JP6845559B2 - Goods transfer device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article transfer device for packing articles such as bento boxes and prepared foods into a weight as a delivery container.

Lunch boxes and prepared foods sold at convenience stores are manufactured at pack centers, etc., brought to distribution centers, sorted by store, and delivered.
On the other hand, in the pack center, in order to process the manufactured lunch boxes, etc. in a short time, when the foodstuffs are placed in the container, they are packed in a transport container (hereinafter, this container is referred to as a container), which is called a banju. Transfer to.

Therefore, in the pack center, a serving line for arranging foodstuffs in a container in an assembly line and a subsequent container stuffing line are provided, and a plurality of workers are assigned to each of them.

However, at such a pack center, lunch boxes and the like are manufactured early in the morning or late at night, so there is a problem that it is difficult to secure daily workers. Therefore, for example, a "food serving robot" represented by Patent Document 1 below, a "loading system, a container transfer device" represented by Patent Document 2, and the like have been developed and put into practical use.

Japanese Patent No. 3602817 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-78997

However, if an attempt is made to coexist a non-automated serving line and an automated line for storing a lunch box or the like sent from the serving line in a container by a robot, various problems arise. For example, in a non-automated serving line, lunch boxes and the like are not sent out at regular intervals, and most of them are sent out in bulk or a small amount of shortage is sent out later. Therefore, in the downstream automation line, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, when the container is transported in a single column and the lunch box or the like is stored there, the container in the single column is used until the series of operations is completed. Since it stays on the transport line, there is a problem that the loading work of the full container on the delivery truck is delayed.

Further, in the systems and devices described in the above patent documents, since the conveyors for transporting containers are arranged in a plane, it is easy to introduce them in a new pack center, but in an existing line that is too small for equipment. , There is a problem that it is difficult to introduce.

The present invention has been developed in view of this situation, and even if bento boxes and the like are collectively transported from the upstream, they can be efficiently processed, and if the container is full, the present invention can be placed on the line. An object of the present invention is to provide a compact article transfer device that can be immediately sent to delivery without being fastened and can be introduced even in a small existing line.

The article transfer device according to the present invention is
A transport unit that sends goods to the work area,
A supply unit that supplies containers to the work area,
A robot that stores the goods sent to the work area in the container supplied to the work area, and
A discharge portion for discharging the container in which the article is accommodated by the robot from the work area,
A control unit that controls the supply unit and the discharge unit is provided.
The work area is divided into a first work area and a second work area.
Wherein, while the robot is accommodating the article to the container while the work area of said first working area and the second work area, and controls the discharge portion, the other with discharging the housed said container of the article from the work area, and controls the supply portion, to supply a new piece of the container in the work area of the other,
The supply unit includes a first route that supplies the container to the first work area, and a second route that passes the container under the transport unit and supplies the second work area. It has.

FIG. 1 is a layout diagram for explaining the configuration of the present invention. In this figure, the article transfer device 100 includes a transport unit 1 that sends the article M to the work area E, a supply unit 2 that supplies the container C to the work area E, and an article M that is sent to the work area E. Controls the robot 3 that stores the container C supplied to the work area, the discharge unit 4 that discharges the container Cm in which the article M is stored by the robot 3 from the work area E, and the supply unit 2 and the discharge unit 4. The control unit 5 is provided. In FIG. 1, the solid line and the line indicated by the arrow indicate the route to which the container C is supplied, and the broken line and the line indicated by the arrow indicate the route to which the container Cm containing the article M is discharged. ..

The article M handled here is, for example, a lunch box or a side dish packed in a container, but is not limited thereto. The work area E (the area surrounded by the alternate long and short dash line including the robot 3) is an area in which the robot 3 lifts the article M on the transport unit 1 and stores the article M in the container C. Therefore, the robot 3 is arranged in the work area E, and the transport unit 1 that feeds the article M toward the robot 3, the supply unit 2 that feeds the container C, and the discharge unit Cm in which the article M is stored are discharged from the transport unit 2. The unit 4 is connected. Here, the transport unit 1, the supply unit 2, and the discharge unit 4 are each composed of a conveyor, and they may be arranged in a plane. As will be described later, the supply unit 2 and the discharge unit 4 are provided in a work area. Arranged in the lower part of E, the empty container C is supplied from below toward the work area E, and the container Cm filled with the article M is configured to be lowered and then discharged. Is also good.

This work area E is divided into a first work area E1 and a second work area E2, and the control unit 5 keeps the article M in the container C while the robot 3 stores the article M in one work area E1 (or E2). Controls the discharge unit 4 to discharge the container Cm containing the article M from the other work area E2 (or E1). Subsequently, the control unit 5 instructs the supply unit 2 to supply a new container C to the work area E2 (or E1).

As a result, the work of storing the article M in the empty container C and the work of exchanging the container Cm in which the article M is stored and the empty container C can be alternately switched between the two work areas E1 and E2 for processing. it can. Moreover, since they can be performed in parallel, even if a large amount of the article M is transported, it can be processed quickly. Further, since the container Cm in which the article M is stored can be immediately discharged and sent for delivery without being kept on the line as in the prior art, there is an advantage that the delay in the work on the upstream side is not extended on the downstream side. is there.

