JP6828452B2 - Teaching device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a teaching device.

A stocker (storage device) for storing a plurality of containers (articles) for storing a reticle, a semiconductor wafer, or the like is provided with shelves for placing a plurality of containers. A plurality of these shelves are arranged in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and are transferred by a transport device for transporting containers. Therefore, in order for the transfer device to accurately place the container at the position of each transfer location (hereinafter referred to as the transfer position), it is necessary to teach the transfer device to accurately store each transfer position. Become. Similarly, in order to properly carry in or out the container in a processing device such as an exposure device, it is necessary to teach the transfer device to accurately store the position (transfer position) of the load port of the processing device. In such teaching, a camera is mounted on a stacker crane, which is a transport device, and the camera is moved to a preset transfer location, and an index provided at a target transfer position is detected by the camera, and the detected index is detected. A method of estimating the coordinates of the transfer position based on the above has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-054768

In the above-mentioned teaching, since the camera shoots from diagonally above the target transfer position, there is a problem that it is difficult to estimate the accurate position (for example, coordinate value) of the transfer position. In addition, teaching is also carried out in which a teaching plate is placed at each transfer position by a manual operation of a transport device by an operator and the position is memorized. Such manual teaching by the operator is performed by placing the teaching plate at the transfer position while visually checking the position of the teaching plate. Therefore, the transfer location is a worker at a high place or an end in the stocker. There is a problem that it is difficult to visually confirm the placement of the teaching plate when the place is difficult to enter.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a teaching device capable of performing teaching easily and with high accuracy.

The teaching device according to the present invention is a transport device for transferring an article by moving it horizontally and vertically with respect to the transfer location, a positioning portion provided at the transfer location and a positioned portion provided on the article. It is a teaching device for teaching the transfer position when the article is placed in the transfer place in a state where the and are positioned with each other, and the article is moved in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by the transfer device. The teaching member to be transferred to the mounting location, the index unit provided at a position corresponding to the positioned portion of the teaching member so that the lower side of the teaching member can be visually recognized in the plan view direction, and the transfer device are the transfer locations. It is provided with an image pickup unit that captures an image in the plan view direction of the positioning unit and the index unit when the teaching member is placed on the surface, and an image in the side view direction of the article placement surface and the teaching member at the transfer location. ..

In addition, a display unit that displays an image captured by the imaging unit may be provided. Further, the imaging unit was attached to the first imaging device attached to the teaching member at a position and angle for photographing the teaching member in the plan view direction, and to the teaching member at a position and angle for photographing the teaching member in the side view direction. It may have a second imaging device.

Further, the image pickup unit includes an image pickup device attached to the transfer device and a first mirror part and a second mirror part attached to the teaching member, and the first mirror part teaches the transfer device to the transfer location. When the member is placed, it is attached to the teaching member at a position and angle at which an image of the teaching member in the plan view direction is projected on the first mirror portion imaged by the imaging device, and the transfer device is moved to the second mirror portion. When the teaching member is placed at the mounting location, the teaching member may be attached to the teaching member at a position and an angle at which an image in the side view direction of the teaching member is projected on the second mirror portion imaged by the imaging device.

Further, the positioning portion is a plurality of convex portions provided so as to project upward from the transfer position, and the positioned portion is a plurality of concave portions provided at the bottom of the article, and a plurality of recesses are provided at the transfer location. The convex portion of the article may be fitted into each of the plurality of concave portions provided in the article to position the article with respect to the transfer location. Further, the index portion may be a through hole that penetrates the teaching member in the vertical direction and into which the convex portion fits. Further, in the imaging unit, in a state where the plurality of convex portions are fitted into the plurality of through holes and the convex portions and the through holes are not in contact with each other, the gap existing between the convex portions and the through holes is in the plan view direction. The image may be imaged. Further, the transport device includes a traveling unit, a mast provided on the traveling unit, and a transfer unit that moves up and down along the mast to transfer articles, and there are a plurality of transfer locations in the vertical direction. It may be a provided shelf. In addition, the placement position of the teaching member can be moved by performing a predetermined operation by the operator at the timing when the teaching member is placed at the transfer location, or by performing image processing on the image captured by the imaging unit. A teaching means for teaching to the transport device may be provided as a transfer position of the article at the loading place.

According to the teaching device according to the present invention, by confirming the transfer location based on the image taken by the imaging unit, it is possible to easily and surely teach the transfer position with respect to the transfer device. Further, since the teaching is performed based on the image taken by the imaging unit, the teaching can be performed accurately even at the transfer location where it is difficult for the operator to visually check.

