JP7330344B1 - Picking system and secondary packing system for stick-shaped packages - Google Patents

Abstract

Kind Code: A1 A system is provided that enables a significant downsizing of equipment for secondary packaging and can easily cope with changes in the shape and quantity of stick-shaped packaged products. A U-shaped jig held by a first hand provided on one of two articulated arms constituting a robot arm and a second hand provided on the other hand, and a stick-shaped package. a accumulating unit that roughly collects a predetermined number of stick-shaped packaged goods by the accumulating unit; a conveying device that conveys the predetermined number of stick-shaped packaged goods roughly collected by the accumulating unit within a common working range of the first and second hands; and secondary packing. A bag opening device for opening a bag mouth and throwing into the bag a bundle of stick-shaped packaged goods picked from a conveying device by U-shaped jigs of first and second hands, and stick-shaped packaged goods. A secondary packaging system for stick-shaped packaged goods, comprising a weighing device that weighs the secondary packaged goods containing a bundle of sticks and outputs the weighing results, and a discharge device that discharges the secondary packaged goods according to the weighing results. is. [Selection drawing] Fig. 1-a

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act (1) Exhibition date: September 13, 2020 Exhibition name, Venue: International Logistics Exhibition, Kawada Industries Co., Ltd. booth (Address: 3-11 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo) -1 Tokyo Big Sight East Exhibition Hall No. 1-101) (2) Website publication date: September 22, 2020 Website address: https://nextage. kawada robot. co. jp/expand/package

The present invention is configured by combining a general-purpose articulated robot and a simple jig, and automatically picks up a predetermined number of stick-shaped packing products filled in a primary packing bag with a predetermined amount of packing objects. The present invention relates to a picking system for picking sticks and a secondary packing system for packing stick-shaped packing products picked by the picking system into secondary packing bags.

A packaging form in which a stick-shaped packaging bag is filled with objects to be packed is widely used for subdivision packaging of granular foods such as sugar. Such stick-shaped packaged products are generally mass-produced by a dedicated automatic stick filling and packaging machine. On the other hand, stick-shaped packaged products mass-produced by an automatic machine are bundled together with dozens of stick-shaped products, and are then shipped after secondary packaging in a packaging material such as a bag.

The work of secondary packing of stick-shaped packing products is done manually or using dedicated large machines. In Patent Document 1, a stick-shaped work is placed on a U-shaped device and bundled, combined with a slide, a push-out mechanism, etc., and inserted into a cup-shaped secondary packaging material while standing in the longitudinal direction.

On the other hand, as a method that does not use a dedicated large machine, in Patent Documents 2 and 3, a general-purpose dual-arm robot having two articulated arms and a simple device are combined to pick up an object to be packed and secondary packing. ing.

JP 2018-016336 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-014003 JP 2018-104004 A

However, automation using a dedicated large-scale machine requires a large-scale modification of equipment when the specifications of stick-shaped products (the number of sticks and secondary packaging materials) change.

On the other hand, the method of picking and secondary packaging by combining a dual-arm robot and a simple device mainly deals with standard-shaped objects as the secondary packaging objects, and stick-shaped packaging products. For works such as bundles, whose shape is difficult to be determined uniquely, work efficiency is extremely poor due to the need to prevent them from falling off during picking and secondary packaging. In addition, it is difficult to change the amount of objects to be packed in a stick-shaped packing bag, change the number of secondary packing of stick-shaped packing products, change the type and shape of bags as secondary packing materials, and the like.

Therefore, the present invention greatly expands the equipment for secondary packing of stick-shaped packing products by connecting with an existing automatic machine (stick filling and packing machine) and installing two general-purpose articulated arms and peripheral devices. A picking system for stick-shaped packages that can be made more compact, reduces equipment costs when changing the shape or quantity of stick-shaped packages, and can handle secondary packing of different packing patterns by changing the program. The purpose is to provide a next packing system.

The picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, which advantageously solves the above problems,
two articulated arms that constitute robot arms that are controlled by respective controllers;
a first hand provided on one of the two articulated arms;
a second hand provided on the other of the two articulated arms;
a accumulating unit that roughly collects a predetermined number of stick-shaped packaged products input from the stick-filling and packaging machine;
a conveying device for conveying a predetermined number of stick-shaped packing products roughly collected by the accumulating unit into a working range common to the first and second hands of the two articulated arms;
with
Each of the first and second hands has a U-shaped jig that can be engaged with each other inwardly, and picks up a predetermined number of the loosely grouped stick-shaped packages as a bundle from the conveying device. It is characterized by

In addition, the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing products of the present invention, which advantageously solves the above problems,
In addition to the stick-shaped package picking system,
located within a common working range of said first and second hands of said picking system and holding an empty secondary packaging bag supplied by the other of said first and second hands for secondary packaging thereof; a bag opening device for opening the opening of a bag and throwing the bundle of stick-shaped packaged goods from the opening into the secondary packaging bag by means of the U-shaped jig of the first and second hands;
a weighing instrument for transferring and weighing the secondary packaged product containing the bundle of stick-shaped packaged products from the bag opening device to one of the first and second hands, and for outputting a weighing result;
a discharge device that discharges the secondary packed product transferred from the weighing scale by the transfer device to a branched discharge destination according to the weighing result;
It is characterized by comprising

In the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, the stacking unit roughly collects a predetermined number of stick-shaped packaged goods input from the stick filling and packaging machine, and the conveying device collects the predetermined number of roughly collected stick-shaped packed goods. The first and second hands carry the stick-shaped packages within a common working range of the first and second hands, and constitute robot arms controlled by a control device, respectively. By fitting the U-shaped jigs of the hands inwardly, the predetermined number of roughly grouped stick-shaped packing products conveyed within the common working range are bundled and picked from the conveying device. .

Therefore, according to the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, two general-purpose multi-joint arms and a stacking unit and a conveying device as peripheral equipment are connected to an existing automatic stick filling and packaging machine. With this arrangement, the stick-shaped packing products can be bundled by the U-shaped jigs of the first hand and the second hand that fit inwardly to each other, and can be efficiently picked while preventing them from falling off. By changing the distance between the U-shaped jigs of the first and second hands when they are fitted together, it is possible to easily deal with changes in the shape of the stick-shaped packed products to be picked and changes in the number of bundles. can.

In the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, the first and second hands of the two articulated arms of the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods are connected to the U-shaped jig. A bag opening device installed within a common working range of the first and second hands supplies and holds a bundle of stick-shaped packages picked by a tool with the other of the first and second hands. and put it into the secondary packing bag with the opening of the bag opened while guiding it by the inner surface of the U-shaped jig, and then one of the first and second hands of the two articulated arms. transports and weighs the secondary packing product containing a bundle of stick-shaped packing products in the secondary packing bag to a weighing scale installed within the common working range, and during that time, the first and The other of the second hands supplies the bag opening device with an empty secondary packaging bag for containing the next bundle of stick-shaped packages.

The secondary package weighed by the scale is transferred to a discharge device by a transfer device constituted by, for example, one of the first and second hands. The discharge device discharges the products as acceptable products to the predetermined destination of the branched destinations. Discharge to a predetermined discharge destination different from the accepted product among the discharged destinations.

Therefore, according to the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, two general-purpose multi-joints constituting a picking system for stick-shaped packed goods are connected to an existing automatic stick filling and packaging machine. In addition to installing an arm, a stacking unit, and a conveying device, by installing a bag opening device, a weighing scale, a transfer device, and a discharging device, the equipment for secondary packing of stick-shaped packing products can be greatly reduced in size. In addition, equipment costs can be reduced even when changing the shape of stick-shaped packing products or changing the number of secondary packing items. can correspond to

In the stick-shaped package picking system of the present invention, the two articulated arms are two arms of a dual-arm robot whose operation is controlled by the control device of the dual-arm robot. good too. In this way, installation, positioning and control of the two articulated arms can be collectively performed.

In the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, each of the U-shaped jigs of the first and second hands has a fork shape with a plurality of fingers extending side by side. , the fingers of one jig can be fitted between the fingers of the other jig when they face each other and approach each other, but the U-shaped jigs of the first and second hands Each of the two jigs has a gutter shape in which two metal plates with different rigidity are connected in the circumferential direction. It may be possible to engage with each other inwardly by entering the inner side of the highly rigid metal plate. With such a gutter-shaped jig, it is possible to easily change the interval between the U-shaped jigs of the first and second hands when picking a bundle of stick-shaped packing products.

Further, in the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, the U-shaped jigs of the first and second hands are placed from a position surrounding the roughly grouped stick-shaped packaged goods. By moving the jigs in a direction in which the jigs approach each other while keeping the edges along the conveying surface, the stick-shaped packed products may be picked in a bundle and gripped. In this way, the stick-shaped package can be conveyed while preventing it from falling off from the U-shaped jig, and furthermore, the amount of compression of the stick-shaped package can be changed by changing the distance between the U-shaped jigs. By adjusting, it is possible to easily cope with a change in the amount of objects to be packed in each stick-shaped packing bag.

In the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, the first and second hands compress and squeeze the bundle of stick-shaped packaged goods picked by the U-shaped jig. In this state, the jigs are inserted into the opening of the secondary packaging bag, and after the insertion, the distance between the U-shaped jigs is widened, and the secondary packaging bag is widened while being packed in stick form inside the bag. It may be one that performs an action of dropping a bundle of items. In this way, the gusset of the secondary packaging bag can be widened at the same time as the bundle of stick-shaped packaged products is thrown in, so that the bundle of stick-shaped packaged products can be reliably accommodated in the secondary packaging bag. .

Further, in the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packed goods of the present invention, one of the first and second hands has a chuck capable of gripping and releasing the secondary packed goods by opening/closing control, and the other hand may have a suction pad capable of sucking and releasing the empty secondary packing bag by ON-OFF control. In this way, the secondary package is gripped by the chuck of one hand and conveyed from the bag opening device to the scale, while at the same time the new secondary package is held by the suction pad of the other hand. Since it can be attached to the bag opening device by pressing, it is possible to increase the working efficiency of the secondary packing while downsizing the equipment for the secondary packing of the stick-shaped packed goods.

Further, in the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods is provided with a camera for photographing the weighing result of the weighing machine, and the two articulated arms. The control device judges whether the result of weighing by the weighing device is OK or NG from the image captured by the camera, and the discharging device discharges the secondary packaged goods to the discharge destination corresponding to the judgment result. may be In this way, it is possible to easily and inexpensively determine the weighing result of the secondary package by the weighing machine and control the discharging device based on the result.

On the other hand, in the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, the two articulated arms of the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods are connected to the first and second end portions thereof. A weight sensor is provided for measuring the weight of the bundle of stick-shaped packages gripped by the U-shaped jig held by the hand, and the control device for the two articulated arms uses the output data of these weight sensors. It is determined whether the weight of the bundle of stick-shaped packaged products is OK or NG. , the discharging device may be one that discharges to a predetermined space. In this way, it is possible to avoid the production of defective products before packing into the secondary packaging bag, to improve the production quality of the secondary packaging product, and to eliminate the need for a dedicated weighing machine and discharge device. The configuration of the secondary packaging system can be made simple and inexpensive.

and 1] A perspective view and a plan view schematically showing a secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to an embodiment of the present invention, which includes a picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to an embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. and 1] is a side view and a front view schematically showing a secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing products of the above embodiment. [FIG. (a), (b), (c) and (d), (e) show an end effector as a right arm hand of the double-arm articulated robot of the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing goods of the above embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view, a side view, a partially enlarged view thereof, and an operation explanatory view showing the open state and closed state of the chuck of the end effector. (a), (b), (c) and (d) are perspective views showing an end effector as a hand of the left arm of the double arm articulated robot of the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing goods of the above embodiment, side view; It is a figure, a front view, and its partially enlarged view. (a) and (b) are a plan view and an enlarged view showing a stacking unit and a work conveyor of the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the embodiment. (a), (b) and (c) are a perspective view, a front view and a side view showing a bag stocker of the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing goods of the above embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a bag opening device of the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packed goods of the embodiment. (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory diagrams sequentially showing the operation of the bag opening device. (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of two U-shaped jigs in the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the above embodiment to scoop and grip stick-shaped packaged goods from the work conveyor; (c) and (d) are explanatory diagrams showing gripping states with two U-shaped jigs when the number of stick-shaped packaged products in a bundle of stick-shaped packaged products is standard and when the number of stick-shaped packaged products is less than that. is. (a) is a state in which the ends of two U-shaped jigs are inserted into the mouth of the bag held by the bag mouth opening device together with a bundle of stick-shaped packages whose ends are compressed and squeezed; b) is the state of the bag before the two U-shaped jigs are inserted, and (c) is the bag folded with the tip opened after the two U-shaped jigs are inserted into the bag. FIG. 8D is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the gusset is spread out, and a state in which two U-shaped jigs are inserted into the bag as they are. (a) is a state in which secondary packaging items are weighed by a weighing scale and the weighed secondary packaging items are discharged to the discharge destination of items that can be weighed; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which weighed secondary packaged items are discharged to a discharge destination of weighed NG items;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Below, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. Here, FIGS. 1-a and 1-b schematically show a secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to an embodiment of the present invention, which includes a picking system for stick-shaped packed goods according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view and a plan view. FIG. 2-a and 2-b are a side view and a front view schematically showing the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing products of the above embodiment. FIGS. 3(a), 3(b), 3(c), 3(d), and 3(e) show the double-arm articulated robot of the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing goods of the above embodiment. 1 is a perspective view, a side view, and a partially enlarged view showing an end effector as a hand of the right arm of the robot, and operation explanatory diagrams showing an open state and a closed state of a chuck of the end effector. 4(a), 4(b), 4(c) and 4(d) show the left arm hand of the dual-arm articulated robot of the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing goods of the above embodiment. 1 is a perspective view, a side view, a front view, and a partially enlarged view showing the end effector of FIG.

