JP2016215358A - Hand device, article transfer device and article transfer method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article transfer device which can suitably transfer an article.SOLUTION: An article transfer device 1 comprises a hand device 6 located on a tip side of a robot arm. The hand device 6 has a base body 15 which is attached to the tip side of the robot arm, and on one side of the base body 15, a support body 16 having a lower support part 34, which supports a transferred article W1 from a lower side, is fixed. Further, on the other side of the base body 15, a movable body 17, which is so movable as to approach and is separated from the support body 16, is provided. The movable body 17 approaches the support body 16 thereby moving the transferred article W1 onto the lower support part 34. Further, in the state that the transferred article W1 is loaded on the lower support part 34, the transferred article W1 is sandwiched between the support body 16 and the movable body 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an article transfer apparatus for transferring an article, a hand apparatus used in the article transfer apparatus, and an article transfer method.

  Conventionally, for example, an article transfer device (transfer baggage holding device) described in Patent Literature 1 below is known.

  In this conventional article transfer device, the suction means that can move in the horizontal direction and the up-down direction moves the article (the load to be transferred) in a sucked state and pulls it on the mounting table, and the article on the mounting table is moved to a predetermined level. Transfer to position.

JP-A-10-87074

  However, in the structure of the above-mentioned patent document 1, there exists a possibility that it cannot transfer appropriately depending on the kind and shape of articles | goods.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the hand apparatus, the goods transfer apparatus, and the goods transfer method which can transfer goods appropriately.

  The hand device according to claim 1 is a hand device used for an article transfer device that transfers the article from a placement position where the article is placed, and has a lower support portion that supports the article to be transferred from below. And a moving body for moving the article from the placement position onto the lower support portion by moving close to the support, and the movable body is movable in the vertical direction. It has a vertical movement part.

  The hand device according to claim 2 is the hand device according to claim 1, wherein the distal end portion of the moving body is in contact with the surface of the object located below the article to be moved from the placement position onto the lower support portion, As the moving body approaches the support, it moves in the vertical direction according to the shape of the surface.

  The hand device according to claim 3, wherein the hand device is used in an article transfer device that transfers an article from a placement position on which the article is placed, and has a lower support portion that supports the article to be transferred from below. A moving body that abuts against a side surface of the article by the approaching movement with respect to the support body and moves the article from the placement position onto the lower support portion, and the article is moved from the placement position to the lower position by the movable body. And a holding body for holding an object other than the article to be moved in the above-described placement position when moving it onto the support portion.

  The hand device according to claim 4 is the hand device according to claim 3, wherein the holding body presses at least one of the objects other than the article to be moved from the placement position onto the lower support portion by the moving body downward. Thus, it is held at the mounting position.

  The hand device according to claim 5 is the hand device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the holding body is arranged at a position farther from the support than a position where the moving body is farthest from the support. It is.

  An article transfer device according to a sixth aspect includes the hand device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

  The article transfer method according to claim 7 holds an object other than the article to be transferred at the placement position, and moves the article to be transferred from the previous placement position onto the lower support portion of the support based on the movement of the moving body. By moving, the article is sandwiched between the movable body and the support, and the sandwiched article is transferred to a predetermined position.

  According to the present invention, the article can be appropriately transported because the article is moved from the placement position onto the lower support portion by the close movement of the movable body with respect to the support.

1 is a side view of an article transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the loading pattern of the articles | goods conveyed with an article | item conveying apparatus same as the above, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view. It is a front view of the hand apparatus of an article transfer apparatus same as the above. It is a side view of the one side of a hand apparatus same as the above. It is sectional drawing of the side view of the press body in a hand apparatus same as the above. It is a side view which shows the moving body in a hand apparatus same as the above. It is a side view which shows the longitudinal member in the moving body of a hand apparatus same as the above. It is a side view which shows the holding body of a hand apparatus same as the above. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the separation work by an article transfer apparatus same as the above. FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram following FIG. 9. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an article transfer device. The article transfer device 1 includes a plurality of articles W from a placement position of a first transport device 2 placed so that a plurality of articles W are stacked. The article W1 to be transferred is transferred to the station 4 of the second transfer device 3 at a predetermined position and separated.

  In other words, the article transfer device 1 transfers the plurality of articles W that have been transported to the placement position by the first transport device 2 while being stacked on the pallet P in a predetermined loading pattern. 3 is a destacking device that is transferred to a station 4 and depalletized.

  Here, the article W is, for example, a bag having a thickness of 30 mm, in which a bag body folded into a rectangular sheet having a longitudinal direction is stacked in a vertical direction every predetermined number (15 sheets) in a non-bundled state. It is a bunch.

