JP3317993B2 - Product loading method and device by robot - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for loading a product by a robot, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for loading a product by a robot which loads a product without overloading a product pile when the product is loaded. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to carry out a product using a robot, three means of loading, flowing, and flowing down have been used. In other words, the stacking means allows products to be stacked at a high level corresponding to a stable product shape, and the flowing means uses an inclined table to flow products that are unstable in product shape and cannot be stacked high. . However, according to this means, if the product has cut-ups or the like, it does not flow on the tilt table. Also, high-density loading is not possible. In addition, the means for dropping off allows high-density loading, but it is impossible to carry out loading without causing as much damage on the product surface.

Therefore, a means for loading a product by providing a vacuum pad or gripper for gripping a product on the Z-axis arm of the robot and a sensor for detecting a lower limit or a photosensor for detecting a product already loaded is provided. Has been adopted.

[0004]

In the above-described conventional product loading means using a robot, in the case of a product having a stable product shape, the products are directly in contact with each other when the lower limit is detected, so that the product is easily damaged. For products that cannot be stacked due to their unstable shape, it is extremely difficult to adjust the volume of the sensor to prevent the product from falling too much when using a photo sensor, etc. There is a problem that it takes time to perform the adjustment, and if the adjustment is not completely performed, the product is damaged.

[0005] Further, the photo sensor cannot always recognize correctly depending on the product shape. Still further, there is also a problem that the operation time delay directly affects the product tact because the product is sucked by the vacuum pad or gripped by the gripper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to improve the above-mentioned problem by detecting that the Z-axis arm of the robot has come into contact with a product regardless of the state of a product pile already loaded. An object of the present invention is to provide a product loading method by a robot and a device for the same, which reduce product tact and improve operability without pressing the product without damaging the product.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a tray holder provided with a tray for horizontally supporting a product when the product is loaded into a storage section by a Z-axis arm of a product loading robot. The tray holder is stopped when the lower surface of the tray or the tray holder comes into contact with the stored product, and the tray holder and the Z holder are lowered when only the Z-axis arm is lowered.
A product contact detection sensor provided on the axis arm is operated, and the detection signal of the detection sensor stops the lowering of the Z-axis arm, and raises the Z-axis arm while tilting the tray to store the product. This is a method for loading products by a robot that loads on a robot.

According to the present invention, a product is loaded in a storage section.
-Axis arm movable in the Z-axis direction for loading robot
In a product laminating apparatus provided with a
Tray holder that can move up and down relative to the Z-axis arm
The product can be supported horizontally and the product can be dropped.
The tray holder that can be turned up and down
The tray above the product previously loaded in the storage section.
Or to detect that the tray holder has contacted
The sensor is equipped with a sensor and the tray is
Actuator for supporting and rotating up and down
And the tray is moved downward after detection by the detection sensor.
The Z-axis arm is raised while tilting
The following products are loaded on the unit.

[0009]

By adopting the method and apparatus for loading a product by a robot according to the present invention, the Z of the product loading robot can be improved.
A tray holder having a tray on which products are placed is mounted on the shaft arm so as to be vertically movable, and the tray is tiltable. When loading the product in the storage section, the product is placed on the tray of the tray holder hanging down on the Z-axis arm, and the Z-axis arm is lowered into the storage section. When the Z-axis arm descends and the lower surface of the tray or tray holder comes into contact with the already placed product, the tray holder stops at that position, but the Z-axis arm continues to descend further, and the tray holder and the Z-axis arm A product contact is detected by a detection member for product contact detection and a member to be detected, which are provided in the above, and the lowering of the Z-axis arm is stopped by the detection signal.

Next, when the tray on which the product is placed is tilted and the Z-axis arm is raised, the product is loaded on the inclined tray in the sliding storage portion.

Therefore, the stacked products can be smoothly loaded without pressing the piles of the products, and the products are not damaged.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

For easy understanding, the flow of the product will first be described schematically.

Referring to FIG. 8, the present embodiment has a device configuration in which a product processed by a vendor is carried out and loaded by a robot, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

A loader 3 is provided on one side of the vendor 1.
On the other side, an unloader conveyor 5 is provided. Further, a robot 7 for transferring the material on the loader 3 to the vendor 1 and transferring the product W processed by the vendor 1 to the unloader conveyor 5 is provided.

A handling robot 9 is provided on the unloading side of the unloader conveyor 5, and the handling robot 9 loads the product W into the palletizing cage 11.

As shown by the dotted line arrows in FIG. 8, the product W processed by the vendor 1 is gripped by the robot 7 and placed on the unloader conveyor 5 by the above configuration. Will be transferred to The product W transferred to the unloader conveyor 5 is unloaded and handled by the handling robot 9
The product W supported by the handling robot 9 by the operation of the handling robot 9 is loaded into the palletizing cage 11.

Next, the Z-axis arm of the handling robot 9 which is a main part of this embodiment will be described. Since the configuration of the handling robot 9 is already known, detailed illustration and description are omitted, and only the Z-axis arm will be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, a Z-axis arm body 15, which is a member of the Z-axis arm 13, is supported by an arm support 17 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). The screw shaft 19 is screwed. This screw shaft 1
9 is connected to the drive motor 21.

