JP2024030290A - Container lid closing method, container lid closing inspection method, and lid closing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container lid closing method, a container lid closing inspection method, and a lid closing device capable of determining whether work is good or bad.

SOLUTION: A method for closing a lid of a container 10 by mating a lid 30 to a container body 20 includes mating the container body 20 and the lid 30 to close the lid by pressing the lid 30 being stacked on the container body 20 by a pressing portion 230 positioned on a robot, when a direction in which the container body 20 and the lid 30 are lined up in the mated state is the mating direction, detecting a load in the mating direction that the pressure portion 230 receives from the lid 30 as a reaction force when the pressure portion 230 is in a predetermined position, determining whether the mating state of the container body 20 and the lid 30 is acceptable or not on the basis of the load.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a container lid closing method, a container lid closing inspection method, and a lid closing device.

Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of a lid closing device that automatically performs a so-called container lid closing operation, in which the lid is press-fitted into the container body by pressing the lid onto the container body transported by a belt conveyor. .

JP2020-100424A

However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is not possible to determine whether the lid is properly closed on the container or whether the work is good or bad.

The container lid closing method is a container lid closing method in which a lid body is fitted to a container body, and the fitting direction is a direction in which the container body and the lid body are lined up in a fitted state. By pressing the lid which is stacked on the container main body by a pressing part arranged in an automatic machine, the container main body and the lid are fitted and the lid is closed, and the pressing part is pressed in a predetermined position. , the pressing part detects a force component in the fitting direction that the pressing part receives as a reaction force from the lid, and determines the fitting state of the container body and the lid based on the force component. Determine pass/fail.

The container lid closure inspection method is a container lid closure inspection method for inspecting the fitted state of the container body and the lid, and the method is a method for inspecting the fitting state of the container body and the lid. When the pressing part placed in the automatic machine presses the lid against the container body and is in a predetermined position, the pressing part receives a reaction force from the lid when the pressing part receives a reaction force from the lid. A force component in the mating direction is detected, and based on the force component, it is determined whether the container body and the lid are properly fitted.

The lid closing device includes an automatic machine, a pressing part disposed in the automatic machine and configured to fit the container body and the lid by pressing the lid against the container body, and a lid closing device that includes an automatic machine, a pressing part that is arranged in the automatic machine, and presses the lid against the container body to fit the container main body and the lid, and the pressing part is arranged in a predetermined position. a detection unit that detects a force component that the pressing unit receives as a reaction force from the lid body, and a detection unit that determines whether or not the fitted state of the container body and the lid body are satisfied based on the force component. A determination unit is provided.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a lid closing device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the container. The perspective view which shows the structure of a lid closing jig. 1 is a flowchart showing a container lid closing method and a container lid closing inspection method. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a part of the method for closing the lid of the container. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a part of the method for closing the lid of the container. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a part of the method for closing the lid of the container. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a part of the method for closing the lid of the container. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a part of the method for closing the lid of the container. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a container lid closure inspection method. A graph showing the relationship between the lid closing position and the load when passing the test. Graph showing the relationship between the lid closing position and the load in the event of a failure.

In each of the following figures, three mutually orthogonal axes will be described as an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis. The direction along the X axis is the "X direction," the direction along the Y axis is the "Y direction," and the direction along the Z axis is the "Z direction."The direction of the arrow is the + direction, and the direction opposite to the + direction is the - direction. Note that the +Z direction is sometimes referred to as "above" or "upper", and the -Z direction is sometimes referred to as "lower" or "lower", and viewing from the +Z direction and the -Z direction is also referred to as planar view or planar view. Further, the description will be made assuming that the surface on the + side in the Z direction is the top surface, and the surface on the − side in the Z direction, which is the opposite side, is the bottom surface. Further, the Z axis is a direction in which the container body 20 and the lid 30 are lined up in a state where the lid 30 is closed with respect to the container body 20, and is also referred to as a first direction or a fitting direction.

First, the configuration of the lid closing device 1000 will be explained with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lid closing device 1000 is a device that performs an operation to close the lid 30 on the container body 20, and includes a robot 100 as an automatic machine having a robot arm 110, and a lid closing device 1000 that is attached to the robot arm 110. A lid closing jig 200 is provided.

