JP2022146978A - Supply system of unpacking work-piece, and supply method of unpacking the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a supply system of unpacking a binding work-piece, the supply system capable of stably conveying the binding work-piece, that is less likely to receive restrictions caused by shape of a work-piece/quality of a material; and to provide a method therefor.SOLUTION: According to a supply system of unpacking a binding work-piece for conveying the binding work-piece on a supply table to a discharge table with a robot, for unpacking the binding work-piece; the robot that is one robot provided with two multi-joint arms, or two robots each provided with one multi-joint arm comprises image recognition means capable of acquiring positional information about the binding work-piece on the supply table and a string of the binding work-piece, and two work hands each connected to one end of the two multi-joint arms. The two work hands each comprise holding means for the string of the binding work-piece and cutting means for the string of the binding work-piece. A method comprises the steps of: recognizing a position of the string of the binding work-piece on the supply table with the image recognition means, and inserting the holding means provided to each of the two work hands in between the work-piece and the string.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a system and method for supplying bundled works in which plate-shaped works such as cardboard and booklets are bundled with strings to an automatic machine such as an automatic box making machine.

When multiple plate-shaped works such as cardboard and booklets are transported together, they are often bundled with vinyl strings or polypropylene bands and bundled into a bundle (tied work). The bundled workpieces in a bundled state are heavy, and the work of lifting the bundled workpieces and placing them on an automatic machine, such as using a knife to cut the bundled strings, is laborious and complicated. Attempts have already been made to automate this process using a robot or the like, and as a conventional patent, a system for supplying a bundle of booklets from a pallet to a wrapping device using a single-arm robot has been proposed.

As a method of transporting these bound works, there is a method of sucking the works from above (Patent Document 1), or a method of holding the works by lifting a string or band that binds the works (Patent Document 2). Further, in Patent Document 2, in order to stably transport the bound work, a mechanism or the like is added in which, after the string of the bound work is lifted, the hand at the end of the arm holds the bound work.

JP-A-2000-103418 JP 2018-104033 A

However, the method of adsorbing and transporting as described in Patent Document 1 is susceptible to the material and unevenness of the surface of the workpiece, and there are cases where sufficient adsorption force cannot be obtained. Therefore, if the suction pressure is increased against the weight of the workpiece, the size of the suction hand tool will increase, and there is a risk that marks will remain on the suction surface of the workpiece. In addition, for works other than corrugated cardboard, paper may be laid on the upper and lower surfaces to protect the work. In that case, or when the work itself is thin and paper-like, suction gripping is not possible, and the technology of Patent Document 1 is limited in applicable targets.

In addition, in the method of holding and lifting a string or band as described in Patent Document 2, the bound work may be shaken during transportation. Especially when the workpiece is placed on the post-process automatic machine, it is necessary to change the posture of the workpiece from horizontal to vertical. It is necessary to suppress it, and there is a problem that the cycle time required for transporting and setting the work increases.

In addition, when a mechanism for sandwiching a bound work is added to a hand at the end of the arm as described in Patent Document 2, there is a problem that the range that can be handled is likely to be limited in terms of the thickness and width of the bound work. In addition, since operations such as cutting the bundled strings and changing the posture of the work according to the installation position of the automatic machine depend on peripheral devices, the entire system inevitably becomes large-scale.

Therefore, the present invention provides an unpacking and feeding system for unpacking and supplying a bound work, which can stably transport the work when unpacking and supplying the bound work, and is less subject to restrictions due to the shape and material of the work. The purpose of this study is to propose a method of unpacking and feeding.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors have made intensive development, and by operating two arms and a hand provided at the tip of the arm, the string that binds the work is lifted at two points, and each hand is attached to the work. By supporting the face material so as to press it, the support area for the work can be expanded, the work can be stably transported, and the work shape and material are less likely to be restricted, and the present invention was completed.

A bound work unpacking and supplying system according to the present invention, which advantageously solves the above-described problems, is a bound work unpacking and supplying system in which the bound works on a supply table are transported to a discharge table by a robot and unpacked, wherein the robot comprises two robots. One robot having one multi-joint arm, or two robots each having one multi-joint arm, which can acquire the position information of the binding work and the string of the binding work on the supply table. and two working hands respectively connected to one ends of the two articulated arms, each of the two working hands being a means for grasping the string of the bound work. and means for cutting the string of the bound work.

