JP2021017347A - Transfer device, method of transfer, and robot hand - Google Patents

Abstract

To be capable of transferring even an insufficiently-regulated work.SOLUTION: The transfer device includes a robot hand and transfers a work forming a bulk body. The robot hand includes: a suction unit that sucks the work in a row unit; and a holding plate that holds the work in a row unit being sucked by the suction unit between it and the suction unit. A row of suction holes that suck the work by negative pressure can be formed on the front face of the suction unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a transfer device, a transfer method, and a robot hand that are suitable for transferring a work (object to be transferred) to a downstream line in a row unit.

In the work of transferring the works arranged vertically and horizontally to the downstream line, there are a method of using a magnetic force and a method of using a negative pressure by a vacuum pump or the like in order to attract the works.

In the case of the method using magnetic force, the material of the work is limited to a magnetic material such as steel. Therefore, for example, a work made of a material other than the magnetic material such as a PET bottle made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is used. There is a problem that it cannot be sucked.

When using negative pressure, the work must be placed accurately with respect to the position of the vacuum pad that generated the negative pressure, so it is necessary to regulate the work (align it in an appropriate position) prior to suction. ..

As a method for regulating the work, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a regular arrangement in which the work is pressed and regulated from four directions.

JP-A-2017-1410668

According to the regulation device described in Patent Document 1, in the case of a work (for example, an aluminum can, a steel can, etc.) formed of materials that slide with each other, sufficient regulation can be performed.

However, in the case of workpieces made of materials that do not slide with each other (for example, PET bottles), it may not be possible to regulate the workpiece in an appropriate position even with a regulating device. In this case, the workpiece is transferred to the downstream line. There are things you can't do.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to enable reprinting of a work having insufficient regulation.

The present invention includes a plurality of means for solving at least a part of the above problems, and examples thereof are as follows.

In order to solve the above problems, the regulating device according to one aspect of the present invention is a transfer device including a robot hand and transferring a work forming a bulk body, and the robot hand transfers the work. It is characterized by having a suction unit that sucks in a row unit and a grip plate that sandwiches the work in a row unit sucked by the suction unit between the suction unit.

A row of suction holes for sucking the work can be formed on the front surface of the suction unit by a negative pressure.

A plurality of rows of suction holes can be formed in the vertical direction on the front surface of the suction unit.

The plurality of rows of the suction holes formed on the front surface of the suction unit can be formed so that the non-opening portions of the suction holes do not overlap at any position in the horizontal direction.

A convex portion can be formed on the front surface of the suction unit, and the suction hole can be formed on the convex portion.

The convex portion of the suction unit can be formed so that the shape substantially matches the concave portion on the side surface of the work.

The curvature of the convex portion of the suction unit can be formed to be smaller than the curvature of the concave portion on the side surface of the work.

The robot hand has a first grip plate moving portion that moves the grip plate in the vertical direction, and a second grip plate moving portion that moves the grip plate in the horizontal direction to bring the grip plate closer to the suction unit. Can be done.

A non-slip can be attached to the surface of the grip plate.

The transfer device can include a robot arm and an arm tip that is attached to the tip of the robot arm and holds the robot hand detachably.

The regulation method according to another aspect of the present invention is a transfer method using a transfer device provided with a robot hand and transferring a work forming a bulk body, wherein the robot hand has a suction unit and a grip. The suction unit has a plate, and the suction unit presses and regulates the work for one stage that has been regulated from a predetermined direction, and the suction unit sucks the pressed work in rows. It is characterized in that the suction step of pulling out and the narrowing step of sandwiching the work between the gripping plate and the suction unit in a row unit are executed.

In the narrowing step, the grip plate is moved in the vertical direction, the grip plate is inserted behind the pulled-out work, and the grip plate is moved in the horizontal direction to approach the suction unit. , The work can be sandwiched between the suction unit and the work in rows.

The robot hand according to still another aspect of the present invention is a robot hand of a robot that transfers a work forming a bulk body, and is a suction unit that sucks the work in a row unit and a suction unit that sucks the work. It is characterized by including a grip plate for sandwiching the work in row units between the work and the suction unit.

According to the present invention, even a work with insufficient regulation can be reprinted.