Further, when the display unit for displaying the image captured by the imaging unit is provided, the operator can perform teaching while visually recognizing the image displayed on the display unit, so that the operator is at a position away from the transfer location. You can teach the transfer position with. Further, the imaging unit was attached to the first imaging device attached to the teaching member at a position and angle for photographing the teaching member in the plan view direction, and to the teaching member at a position and angle for photographing the teaching member in the side view direction. When the second image pickup device is provided, the two image pickup devices can easily take images in the plan view direction and the side view direction of the teaching member placed at the transfer location.

Further, the imaging unit includes an imaging device attached to the transport device and a first mirror unit and a second mirror unit attached to the teaching member, and the first mirror unit teaches the transfer device to the transfer location. When the member is placed, it is attached to the teaching member at a position and angle at which an image of the teaching member in the plan view direction is projected on the first mirror portion imaged by the imaging device, and the transfer device is moved to the second mirror portion. When the teaching member is placed at the mounting location and is attached to the teaching member at a position and angle at which an image in the side view direction of the teaching member is projected on the second mirror portion imaged by the imaging device, one imaging device. Since the images reflected on the first and second mirror portions are photographed, the images in the plan view direction and the side view direction of the teaching member placed at the transfer location can be easily photographed.

Further, the positioning portion is a plurality of convex portions provided so as to project upward from the transfer position, and the positioned portion is a plurality of concave portions provided at the bottom of the article, and a plurality of concave portions are provided at the transfer location. When positioning the article with respect to the transfer location by fitting the convex portions of the article into the plurality of concave portions provided in the article, the plurality of convex portions provided in the transfer location are provided in the teaching member. Teaching can be easily performed by confirming the relative position of the convex portion with respect to the index portion in the plan view direction when the position corresponds to the index portion.

Further, when the index portion is a through hole that penetrates the teaching member in the vertical direction and the convex portion fits into the index portion, the convex portion fits into the through hole, so that the convex portion and the through hole are relative to each other in the plan view direction. Positional relationship can be easily confirmed. Further, in the imaging unit, in a state where the plurality of convex portions are fitted into the plurality of through holes and the convex portions and the through holes are not in contact with each other, the gap existing between the convex portions and the through holes is in the plan view direction. When imaging an image, teaching can be easily performed by confirming the size of the gap between the convex portion and the through hole. Further, the transport device includes a traveling unit, a mast provided on the traveling unit, and a transfer unit that moves up and down along the mast to transfer articles, and has a plurality of transfer locations in the vertical direction. In the case of the provided shelves, by placing the teaching member in the transfer place by the transfer portion, the teaching device can be easily taught, and further, the transfer position with respect to each shelf portion. Can be easily taught. In addition, the placement position of the teaching member can be moved by performing a predetermined operation by the operator at the timing when the teaching member is placed at the transfer location, or by performing image processing on the image captured by the imaging unit. When a teaching means for teaching the transport device is provided as the transfer position of the article at the loading place, the transfer position can be easily taught by a predetermined operation by the operator or image processing.

It is a side view which shows an example of the use state of the teaching apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the teaching apparatus shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows an example of a teaching member. It is a side view which shows an example of the image pickup part. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the image pickup part. It is a figure which shows an example of the data which is stored in a storage part. (A) and (B) are diagrams showing an example of an image displayed on the display unit in the teaching operation. It is a figure which shows an example of the teaching apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. (A) and (B) are diagrams showing other examples of the index unit.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Further, in the drawings, in order to explain the embodiment, the scale is appropriately changed and expressed, such as drawing a part in a large or emphasized manner. Further, in the drawings, the directions in the drawings will be described using the XYZ coordinate system. In this XYZ coordinate system, the plane parallel to the horizontal plane is referred to as the XY plane, and the direction perpendicular to the XY plane is referred to as the Z direction. In each of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction, the direction of the arrow in the drawing is the + direction, and the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow is the − direction.

<First Embodiment>
1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of a state in which the teaching device 50 according to the first embodiment is used in the stocker 100. FIG. 1 shows a view from the side, and FIG. 2 shows a view from above. The stocker 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a main body portion 10, a shelf portion 20, a transport device 30, and a control device 60. The stocker 100 stores the article M inside. In the present embodiment, the article M is, for example, a FOUP that accommodates a plurality of semiconductor wafers. Article M accommodates a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a vertically arranged state.

