JP2003094374A - Handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a handling device capable of exerting a constant gripping force irrespective of plug diameters for the removal of a plug from the container and of turning the plug next. SOLUTION: The nut 112 moves forward when the shaft 110 is turned in the positive direction, and the clamping mechanism 106 grips the plug 13. The shaft 110 is turned further in the positive direction, and this relieves the braking mechanism 104 of its turn control function allowing the inner unit 102 to turn. This results in the turn of the plug 13 gripped by the clamping mechanism 106. Interlocking with this turning behavior, the container gripping unit 14 draws the container 12 downward. When the plug 13 is to be discarded, the turn blocking member 111 is blocked from turning and the nut 112 withdraws to the original position when the shaft 110 is turned in the reverse direction. Then the clamping mechanism 106 opens for the release of the plug 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a handling device, and more particularly to a handling device having a function of gripping and rotating an object.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A handling device is a device for grasping and conveying an object. This handling device is installed in a transfer system, a cap opening system, or the like. In the latter opening system, the test tube (container main body) is held by a holding mechanism or the like, and in that state, the test tube (plug) is grasped and pulled upward to open the test tube. The stopper includes a push stopper and a screw stopper. In the case of the push stopper, it is preferable to open the stopper while rotating the stopper, and in the case of the screw stopper, rotation of the stopper is indispensable.

[0003]

However, if the mechanism for grasping the stopper and the mechanism for rotating the stopper in the grasped state are configured as separate mechanisms, the device inevitably becomes large and complicated. Further, in that case, it is necessary to separately provide a driving source. Further, when the diameters of the stoppers are various, it is possible to always exert a constant gripping force irrespective of the diameters of the stoppers and rotate the stoppers promptly after the constant gripping force is formed. Although desirable, no mechanism has hitherto been realized to meet such a demand.
Such a requirement is similarly pointed out in other devices that need to grab and rotate an object.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a handling device,
It is to realize a simple mechanism that can rotate after grasping an object.

Another object of the present invention is to exert a gripping force and a rotating force of an object by a single drive source.

Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to rotate after always exerting a constant gripping force regardless of the size of the object.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a base frame, a rotation unit rotatably provided with respect to the base frame, and an object provided on the rotation unit. A plurality of arms for grasping, and a brake mechanism for restricting rotation of the rotating unit, the rotating unit is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward while being biased in a forward direction with respect to the rotating frame, A rotating shaft, which is a shaft driven to rotate, has an engaging portion that engages with the brake mechanism in the retracted state to release its rotation restriction, and a rotating shaft that has a screw portion, and a member that is screwed into the screw portion. In the rotation restriction state of the rotary unit, the forward movement of the rotary shaft is performed by the forward rotation of the rotary shaft to grasp the plurality of arms, and the forward movement is stopped after the grasping operation is completed. Both have a cam member to convert the forward rotational movement of the rotary shaft in the backward movement of the rotary shaft,
The positive rotation of the rotating shaft causes the plurality of arms to first grab and then rotate.

According to the above construction, when the cam member is retracted relative to the rotary shaft, the plurality of arms are opened (released), and the rotation of the rotary unit is restricted by the brake mechanism. . From there, when the rotary shaft is rotated forward, the cam member moves forward relative to the rotary shaft due to the screwing relationship between the screw portion of the rotary shaft and the cam member,
Along with that, the plurality of arms perform a grasping operation.
When the grasping of the object by the plurality of arms is completed, the cam member does not move forward (formation of the forward end) even when the rotation shaft rotates forward, and the rotation shaft itself starts the backward movement due to the rotation of the rotation shaft. Then, the engaging portion of the rotating shaft acts on the brake mechanism, and the rotation restriction by the brake mechanism is released. In this state, the rotation unit rotates normally due to the normal rotation of the rotation shaft. That is, the plurality of arms rotate in the normal direction, and at the same time, the transported object also rotates in the normal direction. As described above, the gripping operation is first executed only by the positive rotation of the rotating shaft, and the rotating operation is executed in association with the completion of the gripping. Therefore,
It is possible to execute the above series of operations with a single drive source.

Preferably, the base frame is a hollow outer case, and a rotary unit (internal unit) is rotatably housed in the base frame via a bearing mechanism or the like.
Further, preferably, the rotating frame is a hollow inner case, and a rotating shaft having a cam member screwed therein is rotatably provided at the center thereof.

Preferably, the cam member is formed with an inclined surface on which the driving ends of the respective arms make sliding contact, and the forward movement of the cam member causes the driving ends of the respective arms to move on the inclined surfaces. The working end of each arm closes.

According to the above structure, one end of each arm functions as a drive end, and the other end of each arm functions as a working end (grip side end). When the drive end of each arm slides along the slope, the drive end of each arm is expanded in the horizontal direction, and at the same time, the working end of each arm is closed (that is, grasped). Here, it is desirable that the length of the slope be set corresponding to the upper limit and the lower limit of the diameter of the plug to be handled.

Preferably, the brake mechanism has a brake plate and an urging member for urging the brake plate in the forward direction of the rotary shaft, and the brake plate is in contact with the rotary frame. In this state, the rotation of the rotary unit is restricted. The urging member is composed of, for example, one or a plurality of springs, and basically, the urging force of the urging member defines a gripping completed state (that is, a state in which a constant gripping force is exerted). That is, after the grip is completed, the rotational force transmitted to the rotary shaft is not used for increasing the grip force, but the rotational force is used as a force for retracting the rotary shaft to release the brake.

Preferably, the brake plate is separated from the rotary frame at a time point when the reverse force due to the conversion exceeds the biasing force of the biasing member, whereby the rotation restriction of the rotary frame is released.