The container body 20 is, for example, a box for storing food or the like, and has an opening 24 (see FIG. 2) that opens at the top. The lid 30 is a member that is placed over the opening 24 of the container body 20 to close the opening 24 . Note that the combination of the container body 20 and the lid 30 is referred to as a container 10. Furthermore, the contents of the container 10 are not limited to foods.

The lid closing device 1000 also includes a belt conveyor 300 that conveys the container body 20 in the direction of the arrow, that is, from upstream to downstream, so as to pass through the lid closing position 101, and a table 400 on which the lid body 30 is placed. , a sensor 500 that detects the position of the container body 20 on the belt conveyor 300, and an encoder 600 that detects the conveyance speed of the belt conveyor 300.

The lid closing device 1000 performs a lid closing operation of covering and closing the lid 30 held by the lid closing jig 200 over the container body 20 at the timing when the container body 20 is transported to the lid closing position 101. The container body 20 with the lid 30 closed, ie, the container 10, is conveyed downstream by a belt conveyor 300.

Note that the method for conveying the container body 20 is not limited to the method using the belt conveyor 300. Further, the lid body 30 is not limited to being placed on the table 400, and may be conveyed one by one on another belt conveyor, for example.

Examples of the sensor 500 include an image sensor using a camera, and the like. The sensor 500 detects, for example, the center position of the container body 20 being conveyed by the belt conveyor 300.

As described above, the encoder 600 detects the speed of the belt conveyor 300 and transmits the detected information to the robot 100. Specifically, the amount of displacement of a roller placed on the belt conveyor 300 is detected, and a calculation unit (not shown) calculates the time required for the container body 20 to reach the lid closing position 101 based on the position and rotational speed of the container body 20. Calculate. Note that the encoder 600 is not limited to being placed on the upstream side of conveyance, but may be placed on the downstream side.

The robot 100 is a horizontal articulated robot having a robot arm 110. Note that the form of the robot 100 is not limited to this, and may be a vertically articulated robot or a dual-arm robot having a plurality of robot arms.

Moreover, the robot 100 of this embodiment fits the container body 20 and the lid 30 only by position control without using force control. Specifically, the position control drives the shaft 40 in the Z direction based on, for example, the lid closing start position information and the lid closing arrival position information of the lid closing jig 200. Position control makes it possible to move the robot arm 110 and shaft 40 at a faster speed than force control, for example, and contributes to speedy work.

The robot arm 110 has a shaft 40 and a distal end portion 250 provided at the distal end of the shaft 40 to which various end effectors can be attached. For example, a lid closing jig 200 as shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the tip portion 250. The robot arm 110 moves the lid closing jig 200 to any position within its operating range. Furthermore, the operating range of the robot arm 110 is set to include the lid closing position 101.

The robot 100 also includes a detection section 260, a storage section 120, a determination section 130, and a control section (not shown).

The detection unit 260 is provided, for example, between the shaft 40 and the tip portion 250. For example, the detection unit 260 may be a force sensor. The force sensor detects a load as a force component that the pressing part 230 receives from the lid 30 as a reaction force when the pressing part 230 (see FIG. 3) is in a predetermined position.

In addition, the force sensor is of the crystal type, and is made of a piezoelectric material such as crystal, and has a pressure receiving part that transmits the stress applied to the end effector, and an electrode formed on this pressure receiving part. The configuration is such that the charge generated in the pressure receiving section is extracted from the electrode as a detection signal. This has a relatively simple configuration, high detection accuracy, and high accuracy in success/failure determination. Note that the sensor is not limited to a force sensor, and other types may be used. Further, the force sensor is not limited to a force sensor using a crystal, and may be a force sensor of other types.

The storage unit 120 stores various programs executable by a control unit (not shown), threshold information for determining pass/fail based on the load applied to the force sensor, and the like. Examples of the storage unit 120 include volatile memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory), nonvolatile memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory), and removable external storage devices.

The determination unit 130 compares the load applied to the force sensor and the threshold information stored in the storage unit 120 to determine whether the fitted state between the container body 20 and the lid 30 is normal. .

The control unit has a function of moving the lid closing jig 200 according to the position of the container body 20 detected by the sensor 500 by operating the robot arm 110, and a function of moving the lid closing jig 200 according to the position of the container body 20 detected by the sensor 500. The lid closing jig 200 has a function of moving the lid closing jig 200 to perform a lid closing operation.