In addition, the unpacking and supplying system for bound works according to the present invention includes:
(a) the robot is a single dual-arm robot having the two articulated arms;
(b) Each of the two working hands further includes an actuator, a movable portion configured to be movable by the operation of the actuator, and a plate-like portion that can be inserted between the string of the bound work and the work. and, by the operation of the actuator, the plate-shaped portion is pressed against the bound work, and the movable portion can tighten and loosen the string of the bound work,
(c) the gripping means is configured to be able to support the work by maintaining the string in a tensioned state during transportation by the operation of the movable portion;
(d) the cutting means is configured to be able to cut the string of the bound work while it is gripped by the operation of the movable portion;
(e) The robot is configured to be able to recognize the position of the string of the bound work on the supply table and the installation position of the work on the discharge table by the image recognition means. The two working hands are configured to be able to grip two of one string of the binding work or two of a plurality of strings,
(f) further comprising a string recovery means for recovering the cut string;
etc. is considered to be a preferred embodiment.

The method for unpacking and supplying bound works of the present invention, which advantageously solves the above-mentioned problems, uses one robot having two multi-joint arms, or two robots each having one multi-joint arm. , image recognition means, and two working hands respectively connected to one ends of the two articulated arms, each of the two working hands having a string gripping means and a string gripping means. A method for unpacking and supplying a bound work for transporting a bound work on a supply table to a discharge table and unpacking the bundled work by using a robot having a cutting means, wherein the image recognition means recognizes the bound work on the supply table. recognizing the position of the string, and inserting the gripping means provided in each of the two working hands between the work and the string.

Further, the method for unpacking and supplying a bound work according to the present invention includes:
(g) the robot is a single dual-arm robot having the two articulated arms;
(h) Each of the two working hands further has an actuator, and the operation of the actuator causes the gripping means of the working hand to tighten the string of the bound work to support the work, Stable transfer of the bound work by the operation of the two articulated arms,
(i) the two working hands grip the string of the bound work at a predetermined interval and expand the supporting base surface of the gripping means to stably convey the bound work;
(j) the two working hands grip one string of the binding work at two locations or two of the plurality of strings;
(k) Each of the two working hands further has an actuator, and after one or both of the two working hands conveys the bound work to the discharge table, the actuation of the actuator causes the string to be pulled. loosening and then shifting the working hand to a position where the cord can be cut by the cutting means, and then cutting the cord by operating the actuator;
(l) When cutting the cord, the cord is cut while being gripped by the gripping means;
(m) transporting the cut cord, which is gripped by the working hand, to a cord collecting means and collecting it by the action of the multi-joint arm;
etc. is considered to be a preferred embodiment.

According to the unpacking and supplying system for bound works of the present invention, unlike a dedicated machine, two articulated arms can handle works such as corrugated cardboard of different shapes and sizes, as well as different ways of binding the strings that bind the works. It can handle the work of unpacking and supplying the bundled work and loading the work into the automatic machine.

In addition, the function of the hand for work enables stable transportation of bundled works such as cardboard bundles, cutting the string, and collecting the cut string, so the peripheral device can simply convey the bundled work and individual works. can consist of only In addition, the method of transporting the bound work by gripping the string of the bound work from above and hanging it can correspond to a relatively wide range of work sizes and thicknesses of the bound work. In addition, by using two articulated arms, it is possible to adjust the distance between the left and right arms, and it is possible to move according to various shapes. In addition, since it can be transported in a more stable posture, waiting time due to shaking of the bound work is reduced, leading to shortening of takt time.

