JP5283474B2 - Article holding device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an article holding apparatus that can appropriately hold an article even when the article is misaligned.

  Conventionally, for example, an article holding device described in Patent Document 1 below is known.

This conventional article holding device has a main abutting holding body that can move forward and backward with respect to the side surface of the article and abuts on the side surface of the article, and is formed in the main abutting holding body and inserted into a recess in the side of the article. And a sub-abutting holding body that is provided on the main abutting holding body so as to be movable up and down and abuts against an upper end portion of the side surface of the article.
JP 2001-89090 A

  However, in the above-described conventional article holding device, the main abutment holding body stops at a preset stop position when advancing with respect to the side surface portion of the article. There is a possibility that the article cannot be held.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article holding device that can appropriately hold an article even when the article is misaligned.

The article holding device 請 Motomeko 1 wherein the first side portion, second side portion adjacent to one end of the first side portion, a third side surface portion adjacent the other end of the first side surface portion and An article holding device for holding an article having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having a fourth side face opposite to the first side face, and is capable of advancing and retreating with respect to the first side face and is hooked on the first side face. A first hook body and a first side surface portion that is attached to an upper portion of the first hook body, projects detection light downward, and receives reflected light reflected from the upper surface of the first side surface portion. A first detecting means for detecting the first side, a first driving means for moving the first hook body forward and backward with respect to the first side face part, a forward and backward movement with respect to the second side face part, and being caught by the second side face part. a second hook member attached to the upper portion of the second hook member, projecting light toward the detection light downward A second detecting means for detecting the second side portion by receiving the reflected light reflected by the upper surface of the second side portion, a second advancing and retracting the second hook member with respect to the second side surface portion A driving means and a third hook body which can be moved forward and backward with respect to the third side surface portion and hooked on the third side surface portion, and is attached to an upper portion of the third hook body, and projects detection light downward. Third detection means for detecting the third side surface portion by receiving reflected light reflected from the upper surface of the third side surface portion, and third for advancing and retracting the third hook body with respect to the third side surface portion. The first drive means is controlled based on the detection of the drive means and the first detection means to stop the advance operation of the first hook body, and the second drive means is detected based on the detection of the second detection means To stop the advance operation of the second hook body to control the third detection In which by controlling the third drive means based on the detection of the stage and a control means for stopping the advancing operation of the third hook body.

Article holding device according to claim 2, wherein, in the article holding device according to claim 1, attached to the first hook member, can advance and retreat with respect to the portion of the first side surface portion side of the upper surface of the article, the article An upper surface pressing body that comes into contact with a portion of the upper surface portion on the first side surface portion side is provided, the first hook body is hooked on a horizontal central portion of the first side surface portion of the article, and the second hook body is a second portion of the article. The third hook body is hooked on a portion of the third side surface portion of the article on the fourth side surface portion side.

The article holding device according to claim 3 is the article holding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first hook body is in contact with the first side surface portion of the article and has a vertically long contact portion, and the contact portion. An engaging portion that projects inwardly at a lower end portion of the portion and engages and disengages with the stepped portion of the first side surface portion, and the second hook body is a second side surface of the article. A vertically long abutting portion that abuts the portion, and an engagement projecting inwardly at a lower end portion of the abutting portion and hooking and detachably engaging with a step portion of the second side surface portion The third hook body is provided with a vertically long contact portion that contacts the third side surface portion of the article and a lower end portion of the contact portion inwardly projectingly. And an engaging portion that is detachably engaged with the step portion of the three side surface portions.

According to the invention of 請 Motomeko 1, the control means stops the advancing operation of the first hook member by controlling the first driving means based on the detection of the first detecting means, the detection of the second detection means Based on the control of the second drive means to stop the advance operation of the second hook body, to control the third drive means based on the detection of the third detection means to stop the advance operation of the third hook body, Even if the item is misaligned, the item can be appropriately held.

According to the invention of claim 2, the first hook member is caught in the horizontally central portion of the first side surface portion of the article, the second hook member is caught in a portion of the fourth side surface portion side in the second side surface portion of the article The third hook body is hooked on the fourth side surface portion of the third side surface portion of the article, and the upper surface pressing body abuts on the first side surface portion of the upper surface portion of the article, so that the article can be stably and appropriately Can hold.