Next, the configuration of the container 10 will be explained with reference to FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container 10 includes a container body 20 and a lid 30. The container 10 is a so-called internal fitting type container in which a lid 30 is fitted inside a container body 20. FIG. 2 shows the state before the lid 30 is closed.

The container body 20 has a bottom portion 21 located at the lower end, a cylindrical portion 22 connected to the outer edge of the bottom portion 21, and a flange portion 23 connected to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 22. An internal space S1 is defined by the cylindrical portion 22. The internal space S1 is a space for accommodating objects. Further, the flange 23 defines an opening 24 located above the internal space S1.

The container main body 20 has a circular shape centered on an axis A1 extending along the first direction in plan view. The bottom portion 21 also has a circular shape centered on the axis A1 and extending in a plane perpendicular to the axis A1.

The cylindrical portion 22 rises upward from the outer edge of the bottom portion 21 and continues in the circumferential direction around the axis A1.

The collar portion 23 protrudes outward in the second direction from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 22 and is continuous in the circumferential direction. The collar portion 23 includes a fitted portion 23a and a flange portion 23b. The fitted portion 23a is a portion that fits into the lid 30. The flange portion 23b projects outward from the upper end of the fitted portion 23a. The constituent material of the container body 20 is not particularly limited, and includes, for example, plastic, paper, expanded polystyrene, and the like.

The lid 30 includes a base 31 , a cylindrical portion 32 connected to the outer edge of the base 31 , and a flange 33 connected to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 32 .

The lid body 30 has a circular shape centered on the axis A1 when viewed from above. The base 31 also has a circular shape centered on the axis A1 and extending in a plane orthogonal to the axis A1.

The cylindrical portion 32 extends downward from the outer edge of the base portion 31 and continues in the circumferential direction. Further, the outer diameter of the lower end of the cylindrical portion 32 is larger than the outer diameter of the upper end of the cylindrical portion 32 . Furthermore, the outer diameter changes continuously between the lower end and the upper end. In this way, the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 32 has a tapered shape in which the outer diameter changes continuously along the first direction.

The collar portion 33 protrudes outward in the second direction from the lower end of the cylindrical portion 32 and is continuous in the circumferential direction. The collar portion 33 includes a groove portion 33a, a fitting portion 33b, a wall portion 33c, and a flange portion 33d.

The groove portion 33a is connected to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 32. The groove portion 33a extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis A1 and has an annular shape centered on the axis A1. The fitting portion 33b is connected to the outer end of the groove portion 33a. The fitting portion 33b fits into the fitted portion 23a of the container body 20.

The wall portion 33c is connected to the upper end of the fitting portion 33b. The wall portion 33c is a portion that expands with a component along the first direction, and is arranged along the fitting portion 33b so as to surround the axis A1 in a plan view.

Spreading with a component along the first direction means that when the wall 33c is cut along a plane including the axis A1, the angle between the wall 33c and the axis A1 is less than 90°. is preferably 45° or less, more preferably 30° or less.

In addition, when the wall portion 33c is arranged along the fitting portion 33b, for example, when the fitting portion 33b has an annular shape, the wall portion 33c also has an annular shape concentric with the fitting portion 33b. It means that

The flange portion 33d is connected to the upper end of the wall portion 33c. The flange portion 33d projects outward in the second direction from the connection portion with the wall portion 33c. The constituent material of the lid body 30 is not particularly limited, and includes, for example, plastic, paper, foamed polystyrene, and the like.

Before the lid 30 is closed to the container body 20, the outer diameter φW1 of the fitting portion 33b of the lid 30 is slightly larger than the inner diameter φW2 of the fitted portion 23a of the container body 20. It is set. When closing the lid 30, the fitting portion 33b is press-fitted inside the fitted portion 23a by pressing the lid 30.

At this time, the outer diameter φW1 of the fitting portion 33b is once deformed so as to be reduced in diameter, and becomes slightly larger than the inner diameter φW2 of the fitted portion 23a after press-fitting. This completes the fitting of the fitting part 33b to the fitted part 23a. Note that after the fitting is completed, the outer diameter φW1 of the fitting portion 33b may be slightly smaller than before the fitting.

