EA034673B1 - Collaborative robotized section for cash recounting - Google Patents

Abstract

This technical solution relates to automating the process of recounting, sorting and packing cash at cash collection centers, in particular those involving the use of robotic collaborative manipulators. The technical result is to ensure process continuity in recounting, sorting and packing cash at a collaborative robotic cash recounting section (RCRS), plus provide easy access to system modules for maintenance personnel in case of routine malfunctions without the need to stop RCRS operations, which also ensures higher productivity of the complex and fault tolerance of collaborative RCRS. The technical result is achieved by deploying a cash recounting robotic section to execute cash counting and sorting operations, which includes a spatial structure in the form of a platform hosting at least one collaborative robot manipulator with a grab working organ sitting in the center, which ensures moving cash between the elements of the site in at least six degrees of freedom, plus at least one counting and sorting machine (CSM), at least one pallet feeder with cash, at least one empty pallet dropper, and at least two bill packers configured to band-roll bill bundles; moreover, the working area of the collaborative robot manipulator minimizes movement between the elements of the site, and the elements of the site are positioned to provide access to personnel without stopping the operations of the collaborative robot manipulator.

Description

Technical field

This technical solution, in General, relates to the automation of the process of recounting, sorting and packaging of cash in cash collection centers, and in particular, to collaborative robotic areas of cash recounting.

State of the art

Closest to the claimed technical solution is a robotic counting and sorting complex, which is a body inside which are located counting and sorting machines, an industrial robot manipulator and components for counting and sorting operations. The housing is made in the form of protective panels connected to each other by means of docking units (see patent RU No. 262248, publ. 15.06.2017). The presence of a protective fence ensures the safety of staff.

The disadvantage of using an industrial robotic arm is the installation of the latter in a special cell enclosed by a blocking device. The use of protective fencing ensures the inaccessibility of maintenance personnel to the industrial robotic arm operating in program execution mode, as well as to equipment and modules of the robotic complex. In addition, due to the design of the proposed technical solution in the event of regular malfunctioning situations on equipment (for example, jamming a bill with some kind of SMS or replacing consumables on the packer), which involve operator intervention, the latter must enter this cell to restore operability equipment. As a result, the industrial robotic arm stops moving and the process of counting, sorting and packing of cash is completely stopped, which leads to a decrease in the overall productivity of the robotic section of cash recounting.

The use of mechanical fencing of the working area imposes restrictions on the general mobility of production and the inability to quickly integrate a robotic cell with equipment from different manufacturers of counting and sorting machines without making changes to the design of the robotic complex. This disadvantage is also caused by the use of an industrial-type robotic manipulator, which can cause harm to working personnel in the absence of specialized enclosing and / or protective elements of the area of its operation.

The essence of the technical solution

The technical problem or problem being solved is the elimination of existing disadvantages of similar solutions known from the prior art.

The technical result that manifests itself in solving the above problem is to ensure the continuity of the process of recounting, sorting and packing cash, performed on a collaborative robotic cash recounting site.

An additional technical result that is manifested is an increase in the availability of service personnel to the system modules in the event of regular malfunctioning situations in the absence of the need to stop the work of the robotic conversion station (hereinafter referred to as RUE), which also provides increased complex productivity and fault tolerance of collaborative RUE.

The technical result is achieved through the implementation of a robotic recounting section for counting and sorting cash operations, which contains a spatial structure in the form of a platform on which at least one collaborative robotic arm with a working body in the form of a grab is located in the center, which ensures the movement of funds between the elements of the plot in at least six degrees of freedom, while at least one counting and sorting machine is also located on the platform (CCM), at least one cash pallet feeder, at least one empty pallet dropper, and at least two bill packers configured to band out the roots of bill bundles, the working area of the collaborative robot manipulator providing minimal movement between elements of the site, and the elements of the site are located in such a way as to provide access to personnel without terminating the work of the collaborative robot manipulator.

In one particular embodiment, the CCM comprises one receiving pocket, at least one reject pocket, and at least four sorting pockets.

In another particular example of implementation, a collaborative robotic arm is mounted on a base stand.