Issues, configurations and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a shape of a PET bottle as an example of a work. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a bulk body in which workpieces are stacked. FIG. 3 shows an example of a bulk body in which the work is arranged at an appropriate position. FIG. 3A is a top view of the bulk body, and FIG. 3B is a side view of the bulk body. FIG. 4 shows an example of a bulk body in which the work is displaced from an appropriate position. FIG. 4A is a top view of the bulk body, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the bulk body. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a regulating device. FIG. 6 shows an example of how the work can be properly regulated. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a state before regulation, and FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a state after regulation. FIG. 7 shows an example of a state in which the workpiece could not be properly regulated. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing a state before regulation, and FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a state after regulation. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 9A and 9B show a configuration example of a robot hand of the transfer device, FIG. 9A shows a state in which the grip plate is raised, FIG. 9B shows a state in which the grip plate is lowered, and FIG. 9C shows a state in which the grip plate is lowered. It is a figure which shows the state which held the work by the gripping plate and the suction unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a grip plate viewed from the suction unit side. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a suction unit seen from the grip plate side. FIG. 12 is a top view showing a configuration example of a robot hand in the transfer device of FIG. 13A and 13B show an example of the suction unit, FIG. 13A is a partial front view of the suction unit, and FIG. 13B is a side view of the suction unit. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the work transfer process by the regulation device and the transfer device. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the state of the work transfer process. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a modified example of the transfer device. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a robot hand in a modified example of the transfer device. FIG. 18 is a top view showing a configuration example of a robot hand including a suction unit. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a state in which the separate sheet is adsorbed by the adsorption unit. FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a work transfer process according to a modification of the regulation device and the transfer device. 21A and 21B are three views for explaining the effect of the present embodiment, FIG. 21A is a diagram showing the operation of the present embodiment, and FIG. 21B is a diagram showing the operation of the prior art. .. 22A and 22B are diagrams for explaining the effect of the present embodiment, FIG. 22A is a diagram showing the operation of the present embodiment, and FIG. 22B is a diagram showing the operation of the prior art.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in all the drawings for explaining the embodiment, in principle, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals, and the repeated description thereof will be omitted. Further, in the following embodiments, it goes without saying that the components (including element steps and the like) are not necessarily essential unless otherwise specified or clearly considered to be essential in principle. No. In addition, when saying "consisting of A", "consisting of A", "having A", and "including A", other elements are excluded unless it is clearly stated that it is only that element. It goes without saying that it is not something to do. Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of a component or the like, substantially the shape, etc., unless otherwise specified or when it is considered that it is not apparent in principle. It shall include those similar to or similar to.

<Outline of this embodiment>
First, an outline of the transfer device according to the present embodiment will be described. The transfer device according to the present embodiment is used for the work of transferring the work from the bulk body in which the work is stacked to the downstream line in units of rows. Specifically, for example, in a factory for soft drinks, PET bottles are lined up in a downstream line that transports PET bottles from a bulk body in which empty PET bottles are stacked to a process of filling soft drinks and the like. It is used for the work of transferring in units.

FIG. 1 shows a PET bottle which is an example of the work W to be transferred. The PET bottle has a circular horizontal cross section and has a recess 1 on the side surface. However, the shape of the PET bottle as the work W is not limited to that shown in the figure. For example, the horizontal cross section of the PET bottle may be a polygon such as a quadrangle, or the side surface may not be recessed. Further, the work W is not limited to the PET bottle.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a bulk body 4 in which PET bottles as work W are stacked. In the case of the figure, in the bulk body 4, the work W is arranged vertically and horizontally in the horizontal direction on the pallet 3 to form one step, and a separate sheet 2 is sandwiched between the steps (in the figure). In the case, 8 steps) are laminated. In general, in the bulk body 4, the work W is often laminated in 3 to 10 stages.

The work W in the bulk body 4 may deviate from an appropriate arrangement due to a defect in the process of forming the bulk body 4, contact in the transportation process of the bulk body 4, or the like.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a bulk body 4 in which a PET bottle as a work W is arranged at an appropriate position. FIG. 3A is a top view of the bulk body 4, and FIG. 3B is a bulk body. It is a side view of 4. However, the figure (B) shows the work W for two stages. As shown in the figure, when the work W is aligned at an appropriate position, the adjustment by the adjusting device 20 (FIG. 5) is unnecessary or only a light adjustment is required.

Next, FIG. 4 shows an example of the bulk body 4 in which the PET bottle as the work W is arranged so as to be displaced from an appropriate position, and FIG. 4A is a top view of the bulk body 4 and the figure (A). B) is a side view of the bulk body 4. However, in the figure (B), the work W is shown for only two stages. As shown in the figure (A), the work W may be displaced in the horizontal direction, or as shown in the figure (B), the work W may be displaced in the vertical direction. The horizontal deviation shown in FIG. 6A is corrected by using the adjusting device 20, but it may not be adjusted to an appropriate position.

