KR20150107043A - Tiltable transfer apparatus using ball array - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a slope-adjustable ball array transfer apparatus, and more particularly, to a slope-adjustable ball array transfer apparatus that includes a ball array transfer module capable of stably transferring in various transfer directions on a sloping platform as its outer side ascends and descends with respect to the center The present invention relates to a ball array conveying apparatus capable of both conveying control and inclination control of a conveyed object.
To this end, the present invention provides an elevator system comprising: a platform installed to be inclined; One or more ball array transfer modules mounted on top of the platform; A rotation support unit for rotatably supporting the platform; And at least one inclination adjusting unit for adjusting the inclination angle of the platform, wherein the ball array conveying module includes: a ball array having a plurality of ball rollers spaced apart at regular intervals and arranged in a row / column structure; A first drive unit for driving the rollers in a first direction and a second drive unit for driving the plurality of ball rollers in a second direction, And a plurality of first drive shafts arranged in a direction orthogonal to one direction and transmitting rotational force in a first direction, and the second drive unit includes a plurality of first drive shafts orthogonal to the second direction And a plurality of second drive shafts arranged in the first direction and transmitting rotational force in the second direction, wherein the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are supported by a support frame disposed below the ball array .

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a ball array transfer device,

The present invention relates to a slope-adjustable ball array transfer apparatus, and more particularly, to a slope-adjustable ball array transfer apparatus that includes a ball array transfer module capable of stably transferring in various transfer directions on a sloping platform as its outer side ascends and descends with respect to the center The present invention relates to a ball array conveying apparatus capable of both conveying control and inclination control of a conveyed object.

Generally, a conveying device for conveying a certain conveyed object in a desired direction is currently being developed and used in various forms.

Commonly used as such a transfer device are a cylinder, a pallet transfer, a conveyor belt, and a transfer robot.

In this case, the cylinder does not have a big problem in conveying the conveyed object in one direction, but it is only possible to control the conveying distance end, and since a plurality of cylinders are required to be conveyed in the horizontal / vertical / diagonal direction, The cost is increased.

In addition, in order to precisely transfer the position, it is necessary to additionally install tools such as a jig necessary for precise position control, and the transfer position design is reset according to the change of the transfer object.

In addition, it is almost impossible to transfer the conveyed material while maintaining a specific inclination that varies from time to time.

The conveyor belt is suitable for conveying the conveyed object at a long distance. However, in order to convey the conveyed object to the precise position in the horizontal / vertical / diagonal direction, the conveyor belt is moved in the conveying direction It is difficult to manufacture and manage a plurality of position adjusting instruments. Further, due to the vibration of an additional belt line, many problems arise in accurate position control transfer.

In addition, it is almost impossible to convey the conveyed material while maintaining a certain inclination of the conveyor belt, which varies from time to time as described above.

In addition, although the transfer robot can transfer the objects to be transported in the x, y, and z directions by a single robot in a relatively large number of directions, it is difficult to secure a place for installing the transfer robot including the safety fence This is not only economical, but also requires a space according to the working radius of the robot in the workplace, thereby causing dead space in the workplace.

Further, in the case of the conventional conveying apparatus, the control of the conveyance of the conveyed object is inevitably limited. Therefore, the conveyor inclination control of the conveyed object during the conveyance of the conveyed object is controlled by a separate elevating / lowering means or lifting of the conveyed object through the robot, Lt; / RTI >

Such conveying and conveying inclination control is performed by continuously performing a plurality of processes such as a machining process or a conveyance of a part in which the center of gravity is to be kept at the center side of the bottom face by giving an inclination to the bottom face when the center of gravity is biased to the outside of the bottom face In this case, it can not be transferred in the conventional method.

Therefore, it is urgent to develop a conveyance device capable of simultaneously carrying out conveyance of the conveyed matter as well as conveying inclination control, and reducing installation cost and installation area.

US 8567587 B2 (Mar. 10, 2013)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been conceived to solve the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a ball array transfer module that can be linearly moved in a target direction on a tilt- And to provide a transfer device.

The present invention has the following features in order to achieve the above object.

The present invention relates to a tiltable platform, One or more ball array transfer modules mounted on top of the platform; A rotation support unit for rotatably supporting the platform; And at least one inclination adjusting unit for adjusting the inclination angle of the platform, wherein the ball array conveying module includes: a ball array having a plurality of ball rollers spaced apart at regular intervals and arranged in a row / column structure; A first drive unit for driving the rollers in a first direction and a second drive unit for driving the plurality of ball rollers in a second direction, And a plurality of first drive shafts arranged in a direction orthogonal to one direction and transmitting rotational force in a first direction, and the second drive unit includes a plurality of first drive shafts orthogonal to the second direction And a plurality of second drive shafts arranged in the first direction and transmitting rotational force in the second direction, wherein the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are supported by a support frame disposed below the ball array .