The container C supplied by the supply unit 2 is an empty container in which the article M is not stored and a container in which some other articles are stored but still has room for the article M to be stored. Therefore, in the following description, these containers may be referred to as empty containers. Further, when the transport unit 1 transports a lunch box, a prepared food, or the like, a serving line for the lunch box or the like is connected to the upstream side of the transport unit 1.

In FIG. 1, the first work area E1 and the second work area E2 are arranged on both sides of the transport unit 1, but this is an example and is not limited thereto. For example, the work areas E1 and E2 may be arranged side by side, and the transport unit 1 may be arranged side by side. Further, in FIG. 1, the container C is supplied to the work areas E1 and E2 from one branched supply unit 2, but this is also an example and is separately supplied for each work area E1 and E2. The configuration may be such that the part 2 is provided. The same applies to the discharge unit 4.

Further, the supply unit has a first path for supplying the container to the first work area and a second path for supplying the container to the second work area, and the second path and the said. The first route shares a part of the route.

In FIG. 1, if separate supply units are provided in the work areas E1 and E2, the occupied area of the device 100 increases. Therefore, in the second invention, the container C is supplied from one supply unit to the work areas E1 and E2. I try to do it. Explaining this with reference to FIG. 1, the supply unit 2 has a first path R1 for supplying the container C to the first work area E1 and a second path R2 for supplying the container C to the second work area E2. By sharing a part of those routes, we are trying to make it more compact.

Specifically, the first path R1 is composed of a conveyor 20 that sends the empty container C sent into the apparatus 100 to the first work area E1, and the second path R2 branches from the conveyor 20. It is composed of a conveyor 21 leading to the second work area E2. As a result, the container C supplied to the conveyor 20 can be sent to both the first work area E1 and the second work area E2.

Similarly, if the discharge unit 4 is provided for each of the work areas E1 and E2, the occupied area increases. Therefore, in the present invention, the discharge unit 4 discharges the container Cm in which the article M is stored from the first work area E1. 4 is shared with the second path R2 from the position adjacent to the first work area E1 to the position adjacent to the second work area E2.

Specifically, in FIG. 1, the container Cm filled in the first work area E1 is discharged to the outside of the apparatus via the conveyor 20 and the conveyor 21, and these conveyors 20 and 21 are described above. The second path R2 is configured, and the second path R2, which is the supply path for the empty container C, becomes the discharge path for the full container Cm, thereby further making the device more compact. ..

Since the robot 3 of the present invention only lifts the article M from the transport unit 1 and transfers it to the container C, the robot 3 may be placed anywhere at the basic point. However, in order to operate the robot 3 efficiently, it is necessary to minimize the movable range of the robot arm so that the robot 3 can quickly move to the next action.
Therefore, in the present invention, the transport unit 1 is further arranged between the first work area E1 and the second work area E2, and the robot 3 is arranged above the transport unit 1.

As a result, the first work area E1 and the second work area E2 can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the transport unit 1, so that the robot 3 lifts the article M from the transport unit 1 and places it in the predetermined container C. The operation of storing in the position can also be configured to be plane-symmetrical. Therefore, since the robot 3 can perform the packing work of the article M with the minimum movement in either of the work areas E1 and E2 simply by reversing, the robot 3 can be made to move quickly.

In the above invention, each work area, the supply unit, because it does not limit the arrangement of the discharge portion, but they can also be arranged on the same level, to expand the area occupied by the device to be placed at the same level ..
Therefore, in the present invention, the first path R1 is a path for supplying the container C to the first work area E1 from below, and the second path R2 passes under the first work area E1 and the transport unit 1. , and the container C from below through path for supplying to the second work area E2.

FIG. 2 is an example in which the work area E of the robot 3, the supply unit 2 for supplying the container C to the work area E, and the discharge unit 4 for discharging the container Cm from the supply unit 2 are arranged in a three-dimensional manner. In FIG. 2, the transport unit 1 is arranged between the first work area E1 and the second work area E2, and the robot 3 is a transport unit sandwiched between the first work area E1 and the second work area E2. It is located above 1. The first path R1 is composed of a conveyor 20 that allows the container C to enter below the first work area E1 and a lift 22 that raises the container C from there to the first work area E1. It is composed of the conveyor 20, a conveyor 21 that passes under the transport unit 1 and extends below the second work area E2, and a lift 23 that raises the container C from the end of the conveyor 21 to the second work area E2. Has been done.

In addition to the above configuration, the discharge unit 4 that discharges the container Cm from the first work area E1 further has a second path R2 from the position adjacent to the first work area E1 to the position adjacent to the second work area E2. It is characterized by being shared.

In such a configuration, when the empty container C is sent onto the conveyor 20, the control unit 5 (not shown) operates the conveyor 20 to convey the empty container C to the lower part of the first work area E1, and then lifts the empty container C. 22 is operated to raise the empty container C to the first work area E1. Subsequently, when a new empty container C is sent from the stacked empty containers, the control unit 5 operates the conveyor 20 and the conveyor 21 to move the sent empty container C to the lower part of the second work area E2. It is conveyed, and then the lift 23 is operated to raise the empty container C to the second work area E2.