As a result, the fitting portion 33b tends to elastically return toward the outside in the second direction after the fitting is completed. This generates a fitting force and allows the lid 30 to be brought into better contact with the container body 20.

The container 10 has been described above, and the container 10 described above is an example of a container to which the lid closing jig 200 is applied. The shape is not limited to the above shape as long as it has the fitted portion 23a.

Next, the configuration of the lid closing jig 200 will be explained with reference to FIG. 3. Note that the lid closing jig 200 shown in FIG. 3 is partially cut away to show a cross section for convenience of illustration.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lid closing jig 200 includes a base portion 210, a regulating portion 220, and a pressing portion 230.

In plan view, the base 210 has a circular shape centered on the axis A2 and extending in a plane orthogonal to the axis A2. Additionally, the base 210 may have a structure for attachment to the tip 250 of the robot arm 110.

The regulating portion 220 falls downward from the outer edge of the base portion 210 and is continuous in the circumferential direction. Further, the inner diameter of the lower end of the regulating part 220 is larger than the inner diameter of the upper end of the regulating part 220. Further, the inner diameter changes continuously between the lower end and the upper end.

In this way, the inner surface of the regulating portion 220 has a tapered shape in which the inner diameter changes continuously along the first direction. An internal space S2 is defined by the regulating portion 220. A part of the lid 30 is accommodated in the internal space S2, and the lid 30 is held in contact with the regulating portion 220, so that the lid 30 is held at a predetermined position. regulated by. Note that the shape of the regulating portion 220 is not limited to the above shape, and may not be tapered, for example.

The pressing portion 230 protrudes outward in the second direction from the lower end of the regulating portion 220 and is continuous in the circumferential direction. The pressing portion 230 extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis A2 and has an annular shape centered on the axis A2. Further, the pressing portion 230 has a curved shape in which the center portion in the second direction protrudes downward compared to both end portions. This curved shape allows the lid 30 to be pressed accurately on the target portion. Note that the shape of the pressing portion 230 may be any shape that can press the lid 30, and is not limited to the above shape.

Further, the regulating section 220 has a low elasticity section 240. The low elasticity section 240 is a part of the restriction section 220 in the first direction, and has a lower elastic modulus than the pressing section 230. Therefore, the low elasticity portion 240 is compressed when it comes into contact with the lid 30, and generates a restoring force to return to its original state. This restoring force contributes to the regulating portion 220 holding the lid 30 and regulating the position of the lid 30, as described later.

Furthermore, the low elasticity portion 240 has an annular shape around the axis A2, and protrudes inward from the inner wall surface of the restriction portion 220. Therefore, when the lid closing jig 200 is brought close to the lid 30, the low elastic portion 240 can be brought into contact with the lid 30 with priority over other parts. Therefore, the low elasticity portion 240 further strengthens the functions of the lid closing jig 200, such as the function of the restriction portion 220 to hold the lid 30 and the function of the restriction portion 220 to restrict the position of the lid 30. contribute to

Examples of the constituent material of the low elasticity portion 240 include rubber materials, thermoplastic elastomers, and the like. An example of such a low elasticity portion 240 is a seal ring such as an O-ring.

Examples of the constituent material of the lid closing jig 200 include resin materials, but other materials such as metal materials, ceramic materials, glass materials, etc. may also be used. Moreover, the lid closing jig 200 may be integrated as a whole, or may be an assembly of a plurality of parts.

Next, a method of closing the lid of the container 10 and a method of inspecting the lid of the container 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 12. The method of closing the lid of the container 10 and the method of inspecting the lid of the container 10 of this embodiment are performed while moving the container body 20 on the belt conveyor 300, in other words, while tracking.

As shown in FIG. 4, in step S11, the lid closing jig 200 holds the lid 30. Specifically, first, the robot arm 110 is operated to cover the lid closing jig 200 toward the lid 30 placed on the table 400.

Specifically, when the lid closing jig 200 is lowered, the base 31 of the lid body 30 is accommodated in the internal space S2 of the lid closing jig 200, as shown in FIG. When the lid closing jig 200 is further lowered, the low elasticity portion 240 of the lid closing jig 200 and the cylindrical portion 32 of the lid body 30 come into contact with each other, as shown in FIG. Thereafter, when the lid closing jig 200 is further lowered, the low elastic portion 240 pressed against the lid 30 is compressed, as shown in FIG.

