JP4219870B2 - Man-machine working system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a man-machine working system in which a device (worker) cooperating in a common area coexists with an apparatus for carrying out operations such as parts conveyance, attachment and processing.

  Conventionally, as a production line that processes and transports parts, each process is organized by a robot and a worker, a process that works only by a robot, a process that works only by a worker, a robot and a worker are common. It is known to comprise a process of working in an area. In this way, in the line where the robot and the worker exist, a fence is provided around the operating range of the robot in order to ensure safety, and in the process where the robot and the worker work in a common area, the robot The output of the robot arm is set to be lower than that in the process of performing the work alone (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Also provided is a work area provided along the travel path, and an automatic machine that has a moving function to move toward the work area while detecting a guide line on the travel path, and that performs a production operation in the work area. A known production system is known (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-341086 Japanese Patent No. 3419313

However, in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the process in which the robot and the worker perform work in a common area, the robot and the worker perform common work, and thus the movement of the worker is restricted to the movement of the robot. There is a problem that there are many parts.
In addition, there is a problem that the working range of the worker is limited by a fence or the like, or the output of the robot is set low, leading to a reduction in work efficiency.

  In addition, in the production system disclosed in Patent Document 2, a detection sensor is attached to the base of an automatic machine. In such a production system, an apparatus and an operator that perform operations such as conveying, attaching, and processing parts. However, it is difficult to construct a work system that efficiently works together in a common area.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to clearly set the operation area of the apparatus and the human operation area. It is an object of the present invention to provide a man-machine working system in which both a device and a person can work efficiently in a common area without movement being restricted by the movement of the device.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention detects a position relative to a human device by calculating a transmitter attached to a human, a receiver attached to the device corresponding to the transmitter, and an output signal of the receiver. A man-machine working system in which a human being coexists in a common area with a device for conveying, attaching or processing parts, and the man-machine working system includes a transmitter attached to the human being. Is attached to a plurality of locations whose positions change due to human movement, and a human motion region constituted by receiving the signal from the transmitter by the receiver is processed by the position detection means, The positional relationship with respect to the human device is detected.

According to the present invention, by detecting the position of a human device, the device and the human can smoothly proceed with each operation in a common area. In addition, since the human motion area is set without being restricted by the movement of the apparatus, it is possible for a person working in a common area with the apparatus to work efficiently. In addition, by attaching transmitters to a plurality of human places, it is possible to set an operation area that is faithful to human movements.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a man-machine work system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram for setting an operation area of an apparatus and an operation area of an operator, and FIG. 3 is an explanation showing a human operation area. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a man-machine working system according to the present invention includes an apparatus (for example, a six-axis articulated robot) 1, a transport apparatus 2 on which the apparatus 1 is mounted and moved, and the apparatus 1 holds The work table 4 for setting the parts 3 to be transported and the worker 5 for assembling the parts 3 with a jig or the like provided on the work table 4.

  The device 1 is provided with an operation region 11 that is formed along the posture of the arm 10 of the device and changes following the change of the posture of the arm 10 of the device. The operation area 11 is formed on the outermost side and an alarm area 12 in which the apparatus 1 operates in a normal operation (playback at a normal speed), and the operation area 11 is formed on the inner side of the alarm area 12 and the apparatus 1 is at a speed higher than the normal speed The vehicle is divided into a deceleration operation region 13 where the work is decelerated and a stop region 14 which is formed inside the deceleration operation region 13 and where the apparatus 1 is temporarily stopped.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the operation areas 12, 13, and 14 is based on the position information output by the position detectors (for 6 axes) 15 a, 15 b, 15 c, 15 d, 15 e, and 15 f of the apparatus 1. After the calculation means 16 calculates the motion area 11, it is set by the motion area setting means 17. The motion area calculation means 16 and the motion area setting means 17 are provided in a control device (not shown).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the worker 5 attaches transmitters 18a, 18b, and 18c to three places, that is, an arm, a waist, and a foot. The transmitters 18a, 18b, and 18c are attached to places where the positions of the transmitters 18a, 18b, and 18c are changed by the movement of the worker 5, such as the head (work cap or helmet), arms, and waist or legs (work shoes) that are the center of the worker 5 body. be able to.

  The transmitter may be attached at one place, but by attaching to a plurality of places (for example, three places as described above), as shown by the solid line in FIG. Can be set. For the transmitters 18a, 18b, and 18c, sensors such as a radio wave type (with an IC chip), an infrared ray type (thermography), and a laser type that can construct a three-dimensional monitoring region can be applied.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus 1 is provided with receivers 20a, 20b, and 20c that receive signals transmitted from transmitters 18a, 18b, and 18c attached to the worker 5. The transmitters 18a, 18b, 18c and the receivers 20a, 20b, 20c constitute a means for constructing a three-dimensional monitoring area and detecting that the operator 5 has approached the device 1.