In this way, when the container C is supplied to the first work area E1 or the second work area E2 and the article M is sent from the transport unit 1, the robot 3 lifts the article M on the transport unit 1. Store it in container C. Then, when the container C is full, the full container Cm in the first work area E1 is lowered onto the conveyor 20 via the lift 22 and from there under the conveyor 1 via the conveyor 21. It passes under the second work area E2 and is discharged to the outside of the device.

In this way, the robot 3 has the first work area by arranging the work areas E1 and E2 of the robot 3 and the paths for supplying the container C to the work areas E1 and E2 and discharging the container Cm from the work areas E1 and E2 in three dimensions. While working in E1, a new empty container C can be supplied to the second work area E2 by passing under the first work area E1, and the robot 3 can be supplied to the second work area E2 in the second work area E2. While working, the container Cm filled in the first work area E1 can be discharged to the outside of the device by passing under the second work area E2, so that the occupied area of the device 100 can be reduced. Therefore, it can be introduced into a small existing line.

Further, in addition to the above configuration, the supply unit 2 is connected to the step-disassembling device 6 for taking out the containers C one by one from the stacked containers C, and the discharge unit 4 is connected to the container in which the article M is stored. It is characterized in that a stacking device 7 for stacking Cm one by one is connected.

As a result, the empty containers C taken out from the step-disassembling device 6 can be supplied to the device 100 one after another simply by connecting the step-disassembling device 6 to the article transfer device 100, and the container Cm in which the article M is stored can be supplied. Since stacking can be performed by the stacking device 7 connected to the device 100, the installation area of the device 100 and the step-disassembling device 6 and the stacking device 7 connected to the device 100 is minimized, and the existing equipment makes it too small. The device 100 can be installed even in a new place.

In FIG. 2, assuming that the side where the article M is carried into the device 100 is the front, the step-off device 6 indicated by the alternate long and short dash line is connected to the left side, and the container C taken out from the step-disassembling device 6 is placed in the device 100. The first path R1 is drawn so as to carry in, but this is an example, and depending on the layout of the factory where this device 100 is installed, for example, the step disassembling device 6 is connected to the back surface or the front surface of the device. , It is also possible to configure the container C to be carried into the apparatus one by one from there. Similarly, the stacking device 7 can also be connected to the back surface or the front surface of the device 100 according to the layout of the factory. Of course, the same applies to FIG.

The container C used here is, for example, a standard container molded of resin, corrugated cardboard, or the like, and a plurality of articles M can be stored in a state of being arranged side by side. Further, if the orientations of the containers C are matched, the containers C can be stacked densely, and if the orientations are alternately different, the containers C can be stacked leaving a space for storing the articles. .. Therefore, the tiering device 6 shows a state in which the empty containers C are densely stacked, and the tiering device 7 shows a state in which the articles M are stacked leaving a space for storing them. Further, the packing position of the article M in the container C is determined in advance by the size of the article M and the size of the container C, and the information is stored in the robot 3.

The robot 3 lifts the article M and moves it three-dimensionally to release the article at a predetermined position in the container C. As the grip portion 30 for gripping the article M, an appropriate one is used according to the properties of the article M. For example, when the article M can be sucked by a suction cup, as shown in FIG. 2, a suction device provided with a plurality of suction cups is used, and when the suction cup cannot be used, a finger type gripped by a finger is used.

In addition, the robot 3 is provided with a mass measuring device 31 (see FIG. 2) that detects the mass of the article M while lifting it, and if the output of the mass measuring device 31 is abnormal, the robot 3 is lifted or failed to be lifted. The feature is that the article is returned to the transport unit 1 as a defective product.

This mass measuring device 31 is a practical application of the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-079931. Based on the output of the mass measuring device 31, does the robot 3 have excess or deficiency in the lifted article M? It is programmed to determine whether or not it is, and if there is excess or deficiency, return it to the transport unit 1 as a defective product. Further, when it is determined from the output of the mass measuring device 31 that the article M cannot be lifted, the robot 3 conveys the article M that has failed to be grasped, assuming that the container of the article M is not completely covered with the lid. It is programmed to return to Part 1.

Further, when the lunch box or the like packed in the container is not covered with the lid, the robot 3 provided with the suction device cannot lift it, so the mass measuring device 31 detects it as a gripping error. In that case, the robot 3 lifts the subsequent article M and stores it in the container C. As a result, the container C is packed with a predetermined number of normal articles M.
As defective products, the article M that was not lifted by the robot 3 or the article M that was returned to the transport unit 1 as a defective product is stored in a stock area (not shown) connected to the downstream side of the transport unit 1. It has become.

Next, the operation of the device 100 of FIG. 2 will be described.
At the time of use, the step disassembling device 6 and the supply unit 2 are first operated to supply the empty container C to the first work area E1, and then the empty container C is also supplied to the second work area E2 to enter the standby state. enter. At this time, the lifts 22 and 23 stand by in the work areas E1 and E2 with the container C lifted. Therefore, the subsequent container C can be passed through the first path R1 and the second path R2 below the container lifted by the lifts 22 and 23. When the transport unit 1 operates and the articles M are sequentially sent to the work area E, the robot 3 lifts the article M at a predetermined position on the transport unit 1 at a predetermined position of the empty container C. I will store it in. In that case, a plurality of articles M to be sent one after another may be grasped and then stored in the container C, or articles M may be grasped one by one and stored in the container C. Further, an article detection sensor (not shown) is provided at the entrance of the work area E on the transport unit 1, and the robot 3 operates based on the detection signal.

In this way, when the container C in the first work area E1 is full, the robot 3 continues to store the article M in the container C in the second work area E2 on the opposite side. Meanwhile, the full container Cm is unloaded from the first work area E1, and a new empty container C is supplied to the first work area E1 to replace it. Further, the full container Cm unloaded from the first work area E1 passes under the transport unit 1 and further under the second work area E2, and is discharged by the discharge conveyor 40. At this time, since the container C in the second work area E2 is lifted by the lift 23, the full container Cm can pass under the second work area E2.

When the container C in the second work area E2 is full, the full container Cm is unloaded from the container Cm and discharged, and an empty container C passes under the first work area E1 to replace it. It passes under the transport unit 1 and is supplied to the second work area E2. At this time as well, since the container C of the first work area E1 is lifted by the lift 22, the subsequent empty container C can pass under the empty container C. Meanwhile, the robot 3 stores the article M in the empty container C of the first work area E1.

In this way, while the robot 3 is performing the packing work in one work area E1 (or E2), in the other work area E2 (or E1), the container Cm in which the article M is stored is discharged. , Empty container C is supplied. Therefore, even if the articles M are sent one after another from the transport unit 1, the robot 3 can process them with a margin.

According to the present invention, the work of packing goods by a robot and the work of exchanging a container in which goods are stored and an empty container can be performed alternately and simultaneously in two work areas, so that a large amount of goods can be compared. Even if it is transported to, it can be processed quickly. In addition, since the container in which the goods are stored can be immediately discharged to the outside of the device and loaded on the delivery truck, etc., without staying in the work area, there is an advantage that the work delay caused on the upstream side is not expanded on the downstream side. is there.

Further, since the container is supplied to each work area from one supply unit, the installation area of the device can be reduced. Furthermore, since the robot's work area and the path for supplying containers to it and discharging the containers from it are arranged in three dimensions, it passes under the first work area where the robot is working. A new empty container can be supplied to the second work area, and the container filled in the first work area can be discharged by passing under the second work area where the robot is working. it can. Therefore, the installation area of the device can be made compact as compared with the conventional device in which the conveyor is arranged in a plane, so that it can be introduced into a narrow existing line.

Explanatory drawing for demonstrating the structure of this invention. The illustration figure for demonstrating the structure of this invention. The external perspective view of the article transfer apparatus provided with the characteristic element of this invention as seen from the front. Partial external perspective view of the article transfer device as viewed from the back side. A perspective view of the main part as viewed from the back side, omitting the device frame of FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the device viewed from the diagonally left side of the front. FIG. 5 is a perspective view seen from the diagonally right side of the front of the device. A perspective view of the container supplied to each work area as viewed from below. The perspective view which showed the lower structure of each work area of FIG. The block diagram of the control system of the article transfer device of FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the article transfer device provided with the characteristic elements of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 9. Note that this embodiment is an example and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Further, in the following description, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the article transfer device 100 according to the embodiment as viewed from the front side, and FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the article transfer device 100 as viewed from the back side. In these figures, an inlet 10 for carrying an article M such as a lunch box conveyed from a serving line into the apparatus 100 is provided on the front side of the apparatus 100, and the inlet 10 thereof is provided with an inlet 10 for carrying the articles 1 and 2. The belt conveyor 11 as the part 1 is connected. Sensors S for detecting the article M are provided on both sides of the belt conveyor 11 inside the inlet 10 by a predetermined distance. This sensor S is composed of, for example, a floodlight and a receiver arranged to face each other on both sides of the belt conveyor 11, and when the light emitted from the floodlight is blocked by the article M, the receiver detects it. It has become like. The article detection signal is input to the control unit 5 described later, and the control unit 5 operates the robot 3 based on the signal.

The first work area E1 is provided on the left side of the belt conveyor 11, and the second work area E2 is provided on the right side. Each work area E1 and E2 is an area in which the article M conveyed by the belt conveyor 11 is stored in the container C of each work area E1 and E2 by the robot 3. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a support base 32 is installed at an intermediate position between the work areas E1 and E2 while straddling the belt conveyor 11, and the robot 3 is mounted on the support base 32.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the robot 3 is a horizontal articulated robot having a four-axis configuration, and the first arm 33 rotating in the horizontal plane and the rotating end of the first arm 33 are also in the horizontal plane. A second arm 34 that rotates in a manner, a third arm 35 that moves up and down at the rotating end of the second arm 34, a servomotor (not shown) that rotates the third arm 35 around a vertical axis, and a third arm 35. It is provided with a suction portion 36 which is attached to the lower end portion of the robot and is rotated in a horizontal plane by the servomotor. Then, when the first arm 33 and the second arm 34 extend in a straight line, the suction portion 36 is designed to reach every corner of the first work area E1 to the second work area E2. Further, the third arm 35 that raises and lowers the suction portion 36 lifts the article M from the belt conveyor 11 by the servomotor, lowers the article M in the container C, and raises the article M at the timing when the bottom of the article M reaches the container C. It is programmed to turn.