The main body portion 10 is installed on a floor portion (not shown) and has a wall portion 11. The wall portion 11 is arranged so as to surround the space inside the refrigerator, and divides the inside and outside of the stocker 100. The shelf portion 20 is a transfer place on which the article M is placed. The shelf portion 20 is supported by a plurality of columns (not shown) installed in the wall portion 11, and is provided in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction (Z direction) in the refrigerator. In the present embodiment, such a plurality of shelves 20 are arranged in a state of extending in the X direction (see FIG. 2). Further, the plurality of shelves 20 are also arranged on opposite sides of the transport device 30. A notch 21 is formed in each shelf 20 (see FIG. 2). The cutout portion 21 is formed in a shape that does not interfere with the article holding portion 33 of the transport device 30 described later.

Each shelf 20 is provided with, for example, two convex portions (positioning portions) 22 on the upper surface. The convex portion 22 is a convex portion provided so as to project upward from the upper surface of the shelf portion 20. Each shelf portion 20 positions the article M on the shelf portion 20 by the convex portion 22 entering the groove-shaped concave portion (positioned portion) Ma provided in the bottom portion Mb of the article M. That is, in the present embodiment, the transfer position is such that the convex portion 22 provided on the shelf portion 20 and the concave portion Ma provided on the article M are mutually positioned at the shelf portion 20 which is the transfer location. This is the position where the article M is placed.

In the illustration, an example in which the shelf portion 20 is provided with two convex portions 22 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the shelf portion 20 may be provided with three convex portions 22. The bottom portion Mb of the article M may be provided with concave portions Ma corresponding to the three convex portions 22. Further, the shelf portion 20 may include a purging device for supplying a purging gas such as nitrogen gas into the container which is the article M.

The transport device 30 moves the article M in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and transfers the article M to the shelf portion 20 which is a transfer location. As the transport device 30, for example, a stacker crane is used. The transport device 30 includes a traveling unit 41 that travels along the rail R, a mast 42, and a transfer unit 40 that moves up and down along the mast 42 to transfer the article M. The upper and lower rails R are arranged parallel to each of the floor portion and the ceiling portion in the stocker 100 along the X direction. The traveling unit 41 includes a driving device (not shown), travels along the rail R according to an instruction from the control unit 64 described later, and stops at a predetermined position. The mast 42 is provided on the traveling portion 41 and is arranged along the vertical direction. The mast 42 can move in the X direction as the traveling portion 41 travels.

The transfer unit 40 has an elevating table 43 that moves up and down along the mast 42. Further, the transfer portion 40 has a base portion 31, an expansion / contraction portion 32, and an article holding portion 33. The base 31 is fixed to the lift 43. The telescopic portion 32 includes a plurality of arms and is provided so as to be rotatable and telescopic with respect to the base portion 31. The article holding portion 33 is provided at the tip of the telescopic portion 32 and holds the article M. The article holding portion 33 can move in the Y direction by expanding and contracting the telescopic portion 32. The article holding unit 33 places and holds the article M.

Further, the article holding portion 33 is provided with three pins 33a on the upper surface. When the article M is placed, the article holding portion 33 positions the article M by entering each of the pins 33a into the recesses provided in the bottom portion Mb of the article M. The recess into which the pin 33a enters may be a groove-shaped recess Ma into which the convex portion 22 enters as described above, or may be a recess provided separately from the recess Ma.

The teaching device 50 is conveyed by the conveying device 30 in the same manner as the article M, and teaches the transfer position of the article M. The teaching device 50 includes a teaching member 51, an index unit 52, and an imaging unit 53. The weight of the teaching device 50 may be set with reference to the weight of the article M to be transported, for example, may be the same as the weight of the article M to be transported, or may be lighter than the weight of the article M. Alternatively, it may be set heavy. Further, when the article M is a container, the weight of an empty container may be referred to, or the weight when the contained matter is fully contained in the container may be referred to.

The teaching member 51 is formed so that it can be conveyed by the conveying device 30 and can be placed on the shelf portion 20. As a result, the teaching member 51 can be moved in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by the transport device 30 and can be transferred to the shelf portion 20 which is the transfer location. A plate-shaped member is used as the teaching member 51, and for example, the teaching member 51 may be provided in the same shape as the bottom portion Mb of the article M in a plan view.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the teaching member 51, and is a plan view showing a state in which the teaching member 51 is mounted on the mounting surface 20a of the shelf portion 20. As shown in FIG. 3, a plate-shaped member is used as the teaching member 51, and the shape in the plan view direction is provided corresponding to the shape of the bottom Mb of the article M. However, the teaching member 51 is not limited to the shape shown in the drawing, and any shape can be applied as long as it can be transported by the transport device 30 and can be placed on the shelf portion 20.