  An embodiment of an article holding device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an article transfer device. The article transfer device 1 is a robot that holds a box-shaped article 2, for example, a container that is a foldable container, and transfers it to a predetermined position. It is a combination machine for Palais and Deparés. That is, the article transfer device 1 which is an articulated robot has a depallet operation for deparating the assembled articles 2 stacked in a four-pile pattern on the pallet, and a predetermined position on the conveyor after the contents are taken out. A pallet operation is performed in which four folded articles 2 that have been transported to a stack are stacked on a pallet in a stacking pattern.

  The article 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape regardless of whether it is in an assembled state or a folded state, and the first side surface portion 3 and a second side surface portion adjacent to one side end of the first side surface portion 3 orthogonally. 4, a third side surface portion 5 orthogonally adjacent to the other side end of the first side surface portion 3, a fourth side surface portion 6 on the opposite side of the first side surface portion 3, an upper surface portion 7, and a lower surface portion 8 have. Each of the side surface parts 3, 4, 5, and 6 is reduced in size in the vertical direction by being folded, and a concave lower step part 9 is formed at the lower end part. Further, each of the side surface parts 3, 4, 5, 6 has a concave upper step part 10 in the vicinity of the upper end part when the article 2 is assembled.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the article transfer apparatus 1 includes a base 11 to which a base end portion of a robot arm 12 is attached. An article holding device 13, which is a hand device, is attached to the rotation shaft 14 that forms the tip of the robot arm 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the article holding device 13 is a base that can be moved in all directions including the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by the operation of the robot arm 12 and that can be rotated by the rotation of the rotating shaft 14. A body 16 is provided, and a rotating shaft 14 is attached to the center portion on the upper surface side of the base body 16.

  Further, the article holding device 13 is provided on the base body 16 so as to be horizontally movable, and can move forward and backward by horizontal movement with respect to the outer surface of the first side surface part 3 of the article 2, and is hooked on the first side surface part 3 when in the advanced state. Body 21, first detection means 22 that is attached to first hook body 21 and detects the upper surface of first side surface portion 3, and first hook body 21 that moves forward and backward, that is, horizontally moves relative to first side surface portion 3. Drive means 23.

  The first hook body 21 has a substantially plate-like contact portion 25 that is vertically long and contacts the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2 in a planar shape. At the lower end of the abutting portion 25, there is a substantially plate-like engaging portion 26 that is hooked and detachably engaged with the step portions 9 and 10 of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2 so as to be inwardly horizontal. Projected.

  The first detection means 22 is constituted by, for example, an object reflection type photoelectric switch or the like. The first detection means 22 projects the detection light downward and reflects the reflected light reflected on the upper surface of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2. Receives light and outputs a detection signal for stopping the advance operation. The first detection means 22 is attached to the attached plate portion 27 of the first hook body 21.

  The first drive means 23 is composed of, for example, a cylinder with a brake function, etc., and a cylinder body 28 attached to the base body 16 via a mounting frame 30 and a rod that goes in and out of the cylinder body 28. 29, and the tip of the rod 29 is attached to the first hook body 21. Then, the first hook body 21 moves horizontally by the expansion and contraction of the first driving means 23 and moves forward and backward with respect to the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2.

  Further, the first hook body 21 can move forward and backward with respect to the first side surface portion portion of the upper surface portion 7 of the article 2 and faces the first side surface portion portion of the upper surface portion 7 of the article 2 in the advanced state. An upper surface pressing body 31 such as a substantially plate-like upper plate that comes into contact with the shape is attached to be movable up and down. That is, the upper surface pressing body 31 is attached to the first hook body 21 via the lifting drive means 32 that moves the upper surface pressing body 31 forward and backward, that is, moves up and down with respect to the upper surface portion 7 of the article 2.

  The raising / lowering drive means 32 is composed of, for example, a cylinder with a brake function, and has a cylinder body 33 attached to the first hook body 21 and a rod 34 that goes in and out of the cylinder body 33. The tip of the rod 34 is attached to the upper surface pressing body 31. Then, the upper surface pressing body 31 moves up and down by the expansion and contraction of the elevating drive means 32 and moves forward and backward relative to the upper surface portion 7 of the article 2. Further, the upper surface pressing body 31 is formed in a horizontal longitudinal shape, and the horizontal dimension is longer than the horizontal dimension of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2, and in the longitudinal direction in a state of contacting the upper surface portion 7 of the article 2. Both end portions protrude outward from the article 2 (see FIG. 4).

