ARTICLE TRANSFER DEVICE

• Main Author: KANAZAWA TAKUYA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.11.2008
• Subjects: CONVEYING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGINGARTICLES OR MATERIALS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING; UNPACKING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article transfer device adaptable to various storage patterns while selectively changing a space between grippers. SOLUTION: In the article transfer device, a working head 32 of a robot 6 as part of a caser 3 has thirty-six holding members 35 connected to positions where twelve stays 42 moved in an X-direction cross three shafts 43 moved in a Y-direction for holding the grippers 33. The stays are moved by an X-direction pantograph mechanism 48. On fourth-eighth supporting shafts 56d-56h as parts of the X-direction pantograph mechanism, first-fifth connection means 57a-57e are provided for changing over ends of link members 55 between a coaxial state (a) where they are held to be coaxially rotated and a differently axial state (b) where they are held to be rotated at isolation positions. The connection means differentiate a space between the gripper neighboring each other in the coaxial state from a space between the grippers neighboring each other in the differently axial state. Thus, the device is adaptable to various storage patterns while selectively changing the space between the grippers. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT