JP7353129B2 - Work loading device, work loading method, and work storage system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a workpiece loading device and a workpiece loading method for loading a workpiece into a held storage tool, and a workpiece storage system equipped with such a workpiece loading device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a workpiece loading device as disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been known as a device for loading a workpiece into a storage device (for example, a bag) held with its opening facing upward. In such a workpiece loading device, first, the workpiece to be loaded into the storage device is placed on a mounting table in a substantially horizontal position, and then the holding member is moved closer to the loading table, thereby separating the holding member from the loading table. The workpiece is held between the two. Next, the mounting table and the holding member holding the workpiece are integrally rotated by 90 degrees to assume a substantially vertical posture. After the mounting table is lowered to a position where the distal end portion of the mounting table enters the inside of the held storage tool by a predetermined length, the holding member is moved away from the mounting table. As a result, the workpiece held between the mounting table and the holding member is released, falls from the mounting table, and is thrown into the storage tool.

Patent No. 2017-218221

In the work loading device as disclosed in Patent Document 1, after inserting the mounting table and the holding member into the storage tool by a predetermined length, the holding member is moved in a direction away from the mounting table. The clamped workpiece is dropped into the storage tool. For this reason, if there is not enough space inside the storage tool and the holding member cannot be moved away from the mounting table, the clamped workpiece cannot be released and the workpiece cannot be moved to the storage tool. There was a problem in that there were cases where it was not possible to insert the liquid into the inside of the computer.

The present invention has been made with these points in mind, and provides a workpiece loading device, a workpiece loading method, and a workpiece loading device that can more reliably load a workpiece into a storage device. The purpose is to provide a work storage system.

The workpiece loading device of the present invention is a workpiece loading device for loading a workpiece into a storage device having an opening, and is rotatable from a substantially horizontal position about a first axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction, A mounting table is provided for placing the workpiece to be placed in the storage device, and a device is provided on the said placing table to prevent the workpiece placed on the said placing table from falling when the said placing table is rotated from a substantially horizontal position. a closing member that is movable between a closed position where the workpiece is prevented from falling and an open position where the workpiece placed on the mounting table is allowed to fall when the mounting table is rotated from a substantially horizontal position; a drive section for rotating the mounting table around the first axis and driving the closing member; and a control section for controlling the drive section, and the control section includes a drive section for controlling the drive section; With the closing member in the closed position, the mounting table on which the workpiece to be placed in the storage device is placed is rotated from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member moves downward, and then the The workpiece placed on the mounting table is dropped and placed into the storage tool by controlling the drive unit so as to position the closing member at the open position.

According to such a work loading device, after the mounting table on which the work is placed is rotated from a substantially horizontal position, the closing member is moved from the closed position to the open position, whereby the work is placed on the mounting table. The loaded workpiece falls from the mounting table and is placed inside the storage tool. Therefore, the workpiece can be more reliably placed inside the held container.

In the work input device of the present invention, the drive unit includes a first drive unit for rotating the mounting table around the first axis, and a second drive unit for driving the closing member. may have.

Further, the workpiece loading device of the present invention is arranged between a retracted position where the workpiece is allowed to be placed on the placement table and an opposing position which is opposite the placement table and does not allow the workpiece to be placed on the placement table. and a third drive section for driving the cover member, and the control section is configured to control the mounting table before the mounting table is rotated from a substantially horizontal position or when the mounting base is rotated from a substantially horizontal position. The workpiece placed on the mounting table may be prevented from falling by controlling the third drive unit to position the cover member at the opposing position when the workpiece is placed on the mounting table.

In this case, the cover member is rotatable with respect to the mounting table about a second axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and the third drive unit is arranged between the retracted position and the facing position. The cover member may be driven to rotate about the second axis.

In the work loading device of the present invention, the control section controls the third drive section so that the covering member is maintained at the retracted position at least when the work is placed on the mounting table. It may be.

Moreover, the workpiece input device of the present invention may further include a cover member detection unit that detects whether the cover member has been normally moved from the retreat position to the opposing position.

Further, the cover member may have a tapered shape at a portion close to the closing member when the cover member is located at the opposing position.

Further, in the work input device of the present invention, the mounting table may have a tapered shape on the side where the closing member is provided.

The workpiece loading device of the present invention includes: an extrusion member configured to be able to advance and retreat toward the side of the mounting table where the closing member is provided; and a fourth drive unit for driving the extrusion member. Furthermore, the control unit moves the extrusion member toward the side of the placement table where the closing member is provided, so that the workpiece placed on the placement table is pushed out toward the inside of the storage tool. The fourth drive unit may be controlled in this manner.

In this case, a scraping member may be provided on the lower end edge of the extrusion member facing the mounting base.

Further, the workpiece loading device of the present invention includes: an extrusion member configured to be able to advance and retreat toward the side where the closing member is provided in the placement table; and a fourth drive unit for driving the extrusion member. , the control unit moves the extrusion member toward the side of the placement table where the closing member is provided, thereby causing the workpiece placed on the placement table to move toward the inside of the storage device. The fourth drive unit may be controlled so that the extrusion member is pushed out, and a scraping member may be provided at an upper edge of the extrusion member facing the cover member located at the opposing position.

Further, the workpiece loading device of the present invention further includes an elevating mechanism for integrally raising and lowering at least the mounting table and the closing member, and a fifth drive section for driving the elevating mechanism, The control unit moves the elevating mechanism upward after the closing member of the mounting base, which has been rotated from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member moves downward, is positioned from the closed position to the open position. The fourth drive section and the fifth drive section may be respectively controlled so as to move the extrusion member toward the side of the mounting table where the closing member is provided.

Further, the work loading method of the present invention is rotatable from a substantially horizontal position about a first axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and the workpiece can be used as a mounting table for placing a workpiece to be loaded into the storage device. , a closing position provided on the mounting base to prevent a workpiece placed on the mounting base from falling when the mounting base is rotated from a substantially horizontal position; A workpiece loading method performed by a workpiece loading device comprising: a closing member that is movable between an open position and an open position that allows a workpiece placed on the mounting table to fall when the workpiece is placed on the mounting table; a step of placing a workpiece on the mounting table in a substantially horizontal position with the closing member located at the closed position; a step of rotating the mounting table from the substantially horizontal position so that the closing member moves downward; A step of moving the closing member from the closed position to the open position causes the workpiece placed on the mounting table to fall from the mounting table and to be thrown into the storage tool. shall be.

According to such a work loading method, after the mounting table on which the work is placed is rotated from a substantially horizontal position, the closing member is moved from the closed position to the open position, whereby the work is placed on the mounting table. The loaded workpiece falls from the mounting table and is placed inside the storage tool. Therefore, the workpiece can be more reliably placed inside the held container.

The workpiece storage system of the present invention includes the above-mentioned workpiece input device, a workpiece transport device for placing the workpiece on the above-mentioned mounting table of the workpiece input device, and a storage tool that holds the storage tool in a posture with the opening facing upward. The present invention is characterized by comprising a storage tool holding device for the storage device.

According to such a workpiece storage system, the workpiece placed on the mounting table of the workpiece input device by the workpiece transport device can be loaded into the storage tool held by the storage tool holding device by the operation described above for the workpiece input device. I can do it. Therefore, the workpiece can be more reliably placed inside the held container.

Further, the workpiece storage system of the present invention may further include a storage device sealing device for sealing an opening of the storage device into which the workpiece is loaded by the workpiece loading device.

According to the workpiece loading device, workpiece loading method, and workpiece storage system of the present invention, the workpiece can be loaded into the storage tool more reliably.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a specific configuration of a work input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the work input device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing the configuration of a cover member detection section provided in the workpiece input device shown in FIG. 1 etc., and shows a state when the cover member is located at a retracted position. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing the configuration of a cover member detection section provided in the work input device shown in FIG. 1 and the like, and shows a state when the cover member is located at an opposing position. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing the configuration of a mounting table detection unit provided in the workpiece loading device shown in FIG. 1 and the like, and shows a state when the mounting table is in a substantially horizontal posture. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing the configuration of a mounting table detection section provided in the workpiece loading device shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the work input device shown in FIG. 1 and the like. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a work transport device provided in the work storage system equipped with the work input device shown in FIG. 1 and the like. FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing the configuration when the workpiece transport device shown in FIG. 8 performs an operation of lifting a workpiece. FIG. 9 is a top view for explaining an example of an operation of placing a workpiece on a mounting table of a workpiece loading device using the workpiece transporting device shown in FIG. 8 and the like; FIG. 9 is a top view for explaining another example of the operation of placing a workpiece on the mounting table of the workpiece loading device using the workpiece transporting device shown in FIG. 8 and the like; FIG. 9 is a top view for explaining still another example of the operation of placing a workpiece on the mounting table of the workpiece loading device using the workpiece transporting device shown in FIG. 8 and the like. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a bag processing device provided in the workpiece storage system equipped with the workpiece input device shown in FIG. 1 and the like. It is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the operation of storing a workpiece in a bag by the workpiece storage system according to the present embodiment. 15 is a flowchart continuing from FIG. 14 for explaining the flow of the operation of storing a workpiece in a bag by the workpiece storage system according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the work input device shown in FIG. 1 etc. when it is in a standby state. FIG. 17 is a side view showing the configuration when a workpiece is placed on the mounting table of the workpiece input device in the state shown in FIG. 16, and then the cover member of the workpiece input device is closed. 18 is a side view showing the configuration when the mounting table is raised from the state shown in FIG. 17. FIG. FIG. 19 is a side view showing the configuration when the mounting table is rotated from the state shown in FIG. 18 to a substantially vertical posture. 20 is a side view showing the configuration when the mounting table is lowered from the state shown in FIG. 19. FIG. 21 is a side view showing the configuration when the closing member of the workpiece input device is moved to the release position from the state shown in FIG. 20. FIG. FIG. 22 is a side view showing the configuration when the pushing member of the work input device is lowered and the mounting table is raised from the state shown in FIG. 21;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 22 are diagrams showing a work input device and a work storage system according to this embodiment. Of these, FIGS. 1 and 2 are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, showing a specific configuration of a work input device according to the present embodiment. Further, FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged side views showing the configuration of a cover member detection section provided in the workpiece input device shown in FIG. 1 etc., respectively, and FIGS. FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view showing the configuration of a mounting table detection section provided in the loading device. Further, FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the work input device shown in FIG. 1 and the like. Further, FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a workpiece transporting device provided in a workpiece storage system equipped with the workpiece loading device shown in FIG. 1 etc., and FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the configuration when performing an operation of lifting a workpiece. Moreover, FIGS. 10 to 12 are top views for explaining the operation when placing a workpiece on the mounting table of the workpiece loading device using the workpiece transporting device shown in FIG. 8 and the like, respectively. Moreover, FIG. 13 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a bag processing device provided in the above-mentioned workpiece storage system. Further, FIGS. 14 and 15 are flowcharts for explaining the flow of operations for storing a workpiece in a bag by the workpiece storage system according to the present embodiment, respectively. Moreover, FIGS. 16 to 22 are side views for explaining the flow of operations when a work is thrown into a bag by the work throwing device shown in FIG. 1 and the like. In addition, in FIGS. 16 to 22, etc., the workpiece to be thrown into the bag by the workpiece throwing device is indicated by the reference numeral W, and the bag held by the bag processing device is shown by the reference numeral S.

The work storage system according to this embodiment will be described below. The work storage system of this embodiment is configured by combining a work input device 100, a work transport device 200, and a bag processing device 300, which will be described later. The details of each component of such a workpiece storage system will be explained below, and then the operation of storing the workpieces in a bag by the workpiece storage system will be explained in detail.

First, a work input device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The workpiece loading device 100 is used to load a workpiece into a bag (storage tool) having an opening. Specifically, the workpiece loading device 100 rotates the loading table 110 on which the workpiece to be loaded into the bag is placed, and the loading table 110 about the first shaft 112 from a substantially horizontal position so as to face downward. The first drive unit 110a is provided for the first drive unit 110a. The first drive unit 110a is composed of, for example, a stepping motor.

Further, the mounting table 110 is provided with a closing member 120 that is rotatable between a closed position and an open position about a shaft 122 that extends in a substantially horizontal direction. In the closed position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the closing member 120 extends in a direction perpendicular to the portion of the mounting table 110 on which the workpiece is placed. Thereby, the closing member 120 prevents the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 from falling from the mounting table 110 when the mounting table 110 is rotated from a substantially horizontal position to face downward in the closed position. It is supposed to be done. On the other hand, in the open position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the closing member 120 is in a posture extending parallel to the portion of the mounting table 110 on which the workpiece is placed. As a result, the closing member 120 allows the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 to fall when the mounting table 110 is rotated downward from a substantially horizontal position in the open position. Further, the workpiece input device 100 is provided with a second drive section 120a for driving the closing member 120. The second drive unit 120a is composed of, for example, an air cylinder.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the drive section 180 is configured by combining the first drive section 110a and the second drive section 120a. The driving unit 180 rotates the mounting table 110 around the first shaft 112 and also drives the closing member 120. However, the configuration for driving the mounting table 110 and the closing member 120 is not limited to that described above. For example, both the mounting table 110 and the closing member 120 may be driven by the same drive unit. More specifically, a link mechanism (not shown) including a wire or the like that links the movement of the mounting table 110 and the movement of the closing member 120 may be additionally provided. When the mounting table 110 is rotated by the first driving section 110a, the power of the first driving section 110a is transmitted to the closing member 120 via the link mechanism, so that the closing member 120 is driven. It's okay.

In this embodiment, the closing member 120 is constantly biased toward the closed position by a torsion spring (not shown). Further, the mounting table 110 is provided with a stopper (not shown). These torsion springs and stoppers keep the closing member 120 in a position extending in a direction perpendicular to the mounting table 110 as shown by the solid line in FIG. Then, the closing member 120 is moved from the closed position to the open position by applying a force against the urging force of the torsion spring to the closing member 120 by the second driving portion 120a.

As shown in FIG. 1, upwardly extending side walls 114 are provided at fixed positions on both sides of the portion of the mounting table 110 on which the work is placed. Such side walls 114 prevent the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110, which has been rotated from a substantially horizontal position to face downward, from falling from the side.

Further, the workpiece loading device 100 includes a cover member 130 that is movable between a retreat position and a facing position, and a third drive unit 130a for driving the cover member 130. In the retracted position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the cover member 130 is in a posture extending upward relative to the portion of the mounting table 110 on which the workpiece is placed. Thereby, the cover member 130 allows a workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 in the retracted position. On the other hand, the cover member 130 extends substantially horizontally to the portion of the mounting table 110 on which the workpiece is placed, at the opposing position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Further, the lower surface of the cover member 130 located at the opposing position is configured to be in contact with the upper edge of each side wall 114 of the mounting table 110. As a result, the cover member 130 does not allow a workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 at the opposing position. More specifically, the cover member 130 is rotatable with respect to the mounting table 110 about a second shaft 132 extending in a substantially horizontal direction. Further, the third drive unit 130a is adapted to drive the cover member 130 to rotate about the second shaft 132 between the retracted position and the facing position. Further, by locating the cover member 130 in the opposing position, the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110, which is rotated from a substantially horizontal position to face downward, is suppressed from falling. Note that the third drive unit 130a is composed of, for example, a stepping motor.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting table 110 of the work loading device 100 has a tapered shape near the end on the side where the closing member 120 is provided. Further, the cover member 130 has a tapered shape at a portion close to the closing member 120 when the cover member 130 is located at the opposing position. With such a configuration, when performing an operation of inserting the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, and the cover member 130 into the inside of the bag, as will be described later, the mounting table 110 and the cover member 130 will not fit into the opening of the bag. It will now be inserted smoothly without getting caught. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the end of the cover member 130 located opposite the mounting table 110 on the closing member 120 side has a linear tapered outline; The outline may be a curved tapered shape.

