JP2010076002A - Transfer robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transfer robot capable of surely holding a workpiece on a storage unit and surely gripping the workpiece by a material handling part to transfer it from the storage unit. <P>SOLUTION: The transfer robot 1 is used to transfer the workpiece 100 from a storage unit 2 (3) to another storage unit 3 (2). The transfer robot 1 includes the material handling part 5 for holding the workpiece 100 and an arm 15 for moving it. The material handling part 5 includes clamps 51 and 52 for gripping the workpiece 100, a first load cell for detecting vertical load applied to the material handling part 5 while gripping the workpiece 100 and transmitting a detection signal P, and a second load cell for detecting horizontal load applied to the material handling part 5 and transmitting a detection signal Q. The transfer robot 1 is structured to control the operation of the material handling part 5 based on the detection signal P and/or the detection signal Q. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer robot used for transferring a workpiece from a storage body to another storage body.

Conventionally, a transfer robot has been used to move a workpiece in a production line of a factory, for example.
For example, in an automobile production line, in order to carry large parts such as an instrument panel into a passenger compartment, a process of temporarily removing a door from a car body that has been painted has been performed (see Patent Document 1). At this time, the vehicle main body is transferred to the main assembly line and mounted with components such as an instrument panel, and the removed door is placed on a storage body called a hanger and transferred to the door conveyance line. In the door conveyance line, in order to save space, a process of transferring the door placed on the hanger to another storage body called a tray is performed. This transfer process (transfer process) has been conventionally performed manually, but application of the transfer robot has been studied for rationalization and cost reduction.

  In general, the transfer robot includes a material handling unit that holds a work such as a door and transfers the work, an arm unit that is connected to the material handling unit, and a robot unit that operates the arm unit. Then, the workpiece can be transferred by holding the workpiece with the material handling unit and moving the arm controlled by the robot unit.

In recent years, automation of production lines has been demanded, and there is an increasing demand for automation in the transfer of doors.
Generally, the storage body has a lower end attachment portion and a side end attachment portion for holding the door in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, respectively, and when the door is transferred to the side end attachment portion and the lower end attachment portion, The door is fitted to the side end attach portion, and then the door is held by the storage body by being fitted to the lower end attach portion. For automation, the transfer robot needs to accurately detect the position of each attachment unit. Further, the lower end attachment portion and the side end attachment portion of the storage body have a variation inherent in their positions due to deterioration due to product replacement or use. Therefore, the transfer robot is required to detect a positional shift between the lower end attachment portion and the side end attachment portion of the storage body.

JP-A-53-8884

A predetermined load is applied to the side end attach portion when the side end attach portion is fitted. Therefore, if the transfer robot does not accurately detect the position of the side end attachment portion, a load is applied after a work such as a door is fitted to the side end attachment portion, and the workpiece or attachment is applied to the fitting portion. The part may be deformed and damaged. In addition, the work may fall from the storage body without being fully fitted.
Even when placing on the lower end attachment part, it is necessary to detect that the placement on the lower end attachment part has been reliably performed.If this cannot be detected, the lower end attachment part cannot sufficiently hold the workpiece, The work may fall from the storage body.

The detection of the positions of the end attachment unit and the side end attachment unit can be performed, for example, by image recognition using a camera.
That is, there is a method of detecting the position of the attached portion of the storage body with a camera and feeding the position of the attached portion back to the robot by image processing to transfer to the storage body. Thereby, transfer to a storage body can be performed reliably.

  However, image processing has a problem that it is easily affected by changes in the surrounding environment such as brightness. For this reason, it is difficult to securely hold the work on the storage body, and it may be difficult to securely hold the work from the storage body by the material handling unit and transfer the work. In addition, transfer using image processing increases transfer time and productivity. Furthermore, the transfer robot provided with the image processing means has a problem that the cost is high and the investment amount increases every time the shape of a work such as a door is changed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and can securely hold a work on a storage body, and can securely hold and transfer a work from a storage body with a material handling unit. It is intended to provide a transfer robot that can.

The present invention transfers a workpiece from or to a storage body having a lower end attachment portion for holding the workpiece in a vertical direction and a side end attachment portion for holding the workpiece in a horizontal direction. A transfer robot used for
The transfer robot includes a material handling unit capable of gripping the workpiece, and an arm for moving the material handling unit.
The material handling part includes a clamp part that grasps the work, a first load cell that detects a vertical load applied to the material handling part while grasping the work and transmits a detection signal P, and the material handling part. A second load cell that detects a horizontal load applied to the first load cell and transmits a detection signal Q;
The transfer robot is configured to control the operation of the material handling unit based on the detection signal P and / or the detection signal Q (Claim 1). .

  The transfer robot includes the material handling unit having the first load cell and the second load cell, and the arm for moving the material handling unit. When the workpiece is transferred, the first load cell detects a vertical load applied to the material handling portion and transmits a detection signal P, and the second load cell is a horizontal load applied to the material handling portion. A load in the direction is detected and a detection signal Q is transmitted, and the transfer robot is configured to control the operation of the material handling unit based on the detection signal P and / or the detection signal Q.

When the workpiece is transferred to the storage body using the transfer robot, for example, the workpiece is first held on the side end attachment portion of the storage body while the workpiece is held by the material handling portion. Then, the workpiece can be held by the lower end attachment.
Hereinafter, the operation of the transfer robot when transferring a work to the storage body will be described.
When the workpiece is held by the material handling part and brought into contact with the side end attaching part, a load in the horizontal direction is applied to the material handling part, and the second load cell transmits the detection signal Q. Based on the detection signal Q, the transfer robot controls the operation of the material handling unit so that, for example, the horizontal load applied to the material handling unit, that is, the horizontal load applied to the workpiece is not increased more than necessary. be able to. As a result, the work gripped by the material handling part is prevented from coming into contact with the side end attachment part with an unnecessarily large load, and the work and the side end attachment part are prevented from being damaged. can do.
The transfer robot can also correct the movement amount and movement direction of the material handling part based on the detection signal Q. Therefore, it is possible to reliably hold the workpiece on the side end attach portion.

  In addition, after the work is held on the side end attach portion, the material handling portion can be lowered to hold the work on the lower end attach portion. At this time, the load in the vertical direction applied from the workpiece to the material handling portion is reduced, and the load becomes 0 after the material is transferred from the material handling portion to the lower end attachment portion. The load in the vertical direction is detected by the first load cell, and the first load cell transmits the load as the detection signal P. The transfer robot recognizes that the workpiece has been placed from the material handling part to the lower end attachment part based on a load change in the vertical direction (the detection signal P), and moves, for example, the material handling part. It is possible to control the operation of the material handling part such as stopping the material handling part or pulling the material handling part away from the storage body. In this way, the work can be reliably held in the storage body.