Further, the teaching member 51 includes, for example, a gripping hole portion 57 for gripping when carried by an operator or the like, and three hole portions 57a into which three pins 33a provided in the article holding portion 33 of the transport device 30 are inserted. I have. By inserting the pin 33a into the hole portion 57a, the teaching device 50 can be positioned with respect to the article holding portion 33 when the teaching member 51 is placed on the article holding portion 33. When the pin 33a enters the hole portion 57a, the gap between the two is smaller than the gap between the index portion 52 (through hole) and the convex portion 22, which will be described later. Therefore, the teaching device 50 can be accurately positioned with respect to the article holding portion 33.

The index unit 52 is provided at a position corresponding to the recess Ma of the article M in the teaching member 51. The index unit 52 makes the configuration below the teaching member 51 visible in the plan view direction. In the present embodiment, the index portion 52 is provided so as to penetrate the teaching member 51 in the vertical direction, and is a through hole into which the convex portion 22 of the shelf portion 20 fits. The index unit 52 has a circular shape in a plan view, but is not limited to this, and may be formed in an elliptical shape, an oval shape, or a rectangular shape in a plan view.

When the shelf portion 20 includes three convex portions 22, index portions 52 are also provided at three locations corresponding to the convex portions 22. When a plurality of index units 52 are provided, for example, index units 52 having the same shape may be provided, or index units 52 having different shapes may be provided. For example, the inner diameter of the index portion 52 corresponding to one convex portion 22 may be provided larger than the inner diameter of the index portion 52 corresponding to the other convex portion 22.

The imaging unit 53 photographs the teaching member 51 in the mounted state in which the transport device 30 mounts the teaching member 51 on the shelf 20 from the plan view direction and the side view direction. Therefore, the imaging unit 53 has an image in the plan view direction of the convex portion 22 and the index portion 52 of the shelf portion 20 in the mounting surface mounting state of the shelf portion 20, and the mounting surface 20a on the shelf portion 20 (see FIG. 4). ) And the side view image of the bottom Mb of the article M.

4 and 5 are views showing an example of the imaging unit 53. FIG. 4 is a view showing a state viewed from the side view direction, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the imaging unit 53 includes an imaging device 54, a first mirror unit 55, and a second mirror unit 56. As the image pickup device 54, for example, a camera or the like is used, and either a moving image or a still image can be acquired. The image pickup device 54 is fixed to the article holding portion 33 of the transfer device 30 by the fixing member 54a. As a result, the image pickup device 54 can move in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction integrally with the article holding portion 33.

The fixing member 54a is formed so as to extend upward from the upper surface near the −Y side end portion of the article holding portion 33. The fixing member 54a may also be used as a plate-shaped member that covers the side surface of the article M on the −Y side when the article M is placed on the article holding portion 33. Further, the fixing member 54a may be fixed to the teaching member 51, for example, instead of being fixed to the article holding portion 33. Further, the angle of the image pickup device 54 may be adjusted by, for example, an electric motor provided on the fixing member 54a. This electric motor may be controlled by a control unit 64 described later.

The first mirror portion 55 is fixed to the teaching member 51 by a fixing member 55a such as a bracket. The first mirror portion 55 is arranged above the teaching member 51, and when the conveying device 30 places the teaching member 51 on the shelf portion 20, the imaging device 54 passes the teaching member 51 via the first mirror portion 55. It is possible to shoot from above. The first mirror portion 55 is attached to the teaching member 51 at a position and an angle at which an image of the teaching member 51 in the plan view direction is projected when viewed from the image pickup device 54. The height of the first mirror portion 55 is set so as not to interfere with the upper shelf portion 20.

The first mirror portion 55 may be attached to the fixing member 55a so that the height and the angle can be adjusted. With this configuration, the first mirror portion 55 can be adjusted so that the image of the teaching member 51 in the plan view direction is projected. The image pickup apparatus 54 can capture an image in the plan view direction of the convex portion 22 and the index portion 52 of the shelf portion 20 by photographing the image in the plan view direction of the teaching member 51 by the first mirror portion 55. ..

The second mirror portion 56 is fixed to the teaching member 51 by a fixing member 56a such as a bracket. The second mirror portion 56 is arranged so as to reach the back side (+ Y side) with respect to the teaching member 51, and when the transport device 30 places the teaching member 51 on the shelf portion 20, the image pickup device 54 The teaching member 51 can be photographed from the side through the second mirror portion 56. The second mirror portion 56 is attached to the teaching member 51 at a position and an angle at which an image in the side view direction of the teaching member 51 is projected when viewed from the image pickup device 54. The second mirror portion 56 is arranged at a position that does not interfere with the wall portion 11 on the back side of the shelf portion 20.