  In addition, at the placement position, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the longitudinal directions of the two sets of articles W are arranged substantially in parallel at intervals in each stage, and the odd-numbered stages. Articles W and even-numbered articles W are stacked in a stacking pattern in which the longitudinal directions of the articles W are substantially vertical. That is, at the placement position, the article W1 to be transferred and the adjacent article W2 are arranged in parallel so that the longitudinal directions thereof are substantially parallel to each other, and the lower stages of the article to be transferred W1 and the article W2 Articles W3 and W4 are arranged so that their longitudinal directions are substantially perpendicular to the transported articles W1 and W2, and similarly, odd-numbered articles W and even-numbered articles W are substantially perpendicular to each other in the longitudinal direction. It is arranged to become and is sequentially stacked.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the article transfer device 1 serving as a spreading device includes an object placed at the placement position of the first transfer device 2 on the distal end side of the robot body 5 that is the device body. A hand device (robot hand) 6 for transferring the transfer article W1 to the station 4 of the second transfer device 3 is provided. The robot body 5 and the hand device 6 are controlled by the control unit 7. In FIG. 1, the hand device 6 is shown in an enlarged manner by partially omitting the tip end side of the robot body 5.

  The robot body 5 is erected on a base 8 fixed to the installation surface so that a robot arm 9 can rotate.

  The robot arm 9 has an arm base 11 connected to the base 8 so as to be rotatable about the vertical axis Y. The lower end of the lower arm 12 that is the first arm is connected to the arm base 11 so as to be rotatable about the horizontal axis, and the upper arm that is the second arm is connected to the upper end of the lower arm 12. 13 base end parts are connected so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis.

  A rotation shaft portion 14 is provided at the tip of the upper arm portion 13 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis Y that is an axis in the vertical direction.

  A hand device 6 capable of holding the article to be transferred W1 is connected and fixed to the lower end portion of the rotating shaft portion. The hand device 6 can move in any direction within a predetermined range based on the operation of the robot arm 9 and can rotate about the vertical axis Y.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the hand device 6 includes a base body 15 connected and fixed to the lower end portion of the rotation shaft portion 14 of the robot arm 9.

  The base body 15 includes a flat plate 15a connected to the lower end portion of the rotating shaft portion 14, and two frames 15b provided downward from both sides of the bottom surface of the flat plate 15a. These frames 15b are provided in parallel so as to face each other with a space therebetween.

  The base body 15 can move in an arbitrary direction within a predetermined range based on the operation of the robot arm 9, and the vertical axis Y is integrated with the rotary shaft portion 14 with respect to the upper arm portion 13 of the robot arm 9. It can rotate as a center.

  A support 16 is fixedly provided on one end side of the base body 15. On the other end side of the base body 15 opposite to the one end side of the support body 16, the movable body 17 moves in a horizontal direction within a predetermined range with respect to the base body 15 so that the mobile body 17 contacts and separates (approaches and leaves) It is provided as possible.

  Then, when the moving body 17 moves closer to the support body 16 side, the article to be transferred W1 at the placement position is moved to the support body 16 side, and the transferred article W1 is moved to the support body 16 and the moving body. 17 and sandwiched from both sides. On the other hand, when the moving body 17 moves away from the support body 16, the nipping of the article to be transferred W1 is released.

  In addition, on the other end side of the support body 16 in the base body 15 and on the one end side from the moving range of the moving body 17, a presser body 18 is provided for holding the transported article W1 sandwiched from above and stabilizing the sandwiched state. It has been.

  Further, a holding body 19 for holding the article W other than the article to be transported W1 at the placement position is provided on the other end side of the base body 15 from the moving range of the moving body 17. That is, the holding body 19 is provided with the moving body 17 sandwiched at a position farther from the support body 16 than a position where the moving body 17 is farthest from the support body 16.

  In addition, the base body 15 is provided with a drive unit 21 as drive means for moving the moving body 17 toward and away from the support body 16 (approaching movement and separation movement).

  The drive unit 21 has a one-side drive pulley 22 and a second-side drive pulley 23 (see FIG. 6) that are spaced apart from each other.

  An endless belt (not shown) is stretched around the one side driving pulley 22 and the other side driving pulley 23, and a moving body 17 is attached to the belt. In addition, an electric motor (servo motor) 24 as a drive source is connected to the one-side drive pulley 22 via a speed reducer 25.

  For example, when the electric motor 24 is driven by encoder pulse control, the belt rotates in one direction by the power from the electric motor 24, and the moving body 17 is supported while being guided by the guide portion 26 of the base body 15. Move closer to the body 16 side. Further, when the belt rotates in the other direction by the power from the electric motor 24, the moving body 17 moves away from the support body 16 while being guided by the guide portion 26 of the base body 15.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the support body 16 has a plurality of, for example, four fork members 32 that are fixedly attached to the base body 15 via fixed attachment members 31.

