JP7351658B2 - Container feeding device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container feeding device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a container supply device is known that sequentially supplies containers from the lowest container among a plurality of containers stacked one above the other. For example, deep-bottomed containers are used when containers are filled with highly fluid beverages such as coffee, but when deep-bottomed containers are stacked one on top of the other, gaps tend to form between the edges of the containers. In such cases, a common method is to separate the lowest container by inserting a claw-like member into the gap between the edges of the containers. On the other hand, when filling a container with a drink with low fluidity such as soup, a container with a shallow bottom is used, but when shallow containers are stacked one on top of the other, a gap is created at the edge of the container. Hateful. In such cases, it is difficult to apply conventional methods.

On the other hand, the container supply device of Patent Document 1 includes a stocker holder that holds a stocker that accommodates a stack of containers, and a take-out conveyor that sucks and takes out the lowest container in the container group from a suction port. The container feeding device of Patent Document 2 includes a hopper with an open bottom that accommodates a large number of stacked containers, and a movable take-out body for taking out the containers from the hopper. The movable ejector is fixed to the upper end of an elevating rod that moves up and down when driven by the movable ejector, and a plurality of suction ports are formed on the upper surface of the movable ejector for sucking and ejecting the lowest container.

Patent No. 6153178 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-294323

However, in the conventional container supply devices of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the mechanism for adsorbing the bottom surface of the lowest container (the take-out conveyor of Patent Document 1 or the movable take-out body of Patent Document 2) is Since it is located at the bottom, it is necessary to suck the lowest container, take it out, and then send it to a predetermined position (for example, on a conveyor). As described above, since the configuration and operation of the conventional device are complicated, there is room for further improvement. This problem is common to all apparatuses that feed containers sequentially from the lowest container among a plurality of containers stacked one above the other, regardless of the presence or absence of a gap between the edges of the containers.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to reliably take out the lowest container with a simple structure from an aggregate of a plurality of rimmed containers stacked vertically in multiple stages. With the goal.

In order to achieve the above object, a container feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention takes out the lowest container from an aggregate of a plurality of rimmed containers stacked vertically in multiple stages and supplies it to a predetermined position. A container feeding device comprising: a base; a first holding portion provided on the base and configured to be able to hold or release edges of a plurality of containers among the aggregate from the side; , a second holding part configured to be able to hold or release the side surface of the lowest container of the assembly from the side below the first holding part; a suction mechanism configured to be able to suction the side surface of the lowest container held by the second holding section; and a control section that controls operations of the first holding section, the second holding section, and the suction mechanism; The control unit releases the aggregate held by the first holding unit, holds a side surface of the lowermost container among the released aggregates from the side by the second holding unit, and While the second holding part holds the side surface of the lowest container in the assembly from the side, the first holding part holds the second container from the bottom in the assembly and the containers above the second. and the first holding part is configured to take out the bottommost container from the aggregate by sucking the side surface of the bottommost container by the suction mechanism and releasing the bottommost container by the second holding part. , controls the operation of the second holding section and the suction mechanism.

According to the above configuration, by releasing the lowest container by the second holding portion while sucking the side surface of the lowest container by the suction mechanism provided in the second holding portion, the lowest container is removed from the aggregate. can be reliably taken out with a simple configuration. In addition, in a container assembly, the edges of a plurality of containers may be stacked without any gaps. Here, "the containers are stacked with no gaps around the edges" is not to be interpreted in a strict sense. This means allowing for small gaps that may occur due to forces applied when containers are stacked or other factors such as the shape of the containers.

Further, the second holding section includes a pair of gripping members, and the suction mechanism includes a suction port provided on an inner surface of the pair of gripping members, and a suction path provided inside the pair of gripping members. and may also be provided.

According to the above configuration, it becomes easier to suction the lowest container while grasping the side surface of the lowest container.

Further, on the inner surfaces of the pair of gripping members, a space is created between a portion where the suction port is provided and a side surface of the lowest container, and a portion below the suction port allows a space to be formed between the portion provided with the suction port and the side surface of the lowest container. The device may be configured to grip the side of the device.

The pair of gripping members further includes a sealing member disposed along the suction port, and the sealing member seals a space between the suction port and a side surface of the lowest container. good.

According to the above configuration, the side surface of the lowest container can be sucked by sealing the space between the suction port and the side surface of the lowest container using the sealing member disposed along the suction port. . For example, the suction port may have a circular shape, and the sealing member may be an O-ring.

In addition, the inner surfaces of the pair of gripping members may have a tapered shape.

