JP2023174631A - Accessory device of cutting device - Google Patents

Abstract

To accurately perform work of picking up a plurality of kinds of parts aligned on a same plane without depending on a pick-up device.SOLUTION: An accessory device of a cutting device includes: a pick-up table 15 which is provided on a downstream of a cutting table 13 for cutting a sheet material S and dividing the cut sheet material into a plurality of parts P aligned on a same plane, and causes the parts P to stand by in a state at the time of cutting; and a projector 16 for projecting a part information image Ia generated from graphic data used in cutting processing onto the parts P on the pick-up table 15. The pick-up table 15 is composed of a conveyor, a part information image Ia projected by the projector 16 and the parts P are matched with each other by a conveyor control part for driving and controlling the conveyor, and the parts P to be taken up are clarified.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a cutting device that cuts a sheet material into a plurality of parts arranged on the same plane.

Parts such as objects to be sewn that have been cut by the cutting device need to be transferred to the next process such as a sewing process.

Generally, multiple parts of various shapes are required to obtain one product. Usually, these parts are cut out from the sheet material without waste, so the next process is not considered when arranging them after cutting. Therefore, the cut parts were picked up in an orderly manner based on human judgment, such as by type or sewing order.

However, if a mistake occurs in this pickup, it will interfere with the work in the next process and beyond, resulting in inconveniences such as defective products and work delays.

Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a conveyance device that mechanically, rather than manually, picks up cut parts and conveys them to a template for sewing. If the pickup is performed mechanically in this way, mistakes such as picking up the wrong object can be reduced compared to when the pickup is done manually.

JP2021-48926A

However, by uniformly equipping all the cutting equipment installed with pick-up devices, it became possible to efficiently produce a wide variety of products by having multiple production lines, and to respond flexibly to orders. Not realistic in a factory.

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to enable accurate pickup without relying on a pickup device.

The means for this purpose includes a pickup table that is provided downstream of a cutting table that cuts the sheet material into a plurality of parts lined up on the same plane and waits the parts in the state at the time of cutting, and a pickup table that is placed on the pickup table. This is an accessory device for a cutting device that has a projector that projects a parts information image generated from graphic data used in the cutting process onto the parts.

In this configuration, a parts information image consisting of part shapes, part identification codes, etc. is projected from a projector onto a plurality of parts that have been cut and lined up on a pickup table. The part information image makes it clear what the projected part is, even if the part is surrounded by grooves that are difficult to see. For example, if the parts information image is a part shape, the outline of the part is made clear, and if the parts information image is a part identification code, the type and pick-up order of the parts are made clear to encourage accurate pick-up work. The projected parts information image can be used directly by visual observation, or indirectly by being photographed with a photographing device.

According to this invention, since the projector clearly shows the part information image for the parts on the pick-up table, accurate pick-up is possible even if the part is picked up manually without using a pick-up device. Moreover, since the parts information image is projected, it becomes brighter, making it easier to see with the human eye, and it can also be photographed and used with a camera. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a production environment in which accurate pickup is possible while flexibly responding to changes in the product to be manufactured or the production line.

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a cutting device. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an accessory device. An explanatory diagram showing a projection state on parts. Explanatory diagram showing the action of the attached device. A schematic plan view of main parts. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the transfer device seen from the downstream side. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an accessory device according to another example. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which parts are attracted by the transfer device. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an accessory device according to another example. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an accessory device according to another example. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the accessory device shown in FIG. 10;

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

FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a cutting device 12 with an accessory device 11. As shown in FIG. The cutting device 12 cuts the sheet material S into a plurality of parts P arranged on the same plane by cutting the sheet material S based on input graphic data. A cutting table 13 for performing cutting processing is provided, and a cutting head 14 is provided on the cutting table 13. The cutting head 14 cuts the surface of the sheet material S placed on the cutting table 13 by moving vertically and horizontally.

The accessory device 11 assists in picking up the parts P cut on the cutting table. It may be either integrated into the cutting device 12 or added later.

The accessory device 11 includes a pick-up table 15 that keeps the parts P waiting in the state at the time of cutting, and a projector 16 that projects onto the parts P on the pick-up table 15.

The pickup table 15 is provided downstream and adjacent to the cutting table 13 that performs cutting processing in the cutting device 12 . As shown in FIG. 2, it is constructed of a conveyor as shown in FIG. 2, and has a function of conveying the sheet material S to the downstream side so as to receive the sheet material S conveyed after cutting on the cutting table 13 and convey it as is. There is. The motor 17 that drives the conveyor is composed of a stepping motor, a servo motor, etc. so that it can be stopped when necessary.