1(a) is a top view showing a schematic configuration of a bundled work unpacking supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) and (c) show a dual-arm robot according to the same embodiment as a work hand. is inserted between the string of the binding work and the work; FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the working hand according to the embodiment, wherein (a) is a left side view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a right side view, and (d) is a top view. indicates FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for unpacking and supplying a bound work using the system for unpacking and supplying a bound work according to the above embodiment, in which (a1) and (a2) are a bound work and a working hand at the start of gripping, respectively; (b1) and (b2) are a front view and a right side view showing the relationship between the bound work and the working hand during transportation of the bound work, and (c1) and (c2) is a front view and a right side view showing the relationship between the binding work and the working hand when cutting the string of the binding work.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1(a) is a top view showing a schematic configuration of an unpacking and supplying system for bound works according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c) relate to the same embodiment. FIG. 4A is a front view and a side view showing a state in which the dual-arm robot inserts the working hand between the string of the bound work and the work; FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of the working hand according to the above embodiment. 2(a) shows a left side view, FIG. 2(b) shows a front view, FIG. 2(c) shows a right side view, and FIG. 2(d) shows a top view.

In the example of FIG. 1, the overall configuration of the unpacking and supplying system 5 for bound works includes a dual-arm robot 1, working hands 2a and 2b attached to the ends of the two arms, and a bound work 31 (hereinafter referred to as a bound work). (also referred to as a "work" including the state in which the work is unwound), and a discharge table connected to an automatic machine (not shown) such as an automatic box making device, where the work 31 is installed. 4 and .

The dual-arm robot 1 has two articulated arms 11a and 11b as arms and a recognition camera 12 as image recognition means on its head. A torso portion and waist portion having a shoulder portion connecting one ends of the articulated arms 11a and 11b, a neck portion supporting the head, and a controller storage portion may be provided. As the dual-arm robot 1, for example, a working robot manufactured by Kawada Robotics Co., Ltd., which has a configuration in which the upper body of a humanoid robot with dual arms is supported by a carriage, is used under the trade name of "NEXTAGE" (registered trademark). be able to. Note that two single-arm robots each having an independent articulated arm may be used instead of the double-arm robot.

The other ends of the articulated arms 11a and 11b are provided with tool points for fixing hand tools (working hands 2a and 2b). This tool point may be provided with an electric circuit connection mechanism or a fluid circuit attachment/detachment mechanism with the working hands 2a and 2b. By doing so, the dual-arm robot 1 can control the operations of the working hands 2a and 2b.

The working hands 2a and 2b are attached to the first and second articulated arms 11a and 11b respectively as a first working hand 2a and a second working hand 2b.

The working hands 2a and 2b each include a robot mounting portion 21 connected to the tool points of the articulated arms 11a and 11b, a string hooking plate 22, a unit fixing portion 23, an actuator 24, and a movable portion for pulling the string 32. 25, a string catch 26 for gripping the cut string 32, and a cutter part 27.

The robot mounting portion 21 has a flange shape and has fixing holes corresponding to tool points provided at one ends of the articulated arms 11 a and 11 b of the dual-arm robot 1 .

The string hooking plate 22 is a structural member that is fixed to the robot mounting portion 21 as a part of the string gripping means for the binding work 31 and has a role of supporting the weight of the binding work 31 when it is lifted. A unit fixing portion 23 is fixed on the string hooking plate 22 , and an actuator 24 , a string catch 26 and a cutter portion 27 are fixed to the unit fixing portion 23 .

The string hooking plate 22 has an obliquely cut notch end 221 for sliding between the string 32 hanging on the binding work 31 and the work 31. - 特許庁In addition, the string hooking plate 22 has a flat surface as a work pressing surface 222 on the side opposite to the surface on which the component parts of the working hands 2a and 2b are fixed.

The unit fixing part 23 has a guide slide 231 on its side as part of the means for gripping the binding work 31 , and guides the movements of the movable part 25 and the string catch 26 when they are operated by the actuator 24 . In addition, there is a fixing slide 232 on another side surface so that the position of the cutter part 27 to be attached can be adjusted. The guiding slide 231 and the fixing slide 232 are groove-shaped and restrict translational movement in only one direction.

The movable part 25 is fixed to the actuator 24, and is attached at a position embedded in the string hooking plate 22 before picking the binding work 31. When inserting between 31, it does not interfere.