Further, the workpiece input device 100 is provided with a cover member detection unit 160 that detects whether or not the cover member 130 has been normally moved from the above-mentioned retracted position to the facing position. The configuration of such a cover member detection section 160 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view showing the vicinity of the cover member detection section 160 in the workpiece input device 100 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the cover member detection section 160 includes a first detection section 162, a second detection section 164, and a detected plate 166 that is detected by each of the detection sections 162 and 164. Further, the detection plate 166 is configured to rotate integrally with the cover member 130, and when the cover member 130 is rotated about the second shaft 132, the detection plate 166 also rotates in synchronization. It is supposed to be done. Further, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, when the cover member 130 is in the retracted position, the detected plate 166 is detected only by the first detection portion 162 (see FIG. 3). Then, when the cover member 130 moves from the retracted position toward the opposing position, the detected plate 166 moves from the position shown in FIG. 3 toward the position shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the cover member detection section 160 when the cover member 130 is normally moved from the retracted position to the facing position. In this state, the detected plate 166 is detected only by the second detection portion 164. Furthermore, at a stage in which the detected plate 166 is rotating from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. It has become. Therefore, the detected plate 166 changes from being detected only by the first detection portion 162 to being detected by both of the detection portions 162 and 164, and finally detected only by the second detection portion 164. When this happens, it is detected that the cover member 130 has moved normally to the facing position.

On the other hand, the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the covering member 130 that has moved from the retracted position toward the facing position and the upper end edge of the side wall 114 of the mounting table 110, so that the covering member 130 It may also happen that the object cannot be moved normally to the opposing position. In this case, the cover member detection unit 160 detects that the cover member 130 has not moved normally from the retracted position to the facing position. Specifically, when the detected plate 166 changes from being detected only by the first sensing portion 162 to being detected only by the second sensing portion 164, the cover member 130 is normally moved to the facing position. The cover member detection unit 160 detects that the cover member has not moved. In other words, when the detected plate 166 continues to be detected by both the first detection section 162 and the second detection section 164 for longer than a predetermined period of time, the cover member 130 normally moves to the opposing position. It is detected that there was no such thing.

Further, the workpiece loading device 100 includes a pushing member 140 for pushing out the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 toward the outside of the mounting table 110, and a fourth drive unit 140a for driving the pushing member 140. ing. Specifically, the pushing member 140 is configured to be able to move forward and backward toward the side of the mounting table 110 where the closing member 120 is provided. Further, the fourth drive unit 140a is configured of, for example, an air cylinder. In this embodiment, the pushing member 140 is used to push a workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 toward the inside of a bag held by a bag processing device 300, which will be described later.

Further, a brush or rubber (not shown) as an example of a scraping member is provided on the lower edge of the extrusion member 140 facing the mounting table 110. Then, the extrusion member 140 is moved while the scraping member and the upper surface of the mounting table 110 are in contact with each other. Further, a brush or rubber (not shown) as an example of a scraping member is provided on the upper edge of the extrusion member 140 facing the cover member 130 located at the opposing position. Then, the extrusion member 140 is moved in a state where the scraping member and the lower surface of the cover member 130 located at the opposing position are in contact with each other. According to such a pushing member 140, even if a workpiece adheres to the mounting table 110 or the cover member 130 due to static electricity or the like, the pushing member 140 can push this work toward the outside of the mounting table 110. can.

Further, the work loading device 100 includes an elevating mechanism 150 for integrally raising and lowering the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, the cover member 130, etc., and a fifth drive section 150a for driving the elevating mechanism 150. There is. The elevating mechanism 150 is composed of, for example, a ROBO cylinder. Note that the lifting mechanism 150 moves the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, the cover member 130, etc. up and down integrally, but in order to simplify the explanation below, the lifting mechanism 150 moves the mounting table 110 up and down. Describe that it is a thing.

Further, the first drive unit 110a described above for rotating the mounting table 110 around the first shaft 112 is adapted to integrally rotate the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, the cover member 130, etc. . However, similarly to the elevating mechanism 150, in the following description, the first driving section 110a is described as rotating the mounting table 110.

More specifically, the mounting table 110 is rotated from a substantially horizontal position such that the mounting table 110 is in a substantially horizontal position as shown in FIG. The first drive unit 110a rotates the position between the posture and the position. Further, the work loading device 100 is provided with a mounting table detection section 170, and the mounting table detection section 170 detects whether or not the mounting table 110 has rotated normally from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially vertical posture. It looks like this. The configuration of such a mounting table detection section 170 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view showing the vicinity of the mounting table detection section 170 in the workpiece loading device 100 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting table detection section 170 includes a first detection section 172, a second detection section 174, and a detection target plate 176 that is detected by each of the detection sections 172 and 174. The detection plate 176 is configured to rotate integrally with the mounting table 110, so that when the mounting table 110 is rotated about the first axis 112, the detection plate 176 also rotates in synchronization. It has become. Further, when the mounting table 110 is in a substantially horizontal position as shown in FIG. 2, the detection target plate 176 is detected only by the first detection portion 172 (see FIG. 5). When the mounting table 110 is rotated from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position so that the closing member 120 moves downward, the detection plate 176 moves from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. Moving.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the mounting table detection unit 170 when the mounting table 110 is rotated from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially vertical posture. In this state, the detected plate 176 is detected only by the second detection portion 174 It is now being detected. On the other hand, at a stage in which the detected plate 176 is rotating from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. It has become. Therefore, after the detected plate 176 changes from being detected only by the first detection portion 172 to being detected by both of the detection portions 172 and 174, it is finally detected only by the second detection portion 174. When this happens, it is detected that the mounting table 110 is in a substantially vertical position.

On the other hand, if the mounting table 110 that has been rotated from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member 120 moves downward does not assume a substantially vertical position, this is detected by the mounting table detection unit 170. Specifically, when the detection target plate 176 changes from a state where it is detected only by the first detection portion 172 to a state where it is not detected only by the second detection portion 174, the mounting table 110 changes from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially horizontal posture. It is detected that the robot has not rotated properly to maintain a vertical posture. In other words, when the state in which the detected plate 176 is detected by both the first detection portion 172 and the second detection portion 174 continues for longer than a predetermined time, the mounting table 110 changes from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially vertical posture. It is detected that the rotation did not occur normally.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, etc., the mounting table 110 is configured to be rotated between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position. It is not limited. For example, the mounting table 110 may be rotated approximately 30 degrees from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member 120 moves downward. Alternatively, the mounting table 110 may be rotated approximately 60 degrees from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member 120 moves downward.

Further, the work input device 100 is provided with a control section 190 for controlling each component of the work input device 100. As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 190 includes the above-described first drive unit 110a, second drive unit 120a, third drive unit 130a, fourth drive unit 140a, fifth drive unit 150a, and cover member detection unit 160. and a mounting table detection unit 170 are connected to each other. Further, the detection results by the cover member detection section 160 and the mounting table detection section 170 are sent to the control section 190. Then, the control section 190 determines whether the mounting table 110 and the covering member 130 have been moved normally based on the detection results by the covering member detection section 160 and the mounting table detection section 170. Moreover, the workpiece inputting operation by the workpiece inputting apparatus 100 is performed by sending a command from the control unit 190 to each component of the workpiece inputting apparatus 100. Details of such a workpiece loading operation will be described later.

Next, the configuration of the work transport device 200 provided in the work storage system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the workpiece transport device 200. Further, FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing the configuration when the workpiece transporting device 200 performs an operation of lifting a workpiece from the workpiece storage area 250.

As shown in FIG. 8, the workpiece transport device 200 includes a robot arm 210, a robot hand 220 provided at the end of the robot arm 210, an operation display section (not shown), and a control section (not shown). It is equipped with Furthermore, the robot arm 210 has a plurality of joints, so that the posture of the robot hand 220 can be changed. Further, the robot hand 220 has a plurality of rod-like members 222, and suction pads 224 for suctioning a workpiece are provided at the tips of these rod-like members 222. Control of the posture of the robot hand 220 in such a workpiece transporting apparatus 200 and control of each suction pad 224 that attracts and releases a workpiece are performed by a control section of the workpiece transporting apparatus 200. Further, the workpiece transport device 200 is installed near the workpiece input device 100 described above. Thereby, the workpiece to be thrown into the bag by the workpiece feeding device 100 can be placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece feeding device 100 by the workpiece transporting device 200.

With such a workpiece transport device 200, a workpiece can be lifted from a workpiece storage area 250 as shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 9, a sheet of paper is used as the workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece input device 100. More specifically, the workpiece storage place 250 has a placement part 252 that has a substantially right triangular shape when viewed from the side, and a weight 254 that has a substantially cylindrical shape. It is placed on the placing part 252 in a posture along the slope of the upper surface of the part 252. Further, the weight 254 is placed on the top layer of paper among the plurality of sheets of paper placed on the placement section 252. When the weight 254 is placed on the paper, the weight 254 rolls and moves to the lower height side (the right side in FIG. 9) due to its own weight, and is moved between the placement part 252 and the side wall of the workpiece storage area 250. is retained. Further, a high friction member such as rubber is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the weight 254, and is configured to increase the frictional force acting between the outer peripheral surface of the weight 254 and the paper placed on the mounting section 252. has been done. In such a workpiece storage area 250, the robot hand 220 moves upward from a state in which the top layer of paper among the plurality of sheets of paper placed on the placement unit 252 is sucked by each suction pad 224 (see FIG. 9). It is now possible to do so. In this way, the topmost paper of the plurality of papers placed on the placing section 252 is lifted. Note that because the placing unit 252 and the weight 254 have the above-described configuration, the top layer of paper and the second and subsequent sheets of paper placed on the placing unit 252 are not bonded to each other due to static electricity or the like. Even if the top layer of paper is covered, only the top layer of paper can be lifted.

Further, when the workpiece transport device 200 lifts up the paper from the workpiece storage area 250, the following operation may be performed. That is, with each suction pad 224 suctioning the top layer of paper, the robot hand 220 is moved toward the weight 254 (specifically, to the right in FIG. 9), and then the robot hand 220 is moved upward. It may be moved to . In this case, when the robot hand 220 is moved toward the weight 254, the paper sucked to each suction pad 224 is bent, which causes a force that separates the top layer of paper from the second and subsequent sheets. acts. Therefore, even if the top layer of paper and the second and subsequent sheets of paper loaded on the stacking section 252 are lifted at the same time, these sheets are separated and the second layer is lifted up from the top layer. Subsequent sheets of paper can be dropped more reliably. This makes it possible to more reliably lift only the top layer of paper out of the plurality of sheets of paper placed on the placement section 252 from the workpiece storage area 250.

Further, when the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 is a sheet of paper, the configuration of the workpiece storage area is not limited to that of the workpiece storage area 250 described above. For example, instead of the mounting section 252 having a mounting surface inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, a mounting section having a curved mounting surface may be used. Further, instead of the substantially cylindrical weight 254, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped weight, a substantially triangular prism-shaped weight, or the like may be used. Furthermore, instead of the weight 254 having a high-friction member such as rubber disposed on the outer circumferential surface, a weight having irregularities formed on the outer circumferential surface by knurling or the like may be used. Furthermore, the weight 254 may be provided in a fixed position relative to the mounting portion 252. Further, the above-described weight 254 may be used in which the installation of a high friction member such as rubber is omitted.

Alternatively, a workpiece storage place may be provided with a placing portion having a placing surface extending along a horizontal plane. In this case, weights are placed near the top and bottom ends of the paper placed on the placement unit, and the suction pads 224 of the robot hand 220 suck the paper near the center. With such a configuration as well, it becomes possible to lift only the uppermost layer of paper out of the plurality of sheets of paper placed on the placement section of the workpiece storage area.

Furthermore, when placing a plurality of workpieces on the mounting table 110, if the plurality of workpieces are placed at the same place, the workpieces will be concentrated at a predetermined location on the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110, It may become impossible to place all desired workpieces on the mounting table 110. In order to solve such problems, the workpiece transporting device 200 of the present embodiment is configured to place the workpieces on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 in different ways depending on the size of the workpieces. Such a configuration will be explained with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. 10 to 12 are top views for explaining the operation when placing a workpiece on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 by the workpiece transporting device 200, respectively, and show the workpiece placement portion of the mounting table 110. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration near the .

FIG. 10 is a top view for explaining the operation when the size of the workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 is larger than the first size, which is a predetermined size. For example, the first size is set to be half the size of the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110. As shown in FIG. 10, when the size of the workpieces to be placed on the mounting table 110 is larger than the first size, all the workpieces are placed near the center of the workpiece mounting portion on the mounting table 110. The workpiece transport device 200 is controlled accordingly.

On the other hand, although the size of the workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 is smaller than the first size, it is smaller than the second size, which is set to a smaller value than the first size. When it is large, an operation different from that described above is performed. More specifically, when the size of the workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 is smaller than the first size and larger than the second size, the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110 is moved by the workpiece transport device 200. It is virtually divided into two parts (see FIG. 11). Specifically, the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110 is divided into two regions: an upper region indicated by reference numeral A in FIG. 11 and a lower region indicated by reference numeral B. The workpiece transport device 200 is controlled to alternately place the workpieces on the upper region and the lower region. Therefore, the workpiece can be placed evenly on the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110, thereby preventing the workpieces from being placed in a concentrated manner at a predetermined location on the workpiece placement portion of the mounting table 110. can do. Furthermore, more workpieces can be placed on the mounting table 110 compared to the case where the workpieces are placed in a concentrated manner at a predetermined location on the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110. Note that the second size is set to, for example, one-sixth of the size of the workpiece mounting portion on the mounting table 110.

Further, when the size of the workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 is smaller than the second size, different operations from the above-mentioned operations are performed. More specifically, when the size of the workpiece is smaller than the second size, the workpiece mounting portion on the mounting table 110 is virtually divided into six parts by the workpiece transport device 200. Specifically, the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110 is divided into regions indicated by reference symbols a to f in FIG. 12, respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110 is divided into six sections such that adjacent regions among the regions a to f partially overlap. Furthermore, in FIG. 12, the edge of area a where area a and area e overlap is shown by a dotted line, and the edge of area b where area b and area e overlap is shown by a dotted line. Further, the edge of region c in the portion where region c and region f overlap is shown by a dotted line, and the edge of region d in the portion where region d and region f overlap is shown by a dotted line.

For each of the regions a to f divided in this way, the workpiece transport device 200 places the workpieces on the mounting table 110 in the order of region a, region b, region c, region d, region e, and region f. It's about to be controlled. As a result, the workpieces can be placed more evenly on the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110, which prevents the workpieces from being placed in a concentrated manner at a predetermined location on the workpiece placement portion of the mounting table 110. can be more reliably prevented. Furthermore, more workpieces can be placed on the mounting table 110 compared to the case where the workpieces are placed in a concentrated manner at a predetermined location on the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110.

Note that the manner in which a workpiece is placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 is not limited to the above-described manner. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the first size is set to be half the size of the workpiece mounting portion on the mounting table 110; 3 or other sizes may be set as the first size. Furthermore, instead of placing a workpiece larger than the first size near the center of the workpiece placement portion of the mounting table 110, the workpiece may be placed near the upper end or the lower end of the workpiece placement portion. Good too. In addition, when placing a workpiece larger than the first size on the mounting table 110, the upper edge of the workpiece is located near the upper end of the workpiece mounting portion, and the lower end of the workpiece is located near the lower end of the workpiece mounting portion. Workpieces may be placed alternately at the locations where the edges are located. In this case, the thickness of the workpieces placed on the workpiece placement portion of the placement table 110 is smaller than the case where all the workpieces larger than the first size are stacked near the center of the workpiece placement portion. can be suppressed from increasing.

Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 11, a mode has been described in which the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110 is virtually divided into two regions, an upper region and a lower region, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, when the workpiece has a substantially rectangular shape, the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110 is virtually divided into two areas, a left side area and a right side area, and the workpieces are placed alternately on the left side area and the right side area. It's okay. In this case as well, a plurality of workpieces can be placed evenly on the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110, and more workpieces can be placed on the mounting table 110. In addition, the second size is set to be one-sixth of the size of the workpiece placement portion on the placement table 110, but the second size may be one-fourth of the size of the workpiece placement portion on the placement table 110. Other sizes may be set as the second size.

Further, when the size of the workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 is smaller than the second size described above, the workpiece mounting portion on the mounting table 110 is virtually divided into more than seven areas. It's okay. In this case as well, as in the example shown in FIG. It can be placed evenly on the placement area. Furthermore, more workpieces can be placed on the mounting table 110. Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 12, the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table 110 is divided so that adjacent regions among the regions a to f partially overlap; The workpiece mounting portion may be divided so as not to partially overlap.

Further, in the present embodiment, a plurality of workpiece storage areas including the above-mentioned workpiece storage area 250 are provided as storage areas for the workpieces to be placed on the mounting table 110. Further, each workpiece storage area is arranged within the movable range of the robot arm 210 of the workpiece transport device 200. Information regarding which type of workpieces should be placed on the mounting table 110 among the workpieces stored in each workpiece storage area is input into the control unit by the operator. . More specifically, a workpiece selection screen is displayed on the operation display section of the workpiece transport device 200, and multiple types of workpieces can be selected on this workpiece selection screen. There is. Then, when the operator selects one or more types of workpieces from among the workpieces displayed on the selection screen, information about the type of workpieces to be placed on the mounting table 110 is input to the control unit. . When multiple types of workpieces are selected by such an operation, the workpiece transport device 200 places the workpieces on the mounting table 110 in an order according to a predetermined rule, not in the order selected on the selection screen. You can do it like this.

More specifically, the control unit of the workpiece transport device 200 controls the workpiece transport device 200 to place the plurality of selected types of workpieces on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 in descending order of size. It may also be controlled. For example, consider a case where a workpiece smaller than the second size and then a workpiece larger than the first size are selected in order on the selection screen of the operation display section. In this case, the workpiece transport device 200 first places a workpiece larger than the first size on the mounting table 110, and then places a workpiece smaller than the second size on the workpiece larger than the first size. It will be placed on top. In this way, by placing the workpieces on the mounting table 110 in accordance with a predetermined rule so that the workpieces are placed on the mounting table 110 in descending order of size, the workpiece placement portion on the mounting table 110 is space can be used more efficiently.

More specifically, when a small workpiece is first placed on the mounting table 110 and then a large workpiece is placed on top of the small workpiece, the upper surface of the mounting table 110 and the part placed on the small workpiece are A gap will be formed between the workpiece and the lower surface of the large workpiece. Since a work cannot be placed in this gap, part of the space in the work placement portion of the placement table 110 is wasted. In contrast, according to the workpiece transport device 200 of the present embodiment, since the workpieces are placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 in descending order of size, the generation of wasted space as described above is suppressed. can do. Thereby, the space of the workpiece mounting portion can be used more efficiently.

Although a configuration in which the workpiece selection screen is displayed on the operation display section of the workpiece transportation device 200 has been described, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the workpiece selection screen may be displayed on the display of the personal computer, tablet, or the like by connecting the workpiece transporting device 200 to a personal computer, tablet, or the like (not shown) by wire or wirelessly. The type of workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 may be selected by the operator operating a mouse or a touch panel.

Furthermore, instead of the operator selecting the type of workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110, one or more lists of the workpieces to be placed on the mounting table 110 are created in advance, and the One or more lists may be selected from. In this case, each list includes at least the name of the workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 and information related to the workpiece, such as the size of the workpiece or the classification of the size. With such a configuration, each workpiece is lifted from each workpiece storage area in descending order of size and placed on the mounting table 110 based on the size or size classification of the workpieces included in the selected list. The workpiece transport device 200 may be controlled so as to do so.

Alternatively, separate lists may be prepared in advance, including a list listing the names (types) and identification information of the workpieces to be placed on the mounting table 110 and a list listing information regarding the size or size classification of the workpieces. You may also do so. When the name of the workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 is input or the identification information given to the workpiece is read, the workpiece specified by the name or identification information and the size of the workpiece are The classification may be linked.

Further, the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which a workpiece is transported using each suction pad 224 of the robot hand 220. For example, the work to be thrown into the bag may be placed on the mounting table 110 of the work loading device 100 by changing the interval between the rod-like members 222 to sandwich or separate the work. .

Next, the configuration of the bag processing device 300 provided in the work storage system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of the bag processing device 300. The bag processing device 300 includes a housing 310, a bag setting section 320, a plurality of rollers 330, a bag holding section 340, a bag sealing section 350, and a control section (not shown).

In the bag processing apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 13, a bag made of polyethylene or the like and having an opening on one side is used as the bag into which the work is thrown. More specifically, a packaging film in which bags each having an opening on one side are successively arranged at a predetermined interval is wound into a roll and used as the original film. Additionally, perforations are formed between the bags. The original fabric having such a configuration is set in the bag setting section 320. Moreover, each roller 330 guides the packaging film to the bag holding part 340 by intermittently conveying the packaging film unwound from the original film at predetermined intervals. Specifically, each roller 330 intermittently unwinds the packaging film by the length of one bag in the direction in which the packaging film is unwound and guides it to the bag holding section 340.

Furthermore, the bag holding section 340 is configured to hold one bag portion of the packaging film intermittently fed by each roller 330 with the opening facing upward. Specifically, the bag holding section 340 is composed of a pair of holding members, one side of the bag is held by one holding member, and the other side of the bag is held by the other holding member. It is now possible to do so. Further, each holding member of the bag holding section 340 is provided with a bag sealing section 350, respectively. These bag sealing parts 350 seal the opening of the bag after a workpiece is placed inside the bag held by the bag holding part 340. Such a bag processing device 300 is installed near the work input device 100 described above. This allows the workpiece input device 100 to load the workpiece into the bag held by the bag processing device 300.

The bag processing apparatus 300 described above includes a bag holding section 340 that holds the bag so that the opening faces upward, and a bag sealing section 350 that seals the opening of the bag. However, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, a bag holding device for holding the bag and a bag sealing device for sealing the opening of the bag may be provided separately. Furthermore, the bag processing device 300 may be provided with a packaging film cutting section that cuts the packaging film along perforations provided at the boundaries between bags in the packaging film, and such a packaging film cutting device may They may be provided separately.

As described above, the workpiece storage system of this embodiment is configured by combining the workpiece input device 100, the workpiece transport device 200, and the bag processing device 300. The operation of putting a work into a bag held by the bag processing device 300 using such a work storage system will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 22. Here, FIGS. 14 and 15 are flowcharts for explaining the flow of operations for storing a workpiece in a bag by the workpiece storage system. Further, FIGS. 16 to 22 are side views showing the configuration of the workpiece input device 100 at several steps of the workpiece input operation.

Note that in order to make it easier to understand the operation of the work loading device 100, the work transporting device 200 and the bag processing device 300 are not depicted in FIGS. 16 to 22. On the other hand, the bags held by the bag processing device 300 are indicated by reference numeral S in FIGS. 20 to 22. Further, in FIGS. 17 to 22, a workpiece to be put into the bag held by the bag processing device 300 is indicated by reference numeral W.

Before the work storage system according to the present embodiment starts the operation of storing the work in a bag, the work loading device 100 is in a standby state as shown in FIG. 16. In the standby state, the mounting table 110 is in a substantially horizontal position, the closing member 120 is located in the closed position, and the cover member 130 is located in the retracted position. That is, the control unit 190 controls the third drive unit 130a so that the cover member 130 is maintained at the retracted position at least when the workpiece is placed on the mounting table 110. Further, the bag into which the work is placed is held by the bag holding section 340 of the bag processing device 300 so that the opening thereof faces upward.