In another particular embodiment, the platform comprises side racks.

In another particular example of implementation, a collaborative robot manipulator is located on the side posts in the vertical part. In another particular example of implementation, a collaborative robotic arm is mounted on a beam or suspension.

In another particular example, the implementation of the CCM is installed on a supporting element connected to the platform.

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In another particular embodiment, the element is a stand, table or bracket.

In another particular embodiment, the cash pallet feeder and the empty pallet dump drive are attached to the platform.

In another particular embodiment, each of the packers is mounted on a support member connected to a side stand.

In another particular example implementation, the element is a stand or bracket.

In another particular embodiment, the collaborative robot manipulator comprises a control unit.

In another particular implementation example, the control unit is associated with a health monitoring system of the site elements.

In another particular example of the implementation, in the event of failure or fixing a violation of the working process of at least one element of the site, the control system transmits a signal to the control unit of the collaborative robot manipulator.

In another particular example of implementation, the control unit generates a command to change the operating mode of a collaborative robot manipulator. The collaborative robot manipulator is designed specifically for collaboration with people, while RUE equipment is installed relative to the manipulator in such a way that it can provide free movement between it without blocking personnel access if it is necessary to carry out maintenance procedures. When using it, no protective fences are required, which entails minimizing the allocated production areas and enclosing the security perimeter, making it possible to work in close proximity to a person.

The absence of protective barriers provides free, convenient and safe access for maintenance personnel to individual modules of the system without a complete stop of the robotic cell, which allows not to violate the integrity of the recounting processes and contributes to the continuous work with cash flow.

The absence of mechanical fences and restrictions on the working area of the collaborative robotic manipulator allows the simultaneous integration of counting and sorting machines of various manufacturers into the cell without changing the design of the collaborative robotic complex. The collaborative mode allows you to implement an autonomous and collaborative mode of operation on the robotic cash recount section.

In autonomous mode, all operations for the recounting, sorting and packing of cash are carried out by a collaborative robot manipulator. The operator only restores the equipment’s performance in the event of a malfunction, which is both safe for humans and allows not to disrupt the production cycle of the robotic cell. At the same time, through the use of a collaborative robotic manipulator, it is possible to work together with the operator, for example, if it is necessary to manually operate the SMS or perform cash recount functions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The signs and advantages of this technical solution will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which

In FIG. 1 shows a general view of a collaborative robotic cash section; FIG. 2 shows a pallet feeder with cash; in FIG. 3 - drive dumping empty pallets, in FIG. 4 - an example of interaction with the control system of RUE.

Detailed description

Below will be described the terms and concepts necessary for understanding and implementing this technical solution.

Operator - a person who has undergone special training in robotic systems and their safe operation of a collaborative robotic recounting unit (RUE).

An industrial robot is an automatic machine consisting of a manipulator and a device for programmatically controlling its movement, designed to replace a person during basic and auxiliary operations in production processes.

Manipulator - a combination of a spatial linkage mechanism and a drive system that carries out actions (manipulations) under the control of a programmable automatic device or a human operator, similar to human hand actions.

A collaborative robot manipulator (abbr. Cobot) is a robot manipulator designed for direct interaction with a person within a certain joint space. Joint space is a protected workspace in which a robot and a person can simultaneously perform tasks during a manufacturing operation (see ISO / TS 15066: 2016).

Counting and sorting machine (CCM) - a banknote sorting device designed to process cash at face value, orientation, disrepair, authenticity and solvency.

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At present, counting and sorting machines of such companies as Giesecke & Devrient (e.g., model BPS C4 12p-1R), Glory (e.g., model UW-F12), Laurel (e.g., Laurel K4 model), Toshiba (e.g. Toshiba IBS 1000 model). The counting and sorting machine consists of one loading pocket, one or two reject pockets, as well as four sorting pockets. Each model from the presented firms has the opportunity to increase the number of sorting pockets by another four and, thus, bring their total number to sixteen. These layouts are implemented to simultaneously perform a variety of sorting tasks, when all available banknotes must be sorted by face value, decay, front / image orientation and authenticity.