  The fork member 32 is fixedly attached to one side which is the outside of the fixed attachment member 31, and the fork member 32 extends horizontally from the lower end of the fixed base 33 to the other end of the base body 15 and is moved by the movable body 17. And a lower support portion 34 that supports the transferred article W1 from below, and is substantially L-shaped in a side view.

  These fork members 32 are attached to the fixed attachment member 31 so as to be separated from each other in the horizontal direction, and the lower support portions 34 support each other in order to support the article W1 to be transferred substantially horizontally by the lower support portion 34. It is installed so that the height of 34 is aligned. That is, the article support surface that is the upper surface of each lower support portion 34 constitutes a horizontal plane.

  A plurality of, for example, three guide members 35 having a rectangular plate shape are attached to the fixed attachment member 31 so as to be positioned between the fork members 32.

  The guide member 35 is fixedly attached to the fixed attachment member 31 and the other end portion of the base body 15 from the fixed base portion 33 of the fork member 32 that is located on the distal end side that is the lower end side of the fixed portion 36. And a projecting portion 37 formed so as to project to the side.

  The protruding portion 37 has a contact portion 38 that is flat in the vertical direction in the vicinity of the tip portion, and one end portion of the article to be transferred W1 that has been moved onto the lower support portion 34 by the moving body 17 becomes the contact portion 38. Abut.

  On the other hand, on the other side surface that is the inside of the fixed attachment member 31, an article detection unit 39 that detects the presence or absence of the article W1 to be transferred on the lower support part 34 is provided. When the article detection unit 39 detects the article to be transferred W1 on the lower support part 34, the presser body 18 operates.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the presser body 18 includes a cylinder 42 that is a drive source fixed to the base body 15 via a fixed mounting portion 41.

  The cylinder 42 includes a cylindrical main body 43 and a rod 44 provided to the main body 43 so as to be able to advance and retreat.

  A longitudinal presser portion 45 having a longitudinal direction in the horizontal direction is attached to the tip of the rod portion 44.

  The presser portion 45 has a base portion 46 connected to the rod portion 44 and a contact portion 47 made of rubber attached to the base portion 46 at the lower side. The lower end surface of the contact portion 47 faces the surface of the lower support portion 34 on which the article to be transferred W1 is placed.

  Then, in the state where the article to be transferred W1 is positioned on the lower support portion 34 and is sandwiched between the support body 16 and the moving body 17, the presser body 18 is lowered by the drive of the cylinder 42, and the contact portion 18 47 comes into contact with the upper surface of the article to be transferred W1 and presses it. In addition, by pressing the transported article W1 from above with the presser body 18 in this way, the transported article W1 that is, for example, a non-bundled bag bundle is prevented from falling apart from both sides due to clamping, and the hand device 6 The transported article W1 is held and stabilized so that the transported article W1 is not detached from the support 16 due to centrifugal force or the like generated by the movement of.

  In addition, the holding body 18 is released from being held by the support 16 and the moving body 17 and the holding portion 45 is raised by driving the cylinder 42, and the contact portion 47 is the upper surface of the transferred article W1. Separate from.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the movable body 17 includes a movable attachment member 51 that is movably attached to the base body 15.

  The movable mounting member 51 is attached to a belt that is stretched over the one side driving pulley 22 and the other side driving pulley 23 via a mounting plate portion 52, and is slidably connected to the guide portion 26. It is connected to the base body 15 via the moving part 53. Then, when the belt rotates with the driving force of the electric motor 24, the sliding portion 53 slides along the guide portion 26, and the movable mounting member 51 moves.

  In addition, a plurality of, for example, two longitudinal members 54 having a longitudinal direction in the vertical direction are attached to the movable attachment member 51 via brackets 55 fixed to the movable attachment member 51.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the longitudinal member 54 includes a cylindrical linear bush 58 fixed to the lower fixing portion 56 of the bracket 55, and a vertical moving portion that is movable in the vertical direction that is the axial direction of the linear bush 58. And a rod-shaped pin 59. That is, in the longitudinal member 54, the position of the lower end portion of the pin 59 changes in the vertical direction when the pin 59 moves in the vertical direction with respect to the bracket 55 and the linear bush 58.