That is, according to the above configuration, a constant gripping force can be generated regardless of the size of the target object, and the target object is automatically rotated from the time when the constant gripping force is generated. You can

Preferably, the cam member includes a rotation stopping means for preventing rotation of the rotating unit when the plurality of arms are gripped and released, and the cam member is relatively rotated with respect to the rotating shaft by reverse rotation of the rotating shaft. And the rotary shaft moves forward while moving backward.

According to the above construction, when the object is released, the rotating unit itself rotates when the rotating shaft is rotated in the reverse direction, and the cam member cannot be returned to the original position. Therefore, the reverse rotation of the rotary shaft can be promptly transmitted as the backward movement of the cam member.
Incidentally, at the time of this reverse rotation, the rotating shaft moves forward by the biasing force and returns to the specified position.

Preferably, the rotation stopping means includes a polygonal member provided in the rotation unit, and a plurality of abutting members that abut the polygonal member to prevent its rotation.

In the above structure, the polygonal member is, for example, a horizontally arranged triangular member, and its rotation can be prevented, for example, by abutting two abutting members on two of the three sides. Of course, various kinds of rotation stopping means can be adopted as long as the rotation of the rotating unit is prevented when the stopper is released.

Desirably, the device removes the stopper provided on the upper part of the container body. That is,
The configuration described above can be used as a part of an uncapping system for uncapping a test tube containing a sample such as a blood sample.

Preferably, the rotating unit is provided with a positioning member with which the object is brought into contact. According to this configuration, the object can be positioned by applying the object to the positioning member.

[0021]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the opening system according to the present invention as seen from above. This opening system is a system in which a stopper provided in an upper opening of the container body 12 is removed from a container body 12 such as a test tube housed in a rack 10 and the stopper is discarded. In FIG. 1, the rack 10 is transported on the rack transport path 201. The rack 10 is transported by a rack transport mechanism (not shown). The container body 12 that is the target of the opening processing is positioned at the opening position indicated by reference numeral 200 in FIG.

The rotary plate 20 is provided above the rack 10 and has a fan shape in this embodiment. The rotary plate 20 rotates 90 degrees around the rotary shaft 22. The rotation of the rotary plate 20 is performed by a rotation drive unit (not shown). Incidentally, reference numeral 202 in FIG. 1 represents the center of rotation.

On one side of the rotary plate 20, the opening head 16 is provided.
Is fixedly attached. As will be described later in detail with reference to FIG. 6, the cap opening head 16 is a mechanism for gripping and rotating a cap provided on the container body 12 to open the cap. On the other hand, on the other side of the rotary plate 20, a first sensor 18 for detecting the presence or absence of a plug is provided. A specific configuration example of the first sensor 18 will be described later with reference to FIG.
Etc. will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the first sensor 18 and the uncapping head 16 are provided at positions shifted by a rotation angle of 90 degrees when viewed from the rotation center 202, but of course, it is not limited to such a configuration. Absent.

In the present embodiment, the rotary plate 20 is moved in the clockwise direction from the state in which the first sensor 18 is in the position A and the opening head 16 is in the position B at the same time.
When rotated by 0 degrees, the opening head 16 is positioned above the waste box 24, that is, the opening head 16 reaches the position C, and in that state, the first sensor 1
8 is positioned at position B. The rotary plate 20 in that state is represented by reference numeral 20A in FIG. In addition, the unplugging head in that state is 16A
Indicated by. The disposal box 24 is a container for discarding the stopper after opening.

Incidentally, focusing on a series of opening steps,
First, the first sensor 18 is positioned at the position B to detect the presence or absence of a plug, and in this state, the opening head 16 is retracted to the position C. After that, rotating plate 2
0 rotates counterclockwise by 90 degrees, and in this state, the first sensor 18 is retracted to the position A, and the opening head 16 is positioned above the opening position 200. That is, the uncapping head 16 is positioned at the position B. In that state, the cap opening is executed, and after the cap opening, the cap opening head 16 is transferred to the position C again,
The removed plug is discarded above the discard box 24. Then, such alternating rotation operation is repeated.

As shown in FIG. 1, the opening position 200 is shown.
The main body holding unit 14 is fixedly provided. This body gripping unit 14 grips the container body 12 and raises it as shown in a specific example using FIG. 3 later, whereby the stopper provided on the container body 12 is opened with respect to the opening head 16. It is a mechanism for positioning.

In the present embodiment, since the container body 12 having various lengths and diameters and the plug having various thicknesses and diameters are supported, as will be described below in detail, The gripping unit 14 and the opening head 16 are provided with some ideas.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the overall configuration of the opening system according to this embodiment. The control unit 15 executes operation control of each component in the present system, and the control unit 15 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer. The first sensor 18, as shown in FIG.
When 2 is pulled up, whether or not a stopper is actually provided on the container body 12 is detected. In addition, in the present embodiment, even when confirming whether or not the plug is actually removed after opening,
This first sensor 18 is used. First sensor 18
For example, as will be described later, a reflection type optical sensor detects the presence or absence of an object within a predetermined distance range and outputs the detection result to the control unit 15.

As will be described later with reference to FIG. 3, the second sensor 83 is a sensor for detecting the upper surface of the stopper as a reference surface when holding the container body and pulling it upward. In the present embodiment, the second sensor 83 is arranged at a predetermined height (control origin height), and is composed of a light emitting element and a light receiving element that form a light beam in the horizontal direction. The light receiving elements are arranged on both sides of the transport path above the container body. In this way, by detecting the upper surface of the stopper, that is, the reference surface, even if there are variations in the length of the container body and the thickness of the stopper,
It is possible to always recognize the reference height of the stopper. Therefore, as a position lower than the upper surface of the stopper by a predetermined distance,
It is possible to set an appropriate gripping position. That is, it is possible to properly position the stopper with respect to the cap opening head 16 shown in FIG. The output signal of the second sensor 83 is output to the controller 15. The control unit 15
The control of the opening operation is executed based on the output signals of the first sensor 18 and the second sensor 83.

