JP2023151296A - Conveyance device and conveyance method - Google Patents

Abstract

To convey an object with high accuracy without damaging the object.SOLUTION: A conveyance device 100 includes: a placing unit 18 for supporting a blank batch BB, which is a target, from below; moving mechanisms 14, 15 for moving the placing unit 18; and a control device 40 for evacuating the placing unit 18 from below the blank batch BB while dropping the blank batch BB by moving the placing unit 18 toward a downward direction and a horizontal direction at a place where the blank batch BB, which is a target, starts moving. Thereby, the blank batch BB can be conveyed while reducing a force applied to the blank batch BB from the placing unit 18, and the blank batch BB can be conveyed with high accuracy without damaging it.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a conveyance device and a conveyance method for conveying an object, and more particularly to a conveyance device and a conveyance method for transferring an object in which a large number of elements are stacked.

Various conveying devices for transferring paper cup blanks as objects are known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this type of conveyance device, individual blanks are taken out from a stack of blanks and conveyed to a processing position.

The above-mentioned conveying device picks up and conveys individual blanks from a stack of blanks, but does not accurately convey the entire stacked blank batch. Note that one possible method of transporting the stacked blank batches is to use a robot hand to sandwich the blank batches from above and below and transport them, but if the blank batches are to be stacked at another location, the blank batches are already stacked. It is not easy to transfer blank batches or blank batches to be stacked without damaging them.

JP 2017-65197 Publication

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned background art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport device and a transport method that can accurately transfer stacked objects without damaging them.

In order to solve the above problems, the conveying device according to the present invention includes a mounting member that supports the object to be transferred from below, a moving mechanism that moves the mounting member, and a mounting member that supports the object to be transferred from below. The apparatus includes a control device that moves the member downward and in the horizontal direction to cause the object to fall while retracting the placement member from below the object. Here, the horizontal direction corresponds to the front, back, left, and right directions when the mounting member is viewed from behind, which is farther from the object. Depending on the structure of the moving mechanism, the horizontal direction usually means the rear of the moving mechanism for ease of evacuation, but is not limited to this.

According to the conveyance device of the present invention, the control device moves the placement member downward and horizontally while dropping the object, thereby retracting the placement member from below the object. The object can be transferred while reducing the force applied to the object, and the object can be transferred with high precision without damaging the object.

In a specific aspect of the present invention, the moving mechanism lowers the mounting member at an acceleration greater than gravitational acceleration at a location where transfer of the object is started. In this case, the mounting member can be completely separated from the object without applying force to the object, and the possibility of damaging the object can be further reduced.

In another aspect of the present invention, the movement mechanism includes an up-and-down movement mechanism that lowers the placement member, and a back-and-forth movement mechanism that moves the placement member backward. In this case, while the vertical movement mechanism allows the object to fall, the back and forth movement mechanism allows interference between the mounting member and an object below the object to be avoided.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the vertical movement mechanism starts the lowering operation at an earlier timing than the retreating operation (specifically, the retreating operation) by the longitudinal movement mechanism. In this case, it is possible to advance the falling of the object and reliably avoid rubbing between the upper surface of the mounting member and the lower surface of the object.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the moving mechanism includes an upper support member that supports the object from above. In this case, the object can be sandwiched between the mounting member and the upper support member, and the object can be held stably while keeping the mounting member small.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the device further includes a drive mechanism that changes the arrangement of the mounting member and the moving mechanism.