Wherein the rotary support unit is configured to rotatably support a center portion of a bottom surface of the platform, a base portion is spaced apart from a lower portion of the platform, and the inclination adjusting unit is installed in a vertically expandable structure between the platform and the base portion Thereby adjusting the inclination angle of the platform.

The support frame further includes at least one first support frame for supporting the first drive shaft in a lower portion of the ball array in the first direction and a second support frame for supporting the second drive shaft in the second direction, Or more of the second support frame.

A plurality of first seating grooves are formed in the first supporting frame such that the first driving shafts are rotatably supported. A plurality of second seating grooves are formed on the second supporting frame such that the second driving shafts are rotatably supported. The first drive shaft is disposed below the second drive shaft so that the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft do not interfere with each other, and the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are vertically spaced apart from each other.

The first drive unit may further include a plurality of first idle shafts symmetrically arranged and rotatably supported with respect to the first drive shaft with respect to the respective ball rollers, The outer circumferential surface of the second drive shaft is rotatably contactable with the ball roller. The first support frame is further formed with a third seating groove portion for rotatably supporting the first idle shaft.

In addition, a plurality of ball seating grooves are formed in the second support frame so as to rotatably support the ball rollers.

The first support frame and the second support frame may be formed integrally with each other. Alternatively, the first support frame and the second support frame may intersect with each other, The first and second seating grooves, the third seating grooves, and the second seating grooves, which are respectively formed in the first and second support frames, And the second drive shaft.

The ball receiving groove formed in the second support frame is spaced apart from the corresponding ball roller by a predetermined gap.

In addition, a lower plate for supporting the first support frame and the second support frame is further provided, and an upper plate is further provided on an upper side of the first support frame and the second support frame, A plurality of through holes are formed so that the roller protrudes to the upper side of a certain portion.

A position sensing unit installed on the upper plate of the ball array conveying module to generate positional information of a conveyed object, and a control unit installed at one side of the upper plate or the platform of the ball array conveying module to detect inclination angle information of the ball array conveying module or platform And a control unit for controlling the first drive unit, the second drive unit and the inclination adjusting unit of the ball array conveying module by receiving the position information and the inclination angle information of the object to be conveyed generated from the position sensing means and the inclination sensing means, And a control unit for controlling the display unit.

Preferably, the position sensing means is a position sensor mounted on the upper plate at a predetermined interval, or a photographing device installed at a position spaced apart from the ball array conveying module to photograph the upper side of the ball array conveying module. The inclination sensing means may be an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor installed at least one on the upper plate of the ball array conveying module or one side of the platform.

According to the present invention, not only the conveyance of the conveyed matter by the ball array conveying module but also the control of the conveyance of the conveyed matter and the inclination of the conveyed object are possible through the platform which supports the ball array conveying module and can rise and fall outside with respect to the center, It is possible to control the inclination angle while conveying the conveyed object in a specific direction without a device or a work process.

In addition, since the position and inclination information of the object to be conveyed are received through the sensing means during the conveyance, the control unit can instantaneously perform the conveyance and the inclination control, so that the promptness and reliability of the operation can be ensured.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a ball array transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view of a ball array transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a bottom exploded perspective view showing a state in which a platform and a rotary support unit are combined according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a view showing the inclination adjusting unit of Fig. 2. Fig.
5 is a perspective view illustrating a ball array transfer module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a partially exploded perspective view of a ball array transfer module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view of the ball array transfer module according to one embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a plan view showing a state in which a first drive unit and a second drive unit of a ball array transfer module according to an embodiment of the present invention are installed.
9 is a sectional view taken along the line AA 'of FIG.
10 is a sectional view taken along the line BB 'in FIG.
11 is a view showing a state where a part of a first support frame and a part of a second support frame are coupled according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a transfer apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4, a conveying apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a platform 200 installed to be adjustable in inclination, at least one ball array conveying unit 200 mounted at an upper portion of the platform 200, A rotation support unit 300 for rotatingly supporting the platform 200 and at least one inclination adjusting unit 400 for adjusting the inclination angle of the platform 200. The module 100 includes a platform 200,

1, the first drive motor 25 and the second drive motor 35 except the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31 are connected to the ball array transfer module 100 according to the present invention, A detailed illustration of the structure of the drive unit such as the first transmission mechanism 26 and the second transmission mechanism 36 is omitted for the sake of convenience and is shown in Fig.