  When signals are transmitted to the receivers 20a, 20b, and 20c to which the transmitters 18a, 18b, and 18c correspond, the output signals of the receivers 20a, 20b, and 20c are processed by the position detection means 21, and the operator 5 The positional relationship with respect to the device 1 is detected.

  Further, the output signal of the position detection means 21 is arithmetically processed by the motion area setting means 22 to set the motion area 19 of the worker 5 that forms a three-dimensional area. The position detection means 21 and the operation area setting means 22 are provided in the control device.

  The device 1 recognizes the positional relationship between the worker 5 and the device 1 by the motion region setting unit 17 of the device 1 and the motion region setting unit 22 of the worker 5, and the device 1 selects the motion region based on the positional relationship. The operation area is selected from the alarm area 12, the deceleration operation area 13, and the stop area 14 by the means 23. The apparatus 1 performs work according to the operation mode of the selected operation area.

The operation of the man-machine work system configured as described above according to the present invention will be described.
Usually, the operation area 11 of the apparatus 1 and the operation area 19 of the worker 5 are not overlapped in time even when the apparatus 1 and the worker 5 work in a common area (work station). The work procedure is set. Therefore, if the worker 5 is working smoothly based on the work procedure, the operation region 11 of the apparatus 1 and the operation region 19 of the worker 5 do not overlap.

  However, when there is a delay in the work of the worker 5, there is a possibility that the operation area 11 of the apparatus 1 and the operation area 19 of the worker 5 overlap as a rule.

  Therefore, when the movement area 19 of the worker 5 overlaps with the alarm area 12 which is the outermost movement area of the apparatus 1 due to the movement of the apparatus 1 and / or the worker 5, the apparatus 1 is sounded or the like. Although the alarm is issued, the worker 5 can continue the work as it is, while the apparatus 1 can continue the work as usual.

  Further, even when the operation area 19 of the worker 5 overlaps with the deceleration operation area 13 inside the alarm area 12 due to the movement of the apparatus 1 and / or the worker 5, the worker 5 can continue the work as it is. On the other hand, the device 1 can decelerate from the normal speed and continue the work.

  When the operation region 19 of the worker 5 overlaps with the stop region 14 inside the deceleration operation region 13 due to the movement of the device 1 and / or the worker 5, the device 1 temporarily stops. The worker 5 does not enter the stop area 14.

  As a coping method in this case, after the worker 5 continues and completes the work as it is, the work area 5 of the worker 5 moves to a place where it does not overlap with the work area 11 of the apparatus 1, and the apparatus 1 is suspended. It is also possible to return to the normal operation state from the above and allow the apparatus 1 to continue the work. Further, the worker 5 immediately stops the work, moves to a place where the operation area 19 of the worker 5 does not overlap with the operation area 11 of the apparatus 1, and restores the apparatus 1 from the pause state to the normal operation state. You can let the work continue.

  In this way, the operation area 11 of the apparatus 1 is divided into three stages from the outermost side, the alarm area 12, the deceleration operation area 13, and the stop area 14, and the apparatus 1 always recognizes the operation area 19 of the operator 5. Thus, the work area of the worker 5 and the work area 11 of the apparatus 1 are overlapped with each other, so that the work area of the work apparatus 5 and the work area 5 is changed, thereby reducing the work area of the worker 5. The operator 5 and the apparatus 1 can work efficiently in a common area (work station) without reducing the operating rate of the apparatus 1.

  The operation area of the device and the operation area of the human can be clearly set, and the movement of the human and the human can work efficiently together in the common area without the movement of the human being restricted by the movement of the device. .

Outline explanatory diagram of man-machine work system according to the present invention Block configuration diagram for setting the operation area of the device and the operation area of the worker Explanatory diagram showing the human movement area

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Apparatus, 2 ... Transfer apparatus, 3 ... Parts, 4 ... Work table, 5 ... Worker, 10 ... Arm of apparatus, 11, 19 ... Operation area | region, 12 ... Alarm area | region, 13 ... Deceleration driving | operation area | region, 14 ... Stop Area, 17, 22 ... operation area setting means, 18a, 18b, 18c ... transmitter, 20a, 20b, 20c ... receiver, 21 ... position detection means, 23 ... action area selection means.

Claims (1)

A transmitter attached to a human, a receiver attached to the device corresponding to the transmitter, and a position detection means for detecting the position relative to the human device by calculating the output signal of the receiver, and conveying parts , a man-machine working system apparatus and human to install or processing coexist in a common area,
In this man-machine working system, the transmitter attached to the person is attached to a plurality of places where the position of the transmitter is changed by the movement of the person,
A human operating region constituted by receiving the signal from the transmitter by the receiver is processed by the position detecting means to detect a positional relationship with the human device. -Machine work system.