless communicating unit 47 the chuck 19 and the moving mechanism 20 are controlled. Thus, in addition to the non-contact power feeding, the wireless communicating unit 47 is preferably used to transmit and receive the control signal, and therefore, it is possible to dispense with any wiring between the traveling member 3 and the ground as well as a transmission system for the control command. Accordingly, it is possible to design the transport path freely as desired.
In addition, the linear motor 5 is preferably used in driving the traveling member 3; the linear motor 5 preferably is of the type in which the mover 7 on the secondary side is in the form of the permanent magnet of a kind including the N and S magnetic poles alternately arranged in a direction conforming to the direction of travel; and use is made of the sensor 15 arranged to detect the magnetic poles of the mover 7 or to detect the magnetic poles of the detection magnets 29 that are provided in the traveling member 3 in a pattern identical with that of the magnetic poles of the mover 7. The positioning control of the traveling member 3 is preferably performed in response to the output of the sensor 15 to detect the magnetic poles. Because of this, a further precise positioning control can be accomplished, and also a highly precise positioning can be accomplished even at the curved section. Accordingly, the delivery and receipt of the work W relative to the transfer table 71 at the curved section 4B can be performed further assuredly at a further proper angle.
Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings which are used only for the purpose of illustration, those skilled in the art will readily conceive numerous changes and modifications upon the reading of the present specification. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-239419 | Oct 2010 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C §111(a) of International Application No. PCT/JP2011/072000, filed Sep. 27, 2011, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-239419, filed Oct. 26, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference as a part of this application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2011/072000 | Sep 2011 | US |
| Child | 13869170 | US |