In addition, as shown in FIG.
Controls the operation of the rack transport mechanism 21, the main body gripping unit 14, the cap opening head 16, and the rotation drive unit 19. Here, the rack transport mechanism 21 is a mechanism for transporting the rack 10 on the rack transport path 201 as shown in FIG. 1, and the main body gripping unit 14 functions as a main body handling device. Further, the plug opening head 16 functions as a plug handling device as described above, and the rotation drive unit 19 is configured by a motor or the like that drives the rotary plate 20 shown in FIG. Of course, the opening system according to the present embodiment is shown in FIG.
Although it has various configurations other than the configuration shown in FIG. 2, it is omitted in FIG. 2 or other drawings. This opening system can also be incorporated as a part of the configuration of the sample pretreatment device, for example.

FIG. 3 shows the above-mentioned main body gripping unit 1
4 shows a specific configuration example. The main body gripping unit 14 includes a pair of stages 30R, which are arranged on both sides of the rack 10, that is, on both sides of the container to be opened.
It has 30L. In addition, the main body grip unit 14
Has a horizontal drive unit 32 for moving the pair of stages 30R and 30L in the horizontal direction so as to bring the stages 30R and 30L closer to or farther from each other.
Further, the main body grip unit 14 includes a pair of stages 3
It has a vertical drive unit 34 for vertically driving the holding mechanisms 64 and 66 in 0R and 30L. Below, those structures are explained in full detail.

First, the horizontal drive section 32 will be described. A feed screw 40 is connected to a rotary shaft of a motor 36 via a coupling 38. The feed screw 40 extends in a direction orthogonal to the rack transport path, and nut blocks 42 and 44 are screwed into the feed screw 40. The right side and the left side of the feed screw 40 respectively constitute opposite screw portions. When the feed screw 40 is rotated in one direction, the nut blocks 42 and 44 move toward each other, and the feed screw 40 moves in the opposite direction. When rotated, the two nut blocks 42, 44 move away from each other. Here, the nut blocks 42 and 44 function as pedestals of the stages 30R and 30L, respectively.

Next, the vertical drive section 34 will be described. The rotating shaft of the motor 50 is connected to the spline shaft 54 via a coupling 52. The spline shaft 54 transmits the rotational force for vertically moving the two holding mechanisms 64 and 66 while allowing the horizontal movement of the stages 30R and 30L. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the frame 4 on the stages 30R and 30L is used.
6 and 48 are fixedly connected to the above nut blocks 42 and 44, and their frames 46 and 48 have a form extending upward from the nut blocks 42 and 44.

A bearing 46A (the reference numeral of the stage 30L is omitted) is formed on the lower side of each of the frames 46 and 48, and the spline shaft 54 is inserted therein. Each stage 30R, 30L is provided with a rotatable drive roller 56 (the stage 30R has no reference numeral), and when the spline shaft 54 rotates, the drive roller 56 rotates. Further, the stage 30R, 30L is provided with a rotatably driven roller 58 (the reference numeral is omitted for the stage 30R) provided above the stage 30R, and belts 60, 62 are wound between the drive roller 56 and the driven roller 58. ing. Therefore, when the motor 50 rotates, the belts 60 and 62 move according to the rotation direction.

The holding mechanisms 64 and 66 are mounted on the stages 30R and 30L, respectively, and the holding mechanisms 64 and 66 respectively include slide blocks 68 and 70, respectively.
Holding members 76 and 78 having V-grooves for chucking. The slide blocks 68 and 70 are the frame 4
It slides vertically on rails 46B (stage 30L is omitted for reference numerals) formed on 6, 68. Also, those slide blocks 68, 7
2 has connecting portions 68A and 70A, and the connecting portions 68A and 70A
A is fixed to the belts 60 and 62. That is, when the belts 60 and 62 move, the holding mechanisms 64 and 66 move vertically.

The holding members 76, 78 are supported by the shaft members with respect to the slide blocks 68, 70. Specifically, the holding members 76, 78 are given a constant biasing force in the gripping direction by the springs 72, 74, Slide block 6
It is attached to 8, 70. That is, the springs 72 and 74 define the gripping force when the both sides of the container body 12 are sandwiched by the pair of holding members 76 and 78 and gripped. Of course, in that case, the above-mentioned horizontal drive unit 32 operates and the two stages 30R, 3
The container body 12 is clamped by the movement of the 0L in the direction of approaching each other. By the way,
Such a clamp of the container body 12 has a holding mechanism 64,
66 with the lower position positioned,
After the clamping, the pair of holding mechanisms 64 and 66 is pulled up by the action of the vertical drive unit 34 while holding the container body 12.

According to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the stage 30
Since the R and 30L can be moved opposite to each other within a certain range, even if the container body 12 has various diameters, the container body 12 can be surely accommodated to such a variety of diameters within a certain limit. It is possible to grab and hold.
Incidentally, it is desirable that the gripping and holding height is set to a predetermined height with reference to the upper surface of the rack 10.