The predetermined position is on the transport path of a transport device that transports containers in the transport direction, and the container supply device further includes a base and a robot arm having the base attached to its tip, and the control unit The robot arm may control the operation of the robot arm so that the lowest container falls onto the transport path. According to the above configuration, productivity is improved at a food manufacturing site.

The present invention has the configuration described above, and can reliably take out the lowest container from a collection of a plurality of rimmed containers stacked vertically in multiple stages with a simple configuration.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a container supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a container. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the end effector of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a partial configuration of the end effector of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control device. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the container supply device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a partial configuration of an end effector according to a first modification. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a partial configuration of an end effector according to a second modification. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another example of the container.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, below, the same reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent element throughout all the drawings, and the overlapping explanation will be omitted. Further, the drawings schematically show each component for ease of understanding.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a container supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The container supply device is introduced, for example, at a food manufacturing site. As shown in FIG. 1, the container supply device of this embodiment is comprised of a double-arm robot 1. As shown in FIG. The robot 1 includes a base 2 fixed to a cart 6, a pair of robot arms (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "arms") 3, 3 supported by the base 2, and a robot arm 3, which is housed in the cart 6. It is equipped with a control device 4 and a vacuum generator 8. The vacuum generator 8 is a device that generates negative pressure, such as a vacuum pump or CONVUM (registered trademark). Hereinafter, the direction in which the pair of arms 3, 3 are expanded will be referred to as the left-right direction. A direction parallel to the axis of the base shaft of the base 2 is referred to as an up-down direction. The direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction is referred to as the front-back direction.

Each arm 3 is a horizontal articulated robot arm configured to be movable relative to the base 2. The arm 3 includes an arm portion 5 and a wrist portion 7. Furthermore, the left and right arms 3, 3 can operate independently or in conjunction with each other. In this example, the arm portion 5 includes a first link 5a and a second link 5b. The first link 5a is connected to a base shaft (not shown) fixed to the upper surface of the base 2 by a rotary joint J1, and is rotatable around a rotation axis L1 passing through the axis of the base shaft. The second link 5b is connected to the tip of the first link 5a by a rotary joint J2, and is rotatable around a rotation axis L2 defined at the tip of the first link 5a. The wrist portion 7 is connected to the tip of the second link 5b by a translation joint J3, and is movable up and down with respect to the second link 5b. The end effector 10 is connected to the lower end of the wrist portion 7 of the left arm 3 by a rotation joint J4, and is rotatable around a rotation axis L3. End effector 10 is used to dispense containers (see Figure 3). The end effector 20 is connected to the lower end of the wrist portion 7 of the right arm 3 by a rotation joint J4, and is rotatable around a rotation axis L3. The end effector 20 includes a filling nozzle (not shown) and is used to fill a container with liquid food (for example, soup).

Each arm 3 having the above configuration has respective joints J1 to J4. The arm 3 is provided with a driving servo motor (not shown), an encoder (not shown) for detecting the rotation angle of the servo motor, etc., so as to be associated with each joint J1 to J4. It is being Further, the rotation axes L1 of the first links 5a, 5a of the two arms 3, 3 are on the same straight line, and the first link 5a of one arm 3 and the first link 5a of the other arm 3 are vertically arranged. They are arranged with height differences.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a container. As shown in FIG. 2, the container 41 is a cup container consisting of a rim 41a and an inverted truncated conical side surface 41b. The material of the container 41 is synthetic resin such as plastic. The container 41 is used to fill a drink with low fluidity such as soup. Hereinafter, a state in which a plurality of containers 41 are stacked vertically in multiple stages will be referred to as a container assembly 40. In the assembly 40 of FIG. 2, five containers 41 are stacked vertically in multiple stages. Since the bottoms of the containers 41 are shallow, the edges 41a of the five containers 41 are stacked without any gaps. Note that it is not interpreted in a strict sense that the edges 41a of the containers 41 are stacked without gaps. Although not shown here, this means allowing for a slight gap that may occur due to other factors such as the force applied when the containers 41 are stacked or the shape of the containers 41.

The dual-arm robot 1 of this embodiment uses the end effector 10 of the left arm 3 to take out the lowest container 41 from the assembly 40 of containers 41 and supply it onto the transport path of the transport device 50. The end effector 20 of the arm 3 fills the container 41 on the conveyance path with liquid food such as soup.

Next, the configuration of the end effector 10 will be explained using the drawings. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the end effector 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the end effector 10 includes a base 11 connected to the lower end of the wrist part 7 (see FIG. 1) of the arm 3, and a first holding part 14 and a second holding part provided above and below the base 11. 17. In this embodiment, the tip of the base 11 extends in the horizontal direction, and two first holding parts 14 and two second holding parts 17 are provided on one side and the other side in the horizontal direction. Since the configurations of the first holding section 14 and the second holding section 17 are the same, only the configuration of one side will be described below.