The platform 200 is formed with a flat surface 110 on its top surface and one or more ball array transport modules 100 are fixed to the flat surface 210. The platform 200 has its outer edge moved up and down with respect to its central portion so that its inclination angle is adjustable.

The rotation support unit 300 is configured to rotatably support the bottom center portion of the platform 200. [ The rotary support unit 300 includes a post 310, a curved surface rotation support portion 320 provided at the upper end of the support 310, a mounting portion 330 provided at the lower end of the support 310, And a socket portion 340 rotatably contacted with the curved surface rotation support portion 320.

The posts 310 are installed upright perpendicular to the base 250 spaced apart from the bottom of the platform 200.

The curved surface rotation support portion 320 is configured to have a curved surface structure such as a hemisphere or a sphere and is configured to pivotally contact the curved surface groove 341 of the socket portion 340.

The mounting portion 330 is provided at the lower end of the strut 310 and fixedly mounted to the base portion 250.

The socket portion 340 is fixedly mounted to the center portion of the bottom surface of the platform 200. The socket portion 340 is formed with a curved surface groove 341. The curved surface groove 341 of the socket portion 340 is provided with a curved surface rotation support portion 320 are pivotally contacted. As such, the curved surface support portion 320 and the curved surface groove 341 of the socket portion 340 are brought into contact to allow rotation in various directions.

At least one inclination adjusting unit 400 is installed between the base unit 250 and the platform 200 so as to be vertically extendable and extendable to drive the platform 200 in an inclined manner.

The inclination adjusting unit 400 includes an upper frame 410 connected to the bottom edge of the platform 200, a lower frame 420 connected to the base unit 250, and upper and lower frames 410 and 420, And a driving mechanism 450 for driving the adjusting member 430. The adjusting member 430 may be formed of a metal plate or the like.

A hollow portion (not shown) is formed in the upper frame 410 so that the upper end of the adjustment member 430 can be received in a hollow portion (not shown) of the upper frame 410.

A hollow portion is formed in the lower frame 420 so that the lower end of the adjustment member 430 can be received in the hollow portion of the lower frame 420.

The hollow portion of the upper frame 410 and the hollow portion of the lower frame 420 may be formed to have a predetermined length to receive the upper and lower portions of the adjustment member 430. The hollow portion of the upper frame 410 and the hollow portion of the lower frame 420 are adjusted so that the hollow portion of the upper frame 410 and the hollow portion of the lower frame 420 And may be at least one half of the lengths of the upper frame 410 and the lower frame 420.

A female screw portion (not shown) is formed on the inner diameter surface of the hollow portion of the upper frame 410, and a female screw portion (not shown) is formed on the inner diameter surface of the hollow portion of the lower frame 420. The female threaded portion (not shown) of the upper frame 410 and the female threaded portion (not shown) of the lower frame 420 correspond to the first and second male threaded portions 431 and 432 of the adjusting member 430, And the helical directions are formed in directions opposite to each other.

The adjusting member 430 includes a lead screw having a first and a second male threaded portions 431 and 432 formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof. The adjusting member 430 rotates the upper frame 410 and the lower frame 420, The vertical distance between the upper and lower parts can be adjusted.

A first male screw portion 431 is formed on an upper outer circumferential surface of the adjusting member 430 and a second male screw portion 432 is formed on a lower outer circumferential surface of the adjusting member 430. The first male threaded portion 431 and the second male threaded portion 432 have opposite helical directions. The upper frame 410 is moved upward and downward by the screw movement of the first male screw portion 431 of the regulating member 430 with respect to the upper frame 410 and the second screw portion 432 of the regulating member 430 is screw- The lower frame 420 moves in the vertical direction by screwing the lower frame 420 with respect to the lower frame 420. [

The driving mechanism 450 is configured to rotate the adjusting member 430. The driving mechanism 450 includes a driving motor 451, a driving gear 452 connected to the driving motor 451, And a driven gear 453 which is coupled to the intermediate portion of the driving gear 452 and meshes with the driving gear 452.

According to one embodiment, the driving gear 452 and the driven gear 453 may be rotated to smooth the rotation of the adjusting member 430 by forming a bevel gear combination. Alternatively, the driving gear 452 and the driven gear 453 may be made of rack-and-pinion gears.

When the driving gear 452 and the driven gear 453 are driven by the driving motor 451 by the driving mechanism 450, the adjusting member 430 rotates, The frame 410 and the lower frame 420 can be adjusted in the direction in which they are spaced apart or approach each other.

In addition, the configuration of the driving mechanism 450 may be variously changed so as to rotate the adjusting member 430 about the vertical axis.