The pickup table 15 includes a sensor 18, which is a photoelectric sensor or the like that detects the sheet material being conveyed, and a conveyor control device that drives and stops the motor 17 based on the detection by the sensor 18, as a device necessary for controlling the drive of the conveyor. It has a section 19. It is preferable that the conveyor control unit 19 controls the conveyor to stop after moving a certain distance from the detection by the sensor 18, for example. The pickup table 15 also has a manual switch 21 for manually rotating the motor 17 in forward and reverse directions.

The projector 16 is provided above the upstream side of the pickup table 15 and is set to project a projected image onto the downstream end of the pickup table 15. This is to project the image within the reach of the worker H standing at the downstream end of the pickup table 15. In FIG. 1, the projection range is indicated by a chain line. In FIG. 1, 22 is a support frame that supports the projector 16 above the pickup table 15. As shown in FIG.

A projection image generation unit 23 that generates an image to be projected from the projector 16 is configured to receive graphic data 24 for cutting processing that has been input to the cutting device 12 .

The graphic data 24 has at least positional information (two-dimensional coordinate information) indicating the outline of the part P and unique identification information that specifies the part P, and the identification information includes information on the order in which it should be picked up. include. Further, the identification information is configured so that it can be displayed visually as characters such as the alphabet or symbols such as numbers.

The parts information image Ia generated by the projection image generation section 23 is generated from the graphic data 24. It is preferable that the parts information image Ia has a part shape x and a part identification code y as shown in FIG. The part shape x in the parts information image Ia is displayed as an image with the inside of its outline colored in an appropriate color based on the position information of the part P. The part identification code y is created by creating a colored part xa inside the contour of the part shape x, and displayed in this colored part xa as an enumeration of characters and symbols. The outline of the parts information image Ia originally matches the outline of the part P, but in FIG. 3, it is drawn slightly diagonally shifted from the outline of the part P for clarity. The part shape x is shown by representing the parts corresponding to the outline of the part shape x and the outline of the colored portion xa by thin lines, and by applying diagonal lines to the parts between them and close to the thin lines. Further, the parts identification code y is indicated by a plurality of thin circles.

The control section 25 of the attached device 11, which is composed of each of these sections, has a built-in ROM that stores programs and a RAM that stores data necessary for operation. The drive control performed by this control section 25 will be explained below.

The control unit 25 reads the graphic data 24 of the cutting device 12 into the projection image generation unit 23 according to input from an input unit (not shown), and converts the graphic data 24 including position information (two-dimensional coordinate information) and identification information into the projection image generation unit 23. Calculations are performed based on , and a parts information image Ia is generated as a projected image. The parts information image Ia is projected onto the downstream end of the pickup table 15, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4(a).

On the other hand, the control unit 25 causes the conveyor control unit 19 to drive the motor 17 to convey the sheet material S downstream, and after the sensor 18 detects a predetermined position of the sheet material S, the sheet material S is conveyed a predetermined distance. Thereafter, the part P is made to match the parts information image Ia projected by the projector 16 (FIG. 4(b)), and the motor 17 is stopped.

A manual switch 21 may be used to drive the conveyor motor 17 to match the parts P of the sheet material S to the parts information image Ia. Alternatively, the projection by the projector 16 may be performed after the sheet material S is conveyed to a predetermined position.

The worker H performs the pick-up operation in a state where the parts information image Ia and the part P match (FIG. 4(c)). At this time, the part shape x and part identification code y of the part P to be picked up are projected onto the part P. Moreover, since the parts identification code y also indicates the order in which the parts should be picked up, the scheduled and accurate picking up work can be easily carried out.

Particularly, when the part P is cut by making cuts in the sheet material S with a cutter, the cuts forming the outline of the part P are difficult to see visually, making it difficult to recognize the part P. However, the outline of the part P becomes clear due to the part shape x in the parts information image Ia, and the work of picking up only the necessary parts P can be performed extremely easily and accurately.

This kind of pick-up work by worker H is useful when the installation space for the device is small, when the product has small parts that are difficult to pick up with the pick-up device, or when changing the product to be manufactured in response to a sudden order. This is convenient when manufacturing small-lot products.

Other examples will be described below. In the description, the same components as described above will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

If a transfer device 31 is provided that automatically picks up the part P and transfers it to the next process, it is preferable to configure it as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example.

First, an outline of the transfer device 31 will be explained.

