This application claims the priority benefits of German Application No. 10 2006 025 272.1 filed May 31, 2006.
The invention relates to a tool gripper arrangement provided for the automatization of processes particularly for large compartment stage presses. The workpiece gripper arrangement is particularly suitable for an automatic tool change.
“Tooling” in a press, particularly a large compartment stage press such as a vehicle body press, are the elements adapted specifically to the metal sheets or other organs of the press such as the gripper arrangements. The gripper arrangements are used, for example, for the transfer of metal sheets from one press to the next and for placing the metal sheet parts into the respective press stage and the removal thereof, from the respective press stage. The gripper arrangements may be, for example, suction arms or similar devices. The suction arms comprise several suction cups which are supported by several arms of a support frame. The suction cups are adapted in shape to the contour of the metal sheet parts. The suction arms are moved by a drive arrangement, for example, a transfer device. The transfer device includes various support beams which extend transverse to the transport direction, so called girders on which the tooling, that is the gripper means in the form of a frame from which the arms with the suction sups extend are supported. During a tool change, generally also, the tooling needs to be changed.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a workpiece gripper arrangement wherein a tool change can be performed automatically in a simple manner.
The present invention provides a workpiece gripper arrangement for the automatization of presses, including a transfer arrangement for transferring components between workstations, the transfer arrangement includes a girder or carrier with gripper means for holding the components and the gripper means is supported via coupling parts of which one is connected to the girder and the other to the gripper means and a mechanical locking structure is provided which is operable by relative movement of the coupling arrangement with respect to a support frame on which the gripper means can be deposited.
The workpiece gripper arrangement includes gripping means, for example, in the form of a suction spider and a girder or carrier, for example, in the form of a support beam wherein the carrier is connected to the gripper means via a coupling arrangement. The coupling arrangement comprises a mechanical locking structure which can be locked or unlocked by an operator. The operator can be activated by a relative movement of the coupling arrangement against a stop wherein the relative movement causes a release of the locking structure when the operator is activated by the relative movement.
With this arrangement, movements of the carrier provided by the drive arrangement can be used for the coupling and uncoupling of the coupling arrangement. The drive arrangement is present in any case, in order to move the carrier and, together therewith the gripper means to the workpiece. The drive arrangement is preferably such that the carrier is movable in various spatial directions including along its longitudinal axis and transverse thereto. The movement in the transverse direction can be utilized for the actuation of this operator if a stop is engaged thereby. The movement in the longitudinal direction can be altered for the coupling or uncoupling of the gripper means that is for the opening and closing of the coupling structure.
With the proposed solution, it is consequently possible to utilize for the automatic tool exchange the axes of the transfer arrangement. Active couplings or active locking devices with corresponding remotely controlled actuators are not required. The fact that no drive means are needed for the coupling arrangement reduces the weight of the coupling arrangement whereby the dynamics of the transfer arrangement can be improved.
The coupling arrangement, particularly the carrier-side coupling part, may be slidably supported on this carrier by means of a linear guide structure. The coupling arrangement may be provided with a drive device for the movement of the gripper arrangement in the longitudinal direction of the carrier. In this way, driving the transport of the metal sheets, the metal sheets or other workpieces can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the carrier. Furthermore, the linear guide arrangement can be utilized in connection with a drive arrangement to execute the coupling movement.
Preferably, the coupling part associated with the gripper arrangement includes an arresting structure by which the gripper arrangement can be deposited in a storage structure, for example, a support frame or a storage cart. The arresting structure is preferably activated by a relative movement between the gripper arrangement and the storage structure. The relative movement in that case is, for example, transverse to the longitudinal carrier, for example, in a vertical direction. In a simple embodiment the arresting structure is framed by indexing bolts which are provided on the support frame and which are capable of moving into corresponding openings in the coupling part associated with the gripper arrangement.
The coupling arrangement is formed preferably by coupling parts which engage each other wherein one coupling part includes one or several fingers which extend parallel to the carrier that is in the direction of the coupling or uncoupling movement. The fingers or other longitudinal projections are received in recesses in the other coupling port. The recesses again are provided with locking members which are part of the arresting structure, for example, in the form of locking bolts which can extend into openings in the fingers. The locking bolts lock the fingers in the respective associated recesses when they extend into the openings in the respective fingers.