In the structure shown in FIG. 3, the light emitting element 86 and the light receiving element 84 constituting the second sensor 83 shown in FIG. 2 are fixedly provided at a predetermined height on both sides of the ascending / descending path of the container body 12. ing. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 3, the light emitting element 86 and the light receiving element 84 are attached to the stages 30R and 30L via the arms 80 and 82, but of course the configuration is not limited to this. Light emitting element 86
The light beam 203 is formed between the light receiving element 84 and the light receiving element 84,
When the container body 12 is grasped by the pair of holding mechanisms 64 and 66 and the container body 12 is pulled upward, the stopper 13 attached to the upper part of the container body 12 crosses the light beam 203. Therefore, the level of the output signal in the light receiving element 84 changes, and it is possible to detect the presence of the plug 13, more specifically, the height of the upper surface of the plug 13 as the reference surface. This will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a first sensor 18 attached to the lower surface of the rotary plate 20 is positioned above the container body 12 to be opened, and the first sensor 18 causes the first sensor 18 to move. The light beam 204 is formed, and object detection is performed in a predetermined range on the axis of the light beam 204. By thus forming the two light beams 203 and 204 so as to be orthogonal to each other, for example, when the container body 12 is not provided with the stopper 13, the upper edge of the container body 12 is erroneously recognized as the upper surface of the stopper 13. There is an advantage that cases can be avoided. Of course, various other configurations can be adopted as the sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the stopper or the sensor for detecting the upper surface of the stopper.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the above-mentioned light beam 20.
3, 204 are shown, (A) shows a state seen from the horizontal direction, and (B) shows a state seen from above. In FIG. 4, a stopper 13 having a flat upper surface is attached to the container body 12. As shown in FIG. 4, the light beam 203 is set so as to pass through a position horizontally shifted from the central portion of the upper surface of the stopper 13, and the light beam 204 is set at the center of the stopper 13. There is. When the container body 12 is pulled up, the stopper 1
The light beam 203 is blocked by 3 and the upper surface level of the plug 13 is detected at that timing. At that time, if an object is detected by the light beam 204, the presence of the plug 13 can be confirmed. If the object cannot be detected at that time, the stopper 13 is not attached to the container body 12, and therefore the upper edge of the container body 12 may have blocked the light beam 203. In that case, Error handling is executed.

As shown in FIG. 5, when a protrusion 302 protruding upward is provided at the center of the upper surface of the stopper 300, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
Since the light beam 203 is set at a position horizontally shifted from the central portion of the upper surface of the stopper 300, the protrusion 3
It is possible to accurately detect the upper surface of the stopper 300 without being affected by 02. In this case, similarly to the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the light beam 204 may be positioned at the center of the stopper 300. However, in order to more accurately determine the presence or absence of the stopper, the position of the light beam 204 is changed. The light beam 204 may be set at a position slightly shifted, that is, slightly shifted from the center of the stopper 300, as indicated by reference numeral 204A.

In any case, as described above, according to the present embodiment, the height of the upper surface of the stopper 13 is detected for each stopper, and the stopper can be positioned with the height of the upper surface as a reference level. As described above, the length of the container body 12 and the stopper 1
Even if the thickness of 3 has a certain width, there is an advantage that such a variety can be allowed and a reliable opening process can be performed.

Next, with reference to FIG. 6, a specific example of the structure of the cap opening head shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

The cap opening head 16 functions as a cap handling device as described above, and the cap opening head 16 is attached to the lower side of the rotary plate 20.

The outer frame 100 is a case member having a hollow cylindrical shape, and an inner unit 102 rotatably held by a bearing mechanism 101 is housed inside the outer frame 100. The internal unit 102 functions as a rotation unit.

In the inner unit 102, the inner frame 108 having a hollow cylindrical shape is
The casing is configured with a rotating shaft 110 rotatably provided on the center axis of the inner frame 108 thereof. The upper end 110B of the rotating shaft is a drive end, and the pulley 113 is connected to the upper end 110B. A belt 115 is wound around the pulley 113, and a rotational force from a single drive motor (not shown) is applied to the belt 115.
And is transmitted to the rotating shaft 110 via the pulley 113. A bearing 108C is formed in the lower portion of the inner frame 108. The bearing 108C rotatably holds the lower end 110C of the rotating shaft so that the lower end 110C can move forward and backward, that is, can move up and down. As the trapezoidal screw on the rotary shaft 110, the screw part 1
10A is formed, and a nut member 112 that functions as a cam member is provided on the screw portion 110A of the inner frame 1.
It is screwed in a state in which the rotation is restricted with respect to 08. In a state where the nut member 112 is allowed to move back and forth, that is, to move vertically, when the rotating shaft 110 rotates forward, the nut member 112 moves in the forward direction, that is, in the downward direction. on the other hand,
When the rotating shaft 110 rotates in the reverse direction, the nut member 112 moves in the backward direction, that is, the upward direction. By the way, the inner frame 1
The opening 108A is formed in the upper part of 08, and the opening 10A is formed.
The rotating shaft 110 is inserted through 8A.

The nut member 112 is formed with a slope 114 as shown in the figure. The slope 114 functions to open and close a plurality of arms 120 described below.

Incidentally, in FIG. 6, the nut member 11
2 is provided to be movable up and down with respect to the inner frame 108, but its rotation is restricted (in other words, when the internal unit 102 rotates, the nut member 1
12 is also configured to rotate with). Examples of the means include a pin provided on the nut member 112 and a vertical groove formed on the inner frame 108 (not shown). That is, the rotation of the nut member 112 is transmitted to the inner frame 108 via the pin while the pin is engaged with the groove to allow the pin to move up and down. As another means, the nut member 112 is formed in a pyramid shape, and the abutting relationship between the slopes 114 and the drive ends 128 enables the nut member 112 to move up and down, and at the same time, rotate integrally with the inner frame 108. Good.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, two arms 120 are shown as an example. Of course, three or more arms 120 may be provided.