Next, when transferring the workpiece from the storage body using the transfer robot, for example, the material handling unit first holds the workpiece in the vertical direction, and the material handling unit is held in the gripped state. By moving, the work can be transferred from the storage body.
Hereinafter, the operation of the transfer robot when transferring a workpiece from the storage body will be described.
As described above, when the material handling part grips the work in the vertical direction, a vertical load is applied from the material handling part to the work, and the reaction causes a vertical load from the work to the material handling part. It takes. Thus, the first load cell can transmit the detection signal P. Based on the detection signal P, the transfer robot controls the operation of the material handling unit so that, for example, the vertical load applied to the material handling unit, that is, the vertical load applied to the workpiece is not increased more than necessary. The output signal can be transmitted. As a result, it is possible to prevent the material handling part from damaging the work by gripping the work with a load larger than necessary.

After gripping the workpiece, the operation of the material handling portion can be controlled so that the material handling portion is moved while the gripped state is maintained and the workpiece is pulled away from the storage body. At this time, a vertical load is applied to the material handling part due to its own weight, and when the work is completely separated from the storage body and held by the material handling part, the load of the work itself is detected by the first load cell. Is done. Based on this detection signal, the transfer robot can start the movement of the material handling unit holding the workpiece.
In this way, the workpiece can be securely held and transferred by the material handling part.

  In addition, the transfer robot can control the operation of the material handling unit based on the detection signals P and / or Q from the first load cell and / or the second load cell. Thus, even if there is a positional deviation or the like in the side end attached portion and / or the lower end attached portion of some of the plurality of storage bodies, the positional deviation can be corrected. That is, the transfer robot can control the amount and direction of movement of the material handling part based on the detection signals P and / or Q. For this reason, it is possible to correct the positional deviation and reliably transfer the workpiece even if the positional deviation occurs.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a transfer robot that can securely hold a work on the storage body and can securely hold and transfer the work from the storage body with the material handling unit. can do.

Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The transfer robot includes at least the material handling part and an arm for moving the material handling part. The arm can be configured to be connected to the material handling part.
The transfer robot may further include a robot unit that controls driving of the arm unit. In this case, the driving of the arm can be controlled by an actuator built in the robot unit. Further, the robot unit and / or the arm can control the opening and closing of the clamp unit of the material handling unit by a built-in actuator.

The transfer robot preferably has a control means for transmitting an output signal for controlling the operation of the material handling unit based on the detection signal P and / or the detection signal Q (Claim 2).
In this case, an output signal from the control means can be transmitted to the material handling unit, the arm, the robot unit, etc., and the operation of the material handling unit can be controlled. Thereby, the gripping of the workpiece by the material handling unit can be controlled, and the movement and the movement direction of the material handling unit can be controlled by controlling the movement of the arm by the robot.

  The control means can be provided, for example, in the material handling part, the arm part, or the robot part. Further, the control means can be arranged separately from the material handling part, the arm part, and the robot part.

  For example, when the load detected by the first load cell and / or the second load cell exceeds a predetermined value, the control means controls the operation of the material handling unit so that the load is reduced. For example, when the load detected by the first load cell and / or the second load cell is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the operation of the material handling unit is controlled so that the load increases. It can be configured to transmit an output signal.

The material handling part for holding the workpiece preferably has a main body part extending in a vertical direction and a pair of the clamp parts provided at least one of which can move along the main body part. 3).
In this case, at least one of the pair of clamp parts moves in the vertical direction, and the work can be held by holding the work in the vertical direction with the pair of clamp parts. Further, as described above, it is sufficient that at least one of the pair of clamp portions is movable, but both may be movably provided. A pair of clamps may be formed on the material handling part. The movement of the clamp part can be performed by, for example, incorporating a cylinder in the main body part.

Preferably, the first load cell is disposed on at least one of the pair of clamp portions, and the second load cell is disposed on the main body portion.
In this case, the load in the vertical direction can be reliably detected by the first load cell provided in the clamp portion. Further, by disposing the second load cell on the main body, the second load cell can reliably detect a horizontal load applied to the work while the work is gripped.
The load cell generally has a strain generating body and can detect a load applied in the strain direction of the strain generating body. The first load cell is preferably disposed in the clamp portion with the strain direction of the strain generating body being vertical, and the second load cell is preferably disposed in the body portion with the strain direction of the strain generating body being horizontal. By doing so, it is possible to detect the load in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, respectively.

The first load cell is preferably arranged on the lower end side of the pair of clamp parts.
In this case, when the work is held by the clamp part, a load is applied to the first load cell due to the weight of the work. Therefore, it can be easily detected that the material handling part is holding the workpiece.
The first load cell may be disposed on both the lower end side and the upper end side of the pair of clamp portions.

The transfer robot can be used, for example, when transferring the work from a storage body holding the work to another storage body. In a factory production line or the like, the transfer robot can be used, for example, when the work is transferred from a plurality of storage bodies arranged holding the work to another storage body.
The control means can perform different control depending on whether the workpiece is transferred (loaded) to the storage body and when the workpiece is transferred (loaded) from the storage body.

Below, the case where it carries in first is demonstrated.
The control means has a predetermined load detected by the second load cell when the material handling part is moved and brought into contact with the side end attachment part of the storage body while the work is gripped by the clamp part. It is preferable that the movement of the material handling part in a direction to be brought into contact with the side end attach part is stopped when the value becomes equal to or greater than the value (Claim 6). That is, the control means can transmit an output signal R that stops the operation in a direction in which the control means abuts on the side end attach portion.
In this case, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being damaged due to an excessive load applied to the workpiece in the horizontal direction.
That is, when the work gripped by the material handling part is transferred to the storage body and held by the storage body, the material handling part is moved in a substantially horizontal direction while gripping the work, and the work is moved. It is made to contact | abut to the said side end attachment part of the said storage body. At this time, the second load cell detects a horizontal load applied to the material handling portion, that is, a load applied to the workpiece from the side end attaching portion, and transmits a detection signal Q to the control means. . The control means that has received the detection signal Q outputs an output signal for stopping the operation in the direction of contacting the side end attach portion when the load detected by the second load cell exceeds a predetermined value. R is transmitted. The output signal R is transmitted to a part that controls the operation of the material handling part, for example, the robot part, and the operation of the material handling part connected to the arm can be stopped. If the output signal R is not transmitted, the material handling part holding the work continues to move in the contact direction even after the work is brought into contact with the side end attach part. There is a risk that the load applied to the workpiece becomes large and the workpiece is deformed or damaged.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said side end attachment part is formed in the cross section of a horizontal direction in substantially U shape or reverse U shape. In this case, the side end of the workpiece can be partially inserted into the concave portion to the side end attach portion when the workpiece contacts the side end attach portion. Thereby, the said workpiece | work can be hold | maintained at the said side end attachment part.