Loading pocket - pocket counting and sorting machine for loading a bundle of notes.

Sorting pocket - a pocket-store of a counting and sorting machine for sorted bills.

Rejection pocket - a pocket for notes that have not been sorted by a counting and sorting machine.

Banknote wrapper, or banding machine, or banding machine - a device designed to automatically banding the roots of banknotes with one circular transverse special adhesive tape on a paper / plastic basis with its subsequent heat sealing.

Spine - cash formed by 100 banknotes of the same denomination.

Pallet is a specially designed tray for cash conversion, divided by partitions into several sections into which cash is loaded directly.

A pallet pocket is one of the pallet compartments where cash is loaded.

Return Pallet - a tray designed to accept bills that have not been sorted on a counting and sorting machine.

A pneumatic cylinder (full pneumatic cylinder) is a device that converts the energy of a stream of compressed air (or gas) into the energy of the translational motion of a piston.

Pallet feeder - vertical electro-pneumatic conveyor for feeding pallets with cash.

Pallet dump drive - a vertical gravity electro-pneumatic conveyor for receiving empty pallets that have been unloaded by a collaborative robotic arm with a grip on a robotic conversion station.

A module is an element of the system that represents the main (CCM, collaborative robotic manipulator) or auxiliary (supply and discharge drives, packers) equipment.

The collaborative RUE 100 is a spatial structure in the form of a platform 1, as shown in FIG. 1, on which at least one robotic manipulator 3 is located in the center. The manipulator 3 can be located on a base stand 2, on a suspension or beam (not shown). The manipulator 3 provides the movement of funds between the elements of the site in at least six degrees of freedom. As a robot manipulator 3, various existing types of this type of device can be used, for example, Universal Robots UR10, KUKA LBR IIWA 7 R800, Fanuc CR-7iA / L, etc., without limitation.

The base rack 2 is attached to the platform, for example, using a bolted connection. The robotic arm 3 can be fixed on the rack-base 2 using a bolt or other type of rigid connection assembly operations. On the flange of the robotic arm 3, a gripper is installed for grabbing and moving bundles of banknotes in any direction and at any angle between the modules of the robotic complex. The base stand 2 for the manipulator provides the interaction of the robot manipulator 3 and all modules of the RUE 100.

The design of the base-rack 2 is capable of withstanding a moment of not less than ten times the maximum torque of the base of the manipulator 3 and a weight of not less than five times the weight of the robot manipulator 3, due to the strength and load characteristics that occur when moving the manipulator 3.

The collaborative RUE 100 is provided with one or more SSM 5. The SSM 5 has one receiving pocket 10 and one or two reject pockets 11, four, or eight, or twelve, or sixteen sorting pockets 12. FIG. Figure 1 shows an example implementation with two CCMs 5 that are located within the working area of the collaborative robotic arm 3. The working area is the distance from the extreme point of capture 4 to the base of the manipulator, and the organization of the working area in this solution provides minimal movement between the elements of the site, and the elements of the site are located in such a way as to provide access to personnel without terminating the work of the collaborative robot manipulator.

CCM 5 is placed on the supporting element 6, such as a table or bracket. The element 6 is rigidly connected to the platform 1, for example, using screws. CCM 5 is installed on element 6 without any fixing nodes, since CCM 5 has sufficient weight for stationary location. When supplying the RUE 100 with two or more SSM 5, they are located on the back of each other

- 3,034,673 to a friend. This solution provides free access to all elements of the staff

CCM 5, for example, when recovering in the event of a malfunction on the CCM 5 or in a joint mode of operation, when the operator manually interacts with the CCM 5.

RUE 100 is equipped with one or more feeding drives 7 pallets 8, each of which is rigidly attached to the platform 1, in which pallets 8 with cash are manually loaded. Next to drive 7, a dump drive 9 is attached to the platform to receive empty pallets.

In the case of using two drives 7, the reset drive 9 is attached to the platform 1 between them. This design is due to the need to release the unloading zone of two drives 7, where the manipulator extracts cash from the pockets of the pallets of the first and second drives 7, to ensure the supply of new pallets 8 with cash for subsequent unloading by the manipulator 3.