  The longitudinal member 54 is movable in an arbitrary direction within a predetermined range along with the movement of the base body 15 based on the operation of the robot arm 9, and is moved toward the article W on the placement position, thereby being transferred. The tip of the pin 59 contacts the upper surface of the article W2 adjacent to the article W1. Further, when the moving body 17 is moved in the horizontal direction, the pin 59 moves downward and contacts the upper surface of the article W3 when moving from the end of the upper surface of the article W2 to the lower article W3. Further, when the longitudinal member 54 approaches and moves toward the support 16 side with the tip of the pin 59 in contact with the upper surface of the article W3, the end of the article W1 to be transferred comes into contact with the side surface of the pin 59, and is directly covered. The transfer article W1 is moved onto the lower support portion 34, and the moved transfer article W1 is held between the support 16 and the pin 59.

  The linear bush 58 includes a cylindrical tubular portion 61 and a flange portion 62 that protrudes outward from an upper end portion that is one end portion of the tubular portion 61 in the axial direction. The linear bush 58 is fitted into the hole 63 of the lower fixing portion 56 so that the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 61 is substantially vertical, and the flange portion 62 is fixed to the upper side of the lower fixing portion 56. Yes.

  The pin 59 is slidably inserted into the cylindrical portion 61 so as to protrude upward and downward from the linear bush 58, and the upper end side is inserted into the hole 64 of the upper fixing portion 57 of the bracket 55 via the washer 65. It is slidably inserted.

  The pin 59 is movable in the vertical direction that is the axial direction of the linear bush 58 so as to be guided by the cylindrical portion 61 and the washer 65 with respect to the bracket 55 and the linear bush 58.

  In other words, in a state where the pin 59 is not subjected to a load from below, the upper end portion protrudes upward from the upper fixing portion 57 and the lower end portion protrudes downward from the linear bush 58. On the other hand, in a state where the pin 59 receives a load from below, as the load from below increases, the protruding length of the pin 59 upward from the upper fixing portion 57 increases, and the pin 59 downward from the linear bush 58 increases. The protruding length is shortened.

  A fixing portion 60 a is fixed to the pin 59 slightly below the axial central portion of the pin 59. A spring washer 67 is provided above the fixed portion 60a via a washer 60b. Further, the fixed portion 60a restricts the downward movement of the spring washer 67 that receives the downward elastic force of the springs 71 and 72. Therefore, the spring washer 67 is synchronized with the vertical movement of the pin 59 together with the fixed portion 60a that moves together with the pin 59.

  A stopper 66 is provided below the fixed portion 60a via a washer 60c. The stopper 66 is fixed to the pin 59 by being sandwiched between the step provided on the pin 59 and the fixing portion 60a, and moves in the vertical direction in synchronization with the pin 59. The pin 59 is formed in a stepped shape with the lower diameter being thicker than the upper diameter with the bottom surface of the stopper 66 as a boundary.

  When the pin 59 is positioned at the lower limit of the movement range, that is, when the pin 59 is not loaded from below, the stopper 66 has a bottom surface of the stopper 66 on the top surface of the flange portion 62 of the linear bush 58. It abuts and restricts the downward movement of the pin 59.

  Further, a spring washer 68 is in contact with the lower surface of the upper fixing portion 57 of the fixing bracket 55 by receiving the elastic force of the springs 71 and 72 via a washer 65, and a pin 59 is placed in the spring washer 68. Is slidably inserted.

  Further, two coiled springs 71 and 72 are connected between the spring washers 67 and 68 on the outer periphery of the pin 59 via spring washers 69 and 70. That is, the spring 71 has an upper end connected to the spring washer 68 and a lower end connected to the spring washer 69. The spring 72 has an upper end connected to the spring washer 70 and a lower end connected to the spring washer 67 so as to be arranged coaxially with the spring 71. The pins 59 are arranged so as to be inserted into the internal spaces of the springs 71 and 72 arranged coaxially in this way.

  The spring washers 68, 69, 70 and the springs 71, 72 are not fixed to the pin 59, and the pin 59 is movable with respect to the spring washers 68, 69, 70 and the springs 71, 72. It is.

  For example, when the moving body 17 descends and an upward force is applied to the pin 59 with the tip of the pin 59 in contact with the upper surface of the article W, the pin 59 and the spring washer 67 move upward. The springs 71 and 72 contract. When the springs 71 and 72 contract, the restoring force of the springs 71 and 72 acts on the spring washer 67, and the pin 59 is urged downward together with the spring washer 67. Therefore, when the force for locking the downward movement of the pin 59 is released, the pin 59 moves downward by the urging force of the springs 71 and 72.

  In the vicinity of the lower end of the pin 59, a groove 73 formed so as to be constricted radially inward from the outer peripheral surface of the pin 59 is provided continuously along the circumferential direction of the pin 59.