The movable portion 25 has a strap hooking portion 251 for transporting the workpiece and a strap hooking portion 252 for cutting the strap as part of the strap gripping means for the binding work 31 . They are separated by small steps 253, each forming a shallow groove. The work-transporting string hooking part 251 contacts the string catch 26 when the movable part 25 is lifted upward by the guide slide by the actuator 24 in order to keep the string 32 in a tense state when the bound work 31 is transported. in position. On the other hand, when the cord 32 is sandwiched between the cord-cutting cord hooking portion 252 and the cord catch 26, the cord-cutting cord hooking portion 252 further moves upwardly of the guide slide 231, the cutter blade 271 and the cord are separated from each other. 32 are arranged to contact and cut. The up and down motion of the movable part 25 can achieve the tensioned state and the relaxed state of the cord 32 .

The string catch 26, as part of the string gripping means for the binding work 31, is composed of a string holding portion 261, a spring 262, a stopper 263, and a stopper position adjusting portion 264, and is fixed to the unit fixing portion 23 by a string catch fixing portion 265. be done. Along the guide slide 231 on the side surface of the unit fixing portion 23, the string holding portion 261 can be translated up and down.

The upper end of the spring 262 is fixed to the string catch fixing portion 265 and the lower end is fixed to the string holding portion 261 . Also, the string holding portion 261 is integrated with a string catch shaft portion 266 , and the string catch shaft portion 266 is attached with a stopper 263 and a stopper position adjusting portion 264 .

The elastic force of a spring 262 always applies to the string holding portion 261 to push the guide slide 231 downward. be.

The stopper position adjusting portion 264 is formed of a nut or the like and integrated with the stopper 263 . The string catch shaft portion 266 is provided with a screw thread, into which the stopper position adjusting portion 264 is screwed, and has a structure in which the position of the stopper 263 can be arbitrarily adjusted. The stopper 263 is adjusted so that a gap is formed between the movable portion 25 and the string holding portion 261 while the movable portion 25 is in contact with the string hooking plate 22 .

When the movable part 25 is pushed upward along the guide slide 231, the string catch 26 is pushed up by the movable part 25 with the string 32 sandwiched between it and the string hooking part 252 when the string is cut. , the string holding portion 261 is pressed against the movable portion 25 by the elastic force of the contraction of the spring 262 . When the string 32 is cut, the string hung on the string hooking portion 252 during the string cutting of the movable portion 25 is sandwiched between the string holding portion 261 and gripped. As a result, when the string 32 is cut by the cutter part 27, one end of the string 32 can be held.

The cutter part 27 is composed of a cutter blade 271 and a cutter fixing part 272 and is fixed to the unit fixing part 23 as part of the string cutting means for the binding work 31 . The cutter part 27 can be vertically adjusted by a fixing slide 232 . When the movable portion 25 is moved upward of the guide slide 231 by the actuator 24, the cord 32, which is hung on the cord hooking portion 252 during cord cutting, is pinched by the cord holding portion 261, and then further moved upward. , the string is brought into contact with the cutter blade 271, and the cutter portion 27 is adjusted to a position where the string 32 is cut.

The supply table 3 has a conveying function such as a conveyor and a lifting function, and conveys a bound work 31 such as a bundle of cardboard boxes to the operation range of the dual-arm robot 1 .

The discharge table 4 has a function of loading a work 31 such as a cardboard set at a work setting position 41 by the dual-arm robot 1 into an automatic machine (automatic box making device) or the like.

A vacuum 42 is installed as a string collecting means on the dual-arm robot 1 side of the discharge table 4, and can suck the string 32 of the cut binding work 31. - 特許庁

As a method for unpacking and supplying bundled works using the system 5 for unpacking and supplying bundled works according to the present invention, the operation procedure of setting work for bundled works will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for unpacking and supplying bound works using the system 5 for unpacking and supplying bound works. FIGS. 3(a1) and 3(a2) are a front view and a right side view, respectively, showing the relationship between the binding work and the working hand at the start of gripping, and FIGS. 3(c1) and 3(c2) are a front view and a right side view showing the relationship between the binding work and the working hand, respectively, and FIGS. It is a right side view.

(1) First, the supply table 3 conveys the binding work 31 to the operation range of the dual-arm robot 1 . The dual-arm robot 1 uses a recognition camera 12 on its head and recognizes the position of the binding work 31 and the position of the string 32 binding the work 31 by image processing.