In FIG. Figure 2 shows an example of the implementation of a supply pallet 7 pallet, for example, with a capacity of ten pallets, which is made in the form of a vertical conveyor, with pneumatic cylinders rigidly fixed at the bottom of the frame. Pneumatic cylinders can be, for example, with a stroke of 120 mm, connected through special plates with linear guides that move along the carriages, rigidly connected with the frame. When moving rails with paws fixed on them, on which pallets 8 with cash are located, the pallets are fed into the unloading zone by a collaborative robot manipulator 3.

To move empty pallets from the unloading zone to the dump drive 9, a stepper motor is used, which is rigidly fixed to the upper part of the feed drive frame 7. The stepper motor drives a carriage along linear linear guides through a toothed belt passing, for example, through two pulleys. A hard reset lever is mounted on the carriage, made, for example, of carbon, aluminum, steel, etc., without limitation, which serves to transmit movement to an empty pallet.

The dump accumulator 9 of empty pallets, for example, with a capacity of twenty pallets, is a vertical conveyor, as shown in FIG. 3. On the upper part of the frame of the dumping device 9, two pneumatic cylinders are installed, which are connected with the holders for pallets having the shape of a plate. Each of the pneumatic cylinders facilitates the rotation of the pallet holder by a certain angle, for example, by 20 °, and the synchronous operation of these pneumatic cylinders forms two positions of the holders - open and closed. The closed position is intended for receiving and fixing the empty pallets from the feed storage. The open position of the pallet holders leads to the dumping of the empty pallet under the action of gravity inside the dump accumulator on a movable base, which provides a constant dump height depending on the number of accumulated pallets. The movable base is driven by a screw, for example, a trapezoid, which is connected through a coupling to the shaft of a stepper motor.

RUE 100 also contains two or more tape packers of bills 13, configured to bandage the roots of bundles of bills. Packers 13 are equipped with a system for ejecting packed roots and are intended for automatic banding of the roots of banknotes with their subsequent ejection. The packers 13 are located on the rear parts of the SSM 5 on supporting elements, for example shelves or brackets, which are attached to the side posts 14 at an angle with, for example, 10 °. Such a solution for the placement of racks 14 with packers 13 provides free access for service personnel to packers 13, for example, in the case of clearing a tape jam or replacing consumables.

Racks 14 are vertical structures, each of which is rigidly attached to the platform 1 on the side of the SSM 5 in the same plane in the direction of movement of the robotic manipulator 3 with a gripper 4 relative to the sorting pockets 12. Thanks to this arrangement, the minimum path length of the robot manipulator 3 is provided when moving from sorting pockets 12 to belt packers 13. The angular location of the packer 13 relative to the shelf is designed to align the manipulator loaded into it ohm 3 the root of banknotes for wrapping in the longitudinal direction, which is achieved by sliding bills.

The number of banding packers 13 may vary from two to four devices. To ensure sufficient cell performance, it is recommended to use at least two packers 13, one on each rack 14. The presence of additional packers 13, for example two on each rack 14, provides a reserve in case of failure of one or two packers 13, which are directly involved in the work of RUE 100.

The ejector system of the packer 13 is a pneumatic cylinder, rigidly fixed to the body of the banding machine, under the action of which, through the special table installed with it, the packed banknote root is ejected.

Also, between the two racks 14, a special platform with pallets of return 15 is fixed. This arrangement provides a minimum trajectory of the collaborative movement

- 4 034673 of the robotic arm 3 with gripper 4 together with the rejected bills from the return pocket 11 to the return pallet 15.

A collaborative robotic cash recounting section 100 operates as follows.