As the vertical distance between the upper frame 310 and the lower frame 320 is adjusted, one side of the platform 200 to which the upper frame 310 is connected is vertically moved up and down with respect to the center of the platform 200, (200) is adjusted in its inclination angle.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two or more inclination adjusting units 400 may be arranged in various structures.

The angle of inclination of the platform 200 with respect to the horizontal plane can be variously adjusted by the inclination adjusting unit 400 such that the product is transported in various transport directions by the ball array transporting module 100 of the platform 200 And the article may also be transported in an inclined direction with respect to the horizontal plane by adjustment of the inclination angle of the platform 200. [

The ball array transfer module 100 is provided with a position sensing means 500 for generating current position information of the article and generates inclination information of the platform 200 on the ball array transfer module 100 or the platform 200 The inclination sensing means 600 is provided.

The position information of the article generated by the position sensing means 500 and the tilt sensing means 600 and the tilt angle information of the platform 200 are transmitted to the controller 700. The controller 700 controls the ball array transfer module 100, And controls the driving of the tilt adjusting unit 400. [0050]

The position sensing means 500 may be a plurality of position sensors spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance on the upper surface of the upper plate 50. Alternatively, the position sensing means 500 may be spaced apart from the upper portion of the ball array transfer module 100 Or an installed photographing apparatus.

A light source is installed on the upper part of the ball array transfer module 100 for optical sensing of the light receiving sensor. The arrangement interval or the number of the light receiving sensors may be determined according to the positional information of the desired article And can be variously set.

The inclination sensing means 600 may be composed of one or more 3-axis acceleration sensors or gyro sensors installed on the upper and lower plates 50 and 60 of the ball array transfer module 100 or the bottom surface of the platform 200.

Embodiments of the position sensing means 500 and the inclination sensing means 600 may be configured in various other ways to generate position information of the articles and inclination information of the platform 200 in addition to the embodiments described above.

The control unit 700 can receive the sensing information by the position sensing unit 500 and the inclination sensing unit 600 in a wired or wireless manner and the control operation of the control unit 700 can be controlled by the user through the control program Can be operated.

Meanwhile, when the position sensing unit 500 is a photographing apparatus, the control unit 700 analyzes the captured image to determine the current position of the conveyed object. Such an image analysis technique may be variously adopted, But is not limited thereto.

In addition, if the position sensing means 500 is a light receiving sensor, among the plurality of light receiving sensors spaced apart at a predetermined interval, since the position area of the light receiving sensors where no light is detected is the current position information of the article P, will be.

In this way, by adjusting the inclination angle of the platform 200, the inclination angle of the ball array conveying module 100 can be adjusted so that the article can be conveyed in a desired direction on a plane and the article can be conveyed in an oblique direction, It is advantageous for the process.

The ball array transfer module 100 includes a ball array 10 in which a plurality of ball rollers 11 are spaced apart from each other at regular intervals and arranged in a row and a column structure and a plurality of ball rollers 11 arranged in a first direction And a second driving unit 30 for driving the plurality of ball rollers 11 in the second direction to transmit the rotational force.

Here, the ball array 10 includes a plurality of ball rollers 11 arranged in a row / column structure spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and the support frame 40 and the upper and lower plates 50 and 60, And is rotatably mounted. The upper end of the ball roller 11 is installed to be exposed at the upper portion of the upper plate 50 so that the conveyed object is placed on the upper end of the ball roller 11.

The arrangement of the rows and columns of the ball array 10 may have the same intervals and sizes as the intervals and the sizes of the ball rollers 11, but the intervals and sizes may be irregularly configured as necessary.

The first drive unit 20 is configured to transmit the rotational force of the ball rollers 11 in the first direction (see arrow X direction in FIG. 5).

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the first drive unit 20 includes ball rollers 11 arranged in a column (see arrow Y direction in Fig. 8) in a first direction A plurality of first driving shafts 21 for rotationally driving the ball rollers 11 to transmit rotational force and a plurality of first driving shafts 21 arranged symmetrically with respect to the first driving shaft 21 with respect to the ball rollers 11, And the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal to each other.

Each of the first drive shafts 21 directly drives and rotates the ball rollers 11 arranged in each column unit such as a first column C1, a second column C2, a third column C3, a fourth column C4, And a plurality of first driving shafts 21 are arranged in a direction (see the arrow Y direction in FIG. 8) orthogonal to the first direction between the column units C1, C2, C3, and C4.