The suction unit 36 corresponds to the article gripping unit 30 of FIG. 2, and in this embodiment, 12 suction plates 37 for adsorbing the article M are arranged. The suction plate 37 is composed of a bellows type suction pad that sucks and holds the article M, and four adjacent suction plates 37 are combined to suck and hold one article M. Therefore, the three articles M are suction-held side by side in the suction unit 36. Further, the four suction plates 37 that suck and hold one article M are connected to the vacuum chamber via one solenoid valve, and when the article M is lifted, the set of four suction plates 37 is switched to negative pressure. When the articles M are released, they are opened to the atmosphere.

Since the articles M are sent to the belt conveyor 11 one by one from the upstream serving line at substantially regular intervals, the robot 3 lifts the articles M by the four suction plates 37 at the ends, and when the next article M arrives, it is in the middle. It is programmed to be lifted by the four suction plates 37 of the above, and when the next article M arrives, it is lifted by the remaining four suction plates 37. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, when the articles M are stored in the container C in three columns and four rows, the robot 3 sucks and holds three articles M to the container C each time. It is carried and lowered at a predetermined position, where the negative pressure of the suction plate 37 is released to the atmosphere, and the article M is stored in the container C. This operation is repeated four times, and 12 articles M are stored in one container C for convenience.

Between the third arm 35 and the suction unit 36, a mass measuring device 31 of FIG. 2 for obtaining the mass of the lifted article M from the force acting on the moving suction unit 36 and the acceleration is attached. Based on the output of the mass measuring device 31, the robot 3 determines whether or not the lifted article M has excess or deficiency, and if there is excess or deficiency, returns it to the belt conveyor 11 as a defective product. Further, when it is determined from the output of the mass measuring device 31 that the article M cannot be lifted, the robot 3 assumes that the container of the article M is not completely covered with the lid, and the robot 3 belts the article M that has failed to be grasped. After returning to the conveyor 11, it is programmed to lift the next article M to be sent. The article M returned to the belt conveyor 11 is transported under the support base 32 to a stock area (not shown) downstream, and is collected there.

Further, on the back side of the device 100, as shown in FIG. 4, a step-disassembling area 2a in which the stacked empty containers C are placed and a stacking area in which the containers Cm in which the articles M are stored are stacked and stocked. 4a and 4a are provided. The step-disassembling area 2a is provided with a step-disassembling device 6 for taking out the stacked empty containers C one by one from the bottom, and the stacking area 4a is laminated with the container Cm containing the article M. A stacking device 7 to be inserted at the bottom of the conveyor Cm is provided. Therefore, the worker first places the stacked empty containers in the step-off area 2a, and replenishes new empty containers before they are exhausted.
The step-disassembling area 2a is provided with the container sensor 50 of FIG. 10 that detects that an empty container C has been supplied to the step-disassembling area 2a, provided that the sensor 50 detects the container C. The disassembling device 6 is operated, and the stacking device 7 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 has a lift 9 for lowering the container Cm stacked at a higher position to a trolley level (not shown). Is connected.

The step-disassembling device 6 includes a pair of parallel roller conveyors 20 that move up and down, a pair of cages 61 that hold the second-stage container C of the stacked container C lifted upward from both sides, and a bottom-level container. It is equipped with a pusher 24 that pushes out C. Then, when taking out the lowermost container C, the roller conveyor 20 is raised, the stacked container C placed therein is lifted to a predetermined position, and then the cage 61 holds the second container C. The roller conveyor 20 is lowered in this state. Then, in a state where the second and higher stacking containers C are held by the cage 61, only the lowermost container C remains on the roller conveyor 20 and descends. Then, when the roller conveyor 20 descends to the lower limit position, the pusher 24 operates to push out the lowermost container C mounted on the roller conveyor 20 from the step disassembling device 6. By repeating these operations, the stacked empty containers C are taken out one by one from the bottom.

Further, the step-disassembling device 6 incorporates a rotating plate 62 that changes the direction of the empty container C by 180 degrees. When the containers C for storing goods are stacked in the same direction, they can be densely stacked as in the empty container C in FIG. 4, and when the orientations are changed alternately, the goods are inside like the container Cm in FIG. Can be stacked leaving a space for storing. Therefore, the step disassembling device 6 is provided with a sensor (not shown) that detects the orientation of the container C on the roller conveyor 20, and when it is necessary to change the orientation of the container C from the detection signal, the rotating plate 62 moves the container C. After lifting and rotating 180 degrees, it is lowered onto the roller conveyor 20. By repeating this operation every other time, the directions of the front and rear containers C are alternately switched. Therefore, when the containers C whose orientations are alternately changed are discharged to the stacking device 7 in that state, they are stacked in the container C leaving a space for storing the article M, as shown in FIG. It will be.

The stacking device 7 basically has the same structure as the stacking device 6, and the containers C are stacked one by one by changing the operation control thereof. For example, when the container C is carried into the roller conveyor 20 at the final stage of the stacking device 7, the roller conveyor 20 lifts it to a predetermined position and holds it by a pair of left and right similar cages. In that state, the roller conveyor 20 descends and waits for the newly sent container Cm. When the next container Cm is sent to the roller conveyor 20, the roller conveyor 20 rises again and lifts the container Cm. At that time, the roller conveyor 20 stops at the timing when the upper surface of the lifted container Cm reaches the bottom surface of the container Cm held by the cage. The cage is subsequently retracted from the holding position so that the upper container Cm overlaps the lower container Cm. Subsequently, the roller conveyor 20 rises again and stops at a predetermined holding position where the cage is located. Then, the retracted cage pops out and holds all the stacked containers Cm. By repeating such an operation, a new container Cm is inserted under the stacked container Cm and stacked. Therefore, since the bottom surface of the lowermost stage of the stacked containers Cm is at a higher position, the above-mentioned lift 9 is prepared in order to lower the bottom surface to the trolley level.

Returning to FIGS. 5 to 7, the first work area E1 is provided with an opening H for supplying the empty container C from below, and a first path R1 for supplying the article M from below is formed therein. There is. In this first path R1, the first support base 25a for receiving the empty container C sent from the step disassembling device 6 on the back surface of the device and the container C mounted on the first support base 25a are brought to the first work area E1. It is composed of a first lift 22a to be raised. The empty container C is supplied to the first support base 25a by the step disassembling device 6 pushing out the empty container C mounted on the roller conveyor 20 with the pusher 24. Therefore, when the pusher 24 moves to the stroke end, the empty container C is in the predetermined position of the first support base 25a, and when the pusher 24 retracts there, the empty container C is in the predetermined position of the first support base 25a. It is supposed to stop.

The first support base 25a is formed by arranging a plurality of gate-shaped frames extending along the direction of the second path R2 of the container C in a direction orthogonal to the gate-shaped frames, and in the central gap sandwiched between these gate-shaped frames. A first pusher 24a that moves in a direction orthogonal to the first path R1 and an actuator 24C that reciprocates the pusher 24a to the front of the second support base 25b are inserted and arranged. Further, a pair of cantilever brackets 22B of the first lift 22 shown in FIG. 8 are housed in the gaps formed by the gate-shaped frames on both sides so as to be able to appear and disappear in the vertical direction. Further, when the first pusher 24a moves to the stroke end, the empty container C on the first support base 25a stops at a predetermined position on the second support base 25b. Further, since the actuator 24C for driving the first pusher 24a has the same configuration as the actuator 24C for driving the pusher 24 of the step disassembling device 6, the same reference numerals are given here.

As shown in FIG. 8 showing a state viewed from below, the first lift 22 includes a pair of cantilever brackets 22B that support the bottom surface of the container C, an actuator 22C that raises and lowers the brackets 22B, and a cantilever bracket 22B. It is composed of a linear guide 22D that guides in the vertical direction while maintaining a constant posture. The cantilever bracket 22B is initially buried between the portal frames of the first support base 25a, and when the actuator 22C operates and rises, the empty container C mounted on the first support base 25a is moved. Lift while supporting from below. In this way, after lifting the empty container C to the first work area E1, it waits for the article M to be stored there, and when the container C is full, it descends. Therefore, since the lower part is open while the container C is being lifted to the first work area E1, the subsequent empty container C extruded from the step disassembling device 6 passes through the first support base 25a. It is possible to move to the lower part of the next second work area E2.

Returning to FIGS. 5 and 6, the pusher 24 of the step disassembling device 6 reciprocates linearly to the front of the first support base 25a while pushing the lower side surface of the container C by driving the actuator 24C. The actuator 24C is composed of a rodless air cylinder having the same structure as the actuator 22C of the first lift 22. Further, instead of the rodless air cylinder, for example, a ball screw mechanism, a linear motor, or the like can be used.

When discharging the container Cm that is full in the first work area E1, lower it to the first support base 25a by the first lift 22, and pass it below the belt conveyor 11 and below the second work area E2. Then, it is discharged via the second path R2 having an L-shape in a plan view leading to the stacking device 7 on the back surface of the device.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 and 9, in the second path R2, the first support base 25a arranged below the first work area E1 and the container C lowered therein are connected to the belt conveyor 11. The first pusher 24a that pushes through the lower part to the second support base 25b, the first roller conveyor 20 that is arranged below the belt conveyor 11 and supports the container C extruded there, and the lower part of the second work area E2. It is composed of a second support base 25b provided in the above and a second pusher 24b that pushes the container C mounted on the second support base 25b to the stacking device 7 on the back surface of the device.

The first support base 25a and the second support base 25b, the first pusher 24a and the second pusher 24b, and the roller conveyors 20 of the step disassembling device 6 and the stacking device 7 have the same configuration. Further, the transport surfaces of the roller conveyor 20 to the first support base 25a, the subsequent roller conveyor 21 to the second support base 25b, and the subsequent roller conveyor 20 of the stacking device 7 are set to the same level. As a result, the container C can be smoothly transported from the first path R1 to the second path R2.