5(a) and 5(b) are a plan view and an enlarged view showing a stacking unit and a work conveyor of the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to the above-described embodiment. 6(a), 6(b), and 6(c) are a perspective view, a front view, and a side view of the bag stocker of the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing products of the above embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the bag opening device of the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packed goods of the above embodiment. 8(a), 8(b), and 8(c) are explanatory diagrams sequentially showing the operation of the bag opening device.

FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) show the operation of two U-shaped jigs of the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the above embodiment to scoop and grip the stick-shaped packaged goods from the working conveyor. 9(c) and 9(d) show two U-shaped jigs for a standard number of stick-shaped packages and a smaller number of stick-shaped packages in a bundle of stick-shaped packages. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a gripping state at . FIG. 10(a) shows a state in which the ends of two U-shaped jigs are inserted into the mouth of the bag held by the bag opening device together with a bundle of stick-shaped packages whose ends are compressed and squeezed. , FIG. 10(b) shows the state of the bag before inserting the two U-shaped jigs, and FIG. FIG. 10(d) is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the folded gussets of the bag are unfolded and two U-shaped jigs are inserted into the bag as they are. Fig. 11(a) shows a state in which the secondary packaging items are weighed by a weighing instrument and the weighed secondary packaging items are discharged to the discharge destination of weighing OK items. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which weighed items are weighed with a container and the weighed secondary packaged items are discharged to the destination of weighed NG items.

The secondary packaging system for stick-shaped packaged goods of this embodiment includes a dual-arm articulated robot 1 and stick-shaped packaged goods such as stick-shaped sugar for packing powdered sugar, which are supplied from a stick filling and packaging machine (not shown). Work as a stacking unit 9 that counts the number of supplies of 15, roughly sorts them, and aligns them, and a conveying device that supplies the stick-shaped packed products 15 aligned by the stacking unit 9 within the working range of the double-armed articulated robot 1. A picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising a conveyor 12, a bag stocker 10 for stocking bags 16a for secondary packing, and opening the vicinity of the opening of the bag 16a and holding it in that state. a bag-opening device 11, a weighing device 13 for measuring the weight of the secondary package 17, and a discharge device 14 positioned adjacent to the weighing device 13 for discharging the weighed secondary package 17. The discharge device 14 can branch the discharge route and discharge acceptable (OK) products and unacceptable (NG) products to different discharge destinations. A stereo vision camera 1 a is attached to the head of the dual-arm articulated robot 1 for judging acceptable (OK) products and non-acceptable (NG) products from the weighing result of the weighing scale 13 .

A dual-arm articulated robot 1 has a right arm 2a and a left arm 2b as two articulated arms. An end effector 3a as a first hand is attached to the tip of the right arm 2a, and the end effector 3a comprises a U-shaped jig 4 for scooping up the stick-shaped package 15 and a bag of the stick-shaped package 15. and a chuck 5 for gripping the secondary package 17 . The chuck 5 is composed of an air cylinder 5a, a movable claw 5b, and a fixed claw 5c. When the rod of the air cylinder 5a is expanded and contracted by opening and closing control by the control device of the double-armed articulated robot 1, the movable claw 5b is moved to move the movable claw 5b. The next packed item 17 is gripped and released. The U-shaped jig 4 is formed in a gutter shape by, for example, a high-rigidity stainless steel plate 4a and a low-rigidity thin plate 4b having spring properties.

An end effector 3b as a second hand is attached to the tip of the left arm 2b. It has a suction pad 7 for sucking and releasing an empty bag 16a by ON-OFF control by the vacuum cleaner, and a bag mouth opening/closing claw 8 for operating a bag mouth opening device 11. FIG. Like the U-shaped jig 4, the U-shaped jig 6 is constructed in the shape of a gutter with a normal stainless steel plate 6a and a thin plate 6b having spring properties. The shape of the side of the jig 6 to be inserted into the opening of the bag 16a has a sharp tip for easy insertion.

The stacking unit 9 includes a sensor 9a for counting the number of stick-shaped packages 15 supplied from the stick filling and packaging machine, a sheet metal 9b for shooting the stick-shaped packages 15 onto the work conveyor 12, It has an aligning part 9c for bringing the ends of the shot stick-shaped packing products 15 into contact with each other and aligning the ends. The sheet metal 9b is fixed so as to be inclined with respect to the work conveyor 12, and the interval of the exit on the work conveyor 12 side is narrower than that of the entrance.

The work conveyor 12 has a conveyor 12a that supplies the stick-shaped packaged goods 15 to the double-armed articulated robot 1, and a workbench 12b on which a bag stocker 10, a bag opening device 11, a weighing scale 13, and a discharge device 14 are installed. . The stacking unit 9 and the work conveyor 12 are linked, and when the count of the sensor 9a reaches a certain number, the work conveyor 12 intermittently drives the conveyor 12a to move the stick-shaped package 15 to the front of the double-armed articulated robot 1. Supply within the common working range of the right arm 2a and the left arm 2b.

The bag stocker 10 has an elevating part 10a for pushing out the bag 16a for secondary packing to a fixed position, and a retaining plate 10b for preventing the pushed-out bag 16a from popping out. The lifting unit 10a is a mechanism composed of a pulley 10c, a wire 10d, and a weight 10e, and always applies a constant force to the bags 16a regardless of the number of bags 16a.

The bag-opening device 11 has a suction pad 11a for suction-holding a bag 16a for secondary packing, a slide portion 11b, and a handle 11c for the double-armed articulated robot 1 to perform a bag-opening operation. The sliding portion 11b has a built-in spring mechanism, and has a function of sliding by the action of the bag mouth opening/closing claw 8 of the double-armed articulated robot 1 and returning to its original position when the bag mouth opening/closing claw 8 is released.

The weighing instrument 13 is basically a commercial item that outputs the weighing result on the screen display, etc., but the range of the weighing result can be set, and the results within the range are OK, and those outside the range are NG. It may be possible to output by screen display or the like. The discharge device 14 can be operated, for example, to keep the gutter-shaped discharge path connected to the weighing scale 13 as it is, to tilt or lower the side wall of the discharge path, or to rotate the discharge path itself horizontally to change its direction. By doing so, it is possible to selectively connect different discharge destinations (not shown) for OK products and NG products, and the discharge destination can be selected from a conveyor, a shooter, or the like according to the actual process.

The operation of the secondary packaging system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to this embodiment will be described below.
(I) Stacking of stick-shaped packaged products 15 (1) Supplying stick-shaped packaged products 15 discharged from the stick packaging machine to the stacking unit 9 .
(2) Since the sheet metal 9b of the stacking unit 9 is slanted, the supplied stick-shaped packing product 15 slides down onto the work conveyor 12. At this time, the exit on the work conveyor 12 side is narrow. Therefore, the stick-shaped packing products 15 slide down onto the work conveyor 12 in a state in which they are roughly aligned together. In addition, the ends of the bundle of stick-shaped packaged products 15 are aligned by hitting the aligning portion 9c. The sensor 9a counts the number of stick-shaped packing products 15 supplied.
(3) When the count reaches the target number of packages preset by the operator, the work conveyor 12 is intermittently driven to send the stick-shaped packages 15 to the front of the double-arm articulated robot 1 .