The first holding portion 14 is provided above the base portion 11 via the driving member 12 . The first holding part 14 includes a pair of attachment members 16 attached to the drive member 12 and a pair of first gripping members 15 , 15 connected to the pair of attachment members 16 . The inner surfaces of the pair of first gripping members 15, 15 are curved inward and extend in parallel in the vertical direction. The pair of first gripping members 15, 15 are driven by one actuator (for example, an air cylinder) provided on the drive member 12, and are translated so as to approach and move away from each other while maintaining parallelism. Thereby, the first holding part 14 can hold or release the edges 41a (see FIG. 2) of the plurality of containers 41 in the assembly 40 from the side.

The second holding portion 17 is provided below the base portion 11 via the driving member 13 . The second holding part 17 includes a pair of second gripping members 18 and 18 attached to the driving member 13. The inner surfaces of the pair of second gripping members 18, 18 are curved inward along the side surface 41b of the container 41. The pair of second gripping members 18, 18 are driven by one actuator (for example, an air cylinder) provided on the driving member 13, and are translated so as to approach and move away from each other while maintaining parallelism. Thereby, the second holding part 17 can hold or release the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 in the assembly 40 from the side below the first holding part 14.

In the second holding part 17, the inner surface 18a of the second gripping member 18 is provided with a suction port 18b. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing only the configuration of the second holding part 17. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the inner surface 18a of the second gripping member 18 is provided with three suction ports 18b. The shape of the suction port 18b is circular. Each suction port 18b communicates with a suction path 18c provided inside the second gripping member 18. The suction path 18c is connected to the vacuum generator 8 (see FIG. 1), which is a suction source, and is a path for transmitting negative pressure to the suction port 18b. The suction port 18b, the suction path 18c, and the vacuum generator 8 correspond to the "suction mechanism" of the present invention.

FIG. 4(b) is a BB sectional view of the second holding portion 17 in FIG. 4(a). As shown in FIG. 4(b), in this embodiment, the inner surfaces 18a of the pair of second gripping members 18 have a tapered shape. A space is formed between the inner surface 18a of the second gripping member 18, where the suction port 18b is provided, and the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41. Further, the inner surface 18a of the second gripping member 18 is configured to grip the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 by a portion lower than the suction port 18b. Although the tip of the inner surface 18a of the second gripping member 18 is pointed in FIG. 4(b), it may be formed into a planar shape to match the shape of the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41. When negative pressure is generated by the vacuum generator 8 (see FIG. 1), air existing in the space between the inner surface 18a of the second gripping member 18 and the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 (white in FIG. 4(b)) arrow) is sucked from the suction port 18b to the suction path 18c. As a result, the lowest container 41 held by the second holding section 17 is sucked.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control device 4 of the robot 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 4 includes a calculation section 4a such as a CPU, a storage section 4b such as ROM or RAM, and a servo control section 4c. The control device 4 is, for example, a robot controller equipped with a computer such as a microcontroller. Note that the control device 4 may be configured by a single control device 4 that performs centralized control, or may be configured by a plurality of control devices 4 that cooperate with each other and perform distributed control.

The storage unit 4b stores information such as a basic program as a robot controller and various fixed data. The calculation unit 4a controls various operations of the robot 1 by reading and executing software such as a basic program stored in the storage unit 4b. That is, the calculation unit 4a generates a control command for the robot 1 and outputs it to the servo control unit 4c. The servo control unit 4c is configured to control the driving of servo motors corresponding to the joints J1 to J4 of each arm 3 of the robot 1 based on the control command generated by the calculation unit 4a. Further, the control device 4 also controls the operation of the end effectors 10 and 20 (actuators, etc.). The calculation unit 4a generates an operation command for the vacuum generator 8 (see FIG. 1) and outputs it to the vacuum generator 8. Therefore, the control device 4 controls the operation of the robot 1 as a whole.

Next, the operation of supplying the container 41 by the robot 1 will be explained. First, prior to the feeding operation of the containers 41, the control device 4 controls the operation of the left arm 3 to collect the containers placed at a predetermined position, for example, by the first holding part 14 of the end effector 10. The body 40 is held from the side. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the control device 4 uses a pair of first gripping members 15, 15 to hold the edges of a plurality of containers 41 from the side in the assembly 40 of containers 41. The operation of the first holding section 14 is controlled so as to. At this time, the control device 4 controls the operation of the second holding part 17 so that the pair of second gripping members 18, 18 maintain a state separated from each other. Then, the control device 4 controls the operation of the left arm 3 to move the container assembly 40 held by the first holding section 14 of the end effector 10 to a position directly above the transport path of the transport device 50.