The transfer device 31 is provided on both sides of the pickup table 15 along the transfer direction, and includes a plurality of pickup arms 32. The pickup arm 32 has an extendable arm portion 33 and a suction hand portion 34 that suctions the part P at the tip of the arm portion 33. The suction hand section 34 is configured to be movable up and down, and a suction port 34a is formed on the lower surface of the suction hand section 34.

These pickup arms 32 are provided so as to be able to reciprocate between the pickup table 15 and a collection process section 35, which is the next process located on the downstream side. The gathering process section 35 is composed of a table with a top plate instead of a conveyor.

Further, a plurality of pickup arms 32, specifically two pickup arms 32, are arranged on both sides of the transfer line connecting the pickup table 15 and the collection process section 35, and each of these pickup arms 32 is supported by a moving body 36. has been done.

The suction hand section 34 at the tip of the arm section 33 is configured to be movable up and down, and a suction port 34a is formed on the lower surface of the suction hand section 34.

The transport device 31 also includes printing means 41 . The printing means 41 prints on the parts P between the pickup table 15 and the assembly process section 35. In the figure, 42 is a printer constituted by, for example, an inkjet printer, and is supported so as to be movable up and down by a printer elevating motor 44 with respect to a support frame 43 installed above. In addition, in the figure, 45 is a support plate used when printing is not possible due to slack in the part P, and the support plate is mounted on a support frame 43 adjacent to the printer 42 so that it can be raised and lowered by a motor 46 for lifting and lowering the support plate. It is rotatably supported in the horizontal direction by an actuator 47. The support actuator 47 enables the support plate 45 to be selectively moved under the part P and to a position removed from under the part P.

The attached device 11 including such a transfer device 31 is provided with a projected image photographing camera 51 that reads the parts information image Ia projected by the projector 16, as shown in FIG. Based on the information read by the projection image capturing camera 51, the part P can be picked up and transferred by the transfer device 31.

That is, the control unit 25 of the attached device 11 projects the parts information image Ia from the projector 16 onto the pickup table 15 in the same manner as described above, while causing the conveyor control unit 19 to stop driving the motor 17 based on the detection by the sensor 18. The parts information image Ia and the part P are superimposed.

In this state, the part information image Ia projected onto the part P is photographed by the projection image photographing camera 51, and the information is input to the transfer device control section 52 as shape data. Then, referring to the shape data and the graphic data 24, the parts P to be picked up and their order are determined based on a pre-stored program. At the same time, the control unit 25 calculates and determines which part of the part P to be picked up is to be picked up and which pickup arm 32 is to be used.

Based on the determination, the control unit 25 drives the moving motor of one or more moving bodies 36 having the selected pickup arm 32 from among the plurality of pickup arms 32 in a standby state to correspond to the part P to be picked up. The movable body 36 is moved to the position and stopped.

Next, the control unit 25 extends and contracts the pickup arm 32 and raises and lowers the suction hand unit 34 to pull up the necessary parts P, moves the pickup arm 32 to the assembly process unit 35, and places the parts P on the table. .

During the process, the control section 25 temporarily stops the moving body 36 and causes the printing means 41 to perform printing.

An example of the mode of suction by the suction hand section 34 will be described.

The control unit 25 stores, as necessary information stored in the RAM, information on the shortest distance L between the suction hand parts 34 of the arm parts 33 arranged on the left and right as shown in FIG. 8, and information on the aperture d of the suction port 34a. This information is compared with the shape data of the parts to be picked up.

Further, the control unit 25 refers to information such as the diameter d of the suction port 34a based on the maximum length in the transport direction, the maximum length in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the contour shape of the part P determined from the shape data. Then, it is determined whether suction and holding is possible with one suction hand section 34.

In the case of a part with a small aspect ratio, such as part Pa in FIG. 8, one coordinate of its center is taken as the suction position. In FIG. 8, the circles drawn with virtual lines are the suction positions. If the shape of parts Pb, Pc, Pd, and Pe is longer than the shortest distance L between suction hand parts 34 and longer than a predetermined value that can be suctioned and held by one suction hand part 34, Two or more coordinates including both sides in the longitudinal direction are taken as the suction position. The coordinates of the suction position are determined not only for parts such as parts Pb and Pc that are long in the transport direction or in a direction perpendicular thereto, but also for parts that are long in a diagonal direction such as parts Pd and Pe. This will allow you to hold it correctly.