The second mirror portion 56 may be attached to the fixing member 56a so that the height and the angle can be adjusted. With this configuration, the second mirror portion 56 can be adjusted so that the image of the teaching member 51 in the side view direction is projected. The image pickup apparatus 54 captures the image of the mounting surface 20a of the shelf portion 20 and the teaching member 51 in the side view direction by the second mirror portion 56, thereby photographing the vertical distance of the teaching member 51 with respect to the mounting surface 20a. can do. The image pickup device 54 transfers the captured image to the communication unit 63, which will be described later. Further, the angles of the first mirror portion 55 and the second mirror portion 56 may be adjustable by, for example, electric motors provided on the fixing members 55a and 56a. This electric motor may be controlled by a control unit 64 described later.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control device 60 includes an input unit 61, a display unit 62, a communication unit 63, a stocker control unit 64, and a storage unit 65. The input unit 61, the display unit 62, the communication unit 63, the control unit 64, and the storage unit 65 are connected via the data bus 66, but the connection of each unit is not limited to using the data bus 66, and may be wireless or wireless. Each part may be electrically connected by wire.

The input unit 61 can input operation information for operating each unit of the stocker 100. For example, the input unit 61 can input information regarding the movement of the transport device 30 as operation information. That is, the operator can drive the traveling unit 41, the elevating table 43, and the telescopic unit 32 of the transport device 30 by operating the input unit 61. The input unit 61 includes, for example, an operation unit 61a such as a switch, a lever, a button, a touch panel, and a keyboard, and various devices and devices capable of inputting information are used. Further, as the input unit 61, a mobile terminal such as a tablet that can be carried by an operator may be used. The operation unit 61a is a teaching means. That is, the teaching member 51 is mounted by the operator performing a predetermined operation (for example, pressing the button when the operation unit 61a is a button) at the timing when the teaching member 51 is placed on the shelf portion 20. Teaching of the transport device 30 can be performed with the placement position as the transfer position of the article 2 on each shelf portion 20. Further, as the teaching means, instead of the operator operating the operation unit 61a, the transfer device 30 may be taught by performing image processing on the image captured by the image pickup unit 53.

The display unit 62 uses, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like to display display information such as still images, images including moving images, and characters. The display unit 62 can display, for example, an image captured by the imaging unit 53 as display information. The display unit 62 is attached to the outside of the wall unit 11 together with the input unit 61 described above, for example. Further, as described above, when the input unit 61 is a mobile terminal, the display unit 62 may be provided on the mobile terminal. By providing the input unit 61 and the display unit 62 in the mobile terminal, the operator can operate the transfer device 30 at an arbitrary position with respect to the stocker 100, and the convenience is improved.

The communication unit 63 communicates with each unit of the stocker 100, the teaching device 50, or an external device by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 63 can communicate with, for example, the main body 10, the shelf 20, and the transport device 30 of the stocker 100, and can communicate with the image pickup device 54 of the teaching device 50. The control unit 64 controls the stocker 100 in an integrated manner, and controls the operations of the main body unit 10, the shelf unit 20, and the transport device 30. Further, the control unit 64 may control the operation of the teaching device 50.

Various information is stored in the storage unit 65. The storage unit 65 stores, for example, a control program and data for controlling the operation of each unit of the main body unit 10, the shelf unit 20, and the transport device 30. In addition, the storage unit 65 stores data and the like when teaching is performed using the teaching device 50. FIG. 6 shows an example of data stored in the storage unit 65 when teaching is performed using the teaching device 50.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the storage unit 65 teaches, for example, the transfer position of the article M by the transfer device 30, the storage unit 65 and the identification information (address) of the shelf unit 20 which is the transfer location and each shelf unit. The coordinates of the transfer position in 20 are stored in association with each other. The data by the storage unit 65 is an example, and is not limited to this. For example, when the initial coordinates for the transfer position of each shelf 20 are preset, the amount of deviation (error amount) in the X, Y, and Z directions of each shelf 20 with respect to the initial coordinates. Data may be stored in the storage unit 65.

Next, an example of the teaching operation using the teaching device 50 described above will be described. In the present embodiment, the operator manually operates the transport device 30 via the input unit 61. In this case, the image captured by the imaging unit 53 is input to the control unit 64 via the communication unit 63, processed by the image processing unit in the control unit 64, and displayed on the display unit 62. In the present embodiment, the image pickup apparatus 54 captures an image projected on the first mirror unit 55 and an image projected on the second mirror unit 56.