Next, after stopping the movement of the material handling part in the direction to contact the side end attachment part, the control means further moves the material handling part in a state of gripping the work to contact the lower end attachment part. It is preferable to be configured to contact (claim 7).
That is, after stopping the movement in the direction of contact with the side end attachment part, the control means moves the material handling part in a state of gripping the work, for example, and makes the material contact part contact the lower end attachment part. An output signal S is transmitted, and the material handling part holding the work can be lowered. By this lowering, the work can be brought into contact with the lower end attaching portion.
In this case, following the contact with the side end attach portion, the work can be brought into contact with the lower end attach portion, and a series of the storage body to the side end attach portion and the lower end attach portion can be made. The contact can be automated by the control of the control means. That is, a series of position recognition of the side end attach part and the lower end attach part can be performed by the control means.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said lower end attachment part is formed in the substantially U-shaped cross section of the perpendicular direction. In this case, the lower end of the workpiece can be partially inserted into the recess of the lower end attachment portion when the workpiece contacts the lower end attachment portion. Thereby, the said workpiece | work can be hold | maintained at the said lower end attachment part.

In the direction in which the control means is placed on the lower end attachment portion of the material handling portion when the load detected by the first load cell becomes a predetermined value or less after being brought into contact with the lower end attachment portion. It is preferable that the movement is stopped (claim 8).
That is, the control means outputs, for example, an output signal T for stopping the movement of the material handling portion in the direction to be placed on the lower end attachment portion when the load detected by the first load cell becomes a predetermined value or less. Can be sent.
In this case, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being damaged due to an unnecessarily large load applied to the workpiece in the vertical direction.
That is, when the workpiece is brought into contact with the lower end attachment portion by transmission of the output signal S, the workpiece is supported by the lower end attachment portion, so that the vertical direction applied to the clamp portion on the lower end side of the material handling portion. , That is, the load applied to the clamp part on the lower end side is reduced by the weight of the work. And the said 1st load cell arrange | positioned at the said clamp part of the lower end side detects the fall of the above-mentioned load, and transmits the detection signal P, for example. The control means that has received the detection signal P transmits the output signal T when the load detected by the first load cell becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, in a direction to contact the lower end attach portion. The operation of is stopped. The output signal T is transmitted to a part that controls the operation of the material handling part in the contact direction with the lower end attachment part, for example, the robot part, and the operation of the material handling part connected to the arm (the descending direction). Can be stopped). If the output signal T is not transmitted, the material handling part holding the work continues to move in the contact direction even after the work is brought into contact with the lower end attachment part. Such a load is increased, and there is a risk that the workpiece or the lower end attachment portion may be deformed or damaged.

It is preferable that the control means is configured to pull the material handling part away from the work after stopping the movement of the material handling part in a direction to be placed on the lower end attachment part.
That is, the control means can transmit an output signal U for pulling the material handling part away from the work after stopping the movement in the direction of placing on the lower end attaching part.
In this case, the material handling part can be pulled away from the work transferred to the storage body, and the transfer to the series of storages can be completed.
Specifically, according to the output signal U, for example, at least one of the pair of clamp parts of the material handling part is moved along the main body part in the direction opposite to the workpiece side to increase the interval between the clamps. The material handling part is moved away from the storage body on which the work is placed. The output signal U is transmitted to a part that controls the operation of the clamp part and the material handling part itself, for example, the robot part, and the robot part controls the interval between the clamps and the operation of the material handling part connected to the arm. be able to.

Next, the case of carrying out will be described.
The control means moves the at least one of the pair of clamp parts along the main body part to hold the work placed on the storage body between the pair of clamp parts. It is preferable that the movement of the clamp portion is stopped when the load detected by one load cell becomes a predetermined value or more.
That is, the control means stops the movement of the clamp portion when the load detected by the first load cell when the work is sandwiched between the pair of clamp portions exceeds a predetermined value. The output signal V to be transmitted can be transmitted.
In this case, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being damaged due to an unnecessarily large load applied to the workpiece in the vertical direction.
That is, when at least one of the pair of clamp parts is moved along the main body part extending in the vertical direction to hold the workpiece, a load is applied to the material handling part in the vertical direction. The first load cell detects the load in the vertical direction, that is, the load applied to the workpiece from the clamp portion, and transmits a detection signal P to the control means. Based on the detection signal P, the control means transmits the output signal V when the load detected by the first load cell exceeds a predetermined value, and stops the movement of the clamp portion. The output signal V is transmitted to a part that controls the movement of the clamp part, for example, the robot part or the material handling part, and can stop the movement of the clamp part. If the output signal V is not transmitted, the clamp part continues to move even after the clamp part holds the work, so that the load applied to the work from the clamp part increases, There is a risk of damage. If the output signal V is not transmitted, the transfer robot cannot recognize the gripping of the workpiece by the clamp unit, and the material handling unit is moved in a state in which the clamp is not sufficiently gripped. There is a risk of falling.

Preferably, the control means is configured to move the material handling part and transfer the work from the storage body after the movement of the clamp part is stopped.
That is, the control means can transmit the output signal W for moving the material handling part and transferring the work from the storage body after the movement of the clamp part is stopped.
As a result, the workpiece can be transferred (unloaded) from the storage body while the workpiece is securely gripped by the material handling portion, and the workpiece can be prevented from dropping or falling. In addition, a series of unloading from the storage body can be automated.
Specifically, according to the output signal W, the material handling part holding the work can be moved away from the storage body holding the work and moved toward the carry-out destination. The output signal W is transmitted to the robot unit, for example, and the material handling unit connected to the arm can move the robot unit.

Next, it is preferable that the workpiece is an automobile door.
In general, in an automobile assembly process, a process of removing an automobile door from a vehicle body after painting is performed. The detached automobile door is transferred from the storage body to another storage body. By using the transfer robot at the time of the transfer, automation can be achieved and the transfer can be reliably performed without damaging the automobile door.

Example 1
Next, an embodiment of the transfer robot according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer robot 1 of the present example includes a lower end attachment unit 21 (31) for holding the workpiece 100 in the vertical direction and a side end attachment for holding the workpiece 100 in the horizontal direction. It is used to transfer the workpiece 100 from the storage body 2 (3) having the section 22 (32) to another storage body 3 (2).
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8, the transfer robot 1 includes a material handling unit 5 that can hold the workpiece 100, and an arm 15 that moves the material handling unit 5. The material handling unit 5 includes clamp units 51 and 52 that grip the workpiece 100, and a first load cell 53 that detects a vertical load applied to the material handling unit 5 while gripping the workpiece 100 and transmits a detection signal P. And a second load cell 54 for detecting a horizontal load applied to the material handling unit 5 and transmitting a detection signal Q.
The transfer robot 1 is configured to control the operation of the material handling unit 5 based on the detection signal P and the detection signal Q.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the transfer robot of this example will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the transfer robot 1 of this example is used when transferring a workpiece 100 from a storage body 2 (3) holding an automobile door to another storage body 3 (2). . In the automobile production line, in order to carry large parts such as an instrument panel into the passenger compartment, a process of temporarily removing the door from the car body after painting is performed (not shown). The removed door (work 100) is placed on the storage body 2 called a hanger and conveyed by the rail 29 of the door conveyance line. The storage body 2 holding the workpiece 100 is transported to a predetermined transfer location along the rail 29 provided at the upper portion thereof, and the workpiece 100 is moved along the rail 39 with the rail 39 provided at the lower portion. It is transferred to another storage body 3 (tray). Thereafter, the workpiece 100 is transferred again from the storage body 3 (tray) to the storage body 2 (hanger), conveyed to the assembly line of the automobile body by the rail 29, and the workpiece 100 (automobile door) is attached to the automobile body. . The transfer robot 1 of this example is used for transfer from the storage body 2 (hanger) to the storage body 3 (tray) and from the storage body 3 (tray) to the storage body 2 (hanger). In this example, the transfer from the storage body 2 (hanger) to the storage body 3 (tray) will be described in particular.