Next, FIG. 5 shows a configuration example of the adjusting device 20 for correcting the deviation of the work W.

The regulation device 20 includes a base member 21a, 21b, a movable member 22, a regulation member 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f, and a pallet conveyor 26. Further, the regulation device 20 includes a plurality of power units (reference numerals omitted) including a movable member 22 and a motor or the like for moving the regulation members 23a to 23f. The movements of the movable member 22, the regulating members 23a to 23f, and the pallet conveyor 26 are controlled by the control device 100 (FIG. 8).

The base members 21a and 21b are formed in a columnar shape, and are installed on the floor surface so that the longitudinal direction thereof is orthogonal to the floor surface. In the example of the figure, two base members 21 are provided, but the number of base members 21 may be one or three or more.

The movable member 22 is formed in a columnar shape, and is provided on the base members 21a and 21b so that the longitudinal direction thereof is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the base members 21a and 21b. Further, the movable member 22 is attached to the base members 21a and 21b so that the work W forming the bulk body 4 can be moved in the stacking direction (z-axis direction).

The regulating members 23a and 23b are formed in a plate shape and are provided on the movable member 22 so as to extend in the x-axis direction. Further, the regulating members 23a and 23b are attached to the movable member 22 so that they can move in the directions facing each other (y-axis direction).

The regulation members 23c and 23d are formed in a plate shape and are provided on the regulation member 23b so as to extend in the y-axis-direction. Further, the regulation members 23c and 23d are attached to the regulation members 23b so that they can move in directions facing each other (x-axis direction).

The regulation members 23e and 23f are formed in a plate shape and are provided on the regulation member 23a so as to extend in the y-axis + direction. The regulating members 23e and 23f are attached to the regulating members 23a so that they can move in directions facing each other (x-axis direction).

The regulating members 23a to 23f are configured so that their respective heights are located on the same xy plane. Further, the area surrounded by the regulating members 23a to 23f has an area for accommodating the bulk body 4 placed on the pallet conveyor 26. The inner surfaces of the regulation members 23a to 23f function as the front surface of the regulation member that presses the outer peripheral side surface of the work W.

The bulk body 4 is placed on the pallet conveyor 26. The pallet conveyor 26 conveys the mounted bulk body 4 to the front of the regulating device 20.

In the regulation device 20, the pallet conveyor 26 conveys the bulk body 4 directly under the area surrounded by the regulation members 23a to 23f, and the movable member 22 moves in the z-axis direction to move the regulation members 23a to 23f to a desired height. Move to. Then, the work W of the bulk body 4 can be regulated by moving the regulating members 23a to 23f on the xy plane and pressing the work W.

Next, FIG. 6 shows an example of how the PET bottle as the work W can be properly regulated by the regulation device 20, FIG. 6A is a state before regulation, and FIG. 6B is a state after regulation. Indicates the state of. According to the regulation device 20, the work W can be aligned at an appropriate position by pressing the work W from four directions by the regulation members 23a to 23f. However, it may not be possible to regulate depending on the material, shape, and arrangement before regulation of the work W.

Next, FIG. 7 shows an example of a state in which the work W could not be properly regulated by the regulation device 20, FIG. 7 (A) shows a state before regulation, and FIG. 7 (B) shows a state after regulation. Shown. As described above, when the work W is made of a material that does not slide with each other, or as shown in FIG. 3A, the rows of the work W with respect to the surfaces of the regulation members 23a to 23f of the regulation device 20. If is tilted, the work W may not be able to be adjusted to an appropriate position as shown in FIG.

In the transfer device according to the present embodiment, the work W properly regulated as shown in FIG. 6 (B) is naturally in an appropriate position even after the regulation as shown in FIG. 7 (B). This is to realize the transfer of the work W, which is slightly deviated from the above, in column units.

<Structure example of transfer device 30 according to this embodiment>
Next, FIG. 8 shows a configuration example of the transfer device 30 according to the present embodiment.

The transfer device 30 is, for example, an arm-type robot, and includes an installation base 31, a body 32, a robot arm 33, an arm tip 34, and a robot hand 40. The transfer device 30 is installed at a position facing the pallet conveyor 26 with the regulation device 20 shown in FIG. 5, for example.

The installation base 31 is fixed to the floor surface via the installation base frame 31b. The body 32 is provided on the installation base 31 and can rotate about the z-axis. The base of the robot arm 33 is fixed to the body 32, and the arm tip 34 provided at the tip of the robot arm 33 is arranged above the body 32.