(2) The notch end 221 provided in the string hooking plate 22 of the right arm working hand 2a and the left arm working hand 2b is slid between the string 32 bundling the work 31 and the work 31 (string hooking operation). . At this time, the position of the string 32 is confirmed by the head recognition camera 12, and if the string 32 is not gripped, the insertion position is changed and the string hooking operation is performed again. Then, the actuators 24 of the working hands 2a and 2b are operated to pull up the movable portion 25 to tension the string 32, and the binding work 31 is lifted after the binding work 31 is stably supported. At this time, the left and right working hands 2a and 2b are inserted at positions near the left and right ends of the bound work 31 so as not to lose balance when the bound work 31 is lifted. In addition, the positions of the articulated arms 11a and 11b are adjusted so that the string 32 is positioned at the string hooking portion 251 during work transfer so that the string 32 is not cut by contact with the cutter portion 27 of the working hands 2a and 2b. . (Fig. 3 (a1), (a2))

(3) At this time, the movable portion 25 is moved upward along the guide slide 231 by the actuator 24 of the working hands 2a and 2b, and the string 32 is tensed by the movable portion 25 of the working hands 2a and 2b. , the work pressing surface 222 of the string hooking plate 22 of the working hands 2a, 2b is brought into close contact with the work 31 to prevent the work from shaking. Since the dual-arm robot 1 has dual arms, it is lifted at two points on the left and right, and there are two points on the left and right that bear the gravity. In addition, by bringing the string hooking plates 22 of the working hands 2a and 2b into close contact with the work 31, the support base surface can be expanded compared to the case of a single arm, and the binding is gripped so as not to shake during transportation. The workpiece 31 can be stabilized (FIGS. 3(b1) and (b2)). Here, the support base surface refers to the range in which the workpiece is effectively pressed by the gripping means, and here includes the area between the two strap hooking plates 22 and the area circumscribing the two strap hooking plates 22. becomes.

(4) By arm operation of the dual-arm robot 1, the bundled work 31 is placed upright on the work installation position 41 of the discharge table 4;

(5) After the work is stabilized at the work setting position 41 on the discharge table 4, the movable part 25 is moved downward by the guide slide 231 by the actuator 24 so as to loosen the tension of the string 32, and the work is moved under the string 32. The working hands 2a and 2b are shifted.

(6) The positional relationship between the working hands 2a and 2b and the string 32 is displaced by the arm motion so that the string 32 that has been hung on the string hooking portion 251 during work transport comes to the position of the string hooking portion 252 when the cord is cut. By operating the actuator 24 again to move the movable portion 25 upward of the guide slide 231, the cord 32 is sandwiched between the cord hooking portion 252 and the cord catch 26 at the time of cord cutting of the movable portion 25, and further the guide By moving the slide 231 upward, the cord 32 is pressed against the cutter portion 27 and cut. One end of the cut string 32 sandwiched between the string catch 26 and the movable portion 25 is gripped by the working hands 2a and 2b (FIGS. 3(c1) and 3(c2)). At this time, if the working hands 2a and 2b hold the same cord 32, the cord 32 may be cut by only one hand. If a plurality of cords 32 are hung on the binding work 31 and there is a cord 32 that was not gripped during transportation, it can be cut by the same operation.

(7) Remove the string wound around the workpiece 31 by pulling the string 32 by the arm operation while holding one end of the cut string 32 . This completes the installation of the work 31 on the discharge table 4 .

(8) Use the DIO signal of the robot to operate the vacuum 42 of the peripheral device. One end of the collected string 32 is brought close to the suction port of the vacuum 42, the actuator 24 is operated to move the movable part 25 downward of the guide slide 231, and the string 32 is released, whereby the string is sucked into the vacuum 42. Ejected.

Thus, the system for unpacking and supplying bundled works of the present invention unpacks and supplies not only works of different shapes and sizes, but also bundled works with different binding methods of the strings that bind the works, and feeds the works into the automatic machine. Since it can cope with the work, work efficiency is improved and it is industrially useful.