Although the aspect ratio is not large like parts Pf and Pg, in the case of a part with a length longer than a predetermined value that can be held by suction with one suction hand section 34, it is possible to Four or three coordinates separated in the direction and keeping a predetermined distance from the contour line are taken as suction positions. If the part Pf has a quadrilateral or similar polygonal shape, it can basically be held by suctioning at four locations. If the part Pg has a triangular shape or a partially elongated shape, it can be held by suctioning three or four places.

Regarding the selection of the pickup arm 32 that holds the part P by suction, the control unit 25 refers to the position information of the part P to be picked up and the preferred transfer order information. For example, when there is one suction position as in the case of part Pa in FIG. In the case of a location, the pickup arm 32 on the opposite side to the part Pe is also used even if it is far away. For example, when part Pb in FIG. 8 is being transported and part Pa is also being transported at the same time due to transport efficiency and transport order, pick-up arms 32 located on different sides are used.

In this way, the shape of the part P can be determined from the projected parts information image Ia, and the part P can be picked up as desired and transferred to the next process.

The pick-up operation by the transfer device 31 can be configured as shown in FIG. 9, that is, it can be performed based on the graphic data 24 used in the cutting process, without using the projection image capturing camera 51.

That is, the control unit 25 reads out the graphic data 24 input to the projection image generation unit 23 and performs the same operation as described above in the transfer device control unit 52, that is, converts the aforementioned “shape data” into “graphic data 24”. The replaced control operation is performed to drive and control the transfer device 31.

When the part P is picked up manually, it can be configured as shown in FIG. 10, for example.

That is, the attached device 11 includes a work situation photographing camera 55 that photographs the pickup situation of the parts P on the pickup table 15. The control section 25 is provided with an image comparison processing section 56, which compares the work situation image inputted from the work situation photographing camera 55 with the graphic data 24 used in the cutting process to determine the part P to be picked up next. Then, based on the result, the projection image generation unit 23 generates a work support image Ib (see FIG. 11(b)) showing the part of the graphic data 24 corresponding to the part to be picked up next, and the work support image Ib is projected from the projector 16. The image is switched to the work support image Ib.

FIG. 11 shows the effect, in which (a) shows the projection state before the part P is picked up, and (b) shows the projection state after the two parts P are picked up. Specifically, before the pick-up operation, the parts information image Ia generated from the graphic data 24 reflects the part shape x and part identification code y on all parts P (FIG. 11(a)). If the parts information image Ia does not change, even after some parts P are picked up, the part shape x and part identification code y of the part P are projected onto the part where the part P is not present.

In this regard, the control unit 25 having the configuration shown in FIG. 10 changes the image to be projected. That is, the control unit 25 determines the removed part P from the work situation image input to the image comparison processing unit 56, and removes the image of the portion corresponding to the part P from the currently projected image. Then, a work support image Ib is generated and projected in which the part corresponding to the part P to be picked up next is clearly indicated by color coding or the like (FIG. 11(b)). In FIG. 11(b), the part P to be picked up next is indicated by dots instead of diagonal lines.

With this configuration, the part P to be removed next becomes more visually clear, thereby ensuring the elimination of work errors, and providing work support for those who are inexperienced with the work.

11... Accessory device 12... Cutting device 13... Cutting table 15... Pick-up table 16... Projector 19... Conveyor control section 23... Projection image generation section 24... Graphic data 31... Transfer device 51... Projection image capturing camera 55... Work situation capturing camera 56...Image comparison processing section S...Sheet material P...Parts Ia...Parts information image Ib...Work support image

Claims (5)

a pickup table that is installed downstream from a cutting table that cuts sheet material into multiple parts lined up on the same plane and waits for the parts in the state they were in when they were cut;
An auxiliary device for a cutting device having a projector that projects a parts information image generated from graphic data used in cutting processing onto the parts on the pickup table. The pickup table is composed of a conveyor that carries and carries parts,
The accessory device for a cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor control unit that drives and controls the conveyor drives the conveyor so that the parts match the parts information image projected by the projector. A projection image capturing camera for reading the parts information image projected by the projector is provided, and
The accessory device for a cutting device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a transfer device that picks up the parts and transfers them to the next process based on the information read by the projection image capturing camera. The accessory device for a cutting device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a transfer device that picks up the parts based on the graphic data and transfers them to the next process. A work status photographing camera is provided to photograph the pickup status of parts at the pickup table, and
an image comparison processing unit that compares the work situation image input from the work situation photography camera with the graphic data to determine which part should be picked up next;
2. A projection image generation unit that generates an image to be projected onto the projector generates a work support image showing a portion of the graphic data corresponding to a part to be picked up next based on a result of the image comparison processing unit. An accessory device for a cutting device according to claim 2.

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