With the above configuration, when the drive motor 21 is rotated, the screw shaft 19 rotates, and the Z-axis arm body 15 screwed to the screw shaft 19 moves in the Z-axis direction. That is, the Z-axis arm body 15 can move up and down.

A tray holder support 25a, which is a member constituting the tray holder 25, is mounted on one side near the lower portion of the Z-axis arm body 15 via an LM guide 23 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction. This tray holder support 25a
A stopper 27 is provided at the upper end of the tray holder to restrict the lowering limit. A tray holder rotating body 25b is mounted via a shaft 29 at the lower end of the tray holder support 25a.

A fluid pressure operated cylinder 31 is provided on the tray holder support 25a, and the tip of a piston rod 33 of the cylinder 31 is rotatably supported by the tray holder rotating body 25b. Further, the tray holder rotating body 2
A tray 35 is integrally fixed to a front end (left side in FIG. 1) of 5b by a fastening member 37. A supply port 41 for supplying fluid pressure to the lower fluid pressure chamber 39 of the cylinder 31 is provided, and a piping member (not shown) for supplying fluid pressure to the supply port 41 and a fluid pressure generation source are provided.

With the above configuration, the tray 35 is rotated up and down.
When the lower hydraulic pressure chamber 39 of the cylinder 31 as an actuator for supplying fluid pressure, the piston rod 33 of the cylinder 31 is shrink. Shrinkage of piston rod 33
Tray holder rotating body 25 to which tray 35 is fixed by small size
b indicates the state shown by the solid line in the drawing of FIG. 1, that is, the tray 35 is supported in a horizontal state, and the product W is placed on the tray 35. When the fluid pressure in the lower fluid pressure chamber 39 is discharged from this state, the tray 35 rotates as shown by a two-dot chain line, and the product W on the tray 35 slips and is not shown. Palletizing cage 1
1 is loaded.

A product contact detection sensor 43 is provided near the lower portion of the Z-axis arm body 15, and a dog 4 for operating the product detection sensor 43 is provided on the tray holder support 25a.
5 is provided at a predetermined position.

With the above structure, the tray holder 25 stops when the lower surface of the tray holder 25 or the tray 35 comes into contact with the already loaded product W, and when the Z-axis arm body 15 is further lowered, the tray holder 25 is provided on the tray holder support 25a. The product contact detection sensor 43 provided on the Z-axis arm main body 15 comes into contact with the dog 45, and the rotation of the drive motor 21 for driving the Z-axis arm main body 15 is reduced by the detection signal of the sensor 43.

According to the configuration described above, the operation is based on the flowchart shown in FIG.
A detailed description will be given in comparison with the operation explanatory diagrams shown in FIGS. The ULR in the flowchart of FIG.
Is an unloading device using the tray 35 as a robot hand, that is, the handling robot 9.

First, by starting, the product W processed by the bender 1 in step S1 is gripped by the bending robot 7 and transferred onto the unloader conveyor 5 (see FIG. 8).

In step S2, the unloader conveyor 5
The unloaded conveyor 5 is driven to convey the product W placed thereon (see FIG. 8).

Next, in step S3, the product W is transferred onto the tray 35 of the handling robot 9 located on the exit side of the unloader conveyor 5 (see FIG. 8). In addition,
If there is a product W on the tray 35, the process proceeds to the next step S4. However, when it is detected that the product W is not on the tray 35, the process returns to step S2, and the unloader conveyor 5 is driven to send the product W.

[0030] Product W is transferred onto the tray 35 of the handling robot 9 proceeds to step S4, X handling robot 9, by driving the Y-axis for positioning the tray 35 to just above the palletizing cage 11. At this time, by optimizing the acceleration and deceleration pattern when the horizontal-axis movement, thereby enabling integration of the tray 35 and the product W.

When the tray 35 on which the product W has been loaded is positioned just above the valetizing cage 11, the process proceeds to step S5, where the Z-axis arm 13 of the handling robot 9 is lowered. At this time, the tray 35 on which the product W is placed is suspended from the Z-axis arm body 15 via the tray holder 25, and the fluid pressure is supplied to the lower fluid pressure chamber 39 of the cylinder 31. 35 is held in a horizontal state (see FIG. 3).

As the Z-axis arm 13 continues to descend, the product W already loaded on the palletizing cage 11
The lower surface of the tray 35 or the tray holder 25 comes into contact with the tray 35. The tray 35 and the tray holder 25 are brought into contact with each other.
Stops, but the Z-axis arm 13 continues to descend. This is because the LM guide 23 is mounted between the Z-axis arm main body 15 of the Z-axis arm 13 and the tray holder 25, and the tray holder 25 moves in the Z-axis direction, that is, in the vertical direction with respect to the Z-axis arm main body 15. This is because it is provided movably.