When the workpiece packaging operation is started in such a state, the workpiece transport device 200 is driven and the workpiece is placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece input device 100. As described above, the workpieces to be placed in the bag are stored in a workpiece storage area (for example, the workpiece storage area 250 shown in FIG. 9) within the movable range of the robot arm 210 of the workpiece transport device 200. After moving the robot hand 220 to the workpiece storage area, the workpiece transporting device 200 sucks and lifts the workpiece using the suction pad 224 provided at the tip of the robot hand 220. Thereafter, the workpiece lifted by the robot hand 220 is placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100, and the suction of the workpiece by the suction pad 224 is released. When the workpiece is placed on the mounting table 110 in this manner, this is detected by the workpiece loading device 100 (STEP 1).

Note that, as a configuration for detecting whether or not a workpiece is placed on the mounting table 110, a weight sensor or the like may be provided on the mounting table 110 of the work loading device 100. Alternatively, the workpiece loading device 100 can detect that the workpiece has been placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100 by sending a signal from the workpiece transporting device 200 to the workpiece loading device 100. It's okay.

When the workpiece loading device 100 detects that the workpiece is placed on the mounting table 110, the third drive unit 130a is driven by the control unit 190 of the workpiece loading device 100 (STEP 2). Specifically, the cover member 130, which is located at the retracted position shown in FIG. 16 in the standby state, is rotated about the second shaft 132 so as to move to the facing position shown in FIG. (see arrow). At this time, the cover member detection unit 160 detects whether the cover member 130 has normally moved to the retracted position (STEP 3). As described above, when the cover member 130 is located at the retracted position, the detected plate 166 of the cover member detection unit 160 is detected only by the first detection portion 162 (see FIG. 3). On the other hand, when the cover member 130 is located at the opposing position, the detected plate 166 is detected only by the second detection portion 164 of the cover member detection unit 160 (see FIG. 4). With such a configuration, it is possible to detect whether or not the cover member 130 has normally moved from the retracted position to the facing position based on the detection results by the detection parts 162 and 164.

If it is detected that the cover member 130 has not been properly moved to the facing position (“YES” in STEP 3), the control unit 190 stops the operation of the workpiece loading device 100, and the operator The work input device 100 is restarted (STEP 4). In addition, as a case where the cover member 130 cannot be moved normally to the facing position, for example, there may be a gap between the lower surface of the cover member 130 rotated from the retracted position toward the facing position and the upper edge of the side wall 114 of the mounting table 110. An example of this is when the workpiece gets caught. In such a case, the operation of the workpiece loading device 100 is stopped, so that it is possible to prevent the workpiece loading operation from continuing with the workpiece being sandwiched between the cover member 130 and the side wall 114.

On the other hand, when the cover member detection unit 160 detects that the cover member 130 has moved normally to the opposing position (“NO” in STEP 3), the control unit 190 controls the fifth drive unit 150a, and the elevating mechanism 150 is activated. It is driven (STEP 5). As shown in FIG. 18, when the elevating mechanism 150 is driven, the mounting table 110 moves upward by a predetermined distance. This prevents interference between the mounting table 110 and each component of the bag processing device 300 when the mounting table 110 is rotated from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position as described later. I can do it.

Next, by controlling the first drive unit 110a by the control unit 190, the mounting table 110 is rotated from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member 120 moves downward (STEP 6). As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, in this embodiment, the mounting table 110 can be rotated approximately 90 degrees from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position. Moreover, the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, and the cover member 130 prevent the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 in a substantially horizontal position from falling from the mounting table 110 in a substantially vertical position. In other words, the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 is held in a state where it is wrapped by the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, and the cover member 130.

Further, when the mounting table 110 is rotated from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially vertical posture, the mounting table detection unit 170 determines whether or not the mounting table 110 has rotated normally from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially vertical posture. It is detected (STEP 7). As described above, when the mounting table 110 is in a substantially horizontal position, the detected plate 176 of the mounting table detection section 170 is detected only by the first detection portion 172 (see FIG. 5). On the other hand, when the mounting table 110 is in a substantially vertical posture, the detection target plate 176 is detected only by the second detection portion 174 of the mounting table detection section 170 (see FIG. 6). With such a configuration, it is possible to detect whether or not the mounting table 110 has rotated from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially vertical posture based on the detection results by the detection portions 172 and 174.

If it is detected that the mounting table 110 has not rotated normally so as to assume a substantially vertical posture (“YES” in STEP 7), the control unit 190 stops the operation of the work loading device 100, and the operator The work input device 100 is restarted (STEP 8). On the other hand, when the mounting table detection section 170 detects that the mounting table 110 has been rotated from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially vertical posture ("NO" in STEP 7), the control section 190 activates the fifth driving section 150a. The lifting mechanism 150 is controlled and driven (STEP 9). As shown in FIG. 20, when the elevating mechanism 150 is driven, the mounting table 110 moves downward by a predetermined distance. As a result, the end of the mounting table 110 on the side where the closing member 120 is provided is inserted by a predetermined length into the bag held by the bag processing device 300. As described above, since the lower ends of the mounting table 110 and the cover member 130, which are in a substantially vertical posture, are each tapered, the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, and the cover member 130 are prevented from being caught in the opening of the bag. It is designed to enter the inside of the bag smoothly without any problems.

Next, the second drive unit 120a is controlled by the control unit 190, so that the closing member 120 located at the closed position is moved to the open position (STEP 10). As a result, as shown in FIG. 21, the workpiece that had been prevented from falling by the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, and the cover member 130 is allowed to fall, and the workpiece is placed inside the bag. In this way, in the workpiece loading operation by the workpiece loading device 100, the workpiece is not clamped by the clamping member or the like, so that it is possible to prevent the workpiece to be loaded into the bag from being deformed. Further, the closing member 120 is configured to be rotated approximately 90 degrees from the closed position toward the open position so as to take a posture extending parallel to the portion of the mounting table 110 on which the work is placed. Therefore, even if there is not enough space inside the bag in the thickness direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 21), the workpiece can be placed inside the bag.

Thereafter, the fifth drive unit 150a is driven to raise the mounting table 110 and retract it upward from the inside of the bag. In this embodiment, when the operation of retracting the mounting table 110 upward is performed, the fourth drive section 140a is driven and the extrusion member 140 is lowered (STEP 11). Therefore, even if a workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 is attached to the mounting table 110 or the cover member 130 due to static electricity and has not fallen into the bag due to its own weight, the workpiece can be more securely placed inside the bag. can be put into.

Further, the fourth drive unit 140a and the fourth drive unit 140a are arranged so that the pushing member 140 is located near the lower end of the mounting table 110 at the timing when the mounting table 110 rises and the lower end of the mounting table 110 approaches the opening of the bag. Five drive units 150a are controlled respectively (see FIG. 22). Further, the speed at which the mounting table 110 rises and the speed at which the extrusion member 140 descends are controlled to be approximately the same. Therefore, when pushing out the workpiece into the bag using the pushing member 140, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being pushed toward the bottom of the bag. This can prevent the work from being deformed when it is pushed out by the extrusion member 140.

Thereafter, the second drive section 120a is driven by the control section 190, so that the closing member 120 located at the open position is moved to the closed position (STEP 12). Furthermore, by driving the fourth drive unit 140a, the extrusion member 140 is raised and returned to the position shown in FIG. 1 (STEP 13). Thereafter, by driving the first drive unit 110a, the mounting table 110 in a substantially vertical position is rotated to a substantially horizontal position (STEP 14). At this time, if the mounting table detection unit 170 detects that the mounting table 110 has not rotated normally so as to be in a substantially horizontal position (“YES” in STEP 15), the operation of the work loading device 100 is stopped. . Then, the work input device 100 is restarted by the operator (STEP 16).

On the other hand, when the mounting table detection unit 170 detects that the mounting table 110 has rotated normally from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position (“NO” in STEP 15), the third drive unit 130a is driven to cover the The member 130 moves from the opposing position to the retracted position. At this time, if it is detected that the cover member 130 has not moved normally to the retracted position ("YES" in STEP 18), the operation of the workpiece inputting device 100 is stopped, and the operation of the workpiece loading device 100 is stopped by the operator. is restarted (STEP 19). On the other hand, when the cover member detection unit 160 detects that the cover member 130 has moved normally to the retracted position (“NO” in STEP 18), the workpiece input device 100 returns to the standby state. Thereafter, the bag sealing section 350 of the bag processing apparatus 300 seals the opening of the bag into which the workpiece has been placed. In this way, the operation of using the workpiece loading device 100 and the workpiece transporting device 200 to load and package the workpiece into the bag held by the bag processing device 300 is completed.