As shown in FIG. 9, the storage body 2 (hanger) is disposed at the main body portion 23, a lower portion thereof, a lower end attaching portion 21 for holding a workpiece in the vertical direction, and disposed at both side ends of the main body portion 23. And a pair of side end attach portions 22a and 22b for holding the workpiece in the horizontal direction. The storage body 2 has two lower end attachment portions 21 and two side end attachment portions 22.
The lower end attachment portion 21 is formed with two attachment portions having a substantially U-shaped cross section at a lower portion of the main body portion 23 with a predetermined interval. The lower end attaching portion 21 is disposed with the opening portion facing upward, and the lower end of the workpiece can be partially inserted into the concave portion so that the workpiece can be held.

In the horizontal direction of the storage body 2, a pair of side end attach portions 22 a and 22 b having a substantially U-shaped cross section and an inverted U-shaped cross section are provided with the opening portions of the concave portions facing the horizontal direction. The side end attach portions 22a and 22b can hold both side ends of the work in the horizontal direction. The position of one side end attach portion 22a of the pair of side end attach portions 22a and 22b is fixed to the main body portion 23, and the other side end attach portion 22b is movable in the horizontal direction. That is, by moving the side end attach portion 22b in the horizontal direction, the interval between the pair of side end attach portions 22a and 22b facing each other can be changed. The movable side end attach part 22b is provided with a lock mechanism 225. By operating the lock mechanism 225, the movable side end attach part 22b can be switched between being movable and fixed.
The main body portion 23 is provided with a rail portion 25 for moving the movable side end attach portion 22b in the horizontal direction, and the side end attach portion 22b is movable along the rail portion.
In addition, a suspended portion 24 is integrally formed with the main body portion 23 at the upper portion of the main body portion 23. In the suspended portion 24, the storage body 2 is connected to a rail (not shown) and is transported.

Further, the basic structure of the storage body 3 (tray) is the same as that of the above-described storage body 2 (hanger). As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the lower end attachment portion 31 and the side end attachment portion 32 are provided. Have.
The storage body 3 has, on each of the side surfaces 391 and 392, two lower end attachment portions 31 and two side end attachment portions 32 each having a configuration similar to that of the storage body 2 (hangers). One workpiece can be held on each of the side surfaces 391 and 392 (two in total). Similarly to the storage body 2 (hanger), one side end attachment part 32a of the pair of side end attachment parts 32a and 32b is fixed to the storage body 3, and the other side end attachment part 32b. Is movable in the horizontal direction and can be switched between movable and fixed by a lock mechanism 325.

The storage body 3 (tray) has a base portion 33 that moves on a rail (not shown) and two supports 34 that extend upward from the base portion 33, and extends horizontally between the supports. A rail portion 35 is provided. The lower end attachment portion 31 is formed on the base portion 33, and the pair of side end attachment portions 32 a and 32 b facing each other are formed on the rail portion 35. The movable side end attachment portion 32 b is movable in the horizontal direction along the rail portion 35. That is, the interval between the side end attach portions 32a and 32b can be changed.
In addition, wheels 37 and 38 are provided in the base portion. The wheel 37 can move on the rail, and the wheel 38 can rotate the storage body 3 by at least 180 ° C., and the side surfaces 391 and 392 can be reversed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the transfer robot 1 includes a material handling unit 5, an arm 15 that is connected to the material handling unit 5 and moves the material handling unit 5, and a robot unit 19 that incorporates an actuator that controls the movement of the arm. . Between the material handling part 5 and the arm 15, the joint part 150 for connecting both is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the material handling part 5 has a main body part 50 extending in the vertical direction and a pair of clamp parts 51 and 52, one of which is movably provided along the main body part 50. Yes. The main body 50 is provided with a cylinder 501, and one of the pair of clamp parts 51, 52, in this example, the upper end side clamp part 51 is moved along the main body 50 by the operation of the cylinder 501. It can be slid in the vertical direction (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 8, the clamp portion 52 on the lower end side includes a substrate portion 520 extending horizontally from the lower end portion of the main body portion 50, and the substrate portion 520 and the main body portion 50. And a joint portion 521 for connecting the two. A first load cell 53 for detecting a load in the vertical direction is disposed on the substrate unit 520, and an attach unit 522 that supports the lower end of the workpiece is formed on the first load cell 53. The first load cell 53 can transmit a detection signal P by detecting a load in the vertical direction such as a load of a workpiece disposed on the attachment unit 522.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the clamp 51 on the upper end side has an L-shaped attachment portion 510 whose section is inverted upside down. This attachment portion 510 extends in the vertical direction with the substrate 511 extending in the horizontal direction. The substrate 512 is connected by a connecting member 513. The front end portion 514 of the substrate 511 is processed into a convex shape to prevent dropping when holding the workpiece.
The clamp part 51 is connected to the cylinder 501 via various connecting members, and can be moved in the vertical direction along the main body part 50 by the piston mechanism of the cylinder 501. In the material handling part 5, the workpiece | work can be hold | maintained by changing the space | interval between the clamp parts 51 and 52 by the movement of the clamp part 51 of this upper end side.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the main body 50 is provided with a second load cell 54 for detecting a load in the horizontal direction.
The second load cell 54 is disposed on the substrate 540 connected to the joint part 150 and is connected to the guide part 542 via a connecting member 541. The guide portion 542 is connected to the main body portion 50 via a connecting member 543, and a horizontal load applied to the material handling portion 5 (main body portion 50) is generated by the connecting members 541 and 543, the guide portion 542, and the like. 2 is configured to be transmitted to the load cell 54. A driven restriction plate 544 that restricts the driven portion of the guide portion is disposed at the end of the guide portion 542 opposite to the second load cell 54. The second load cell 54 can detect a horizontal load applied to the material handling unit 5 and transmit a detection signal Q.

The transfer robot 1 has a control means (not shown) that transmits an output signal for controlling the operation of the material handling unit 5 based on the detection signal P and the detection signal Q described above.
In this example, the control means is built in the robot unit 19 (see FIG. 3). The control means is a computer circuit having a built-in control program, and can be arranged as a separate member different from the robot unit 19, arm 15, and material handling unit 5 described above.