The plurality of first driving shafts (21) are configured to be simultaneously driven to rotate in the same direction by the first driving motor (25) and the first driving mechanism (26). The first transmission mechanism 26 includes a plurality of first pulleys 27 provided on the output shaft of the first drive motor 25 and the end of each first drive shaft 21, And a plurality of first winding motor sections (28) provided between the pulleys (27). The power of the first drive motor 25 is transmitted to the plurality of first drive shafts 21 through the first transmission mechanism 26 so that the plurality of first drive shafts 21 are rotationally driven in the same direction at the same time. The first winding motor section 28 is composed of a timing belt, a belt, a chain, etc., and is wound around the adjacent first pulleys 27.

8, the first transmission mechanism 26 includes a plurality of first pulleys 27, a plurality of first winding motor sections 28, and the like. The plurality of column units C1, C2, C3, C4, The ball rollers 11 of each row unit are independently provided with the first rolling mechanism independently, and the ball rollers 11 of each row unit are separately provided, May be configured to independently drive them simultaneously. Further, although the first transmission mechanism 26 exemplifies the winding transmission mechanism, various transmission mechanisms such as the gear transmission mechanism and the like can be applied.

8, the first transmission mechanism 26 is connected to the first drive shaft 21 adjacent to the first drive shaft 21 by a first winding drive section 28, and one first drive shaft 21 is separately provided on the left and right sides The entire first drive shaft 21 may be connected to the transmission section 28 such as one timing belt without forming the first winding motor section 28 of the first drive shaft 28. [

As long as the end of the first drive shaft 21 is connected to the first drive motor 25 and can receive the rotational force of the first drive motor 25, And the present invention is not limited thereto.

The first idle shaft 22 and the first drive shaft 21 are disposed symmetrically with respect to one ball roller 11 so that the first idle shaft 22 is driven by the first drive shaft 21 And rotatably supports the opposite side of the ball rollers 11. [ The first idle shaft 22 is disposed along a direction perpendicular to the first direction (see arrow Y direction in FIG. 8) and is disposed in parallel with the first drive shaft 21, like the first drive shaft 21 .

In particular, the first idle shaft 22 is not connected to the first drive motor 25 and the first drive mechanism 26 and does not transmit driving force to the ball rollers 11, And is symmetrically disposed on the opposite side of the ball 21 to stably support and rotate the ball roller 11 to maintain the dynamic balance of the ball roller 11. [ Both end portions of the first idle shaft 22 are rotatably supported by the support frame 40 and the lower plate 60.

Although not shown in FIG. 8, the first drive unit 20 may further include a bearing structure for more rotatably supporting the first drive shaft.

Such a bearing configuration is a well-known structure for rotationally supporting the drive shaft, so an illustration and description thereof will be omitted from the separate drawings.

On the other hand, the second drive unit 30 is configured to transmit the rotational force of the ball rollers 11 along the second direction (see arrow Y direction in Fig. 8).

8 and 10, the second drive unit 30 rotates the ball rollers 11 arranged in row units R1, R2, R3, R4, ... in a second direction The first direction X and the second direction Y are orthogonal to each other. The first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other.

Each of the second drive shafts 31 directly drives the ball rollers 11 arranged in each row unit such as one row R1, two rows R2, three rows R3, four rows R4, And the plurality of second drive shafts 31 are arranged in a direction (refer to arrow X direction in FIG. 8) orthogonal to the second direction between the ball rollers 11 in units of rows.

The plurality of second driving shafts (31) are configured to be rotationally driven in the same direction by the second driving motor (35) and the second driving mechanism (36). The second transmission mechanism 36 includes at least one output shaft of the second drive motor 35 and at least one second pulley 37 provided at an end of each second drive shaft 31, And a second winding motor section (38) provided between the pulleys (37). Thus, the power of the second drive motor 35 is transmitted to the plurality of second drive shafts 31 through the second transmission mechanism 36, and the plurality of second drive shafts 31 are rotationally driven in the same direction. The second winding motor section 38 includes a timing belt, a belt, a chain, and the like, and is wound around the adjacent first pulleys 37.

8, the second transmission mechanism 36 includes a plurality of second pulleys 37, a plurality of second winding motor sections 38, and the like. The plurality of units Rl, R2, R3, R4, The second rolling mechanism is independently installed in each of the row rollers 11, so that the ball rollers 11 in each row unit are separately provided, May be configured to independently drive them simultaneously. Although the second transmission mechanism 36 exemplifies the winding transmission mechanism, various transmission mechanisms such as the gear transmission mechanism and the like can be applied. As described above, 2 driving shafts 31 can be rotated at the same time.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the second driving shaft 31 is not provided with a second idle shaft for supporting the second driving shaft 31, unlike the first driving shaft 21.

This is because the simultaneous contact of the two adjacent ball rollers 11 with only one second drive shaft 31 can achieve a balance maintaining function such as the first idle shaft 22 as well as a driving force transmitting function.