The body 32 has a built-in mechanism such as a drive unit for operating the robot arm 33 and a drive unit (both not shown) for operating the body 32. Each drive unit built in the body 32 is connected to a control device 100 installed outside the transfer device 30, and the operation (rotation direction, rotation speed, etc.) of each drive unit is controlled by the control device 100. To. The control device 100 may be installed in the body 32.

The robot arm 33 is configured by connecting a plurality of links with a plurality of joints, and by interlocking the joints, the positions of the robot arm 33 can be moved in the x-axis direction and the z-axis direction while maintaining the posture of the arm tip portion 34. Can be moved to. The robot arm 33 can also rotate the arm tip portion 34 around the z-axis as the body 32 rotates.

The arm tip 34 holds the robot hand 40 detachably. The drive unit 35 provided at the arm tip portion 34 can rotate around its axis P1. Therefore, the robot hand 40 held by the drive unit 35 can rotate as the drive unit 35 rotates around the axis P1. The axis P1 is normally controlled to be vertical, but may be controlled to be tilted.

The robot hand 40 includes a suction unit 44 and a grip plate 47. The suction unit 44 is formed in a box shape, and a pipe connecting portion 443 (FIG. 11) is provided on the upper surface thereof, and a suction hole 442 (FIG. 11) is provided on the front surface thereof (the surface facing the work W). There is. A pipe (not shown) connected to the vacuum pump is connected to the pipe connecting portion 443. Then, the suction unit 44 sucks the work W by the negative pressure generated in the suction hole 442. A blower may be used instead of the vacuum pump.

The grip plate 47 can be moved in the z-axis-direction (lower side of the drawing) and the x-axis-direction (right side of the drawing), and the work W sucked by the suction unit 44 is placed between the grip plate 47 and the suction unit 44. Hold it tight.

Next, FIG. 9 shows a detailed configuration example of the robot hand 40. FIG. 9A shows a state in which the grip plate 47 is in the initial position, and FIG. 9B shows the grip plate 47 in the z-axis − direction. The figure (C) shows a state in which the grip plate 47 is further moved in the x-axis − direction.

In addition to the suction unit 44 and the grip plate 47, the robot hand 40 has a connecting portion 41, a base member 42, a support member 43, and grip plate moving portions 45 and 46. The connecting portion 41 connects the arm tip portion 34 and the base member 42. A support member 43 is connected to the lower surface (xy surface) of the base member 42, and a suction unit 44 is connected below the support member 43. Further, a grip plate moving portion 45 is connected to the side surface (yz surface) of the base member 42.

The grip plate moving portion 45 has a grip plate moving portion 46 connected to its lower surface (xy surface) and a grip plate 47 connected to the side surface (yz surface) of the grip plate moving portion 46 from the initial position on the z-axis. -Can be moved in the direction (lower side of the drawing). The initial position of the grip plate 47 in the z-axis direction is set so that the lower end thereof is higher than the upper end of the work W.

The grip plate moving portion 46 can move the grip plate 47 from the initial position in the x-axis-direction (right side in the drawing). The initial position of the grip plate 47 in the x-axis direction is set so that the distance from the suction unit 44 is wider than the width of the work W. The grip plate moving portions 45 and 46 correspond to the first and second grip plate moving portions of the present invention.

After moving the grip plate 47 from the initial position in the z-axis-direction as shown in FIG. (B), the grip plate 47 is moved in the x-axis-direction as shown in FIG. By moving it, the work W sucked by the suction unit 44 can be sandwiched between the suction unit 44 and the grip plate 47.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the grip plate 47 moved in the z-axis − direction by the grip plate moving portion 45 is viewed from the suction unit 44 side. Is. However, the suction unit 44 is not shown.

As shown in the figure, the grip plate 47 is formed to be long in the y-axis direction, and the length thereof is formed to be at least longer than the length of one row of the work W. A non-slip 48 made of rubber plate or the like is attached to the surface (yz surface) of the grip plate 47 facing the suction unit 44 (hereinafter, referred to as the surface of the grip plate 47). As a result, it is possible to prevent the work W from slipping on the surface of the grip plate 47.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the suction unit 44 seen from the grip plate 47 side. However, the illustration of the grip plate 47 is omitted.

As shown in the figure, the suction unit 44 is formed in a box shape long in the y-axis direction like the grip plate 47, and the length thereof is formed at least longer than the length of one row of the work W. ing. A pipe connecting portion 443 for connecting a pipe connected to the vacuum pump is provided on the upper surface (xy surface) of the suction unit 44.

