Workpiece-transfer device

Abstract

The present invention provides a workpiece-transfer device that has functions for both loading and unloading workpieces, without requiring a workpiece-storage device to enable a function for replacing material and product workpieces with each other, and that requires only a simple configuration and low costs. A workpiece-transfer device loads a material workpiece W 1 in a workpiece-machining device 1 and unloads a product workpiece W 2 from the workpiece-machining device 1. A movement means with a rectangular coordinate system 30 is provided to move a traveling body 27 in a first direction along the direction in which the workpiece-machining device 1 and a workpiece-storage device 2 stand in a line (direction X) as well as in a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first direction (direction Y). The traveling body 27 includes a gripping means 28 for gripping a material or product workpiece W 1 and W 2.

1 . A workpiece-transfer device for loading a material workpiece in a workpiece-machining device and unloading a machined product workpiece from the workpiece-machining device, characterized in that the workpiece-transfer device includes a movement means with a rectangular coordinate system for moving a traveling body in a first direction along the direction in which the workpiece-machining device and a workpiece-storage device stand in a line as well as in a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first direction, and in that said traveling body includes a gripping means for gripping a material or product workpiece.  
     
     
         2 . A workpiece-transfer device as in  claim 1 , characterized in that said workpiece-storage device comprises a product-housing section and a material-housing section provided in parallel in said second direction, and in that the arrangement of the product and material-housing sections is set so as not to exceed the arrangement range of said workpiece-machining device along the second direction.  
     
     
         3 . A workpiece-transfer device as in  claim 1  or  claim 2 , characterized in that said workpiece-storage device comprises a product-housing section and a material-housing section, in that said rectangular coordinate system movement means can move said traveling body to said product and material-housing sections so that said traveling body can be moved to position and load a material workpiece gripped by the gripping means of said traveling body, relative to a positioning member of said workpiece-machining device.  
     
     
         4 . A workpiece-transfer device for loading a material workpiece in a workpiece-machining device and unloading a machined product workpiece from the workpiece-machining device, characterized by comprising one workpiece-gripping means.  
     
     
         5 . A workpiece-transfer device as in  claim 4 , characterized in that said workpiece-gripping means is provided on a traveling body that travels between the workpiece-machining device and a workpiece-storage device capable of storing material and product workpieces.  
     
     
         6 . A workpiece-transfer device as in  claim 4  or  claim 5 , characterized in that said workpiece-gripping means comprises a plurality of suction pads.  
     
     
         7 . A workpiece-transfer device as in  claim 6 , characterized in that said product workpiece is a small workpiece partially cut off from a material workpiece by the workpiece-machining device, in that said workpiece-gripping means uses a large number of suction pads to load a material workpiece in the workpiece-machining device, while using fewer suction pads than that used in the loading of the material workpiece to unload a product workpiece from the workpiece-machining device.  
     
     
         8 . A workpiece-transfer device as in  claim 7 , characterized in that a small number of suction pads closer to the workpiece-machining device are used to unload a product workpiece.  
     
     
         9 . A workpiece-transfer device as in  claim 6 , characterized in that some of the plurality of suction pads each comprise a group of small pads, and in that a constriction is provided for a suction path for the individual small pad.  
     
     
         10 . A workpiece-transfer device as in  claim 9 , characterized in that the suction pads comprising a group of small pads are placed closer to the workpiece-machining device.  
     
     
         11 . A workpiece-transfer device as in  claim 10 , characterized in that the suction pads placed closer to the workpiece-machining device and comprising a group of small pads are first selected in unloading a product workpiece.