Each arm 120 has a "ku" as shown.
It has a fixed shape with the shape of the letter
6 is composed. The upper part of the rotary shaft 126 is the first
The part 122 is the lower part of the rotation shaft 126 of the second part.
The part 124. The arm 120 rotates about its rotation shaft 126. The tip of the first portion 122 is a driving end 128, and the driving end 128 is the above-mentioned slope 11.
It is in contact with 4. When the nut member 112 moves back and forth, the drive end 128 slides on the slope 114 accordingly. Then, along with the sliding movement, the driving end 128 moves horizontally away from or approaches, and as a result, the second member 124 of the arm 120 opens and closes. The lower end of the arm 120 has a claw 1
30 is formed, and when each arm 120 closes, the side surface of the stopper 13 is clamped by each claw 130, that is, the stopper 13 is clamped. That is, the clamp mechanism 106 is configured by the plurality of arms 120.

Incidentally, each arm 120 is constantly gripped by a release spring or the like that exerts a weak biasing force, and a weak force is exerted in the releasing direction. Such a spring may be provided between the inclined surface 114 and the driving end 128, or may be provided on the rotating shaft 126,
Other than that, various configuration examples can be adopted.

In FIG. 6, a brake mechanism 104 is provided in the upper portion of the outer frame 100. The brake mechanism 104 is composed of a brake plate 131 and a plurality of springs 136 in this embodiment. The plurality of springs 136 are means for constantly urging the brake plate 131 in the downward direction. Here, the brake plate 131 is composed of a base member 132 and a brake shoe member 134 provided on the surface thereof. A through hole is formed in the central portion of the base member 132, and the upper end 110B of the rotary shaft 110 is rotatably inserted through the through hole.
In FIG. 6, the stopper 13 is grasped by the clamp mechanism 106, and the rotary shaft 110 is pulled up in the backward direction, that is, upward and is formed on the rotary shaft 110.
The state where the brake plate 131 is pushed up by 0D is shown. However, except in such a gripped state, the brake plate 131 is not attached to the upper surface 1 of the inner frame 108.
08B is in pressure contact with the brake plate 131.
Due to this, the rotation of the internal unit 102 is restricted. That is, in the initial state, the nut member 112 is in the retracted position, and at the same time, the rotating shaft 110 is set to the spring 1 described above.
It is in the state of being pushed out in the forward direction, that is, the downward direction by the action of 36, and at the same time, is in the state in which the rotation of the internal unit 102 is restricted by the brake mechanism 104. When the rotary shaft 110 is normally rotated from that state, the screw part 1
Due to the screwing relationship between the nut member 112 and the nut member 112, the nut member 112 starts a forward movement, that is, a downward movement relative to the rotating shaft 110, and accordingly, each arm 12 moves.
The drive end 128 of 0 runs up the slope 114. That is, the drive ends move in directions away from each other.
Then, the working end of the arm 120 (that is, the claw 13
0) move toward each other, so that the sides of the plug 13 are gripped. When the gripping force reaches a certain value, specifically, when the gripping force exceeds the total force of the plurality of springs 136, the forward movement of the nut 112 is stopped, and at the same time, the forward rotation movement of the rotary shaft 110 itself. Is converted to a backward movement. That is, the rotating shaft 11
0 starts to move upward, and the brake plate 131 is slightly lifted upward due to the action of the shoulder 110D.
At that time, the rotation of the internal unit 102 is allowed. That is, the forward rotation movement of the rotating shaft 110 is transmitted as it is as the forward rotation movement of the internal unit 120. In that state, the internal unit 120 rotates integrally, and similarly, the plug 13 held by the clamp mechanism 106 also rotates.

As described above, according to the configuration shown in FIG.
By simply transmitting the rotational force to the rotary shaft 110, the plug 13
It is possible to automatically form a constant gripping force with respect to, and to automatically rotate the stopper 13 from the time when the constant gripping force is obtained. Particularly, since a constant gripping force can be exerted regardless of the diameter of the plug 13, a reliable clamp can be realized, and the operation timing (condition) of the rotary motion is adaptively set according to such a diameter. There is an advantage that you can. Incidentally, the adjustment of the gripping force by the clamp mechanism 106 can be easily changed by adjusting the biasing force of the plurality of springs 136 described above. Regarding this operation, the action of the weak spring for urging the arms 120 can be virtually ignored.

As will be described later, the cap opening head 1
In conjunction with the operation of 6, the main body gripping unit 14 carries out an operation of pulling down the container body 12 by a predetermined distance, and in cooperation with the above-described rotational movement of the stopper 13, the stopper 13 is moved to the container body 12. It is possible to remove from.

According to the above construction, there is an advantage that it can be applied to both a so-called push-in stopper and a screw stopper.

The operation of discarding the plug 13 will be described. A contact member (not shown) is provided above the discard box 24 shown in FIG. As shown, the side surface of the rotation stop member 111 provided in the lower stage of the inner frame 108 contacts the plurality of contact members, and the contact prevents the rotation stop member 111 from rotating. Therefore, in that state, the rotary shaft 1
When 10 is rotated in the reverse direction, the screw portion 110A and the nut member 1
The nut member 112 moves backward due to the screwing relationship of 12, and the rotating shaft 110 itself also moves in the forward direction accordingly and returns to the original position. The backward movement of the nut member 112 causes the plurality of arms 120 to open, and as a result,
The stopper 13 is released from the claw 130 and falls downward, and specifically, is dropped into the waste box 24 shown in FIG.

7 and 8 show some examples of the rotation stopping member 111. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the rotation stopping member 111 is configured as a circular plate. The rotation stopping member 111 is formed with openings 142 and 144 for passing two arms, for example. In a state in which the uncapping head is positioned above the waste box 24, the rotation stopping member 111 abuts on the siding plate 140 as indicated by reference numeral 111 ′, whereby the rotation of the rotation stopping member 111, that is, in FIG. Rotation of the illustrated internal unit 102 is blocked.