The supply of the empty container C to the second work area E2 is performed using a part of the first path R1 and the second path R2 described above. That is, the empty container C extruded from the stage disassembling device 6 is sent onto the first support base 25a of the first path R1, and is second via the first pusher 24a of the subsequent second path R2 and the roller conveyor 21. It is sent to the support base 25b. Subsequently, the second lift 23 raises the empty container C placed on the second support base 25b and supplies it to the second work area E2. The second lift 23 used here has the same configuration as the first lift 22.

Further, the container Cm filled in the second work area E2 is lowered to the second support base 25b by the second lift 23, and then the second pusher 24b pushes the container Cm and the roller conveyor 20 of the stacking device 7 is used. Push to. In the stacking device 7, as described above, the container Cm in which the article M is stored is inserted into the lower stage of the stacked container Cm.

The stacking device 7 is provided with an extrusion panel 70 that pushes the stacked container Cm toward the downstream lift 9. The panel 70 is connected to a rodless air cylinder 71 and moves in the horizontal direction, and is supported by three linear guides 72 in the vertical and horizontal directions so as to move in parallel. The extruded panel 70 allows the container Cm in which the article M is stored to be smoothly extruded onto the lift 9 even if the containers Cm are stacked in a plurality of stages.

Further, when mounting the stacked container Cm on the lift 9, the mounting table 90 of the lift 9 is raised to the discharge level of the stacked container Cm, and then the extrusion panel 70 is moved to move the stacked container Cm. Is pushed out to the mounting table 90 of the lift 9. The upper end of the back panel 91 of the mounting table 90 has the above-mentioned discharge level. Therefore, air cylinders 92 for raising and lowering the mounting table 90 to the discharge level are provided on both sides of the mounting table 90.

FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of a control system of the article transfer device 100. In this figure, the control unit 5 controls the article transfer device 100, and is composed of a computer. The control unit 5 includes the robot 3, the belt conveyor 11, the sensor S for detecting the article M on the belt conveyor 11, the step disassembling device 6, the stacking device 7, the container sensor 50, the first lift 22, and the second. The lift 23, the first pusher 24a, and the second pusher 24b are electrically connected to each other, and by reading and executing the built-in program, each operation described later is executed.

Next, each operation of the article transfer device 100 by the control unit 5 will be described.
First, as an initial setting, the robot 3 stores an article packing procedure determined based on the container size and the article size. Further, the transport speed of the belt conveyor 11 is set according to the operating speed of the upstream serving line. In this state, the operator first stacks a plurality of stacked empty containers C in the stepped-up area 2a.

In that state, when the operation start key of the operation unit 51 of FIG. 1 is operated to start the operation, the control unit 5 first checks the container sensor 50, and the container C is set in the step-off area 2a. Check if it is. If the container C is set, an operation command is output to the step disassembling device 6. When the step disassembling device 6 receives an operation command, the roller conveyor 20 is raised to lift the stacked empty containers C to a predetermined position, and then the cage 61 is activated to lift the second or higher stacked containers C. Hold. Subsequently, when the roller conveyor 20 descends and stops at the lower limit position, the control unit 5 checks the orientation of the container C taken out from the stacking device 6. Its orientation is checked by the detection output of a sensor (not shown).

If the orientation of the container C is opposite, the control unit 5 raises the rotating plate 62, rotates it 180 degrees, and then returns it to its original position. As a result, the lifted container C is oriented in the opposite direction. When the orientation of the container C is adjusted in this way, the control unit 5 operates the pusher 24 to push the empty container C of the roller conveyor 20 toward the first support base 25a.

A sensor is incorporated in the stroke end of the pusher 24, and when it is output to the control unit 5 that the pusher 24 has reached the stroke end, the empty container C reaches the first support base 25a. Therefore, the control unit 5 outputs an operation command to the first lift 22. Then, the actuator 22C of the first lift 22 operates to raise the cantilever bracket 22B to the stroke end. As a result, the empty container C on the first support base 25a is supplied to the first work area E1 and enters the standby state there.

A sensor is incorporated in the actuator 22C of the first lift 22 as described above, and when the first lift 22 rises to the stroke end and outputs an arrival signal, the control unit 5 operates the belt conveyor 11 and at the same time, operates the belt conveyor 11. The next operation command is output to the step disassembling device 6. Then, the stage disassembling device 6 repeats the same operation as described above to push out the second stage empty container C toward the first workbench 25a.

While doing so, when the article M reaches the work area by the belt conveyor 11 and the sensor S described above detects it, the control unit 5 informs that the container C is set in the first work area E1. , The operation start command is output to the robot 3. Then, the robot 3 starts the operation, first sucks and lifts the article M with the four suction plates 37 at the ends, and waits for the next operation command while holding it at a predetermined height.

On the other hand, when the second-stage empty container C is sent out to the first workbench 25a, the arrival signal is output from the pusher 24 to the control unit 5. The control unit 5 operates the first pusher 24a based on the control unit 5. Then, the empty container C on the first workbench 25a is sent out toward the second support 25b.