  Further, the article holding device 13 is provided on the base body 16 so as to be horizontally movable in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the first hook body 21, and is advanced and retracted by horizontal movement with respect to the outer surface of the second side surface portion 4 of the article 2. A second hook body 41 that can be hooked to the second side surface portion 4 in the advanced state, a second detection means 42 that is attached to the second hook body 41 and detects the upper surface of the second side surface portion 4, and a second hook body 41 Second driving means 43 that moves forward and backward, that is, horizontally moves with respect to the second side surface portion 4 is provided.

  The second hook body 41 has a substantially plate-like abutting portion 45 that is vertically long and abuts the second side surface portion 4 of the article 2 in a planar shape. At the lower end of the abutting portion 45, a substantially plate-like engaging portion 46 that is hooked and detachably engaged with the stepped portions 9 and 10 of the second side surface portion 4 of the article 2 is horizontally oriented inward. Projected.

  The second detection means 42 is constituted by, for example, an object reflection type photoelectric switch or the like, and projects reflected light reflected downward from the upper surface of the second side surface portion 4 of the article 2 by projecting the detection light downward. Receives light and outputs a detection signal for stopping the advance operation. The second detection means 42 is attached to the attached plate portion 47 of the second hook body 41.

  The second drive means 43 is composed of, for example, a cylinder with a brake function, etc., and a cylinder body 48 attached to the base body 16 via an attachment frame 50, and a rod that goes in and out of the cylinder body 48. 49, and the tip of the rod 49 is attached to the second hook body 41. Then, the second hook body 41 moves horizontally by the expansion and contraction of the second driving means 43 and moves forward and backward with respect to the second side surface portion 4 of the article 2.

  Further, the article holding device 13 is provided on the base body 16 so as to be horizontally movable in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the first hook body 21, and is advanced and retracted by horizontal movement with respect to the outer surface of the third side surface portion 5 of the article 2. A third hook body 51 that can be hooked on the third side surface portion 5 in the advanced state, a third detection means 52 that is attached to the third hook body 51 and detects the upper surface of the third side surface portion 5, and a third hook body 51 Third drive means 53 for moving back and forth, that is, horizontally moving with respect to the third side surface portion 5 is provided.

  The third hook body 51 has a symmetrical structure with the second hook body 41, and is disposed so as to face and separate from the second hook body 41. The third hook body 51 has a substantially plate-like contact portion 55 that is vertically long and contacts the third side surface portion 5 of the article 2 in a planar shape. At the lower end of the contact portion 55, there is a substantially plate-like engagement portion 56 that is hooked and detachably engaged with the step portions 9 and 10 of the third side surface portion 5 of the article 2 so as to be inward and horizontal. Projected.

  The third detection means 52 is constituted by, for example, an object reflection type photoelectric switch or the like. The third detection means 52 projects the detection light downward and reflects the reflected light reflected on the upper surface of the third side surface portion 5 of the article 2. Receives light and outputs a detection signal for stopping the advance operation. The third detection means 52 is attached to the attached plate portion 57 of the third hook body 51.

  The third drive means 53 is composed of, for example, a cylinder with a brake function, etc., and a cylinder body 58 attached to the base body 16 via an attachment frame 60, and a rod that goes in and out of the cylinder body 58 59, and the tip of the rod 59 is attached to the third hook body 51. Then, the third hook body 51 moves horizontally due to the expansion and contraction of the third driving means 53 and moves forward and backward with respect to the third side surface portion 5 of the article 2.

  In addition, the article holding device 13 includes a control unit 61 electrically connected to the three detection units 22, 42, 52 and the three drive units 23, 43, 53. And the control means 61 controls the drive means 23, 43, 53 based on the detection of the detection means 22, 42, 52, for example, and individually stops the advance operation of the corresponding hook bodies 21, 41, 51. It has a function.

  Next, the operation of the article transfer device 1 will be described.

  6 (a) to 6 (d), each hook position at the time of the deparatory operation in a state where the assembled articles 2 are regularly stacked on the pallet P without being protruded from the pallet P in a pattern of four halves. It is shown. That is, when there is no positional shift in the article 2 on the pallet P, each hook body 21, 41, 51 starts an advancing operation from each hook position shown in FIG.

  In FIGS. 7A to 7D, the assembled articles 2 are stacked on the pallet P in a pattern with four pegs shifted from the pallet center by, for example, 30 mm in the X direction, for example, 30 mm in the Y direction. Each hook position at the time of the deparatory operation in the state is shown. In this way, even if the item 2 on the pallet P is misaligned, the item holding device 13 can hold the item 2.