Note that in the above-described operations, the order in which the operations in STEP 12 and STEP 13 are performed may be reversed. In addition, in the above-described operation, the cover member 130 is positioned at the opposing position before the mounting table 110 is rotated from the substantially horizontal position. However, the operation of rotating the mounting table 110 from a substantially horizontal position and the operation of moving the cover member 130 to the opposing position may be performed at the same timing. Further, the opening of the bag may be sealed by the bag sealing section 350 of the bag processing device 300 at any timing after the mounting table 110 has retreated from the inside of the bag.

Here, in the conventional work loading device, the workpiece is held between the mounting table and the holding member so that the workpiece does not fall from the mounting table when the mounting table is rotated 90 degrees from a substantially horizontal position. Therefore, there is a problem that the workpiece held between the mounting table and the holding member may be deformed. In addition, after inserting the mounting table and the holding member into the bag for a predetermined length, the holding member is moved in the direction away from the mounting table, so that the held workpiece can be dropped into the inside of the bag. It had become. For this reason, if there is not enough space inside the bag and the holding member cannot be moved away from the mounting table, the clamped workpiece cannot be released and the workpiece cannot be moved inside the bag. There was a problem that there were cases where it was not possible to input the

On the other hand, according to the work loading device 100 of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration, the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, the drive section 180, and the control section 190 are respectively provided. The mounting table 110 is rotatable from a substantially horizontal position about a first shaft 112 extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and a workpiece to be placed in a storage device (specifically, a bag) is placed thereon. . The closing member 120 is provided on the mounting table 110 and has a closing position that prevents the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 from falling when the mounting table 110 is rotated from a substantially horizontal position, and a closing position where the mounting table 110 is approximately When rotated from a horizontal position, it is movable between an open position that allows the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 to fall. The driving unit 180 rotates the mounting table 110 around the first shaft 112 and also drives the closing member 120. Control section 190 controls drive section 180. Specifically, the control unit 190 controls the mounting table 110 on which the work to be placed in the bag is placed so that the closing member 120 moves downward while the closing member 120 is located at the closing position. After rotating from the substantially horizontal position, the drive unit 180 is controlled to position the closing member 120 in the open position. As a result, the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 falls and is thrown into the bag. According to the work input device 100 and the work input method performed by the work input device 100, it is possible to prevent the work to be input into the bag from being deformed, and to ensure that the work is placed inside the bag more reliably. can be invested. Further, the drive unit 180 of the work input device 100 includes a first drive unit 110a for rotating the mounting table 110 around the first axis 112, and a second drive unit 120a for driving the closing member 120. have.

Moreover, the workpiece input device 100 of this embodiment includes the cover member 130 and the third drive section 130a, as described above. The cover member 130 is movable between a retracted position that allows a workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110 and a facing position that faces the mounting table 110 and does not allow the workpiece to be placed on the mounting table 110. ing. The third drive section 130a drives the cover member 130. Furthermore, the control unit 190 controls the third drive unit 130a to position the cover member 130 at the opposing position before or when the mounting table 110 is rotated from a substantially horizontal position. The fall of the workpiece placed on 110 is suppressed. In this way, since the workpiece is held so as to be wrapped by the mounting table 110, the closing member 120, and the cover member 130, it is possible to more reliably prevent the workpiece from falling from the mounting table 110.

Further, in the workpiece loading device 100 of this embodiment, as described above, the cover member 130 is rotatable with respect to the mounting table 110 about the second shaft 132 extending in a substantially horizontal direction. Further, the third drive unit 130a drives the cover member 130 to rotate about the second shaft 132 between the retracted position and the facing position. Further, the control unit 190 controls the third drive unit 130a so that the cover member 130 is maintained at the retracted position at least when the workpiece is placed on the mounting table 110. Therefore, when a workpiece is placed on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100, it is possible to prevent the cover member 130 and the constituent members of the workpiece transporting device 200 from interfering with each other.

Furthermore, as described above, the workpiece input device 100 of this embodiment further includes the cover member detection unit 160 that detects whether or not the cover member 130 has been normally moved from the retracted position to the opposing position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the workpiece loading operation from continuing with the workpiece being sandwiched between the mounting table 110 and the cover member 130. Further, the cover member 130 has a tapered shape at a portion close to the closing member 120 when the cover member 130 is located at the opposing position. Further, the mounting table 110 has a tapered shape on the side where the closing member 120 is provided. Therefore, the mounting table 110 and the cover member 130 can be smoothly inserted into the bag.

Further, as described above, the workpiece loading device 100 of the present embodiment includes the extrusion member 140 configured to be able to advance and retreat toward the side of the mounting table 110 where the closing member 120 is provided, and the extrusion member 140. A fourth drive section 140a for driving is provided. Further, the control unit 190 moves the pushing member 140 toward the side of the mounting table 110 where the closing member 120 is provided, so that the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 is pushed out toward the inside of the bag. 4 drive unit 140a. Therefore, even if the workpiece is attached to the mounting table 110 or the cover member 130 due to static electricity or the like and does not fall due to its own weight, the workpiece can be thrown into the bag by being pushed out by the pusher member 140. Further, a scraping member such as a brush or rubber is provided on the lower edge of the extrusion member 140 facing the mounting table 110. Further, a scraping member such as a brush or rubber is provided on the upper edge of the extrusion member 140 facing the cover member 130 located at the opposing position. Therefore, even if the workpiece is attached to the mounting table 110 or the cover member 130 due to static electricity or the like, the workpiece can be more securely removed by bringing the scraping member into contact with the workpiece and pushing the workpiece toward the inside of the bag. can be placed inside the bag.

Further, as described above, the workpiece loading device 100 of the present embodiment includes a lifting mechanism 150 for integrally raising and lowering at least the mounting table 110 and the closing member 120, and a fifth lifting mechanism for driving the lifting mechanism 150. The drive unit 150a is also provided with a drive unit 150a. Further, the control unit 190 causes the lifting mechanism 150 to move upward after the closing member 120 of the mounting table 110, which has been rotated from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member 120 moves downward, is positioned from the closed position to the open position. The fourth drive section 140a and the fifth drive section 150a are respectively controlled so as to move the extrusion member 140 toward the side of the mounting table 110 where the closing member 120 is provided. Therefore, when the workpiece is pushed out toward the inside of the bag by the pushing member 140, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being deformed by being pinched between the pushing member 140 and the bottom of the bag.

Further, the workpiece storage system of the present embodiment includes the workpiece loading device 100 described above, the workpiece transporting device 200 for placing the workpiece on the mounting table 110 of the workpiece loading device 100, and a posture in which the opening faces upward. A storage device holding device (specifically, a bag holding section 340) for holding the bag is provided. Therefore, the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 by the workpiece transport device 200 can be stored by putting it into the bag held by the storage tool holding device. Further, the workpiece storage system includes a storage device sealing device (specifically, a bag sealing section 350) for sealing the opening of the bag into which the workpiece is inserted by the workpiece introduction device 100. Therefore, the opening of the bag into which the workpiece is thrown by the workpiece introduction device 100 can be sealed.

Note that the work input device 100, the work input method performed by the work input device 100, and the work storage system according to the present embodiment are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made. .

For example, although an example has been described in which a bag made of polyethylene or the like is used as a storage device having an opening, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, a box or an envelope may be used as a storage device having an opening. In such cases, the container sealing device that seals the opening of the box or envelope may include a device that folds the flap provided on the box into the inside of the box body, or a device that folds the flap provided on the envelope into the inside of the box body. A device for gluing the main body portion may also be used.