  The groove 73 has an upper end 74 formed in an arc shape so that when the article to be transported W1 is sandwiched, the end of the article to be transported W1 can easily slide so as to escape upward without being caught by the groove 73. Yes. Further, the groove 73 is formed such that the lower end 75 is formed in an arc shape so that the end of the article to be transported W1 is not easily dropped downward in the sandwiched state, and the end of the article to be transported W1 is formed on the lower end 75. It is configured to be easily caught. The groove 73 may be provided only in a portion of the pin 59 that contacts the side surface of the article to be transferred W1.

  On the other hand, in the vicinity of the other end of the base body 15 on the opposite side of the moving range of the mobile body 17 from the support body 16, there is a height up to the lower article W3 of the article W1 to be transferred placed at the placement position. A measuring device 76 which is a detecting means for detecting the height is fixedly attached.

  When there are a plurality of articles W on the same stage at the placement position, the measuring device 76 uses the gap between the article W1 to be transferred and the article W2 adjacent to the article W1 to be transferred to the article W1 to be transferred. Measure the height from the article W3 one step below.

  Then, when the measured height reaches a predetermined height, for example, 300 mm due to the lowering of the base body 15 based on the operation of the robot arm 9, the lowering of the base body 15 is decelerated and stopped. When the lowering of the base body 15 is stopped, the holding body 19 is activated.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the holding body 19 has a cylinder 82 that is a drive source fixed to the base body 15 via a fixed mounting portion 81.

  The cylinder 82 has a cylindrical main body portion 83 and a rod portion 84 provided in the main body portion 83 so as to be able to advance and retreat.

  In addition, a longitudinal holding portion 85 having a longitudinal direction in the horizontal direction is attached to the tip of the rod portion 84.

  The presser portion 85 has a base portion 86 connected to the rod portion 84 and a rubber contact portion 87 attached to the base portion 86 at the lower side.

  The holding body 19 is configured such that, with the tip of the pin 59 in contact with the upper surface of the article W2 placed at the placement position, the presser part 85 is lowered by driving the cylinder 82, and the contact part 87 is brought into contact with the article W2. Press and hold on the top surface. That is, by holding the article W2 so as to press the article W3, W4, which is the lower side, by the holding body 19, the pin 59 moves in the horizontal direction while contacting the upper surface of the article W2 by the movement of the movable body 17. At this time, the state where the article W other than the article to be transferred W1 is placed at the placement position is held.

  In addition, the holding body 19 moves the article W1 to be transferred onto the lower support part 34 by the moving body 17, and then raises the holding part 85 by driving the cylinder 82, so that the contact part 87 is separated from the upper surface of the article W2. To do. That is, the holding body 19 moves up and down in the vertical direction, presses the surface (top surface) of the article W from above by lowering, and releases the pressed state by lifting.

  Next, the operation and the like of the one embodiment will be described.

  When the article transfer device 1 performs a destacking operation (depalletizing operation), the product shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, for example, on the pallet P at the mounting position of the first transfer device 2. In each stage of the articles W stacked in the attached pattern, one set of articles W is transferred. Specifically, the article W1 to be transferred is first transferred, then the article W2 arranged next to the article to be transferred W1 is transferred, and then one article arranged at the lower stage of the article to be transferred W1. W3 is transferred, and then the other article W4 arranged in the lower stage of the article to be transferred W1 is transferred. Similarly, the articles W at each stage are sequentially transferred.

  When the article to be transferred W1 is transferred from the placement position, first, the hand device 6 is based on the operation of the robot arm 9, as shown in FIG. 9, above the article W stacked at the placement position. The moving body 17 is moved to a position where the support body 16 is not disposed above the article W.

  Next, the measuring device measures the height from the article W3 one level below the article W1 to be transferred using the gap between the article W1 to be transferred and the article W2, and the hand device 6 is lowered.

  When the hand device 6 is lowered, the pin 59 comes into contact with the upper surface of the article W2, as shown in FIG. Further, when the hand device 6 is further lowered as it is, the pin 59 moves so as to be pushed upward against the bracket 55 and the linear bush 58 against the urging force of the springs 71 and 72.

  When the hand device 6 is lowered, the height from the article W3 is detected by the measuring device 76. When the height from the article W3 reaches a predetermined height, for example, 300 mm, the hand device 6 is lowered. Will slow down and stop. When the lowering of the hand device 6 is stopped, the pin 59 moves so as to be pushed upward by a length obtained by adding 10 mm to the thickness dimension (30 mm) of the article W for one step.

  When the lowering of the hand device 6 is stopped, the holding body 19 is driven by the cylinder 82 so that the presser portion 85 is lowered and the contact portion 87 comes into contact with the upper surface of the article W2, so that the article W2 is moved from the upper side to the lower article W3, W4 side. Press and hold down.