A convex portion 441 is provided on the front surface (yz surface) of the suction unit 44, and a suction hole 442 is formed in the convex portion 441. The details of the convex portion 441 and the suction hole 442 will be described later with reference to FIG.

FIG. 12 is a top view showing a configuration example of the robot hand 40 looking down from the arm tip 34 side. However, the illustration of the arm tip portion 34 is omitted.

As shown in the figure, the front surface of the suction unit 44 and the surface (yz surface) of the grip plate 47 are configured to be parallel to each other along the y-axis direction. As a result, the grip plate 47 is lowered to the same height as the suction unit 44 in the z-axis-direction, and further moved in the x-axis direction so as to be closer to the suction unit 44, whereby the work W sucked by the suction unit 44 is sucked. (Not shown) can be held narrowly.

Next, FIG. 13 shows an example of the suction unit 44, FIG. 13A shows a partial front view of the suction unit 44, and FIG. 13B shows a side view of the suction unit 44.

As shown in FIG. 6A, a plurality of rows of suction holes 442 long in the horizontal direction are provided in the z-axis direction (two rows in the case of the same figure) on the front surface (yz surface) of the suction unit 44. Has been done.

The plurality of rows of the suction holes 442 provided on the front surface of the suction unit 44 are formed so that the non-opening portions 444 of the suction holes 442 do not overlap at any position in the y-axis direction. As a result, the suction unit 44 can suck even a work W that is slightly displaced in the y-axis direction or a work W that is slightly displaced in the z-axis direction with respect to the front surface of the suction unit 44.

The opening of the suction hole 442 is not limited to the horizontal direction, but may be oblique to the horizontal plane.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, a convex portion 441 is formed on the front surface (yz surface) of the suction unit 44 so that its shape substantially matches the concave portion 1 of the PET bottle as the work W to be sucked. Has been done. It is desirable that the curvature of the convex portion 441 is smaller than the curvature of the concave portion 1 of the PET bottle. As a result, the suction unit 44 can be brought into close contact with the concave portion 1 of the PET bottle as the work W at the convex portion 441, and the work W can be sucked more reliably.

<Work transfer processing by the regulating device 20 (FIG. 5) and the transfer device 30 (FIG. 8)>
Next, FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the work transfer process by the regulation device 20 and the transfer device 30. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the state of the work transfer process.

The work transfer process is a process executed for the entire bulk body 4, and is started in response to a predetermined operation from the user. As a premise, it is assumed that the bulk body 4 is placed on the pallet conveyor 26 of the regulation device 20.

First, the pallet conveyor 26 of the regulation device 20 conveys the mounted bulk body 4 between the regulation device 20 and the transfer device 30 according to the control from the control device 100 (step S1).

Next, after removing the uppermost separate sheet 2 of the bulk body 4 by human power or another device, the regulation device 20 moves the movable member 22 in the z-axis direction in accordance with the control from the control device 100. The regulating members 23a to 23f are moved to the height of the uppermost stage of the bulk body 4. Then, as shown in the upper left side of FIG. 15, the regulating members 23a to 23f are moved to the work W side on the xy plane to press and regulate the work W from four directions (step S2).

Next, the regulation device 20 opens the regulation front surface by the regulation members 23d and 23f among the regulation members 23a to 23f as shown in the middle left side of FIG. 15 according to the control from the control device 100 (step S3).

Next, the transfer device 30 moves the robot hand 40 in accordance with the control from the control device 100 to suck the work W from the open surface as shown in the lower left and upper center of FIG. The work W is regulated by pressing the unit 44 (step S4).

Next, the transfer device 30 moves the robot hand 40 in the x-axis direction while sucking the work W by the suction unit 44 as shown in the middle center of FIG. 15 according to the control from the control device 100. The work W for one row is pulled out in the x-axis direction to widen the distance between the first row and the second row of the work W (step S5).

Next, the transfer device 30 was pulled out as shown in the lower center of FIG. 15 by moving the grip plate 47 in the z-axis − direction by the grip plate moving unit 45 in accordance with the control from the control device 100. The grip plate 47 is inserted between the first row and the second row of the work W (behind the pulled-out work W) (step S6).

Next, the transfer device 30 moves the grip plate 47 in the x-axis direction by the grip plate moving portion 46 according to the control from the control device 100, so that the grip plate 47 and the grip plate 47 are as shown in the upper right side of FIG. A row of work W is sandwiched between the suction unit 44 and the work W (step S7).

Next, the transfer device 30 moves the robot hand 40 with one row of work W sandwiched between the grip plate 47 and the suction unit 44 in accordance with the control from the control device 100. As shown in the middle right side and the lower right side of 15, the work W for one row is moved to the downstream line to release the narrowing of the work W (step S8). As a result, one row of work W has been transferred to the downstream line.