Further, the installation of the cover member 130 and the installation of the side wall 114 of the mounting table 110 may be omitted. In this case as well, by rotating the mounting table 110 from a substantially horizontal position to an inclined position, for example, by 60 degrees, and then moving the closing member 120 to the open position, the workpiece placed on the mounting table 110 can be removed from the inside of the bag. can be put into.

Further, in the example shown in FIG. 1 etc., the part of the mounting table 110 on which the work is placed is made of a plate-like member, but the shape of the mounting table 110 is not limited to such a structure. . For example, the shape of the portion of the mounting table 110 on which the work is placed may be a regular or irregular uneven shape, a wave shape, or a shape in which a depression is formed. Also in this case, by making the shape of the lower end edge of the pushing member correspond to the shape of the workpiece mounting portion of the mounting table, the pushing member can push the workpiece into the bag more reliably.

Further, in the example described above, the cover member 130 is configured to move between the retracted position and the facing position by rotating around the second shaft 132, but cover members having other configurations may be used. It's okay to be hit. For example, instead of omitting the installation of the third drive unit 130a described above, a slide mechanism for sliding the cover member 130 in the left-right direction in FIG. 2 may be provided in the workpiece input device 100. In this case, it may be slid between a facing position facing the mounting table 110 and a retracted position not facing the mounting table 110.

Moreover, although the configuration has been described above in which the mounting table 110 and the closing member 120 are driven by the first drive unit 110a by additionally providing a link mechanism including a wire, etc., other members may be driven by one drive unit. You can do it like this. For example, by additionally providing a link mechanism that links the movement of the mounting table 110 and the movement of the cover member 130, the mounting table 110 and the cover member 130 may be driven by the first drive unit 110a. Alternatively, three or more members may be driven by one drive unit by additionally providing a plurality of link mechanisms.

Further, in the work storage system described above, instead of providing the control unit 190 and the like in each of the work input device 100, the work transportation device 200, and the bag processing device 300, a management device is installed to manage these devices. Good too.

100 Work loading device 110 Mounting table 110a First drive section 112 First shaft 114 Side wall 120 Closing member 120a Second drive section 122 Shaft 130 Covering member 130a Third drive section 132 Second shaft 140 Extrusion member 140a Fourth drive section 150 Lifting mechanism 150a Fifth drive section 160 Covering member detection section 162 First detection section 164 Second detection section 166 Detection plate 170 Mounting table detection section 172 First detection section 174 Second detection section 176 Detection plate 180 Drive section 190 Control section 200 Workpiece transport device 210 Robot arm 220 Robot hand 222 Rod-shaped member 224 Suction pad 250 Workpiece storage area 252 Placement section 254 Weight 300 Bag processing device 310 Housing 320 Bag setting section 330 Roller 340 Bag holding section 350 Bag sealing section

Claims (14)

A workpiece loading device for loading a workpiece into a storage device having an opening, the workpiece loading device comprising:
A mounting table that is rotatable from a substantially horizontal position about a first axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and for placing a workpiece to be placed in the storage device;
A closing position provided on the mounting base to prevent a workpiece placed on the mounting base from falling when the mounting base is rotated from a substantially horizontal position; a closing member that is movable between an open position and an open position that allows the workpiece placed on the mounting table to fall when the workpiece is placed on the mounting table;
a driving unit for rotating the mounting table around the first axis and driving the closing member;
a control unit for controlling the drive unit;
Equipped with
The drive unit includes a first drive unit for rotating the mounting base around the first axis, and a second drive unit for rotating the closing member,
In the closed position, the closing member extends in a direction perpendicular to a portion of the mounting table on which the workpiece is placed, and in the open position, the closing member extends in a direction perpendicular to a portion of the mounting table on which the workpiece is placed. It is in a posture that extends parallel from the part where the
With the closing member located at the closing position, the control unit moves the mounting table on which the workpiece to be placed in the storage device is placed from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member moves downward. After rotating, the workpiece loading device controls the drive unit to position the closing member at the open position, thereby dropping the workpiece placed on the mounting table and loading it into the storage device. a cover member that is movable between a retracted position that allows a workpiece to be placed on the placement table and an opposing position that faces the placement table and does not allow the workpiece to be placed on the placement table; ,
a third drive unit for driving the cover member;
further comprising;
The control unit controls the third drive unit to position the cover member at the opposing position before or when the mounting base is rotated from a substantially horizontal position. Work loading device. The cover member is rotatable with respect to the mounting table about a second axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction,
The workpiece input device according to claim 2 , wherein the third drive section drives the cover member to rotate about the second axis between the retreat position and the facing position. The work loading device according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the control unit controls the third drive unit so that the cover member is maintained at the retracted position at least when the work is placed on the mounting table. . The workpiece loading device according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , further comprising a cover member detection unit that detects whether or not the cover member has been normally moved from the retracted position to the opposing position. The workpiece input device according to any one of claims 2 to 5 , wherein the cover member has a tapered shape at a portion close to the closing member when the cover member is located at the opposing position. . 7. The work loading device according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting table has a tapered shape on the side where the closing member is provided. an extrusion member configured to be able to advance and retreat toward the side of the mounting table where the closing member is provided;
a fourth drive unit for driving the extrusion member;
further comprising;
The control unit is configured to move the push-out member toward the side of the placement table where the closing member is provided, so that the workpiece placed on the placement table is pushed out toward the inside of the storage tool. The workpiece loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , which controls four drive units. 9. The workpiece loading device according to claim 8 , wherein a scraping member is provided on a lower edge of the extrusion member facing the placing table. an extrusion member configured to be able to advance and retreat toward the side of the mounting table where the closing member is provided;
a fourth drive unit for driving the extrusion member;
further comprising;
The control unit is configured to move the push-out member toward the side of the placement table where the closing member is provided, so that the workpiece placed on the placement table is pushed out toward the inside of the storage tool. It is designed to control 4 drive parts,
The work input device according to any one of claims 2 to 5 , wherein a scraping member is provided on an upper edge of the extrusion member facing the cover member located at the opposing position. an elevating mechanism for integrally raising and lowering at least the mounting table and the closing member;
a fifth drive unit for driving the lifting mechanism;
further comprising;
After the closing member of the mounting base, which has been rotated from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member moves downward, is positioned from the closed position to the open position, the control unit causes the lifting mechanism to move upward. Any one of claims 8 to 10 , wherein the fourth drive unit and the fifth drive unit are each controlled so as to move the extrusion member toward the side of the mounting table where the closing member is provided. The workpiece loading device described in section. It is rotatable from a substantially horizontal position about a first axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and is provided with a mounting table for placing a workpiece to be placed in the storage device, and a mounting table provided on the said placing table, and with the above-mentioned A closed position that prevents the workpiece placed on the mounting table from falling when the mounting table is rotated from a substantially horizontal position, and a closed position that prevents the workpiece placed on the mounting table from falling when the mounting table is rotated from a substantially horizontal position. It is movable between an open position that allows the workpiece to fall, and in the closed position, it extends in a direction perpendicular to the part of the mounting table on which the workpiece is placed. A workpiece loading method performed by a workpiece loading device comprising: a closing member extending parallel to a portion of the mounting table on which the workpiece is placed in the open position;
placing a workpiece on the mounting table in a substantially horizontal position with the closing member positioned at the closing position;
rotating the mounting base from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member moves downward;
moving the closing member from the closed position to the open position, causing the workpiece placed on the mounting table to fall from the mounting table and into the storage device;
Equipped with
With the closing member in the closed position, the placing table on which the workpiece to be placed in the storage device is placed is rotated from a substantially horizontal position so that the closing member moves downward; A method for introducing a workpiece, in which the workpiece placed on the mounting table is dropped into the storage device by controlling a drive unit so as to position the closing member at the open position. A work input device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ,
a workpiece transport device for placing the workpiece on the aforementioned mounting table of the workpiece loading device;
a storage tool holding device for holding the storage tool with the opening facing upward;
A work storage system equipped with 14. The workpiece storage system according to claim 13 , further comprising a storage device sealing device for sealing an opening of the storage device into which the workpiece is loaded by the workpiece loading device.

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