Pallets 8 with unsorted banknotes are fed by one or several feeding drives 7 to the unloading area by a collaborative robot manipulator 3. Then, the capture 4 of a collaborative robot manipulator 3 unloads a stack of banknotes from the pockets of the pallets and transfers them to the receiving pocket 10 CCM 5, which, in accordance with the established processing mode performs the counting and sorting of banknotes into the corresponding sorting pockets 12. After that, the manipulator 3 unloads the full sorting pockets 12 into packers 13, which, in turn, bandage the roots of banknotes and using the ejection system send the packed roots of banknotes into a container for finished products (not shown). The rejected bills that the SSM 5 forms in the pockets of the reject 11, the manipulator 3 transfers to the return pallets 15. An empty pallet, which is freed from cash during unloading, is sent to the dump accumulator 9.

The main feature of this design RUE 100 provides a compact arrangement of equipment, which allows to achieve optimal in time and distance trajectories of the movement of the collaborative robotic arm 3 between the modules of the site.

The collaborative robot manipulator 3 also contains a control unit 20, which is connected to the health monitoring system of the RUE 200, as shown in FIG. 4. The control unit 20 is a computing module that provides software processing of the necessary algorithmic instructions. Block 20 may be a FPGA, microcomputer, desktop computer, server, etc. The system contains the main components, such as: one or more processors (microcontrollers), memory, input / output interfaces, input / output tools and a device for network data exchange.

In case of failure or fixing of a violation of the working process of at least one element of RUE 100, the control system 200 generates and transmits a signal to the control unit 20 of the collaborative robot manipulator 3. Upon receipt of information about the failure of one or more elements of RUE 100, the control unit 20 generates a command to change the operating mode of a collaborative robot manipulator 3. For example, such a command may be the exclusion of a failed device from the operating zone of the manipulator 3, changing the operating speed mode, etc.

The presented disclosure of the implementation of the technical solution in the present application materials is a preferred description of its implementation and should not be construed as limiting other, specific examples of its implementation, not going beyond the description of the materials presented, which are obvious to a specialist in the relevant field of technology.

Claims (15)

1. A robotic recounting section (RUE) for performing cash counting and sorting operations, containing a spatial structure in the form of a platform on which at least one collaborative robot manipulator with a working body in the form of a gripper is located in the center, which ensures the movement of funds between elements area at least six degrees of freedom, while the platform also has at least one counting and sorting machine (CCM), at least one pallet feeder with with gentle cash, at least one empty pallet dumping device and at least two bill packers, which are capable of banding the roots of bundles of notes located on the back of the CCM, the working area of the collaborative robot manipulator being the distance from the extreme point of capture of the collaborative robot manipulator to its foundation, while the elements of the site are located in such a way as to provide access to personnel without terminating the work of the collaborative robot manipulator. 2. The robotic conversion section according to claim 1, characterized in that the CCM contains one receiving pocket, at least one reject pocket and at least four sorting pockets. 3. The robotic section according to claim 1, characterized in that the collaborative robot manipulator is mounted on a base stand. 4. The robotic conversion section according to claim 1, characterized in that the platform contains side racks. 5. The robotic recounting section according to claim 4, characterized in that the collaborative robot manipulator is located on the uprights in the vertical part. - 5,034673 6. The robotic recounting section according to claim 5, characterized in that the collaborative robot manipulator is mounted on a beam or suspension. 7. The robotic recounting section according to claim 1, characterized in that the CCM is installed on a supporting element connected to the platform. 8. The robotic conversion section according to claim 7, characterized in that the element is a stand, table or bracket. 9. The robotic conversion station according to claim 1, characterized in that the cash supply pallet storage unit and the empty pallet dump storage device are fixed to the platform. 10. The robotic recounting section according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the packers is mounted on a supporting element connected to a side stand. 11. The robotic section of the recount according to claim 10, characterized in that the element is a stand or bracket. 12. The robotic recounting section according to claim 1, characterized in that the collaborative robot manipulator contains a control unit. 13. The robotic recounting section according to item 12, characterized in that the control unit is connected to the system for monitoring the health of the elements of the site. 14. The robotic recounting section according to claim 13, characterized in that in the event of failure or fixing a violation of the working process of at least one element of the section, the control system transmits a signal to the control unit of the collaborative robot manipulator. 15. The robotic recounting section of claim 14, characterized in that the control unit generates a command to change the operating mode of the collaborative robot manipulator.