In order to solve the above problems, a transport method according to the present invention is a transport method using a transport device including a mounting member that supports an object to be transferred from below and a moving mechanism that moves the mounting member. , At the point where the transfer of the object starts, the placing member is moved downward and horizontally while dropping the object, thereby retracting the placing member from below the object.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a conveying device according to the present invention. (A) is a conceptual perspective view illustrating a blank batch, and (B) is a conceptual diagram illustrating a body blank and the like. FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the operating states of the first to third moving mechanisms in the gripping device. (A) is a plan view illustrating a pallet for accumulation, and (B) is a side view illustrating the pallet. It is a perspective view explaining the transfer of a blank batch by a conveyance device. It is a process chart explaining operation of a conveyance device. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the support surface position of the mounting member and the bottom surface position of the blank batch after the descent is started. (A) to (C) are diagrams illustrating a transfer operation from a gripping device to a pallet. (A) to (C) are diagrams illustrating a transfer operation from a gripping device to a pallet. (A) to (D) are diagrams illustrating the receiving operation from the receiving stage to the gripping device. It is a side view explaining the gripping device of a modification.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a conveying device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, the direction perpendicular to the page is the X direction, the left and right sides along the page are the Y direction, and the top and bottom along the page are the Z direction, which corresponds to the vertical direction.

The transport device 100 is a device that transports the target blank batch BB along a predetermined route and transfers it onto a pallet, and includes a gripping device 10, an arm device 20, and a control device 40.

As shown in FIG. 2(A), the blank batch BB to be transported or transferred is a stack of stacked body blanks 91 for, for example, paper cups. The blank batch BB has a contour corresponding to a sector shape. Blank batch BB is cut out from the base paper. The blank batch BB is coated with a resin such as polyethylene on one side and printed on the other side. Therefore, when conveying the blank batch BB, it is desirable to avoid scratches from being formed on the top and bottom surfaces due to friction. Note that, as shown in FIG. 2(B), the body blank 91 can be combined with a circular bottom paper 92 to manufacture a paper cup (not shown) having a truncated conical outer shape.

The blank batch BB has a thickness of 10 cm to several tens of cm. The body blank 91 constituting the blank batch BB is a thin sheet having a width of about 10 cm to several tens of cm in the direction perpendicular to the arc.

The objects to be transported and transferred by the transport device 100 are not limited to blank batches BB for paper cups, but can also be stacks of various paper or plastic sheets. Alternatively, semi-finished products can also be transported.

Returning to FIG. 1, the gripping device 10 includes an upper support body 11, a first movement mechanism 13, a second movement mechanism 14, a third movement mechanism 15, an upper support member 17, a mounting member 18, A connecting member 19 is provided.

The upper support body 11 is supported by a support body 21 extending from the arm device 20 and moves three-dimensionally. The upper support body 11 supports a first moving mechanism 13 and a second moving mechanism 14.

The first moving mechanism 13 has a box-like outline and is fixed to the side of the upper support 11. The first moving mechanism 13 is specifically an air cylinder, and moves the upper support member 17 up and down in the vertical direction parallel to the Z direction. By lowering the upper support member 17 using the first moving mechanism 13, the blank batch BB can be sandwiched and fixed between the upper support member 17 and the mounting member 18, allowing stable conveyance of the blank batch BB. becomes possible. The operation timing and amount of operation of the first moving mechanism 13 are controlled by the control device 40 via the arm device 20.

The second moving mechanism 14 has a box-like outline and is fixed to the lower part of the upper support 11. The second moving mechanism 14 is specifically an air cylinder, and moves the third moving mechanism 15 horizontally forward and backward in the ±Y direction via the connecting member 19. The second moving mechanism 14 is a back-and-forth moving mechanism that moves the placement member 18 backward during transfer. By moving the third moving mechanism 15 forward in the +Y direction by the second moving mechanism 14, the mounting member 18 supported by the third moving mechanism 15 can be placed directly below the upper support body 11. Further, by moving the third moving mechanism 15 backward in the -Y direction by the second moving mechanism 14, the mounting member 18 can be placed in a retreated state from directly below the upper support body 11. The operation timing and amount of operation of the second moving mechanism 14 are controlled by the control device 40 via the arm device 20.