Therefore, the image in the plan view direction of both the convex portion 22 of the shelf portion 20 and the index portion 52 of the teaching member 51 and the image in the side view direction of the mounting surface 20a of the shelf portion 20 and the teaching member 51 are 1 The image can be taken with the image pickup device 54 of the table. In this case, the image projected on the first mirror unit 55 and the image projected on the second mirror unit 56 are simultaneously displayed on the display unit 62 as one image. When the orientation (angle) of the image pickup apparatus 54 can be changed, the operator operates, for example, the input unit 61 to align the orientation of the image pickup apparatus 54 with the first mirror portion 55 or the second mirror portion 56, and further. The image may be magnified to capture an image reflected in either the first mirror unit 55 or the second mirror unit 56. In this way, by selecting either the image reflected on the first mirror unit 55 or the second mirror unit 56 and further enlarging it and displaying it on the display unit 62, the operator can easily check the image and act. You can improve your sex.

While checking the image displayed on the display unit 62, the operator operates the input unit 61 to manually operate the transfer device 30 to place the teaching member 51 at the transfer position of each shelf unit 20. .. When the teaching member 51 is placed on the shelf 20, the operator operates the operation unit 61a of the input unit 61 to hold the article of the transport device 30 at the timing when the teaching member 51 is placed on the shelf 20. The position of the unit 33 is stored in the storage unit 65 as the coordinates in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. Such an operation is performed for each shelf unit 20, and the coordinates in each shelf unit 20 are stored in the storage unit 65. As a result, the transport device 30 can accurately transfer the article 2 to each shelf 20 based on the coordinate values that are taught and stored in the storage unit 65. Further, as described above, instead of the operator operating the operation unit 61a, the image taken by the image pickup unit 53 may be image-processed to teach the transfer device 30 to each shelf 20. .. Further, the image taken at the time of teaching may be stored in the storage unit 65 in association with the identification information (for example, the address of the shelf unit 20). Further, the image stored in the storage unit 65 may be displayed on the display unit 62 for reference when teaching again or when teaching another shelf unit 20. When displaying on the display unit 62, the image stored in the storage unit 65 and the image being photographed may be superimposed or displayed side by side on the display unit 62, whereby the previous image and the current image may be displayed. It is possible to make the difference from the image of.

7 (A) and 7 (B) are diagrams showing an example of an image displayed on the display unit 62 in the teaching operation. FIG. 7 shows the gaps GX and GY existing between the inner peripheral surface 52f of the index portion 52 and the outer peripheral surface 22f of the convex portion 22 from the image of the teaching member 51 in the plan view direction. The control unit 64 (see FIG. 1) may display the values of the gaps GX and GY (for example, in mm units) on the display unit 62 from the acquired image.

As shown in FIG. 7A, in the teaching operation described above, gaps GX and GY are formed between the inner peripheral surface 52f of the index portion 52 and the outer peripheral surface 22f of the convex portion 22 in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively. Will be done. When the index portion 52 and the convex portion 22 have a circular shape, FIG. 7A shows a state in which their centers coincide with each other. Therefore, the gaps GX and GY have the same values, and for example, the same values are displayed on the display unit 62 for the gaps GX and GY. By looking at the image displayed on the display unit 62, the operator confirms that the outer peripheral surface 22f of the convex portion 22 coincides with the center of the index unit 52 without contacting the inner peripheral surface 52f of the index unit 52. Is confirmed, and the input unit 61 is operated to store the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the article holding unit 33 at this time in the storage unit 65.

Further, FIG. 7B shows a state in which the index portion 52 and the convex portion 22 are displaced from each other. The gaps GX1 and GY1 at this time are displayed on the display unit 62, for example. In FIG. 7B, since the outer peripheral surface 22f of the convex portion 22 does not contact the inner peripheral surface 52f of the index unit 52, the operator can see the image displayed on the display unit 62 to see the input unit. The X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the article holding unit 33 at this time can be stored in the storage unit 65 by operating 61. Further, the operator operates the transport device 30 while observing the values of the gaps GX1 and GY1 and moves the teaching member 51 to a state where the centers of the index portion 52 and the convex portion 22 are aligned as shown in FIG. 7A. The X-coordinate and the Y-coordinate of the article holding unit 33 at that time may be stored in the storage unit 65.

Further, after storing the X and Y coordinates in the state shown in FIG. 7B in the storage unit 65, the difference between the gaps GX1 and GY1 described above is obtained from the gaps GX1 and GY1, and the storage unit 65 is based on this difference. You may correct the data in. Further, the data in the storage unit 65 may be configured such that the control unit 64 obtains the difference between the gaps GX1 and GY1 from the gaps GX1 and GY1 and automatically corrects the difference.