  Next, the electric motor 24 is driven by the control of the control unit 7, and the moving body 17 moves in the horizontal direction so as to approach the support 16.

  When the moving body 17 moves closer to the support body 16, the longitudinal member 54 moves in a state where the tip portion of the pin 59 is in contact with the upper surface of the article W2. That is, the tip portion of the pin 59 moves in the vertical direction according to the shape of the surface of the article W that comes into contact. For example, when the surface of the article W has undulations due to wrinkles, Moving.

  Further, when the tip of the pin 59 passes through the end of the upper surface of the article W2 due to the movement of the moving body 17 in the horizontal direction, the urging force of the springs 71 and 72 causes the lower end of the upper end of the article W2 to The pin 59 moves downward so as to follow the step with respect to the upper surface of the article W3, and the tip of the pin 59 comes into contact with the upper surface of the article W3, which is an object located below the article to be transferred W1. That is, the vertical position of the tip of the pin 59 is automatically adjusted according to the contact state with each article W that is in contact with the placement position. Then, the pin 59 moves on the article W3 in the horizontal direction as it is moved in the horizontal direction by the moving body 17.

  Even if the pin 59 moves in contact with the upper surfaces of the articles W2 and W3 as described above, the article W2 is pressed toward the lower articles W3 and W4 by the holding body 19, so that the article to be transferred W1 Other than the article W, that is, the articles W2, W3, W4 are prevented from being displaced from the mounting position due to the movement of the pin 59 and the article to be transferred W1, and the articles W other than the article to be transferred W1 It is held at the mounting position.

  Further, when the moving body 17 moves closer to the support 16 with the tip of the pin 59 in contact with the upper surface of the article W3, the side of the article 59 to be transferred is placed on the side surface near the tip of the pin 59 as shown in FIG. The other end contacts.

  When the moving body 17 moves closer to the support body 16 with the other end of the transported article W1 in contact with the side surface in the vicinity of the tip of the pin 59 in this way, the transported article W1 and the moving body 17 support the support body. As shown in FIG. 12, the article to be transferred W1 is moved onto the lower support portion 34 of the support body 16 so as to be scraped out by the moving body 17.

  When the article to be transferred W1 is moved onto the lower support part, one end of the article to be transferred W1 comes into contact with the contact part.

  With the one end of the article to be transferred W1 in contact with the contact part 38, the moving body 17 further moves toward the support 16 so that the article to be transferred W1 is moved from both sides by the support 16 and the moving body 17. Hold it.

  When the article to be transferred W1 is sandwiched between the support 16 and the moving body 17 in this way, the other end of the article to be transferred W1 extends from the lower end 75 of the groove 73 along the groove 73. It moves upward so as to be lifted, and moves upward from the upper end 74 of the groove 73 so as to release the force, so that the article to be transferred W1 is curved.

  When the article to be transported W1 is sandwiched between the support body 16 and the moving body 17, the presser body 18 is moved by the cylinder 42 being driven so that the presser part 45 is lowered and the contact part 47 is in contact with the upper surface of the article to be transported W1. The article W1 is pressed from above. By holding the transported article W1 in the clamped state from above by the presser 18, the transported article W1 that is a bundle of unbound bags, for example, does not fall apart due to the clamping force so that the transported article W1 is sandwiched. Stabilize the state.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the article W1 to be transferred is transferred toward the station 4 of the second transfer device 3 at a predetermined position by moving to the hand device 6 based on the operation of the robot arm 9. Even during the transfer, the upper surface of the article to be transferred W1 is pressed by the pressing body 18 and stably held between the support 16 and the moving body 17.

  Here, during the movement of the hand device 6 in a state where the article to be transported W1 is sandwiched, for example, even when the clamping force is weak and the other end side of the article to be transported W1 is likely to hang down, the pin 59 Has a groove 73, and the other end of the article W1 to be transferred is easily caught by the lower end 75 of the groove 73. it can.

  When the hand device 6 moves above the station 4, as shown in FIG. 14, the unloading lifting body 91 provided at the station 4 rises.

  The lifting body 91 has a plurality of plates 93 that can be lifted and lowered between a plurality of rollers 92 that are rotatably supported around the horizontal axis of the station 4. These plates 93 are arranged between the rollers 92 so as to be separated from the length in the width direction of the fork member 32 in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the rollers 92.

  Then, after the plate 93 rises from between the rollers 92, the hand device 6 descends so that the fork member 32 enters between the plates 93 and lies as shown in FIG.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 14, in the case where the direction of the fork member 32 of the support 16 and the axial direction of the roller 92 pivotally supported by the station 4 intersect, The fork member 32 interferes with the roller 92 and it is difficult to lower the article W1 to be transferred from the hand device 6 onto the station 4.