Hereinafter, the control of the operation of the material handling part by the control means when transferring from one storage body (hanger) to the other storage body (tray) will be described.
In transferring from the storage body (hanger) to the other storage body (tray), first, the workpiece is unloaded from the storage body (hanger) by the transfer robot.
That is, first, the arm 15 is moved by the robot unit 19 to move the material handling unit 5 to the storage body 2 (hanger) that holds the workpiece 100 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the material handling part 5 is moved so that the workpiece 100 is arranged between the pair of clamp parts 51, 52 of the material handling part 5. At this time, the interval between the clamp parts 51 and 52 of the material handling part 5 is set to be larger than the width in the vertical direction of the work 100 to be held, and the lower end side clamp part 52 is brought into contact with the work 100. . In this example, the clamp part 51 on the upper end side is inserted into the space inside the window frame of the automobile door, which is the workpiece 100, and the clamp part 52 on the lower end side is brought into contact with the lower end of the automobile door. At this time, since a load is applied to the first load cell 53 disposed in the clamp portion 52 on the lower end side, the transfer robot 1 can detect the contact of the workpiece 100 with the clamp portion 52.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the clamp part 51 on the upper end side is moved along the main body part 50 in the direction 91 approaching the clamp part 52 on the lower end side by the piston of the cylinder 501, and placed on the storage body 2. The workpiece 100 thus held was held between the pair of clamp parts 51 and 52. At this time, a load in the vertical direction is applied to the first load cell 53 (see FIG. 4) disposed in the clamp portion 52 on the lower end side. Then, the control means built in the robot unit 19 of the transfer robot 1 allows the clamp unit 51 on the upper end side when the load (detection signal P) detected by the first load cell 53 exceeds a predetermined value. An output signal V for stopping the movement is transmitted.

  When the output signal V is transmitted, the workpiece 100 is gripped by the clamp portions 51 and 52 (see FIG. 13). Therefore, the locking mechanism 225 of the movable side end attachment portion 22b of the storage body 2 is released, and the movable side end attachment portion 22b is slid in the direction in which the distance between the pair of side end attachment portions 22a and 22b increases. (See FIGS. 9 and 13). Thereby, the holding | maintenance by the side end attachment parts 22a and 22b with respect to the workpiece | work 100 is cancelled | released. Even if this is released, since the workpiece 100 is held by the material handling unit 5, it does not fall down.

Further, the control means is configured to transmit an output signal W for transferring the workpiece 100 from the storage body 2 after transmitting the output signal V described above. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3, 14, and 15, the robot unit 19 of the transfer robot 1 is controlled by the output signal W to move the material handling unit 5 connected to the arm 15 upward. Then, the workpiece 100 is pulled away from the lower end attaching portion 21 of the storage body 2. At this time, the load of the workpiece due to its own weight can be detected in the first load cell arranged in the clamp portion 52 on the lower end side. The control means can detect this as the detection signal P, and the transfer robot can reliably detect that the material handling unit 5 is holding the workpiece 100.
And the workpiece | work 100 hold | maintained at the material handling part 5 can be conveyed to the other storage body 3 (tray) which is a transfer destination (refer FIG.1, FIG.2, FIG.16).

Next, control when carrying a work into a storage body (tray) will be described.
First, the arm 15 is moved by the robot unit 19 as described above, and the material handling unit 5 holding the workpiece 100 is moved to the storage body 3 (tray) (see FIG. 16). At this time, the lock mechanism 325 is released so that the width between the pair of side end attachment portions 32a and 32b of the storage body 3 is larger than the width of the workpiece 100, and the movable side end attachment portion 32b is moved horizontally. It is moved (see FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 16).
Then, the side end 101 of the work 100 held by the material handling part 5 is brought into contact with the side end attaching part 32a on the fixed side of the storage body 3 (see FIGS. 17A to 17C).

The contact with the side end attach portion can be performed, for example, as follows.
First, the material handling part 5 holding the work 100 is moved to allow the work 100 to enter between the side end attachment parts 32a and 32b of the storage body 3 from an oblique direction (see FIG. 17A). Then, the work 100 is disposed between the side end attach portions 32a and 32b so that the side end attach portions 32a and 32b and the work 100 are aligned in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 17B). Then, the material handling part 5 is moved in the horizontal direction 92 to bring the side end 101 of the workpiece 100 into contact with the fixed side end attaching part 32a (see FIG. 17C). At this time, a load is applied to the second load cell 54 disposed in the material handling unit 5 in the horizontal direction. Then, the detection means (not shown) moves in a direction 92 in which the load (detection signal Q) detected by the second load cell 54 comes into contact with the fixed side end attachment portion 32a when the load (detection signal Q) exceeds a predetermined value. An output signal R for stopping the operation of the material handling unit 5 is transmitted.
Further, at the time of contact with the side end attach portion 32a, the amount and direction of movement of the material handling portion 5 can be corrected based on the detection signal Q. As a result, the side end portion 101 of the workpiece 100 can be reliably brought into contact with the fixed side end attachment portion 32a (see FIGS. 17A to 17C).

  Next, after transmitting the output signal R, the control means further transmits an output signal S for moving the material handling portion 5 in a state of gripping the workpiece 100 and bringing it into contact with the lower end attachment portion of the storage body 3 ( FIG. 18 to FIG. 20). That is, after stopping the movement in the direction 92 in which the output signal R is brought into contact with the side end attach portion 32a (see FIG. 17C), the control means transmits the output signal S, The material handling part 5 holding the workpiece 100 is moved, that is, lowered in a direction 93 in which the material handling part 5 is brought into contact with the lower end attachment part 31 (see FIGS. 18 to 20). By this lowering, the work 100 can be brought into contact with the lower end attachment portion 31 of the storage body 3.

After transmitting the output signal S, the control means places the direction 93 on the lower end attaching portion 31 of the material handling portion 5 when the load detected by the first load cell becomes a predetermined value or less. An output signal T for stopping the movement is transmitted (see FIGS. 19 and 20).
That is, when the workpiece 100 is brought into contact with the lower end attachment portion 31 by the transmission of the output signal S, the workpiece 100 is supported by the lower end attachment portion 31, so that it is applied to the clamp portion 52 on the lower end side of the material handling portion 5. The load applied to the clamp part 52 on the lower end side is reduced by the vertical load, that is, the dead weight of the workpiece 100. And the 1st load cell 53 arrange | positioned at the clamp part 52 of a lower end side detects the fall of the above-mentioned load, and transmits the detection signal P. FIG. The control means (not shown) that has received the detection signal P transmits the output signal T to stop the operation in the direction 93 in which the output signal T comes into contact with the lower end attachment portion 31 of the storage body 3, that is, the lowering of the material handling portion 5. . The output signal T is transmitted to a part that controls the operation of the material handling part 5 in the contact direction 93 with the lower end attaching part 31, for example, the robot part 19, and the operation of the material handling part 5 connected to the arm 15. (Movement in the downward direction 93) can be stopped (see FIG. 3).

  After the output signal T is transmitted, since the placement of the workpiece 100 on the lower end attachment portion 31 is completed, the movable side end attachment portion 32b of the storage body 3 is attached to the workpiece as shown in FIGS. The two side ends 101 and 102 of the workpiece 100 can be narrowed and held by the pair of side end attachment portions 32a and 32b by sliding to the 100 side (the direction of the arrow 94). Note that the sliding of the movable side end attachment portion 32b can also be performed after transmission of an output signal U described later.