When the Z-axis arm 13 continues to descend, the product contact detection sensor 43 provided on the Z-axis arm body 15
The contact with the product pile is detected by the dog 45 provided on the tray holder support 25a of the tray holder 25 (see step S6 and FIG. 4). If it is not detected in step S6 that the product contact has been made, that is, if the product contact detection sensor 43 has not yet been operated by the dog 45, the process returns to step S5 and the Z-axis arm 13 continues to descend.

When a product peak is detected in step S6, the drive motor 21 that has lowered the Z-axis arm 13 is switched to deceleration according to the detection signal of the product contact detection sensor 43, and the lowering of the Z-axis arm 13 is decelerated. The lowering of the Z-axis arm 13 is stopped at the position lowered by a predetermined amount. That is, the tray 35 in a state that the product W is present, the Z-axis arm 13 is lowered, the lower surface of the tray holder rotation member 25b or the tray 35 of the tray holder 25 is in contact with the product pile, the tray holder 25 is slid Before the end of the stroke, the lowering of the Z-axis arm body 15 is stopped (see step S7 and FIG. 5).

From the state of step S7, the tray holder 2
When the supply of fluid pressure to the cylinder 31 provided in the cylinder 5 is stopped and opened, the tray holder rotating body 2 integrally provided with the tray 35 is provided.
5b is free, and when the Z-axis arm body 15 is raised, the tray holder support 2 is moved along with the Z-axis arm body 15.
5a also rises via the stopper 27. Tray holder support 25a when rises tray holder rotation member 25b is gradually rotated, when the upper surface of the tray 35 reaches a predetermined slope, products W riding on the tray 35 on the drop sliding to palletizing cage 11 (See step S8 and FIG. 6).

When the Z-axis arm 23 is further raised, the Z-axis arm 23 stops at the rising end (step S9).

When the Z-axis arm 23 stops at the rising end, fluid pressure is supplied to the cylinder 31 to return the tray 35 to a horizontal state (see step S10 and FIG. 7).

Then, an operation opposite to the above-mentioned operation of step S4 is performed in step S11. That is, the X and Y axes of the handling robot 9 are operated, the tray 35 of the handling robot 9 is positioned at the product receiving position of the unloader conveyor 5, and the process returns to the start (see FIG. 8).

Due to the above-described operation and structure, when the product 35 comes into contact with the product pile, the tray 35 and the tray holder 25 have a simple configuration, so that the total weight is light and product damage in the product pile is suppressed.
It is possible to control. Further, the lower surfaces of the tray 35 and the tray holder rotating body 25b have a smooth shape, and when the tray 35 and the tray holder 25 are
Without giving more stress to the product pile than the total weight of
Even if the product peaks are not uniform in the Z-axis direction, the product peaks can be detected by sliding the tray holder 25 in the Z-axis direction.
For this reason, safety can be improved.

Further, a quick approach can be made when the Z-axis arm 13 is lowered, so that the productivity can be improved by shortening the product tact and the work of the loading device can be performed.
High-density lamination can be achieved by narrowing the area.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be embodied in other forms by making appropriate changes.

[0042]

As described above, in the present invention, for example,
When loading products, lower the Z-axis arm at high speed,
The Z-axis arm stops after the detection position of the detection sensor
The tray holder with respect to the Z-axis arm
Sliding relatively upwards moves the Z-axis arm
Since the excess amount can be offset, the Z-axis
The tray or tray holder is
Smooth loading without crushing already loaded products
It is possible. Also, tilt the tray downward.
And raise the Z-axis arm to collect the products on the tray.
Loads to the storage section, shortening the work time and in a narrow area
Product loading work, and high-density products in the storage section
It allows loading.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a Z-axis arm of a robot, showing a main part of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory view according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory view showing a flow of products when a product is carried out from a vendor to a palletizing cage by a robot-based product loading device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 9 Handling Robot (Product Loading Robot) 11 Palletizing Cage (Storage Unit) 13 Z-Axis Arm 25 Tray Holder 35 Tray 43 Product Contact Detection Sensor 45 Dog

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] When a product is loaded on a storage unit by a Z-axis arm of a product loading robot, the Z-axis arm mounted with a tray holder having a tray for horizontally supporting a product is lowered to store the product. When the lower surface of the tray or tray holder comes into contact with the tray holder, the tray holder stops, and when only the Z-axis arm is further lowered, a product contact detection sensor provided on the tray holder and the Z-axis arm is activated. A method of loading a product by a robot, wherein the lowering of the Z-axis arm is stopped by a detection signal, and the Z-axis arm is raised while tilting the tray to load a product into a storage unit. 2. A loading robot for loading a product in a storage section.
Product with a Z-axis arm that can move in the Z-axis direction
A layer apparatus, wherein the Z-axis arm is opposed to the Z-axis arm.
With a tray holder that can move up and down relatively
Product can be supported horizontally and rotated up and down to drop the product
A free tray is provided in the tray holder, and
The tray or tray holder is placed on top of the pre-loaded product.
Equipped with a detection sensor for detecting that the
While supporting the tray horizontally on the tray holder,
Providing an actuator for turning up and down
After tilting the tray downward after sensor detection,
Raise the Z-axis arm and load the next product on top of the product.
A product stacking device using a robot, wherein the stacking device is mounted .