(II) Bag preparation (1) During (I), the dual-arm articulated robot 1 sucks and takes out an empty bag 16a from the bag stocker 10 with the suction pad 7 of the end effector 3b of the left arm 2b.
(2) Bring the empty bag 16a to a predetermined position of the bag opening device 11 with the end effector 3b of the left arm 2b.
(3) Push the handle 11c with the bag mouth opening/closing claw 8 of the end effector 3b until the suction pad 11a of the bag opening device 11 suctions the front and rear surfaces of the bag 16a near the opening of the bag 16a to push the suction pad 11a.
(4) The dual-arm articulated robot 1 turns off the suction of the suction pad 7 of the end effector 3b of the left arm 2b, and pulls out the end effector 3b of the left arm 2b from the bag opening device 11. At this time, the sucking pad 11a pushed in is returned to its original position by the mechanism of the slide portion 11b, and the opening of the bag 16a is opened.

(III) Picking of Stick-shaped Packed Goods (1) The double-armed articulated robot 1 uses the stereo vision camera 1a on its head to check whether or not the stick-shaped packed goods 15 are supplied in front of the double-armed articulated robot 1. to recognize.
(2) The dual-arm articulated robot 1 inserts the supplied stick-shaped package 15 into the U-shaped jig 4 for the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a and the U-shaped jig 6 for the end effector 3b of the left arm 2b. It is collected (picked) by scooping it from the work conveyer 12 using the scoop.
(3) Adjusting the positional relationship between the U-shaped jig 4 of the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a and the U-shaped jig 6 of the end effector 3b of the left arm 2b when scooping and lifting the stick-shaped packing product. By appropriately compressing the bundle of 15, the stick-shaped packaged product 15 can be gripped without dropping during the operation.

The U-shaped jigs 4 and 6 used this time are made of two types of plate materials, a normal stainless steel plate and a thin spring plate. With this structure, the same jig can be used to some extent even if the amount of the stick-shaped packaged product 15 changes. For example, when the number of stick-shaped packing products 15 is small, or when the amount of objects to be packed per stick-shaped packing product 15 is reduced, when it is desirable to appropriately compress the bundle of collected stick-shaped packing products 15, usually It is necessary to narrow the positional relationship of both hands compared to the case of . Therefore, by using a material that can be elastically deformed for the thin plates 4b and 6b, the thin plates 4b and 6b, each of which has the property of a spring, are deformed even if the positional relationship between both hands is narrowed, thereby forming a U-shaped jig. The bundle of stick-like packing products 15 can be moderately compressed without 4 and 6 coming into contact with each other. Further, in order to continuously perform this recovery work, it is necessary to return the U-shaped jig 4 and the U-shaped jig 6 to their original shapes each time. Therefore, a spring material is used as a material that satisfies this element.

(IV) Packing of stick-shaped packaged products (1) A bundle of collected stick-shaped packaged products 15 is inserted into a U-shaped jig 4 of the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a and a U-shaped jig of the end effector 3b of the left arm 2b. Insert the tool 6 into the bag 16a. At this time, the ends of the U-shaped jigs 4 and 6 are compressed and squeezed by the action of the arms 2a and 2b to facilitate the insertion of the U-shaped jigs 4 and 6 into the bag 16a.

(2) The bag 16a set in the bag opening device 11 is opened by sucking the vicinity of the opening portion of the bag with the suction pad 11a so that various types of bags can be handled simply by adjusting the position of the suction pad 11a. However, the back of the bag 16a is not completely opened. If a bundle of stick-shaped packaged products 15 is inserted in this state, the stick-shaped packaged products 15 come into contact with the gusset 16b of the bag 16a, etc., and the stick-shaped packaged products 15 fly out, resulting in an incorrect packing state. Therefore, in the secondary packing system of this embodiment, by opening the bag 16a from the inside with the U-shaped jig 4 and the U-shaped jig 6, the folded gusset 16b is opened and the inner surface of the bag 16a is opened. and the stick-like packing products 15 are reduced in contact and friction, so that the bundle of the stick-like packing products 15 can be neatly packed in the secondary packing bag 16.例文帳に追加