A restoring force is generated in the compressed low elasticity portion 240 to try to return it to its original state. This restoring force acts on the lid 30, and the lid 30 can be held without falling. Further, as described above, the low elasticity portion 240 has an annular shape around the axis A2. Therefore, the restoring force acting on the lid 30 from the low elasticity portion 240 acts to adjust the position of the lid 30 with respect to the lid closing jig 200.

Further, by utilizing the tapered shape of the cylindrical portion 32 of the lid 30, the function of regulating the position of the lid 30 is further strengthened. That is, since the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 32 and the regulating portion 220 come into contact with each other, the tapered shape of the cylindrical portion 32 can be utilized, and the positioning of the lid 30 becomes easier.

Further, the coefficient of friction between the low elasticity portion 240 and the lid 30 is preferably larger than the coefficient of friction between the pressing portion 230 and the like of the lid closing jig 200 and the lid 30. By selecting rubber, elastomer, foamed resin, or the like as the constituent material of the low elasticity section 240, the coefficient of friction between the low elasticity section 240 and the lid 30 can be increased. By increasing the coefficient of friction, the ability to hold the lid 30 can be further enhanced.

Next, the robot arm 110 is operated to move the lid closing jig 200 holding the lid body 30 to the lid closing position 101.

Next, in step S12, at the timing when the container body 20 is conveyed to the lid closing position 101, which is the designated position, the belt conveyor 300 is in a moving state, that is, the container body 20 is in a moving state, and the robot arm 110 is moved. The lid closing jig 200 is moved so as to cover the container body 20 with the lid body 30 from above. In other words, a reciprocating motion in the Z direction is performed.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the lid closing jig 200 is lowered by the operation of the robot arm 110, and the lid body 30 is placed over the container body 20. Then, the fitting part 33b of the lid 30 and the fitted part 23a of the container body 20 are brought into contact (see FIG. 8). This operation is called tracking.

Next, in step S13, when the lid body 30 is pressed by the lid closing jig 200, the fitting between the fitting part 33b and the fitted part 23a is completed, as shown in FIG. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the fitting portion 33b of the lid 30 and the fitting portion 23a of the container body 20 are fitted.

The wall portion 33c is arranged above the fitting portion 33b along the fitting portion 33b, and the upper portion 33e of the wall portion 33c, which is the point of application of pressure, is opposite to the container body 20 of the wall portion 33c. It's the side part. Therefore, when the upper part 33e of the wall part 33c is pressed downward by the lid closing jig 200, the pressing force can be efficiently transmitted to the fitting part 33b, and the fitting part 33b is moved inside the fitted part 23a. It can be press-fitted into. Note that since the wall portion 33c expands with a component along the first direction, the pressing force applied to the wall portion 33c is applied to the fitting portion 33b without causing almost any bending or twisting of the wall portion 33c. transmitted to. Thereby, the fitting portion 33b can be press-fitted and fitted while suppressing the load on the wall portion 33c. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of plastic deformation and damage to the lid body 30 due to the lid closing operation.

Further, the upper portion 33e of the wall portion 33c is also a connecting portion between the wall portion 33c and the flange portion 33d. In this connection part, the wall part 33c and the flange part 33d are connected at a substantially right angle, forming a corner. The upper portion 33e having such a shape is a portion having relatively high deformation resistance (rigidity). Therefore, pressing the upper part 33e with the pressing part 230 is particularly effective in suppressing unintended deformation of the lid 30.

Next, in step S14, force sense data is acquired. Specifically, after the lid closing operation is completed, the shaft 22 is operated to slightly raise the lid closing jig 200, as shown in FIG. In other words, the distance between the pressing part 230 and the container body 20 in the Z direction is longer than the length L2 at the position to be determined (see FIG. 10) than the length L1 at the closed position (see FIG. 9). is longer.

The position of the pressing part 230 at this time is referred to as a predetermined position (see FIG. 10). Also, at this time, the pressing unit 230 acquires force data such as the load in the Z direction received as a reaction force from the lid 30.