  Therefore, by providing the lifting / lowering body 91 in the station 4, the article to be transferred W <b> 1 moved by the hand device 6 can be temporarily placed on the lifting / lowering body 91 and unloaded.

  When the article to be transported W1 is placed on the lifting / lowering body 91 from the hand device 6 in this way, the electric motor 24 is driven by the control of the control section 7, and the pin 59 is the end of the article to be transported W1. The moving body 17 moves away from the support body 16 away from the support body 16, and the nipping of the article to be transferred W1 is released.

  Further, along with the release of the clamping, the holding portion 85 is raised by driving the cylinder 42 and the contact portion 87 is separated from the upper surface of the article to be transferred W1, and the holding of the article to be transferred W1 by the holding body 18 is also released, as shown in FIG. As shown, the article to be transferred W1 is placed on the plate 93 substantially horizontally.

  Further, the hand device 6 moves in the horizontal direction so that the support 16 is separated from the article W1 to be moved away from the station 4 based on the operation of the robot arm 9.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the hand device 6 once moves upward, and again moves upward above the placement position of the first transport device 2.

  Further, at the station 4 of the second transfer device 3, the elevating body 91 is lowered, the transferred article W1 is placed on the roller 92, and the transferred article W1 is transferred by the second transfer device 3. The

  Further, the article W2 is similarly transferred, and then the lower articles W3 and W4 are sequentially transferred in the same manner, and the articles W of each stage are transferred.

  And according to such an article transport apparatus 1, the hand apparatus 6 has the support body 16 which has the lower support part 34 which supports the article W1 to be transferred from the lower part, and the article W1 to be transferred by the approach movement with respect to the support body 16. Since the movable body 17 is moved on the lower support portion 34, the article to be transferred W1 can be appropriately transferred. That is, even if the article to be transported W1 is a set of a plurality of sheet bodies stacked like a bundle of unbound bags, for example, the placement position is determined by the movement of the movable body 17 relative to the support body 16. Therefore, the set of articles to be transferred W1 can be transferred without being separated. Further, while supporting the article to be transferred W1 on the lower support portion, the article to be transferred W1 can be held between the support 16 and the moving body 17 and transferred to the station 4 at a predetermined position. Therefore, for example, the article W can be appropriately transferred from the placement position to a predetermined position without being affected by the type, shape, and loading pattern of the article W.

  For example, even when each article W is transported to the placement position separately by the first transport device 2 without being stacked, it can be appropriately transferred to the station 4 by the hand device 6.

  Since the moving body 17 has a pin 59 as a vertically moving portion that can move in the up and down direction, the pin 59 is moved up and down in accordance with the shape and loading pattern of the article W placed on the pallet P at the placement position. The article to be transferred W1 can be moved more reliably from the placement position onto the lower support portion.

  Since the pin 59 is biased downward, even if the lowering of the moving body 17 is not precisely controlled, for example, once the tip of the pin 59 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the article W2, the moving body 17 is moved horizontally. It is possible to easily adapt to the level difference between the article W2 and the article W3 only by moving it, and the tip of the pin 59 can be brought into close contact with the article W3. For example, even if the article W is an unbound bag bundle, 1 The pair of articles W can be reliably moved onto the lower support portion 34 without falling apart.

  The tip position of the pin 59 of the moving body 17 urged by the springs 71 and 72 changes vertically according to the contact state with the article W. Accordingly, the pin 59 moves up and down while following the undulation on the surface of the article W3 even if the surface (top surface) of the article W3 immediately below the article W1 on which the article to be transferred W is placed is undulated. Since the contact state with the side surface of W1 can be secured, the article to be transferred W1 can be reliably moved to the support 16. The mobile body 17 having such a configuration is particularly effective when applied to an article whose upper surface is difficult to be flat when stacked, such as sheets, paper bags, craft bags, and cloth.

  Note that the loading pattern of the articles W is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, and can be determined as appropriate according to the shape and type of the article. For example, one set of articles W is provided for each stage. The number of articles W in each stage can be determined as appropriate, such as a configuration in which is placed.

  Further, the article W is not limited to a configuration directly placed on the pallet P. For example, an object different from the article W such as a cover sheet is placed on the pallet P, and the article W is placed thereon. May be configured.

  In the case where the article W is placed on the pallet P via the sheet body or the like in this way, the other article W and other objects other than the article to be transported W1 are placed by the holding body 19. Held in position.

  Although the hand device 6 is configured to include the holding body 19 and the presser body 18, the movable body 17 moves closer to the support body 16, so that the article W1 to be transferred is placed on the lower support portion 34. The holding body 19 and the presser body 18 may be provided as long as the structure is moved to the position.