Next, the control device 4 releases the assembly 40 held by the first holding part 14. The control device 4 controls the operation of the first holding part 14 so that the pair of first gripping members 15, 15 are separated from each other, as shown in FIG. 6(b). As a result, the assembly 40 held by the first holding part 14 is released and falls downward. At this time, the control device 4 laterally holds the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 among the released aggregates 40 using the second holding section 17. The control device 4 controls the operation of the second holding part 17 so that the pair of second gripping members 18, 18 grip the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 from the side.

Next, the control device 4 releases the assembly 40 held by the first holding part 14. The control device 4 controls the operation of the first holding part 14 so that the pair of first gripping members 15, 15 are separated from each other, as shown in FIG. 6(b). As a result, the assembly 40 held by the first holding part 14 is released and falls downward. At this time, the control device 4 laterally holds the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 among the released aggregates 40 using the second holding section 17. The control device 4 controls the operation of the second holding part 17 so that the pair of second gripping members 18, 18 grip the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 from the side.

Next, the control device 4 holds the side surface of the lowest container 41 in the assembly 40 from the side with the second holding part 17 and holds the second container from the bottom in the assembly 40 with the first holding part 14. 41 and the containers 41 above the second one are held. As shown in FIG. 6(c), the control device 4 controls the second holding part 17 so that the pair of second holding members 18, 18 grips the side surface of the lowest container 41 in the assembly 40 from the side. control the behavior of At this time, while moving the assembly 40 upward, the control device 4 uses the pair of first gripping members 15, 15 to hold the second container 41 from the bottom of the assembly 40 and the container 41 above the second one. The operations of the first holding part 14 and the second holding part 17 are controlled so as to grip the edges.

Next, the control device 4 controls the operation of the vacuum generator 8 so as to transmit negative pressure to the suction port 18b. When negative pressure is generated by the operation of the vacuum generator 8, air existing in the space between the inner surfaces 18a of the pair of second gripping members 18 and the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 flows from the suction port 18b to the suction path 18c. It is sucked (see FIG. 4(b)). As a result, as shown in FIG. 6(d), the side surface of the lowest container 41 is attracted to the inner surfaces of the pair of second gripping members 18. At this time, the control device 4 controls the operation of the second holding section 17 so as to release the lowest container 41 held by the pair of second holding members 18, 18.

As shown in FIG. 6(e), the lowest container 41 falls onto the transport path of the transport device 50. According to this embodiment, by releasing the lowest container by the second holding part 17 while sucking the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 by the suction port 18b provided in the second holding part 17, a plurality of The lowest container 41 can be reliably taken out from the assembly 40 in which the edges 41a of the containers 41 are stacked without any gaps.

After the lowest container 41 is removed from the assembly 40, the second lowest container 41 becomes the next lowest container. Thereafter, by repeating the operations described in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(e) again, the lowest containers 41 can be sequentially dropped. The fallen containers 41 are arranged at predetermined intervals on the transport path of the transport device 50. The control device 4 controls the operation of the right arm 3 and uses the end effector 20 to fill a container 41 on the conveyance path with liquid food such as soup. This improves productivity at food manufacturing sites.

(Modified example)
A modification of the end effector 10 will be described. The basic configuration is the same as the configuration of the embodiment (FIG. 4), so a description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a partial configuration of an end effector 10A according to a first modification. FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view showing only the second holding portion 17 of the end effector 10A. FIG. 7(b) shows a cross section of the second holding portion 17 shown in FIG. 7(a). As shown in FIG. 7(a), in the end effector 10A according to this modification, the pair of gripping members 18, 18 of the second holding part 17 further includes a sealing member 19 disposed along the suction port 18b. This point differs from the configuration of the embodiment (FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 7(b), a sealing member 19 is interposed between the pair of gripping members 18, 18 and the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41. The sealing member 19 seals the space between the suction port 18b and the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41. The seal member 19 is an O-ring, but is not limited to this as long as it is a member capable of sealing the space between the suction port 18b and the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41. Thereby, the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 is attracted to the sealing member 19, so that the same effect as this embodiment can be achieved.

Note that in the end effectors 10, 10A (see FIGS. 4(b) and 7(b)) of each of the above embodiments, the inner surfaces 18a of the pair of second gripping members 18 have a tapered shape. Not limited. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of an end effector 10B according to a second modification of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, in this modification, the inner surface 18a of the second gripping member 18 is configured in a stepped shape and has an upper surface and a lower surface. A space is created between the upper surface of the inner surface 18a of the second gripping member 18 and the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41. The lower surface of the inner surface 18a of the second gripping member 18 is configured to grip the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as in this embodiment can be achieved.