1 Dual-arm robot 11a, 11b Articulated arm 12 Recognition camera 2a, 2b Working hand 21 Robot mounting part 22 String hooking plate 221 Notched end part 222 Work pressing surface 23 Unit fixing part 231 Guide slide 232 Fixing slide 24 Actuator 25 Movable part 251 Strap hooking part 252 for transporting a workpiece Strap hooking part 253 for cutting strap Step 26 Strap catch 261 Strap holding part 262 Spring 263 Stopper 264 Stopper position adjustment part 265 Strap catch fixing part 266 Strap catch shaft part 27 Cutter part 271 cutter blade 272 cutter fixing part 3 supply table 31 binding work (work)
32 String 4 Discharge table 41 Work installation position 42 Vacuum 5 Unpacking supply system for bound work

Claims (15)

In the unpacking and supply system for unpacking the bound work that transports the bound work on the supply table to the discharge table by a robot and unpacks it,
The robot is one robot having two articulated arms, or two robots each having one articulated arm,
An image recognition means capable of acquiring positional information of the binding work and the string of the binding work on the supply table, and two working hands respectively connected to one ends of the two articulated arms,
A bound work unpacking and supply system, wherein each of the two work hands has a means for gripping the string of the bound work and a means for cutting the string of the bound work. 2. The system for unpacking and supplying bound works according to claim 1, wherein said robot is a single dual-arm robot having said two articulated arms. Each of the two working hands further includes an actuator, a movable portion configured to be movable by the operation of the actuator, and a plate-like portion that can be inserted between the string of the bound work and the work. have
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is operated to press the plate-like portion against the bound work while the movable portion can tighten and loosen the string of the bound work. unpacking and supply system for bundled workpieces. 4. The unpacking and supplying of bound works according to claim 3, wherein the gripping means is configured to support the work by maintaining the string in a tensioned state during transportation by the operation of the movable part. system. 5. A system for unpacking and supplying a bound work according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the cutting means is configured to be able to cut the string of the bound work in a gripped state by the operation of the movable portion. . The robot is configured to be able to recognize the position of the string of the bound work on the supply table and the installation position of the work on the discharge table by the image recognition means. The binding work according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the binding hand is configured to be able to grasp two of one string of the binding work or two of a plurality of strings. unpacking and feeding system. 7. The system for unpacking and supplying bound works according to claim 1, further comprising a cord collecting means for collecting said cord after being cut. One robot having two articulated arms, or two robots each having one articulated arm, which are connected to image recognition means and one end of the two articulated arms, respectively A robot having a string gripping means and a string cutting means for each of the two working hands discharges the bound work on the supply table. A method for unpacking and supplying a bound work to be conveyed to a table and unpacked, comprising:
The position of the string of the work to be bound on the supply table is recognized by the image recognition means, and the gripping means provided in each of the two working hands is inserted between the work and the string. How to unpack and supply workpieces. 9. The method for unpacking and supplying bound works according to claim 8, wherein said robot is a single double-arm robot having said two articulated arms. Each of the two working hands further has an actuator, and by the operation of the actuator, the gripping means of the working hand tightens the string of the bound work to support the work, 10. The method for unpacking and supplying a bound work according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the operation of the articulated arm stably conveys the bound work. 8 to 10, wherein the two working hands grip the string of the bound work at a predetermined interval and enlarge the supporting base surface of the gripping means to stably convey the bound work. 2. A method for unpacking and supplying a bound work according to any one of 1. The work to be bound according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the two working hands grip one string of the work to be bound at two locations or two of a plurality of strings. unpacking supply method. Each of the two working hands further has an actuator, and one or both of the two working hands loosens the string by the operation of the actuator after transporting the bound work to the discharge table, Subsequently, the working hand is shifted to a position where the cord can be cut by the cutting means, and then the cord is cut by the operation of the actuator. A method for unpacking and supplying bound works according to any one of the above. 14. The method for unpacking and supplying a bound work according to claim 13, wherein the cord is cut while being gripped by the gripping means. 15. The method for unpacking and supplying a bound work according to claim 14, wherein the cut string gripped by the working hand is conveyed to a string recovery means and recovered by the operation of the multi-joint arm. .

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