The locking bolts can be operated by an actuating pin section forming the operating structure. The locking bolts and, consequently, the operating structure are oriented in a direction transverse to the carrier and consequently, transverse to the coupling and uncoupling arrangement. When the operating structure abuts a stop and the carrier is moved together with the coupling arrangement in a transverse direction, the operating structure and, as a result, the locking bolt is moved to the release position. In this way, the locking can be engaged with, or disengaged, from the carrier supply by an approximate control of the drive means for the transfer arrangement.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The suction spider 8 comprises a frame 18 including two support tubes extending parallel to the girder 6. From the support tubes, tubular arms (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24) extend, which each carry a suction cup (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30). The suction cups are, for example, in the form of downwardly open dished rubber elements which can be evacuated via the tubular arms 19 to 24.
For depositing the suction spider 8 on the girder 6, a coupling arrangement 31 is provided at one end of the frame 18. Another coupling arrangement may be provided at the other end or there may be a connecting structure 32 which comprises two parts 32a, 32b, which engage each other in a form-locking manner or are disengaged by relative movement in axial direction along the girder 6.
The coupling arrangement 31 is suitable particularly for depositing the tooling in the form of the suction spider 8 on a passive support frame with the aid of movements provided by the transfer unit 5 of the girder 6 by the drive arrangement 16 which are present anyway, and which are provided to position the girder 6 in the space for the transport of the workpiece.
The locking bolt 42 includes a blocking section 44, whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of the bore 43 and to the curvature of the groove 41. From the blocking section 44 an operating pin section 45 extends axially with a diameter which is so small that the operating pin does not pass through the bore when, as shown in
The locking bolt 42 is biased by spring 46 disposed in the bore 43 or by another suitable means into its locking position in which the blocking section 44 intersects the bore 39.
The coupling part 37 includes an indexing bore 47 which extends parallel to the bore 43 that is transverse to the girder 6 the indexing bore 47 is adapted to receive an indexing bolt 49 which projects from a support frame 48 preferably vertically upwardly. The coupling part 37 may be provided on each side of the girder 6 with a corresponding indexing bore and a corresponding number of indexing bolts may be provided in appropriate positions for reception in the indexing bores.
In addition to the indexing bolt 49, a stop 50 is provided, in the form of a release plate 51 which has a flat top surface 52 extending in a direction transverse to the indexing bolt 49. This surface 52 may be a plane surface. It extends preferably parallel to the pin 38. The unlocking plate can be received in a recess 53 formed in the bottom area of the coupling part 36 and adapted to receive the release plate 51. The operating pin section 45 of the locking bolt 42 extends into the recess 53, but not beyond the recess 53 as shown in
The transfer unit 5 described herein operates as follows with regard to a tool change:
it is assumed, as indicated in
When the pin 38 has been moved out of the bore 39, the transfer unit 5 moves the girder 6 upwardly while the tooling remains disposed on the support frame 48. This state is shown in
For coupling the same or another tooling, that is a suction spider 8 to the girder 6, the procedure is reversed.
For automatically changing the tooling only the already available movements capabilities along the axes of the transfer unit 5 are needed in accordance with the arrangement according to the invention. Neither active coupling structures nor active locking structures are needed or provided. A support frame 48 includes one or more indexing bolts 49 for guiding and fixing the tooling and one or several release plates 51 for unlocking the locking structure 40. The locking structure 40 may also be formed by a locking bore whose bore intersects a reception bore for a coupling pin 38. The locking bolt 40 is pre-tensioned into its locking portion and can be moved to the release portion when its narrow operating section 45 abuts the release plate 51. The release movement for actuating the locking bolt 42 is transverse to the girder 6 whereas the coupling and uncoupling movement is parallel to the girder 6.
The coupling arrangement 31 preferably includes fluid couplings which are oriented parallel to the coupling bolts or pins 38 serve as vacuum or air pressure transmitters to the suction spider. If necessary, additional media couplings may be provided. Furthermore, electrical couplings for current transfer or for the transmission of control signals and/or information signals for the sensors or for the activators may be provided. In addition, couplings for information covers, such as light conductors, may be provided wherein the coupling and uncoupling direction is always in the longitudinal direction of the girder 6 or, respectively, the longitudinal direction of the pin 38. Such a coupling arrangement 54 is shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2006 025 272 | May 2006 | DE | national |
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