In the configuration example shown in FIG. 8, the rotation stopping member 111 is constructed as a triangular plate. When the clamp mechanism 106 shown in FIG. 6 has three arms,
It is desirable to use such a triangular plate, and each arm can be wrapped around the central portion of each side of the triangular plate.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, two operation examples are provided. Above the waste box 24, two rotating rollers 136 and 138 supported by two arms 136A and 138A are provided. ing. The distance between the two rotating rollers 136 and 138 is set to be slightly shorter than the length of one side of the triangular plate. Therefore, as shown in (A), when the uncapping head 16 is rotated about the rotation center 202 and positioned above the waste box 24, the rotation stopping member 111 rotates according to the rotation angle of the rotation stopping member 111. The rotation of the two rotating rollers 13
It is finally regulated by the abutment of 6,138. (A)
Is indicated by reference numerals 111A and 111B. Similarly, as shown in (B), the reference numeral 11 is applied even when the rotation stopping member 111 is at another rotation angle.
As shown in FIG. 1C, when the apex of the roller hits one of the rotating rollers 136, 138, the rotation stopping member 111
Will naturally rotate, and finally the rotation will be blocked in a state where the triangular rotation stopping member 111 is dropped between the two rotation rollers 136 and 138 as indicated by reference numeral 111D. Therefore, when the rotation shaft 110 shown in FIG. 6 is rotated in the reverse direction with such rotation blocked, the arm 120 can be opened and the plug 13 can be smoothly released. 110 and nut member 11
2 can be returned to the origin position.

Next, an operation example of the cap opening system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in S101, as shown in FIG. 1, the rack 10 is positioned so that the container body 12 to be opened is set at the opening position. S10
2, the container body 12 is held by the body gripping unit 14.
Is retained. Then, in S103, the main body holding unit 14 pulls the held container main body 12 upward.

In S104, whether or not the upper surface of the plug is detected by the second sensor (light emitting element 86, light receiving element 84) shown in FIG. 3 in the pulling process, that is, whether the light beam 203 is blocked or not. If it is determined that the output signal of the second sensor is ON, that is, the upper surface is detected,
In S105, the raising of the container body 12 by the body holding unit 14 is stopped. The stop position will be used as the origin height.

At S106, the first sensor 1 shown in FIG.
8, the object detection is performed above the container body 12, and if the presence of the plug 13 cannot be confirmed in this case, an error process is executed in S107. On the other hand, if the presence of the stopper can be confirmed, in step S108, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the rotary plate 20 is rotated 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction, so that the opening cap 16 is positioned above the opening position 200.

Then, in S109, the container main body at the origin height is pulled upward by a predetermined distance (for example, 2 cm), whereby the height of the stopper is properly positioned with respect to the cap opening head 16.

In S110, the cap opening by the cap opening head 16 is executed. In this case, the container body 12 is pulled down by a predetermined distance by the body gripping unit 14 in conjunction with the opening operation. Then, finally, the container body is pulled down to the same height as the stop position in S105 described above.

In step S111, the output signal of the second sensor is monitored. In this case, if the output signal of the second sensor is ON, that is, the light beam is blocked, it is determined that the plug is properly opened. Since there is a possibility that it has not been performed, the process proceeds to S107.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S111 that the cap has been properly opened, then in S112 the rotary plate 20 shown in FIG. The first sensor 18 is positioned at the same time, and at the same time, the opening head 16 holding the removed plug is positioned above the waste box 24. Then, in that state, as shown in S113, the stopper is dropped into the waste box 24 by releasing the grasped stopper. In parallel with this, S11
In 4, the object is detected by the first sensor 18, that is, it is confirmed again that the cap has been properly opened. Here, when the first sensor detects the object, it is determined that the opening processing is not properly performed,
The process proceeds to S107.

On the other hand, when it is determined in S114 that the opening processing is properly performed, the main body grip unit 1
4 performs the descending conveyance for returning the container body 12 after opening the cap to the rack 10 shown in FIG. Then, in S116,
If this process is to be continued, the steps from S101 above are repeatedly executed.

FIG. 10 conceptually shows the operation contents in the main steps shown in FIG. As described above, in S103, the main body 12 is pulled up, and in S104, the raising of the container main body 12 is stopped when the upper surface of the stopper 13 is detected. In that state, in S106, the object detection is performed by the light beam 204. In this case, for example, the light beam 20
Object detection is performed within a fixed upper and lower range G based on the level of 3.

At S109, the container body 12 is moved to the predetermined distance H
It is pulled up by 1 and the plug 13 is properly positioned with respect to the opening head.

In S110, the container body 12 is pulled down by a predetermined distance H2 in accordance with the rotation of the stopper after the stopper is grasped by the opening head.

In S114, after opening the container, the container body 12 is positioned at the same height as in S104, and in that state, the object is detected using the light beam 204. In this case, if the object does not exist within the predetermined range G, it is determined that the opening is appropriate. S11
In 5, the container body 12 after being opened is pulled down and returned to the rack.

Of course, the operation examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 are merely examples, and various operation examples other than this can be adopted.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cap opening head in S110 shown in FIG. 9, and FIG. 12 is a flow chart of the operation of the cap opening head in S113 shown in FIG. As shown.

In FIG. 11, in S201, in the cap opening head 16 shown in FIG. 6, the rotation about the rotary shaft 110 is started. As a result, as shown in S202, the nut member 112 starts forward movement, and the clamp mechanism 106 grabs accordingly. That is, the claws 130 move in the directions in which they approach each other. And stopper 1
3 is completed, that is, when the forward movement of the nut member 112 is stopped, in this state, as shown in S203, the urging force F1 of the plurality of springs 136 is increased.
Then, the upward pushing force F2 exerted on the nut member 112 by the driving end 128 is in a balanced state, and when the rotating shaft 110 is subsequently rotated, F2 exceeds F1 as shown in S204. As a result, the shoulder 110D of the rotary shaft 110 pushes the brake plate 131 upward. Then, as shown in S205,
The rotation restriction state of the internal unit 102 is released, and the internal unit 102 rotates as the rotary shaft 110 rotates. Then, after a predetermined number of rotations have been performed, the operation of the drive motor is stopped, as shown in S206, whereby the rotation of the internal unit 102 is also stopped.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12, when the stopper is discarded, the opening head 16 is positioned above the discard box 24 as shown in FIG.
The rotation of the rotation stopping member 111 is prevented as described with reference to FIGS. That is, the rotation of the internal unit 102 is blocked.