Accordingly, the simple cost reduction effect as well as the simplification of the configuration and the effect of reducing the apparatus volume can be induced by simply excluding the second idle shaft.

The second idle shaft may be symmetrically arranged symmetrically with the second drive shaft 31 so as to stably support the ball roller 11 to rotate the ball roller 11 in a dynamic manner So as to maintain the equilibrium.

The first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31, which transmit the rotational force to the ball rollers 11, are preferably made of either metal or synthetic resin.

When both the ball roller 11 and the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31 are made of a metal material having a high hardness, the contact to which the rotational force is transmitted is configured to be close to the point contact so that the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 21 So that the rotational force of the drive shaft 31 is not smoothly transmitted to the ball rollers 11.

Therefore, in order to increase the transmission efficiency of the rotational force, the ball roller 11 is made of a synthetic resin material containing urethane, and the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31 are made of a metal material, The contact area of the ball roller 11 having elasticity with the lower weight force generated when the conveyed body having a certain weight is placed on the first driving shaft 21 and the second driving shaft 31 is increased .

In addition, the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31 may be made of a synthetic resin material as long as they can function smoothly as a drive shaft without being twisted even at a high rotation due to its high hardness.

The synthetic resin material containing urethane or the like is more advantageous than the metal material because the surface roughness of the synthetic resin material is higher than that of the metal material, and it is easy to increase the surface roughness through separate processing.

This surface roughness induces an increase in frictional force between the drive shaft and the ball roller, thereby increasing the power efficiency and increasing the reaction speed of the movement control.

Therefore, if the durability is ensured in consideration of the rotational force transmission mechanism due to the friction between the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31 and the ball rollers 11, it is preferable to select the material with high surface roughness and elasticity .

In addition, even if the drive shaft is made of a metal material, the ball roller contact tube may be coupled with the ball roller contact tube on the outer circumferential surface of the drive shaft with a certain length before and after the contact section contacting with the ball, thereby ensuring durability and increasing surface roughness.

The first drive shaft 21 and the first idle shaft 22 of the first drive unit 20 are installed so as not to interfere with each other with respect to the second drive shaft 31 of the second drive unit 30. [

The first drive shaft 21 and the first idle shaft 22 of the first drive unit 20 are positioned lower than the second drive shaft 31 of the second drive unit 30 by a predetermined distance, Is not configured.

Of course, the first drive shaft 21 may be formed higher than the second drive shaft 31. In this case, the first drive shaft 20 is not provided with the first idle shaft 22, And the second drive unit 30 should be provided with a second idle shaft such as the first idle shaft 22 for rotation support.

The support frame 40 is provided to support the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31. The support frame 40 is disposed at the lower portion of the ball array in the first direction, And at least one second support frame (42) supporting the second drive shaft in a lower portion of the ball array in the second direction.

The support frame 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention forms a mesh structure when viewed in a plan view by coupling the plate-shaped first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42 in an upright manner.

The plate-like support frame 40 formed in the mesh structure is relatively simple in structure and relatively small in volume to be formed, and can smoothly move the ball array 11, the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31 smoothly It is possible to support the rotation.

The simplification of the configuration and the reduction in the formed volume can reduce the cost of the entire ball array transfer module 100, reduce the number of installation and maintenance work operations, and enable a denser ball array 10 configuration.

Here, the dense ball array structure can increase the contact area between the conveyed object and the ball rollers 11, thereby achieving more stable conveyance control as well as an improvement in the control reaction speed due to an increase in the rotational force transmission efficiency.

Therefore, the smaller the diameter of the ball rollers 11 and the smaller the interval between the ball rollers 11, the more ideal the ideal conveying device can be realized. In the ball array conveying module 100, The structure is stable on the rotating support surface, and the diameter of the ball roller and the interval between the ball rollers can be reduced.

A plurality of first seating grooves 45 are formed in the first support frame 41 so that the plurality of first driving shafts 21 are rotatably supported on the first support frame 41. A plurality of second driving shafts A plurality of second seating grooves 46 are formed so as to be supported.

Of course, the first support frame 41 is further provided with a third seating groove 47 for rotatably supporting the first idle shaft 22, which is parallel to the first driving shaft 21.

The first seating groove portion 45 and the third seating groove portion 47 are formed in a curved surface structure corresponding to the outer surface of the first driving shaft 21 supported by the first seating groove portion 45 and the third seating groove portion 47. The first drive shaft 21 and the first drive shaft 21 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined gap so that the first drive shaft 21 can move in the first and second drive shafts 45, It can be rubbed on the surface of the seating groove portion 45 and the surface of the third seating groove portion 47 and can be slightly rotated while being rotatably supported by the predetermined gap.