Further, although not shown, the display unit 62 displays an image of the mounting surface 20a of the shelf unit 20 and the bottom portion of the teaching member 51 in the side view direction via the second mirror unit 56. For example, while lowering the article holding portion 33 on which the teaching member 51 is placed, the operator finds out the timing when the teaching member 51 is placed on the shelf portion 20, and uses this position as the Z coordinate of the article holding portion 33. It is stored in the storage unit 65. Instead of finding out when the teaching member 51 is placed on the shelf 20, the article holding portion 33 is raised from the state where the teaching member 51 is placed on the shelf 20, and the teaching member 51 is placed on the shelf. You may find the timing to leave 20.

By repeating the teaching operation described above in each shelf portion 20, the operator acquires the coordinates of each shelf portion 20 and completes the teaching. After the teaching is completed, the transport device 30 accurately inserts the concave Ma of the article M into the convex portion 22 of each shelf portion 20 by conveying the article M based on the coordinates after teaching stored in the storage unit 65. It is possible to reliably transfer the article M to each transfer position.

As described above, according to the teaching device 50 according to the present embodiment, the coordinates of the transfer position are taught based on the image taken by the imaging unit 53, so that the worker can perform the teaching by the manual operation by the worker. Even if it is a transfer position that is difficult to see, the coordinates of the transfer position can be taught easily and accurately. Further, since the worker can teach while checking the display unit 62 without moving to the transfer position, the convenience of the worker can be improved.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the imaging unit of the teaching device is different from that of the first embodiment, and other points are the same as those of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the teaching device 150 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the teaching device 150 is viewed from the side. As shown in FIG. 8, the teaching device 150 includes an imaging unit 153. The image pickup unit 153 includes a first image pickup device 155, a second image pickup device 156, and a communication unit 157. As the first imaging device 155 and the second imaging device 156, for example, a camera or the like is used, and either a moving image or a still image can be acquired.

The first imaging device 155 is fixed to the teaching member 51 by a fixing member 155a such as a frame. The first imaging device 155 is attached to the teaching member 51 at a position and an angle at which an image of the teaching member 51 in the plan view direction can be photographed when the conveying device 30 places the teaching member 51 on the shelf portion 20. As a result, the first image pickup apparatus 155 can take an image in the plan view direction of the convex portion 22 of the shelf portion 20 and the index portion 52 of the teaching member 51. The photographing result in the first imaging device 155 is transmitted from the communication unit 157 to the communication unit 63 of the control device 60 and can be displayed on the display unit 62.

The second image pickup apparatus 156 is fixed to the teaching member 51 by a fixing member 156a such as a frame. The second imaging device 156 is attached to the teaching member 51 at a position and angle at which an image in the side view direction of the teaching member 51 can be photographed when the conveying device 30 places the teaching member 51 on the shelf portion 20. As a result, the second imaging device 156 can capture an image of the mounting surface 20a of the shelf portion 20 and the teaching member 51 in the side view direction. The shooting result of the second imaging device 156 is transmitted from the communication unit 157 to the communication unit 63 of the control device 60 and can be displayed on the display unit 62.

The image taken by the first imaging device 155 and the image taken by the second imaging device 156 may be displayed simultaneously on one display unit 62, or the image taken by the first imaging device 155. And the image taken by the second image pickup apparatus 156 may be switched and displayed on the display unit 62. Further, the image captured by the first imaging device 155 and the image captured by the second imaging device 156 may be displayed on different display units 62, respectively.

The teaching device 150 according to the present embodiment has a horizontal positional relationship between the convex portion 22 of the shelf portion 20 and the index portion 52 of the teaching member 51 and the shelf portion 20 based on the image taken by the imaging unit 153. The positional relationship between the mounting surface 20a and the bottom of the teaching member 51 in the vertical direction can be confirmed. As a result, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to easily teach the shelf portion 20 which is difficult for the operator to visually recognize.

Further, since the teaching device 150 according to the present embodiment uses another imaging device depending on the shooting direction, it is possible to acquire an optimum image such as the width or the focal position of the image in that direction. It is possible to improve the convenience for a person to check the image. In the above, the images taken by the first image pickup device 155 and the second image pickup device 156 are transmitted via the communication unit 157, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the first image pickup device 155 and the second image pickup device 156 Each image may be transmitted.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above description, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, the case where the index portion 52 is provided so as to penetrate the teaching member 51 in the vertical direction and the convex portion 22 of the shelf portion 20 is fitted is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. ..