In S302 of FIG. 12, the rotational force in the opposite direction is transmitted to the rotary shaft by the drive motor. Then, as shown in S303, the rotary shaft 110 returns to its original position, and along with it. Nut member 11
2 moves backward and returns to its original position. Then, in such a process, as shown in S304, the stopper grasped up to now is released from the clamp mechanism 106, and the stopper falls into the waste box 24. After that, the reverse rotation operation of the drive motor is stopped, which is shown in S305.

Next, an opening system according to another embodiment having high practicality will be described.

The system according to this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG.
In comparison with the configuration shown in FIG. 8 and the like, mainly, the means for positioning the plug and the configuration of the stage in the main body grip unit are different. The same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 13 shows a partial structure of the main body grip unit 14 (particularly, a structure different from that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3).
It is shown. Although the main body holding unit 14 has two stages, only one stage 30L is shown in FIG. 13, and the other stages have the same configuration as the stage 30L.

The stage 30L has an upright frame 48, and an upper slide block 40 is mounted on its rail 48B.
1 and the lower slide block 402 are attached so as to be vertically movable. A spring 404 as a compression spring is provided between the upper slide block 401 and the lower slide block 402, and the upper slide block 401 is elastically biased upward with respect to the lower slide block 402 within a fixed distance. The lower slide block 402 has a connecting portion 402A, and the lower slide block 402 is connected to the belt 60 via the connecting portion 402A. That is, the lower slide block 402 is a drive-side slide block, and the upper slide block 401 is a driven-side slide block, and both normally move up and down integrally.

As shown in FIG. 13, the upper slide block 401 is provided with a contact sensor 406. Prior to the opening of the stopper, the stopper 13 is positioned (abutting state is formed) as described later. In that case, when the upward movement of the upper slide block 401 is forcibly stopped, the upper slide block 402 is moved upward. The contact element 402B formed on the lower slide block 402 comes into contact with the contact sensor 406. Then, a control unit (not shown) determines the contact of the plug 13 based on the output signal of the contact sensor 406, and at the same time, stops driving the belt 60. By forming and raising control of such a contact state, the plug 13
Will be properly positioned with respect to the opening head.

FIG. 13 shows a state in which the first sensor 18 is in the rotational position of the position B shown in FIG.
As described above, the light emitting element 86 and the light receiving element 84 that form the second sensor are arranged at a predetermined height on both sides of the ascending / descending path of the container body 12 (plug 13). This second
The sensor forms a horizontal light beam 203. Container body 1
When the plug 13 hits the light beam 203 in the process of holding and raising 2, the light beam 20 is blocked by the plug 13.
3 is cut off, and the reference surface of the plug 13 (plug 1
The main upper surface of 3 or the upper surface of the protrusion) is detected.
In this embodiment, the raising of the container body 12 is stopped at that time, and the presence / absence of an object is detected by the first sensor 18 in the stopped state. The first sensor 18 forms a vertical light beam 204 coincident with the center of the plug 13,
The presence or absence of an object is detected within a certain height range on the light beam 204 with the height of the light beam 203 as a reference. Here, if the stopper 13 is present, the stopper 13 is detected by light reflection. On the other hand, if the stopper 13 is not present, that is, if the stopper is not attached to the container body 12, the object is detected. Not done. As a result, the presence of the stopper 13 can be confirmed prior to the opening operation,
It can operate with high reliability. In this regard, FIG.
8 to the same as the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 shows the cross relationship between the light beams 203 and 204 in this embodiment. The light beam 203 is set so as to pass through the center of the stopper 13, and the light beam 204 is also set so as to match the center of the stopper 13. Therefore, for the plug 13 having the protrusion as shown in FIG. 14, the upper surface of the protrusion is detected by each of the light beams 203 and 204. In this embodiment, the presence or absence of the plug 13 only matters, and the plug 1
Since the positioning of 3 on the uncapping head is performed by another means, each of the light beams 203 and 2 as shown in FIG.
The formation of 04 does not cause any problem. However, the method as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be adopted.

FIG. 15 shows a partial structure (particularly, a structure different from that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6) of the opening head 16 in this embodiment. The clamp mechanism 106 is composed of a plurality of arms 120, and the cap receiving member 4 is provided in the space surrounded by the arms 120 (the lower part of the cap opening head).
10 is fixedly arranged. The plug receiving member 410 is made of, for example, a metal material or a resin material,
In the illustrated example, it is attached to the rotation stopping member 111. Specifically, the plug receiving member 410 has a recess 414 corresponding to the central portion of the plug 13 and a cylindrical protruding portion 412 formed around the recess 414 and protruding downward.

When the container main body 12 is pulled upward by the main body handling device, the upper surface (particularly the peripheral portion) 13A of the stopper 13 comes into contact with the lower surface (contact surface) of the overhanging portion 412 of the stopper receiving member 410. As a result, the rise of the container body 12 is forcibly stopped. At the same time, the stopper 13 is the opening head 1
6 is positioned at an appropriate height with respect to 6, that is, the positioned body portion (side surface) 13B of the plug 13 can be properly clamped. As is apparent from this configuration, even if the thickness of the stopper 13 is different and the length of the container body 12 is different, the upper surface of the stopper 13 is used as a reference plane,
There is an advantage that the clamp position (height) can be determined with reference to the reference plane. In addition, in the illustrated example, since the recess 414 is formed in the plug receiving member 410, even if the plug 13 of a special type has the projection 13C formed on the upper surface, the projection 13C is recessed 414. There is an advantage that the plug 13 can be properly positioned by being housed inside.
Other configurations and operations are basically the same as the configuration shown in FIG.