The third moving mechanism 15 has a box-shaped outline and is supported by the second moving mechanism 14 via an L-shaped connecting member 19. The third moving mechanism 15 is specifically an air cylinder, and moves the mounting member 18 up and down in the ±Z direction. The third moving mechanism 15 is a vertical moving mechanism that lowers the placement member 18 during transfer. By lowering the placing member 18 using the third moving mechanism 15, the placing member 18 can be separated from the blank batch BB sandwiched between the upper support 11 and the placing member 18. By lowering the mounting member 18 at an acceleration greater than the gravitational acceleration of 9.8 m/s ² , the blank batch BB can be lowered without having to be supported from below by other members to prevent the blank batch BB from falling. The mounting member 18 can be separated from the blank batch BB, and interference between the blank batch BB and the mounting member 18 can be avoided. The operation timing and amount of operation of the third moving mechanism 15 are controlled by the control device 40 via the arm device 20.

The upper support member 17 is driven by the first moving mechanism 13 and moves up and down in the ±Z directions. The upper support member 17 makes it possible to grip the blank batch BB from above by coming into contact with the upper surface Ba of the blank batch BB. The pressing surface 17a of the upper support member 17 is a flat surface, but support protrusions or embossing can be formed thereon.

The mounting member 18 is driven by the second moving mechanism 14 to move forward and backward in the ±Y directions, and is driven by the third moving mechanism 15 to move up and down in the up and down ±Z directions. The mounting member 18 makes it possible to grip the blank batch BB from below by coming into contact with the lower surface Bb of the blank batch BB. The support surface 18a of the mounting member 18 is a flat surface, but support protrusions or embossing can be formed thereon. The lower surface 18c of the mounting member 18 is inclined so that the mounting member 18 becomes thinner toward the distal end portion 18t in order to facilitate the pulling operation described below. Further, a chamfered portion 18f is formed on the upper surface of the tip portion 18t to prevent the tip portion 18t from scratching the lower surface Bb of the blank batch BB.

Referring to FIG. 3, the upper support member 17 that is driven by the first moving mechanism 13 and is in the operating position P11 is shown by a solid line, and the upper support member 17 that is in the retracted position P12 is shown by a chain line. The pressing surface 17a of the upper support member 17 at the operating position P11 contacts the upper surface Ba of the blank batch BB and urges the blank batch BB downward with a predetermined force.

The mounting member 18 that is driven by the second moving mechanism 14 and the third moving mechanism 15 and is in the operating position P21 is shown by a two-dot chain line, and the mounting member 18 that is in the retracted position P22 is shown by a solid line. The support surface 18a of the mounting member 18 in the operating position P21 comes into contact with the lower surface Bb of the blank batch BB and supports the blank batch BB from below.

4(A) and 4(B) are diagrams illustrating the destination where the blank batch BB is transported by the transport device 100. Blank batch BB is made by stacking a large number of body blanks 91 cut out from base paper (see Figure 2 (A)), and when a certain number of body blanks 91 have been stacked, they are stacked as blank batch BB. are sequentially conveyed to a pallet 60. The pallet 60 has a large number of guide rods 63 extending vertically on a support plate 62 extending horizontally. On the pallet 60, a two-dimensional arrangement area PA is formed for arranging the accumulated blanks IB in which a plurality of blank batches BB are stacked. The plurality of placement areas PA are divided by guide rods 63. In the illustrated example, the stacked blank IB is supported by six guide rods 63 so as not to fall from its surroundings. The guide rod 63 allows the plurality of stacked blanks IB to be stably arranged on the pallet 60 in the X and Y directions.

In the arrangement area PA at the -Y side end on the left side of the paper in FIG. 4(A), a single blank batch BB is transferred, and the next blank batch BB' is being additionally transferred.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing how the next blank batch BB' is transferred onto the lowest blank batch BB by the gripping device 10 of the conveyance device 100. The conveyance device 100 lowers the gripping device 10 holding the blank batch BB' from above the placement area PA, and moves the placement member 18 in the -Z direction at a predetermined height position directly above the bottom blank batch BB. By lowering the loading member 18 at an acceleration greater than the gravitational acceleration and retreating at the same acceleration in the -Y direction, the loading member 18 is retracted from below the next blank batch BB' being transferred, and the blank batch BB' can be stacked on top of the blank batch BB directly below. Note that although FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram and only shows a state in which the plurality of placement areas PA are arranged in the Y direction, the plurality of placement areas PA are also arranged in the X direction.

