Workpiece conveyor and method of conveying workpiece

Abstract

There is provided a workpiece conveyor including a workpiece conveying path which guides the conveyance of a workpiece; and a pair of air-blowing devices which are disposed on both sides of the workpiece conveying path and blow air uniformly to the workpiece on the workpiece conveying path from both sides to give propulsion to the workpiece for conveyance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.

FIGS. 1A to 1C are explanatory drawings of a workpiece conveyor according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing of the workpiece conveyor in which propulsion nozzles and control nozzles are provided in a staggered manner.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing of the workpiece conveyor according to a first modified example of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory drawing of the workpiece conveyor according to a second modified example of the first embodiment.

FIGS. 5A to 5C are explanatory drawings of the workpiece conveyor in which a width of workpiece conveying path is formed narrow.

FIGS. 6A to 6C are explanatory drawings of a workpiece conveyor according to a second embodiment.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are explanatory drawings of a modified example of the workpiece conveyor according to the second embodiment.

FIGS. 8A to 8C are explanatory drawings of a workpiece conveyor according to a third embodiment.

FIGS. 9A to 9C are explanatory drawings of the workpiece conveyor in which a belt is formed narrow.

FIGS. 10A to 10C are explanatory drawings of a workpiece conveyor according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the workpiece conveyor in which a pair of belt conveyors are arranged in a truncated chevron shape.

FIGS. 12A to 12C are explanatory drawings of the workpiece conveyor according to a modified example of the third embodiment.

FIGS. 13A to 13C are explanatory drawings of the workpiece conveyor according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are schematic views of an actuating air plate.

Claims

1. A workpiece conveyor comprising: a workpiece conveying path which guides the conveyance of a workpiece; anda pair of air-blowing devices which are disposed on both sides of the workpiece conveying path and blow air uniformly to the workpiece on the workpiece conveying path from both sides to give propulsion to the workpiece for conveyance.

2. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the respective air-blowing devices include a plurality of propulsion nozzles which blow air to the side surface of the workpiece from a direction oblique to the conveying direction and are arranged side by side in the conveying direction.

3. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 2, wherein an interval between the plurality of propulsion nozzles of the respective air-blowing devices is shorter than one-half the length of the side surface of the workpiece.

4. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the respective air-blowing devices further include a plurality of propulsion nozzles which blow air to the side surface of the workpiece from a direction oblique to the conveying direction and a plurality of control nozzles which blow air to the side surface of the workpiece from a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction to control the posture of the workpiece, andthe plurality of propulsion nozzles and control nozzles are arranged side by side in the conveying direction in a mixed state.

5. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 4, wherein the pair of air-blowing devices have the respective propulsion nozzles and control nozzles arranged opposite to each other.

6. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 4, wherein an interval between the plurality of propulsion nozzles and the plurality of control nozzles of the respective air-blowing devices is shorter than one-half the length of the side surface of the workpiece.

7. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 1, wherein a width of the workpiece conveying path is formed narrower than that of the workpiece.

8. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece conveying path is composed of a pair of divided conveying paths on which a workpiece is straddlingly mounted andincludes a separation distance adjusting device which moves at least one of the pair of divided conveying paths to a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction for adjusting a separation distance between the pair of divided conveying paths.

9. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 8, wherein the pair of divided conveying paths extend parallel to each other in the conveying direction, andthe separation distance adjusting device adjusts the separation distance between the pair of divided conveying paths while keeping their parallel state.

10. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 8, wherein the pair of divided conveying paths extend non-parallel to each other and taperingly in a truncated chevron shape in the conveying direction, andthe separation distance adjusting device adjusts the separation distance between the pair of divided conveying paths while keeping their non-parallel state.

11. A workpiece conveyor comprising: a workpiece conveying mechanism which makes a plurality of workpieces guided into a workpiece conveying path and conveys by air the same having a gap provided therebetween in a conveying direction; anda plurality of intermediate air-dropping devices which are disposed above the workpiece conveying mechanism and blow air from above into the respective gaps between the plurality of conveyed workpieces to maintain the respective gaps.

12. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of intermediate air-dropping devices blow air uniformly to make the plurality of gaps uniform.

13. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 11, further comprising: a baffle plate which is disposed ahead of a conveyance ending position of the workpiece conveying path and extends in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction; andan end air-dropping device which blows air from above into the gap between the baffle plate and the workpiece having reached the conveyance ending position to position the workpiece at the conveyance ending position.

14. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 11, further comprising: an end air-dropping device which is disposed ahead of a conveyance ending position of the workpiece conveying path and blows air obliquely backward from above to the workpiece having reached the conveyance ending position to position the workpiece at the conveyance ending position.

15. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of intermediate air-dropping devices and the end air-dropping device respectively have a slit-like air nozzle extending in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction.

16. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of intermediate air-dropping devices and the end air-dropping device respectively have a plurality of air nozzles provided in line in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction.

17. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 11, wherein the respective intermediate air-dropping devices blow air in a direction oblique to the conveying direction.

18. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 11, wherein, the workpiece conveying mechanism further includes a pair of air-blowing devices which are disposed on both sides of the workpiece conveying path and blow air uniformly to the workpiece on the workpiece conveying path from both sides to give propulsion to the workpiece for conveyance.

19. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece conveying path is composed of a plurality of actuating air plates successive in a conveying direction and formed of a perforated plate and an air chamber communicating with the perforated plate, and further includesan air supplying device which supplies air to the air chamber to float the workpiece through the perforated plate.

20. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 19, further comprising: a vacuum suction device which sucks air from the air chamber to suck the workpiece through the perforated plate; anda switch controlling device which switches between the air supplying device and the vacuum suction device.

21. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 19, wherein the perforated plate is a porous plate.

22. A method of conveying a workpiece comprising blowing air uniformly to both side surfaces of a workpiece conveyed by a belt conveyor from both sides thereof to convey the workpiece while controlling its posture in the plane surface.

23. A workpiece conveyor comprising: a belt conveyor in which a workpiece is mounted on a belt and conveyed; anda pair of air-blowing devices which are disposed on both sides of the belt conveyor and blow air to the workpiece conveyed by the belt from both sides, whereinthe pair of air-blowing devices blow air uniformly to both side surfaces of the workpiece to control the posture thereof in the plane surface of the belt.

24. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 23, wherein the pair of air-blowing devices include a plurality of groups of blowing nozzles which are arranged at the same position orthogonal to the conveying direction to make a pair.

25. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 24, wherein the respective blowing nozzles blow air in a direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction.

26. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 24, wherein an interval between the plurality of blowing nozzles of the respective air-blowing devices is shorter than one-half the length of the side surface of the workpiece.

27. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of blowing nozzles of the respective air-blowing devices are disposed at uniform intervals from a position near a conveyance starting position to a conveyance ending position of the belt conveyor.

28. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of blowing nozzles of the respective air-blowing devices are disposed from a position near a conveyance starting position to a conveyance ending position of the belt conveyor in such a manner that the blowing nozzles are densely disposed as they get closer to the conveyance ending position.

29. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 27, further comprising: an air controlling device which individually controls an amount of air blown from the plurality of blowing nozzles, whereinthe air controlling device controls an amount of air blown from the respective air nozzles such that the workpiece receives an increased amount of air as it approaches the conveyance ending position.

30. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 23, wherein a width of the belt is formed narrower than that of the workpiece.

31. A workpiece conveyor comprising: a pair of belt conveyors in which a workpiece is mounted straddlingly on belts arranged parallel to each other and is conveyed; anda separation distance adjusting device which moves at least one of the pair of belt conveyors to a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction for adjusting a separation distance between the pair of belt conveyors.

32. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 31, wherein the pair of belt conveyors extend parallel to each other in the conveying direction, andthe separation distance adjusting device adjusts the separation distance between the pair of belt conveyors while keeping their parallel state.

33. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 31, wherein the pair of belt conveyors extend non-parallel to each other and taperingly in a truncated chevron shape in the conveying direction, andthe separation distance adjusting device adjusts the separation distance between the pair of belt conveyors while keeping their non-parallel state.

34. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 31, wherein the separation distance adjusting device further comprises: a plurality of guide rails which extend in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction and slidably support the pair of belt conveyors; anda widening/narrowing moving mechanism which is capable of pulling in and pulling away the pair of belt conveyors simultaneously with one end locked to one belt conveyor and the other end locked to the other one.

35. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 34, wherein the widening/narrowing moving mechanism includes a front widening/narrowing moving mechanism which is disposed at the front part of the widening/narrowing moving mechanism in the conveying direction and a rear widening/narrowing moving mechanism which is disposed at the rear part thereof in the conveying direction, andthe front widening/narrowing moving mechanism and the rear widening/narrowing moving mechanism are configured to be capable of individually adjusting movement.

36. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 35, wherein the front widening/narrowing moving mechanism and the rear widening/narrowing moving mechanism are composed of a double thread screw mechanism in which a left-hand screw and a right-hand screw are formed.

37. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 31, further comprising: a pair of air-blowing devices which are disposed on both sides of the belt conveyor and blow air to the workpiece conveyed by the belt from both sides, whereinthe pair of air-blowing devices blow air uniformly to both side surfaces of the workpiece to control the posture thereof in the plane surface of the belt.

38. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 23, wherein the belt includes an actuating air plate formed of a perforated plate and an air chamber communicating with the perforated plate at least at a position on which the workpiece is mounted, and further comprisesan air supplying device which supplies air to the air chamber to float the workpiece through the perforated plate.

39. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 38, further comprising: a vacuum suction device which sucks air from the air chamber to suck the workpiece through the perforated plate; anda switch controlling device which switches between the air supplying device and the vacuum suction device.

40. The workpiece conveyor according to claim 38, wherein the perforated plate is a porous plate.