Next, referring to FIG. 13 and FIG.
The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 16, steps S401 to S408 are basically the same as steps S101 to 108 in FIG.
Further, in FIG. 16, the steps of S412 to S418 are
Basically, it is the same as the steps of S110 to S116 in FIG. 9, and in the following, especially, S409 to S116 in FIG.
The step 411 will be described.

In S409, the container body 12 is pulled up again from the state in which it was once stopped while being raised. In S410, the contact sensor 406 of FIG. 13 is turned on.
It has been determined whether or not

Here, as shown in FIG. 15, when the upper surface of the stopper 13 hits the lower surface (that is, the contact surface) of the stopper receiving member 410, the upward movement of the upper slide block 401 shown in FIG. Since the lower slide block 402 continues to rise as it is, the spring 404 is further compressed. Here, since the spring 404 exerts an elastic force, the impact force at the time of contact with the plug 13 is alleviated. That is, the spring 404 functions as a buffer. When the spring 404 is compressed by a certain amount, that is, when the lower slide block 402 approaches the stopped upper slide block 401, the contact 402B contacts the contact sensor 40.
When it hits 6, it turns on.

At this point, in S211, the upward pulling of the container body 12 by the body holding unit 14 is stopped. That is, the state where the stopper is properly positioned is maintained. The subsequent steps are the same as the operation example shown in FIG. 9. For example, in S216, the first sensor 18 is used,
It has been confirmed that the plug has been removed.

Note that the configurations shown in FIGS. 13 to 16 are merely examples, and various configurations can be adopted as long as the same object can be achieved.

[0093]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to realize a simple configuration in which an object can be gripped and then rotated. Further, according to the present invention, the gripping force and the rotating force of the object can be exerted by a single drive source. Further, according to the present invention, the rotation can be performed after always exerting a constant gripping force regardless of the size of the object.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an opening system according to the present embodiment as viewed from above.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a function of the cap opening system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a main body grip unit.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the action of two light beams.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the action of two light beams.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of an opening head.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the action of the rotation stopping member at the time of discarding the stopper.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining the action of the rotation stopping member at the time of discarding the stopper.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the cap opening system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for conceptually explaining main operation contents in the flowchart shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart for explaining the operation when the cap is opened.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the cap opening head when discarding the plug.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a partial configuration of a main body holding unit according to another embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a relationship between two light beams according to another embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a partial configuration of an opening head according to another embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an operation according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 racks, 12 container bodies, 13 stoppers, 14 body gripping units, 16 cap opening heads, 18 first sensors,
20 rotating plate, 24 waste box, 30R, 30L
Stage, 32 horizontal drive, 34 vertical drive, 4
4,46 Holding mechanism, 104 Brake mechanism, 106
Clamp mechanism.

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yoshiyuki Furujo             6-22-1, Mure, Mitaka City, Tokyo Aloka             Within the corporation (72) Inventor Kenichi Miyazaki             2-10-19 Ueda, Ueda, Nagano Ueda Japan             Line Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Takizawa             2-10-19 Ueda, Ueda, Nagano Ueda Japan             Line Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2G058 CA02 CB15 CB16 GB10                 3C007 AS14 DS01 ES03 ET03 EU01                       EU07 EU08 EV27 EW00 NS11

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A base frame, a rotary unit rotatably provided with respect to the base frame, a plurality of arms provided on the rotary unit for holding an object, and a brake for restricting rotation of the rotary unit. A rotating frame, and a rotating frame, which is rotatably driven with respect to the rotating frame and urged in a forward direction with respect to the rotating frame. A rotating shaft having an engaging portion that engages to release the rotation restriction, and a screw portion, and a member screwed to the screw portion, the positive rotation of the rotating shaft in the rotation restriction state of the rotating unit. The rotation causes the arm to move forward to grasp the plurality of arms, and after the grasping operation is completed, the forward movement is stopped, and the forward rotation movement of the rotation shaft is retracted. It includes a cam member for converting the movement, and by the forward rotation of the rotary shaft, the handling device first plurality of arms grasp work, then the plurality of arms and wherein the rotating. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cam member is formed with an inclined surface on which the driving ends of the arms are in sliding contact, and the forward movement of the cam member causes the driving ends of the arms to have the inclined surfaces. A handling device which moves upward, whereby the working end of each arm is closed. 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the brake mechanism includes a brake plate and a biasing member that biases the brake plate in a forward direction of the rotation shaft, the brake plate being the brake plate. The handling device, wherein rotation of the rotary unit is restricted when the rotary unit is in contact with the rotary frame. 4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the brake plate separates from the rotary frame at a time point when the retracting force of the rotary shaft due to the conversion exceeds the biasing force of the biasing member, whereby the rotary plate is rotated. A handling device in which the rotation restriction of the frame is released. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising rotation stopping means for preventing rotation of the rotary unit when gripping and releasing the plurality of arms, wherein the cam member is rotated by reverse rotation of the rotation shaft. A handling device, wherein the rotating shaft moves forward while moving backward relative to the rotating shaft. 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rotation stopping means includes a polygonal member provided on the rotation unit, and a plurality of abutting members that abut the polygonal member and prevent the rotation thereof. A handling device comprising: 7. The handling device according to claim 1, wherein the device removes a stopper provided on an upper portion of the container body. 8. The handling device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating unit is provided with a positioning member with which the object is brought into contact.