Next, after the transmission of the output signal T, the control means transmits an output signal U that separates the material handling part from the workpiece.
Specifically, by the output signal U, for example, one clamp part 51 of the pair of clamp parts 51 and 52 of the material handling part 5 is in a direction 95 opposite to the work 100 side, that is, a direction in which the work is sandwiched. Is moved along the main body 50 in the opposite direction to increase the interval between the clamps 51 and 52 (see FIGS. 22A and 22B). Then, the material handling unit 5 connected to the arm is moved by moving the robot unit in a direction away from the storage body 3 on which the workpiece 100 is arranged (see FIG. 3C). The output signal U is transmitted to the material handling unit 5 or a part for controlling the operation thereof, for example, the robot unit 19. The robot unit 19 is connected to the interval between the clamp units 51 and 52 of the material handling unit 5 or the material handling unit 15 connected to the arm 15. The operation of the part 5 can be controlled (see FIG. 3).

By the control of the control means as described above, transfer from the storage body 2 (hanger) to another storage body 3 (tray) can be performed (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The storage body 3 (tray) is configured so that one work can be placed on each side surface (see FIGS. 10 and 11), and at least 180 on the rail 39 installed under the storage body 3. Since the side surfaces 391 and 392 can be reversed by rotating at a temperature (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the side surface of the storage body 3 is reversed after transferring the workpiece 100 to one side surface 391 side. The workpiece 100 can be similarly transferred to the other side 392 side.
In this example, the transfer from the storage body 2 (hanger) to the storage body 3 (tray) has been described. However, the same control is performed for the transfer from the storage body 3 (tray) to the storage body 2 (hanger). Can be performed.

Next, the function and effect of this example will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the transfer robot 1 includes a material handling unit 5 having a first load cell 53 and a second load cell 54, and an arm 15 for moving the material handling unit 5. The first load cell 53 detects a vertical load applied to the material handling unit 5 and transmits a detection signal P when the workpiece is transferred, and the second load cell 54 is applied in the horizontal direction applied to the material handling unit 5. The transfer robot 1 is configured to control the operation of the material handling unit 5 based on the detection signal P and the detection signal Q.

When the workpiece 100 is transferred to the storage body 3 using the transfer robot 1, as described above, for example, the storage body 3 is first held with the workpiece 100 held by the material handling unit 5. The side 100 can be brought into contact with the side end attachment portion 32 and then the lower end attachment 31 can hold the workpiece 100 (see FIGS. 17 to 20).
Hereinafter, operational effects in the case of transferring (loading) the workpiece 100 to the above-described storage body 3 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 17 (a) to 17 (c), when the work 100 is held by the material handling part 5 and brought into contact with the side end attaching part 32a, a load in the horizontal direction is applied to the material handling part 5. The second load cell 54 transmits the detection signal Q (see FIGS. 5 and 6). On the basis of the detection signal Q, the transfer robot 1 is configured to prevent the material handling so that, for example, the horizontal load applied to the material handling unit 5, that is, the horizontal load applied to the workpiece 100 does not increase more than necessary. The operation of the part 5 can be controlled. As a result, the work 100 gripped by the material handling part 5 is prevented from coming into contact with the side end attachment part 32a with an unnecessarily large load, and the work 100 or the side end attachment part 32a is damaged. Can be prevented.
The transfer robot 1 can also correct the movement amount and movement direction of the material handling unit 5 based on the detection signal Q. Therefore, the workpiece 100 can be reliably held by the side end attach portion 32a.

In addition, after the workpiece 100 is held by the side end attach portion 32a, the material handling portion 5 is lowered and the workpiece 100 is held by the lower end attach portion 31 as shown in FIGS. it can. At this time, since the workpiece 100 is supported by the lower end attachment portion 31, the vertical load applied from the workpiece 100 to the material handling portion 5 is reduced, and the workpiece 100 is transferred from the material handling portion 5 to the lower end attachment portion 31. After that, the load becomes zero. The load in the vertical direction is detected by the first load cell 53, and the first load cell 53 transmits the load change as the detection signal P.
The transfer robot 1 detects that the workpiece 100 is placed from the material handling unit 5 to the lower end attachment unit 31 based on the change in load in the vertical direction (the detection signal P), and as described above. The material handling part for stopping the movement (lowering) of the material handling part 5 (see FIGS. 19 and 20) or pulling the material handling part 5 away from the storage body (see FIGS. 22 (a) to 22 (c)). The operation of 5 can be controlled. In this way, the work 5 can be securely held in the storage body 3 and transferred.

Next, when the workpiece 100 is transferred from the storage body 2 using the transfer robot 1, the workpiece 100 is first vertically gripped by the clamp portions 51 and 52 of the material handling portion 5 as described above. However, the workpiece 100 can be transferred from the storage body 2 by moving the material handling portion 5 while being held (see FIGS. 12 and 13) (see FIGS. 14 and 15).
Hereinafter, the operation and effect when the workpiece 100 is transferred (unloaded) from the storage body 2 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, when the workpiece 100 is gripped in the vertical direction by the clamp portions 51 and 52 of the material handling portion 5 as described above, a vertical load is applied to the workpiece 100 from the material handling portion 5. Due to the reaction, a load in the vertical direction is also applied to the material handling part 5 (clamp part 52) from the work 100. Thereby, the 1st load cell 53 arrange | positioned at the clamp part 52 can detect a load and can transmit the said detection signal P. FIG. Based on the detection signal P, the transfer robot 1, specifically, a control means (not shown) built in the transfer robot, for example, applies a vertical load applied to the material handling unit 5, that is, the workpiece 100. The output signal for controlling the operation of the material handling unit 5 can be transmitted so that the load in the vertical direction is not increased more than necessary (see FIGS. 3 to 8, 12, and 13). As a result, it is possible to prevent the material handling part 5 from gripping the work 100 with an unnecessarily large load and damaging it.

After the workpiece 100 is gripped by the material handling section 5, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the material handling section 5 is moved while the gripped state is maintained so that the workpiece 100 is pulled away from the storage body 2. The operation of the material handling part 5 can be controlled. At this time, a vertical load is applied to the material handling part 5 (clamping part 52) due to the weight of the work 100, and when the work 100 is completely separated from the storage body 2 and held by the material handling part 5, the work The load of 100 itself is detected by the first load cell 53. Based on this detection signal, the transfer robot 1 can specifically start the movement of the material handling unit 5 holding the workpiece 100 by the control means.
In this way, the workpiece 100 can be reliably gripped and transferred by the material handling unit 5.