9 (A) and 9 (B) are diagrams showing other examples of the index unit. The teaching member 51A shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B is formed by using, for example, a transparent or translucent material. The teaching member 51A has an index unit 52A. The index portion 52A has a structure formed in a concave shape upward from the lower surface side of the teaching member 51. With this configuration, when the teaching member 51A is viewed from the upper surface side, the outer edge of the index portion 52A is visible through the upper portion, and the convex portion 22 is also visible through the upper portion of the index portion 52A. When a camera such as an infrared camera that shoots using light different from visible light is used as the image pickup device, the teaching member 51A is made of a material that can transmit light used for shooting, such as infrared rays. May be done.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, the teaching member 51A may have a mark or the like formed on the upper surface side as an index portion 52B different from the index portion 52A. The index unit 52B shown in FIG. 9B is, for example, a cross-shaped mark. In this case, the positional relationship between the center of the cross of the index portion 52B and the center of the convex portion 22 can be easily visually recognized.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the so-called manual teaching has been described as an example of the teaching operation, but the teaching operation is not limited to this. For example, auto-teaching may be performed using teaching devices 50 and 150. In the auto teaching, for example, initial coordinates are set for each shelf 20 in the stocker 100, and the transport device 30 places the teaching device 50 on each shelf 20 based on the initial coordinates and images a series of operations thereof. This is a method of estimating the coordinates of the transfer position by taking pictures in units 53 and 153, processing the image, and calculating the deviation from the actual transfer position. As described above, the teaching devices 50 and 150 according to the present embodiment can also be applied to the case of performing auto-teaching.

GX, GY ... Gap M ... Article Ma ... Recess (positioned part)
20 ... Shelf (transfer location)
20a ... Mounting surface 22 ... Convex part (positioning part)
30 ... Transfer device 40 ... Transfer section 41 ... Travel section 42 ... Mast 43 ... Lifting platform 50, 150 ... Teaching device 51, 51A ... Teaching member 52 ... Indicator (through hole)
52A, 52B ... Index unit 52f ... Inner peripheral surface 53, 153 ... Imaging unit 55 ... First mirror unit 56 ... Second mirror unit 60 ... Control device 61 ... Input Unit 61a ... Operation unit (teaching means)
62 ... Display unit 100 ... Stocker 155 ... First imaging device 156 ... Second imaging device

Claims (9)

The positioning unit provided at the transfer location and the positioned portion provided at the article are mutually positioned by the transport device for transferring the article by moving it horizontally and vertically with respect to the transfer location. It is a teaching device for teaching the transfer position when the article is placed in the transfer place in the state of being.
A teaching member that is moved horizontally and vertically by the transfer device and transferred to the transfer location, and
An index unit provided at a position corresponding to the positioned portion of the teaching member so that the lower side of the teaching member can be visually recognized in the plan view direction.
When the transfer device mounts the teaching member on the transfer location, an image of the positioning portion and the index portion in a plan view direction, and a mounting surface of the article and the teaching member at the transfer location. A teaching device including an imaging unit that captures an image in a side view direction. The teaching device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying the image captured by the imaging unit. The imaging unit is attached to the teaching member at a position and angle at which the teaching member is photographed in the plan view direction and at a position and angle at which the first imaging device is attached to the teaching member and at a position and angle at which the teaching member is photographed in the side view direction. The teaching device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an attached second imaging device. The imaging unit includes an imaging device attached to the transport device, and a first mirror unit and a second mirror unit attached to the teaching member.
In the first mirror portion, when the conveying device places the teaching member on the transfer location, an image of the teaching member in the plan view direction is displayed on the first mirror portion photographed by the imaging device. Attached to the teaching member at the position and angle of reflection,
In the second mirror portion, when the conveying device places the teaching member on the transfer location, an image in the side view direction of the teaching member is displayed on the second mirror portion imaged by the imaging device. The teaching device according to claim 1 or 2, which is attached to the teaching member at a position and an angle of reflection. The positioning portion is a plurality of convex portions provided so as to project upward from the transfer position.
The positioned portion is a plurality of recesses provided at the bottom of the article.
Claims 1 to 1, wherein the plurality of convex portions provided at the transfer location are fitted into the plurality of recesses provided at the article to position the article with respect to the transfer location. The teaching apparatus according to any one of 4. The teaching device according to claim 5, wherein the index portion is a through hole that penetrates the teaching member in the vertical direction and into which the convex portion fits. In the imaging unit, a gap existing between the convex portion and the through hole in a state where the plurality of the convex portions are fitted into the plurality of the through holes and the convex portion and the through hole are not in contact with each other. The teaching device according to claim 6, wherein an image of the above in a plan view direction is taken. The transport device includes a traveling unit, a mast provided on the traveling unit, and a transfer unit that moves up and down along the mast to transfer articles.
The teaching device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the transfer location is a plurality of shelves provided in the vertical direction. At the timing when the teaching member is placed at the transfer location, the operator performs a predetermined operation, or the image taken by the imaging unit is image-processed to change the placement position of the teaching member. The teaching device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a teaching means for teaching the transport device as a transfer position of an article at the transfer location.

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