Conveyors: power-driven – With means to facilitate working – treating – or inspecting... – Means to convey a palleted load back and forth between an...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-04
2001-12-25
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
With means to facilitate working, treating, or inspecting...
Means to convey a palleted load back and forth between an...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332526
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a loading station according to the preamble of the appended claim
1
. The invention also relates to an automatic piece processing system according to the preamble of the appended claim
9
.
As is well known, e.g. in automatic flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) and flexible machining cells (FMC), different loading stations are used, by means of which e.g. work pieces located on a pallet are safely supplied into the system for processing, storage or other handling. The system typically comprises various automatically operating lifting and transfer devices which, effected by the control program of a control system, transfer the work piece. For the sake of industrial safety, the system is typically protected in such a way that persons, especially those operating the system, are prevented from entering the system, or at least their access is limited, during the operation of the system. Lifting and transfer devices are also used for delivering work pieces from the system via loading stations, wherein the user can transfer the work piece from the loading station e.g. by means of a crane, a forklift or another corresponding transfer device. The work piece can also be delivered from the system to the loading station for checking by the user or for other procedures, which can also take place when the system is operating.
Systems are known, in which the loading station comprises a movable table for transferring work pieces between two locations, i.e. positions. In the first position, a workpiece placed on a table is transferred to another position, in which the system, by means of lifting and transfer devices, receives the piece. The systems also deliver workpieces by means of the table. As is well known, the loading station can be provided with at least one protective door for the purpose of preventing the user from entering the work area of the lifting and transfer devices in order to avoid accidents, such as collisions, when the workpiece is in the first or second position. For industrial safety, the opening and closing of the doors is typically arranged in such a way that at least one door is always closed to separate the user of the loading station and the system in operation.
As is well known, the above-mentioned doors can be equipped with various sensor mechanisms and lock devices, known as such, which are coupled to a control system for detecting the position of the doors. The control of the doors in different situations for feeding and discharging workpieces can be arranged by means of data entered into the control system.
In case there are several doors in the loading station, their placement and operating mechanisms are often problematic and particularly take a lot of space when the doors are in the opened, non-protective position. Furthermore, the size of the loading station is increased by systems intended for collecting fluids, such as cutting fluids, and various pieces, such as chips.
It is an aim of the present invention to present a completely novel and compact loading station operating in a simple manner. The invention is based on the idea that the doors of the loading station rotate around a substantially horizontal rotation axis, and when the doors are alternatingly in their non-protective position, they are placed underneath said positions, wherein the doors can also be used as protective and collecting trays.
The loading station according to the invention is characterized in what will be presented in the characterizing part of the appended claim
1
. The piece processing system according to the invention is characterized in what will be presented in the characterizing part of the appended claim
9
.
An advantage of the invention is particularly the versatility of the doors, wherein when the door is placed underneath the position, the door can be arranged to function as said tray. When the door is closed, i.e. when it is lifted to the upright position, the tray is simultaneously emptied automatically. In this way, the construction of separate protective trays is avoided, and e.g. the handling of cutting fluids becomes easier.
Another advantage of an advantageous embodiment of the invention is also the particularly simple use, when two doors fixed to each other in an angular position can be opened and closed by means of one common actuator. Thus, also the control and sensor mechanism of the doors becomes simple, to secure as good industrial safety as possible in a variety of situations. It is a particular advantage of said embodiment of the invention that opening one door may always cause closing of the other door. By means of the sensor mechanism, it is possible simultaneously to prevent for example the entry of lifting and transfer devices into the path of the doors. Moreover, the operation of the doors is clear in view of industrial safety, and the transfer of the table without moving the doors is prevented.
Another advantage is that by means of an oblique movement, the height of the table in different positions can be easily adjusted to a height suitable for both the working of the user and the equipment of the system, wherein the table does not need to be equipped with separate lifting devices. The transfer of the table can be easily arranged by means of known machine parts without any special structures, which further reduces the costs. The horizontal doors, transfer devices and other structure are also primarily placed close to the floor, wherein they do not obstruct visibility. Another considerable advantage of the invention is space saving, because no separate space for the door or the door mechanisms needs to be arranged on the sides of or above the loading station. By means of a common rotation axis for the doors, placed as low down as possible, the structures can be simplified even further.
As the doors constitute an integrated structure, a particularly advantageous structure is formed, wherein the same rotating device can be used to turn the door structure into different positions, simultaneously taking care of the removal of cutting fluids and chips. As the door structure constitutes an integrated angular structure, cutting fluids and chips are efficiently collected, and the structure can be easily equipped with grooves, channels and outlets for guiding the fluids for collection.
By means of a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, a particularly advantageous and simple solution is accomplished, when the table and the integrated door structure are coupled to each other, for example with a chain or a wire rope. Thus, when the table is moved, also the door structure moves, wherein only a motor for moving the table and a transmission mechanism are needed. By arranging the coupling in a suitable way, the movements of the door structure and the table are synchronized with each other when the table is transferred between the positions.
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Ellis Christopher P.
Fastems Oy AB
Sharma Rashmi
Woo Louis
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