10, the second seating groove 46 may have a curved surface structure corresponding to the outer surface of the second driving shaft 31, and may be separated from the second driving shaft 31 by a predetermined gap.

A plurality of ball seating grooves 48 are formed between the plurality of second seating grooves 46 so that the ball rollers 11 are rotatably supported. The ball seating grooves 48 are also formed on the outer surface of the ball rollers 11 And may be spaced apart from the ball roller 11 and the ball seating groove 48 by a predetermined gap.

Meanwhile, the first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42 may be integrally formed, but may have a fitting structure in consideration of difficulty in manufacturing and easiness of assembly and disassembly.

The first and second support frames 41 and 42 may be inserted into the first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42 so that the first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42 intersect each other, An engaging groove portion 49 is formed.

11, the coupling groove 49 is formed between the first seating groove 45 and the third seating groove 47 of the first supporting frame 41 and the thickness of the second supporting frame 42 And the second support frame 42 is provided with an engaging groove 49 formed in a lower portion of the central portion of the ball receiving groove 48 and incised in a predetermined length upward direction from the bottom face of the second support frame 42 .

The first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42 may have engagement grooves 49 formed therein so that they can be fitted together. However, if necessary, only the second support frame 42 The engaging groove portion 49 may be formed.

However, since the strength of the second support frame 42 may decrease as the length of the engagement groove 49 formed in the second support frame 42 becomes too large, The coupling grooves 42 should be formed in both the support frame 41 and the second support frame 42 to reduce the length of the coupling grooves 49 formed in the support frames 41 and 42. [

Further, as described above, the width of each engaging groove 49 is preferably larger than the thickness of the supporting frame, which is coupled to the engaging groove 49, to facilitate ease of assembling.

In other words, if the thickness is the same as the thickness of the support frame, it is possible to increase the bonding strength even though the bonding strength can be increased. have.

6 and 7, the lower and upper portions of the first and second support frames 41 and 42 support and receive the lower plate 60 and the upper plate 50 .

A plurality of through holes 51 are formed in the upper plate 50 so that the ball rollers 11 protrude upwards from the ball rollers 11 so that the objects can be placed on the rotating ball rollers 11.

The through-hole 51 is formed to be spaced apart from the ball roller 11 by a predetermined gap, and the predetermined gap is preferably as small as possible.

In addition, although not shown in the figure, the lower plate 60 may have a groove in the form of a lattice, so that the first support frame 41 and the second support frame 42 may be fitted on the groove. Alternatively, a separate guide extension may be formed on the upper surface so that each support frame does not flow on the lower plate 60 by engaging the guide extensions.

At least one support protrusion 61 is formed on the upper surface of the lower plate 60 so as to be in close contact with the bottom surface of the upper plate 50 to support the upper plate 50.

Due to the support protrusions 61, the lower plate 60 is able to bear and support a certain amount of the downward load of the upper plate 50. If necessary, the support protrusions 61 form a hollow, The upper plate 50 and the lower plate 60 can be screwed together.

Of course, the first drive shaft 21, the first idle shaft 22 and the second drive shaft 31 to be disposed at positions where the support protrusions 61 are formed may be excluded or supported by the support protrusions 61 according to the size of the support protrusions 61 61).

The first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31 are not in the form of idle shafts but are not transferred from the drive motor to the parallel shafts of the ball rollers from the adjacent drive shafts or idle shafts It will play a role of keeping it.

In the ball array conveying module according to the present invention configured as described above, the ball rollers 11 of the ball array 10 are driven in the first direction (arrow X direction) by the first drive unit 20, The ball rollers 11 of the ball array 10 are driven in the second direction (arrow Y direction) by the drive unit 30. [

Accordingly, the rotational force of the ball rollers 11 can be transmitted in various directions through the vector sum of the first direction X and the second direction Y, Can be transported in various directions.

Particularly, in the present invention, since the ball rollers 11 of the ball array 10 are directly driven to rotate by the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 22, the rotational force of the ball rollers 11 So that the efficiency of conveying the objects to be conveyed by the ball array 10 can be remarkably improved.

The present invention also has a structure in which a plurality of ball rollers 11 are directly driven and rotated by the first drive unit 20 and the second drive unit 30 so that some of the ball rollers 11 are damaged The remaining ball rollers 11 can be rotationally driven by the first drive shaft 21 and the second drive shaft 31 so that they can transmit the rotational force of the ball rollers 11 while appropriately compensating the rotation of the ball rollers 11, Therefore, even if some ball rollers malfunction, it is possible to transmit appropriate rotational force.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. I will understand.

Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

10: Ball array 11: Ball roller
20: first drive unit 21: first drive shaft
22: first idle shaft 25: first drive motor
26: first transmission mechanism 30: second drive unit
31: second drive shaft 32: second idle shaft
40: support frame 41: first support frame
42: second support frame 50: upper plate
51: Through hole 60: Lower plate
100: ball array transfer module 200: platform
300: rotation support unit 400: inclination adjustment unit
500: position sensing means 600: inclination sensing means
700: Control unit 1000: Ball array transfer device

Claims (16)

An inclined adjustable platform;
One or more ball array transfer modules mounted on top of the platform;
A rotation support unit for rotatably supporting the platform; And
And at least one tilt adjusting unit for adjusting the tilt angle of the platform,
The ball array transfer module
A ball array in which a plurality of ball rollers are arranged in a row /
A first driving unit for driving the plurality of ball rollers in a first direction;
And a second drive unit for driving the plurality of ball rollers in a second direction,
The first drive unit includes a plurality of first drive shafts arranged in a direction orthogonal to the first direction for rotationally driving the ball rollers in a thermal unit to transmit rotational force in a first direction,
The second drive unit includes a plurality of second drive shafts arranged in a direction orthogonal to the second direction so as to rotationally drive the ball rollers in row units to transmit rotational force in the second direction,
Wherein the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are supported by a support frame disposed below the ball array.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the rotary support unit is configured to rotationally support a bottom center portion of the platform.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein a base portion is provided at a lower portion of the platform,
Wherein the inclination adjusting unit is installed in a vertically expandable structure between the platform and the base to adjust the inclination angle of the platform.
The method according to claim 1,
The support frame
At least one first support frame disposed at a lower portion of the ball array in the first direction to support a first drive shaft and at least one second support frame disposed at a lower portion of the ball array in the second direction, Wherein the first and second sloping portions are formed on the sloping surface.
5. The method of claim 4,
The first support frame has a plurality of first seating grooves spaced apart from each other such that a plurality of first driving shafts are rotatably supported, and a plurality of second seating grooves are spaced apart from each other such that a plurality of second driving shafts are rotatably supported on the second supporting frame Characterized in that the inclined adjustable ball array transfer device.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the first drive shaft is disposed below the second drive shaft so as not to interfere with the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft, and is spaced apart from the second drive shaft by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction, Device.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the first drive unit further comprises a plurality of first idle shafts symmetrically arranged and rotatably supported with respect to the first drive shaft with respect to the respective ball rollers.
8. The method of claim 7,
The outer peripheral surface of the first drive shaft and the first idle shaft are rotatably contacted with the ball roller, the outer peripheral surface of the second drive shaft is installed so as to be rotatably contactable with the ball roller,
Wherein the first support frame further includes a third seating groove portion for rotatably supporting the first idle shaft.
The method of claim 5, wherein
Wherein the second support frame is formed with a plurality of ball seating grooves depressed to rotatably support the ball rollers.
5. The method of claim 4,
The first support frame and the second support frame are integrally formed and disposed,
Wherein a plurality of coupling grooves are formed on at least one of the first support frame and the second support frame so as to be able to be coupled to each other without interfering with the first support frame and the second support frame section intersecting with each other, Adjustable ball array feeder.
9. The method of claim 8,
The first seating groove portion, the third seating groove portion, and the second seating groove portion formed in the first support frame and the second support frame are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined gap between the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft, Adjustable ball array feeder.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the ball receiving groove formed in the second support frame is separated from the corresponding ball roller by a predetermined gap.
5. The method of claim 4,
And a lower plate is further provided at a lower portion of the first support frame and the second support frame, and an upper plate is further provided at an upper side of the first support frame and the second support frame,
Wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in the upper plate such that the ball rollers protrude upwards from a predetermined portion.
14. The method of claim 13,
Position sensing means provided on the upper plate of the ball array conveying module for generating positional information of a conveyed object, and inclined angle information of a ball array conveying module or platform installed on one side of the upper plate or platform of the ball array conveying module And a control unit for controlling the first drive unit, the second drive unit and the inclination adjusting unit of the ball array conveying module by receiving the position information and the inclination angle information of the object to be conveyed generated from the position sensing means and the inclination sensing means Further comprising a controller for controlling the angle of rotation of the ball array.
15. The method of claim 14,
The position sensing means
A plurality of position sensors spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval on the upper plate or a photographing device installed at a position spaced apart from the ball array conveying module to photograph the upper side of the ball array conveying module. .
15. The method of claim 14,
The inclination sensing means
Wherein at least one of the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor is installed on the upper plate of the ball array transfer module or one side of the platform.

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