  Further, since the transfer robot 1 can control the operation of the material handling unit 5 based on the detection signals P and / or Q from the first load cell 53 and / or the second load cell 54, Even if there is a displacement in some of the side end attachment parts 22 and 32 and / or the lower end attachment parts 21 and 31 among the plurality of storage bodies 2 and 3 due to deterioration of use, etc., the displacement Can be corrected (see FIGS. 1 and 2). That is, the transfer robot 1 can control the amount and direction of movement of the material handling unit 5 based on the detection signals P and / or Q. For this reason, the workpiece 100 can be reliably transferred even if the positional deviation is corrected and the positional deviation is present.

  In this example, the transfer robot 1 has control means (not shown) for transmitting an output signal for controlling the operation of the material handling unit 5 based on the detection signal P and / or the detection signal Q. (See FIG. 3). Therefore, an output signal from the control means can be transmitted to the material handling unit 5, the arm 15, the robot unit 19 and the like, and the operation of the material handling unit 5 can be controlled. Accordingly, the gripping of the workpiece 100 by the material handling unit 5 can be controlled, and the movement and the movement direction of the material handling unit 5 can be controlled by controlling the movement of the arm by the robot unit 19.

In the transfer robot 1, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the material handling part 5 for holding the workpiece is provided with a main body part 50 extending in the vertical direction and at least one of which can be moved along the main body part 50. And a pair of the clamp portions 51 and 52 described above.
Therefore, the workpiece can be held in the vertical direction by a pair of the clamp portions 51 and 52 and held.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the first load cell 53 is disposed on at least one of the pair of clamp portions 51 and 52, and the second load cell 54 is disposed on the main body portion 50.
Therefore, the load in the vertical direction can be reliably detected by the first load cell 53 provided in the clamp portions 51 and 52. Further, by disposing the second load cell 54 in the main body 50, the second load cell 54 can reliably detect a horizontal load applied to the workpiece while holding the workpiece. . The load cells 53 and 54 have a strain generating body and can detect a load applied in the strain direction of the strain generating body. The first load cell 53 is arranged in the clamp portion 52 with the strain direction of the strain generating body set in the vertical direction, and the second load cell 54 is placed in the main body portion 50 with the strain direction of the strain generating body set in the horizontal direction. By doing so, it is possible to detect the load in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, respectively.

  Further, the first load cell 53 is disposed in the clamp portion 52 on the lower end side of the pair of clamp portions 51 and 52. Therefore, when the work is held by the clamp portions 51 and 52, a load is applied to the first load cell 53 due to the weight of the work. Therefore, it can be easily detected that the material handling unit 5 is holding the workpiece.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17A to 17C, the control means moves the material handling part 5 in a state where the work 100 is gripped by the clamp parts 51 and 52, and the storage body 3 is moved. When the load detected by the second load cell 54 when it is brought into contact with the side end attach portion 32 (32a) exceeds a predetermined value, it is brought into contact with the side end attach portions 22 and 32. The movement of the material handling part in the direction 92 is stopped (transmission of the output signal R).
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the workpiece 100 from being damaged due to an excessive load applied to the workpiece 100 in the horizontal direction. If the output signal R is not transmitted, the material handling part 5 holding the work 100 continues to move in the contact direction 92 even after the work 100 is brought into contact with the side end attaching part 32a. The load applied to the workpiece 100 from the end attachment portion 32a increases, and the workpiece 100 and / or the side end attachment portion 32a may be deformed or damaged.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the side end attach portions 22 and 32 of the storage bodies 2 and 3 are formed in a substantially U-shaped or inverted U-shaped cross section in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the side end of the workpiece 100 can be partially inserted into the recesses to the side end attach portions 22 and 32 when the workpiece 100 contacts the side end attach portions 22 and 32. Thereby, the said workpiece | work 100 can be reliably hold | maintained at the said side end attachment parts 22 and 32. FIG.

In addition, after transmitting the output signal R, the control means moves the material handling portion 5 in a state where the workpiece 100 is further gripped to contact the lower end attachment portion 31 as shown in FIGS. (Transmission of output signal S).
Therefore, the workpiece 100 can be brought into contact with the lower end attach portion 31 following the contact with the side end attach portion, and as shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, the side end attach portion 32 and the lower end attach portion. A series of contact with the part 31 can be automated by the control of the control means. That is, a series of position recognition of the side end attach part 32 and the lower end attach part 31 can be performed by the control means.

Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 9-11, the said lower end attachment parts 21 and 31 are formed in the substantially U-shaped cross section of the perpendicular direction.
Therefore, the lower end of the workpiece can be partially inserted into the recesses of the lower end attachment portions 21, 31 when the workpiece contacts the lower end attachment portions 21, 31. Thereby, the said workpiece | work can be reliably hold | maintained at the said lower end attachment parts 21 and 31. FIG.

Further, after the transmission of the output signal S, the control means, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, when the load detected by the first load cell 53 becomes a predetermined value or less, It is comprised so that the movement to the direction 93 put on the said lower end attachment part 31 may be stopped (transmission of the output signal T).
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the workpiece 100 from being damaged due to an unnecessarily large load applied to the workpiece 100 in the vertical direction. If the output signal T is not transmitted, the material handling part 5 holding the work 100 continues to move in the contact direction 93 even after the work 100 is brought into contact with the lower end attachment part 31. The load applied to the workpiece 100 from the portion 31 may increase, and the workpiece 100 and the lower end attaching portion 31 may be deformed or damaged.

Further, as shown in FIG. 22, the control means is configured to separate the material handling unit 5 from the work 100 after transmitting the output signal T (transmission of the output signal U).
Therefore, the material handling unit 5 can be pulled away from the workpiece 100 transferred to the storage body 3 to complete the transfer to the series of the storage 3 described above.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, a description will be given of operational effects when the workpiece 100 is transferred (unloaded) from the storage body 2.
As described above, the control means moves at least one of the clamp parts 51 and 52 of the pair of clamp parts 51 and 52 along the main body part 50 and moves the work 100 placed on the storage body 2 to a pair. When the load detected by the first load cell 53 when sandwiched between the clamp parts 51 and 52 exceeds a predetermined value, the movement (slide) of the clamp part 51 is stopped. It is configured (transmission of output signal V).
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the workpiece 100 from being damaged due to an unnecessarily large load applied to the workpiece 100 in the vertical direction. If the output signal V is not transmitted, the clamp unit 51 continues to move even after the clamp units 51 and 52 pinch the workpiece 100. Therefore, the load applied to the workpiece from the clamp units 51 and 52 is not increased. There is a possibility that the workpiece 100 is deformed and damaged. Further, if the output signal V is not transmitted, the transfer robot 1 cannot recognize the gripping of the workpiece 100 by the clamp portions 51 and 52, and the material handling portion 5 is moved in a state where it is not sufficiently gripped, There is a risk of dropping the workpiece 100 during the transfer.

After the transmission of the output signal V, the control means is configured to move the material handling part and transfer the workpiece 100 from the storage body 2 (transmission of the output signal W).
Therefore, the workpiece 100 can be transferred (unloaded) from the storage body 2 while the workpiece 100 is securely gripped by the material handling unit 5, and the workpiece 100 can be prevented from dropping or overturning. In addition, a series of carry-out from the storage body 2 can be automated.