Next, the control device 100 determines whether or not the transfer of all the works W arranged in the first stage to be processed by the bulk body 4 is completed (step S9). When it is determined that all the work Ws arranged in the first stage to be processed are not transferred to the downstream line, that is, the work W remains in the first stage to be processed (NO in step S9). , The control device 100 returns the process to step S4 and repeats steps S4 to S9.

After that, the control device 100 has transferred all the work W arranged in the first stage to be processed of the bulk body 4 to the downstream line, that is, the work W does not remain in the first stage to be processed. If it is determined (YES in step S9), then the control device 100 determines whether or not the transfer of all stages of the bulk body 4 has been completed (step S10). When it is determined that the transfer of all the stages of the bulk body 4 has not been completed, that is, there are still stages that are not to be processed (NO in step S10), the control device 100 returns the processing to step S2. , Steps S2 to S10 are repeated.

After that, when the control device 100 determines that the transfer of all stages of the bulk body 4 has been completed (YES in step S10), the work transfer process is completed.

According to the work transfer process described above, even if the work W is slightly deviated from an appropriate position, it can be sandwiched between the grip plate 47 and the suction unit 44, so that it is surely downstream. It will be possible to transfer to the line. However, as described above, it is necessary to remove the separate sheet 2 provided between each stage of the bulk body 4 manually or by another device.

<Modification example of transfer device 30>
Next, FIG. 16 shows a configuration example of the transfer device 50, which is a modification of the transfer device 30 according to the present embodiment.

The transfer device 50 is a robot hand 40 of the transfer device 30 (FIG. 8) with a suction unit 60 added. The components other than the suction unit 60 of the transfer device 50 are designated by the same reference numerals as the components of the transfer device 30, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, FIG. 17 shows a configuration example of the robot hand 40 including the suction unit 60. FIG. 18 is a top view showing a configuration example of the robot hand 40 including the suction unit 60, looking down from the arm tip 34 side. However, the illustration of the arm tip portion 34 is omitted.

The suction unit 60 has a connection portion 61, a base member 62, a plurality of moving portions 63, a plurality of support members 64, and a plurality of suction portions 65. The connecting portion 61 connects the arm tip portion 34 and the base member 62. The base member 62 connects the base member 42 to its lower surface (xy surface) via the connecting portion 41. Further, the moving portion 63 is connected to both side surfaces (yz surfaces) of the base member 62. The moving portion 63 moves the support member 64 provided with the suction portions 65 at both ends in the z-axis direction so that the suction portion 65 moves from a position higher than the lower end of the grip plate 47 to a position lower than the suction unit 44. You can move to. The suction unit 65 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) like the suction unit 44, and can suck an object (for example, a separate sheet 2).

In the case of FIG. 18, the suction unit 60 has four suction portions 65. However, the number of suction portions 65 is not limited to 4. The plurality of suction units 65 can suck an object spreading on the xy surface, such as a separate sheet 2.

Next, in FIG. 19, when the moving unit 63 moves the support member 64 in the z-axis − direction, the suction unit 65 is moved to a position lower than the suction unit 44, and the suction unit 65 sucks the separate sheet 2. Indicates the state of As shown in the figure, if the separate sheet 2 is adsorbed by the suction unit 60 and removed from the bulk body 4, the user's labor for removing the separate sheet 2 can be saved.

<Work transfer processing by the regulating device 20 (FIG. 5) and the transfer device 50 (FIG. 16)>
Next, FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the work transfer process by the regulation device 20 and the transfer device 50.

The work transfer process is a process executed for the entire bulk body 4, and is started in response to a predetermined operation from the user. As a premise, it is assumed that the bulk body 4 is placed on the pallet conveyor 26 of the regulation device 20.

First, the pallet conveyor 26 of the regulation device 20 conveys the mounted bulk body 4 between the regulation device 20 and the transfer device 50 according to the control from the control device 100 (step S21). Next, the transfer device 50 moves the robot hand 40 according to the control from the control device 100, and the suction unit 60 sucks and removes the separate sheet 2 on the upper surface of the bulk body 4, which hinders the subsequent steps. It is moved to a position where it does not become (step S22).

Next, the regulation device 20 moves the movable member 22 in the z-axis direction according to the control from the control device 100, thereby moving the regulation members 23a to 23f to the height of the uppermost stage of the bulk body 4, and the regulation member 23a. By moving ~ 23f to the work W side on the xy plane, the work W is pressed and regulated from four directions (step S23). Next, the regulation device 20 opens the regulation front surface by the regulation members 23d and 23f among the regulation members 23a to 23f according to the control from the control device 100 (step S24).

