TRAY SUPPLY DEVICE AND TRAY SUPPLY METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide tray supply device and method that surely enable take-out of a tray at the uppermost stage from a tray group comprising plural stacked trays.SOLUTION: A lifting table 12 on which a tray group 6G is mounted is upward and downward moved to position the tray group 6G so that a tray 6P at the uppermost stage of the tray group 6G is located at a standby height H0 higher than a working height HW, and then the tray 6P at the uppermost stage of the tray group 6G is pushed down by a tray holding head 14 to position a space SP between the tray 6P at the uppermost stage and a tray 6 at the next stage to the working stage HW. A freely movable pawl member 15 is inserted into the space SP at the working height HW, and the lifting table 12 is downwards to separate the tray 6P at the uppermost stage from the tray 6 at the next stage. 【課題】複数のトレイが積み重ねて成るトレイ群から最上段のトレイを確実に取り出すことができ、トレイの自動供給が可能なトレイ供給装置及びトレイ供給方法を提供することを目的とする。【解決手段】トレイ群６Ｇが載置された昇降テーブル１２を昇降させて、トレイ群６Ｇの最上段のトレイ６Ｐが作業高さＨＷよりも高い準備高さＨ０に位置するようにトレイ群６Ｇを位置決めした後、トレイ群６Ｇの最上段のトレイ６Ｐをトレイ保持ヘッド１４によって押し下げて最上段のトレイ６Ｐとその次段のトレイ６との間の空間ＳＰを作業高さＨＷに位置させる。そして、作業高さＨＷに位置させた最上段のトレイ６Ｐとその次段のトレイ６との間の空間ＳＰに作業高さＨＷで移動自在な爪部材１５を挿入させ、昇降テーブル１２を下降させて、最上段のトレイ６Ｐを次段のトレイ６から分離させる。【選択図】図７