Returning to FIG. 1, the arm device 20 supports the gripping device 10 via the support body 21. The arm device 20 has a drive mechanism 22 that enables movement in three axes and rotation in three axes, and can move the gripping device 10 three-dimensionally and freely change the posture of the gripping device 10. The arm device 20 may include a moving device that moves the arm device 20 itself three-dimensionally. The arm device 20 operates under the control of the control device 40 and can change the arrangement and posture of the gripping device 10 at an arbitrary trajectory and speed. It can be operated at any timing.

The control device 40 is a computer, and manages the operating state of the arm device 20 according to a program or instructions from an operator, and manages the operation of the gripping device 10 via the arm device 20. This makes it possible to transport the prepared blank batches BB to the pallet 60, transfer them to a plurality of placement areas PA on the pallet 60, and stack multiple stages of blank batches BB in each placement area PA. .

FIG. 6 is a process diagram illustrating the operation of the transport device 100. First, the transport device 100 receives the blank batch BB by moving the arm device 20 to a plurality of receiving stages and operating the arm device 20 and the gripping device 10 as appropriate (step S11). Next, the transport device 100 moves the arm device 20 and the gripping device 10 to the installation location of the pallet 60 (step S12). Next, the transport device 100 moves the gripping device 10 via the arm device 20 and positions the gripped blank batch BB' above the placement area PA to be transferred (step S13). Next, the conveying device 100 lowers the gripping device 10 and places the gripped blank batch BB' at a left position spaced a predetermined distance from the blank batch BB directly below (step S14). The abandoned position is the position where transfer to the blank batch BB' is started. After that, the conveying device 100 operates the first moving mechanism 13 of the gripping device 10 and causes the upper support member 17 to perform a retracting operation. In synchronization with this, the conveying device 100 operates the second moving mechanism 14 and the third moving mechanism 15 of the holding device 10, causes the placing member 18 to retreat, and releases the held blank batch BB' (step S15). At this time, the mounting member 18 is driven by the third moving mechanism 15 to descend in the -Z direction with an acceleration greater than the gravitational acceleration, and is driven by the second moving mechanism 14 to retreat in the -Y direction with the same acceleration. . That is, the placement member 18 moves from the operating position P21 to the retracted position P22 relative to the upper support 11. As a result, the placing member 18 is moved downward by the third moving mechanism 15, and the placing member 18 is moved backward (that is, horizontally) by the second moving mechanism 14. By retracting using the delay in falling of the blank batch BB' due to the free fall of the mounting member 18, the blank batch BB' can be stacked on the blank batch BB directly below in a non-contact process.

FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the position of the support surface 18a of the mounting member 18 after the start of descent and the position of the lower surface Bb of the blank batch BB'. The position of the support surface 18a (two-dot chain line) of the mounting member 18 that falls forcefully is always lower than the position (solid line) of the lower surface Bb of the blank batch BB' that falls freely. The terminal point PE of the two-dot chain line indicating the support surface 18a of the mounting member 18 is when the mounting member 18 has sufficiently retreated and the mounting member 18 has come off from below the blank batch BB' and no longer interferes with each other. This means that evacuation is complete.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the acceleration and speed of the retreat of the placing member 18 by the third moving mechanism 15 are as follows: It is desirable to set the size sufficiently so that there is no interference. Specifically, after the second moving mechanism 14 and the third moving mechanism 15 start operating, the mounting member 18 retreats at a predetermined acceleration so that the effective supporting length d of the supporting surface 18a becomes equal to the lower surface of the blank batch BB. When the retraction time for deviation from Bb is Tr, the amount by which the mounting member 18 moves downward in this retraction time Tr, that is, the integral value of the downward moving speed of the mounting member 18, and the The movement distance Lt, which is the second-order integral value of the downward movement acceleration, is set to be equal to or less than the value Ls = D - h, which is the value obtained by subtracting the thickness h of the tip of the mounting member 18 from the distance D between the blank batches BB and BB'. . Thereby, the mounting member 18 moving from the operating position P21 to the operating position P22 can be prevented from coming into contact with the upper surface Ba of the blank batch BB below. Further, the timing at which the second moving mechanism 14 starts retracting the mounting member 18 is slightly delayed from the timing at which the third moving mechanism 15 starts lowering the mounting member 18 . That is, the third moving mechanism 15, which is a vertical moving mechanism, starts operating at an earlier timing than the second moving mechanism 14, which is a back-and-forth moving mechanism. That is, the descending operation starts at an earlier timing than the retreating operation (specifically, the retreating operation). As a result, the contact between the held blank batch BB' and the mounting member 18 is eliminated from the beginning or at an early stage, and as the mounting member 18 retreats, a frictional force is applied to the lower surface Bb of the blank batch BB', and the lower surface It is possible to prevent scratches from occurring on Bb. In addition, in the sense that the mounting member 18 operates so as not to be overtaken by the blank batch BB', the acceleration of the mounting member 18 may be temporarily lower than the gravitational acceleration.

8 and 9 are side views specifically illustrating the transfer operation from the gripping device 10 to the pallet 60. As shown in FIG. 8(A), the gripping device 10 is moved under the control of the control device 40 shown in FIG. 1, and the gripped blank batch BB' is positioned above the placement area PA to be transferred. Next, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the gripping device 10 was lowered under the control of the control device 40, and the gripped blank batch BB' was separated from the blank batch BB directly below by a predetermined distance. Place it in the abandoned position. Next, as shown in FIG. 8(C), the conveying device 100 operates the first moving mechanism 13 of the gripping device 10 to move the upper support member 17 upward and cause the upper support member 17 to perform a retracting operation. . Next, as shown in FIG. 9(A), the conveying device 100 operates the third moving mechanism 15 of the gripping device 10 to start moving the placing member 18 downward. Next, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the conveyance device 100 operates the second movement mechanism 14 while continuing the operation of the third movement mechanism 15 of the gripping device 10, and moves the placement member 18 backward. Start moving. At this time, the blank batch BB' supported by the mounting member 18 falls freely, but the descending speed of the mounting member 18 is faster, and the mounting member 18 remains separated from the blank batch BB'. Then, it moves from the operating position P21 to the retreat position P22. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9(C), the blank batch BB' released from the gripping device 10 falls freely and is stacked on the blank batch BB directly below.

10(A) to 10(D) are side views specifically illustrating the receiving operation from the receiving stage 80 to the gripping device 10. FIG. As shown in FIG. 10(A), the gripping device 10 is moved under the control of the control device 40 shown in FIG. 1 and positioned in front of the receiving stage 80. A blank batch BB' is placed on the receiving stage 80, and positioned in the horizontal direction by a guide rod 83. In addition, in the preparation stage for positioning the gripping device 10 in front of the blank batch BB', the upper support member 17 is driven by the first moving mechanism 13 and moved to the upper retracted position. Next, as shown in FIG. 10(B), the gripping device 10 is advanced under the control of the control device 40, and the mounting member 18 is inserted below the blank batch BB'. A slit 81 into which the placing member 18 is inserted is formed in the receiving stage 80 . Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10(C), the first moving mechanism 13 is operated to move the upper support member 17 to the lower operating position. As a result, the blank batch BB' can be sandwiched between the upper support member 17 and the mounting member 18 with an appropriate force, and the blank batch BB' can be stably gripped by the gripping device 10. . Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10(D), by raising the gripping device 10, the blank batch BB' gripped by the gripping device 10 is raised until it no longer interferes with the guide rod 83. Thereafter, the gripping device 10 moves the blank batch BB' to the location where the pallet 60 is installed.