When the first pusher 24a moves to the stroke end and the arrival signal is input to the control unit 5, the control unit 5 then operates the second lift 23. At this time, since the empty container C of the second stage is sent onto the second support base 25b, the second lift 23 raises it to the second work area E2 and stops. In this way, the second-stage empty container C is set in the second work area E2.

In the meantime, when the subsequent article M is conveyed by the belt conveyor 11, the control unit 5 outputs an operation command to the robot 3 using the detection signal of the sensor S as a trigger. Then, the robot 3 lifts the next article M while sucking it with the next four suction plates 37. As a result, the robot 3 conveniently holds two articles M.

Subsequently, when the subsequent article M is detected by the sensor S, the robot 3 lifts the article M while adsorbing it with the remaining four suction plates 37 as described above. The robot 3 counts the number of times the article M is lifted, and when the count value reaches 3, the robot 3 transfers the three lifted articles M to a predetermined position of the empty container C in the first work area E1 and descends. At that time, the suction plate 37 is opened to the atmosphere. Subsequently, the robot 3 clears the count value, returns to the initial position, and waits for the arrival of the next article M.

In this way, each time the article M is detected by the sensor S, the robot 3 lifts it and stands by, and when the three articles M are aligned, they are stored in the container C. In this way, when the container C is filled with the goods M, the robot 3 confirms that the empty container C is set in the second work area E2, and then sets the next sent goods M in the second work area. Store in container C of E2.

Further, when the container C in the first work area E1 is full, the robot 3 outputs it to the control unit 5. Then, the control unit 5 operates the first lift 22 to lower the container Cm filled in the first work area E1 to the first support base 25a, and then operates the first pusher 24a to operate the first pusher 24a. The container Cm lowered on the support base 25a is sent out toward the second support base 25b.

When the operated first pusher 24a reaches the stroke end and the arrival signal is output to the control unit 5, the control unit 5 operates the second pusher 24b to move the container Cm on the second support base 25b. It is sent out to the roller conveyor 20 of the stacking device 7. When the filled container Cm is delivered to the roller conveyor 20 in this way, the stacking device 7 raises the roller conveyor 20 to a predetermined position and then operates a pair of cages (not shown). As a result, the full container Cm is held at a predetermined position of the stacking device 7. Subsequently, the roller conveyor 20 descends to the initial position and waits for the next full container Cm.

On the other hand, when the full container Cm is unloaded from the first work area E1, an arrival signal is output from the lowered actuator 22C, so that the control unit 5 operates the step-off device 6 using this as a trigger. Then, the step disassembling device 6 repeats the above-mentioned operation and pushes the next empty container C to the first support base 25a. When it is pushed out, the pusher 24 of the step disassembling device 6 operates, and the arrival signal is output from the actuator 24C. Then, the control unit 5 operates the first lift 22 to supply the empty container C on the first support base 25a to the first work area E1.

While doing so, the robot 3 lifts the articles M sent one after another while sucking them with the suction plate 37, and when the three lifted articles M are aligned, they are put into the container C of the second work area E2. I will store it.

Then, when the container Cm in the second work area E2 is full, the robot 3 notifies the control unit 5 of it. The control unit 5 operates the second lift 23 based on this. Then, the container Cm held in the second work area E2 is lowered onto the second support base 25b, and then the second pusher 24b is operated, from which the container Cm is directed toward the roller conveyor 20 of the stacking device 7. Extruded.

In this way, the replacement work of the empty container C and the full container Cm is alternately repeated in the first work area E1 and the second work area E2, and in the meantime, the article M is continuously placed in the work area. Even if the robot 3 is sent, the robot 3 stores the articles M to be transported one after another in the container C while switching the work areas E1 (E2).

Although one embodiment has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and other embodiments can be adopted. For example, in this embodiment, a horizontal articulated robot having a four-axis configuration is used, but instead, for example, a parallel link robot can be used. Further, in this embodiment, the case where the lunch box or the like is stored in the container is mainly described in the pack center, but it can also be applied to the case where the lunch box or the like is sorted into the container for each store in the distribution center, for example. In that case, a part of the article may be stored in the container supplied to the supply unit. When the container is molded in a corrugated cardboard case, a box-making machine for assembling the folded corrugated cardboard into a box shape is installed instead of the corrugated cardboard device 6.

100 Goods transfer device 1 Transport part 2 Supply part 3 Robot 4 Discharge part 5 Control part 6 Stage disassembly device 7 Stage stacking device 31 Mass measuring device M Article C Container E Work area E1 First work area E2 First work area R1 First 1 route R2 2nd route

Claims (1)

A transport unit that sends goods to the work area,
A supply unit that supplies containers to the work area,
A robot that stores the goods sent to the work area in the container supplied to the work area, and
A discharge portion for discharging the container in which the article is accommodated by the robot from the work area,
A control unit that controls the supply unit and the discharge unit is provided.
The work area is divided into a first work area and a second work area.
Wherein, while the robot is accommodating the article to the container while the work area of said first working area and the second work area, and controls the discharge portion, the other with discharging the housed said container of the article from the work area, and controls the supply portion, to supply a new piece of the container in the work area of the other,
The supply unit includes a first route that supplies the container to the first work area, and a second route that passes the container under the transport unit and supplies the container to the second work area. article transfer device having a.