  Therefore, the holding operation of the article holding device 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11. First, the article holding device 13 is operated by the operation of the robot arm 12 as shown in FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b). The first hook body 21 is lowered toward the outer surface of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2, and the second hook body 41 is separated from the outer surface of the second side surface portion 4 of the article 2. The third hook body 51 faces the outer surface of the third side surface portion 5 of the article 2 so as to be spaced apart.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the first hook body 21 moves forward toward the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2 by the operation of the first driving means 23, and the first detecting means 22. Detects the upper surface of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2 and outputs a detection signal (see FIG. 11), the control means 61 controls the first drive means 23 based on the detection signal, and as a result, the contact The advancing operation of the first hook body 21 is performed in a state where the portion 25 is in contact with the outer surface of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2 and the engaging portion 26 is inserted below the upper step portion 10 of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2. The first hook body 21 in the stopped state is fixed to the base body 16 by the brake function of the first driving means 23.

  Similarly, the second and third hook bodies 41 and 51 advance toward the second and third side surface parts 4 and 5 of the article 2 by the operation of the second and third driving means 43 and 53, and the second When the third detection means 42 and 52 detect the upper surfaces of the second and third side surface parts 4 and 5 of the article 2 and output detection signals, the control means 61 performs second and third driving based on the detection signals. The means 43, 53 are controlled so that the abutting portions 45, 55 abut against the outer surfaces of the second and third side surface portions 4, 5 of the article 2 and the engaging portions 46, 56 are the second, The advancing operation of the second and third hook bodies 41 and 51 is stopped in a state where the second side and third hook bodies 41 and 51 enter the lower part of the upper stage 10 of the third side surface parts 4 and 5, and the second and third hook bodies 41 and 51 in this state 2. It is fixed to the base body 16 by the brake function of the third drive means 43, 53.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the upper surface pressing member 31 is a portion on the first side surface portion 3 side in the upper surface portion 7 of the article 2, that is, the first side surface portion by the operation of the lifting drive means 32. 3 is lowered with respect to the first hook body 21 until it comes into contact with the vicinity of 3, and is fixed to the first hook body 21 by the brake function of the lift drive means 32.

  Next, when the article holding device 13 is raised by the operation of the robot arm 12, the first hook body 21 is hooked on the upper stage portion 10 in the horizontal central portion of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2, and the second hook body 41 is The third hook body 51 is hooked on the upper side portion 10 of the second side surface portion 4 of the article 2 on the fourth side surface portion 6 side, and the third hook body 51 is the upper stage of the third side surface portion 5 of the article 2 on the fourth side surface portion 6 side. The product 2 is held by the three hook bodies 21, 41, 51 and the upper surface pressing body 31. Then, the article 2 is transferred to a predetermined position while being held by the article holding device 13, and then the article holding is released by the backward movement of the three hook bodies 21, 41, 51 and the raising of the upper surface pressing body 31. The

  Although not shown, the pallet operation for the folded article 2 is performed in the same manner as the depallet operation for the assembled article 2 described above. In the case of a pallet operation, the first hook body 21 is hooked on the lower step portion 9 in the horizontal central portion of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2, and the second hook body 41 is on the second side surface portion 4 of the article 2. The third hook body 51 is hooked on the lower step portion 9 on the fourth side face portion 6 side of the third side face portion 5 of the article 2 and the upper surface presser 31 is hooked on the lower step portion 9 on the fourth side face portion 6 side. Comes into contact with a portion of the upper surface portion 7 of the article 2 on the first side surface portion 3 side.

  Then, according to the article transfer device 1, the control means 61 controls the first drive means 23 based on the detection of the first detection means 22 to stop the advance operation of the first hook body 21, and the second Based on the detection of the detection means 42, the second drive means 43 is controlled to stop the advance operation of the second hook body 41, and based on the detection of the third detection means 52, the third drive means 53 is controlled to Since the advancing operation of the hook body 51 is stopped, even if the article 2 on the pallet P is misaligned, the article 2 can be appropriately held by the article holding device 13, and the article 2 can be transferred to a desired position.

  In addition, the first hook body 21 is hooked on the horizontal central portion of the first side surface portion 3 of the article 2, and the second hook body 41 is hooked on the fourth side surface portion 6 side of the second side surface portion 4 of the article 2, The third hook body 51 is hooked on the portion of the third side surface portion 5 of the article 2 on the fourth side surface portion 6 side, and the upper surface pressing body 31 abuts on the portion of the upper surface portion 7 of the article 2 on the first side surface portion 3 side. The article 2 can be held stably and appropriately by the article holding device 13.