Next, in step S15, a comparison is made to see if the fitting state between the container body 20 and the lid 30 is acceptable. Specifically, the detected force data (that is, the load) is compared with a load threshold stored in the storage unit 120 and used for pass/fail determination set in advance. If the detected load does not exceed the threshold value, it is determined as a pass and the process moves to step S16. If the detected load exceeds the threshold value, it is determined as a failure and the process moves to step S17.

FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the detected load and time when the fitted state is acceptable. FIG. 12 shows the relationship between the detected load and time when the fitted state is unacceptable. In this embodiment, for example, the pass/fail threshold is set to -30N. As shown in FIG. 11, the load Fz at the lid closing reached position, that is, at the predetermined position, is smaller than -30N, and the fitted state is determined to be acceptable. As shown in FIG. 12, the load Fz at the lid closing reached position, that is, at a predetermined position, is greater than -60N, and the fitted state is determined to be unacceptable.

In step S16, the container body 20 and the lid 30 are transported to, for example, the next process as the container 10 fitted in a normal state.

In step S17, the container body 20 and the lid 30 are not fitted together in a normal state, and the container 10 is rejected from the belt conveyor 300, for example.

As described above, the method of closing the lid of the container 10 of the present embodiment is a method of closing the lid of the container in which the lid 30 is fitted to the container main body 20. When the direction in which they are lined up is the Z direction, the pressing unit 230 disposed on the robot 100 presses the lid 30 stacked on the container body 20, thereby fitting the container body 20 and the lid 30. When the lid is closed and the pressing part 230 is in a predetermined position, the pressing part 230 detects the load in the Z direction that it receives as a reaction force from the lid 30, and based on the load, the container body 20 and the lid are It is determined whether the fitting state with the body 30 is acceptable or not.

According to this method, since the load received as a reaction force is detected, for example, by comparing the detected load with the threshold value for determining whether the fitted state is acceptable or not, the It becomes possible to judge whether the work is good or bad.

Furthermore, in the method for closing the lid of the container 10 of the present embodiment, it is preferable that position control is used instead of force control for closing the lid. According to this method, since position control is used when fitting the lid 30 to the container body 20, it is possible to perform the fitting work faster than when using force control, for example, and the work time is reduced. can be shortened.

In addition, in the method for closing the lid of the container 10 of the present embodiment, the distance between the pressing part 230 and the container body 20 in the Z direction is longer than the length L1 required to close the lid, which is longer than the length L2 required to close the lid. It is preferable that the length is longer. According to this method, the length L2 required until the determination is longer, that is, after the lid 30 is fitted to the container body 20, the pressing part 230 returns in the direction away from the lid 30, so the lid The load received as a reaction force from the body 30 can be detected.

Furthermore, in the method for closing the lid of the container 10 of this embodiment, it is preferable that a quartz-type force sensor be used for detection. According to this method, since a crystal type force sensor is used, it is possible to detect the load with high accuracy, and the accuracy of the pass/fail determination can be increased.

Furthermore, in the method for closing the container 10 according to the present embodiment, the robot 100 is a horizontal articulated robot, and the detection is preferably performed while the container body 20 is moving on the belt conveyor 300. According to this method, since the lid body 30 is fitted to the container body 20 moving on the belt conveyor 300 using a horizontal articulated robot, the lid closing operation can be performed efficiently.

Further, in the container lid closing inspection method of inspecting the fitted state of the container body 20 and the lid 30 of the present embodiment, the first direction is the direction in which the container body 20 and the lid 30 are lined up in the fitted state. When the pressing part 230 disposed on the robot 100 presses the lid 30 against the container body 20 and is in a predetermined position, the pressing part 230 receives a reaction force from the lid 30. The applied load in the Z direction is detected, and based on the load, it is determined whether or not the fitted state of the container main body 20 and the lid body 30 is acceptable.

According to this method, the load received as a reaction force is detected, and, for example, by comparing the detected load with a threshold value for determining whether the fitted state is pass or fail, it is possible to determine whether the fitted state of the container body 20 and the lid body 30 is pass or fail. Since it is judged, it is possible to judge whether the work is good or bad.