In this example, an automobile door is used as the workpiece 100.
In general, in an automobile assembly process, a process of removing an automobile door from a vehicle body after painting is performed. The removed automobile door is transferred from the storage body 2 to another storage body 3 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). By using the transfer robot 1 during the transfer, automation can be achieved, and transfer can be performed reliably without damaging the automobile door.

As described above, according to this example, the workpiece 100 can be reliably held by the storage body 3, and the workpiece 100 can be reliably grasped and transferred from the storage body 2 by the material handling unit 5. The transfer robot 1 can be provided.
In the drawings used for the description of the present example, what should be indicated by a solid line is indicated by a broken line for convenience of description.

Explanatory drawing which showed the mode that the workpiece | work was transferred from a storage body to another storage body using the transfer robot concerning an Example. Explanatory drawing which showed a mode that the workpiece | work was transferred from another storage body to another storage body using the transfer robot concerning an Example. Explanatory drawing which showed the whole structure of the transfer robot concerning an Example from diagonally upward. Explanatory drawing which showed the material handling part of the transfer robot concerning an Example from the side. Explanatory drawing which showed the material handling part of the transfer robot concerning an Example from the front. Explanatory drawing which showed the material handling part of the transfer robot concerning an Example from the upper surface. Explanatory drawing which expanded partially the clamp part vicinity of the lower end side in a material handling part concerning an Example, and showed from the front. Explanatory drawing which expanded partially the clamp part periphery of the lower end side in a material handling part concerning an Example, and showed it from the side surface. Explanatory drawing which showed the whole structure of the storage body (hanger) concerning an Example from diagonally upward. Explanatory drawing which showed the whole structure of the storage body (tray) concerning the Example from diagonally upward. Explanatory drawing which showed the whole structure of the storage body (tray) concerning an Example from upper direction. Explanatory drawing which showed a mode that the workpiece | work hold | maintained at the storage body (hanger) concerning an Example was clamped with the clamp part of a material handling part. Explanatory drawing which showed the state which clamped the workpiece | work hold | maintained at the storage body (hanger) concerning the Example with the clamp part of a material handling part. Explanatory drawing which showed the state of FIG. 13 concerning an Example paying attention to the clamp part periphery of a lower end side. Explanatory drawing which showed a mode that the material handling part which hold | maintains the workpiece | work concerning the Example was moved so that it might pull away from a storage body (hanger) paying attention to the clamp part periphery of a lower end side. Explanatory drawing which showed a mode that the material handling part holding the workpiece | work concerning an Example was transferred to a storage body (tray) from the front. Explanatory drawing (a) which showed a mode that the material handling part which hold | maintained the workpiece | work according to an Example is moved, and inserts a workpiece | work between the side end attachment parts of a storage body from the upper surface, The side attachment part of a storage body Explanatory drawing (b) which showed a state arranged horizontally between them from the upper surface, and explanatory drawing (c) which showed from the upper surface how a side end of a work was made to contact a side end attachment part of a storage body. Explanatory drawing which showed a mode that the workpiece | work hold | gripped by the material handling part concerning an Example was mounted in the lower end attachment part of a storage body (tray). Explanatory drawing which showed the state of FIG. 18 paying attention to the clamp part periphery of a lower end side. Explanatory drawing which showed the state which contacted the lower end attachment part of the storage body (tray), paying attention to the clamp part periphery of a lower end side concerning the Example. The explanatory view (a) which shows a mode that the side end attachment part according to the embodiment is slid and the workpiece placed on the lower end attachment part is sandwiched by the side end attachment part from the upper surface, and is placed on the lower end attachment part. Explanatory drawing (b) which shows the state which pinched | placed the set workpiece | work with a pair of side edge attachment part from an upper surface. Explanatory drawing (a) which shows a mode that the space | interval of the clamp part of the material handling part which clamps the workpiece | work arrange | positioned at the storage body (tray) concerning an Example is expanded from a side, The state which expanded the space | interval of a clamp part is shown from a side surface Explanatory drawing (b) and explanatory drawing (c) which shows a mode that a material handling part is pulled apart from the storage body holding the workpiece | work.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transfer robot 15 Arm 19 Robot part 2 Storage body (hanger)
21 Lower end attachment part 22 Side end attachment part 3 Storage body (tray)
31 Lower end attachment part 32 Side end attachment part 5 Material handling part 51 Clamp part (upper end side)
52 Clamp (Lower side)

Claims (12)

Used to transfer the work from or to a storage body having a lower end attaching part for holding the work in the vertical direction and a side end attaching part for holding the work in the horizontal direction A transfer robot,
The transfer robot includes a material handling unit capable of gripping the workpiece, and an arm for moving the material handling unit.
The material handling part includes a clamp part that grasps the work, a first load cell that detects a vertical load applied to the material handling part while grasping the work and transmits a detection signal P, and the material handling part. A second load cell that detects a horizontal load applied to the first load cell and transmits a detection signal Q;
The transfer robot is configured to control the operation of the material handling unit based on the detection signal P and / or the detection signal Q.   The transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the transfer robot has control means for transmitting an output signal for controlling the operation of the material handling unit based on the detection signal P and / or the detection signal Q. Transfer robot.   3. The material handling part according to claim 1, wherein the material handling part includes a main body part extending in a vertical direction, and a pair of clamp parts provided at least one of which is movable along the main body part. Transfer robot.   4. The transfer robot according to claim 3, wherein the first load cell is disposed in at least one of the pair of clamp portions, and the second load cell is disposed in the main body portion.   5. The transfer robot according to claim 3, wherein the first load cell is arranged on a lower end side of the pair of clamp portions.   The control unit according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the control means moves the material handling part in a state where the work is gripped by the clamp part and contacts the side end attaching part of the storage body. When the load detected by the second load cell at or above becomes a predetermined value or more, the material handling portion is configured to stop moving in a direction in which the material handling portion comes into contact with the side end attachment portion. Transfer robot.   7. The lower end attachment portion according to claim 6, wherein the control means further moves the material handling portion in a state of gripping the work after stopping the movement of the material handling portion in a direction to contact the side end attachment portion. A transfer robot, characterized in that the transfer robot is configured to abut against the robot.   The control means according to claim 7, wherein the control means contacts the lower end attachment portion of the material handling portion when the load detected by the first load cell becomes a predetermined value or less after contacting the lower end attachment portion. A transfer robot configured to stop movement in a mounting direction.   9. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the control means is configured to pull the material handling part away from the workpiece after stopping the movement of the material handling part in a direction to be placed on the lower end attachment part. Transfer robot.   The control means according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the control means moves at least one of the pair of clamp portions along the main body portion to place the work placed on the storage body into a pair of the above When the load detected by the first load cell when sandwiched between the clamp parts exceeds a predetermined value, the movement of the clamp part is stopped. Loading robot.   11. The transfer robot according to claim 10, wherein the control means is configured to transfer the workpiece from the storage body by moving the material handling part after the movement of the clamp part is stopped. .   The transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece is an automobile door.

Images