Next, the transfer device 50 regulates the work W by moving the robot hand 40 in accordance with the control from the control device 100 and pressing the suction unit 44 against the work W from the opened surface ( Step S25). Next, the transfer device 50 moves the robot hand 40 in the x-axis direction while sucking the work W by the suction unit 44 according to the control from the control device 100, so that the work W for one row is moved in the x-axis direction. To widen the distance between the first row and the second row of the work W (step S26).

Next, the transfer device 50 moves the grip plate 47 in the z-axis-direction by the grip plate moving unit 45 in accordance with the control from the control device 100, so that the first row and the second row of the drawn work W are drawn. The grip plate 47 is inserted between the two (step S27). Next, the transfer device 50 moves the grip plate 47 in the x-axis direction by the grip plate moving portion 46 according to the control from the control device 100, so that one row is provided between the grip plate 47 and the suction unit 44. Work W is narrowed down (step S28).

Next, the transfer device 50 moves the robot hand 40 with one row of work W sandwiched between the grip plate 47 and the suction unit 44 in accordance with the control from the control device 100. The work W for the row is moved to the downstream line, and the work W is released from being narrowed (step S29). As a result, one row of work W has been transferred to the downstream line.

Next, the control device 100 determines whether or not the transfer of all the works W arranged in the first stage to be processed by the bulk body 4 is completed (step S30). When it is determined that all the work Ws arranged in the first stage to be processed are not transferred to the downstream line, that is, the work W remains in the first stage to be processed (NO in step S30). , The control device 100 returns the process to step S25 and repeats steps S25 to S30.

After that, all the work Ws arranged in the first stage of the bulk body 4 to be processed by the control device 100 are transferred to the downstream line, that is, no work W remains in the first stage to be processed. If it is determined (YES in step S30), then the control device 100 determines whether or not the transfer of all the stages of the bulk body 4 has been completed (step S31). When it is determined that the transfer of all the stages of the bulk body 4 has not been completed, that is, there are still stages that are not to be processed (NO in step S31), the control device 100 returns the processing to step S22. , Steps S22 to S31 are repeated.

After that, when the control device 100 determines that the transfer of all stages of the bulk body 4 has been completed (YES in step S31), the work transfer process is completed.

According to the work transfer process described above, the grip plate 47 and the suction unit 44 can be obtained even if the work W is slightly deviated from an appropriate position without manually removing the separate sheet 2 of the bulk body 4. As a result, it can be held in the meantime, so that it can be reliably transferred to the downstream line.

<Effect of this embodiment>
Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 21 is a three-view view showing the difference between the present embodiment and the prior art when the work W is sucked in a row unit, and FIG. 21 (A) is a row unit of the work W by the suction unit 44 of the present embodiment. The state of suction of the work W is shown, and FIG. 3B shows a state of suction of the work W by the vacuum pad 110 as a conventional technique. It is assumed that each vacuum pad 110 is arranged so that the work W regulated at an appropriate position can be sucked.

As shown in FIG. 6A, when the rows of the work W after the regulation are aligned without deviation, the work W can be sucked in row units in both the present embodiment and the conventional technique.

However, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the row of the work W after the regulation is deviated in the y-axis direction or the z-axis direction, the work W can be sucked in the row unit in the present embodiment. A work W that cannot be sucked by the conventional technique is generated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the row of the work W after the regulation is deviated in the x-axis direction, the work W that cannot be sucked in both the present embodiment and the conventional technique is generated.

However, with respect to the work W that could not be sucked, in the present embodiment, the grip plate 47 moves to the suction unit 44 side and presses these work W against the suction unit 44, so that all the work W is finally sucked. Can be reprinted. On the other hand, in the prior art, there is no way to press the work W displaced in the x-axis direction to the vacuum pad 110 side, so it is necessary to perform the regulation again.

Next, FIG. 22 shows the difference between the present embodiment and the prior art when sucking the work W, and FIG. 22 (A) shows the state of sucking the work W by the suction unit 44 of the present embodiment. , FIG. 3B shows a state of suction of the work W by the vacuum pad 110 as a conventional technique. In the case of FIG. 3B, it is assumed that each vacuum pad 110 is arranged so as to suck a position slightly higher than the center of gravity of the work W.