The lid closing device 1000 of this embodiment also includes a robot 100 and a pressing section 230 that is disposed on the robot 100 and that presses the lid 30 against the container body 20 to fit the container body 20 and the lid 30 together. , a detection unit 260 that detects the load that the pressing unit 230 receives as a reaction force from the lid 30 when the pressing unit 230 is in a predetermined position, and a detection unit 260 that detects the fit between the container body 20 and the lid 30 based on the load. and a determination unit 130 that determines the pass/fail of the pass/fail state.

According to this configuration, since the load is detected by the detection unit 260, for example, by comparing the detected load with the threshold value for determining whether the fitted state is acceptable or not, It becomes possible to judge whether the work is good or bad.

Modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described below.

As described above, the robot 100 is not limited to fitting the container body 20 and the lid 30 only by position control, but can also fit the container body 20 and the lid 30 by using force control. You can also do this. When force control is used, after the lid 30 contacts the container body 20, the lid is attached to the container body 20 while following the force (Fx, Fy) in the specified direction (see FIGS. 11 and 12) to become 0. Press the body 30.

As described above, it is preferable that the modified lid closing method uses force control. According to this method, since force control is used when fitting the lid 30 to the container body 20, it is possible to suppress excessive force from being applied to the container body 20 and the lid 30. Damage to the lid body 30 can be suppressed. Note that the present invention is not limited to only position control or only force control, and both position control and force control may be used.

As described above, the automatic machine is not limited to the robot 100, but may be a linear slider that slides in the Z direction as long as the lid 30 can be fitted to the container body 20.

As described above, the method of fitting the container body 20 and the lid 30 is not limited to performing a tracking operation, but may also be performed by stopping the container body 20 and fitting them, although the efficiency decreases.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Container, 20... Container body, 21... Bottom, 22... Cylindrical part, 23... Flange part, 23a... Fitted part, 23b... Flange part, 24... Opening part, 30... Lid body, 31... Base, 32 ... Cylindrical part, 33... Flange part, 33a... Groove part, 33b... Fitting part, 33c... Wall part, 33d... Flange part, 33e... Upper part, 40... Shaft, 100... Robot, 101... Lid closing position, 110... Robot Arm, 120... Storage section, 130... Judgment section, 200... Lid closing jig, 210... Base, 220... Regulating section, 230... Pressing section, 240... Low elasticity section, 250... Tip section, 260... Detecting section, 300 ...belt conveyor, 400...table, 500...sensor, 600...encoder, 1000...lid closing device.

Claims (8)

A method for closing a container lid by fitting a lid body onto a container body, the method comprising:
When the direction in which the container body and the lid are lined up in a fitted state is defined as a fitting direction,
A pressing unit disposed in an automatic machine presses the lid stacked on the container body, thereby fitting the container body and the lid to close the lid;
detecting a force component in the fitting direction that the pressing part receives as a reaction force from the lid when the pressing part is in a predetermined position;
A method for closing a container lid, which determines whether or not the container body and the lid are fitted together based on the force component. A method for closing a container according to claim 1, comprising:
The container lid closing method uses position control instead of force control. A method for closing a container according to claim 2, comprising:
The method for closing a container lid, wherein the distance between the pressing portion and the container body in the fitting direction is longer at the determined position than at the lid closing position. A method for closing a container according to claim 1, comprising:
The lid closing is a container lid closing method using force control. A method for closing a container according to claim 1, comprising:
The detection method uses a crystal type force sensor to close the lid of the container. A method for closing a container according to claim 1, comprising:
The automatic machine is a horizontal articulated robot,
The container lid closing method is such that the detection is performed while the container body is moving on a belt conveyor. A container lid closure inspection method for inspecting the fitted state of a container body and a lid body, the method comprising:
When the direction in which the container body and the lid are lined up in a fitted state is defined as a fitting direction,
A force component in the fitting direction that the pressing part receives as a reaction force from the lid when the pressing part disposed in an automatic machine presses the lid against the container body and is in a predetermined position. A lid closing inspection method for a container, which detects the force component and determines whether or not the fitted state of the container main body and the lid body are fit together based on the force component. automatic machine and
a pressing unit that is disposed in the automatic machine and presses the lid against the container body to fit the container body and the lid;
a detection unit that detects a force component that the pressing part receives as a reaction force from the lid when the pressing part is in a predetermined position;
A lid closing device, comprising: a determination unit that determines whether or not a fitted state between the container body and the lid body is appropriate based on the force component.

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