  Further, the holding body 19 may be operated after the article to be transferred W1 is shifted from the placement position to the outside of the stacking pattern (on the holding body 19 side). For example, it is used when articles W facing the same direction are stacked. In this case, the control unit 7 first brings the moving body 17 into contact with the side surface of the article to be transferred W1 by the movement of the hand device 6 so that a part of the article to be transferred W1 is positioned outside the stacking pattern. The article to be transferred W1 is moved to expose the surfaces (top surfaces) of the articles W3 and W4 immediately below the article to be transferred W1. Next, the holding body 19 is lowered and pressed against the surfaces of the articles W3 and W4, and the articles W other than the article to be transferred W1 are held at the placement position. Then, the article W1 to be transferred can be moved to the support 16 side by the movement of the moving body 17 with the article W other than the article to be transferred W1 held in the placement position in this way.

  Although the moving body 17 has a configuration including the elongated member 54, the moving body 17 is not limited to such a configuration, and the article to be transferred W1 can be moved onto the lower support portion 34 by moving closer to the support body 16. Any configuration may be used.

  Further, the longitudinal member 54 is not limited to the configuration having the rod-shaped pin 59 as shown in FIG. 7, and may be configured by, for example, an elongated plate-like member. In addition to the pins, the vertically moving portion may adopt a structure in which cylindrical bodies are combined in multiple stages, a pantograph structure, a parallel link structure, or the like. In other words, it is possible to employ a structure in which the position of the lower end of the vertically moving portion rises as the force from below increases and descends as the force from below decreases.

  In the case of the configuration in which the longitudinal member 54 has the pin 59, the configuration is not limited to a configuration in which the pin 59 can move in the vertical direction, and a configuration in which the pin 59 does not move in the vertical direction may be used. When the pin 59 does not move in the vertical direction, the moving body 17 is controlled to stop the descent of the moving body 17 when the tip of the pin 59 comes into contact with the upper surface of the article W2 due to the lowering of the moving body 17, and the article W2 and the article What is necessary is just to control the robot arm 9 and the moving body 17 suitably, such as controlling the movement of the moving body 17 so as to follow the stage with W3.

  In the case of a configuration in which the pin 59 is movable in the vertical direction, the configuration is not limited to a configuration in which the pin 59 is biased downward, and the pin 59 is configured to move by driving means such as a cylinder or a motor. As long as it is movable in the vertical direction, any configuration may be used.

  Further, the location where the tip of the pin 59 comes into contact with the lowering of the moving body 17 is not limited to the upper surface of the article W2, and the upper surface of the article W3 is in contact with the gap between the article to be transferred W1 and the article W2. Good.

  The pin 59 is configured to have the groove portion 73 in the vicinity of the tip portion. However, the pin 59 is not limited to such a configuration, and the transported article W1 at the placement position is moved downward by the approaching movement of the moving body 17 to the support body 16. The shape can be appropriately selected as long as it can be moved to 34 and the transferred article W1 can be held together with the support 16.

1 Article transfer device 6 Hand device
16 Support
17 Mobile
19 Holder
34 Lower support
59 Pins as vertical moving parts W Goods

Claims (7)

A hand device used in an article transfer device for transferring the article from a placement position where the article is placed,
A support body having a lower support portion for supporting an article to be transferred from below;
A moving body that abuts on the side surface of the article and moves the article on the lower support portion from the above-described placement position by moving closer to the support;
The mobile device includes a vertical movement unit that is movable in a vertical direction. The leading end of the moving body contacts the surface of the object located below the article to be moved from the placement position onto the lower support portion, and the shape of the surface changes as the moving body approaches the support. The hand device according to claim 1, wherein the hand device moves up and down in response. A hand device used in an article transfer device for transferring an article from a placement position where the article is placed,
A support body having a lower support portion for supporting an article to be transferred from below;
By moving closer to the support, a moving body that contacts the side surface of the article and moves the article from the placement position onto the lower support portion;
A holding device that holds an object other than the article to be moved at the placement position when the article is moved from the placement position onto the lower support by the movable body. The holding body presses at least one of the objects other than the article to be moved from the placement position onto the lower support portion by the moving body and holds the object in the placement position. Hand device. The hand device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the holding body is arranged at a position farther from the support than a position where the moving body is farthest from the support. An article transfer device comprising the hand device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Hold an object other than the article to be transferred at the mounting position,
The article to be transferred is moved between the moving body and the support body by moving the article to be transferred from the mounting position on the lower support portion of the support body based on the movement of the moving body,
An article transfer method comprising transferring the sandwiched article to a predetermined position.

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