(V) Weighing (1) The secondary packaged product 17 is gripped by the chuck 5 of the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a and taken out from the bag opening device 11;
(2) Using the stereo vision camera 1a on the head of the dual-arm articulated robot 1, the weighing result of the previously bagged secondary package 17a placed on the weighing scale 13 is checked. In addition, since the secondary packaging 17a bagged last time is not placed on the scale 13 for the first time, the secondary packaging 17 in which the bundle of the stick-shaped packages 15 is bagged in advance is placed on the scale 13, The weighing result is confirmed before placing the bagged secondary package 17 on the scale 13 next time.
(3) Move the secondary package 17 bagged this time to the scale 13 with the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a, open the chuck 5, and put the secondary package 17 bagged this time on the scale 13. At the same time, the secondary packed product 17a, which has been weighed and was bagged last time, is pushed by the rear surface of the chuck 5 of the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a and moved from the scale 13 onto the gutter-shaped discharge path of the discharge device 14. Therefore, the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a also functions as a transfer device.

(VI) Ejection of secondary packing product (V) A control device (not shown) of the dual-arm articulated robot 1 is provided in advance from the weighing result confirmed using the stereo vision camera 1a on the head of the dual-arm articulated robot 1. Based on the programmed program, the secondary packing product 17 is discriminated whether it is a normal product or an NG product, and depending on the result of the discrimination, the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a is used to operate the discharge route of the discharge device 14, and the discharge route is set to a predetermined value. , and pushes the secondary package 17 on the discharge path using the chuck 5 of the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a to discharge it to a predetermined discharge destination. It should be noted that the weighing instrument 13 itself may determine whether the secondary packing item 17 is normal or defective, and the determination result may be output on a screen display or the like. The control device of the robot 1 confirms using the stereo vision camera 1a on the head, operates the discharge device 14 with the end effector 3a of the right arm 2a according to the determination result, and discharges the secondary package 17 to the discharge destination. You may

In addition, as another example of the weighing process of (V), a sensor for weighing is attached to, for example, the wrist of the right arm 2a or the end effector 3a of the dual-arm articulated robot 1, so that weighing can be carried out at the same time as picking. is also possible. In this way, if the picking fails for some reason and the specified weight cannot be grasped, the bundle of the stick-shaped package 15 is discharged to a predetermined error discharge place near the dual-arm articulated robot 1. However, by skipping (IV) the bagging operation itself, it is possible to construct a system that does not produce defective products before bagging.

Although the above has been described based on the illustrated examples, the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims. Instead of using the dual arms of the dual-arm articulated robot 1, two independent articulated robots may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the transfer device for transferring the secondary packed product to the discharge device is configured by the first hand. A slide member or the like for moving the next packed product from the scale to the discharge path may be used.

Thus, according to the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, two general-purpose articulated arms and a stacking unit and a conveying device as peripheral equipment are installed by connecting them to an existing automatic stick filling and packaging machine. As a result, the stick-shaped packing products can be bundled by the U-shaped jigs of the first hand and the second hand that fit inwardly to each other and can be efficiently picked while preventing them from falling off. By changing the distance between the U-shaped jigs of the first and second hands when they are fitted together, it is possible to easily adapt to changes in the shape of the stick-shaped packaged goods to be picked and changes in the number of bundles. .

Further, according to the secondary packing system for stick-shaped packaged goods of the present invention, two general-purpose multi-joints constituting a picking system for stick-shaped packed goods are connected to an existing automatic stick filling and packaging machine. In addition to installing an arm, an accumulating unit, and a conveying device, by installing a bag opening device, a weighing scale, a transfer device, and a discharge device, the equipment for secondary packing of stick-shaped packing products can be greatly reduced in size. In addition, equipment costs can be reduced when changing the shape of stick-shaped packing products or changing the number of secondary packing, and by changing the program of the control device of the two articulated arms, secondary packing of different patterns can be performed. Flexible.