(Other embodiments)
Although the container feeding device of this embodiment is configured with the double-arm robot 1, it may also be configured with a single-arm robot. Further, although the arm 3 of the robot 1 is configured as a horizontal multi-joint type robot arm, it may be configured as a vertical multi-joint type robot arm.

In addition, although the assembly 40 of containers 41 of this embodiment is one in which the edges 41a of the containers 41 are stacked without any gaps, the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another example of the container 41. As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom of the container 41A is deep. The container 41A is used for filling a highly fluid beverage such as coffee. When five containers 41 are stacked one above the other, the edges 41a of the containers 41 are stacked with gaps left between them. Even when such an aggregate 40A of containers 41A is used, the side surface 41b of the lowest container 41 can be sucked through the suction port 18b (see FIG. 4(b)), so this embodiment A similar effect can be obtained.

Although the container feeding device of this embodiment is configured with the double-arm robot 1, it may also be configured with a single-arm robot. Further, although the arm 3 of the robot 1 is configured as a horizontal multi-joint type robot arm, it may be configured as a vertical multi-joint type robot arm. In addition, the container supply device of this embodiment may be configured with a device other than a robot having a positioning control function.

Although the container supply device of this embodiment is configured with a horizontally articulated dual-arm robot 1, it may also be configured with a vertically articulated dual-arm robot. Furthermore, the robot is not limited to a dual-arm robot, and may be a single-arm robot, or may be a device other than a robot that has a positioning control function.

From the above description, many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description is to be construed as illustrative only, and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. Substantial changes may be made in the structural and/or functional details thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful in food manufacturing sites.

1 Robot (container supply device)
2 Base 3 Arm 4 Control device 5 Arm portion 6 Dolly 7 Wrist portion 8 Vacuum generator 10, 10A, 10B End effector 11 Base portions 12, 13 Drive member 14 First holding portion 15 First gripping member 16 Mounting member 17 Second holding portion Part 18 Second gripping member 18a Inner surface 18b of gripping member Suction port (suction mechanism)
18c Suction route (suction mechanism)
19 O-ring (sealing member)
20 End effector 40, 40A Aggregate 41, 41A Container 41a Edge 41b Side surface 50 Conveying device

Claims (6)

A container supply device that takes out the lowest container from an aggregate of a plurality of rimmed containers stacked vertically in multiple stages and supplies it to a predetermined position,
The base and
a first holding part provided at the base and configured to be able to hold or release edges of a plurality of containers in the assembly from the side;
a second holding part provided at the base and configured to be able to hold or release the side surface of the lowest container of the assembly from the side below the first holding part;
a suction mechanism provided in the second holding part and configured to be able to suction a side surface of the lowest container held by the second holding part;
a control unit that controls operations of the first holding unit, the second holding unit, and the suction mechanism;
Equipped with
The control unit includes:
releasing the aggregate held by the first holding part;
holding the side surface of the lowest container among the released aggregates from the side by the second holding part;
While the second holding part holds the side surface of the lowest container in the assembly from the side, the first holding part holds the second container from the bottom in the assembly and containers above the second. hold,
The first holding part and the first holding part are configured to take out the bottommost container from the aggregate by sucking the side surface of the bottommost container by the suction mechanism and releasing the bottommost container by the second holding part. 2 controlling the operation of the holding section and the suction mechanism ;
The second holding part has a pair of gripping members,
The suction mechanism includes a suction port provided on the inner surface of the pair of gripping members, a suction path provided inside the pair of gripping members,
Equipped with
The inner surfaces of the pair of gripping members have a space between the portion where the suction port is provided and the side surface of the lowest container, and a portion below the suction port forms a space between the portion provided with the suction port and the side surface of the lowest container. a container feeding device configured to grip a container; 2. The container feeding device according to claim 1, wherein edges of the plurality of containers in the aggregate are stacked without any gaps. The pair of gripping members further includes a sealing member disposed along the suction port,
The container feeding device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the sealing member seals a space between the suction port and a side surface of the lowest container. The shape of the suction port is circular,
The container feeding device according to claim 3 , wherein the sealing member is an O-ring. The container feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the inner surfaces of the pair of gripping members have a tapered shape. The predetermined position is on a transport path of a transport device that transports the container in the transport direction,
base and
further comprising a robot arm having the base attached to its tip,
The control unit includes:
The container supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the operation of the robot arm is controlled so that the lowest container falls onto the transport path.

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