In the case of the conventional technique shown in FIG. 3B, if the vacuum pad 110 sucks a position slightly higher than the center of gravity of the work W in the x-axis − direction, the work W may tip over. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since a plurality of rows of suction holes 442 are provided in the front surface of the suction unit 44 in the z-axis direction, the work W is moved by the suction unit 44 along the x-axis-as shown in FIG. Even if the work W is sucked in the direction, the work W can be prevented from tipping over regardless of the height of the center of gravity of the work W.

As described above, according to the transfer device 30 of the present embodiment, even a work W with insufficient regulation can be reliably transferred to the downstream line in units of rows without tipping over. .. Further, according to the transfer device 50, which is a modification thereof, the work W forming the bulk body 4 can be transferred to the downstream line in units of rows without manually removing the separate sheet 2 of the bulk body 4. This makes it possible to supply the work W without delay to the steps performed on the downstream line (for example, the step of filling the PET bottle as the work W with liquid).

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration is described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to the one including all the described configurations.

1 ... recess, 2 ... separate sheet, 3 ... pallet, 4 ... bulk body, 20 ... regulation device, 21 ... base member, 22 ... movable member, 23 ...・ Regulation member, 26 ・ ・ ・ Pallet conveyor, 30 ・ ・ ・ Transfer device, 31 ・ ・ ・ Installation base, 31b ・ ・ ・ Installation base stand, 32 ・ ・ ・ Body, 33 ・ ・ ・ Robot arm, 34 ・ ・-Arm tip, 35 ... Drive, 40 ... Robot hand, 41 ... Connection, 42 ... Base member, 43 ... Support member, 44 ... Suction unit, 45, 46 ... grip plate moving part, 47 ... grip plate, 48 ... non-slip, 50 ... transfer device, 60 ... suction unit, 61 ... connection part, 62 ... base member , 63 ... moving part, 64 ... support member, 65 ... suction part, 100 ... control device, 110 ... vacuum pad, 441 ... convex part, 442 ... suction hole, 443 ... Pipe connection part, 444 ... Non-opening part, P1 ... Shaft, W ... Work

Claims (13)

A transfer device equipped with a robot hand to transfer workpieces forming a bulk body.
The robot hand
A suction unit that sucks the work in rows and
A grip plate that holds the work in units of rows sucked by the suction unit between the suction unit and the grip plate.
A transfer device characterized by having. The transfer device according to claim 1.
A transfer device characterized in that a row of suction holes for sucking the work is formed on the front surface of the suction unit by a negative pressure. The transfer device according to claim 2.
A transfer device characterized in that a plurality of rows of suction holes are vertically formed on the front surface of the suction unit. The transfer device according to claim 3.
The plurality of rows of the suction holes formed on the front surface of the suction unit are formed so that the non-opening portions of the suction holes do not overlap at any position in the horizontal direction. Mounting device. The transfer device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.
A convex portion is formed on the front surface of the suction unit.
The transfer device, characterized in that the suction hole is formed in the convex portion. The transfer device according to claim 5.
A transfer device characterized in that the convex portion of the suction unit substantially matches the shape of the concave portion on the side surface of the work. The transfer device according to claim 5.
A transfer device characterized in that the curvature of the convex portion of the suction unit is smaller than the curvature of the concave portion on the side surface of the work. The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
The robot hand
A first grip plate moving portion that moves the grip plate in the vertical direction,
A second grip plate moving portion that moves the grip plate in the horizontal direction to bring it closer to the suction unit,
A transfer device characterized by having. The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
A transfer device characterized in that a non-slip is attached to the surface of the grip plate. The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
With the robot arm
An arm tip that is attached to the tip of the robot arm and holds the robot hand detachably.
A transfer device characterized by comprising. It is a transfer method using a transfer device that has a robot hand and transfers the work forming the bulk body.
The robot hand
With the suction unit
With the grip plate
Have,
A regulation step in which the suction unit presses and regulates one step of the work that has been regulated from a predetermined direction,
The suction unit sucks the pressed work in rows and pulls it out.
A narrowing step in which the work is sandwiched between the grip plate and the suction unit in a row unit, and
A transfer method characterized by executing. The transfer method according to claim 11.
The narrowing step
By moving the grip plate in the vertical direction, the grip plate is inserted behind the pulled-out work.
A transfer method characterized in that the work is narrowed in rows with the suction unit by moving the grip plate in the horizontal direction and bringing it closer to the suction unit. It is a robot hand of a robot that transfers the work forming a bulk body.
A suction unit that sucks the work in rows and
A grip plate that holds the work in units of rows sucked by the suction unit between the suction unit and the grip plate.
A robot hand characterized by being equipped with.

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