1 double-arm articulated robot 1a stereo vision camera 2a right arm 2b left arm 3a end effector 3b end effector 4 U-shaped jig 4a stainless steel plate 4b thin plate 5 chuck 5a air cylinder 5b movable claw 5c fixed claw 6 U-shaped jig 6a Stainless steel sheet metal 6b Thin plate 7 Suction pad 8 Bag opening/closing claw 9 Stacking unit 9a Sensor 9b Sheet metal 9c Alignment unit 10 Bag stocker 10a Elevating unit 10b Retaining plate 10c Pulley 10d Wire 10e Weight 11 Bag opening device 11a Suction pad 11b Slide unit 11c Handle 12 Working Conveyor 12a Conveyor 12b Workbench 13 Weighing Scale 14 Ejecting Device 15 Stick-shaped Packing Goods 16a Bag 16b Gusset 17 Secondary Packing Goods 17a Secondary Packing Goods Bagged Last Time

Claims (9)

two articulated arms that constitute robot arms that are controlled by respective controllers;
a first hand provided on one of the two articulated arms;
a second hand provided on the other of the two articulated arms;
a accumulating unit that roughly collects a predetermined number of stick-shaped packaged products input from the stick-filling and packaging machine;
a conveying device for conveying a predetermined number of stick-shaped packing products roughly collected by the accumulating unit into a working range common to the first and second hands of the two articulated arms;
with
Each of the first and second hands has a U-shaped jig that can be engaged with each other inwardly, and picks up a predetermined number of the loosely grouped stick-shaped packages as a bundle from the conveying device. A stick-shaped packing product picking system characterized by: 2. The picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to claim 1, wherein the two articulated arms are two arms of a dual-arm robot whose operation is controlled by a control device of the dual-arm robot. . Each of the U-shaped jigs of the first and second hands has a gutter shape in which two metal plates having different rigidity are connected in the circumferential direction. 2. The stick shape according to claim 1, characterized in that the low-rigidity metal plate can enter the inside of the high-rigidity metal plate of the other jig while being elastically deformed so that they can be fitted together inwardly. Picking system for packaged goods. The U-shaped jigs of the first and second hands approach each other from a position surrounding the roughly packed stick-shaped packing products, with their edges along the conveying surface on which they are placed. 2. A picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to claim 1, wherein the stick-shaped packaged goods are picked in such a way that they are bundled and gripped by moving in the direction of movement. In addition to the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
located within a common working range of said first and second hands of said picking system and holding an empty secondary packaging bag supplied by the other of said first and second hands for secondary packaging thereof; a bag opening device for opening the opening of a bag and throwing the bundle of stick-shaped packaged goods from the opening into the secondary packaging bag by means of the U-shaped jig of the first and second hands;
a weighing instrument for transferring and weighing the secondary packaged product containing the bundle of stick-shaped packaged products from the bag opening device to one of the first and second hands, and for outputting a weighing result;
a discharge device that discharges the secondary packed product transferred from the weighing scale by the transfer device to a branched discharge destination according to the weighing result;
A secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing products, comprising: The first and second hands compress and squeeze the bundle of stick-shaped packing products picked by the U-shaped jig and insert them into the opening of the secondary packing bag together with the jigs, 6. The stick-shaped package according to claim 5, wherein after the insertion, the distance between the U-shaped jigs is widened to spread the secondary packaging bag while dropping the bundle of stick-shaped packaged products into the secondary packaging bag. Secondary packaging system for packaged goods. One of the first hand and the second hand has a chuck capable of gripping and releasing the secondary package by opening/closing control, and the other hand adsorbs and releases the empty secondary package by ON-OFF control. 6. The secondary packaging system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to claim 5, characterized by having a suction pad capable of stick-shaped packaging. The picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods includes a camera for photographing the weighing result of the scale, and the control device for the two articulated arms captures the weighing result of the scale from the image captured by the camera. 6. The secondary packaging system for stick-shaped packaged goods according to claim 5, wherein a judgment is made as to whether the goods are OK or NG, and the discharging device discharges the secondary packaged goods to a destination corresponding to the judgment result. . The two articulated arms of the picking system for stick-shaped packaged goods have a bundle of stick-shaped packaged goods gripped by U-shaped jigs possessed by the first and second hands at their distal ends. The control device for the two articulated arms determines whether the weight of the bundle of stick-shaped packages is OK or NG based on the output data of the weight sensors. In some cases, the first and second hands discharge the bundle of stick-shaped packaged goods to a predetermined space as the discharge device without throwing the bundle into the bag opening device. Secondary packing system for stick-shaped packing products.

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