FIG. 11 shows a modification of the gripping device 10 shown in the figures. In this case, the second moving mechanism 14 is omitted, and the third moving mechanism 215 moves the mounting member 18 in an oblique direction. When the mounting member 18 moves obliquely downward and backward, the support of the blank batch BB' by the mounting member 18 is released, and the mounting member 18 is also retracted backward. Note that the third moving mechanism 15 is not limited to one that moves the mounting member 18 in translation, but may be one that rotates the mounting member 18 on the base side.

The conveyance device 100 of the embodiment described above includes a placement member 18 that supports the blank batch BB to be transferred from below, and moving mechanisms 14 and 15 that move the placement member 18. By moving the placing member 18 downward and horizontally at the point where the transfer of the blank batch BB starts, the placing member 18 is moved from below the blank batch BB while dropping the blank batch BB. A control device 40 for retraction is provided.

According to the conveyance device 100, the control device 40 moves the placement member 18 downward and horizontally, specifically backwards, while dropping the target blank batch BB. 18 is retracted from below the object, the blank batch BB can be transferred while reducing the force applied to the blank batch BB from the mounting member 18, and the accuracy can be improved without damaging the blank batch BB. Can be transferred well.

In the transport device 100 of the embodiment described above, the third moving mechanism 15 lowers the placement member 18 at a location where transfer of the blank batch BB is started with an acceleration greater than the gravitational acceleration. In this case, the mounting member 18 can be completely separated from the blank batch BB without applying force to the blank batch BB, and the possibility of damaging the blank batch BB can be further reduced.

The conveying device 100 of the embodiment described above is an example, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

The second moving mechanism 14 may move the third moving mechanism 15 left and right, that is, in the ±X direction. In this case, it is necessary to secure a retreat space for the mounting member 18 and the like not behind the blank batch BB but on one of the left and right sides.

The first to third moving mechanisms 13 to 15 use air cylinders, but an electric motor or the like may be used instead of the air cylinder.

The object to be conveyed by the conveyance device 100 is not limited to the blank batch BB' in which paper body blanks 91 are laminated, but may also be a sheet laminate in which resin sheets are laminated. Further, the object to be transported by the transport device 100 is not limited to a sheet stack, but may be a container stack in which cup-shaped containers are stacked.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Gripping device, 13... First moving mechanism, 14... Second moving mechanism, 15... Third moving mechanism, 17... Upper support member, 17a... Pressing surface, 18... Placing member, 18a... Supporting surface, 18f... Chamfering section, 20... Arm device, 22... Drive mechanism, 40... Control device, 60... Pallet, 80... Receiving stage, 91... Trunk blank, 100... Conveying device, BB, BB, BB'... Blank batch, IB... Accumulation blank, P11...Operating position, P12...Evacuation position, P21...Operating position, P22...Evacuation position, PA...Arrangement area

Claims (7)

a mounting member that supports the object to be transferred from below;
a moving mechanism that moves the mounting member;
a control device that moves the placement member downward and horizontally at a point where the transfer of the object is started, thereby causing the placement member to drop from the bottom of the object and retracting the placement member from below the object; Conveyance device provided. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism lowers the mounting member with an acceleration greater than gravitational acceleration at a location where transfer of the object is started. 3. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism includes an up-and-down moving mechanism that lowers the mounting member, and a back-and-forth moving mechanism that moves the mounting member backward. 4. The conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the vertical movement mechanism starts operating at a timing earlier than the retracting operation by the longitudinal movement mechanism. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the moving mechanism includes an upper support member that supports the object from above. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a drive mechanism that changes the arrangement of the mounting member and the moving mechanism. A transport method using a transport device including a mounting member that supports an object to be transferred from below and a moving mechanism that moves the mounting member,
A transport method in which the placement member is moved downward and horizontally while dropping the object at a location where transfer of the object is started, thereby retracting the placement member from below the object.

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