The article holding device 13 is not limited to the configuration including the three hook bodies 21, 41, 51. For example, depending on the loading pattern, the article holding device 13 can move forward and backward with respect to the fourth side surface portion 6 of the article 2. The configuration may further include a fourth hook body hooked on the four side surface portions 6 and corresponding detection means, driving means, and the like, and a plurality of, for example 2 For example, only three hook bodies out of the four hook bodies may be stopped by detection by the detecting means .

1 is a front view of an article holding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view of an article holding apparatus same as the above. It is a top view of an article holding apparatus same as the above. It is a front view of the state which hold | maintained the folded article by the article holding apparatus same as the above. It is a side view of the state which hold | maintained the folded article by the article holding apparatus same as the above. (A)-(d) is a top view which shows each hook position in the state in which the articles | goods of an assembly state were piled up regularly. (A)-(d) is a top view which shows each hook position in the state which the article | item of the assembly state shifted. (A) And (b) is operation | movement explanatory drawing of an article holding | maintenance apparatus same as the above. (A) And (b) is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG. (A) And (b) is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of an article holding | maintenance apparatus same as the above.

2 Article 3 First side surface portion 4 Second side surface portion 5 Third side surface portion 6 Fourth side surface portion 7 Upper surface portion
9, 10 steps
13 Goods holding device
21 First hook body which is a hook body
22 First detection means as detection means
23 First drive means as drive means
25 First hook body contact part
26 First hook body engagement
31 Top clamp
41 Second hook body which is a hook body
42 Second detection means as detection means
43 Second drive means as drive means
45 Second hook body contact part
46 Second hook body engagement
51 Third hook body which is a hook body
52 Third detection means as detection means
53 Third drive means as drive means
55 Third hook body contact part
56 Engagement part of third hook body
61 Control means

Claims (3)

A first side surface portion, a second side surface portion adjacent to one side end of the first side surface portion, a third side surface portion adjacent to the other side end of the first side surface portion, and a fourth side opposite to the first side surface portion. An article holding device for holding an article having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having a side surface,
A first hook body that can be moved back and forth with respect to the first side surface portion and is hooked on the first side surface portion;
A first detection that is attached to the upper portion of the first hook body and detects the first side surface portion by projecting detection light downward and receiving the reflected light reflected by the upper surface of the first side surface portion. Means,
First driving means for advancing and retracting the first hook body with respect to the first side surface portion;
A second hook body that can be moved back and forth with respect to the second side surface portion and is hooked on the second side surface portion;
A second detection that is attached to an upper portion of the second hook body and detects the second side surface portion by projecting detection light downward and receiving the reflected light reflected by the upper surface of the second side surface portion. Means,
Second driving means for moving the second hook body forward and backward with respect to the second side surface portion;
A third hook body that can be moved back and forth with respect to the third side surface portion and is hooked on the third side surface portion;
A third detection that is attached to the upper portion of the third hook body and detects the third side surface portion by projecting detection light downward and receiving the reflected light reflected by the upper surface of the third side surface portion. Means,
Third driving means for moving the third hook body forward and backward with respect to the third side surface portion;
Based on the detection of the first detection means, the first drive means is controlled to stop the advance operation of the first hook body, and the second drive means is controlled based on the detection of the second detection means. Control means for stopping the advancing operation of the second hook body and controlling the third driving means based on the detection of the third detecting means to stop the advancing operation of the third hook body. An article holding device. An upper surface pressing body attached to the first hook body, capable of advancing and retreating with respect to the first side surface portion side portion of the upper surface portion of the article, and contacting the first side surface portion side portion of the upper surface portion of the article;
The first hook body is hooked on the horizontal central portion of the first side surface of the article,
The second hook body is hooked on a portion of the second side surface portion of the article on the side of the fourth side surface portion,
The third hook body, article holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that catching on the fourth side face side portion of the third side surface portion of the article. The first hook body
A vertically long contact portion that contacts the first side surface of the article;
An engaging portion that protrudes inwardly at the lower end of the abutting portion and engages and disengages with the stepped portion of the first side surface portion;
The second hook body
An abutting portion having a vertically long abutting portion that abuts on a second side surface portion of the article;
An engaging portion that protrudes inwardly at a lower end portion of the abutting portion and engages and disengages with the stepped portion of the second side surface portion;
The third hook body
An abutting portion having a vertically long abutting portion that abuts on a third side surface portion of the article;
An engaging portion that projects inwardly at the lower end of the abutting portion and engages and disengages with the stepped portion of the third side surface portion.
The article holding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

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