JP7491028B2 - Bundle transfer device and bundle transfer method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for transferring a stack of sheet bodies partitioned above and below by a slip-sheet, and is particularly effective when the stack is transferred without being bound.
The sheet body is made of a film, cardboard, etc. The sheet body may be a metal plate, etc.

For example, in the sacking process, a stack of blanks (sheet bodies) loaded on a pallet is transferred in order onto a conveyor (feeder) of a sacking machine. The blanks of each transferred stack are processed into a three-dimensional shape by the sacking machine in order. Here, the stack of blanks is imposed on the pallet in the previous process and stacked in multiple places, with interleaving sheets inserted between the stacks above and below. Then, each pallet is transferred to the upstream side of the sacking process by a forklift or the like.
Currently, in the sacking process, the task of transferring each bundle of blanks on a pallet onto the conveyor of the sacking machine is performed by an operator who lifts the bundles in order, starting from the top, and transfers them onto the conveyor.

However, the bundles are heavy, and the task of transferring them requires heavy physical labor, placing a heavy burden on workers.
In addition, as the sacking process becomes faster, the frequency of bundle transfer work will also increase, which is expected to further increase the burden on workers.
For this reason, there is a demand for automation of the task of transferring stacks, but the lack of space between the stacks and the slip sheets makes it difficult for a robot to handle them, and so manual labor is the only option.

Patent Document 1 describes how a thin claw provided on the hand of an articulated robot is inserted between an adhesive sheet and a film. However, this claw is designed to peel off a single film attached to a flexible adhesive sheet, and is not designed to be inserted under a heavy stack of multiple sheets.

Japanese Patent No. 5914308

The present invention focuses on the above points and aims to make it possible to automatically transfer a stack of multiple sheet bodies.

In order to solve this problem, one aspect of the present invention is a bundle transfer device that includes a hand unit attached to the robot arm of an articulated robot and a control unit that controls the hand unit, and transfers each bundle from a transfer body on which a bundle of stacked sheet bodies is placed with a slip sheet inserted between the bundles. The gist of the hand unit is that it includes a body, a lower gripping unit that can be advanced and retreated to an advanced position and a retreated position relative to the body, an upper gripping unit that can face the lower gripping unit in the advanced position from above and below, and a plate-shaped insert that can be advanced and retreated to an advanced position forward of the retreated position of the lower gripping unit and a retreated position rearward of the advanced position of the lower gripping unit relative to the body, and can be raised and lowered to a lower position below the height position of the lower gripping unit and an elevated position above the height position of the lower gripping unit.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for transferring a bundle, which uses a gripping chuck of a hand part attached to a robot arm of an articulated robot to grip a bundle from above and below, from a transfer body on which a slip sheet is inserted between two stacked bundles of sheet bodies, and transfers the bundle, the hand part being provided with a gripping chuck made of a lower gripping part and an upper gripping part that can be opposed from above and below, and a plate-shaped insert made of a thin plate that bends in the vertical direction when at least its tip is pressed against the slip sheet, the insert being inserted between the slip sheet and the lowest sheet body of the bundle placed on the slip sheet, and then the insert is raised to form a gap between the slip sheet and the lowest sheet body of the bundle placed on the slip sheet, and the lower gripping part is inserted into the gap, and then the insert is removed from between the slip sheet and the lowest sheet body of the bundle placed on the slip sheet.

Another aspect of the present invention is an insert for inserting between a slip sheet and the lowest sheet of a stack placed on a transfer body in which a slip sheet is inserted between two stacks of multiple sheet bodies in order to transfer the stack, the insert comprising, from the leading end side toward the trailing end side, a thin plate portion on the leading end side and a support portion that is continuous with the thin plate portion and has a plate thickness greater than that of the thin plate portion, the thickness of the thin plate portion being equal to or less than that of the sheet body, and the thickness of the support portion being greater than that of the sheet body.

According to this aspect of the present invention, it is possible to automate the transfer of stacked bundles of multiple sheet bodies. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the heavy physical work required by an operator when transferring a bundle of multiple sheet bodies.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a bundle transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a configuration of an insert according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of a control unit according to the embodiment based on the present invention. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a process of detecting an insertion position. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the hand unit is lowered downward for the process of detecting the insertion position. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of distance detection by a laser displacement meter. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the state before the insert body is inserted. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the tip of the insert is in contact with an interleaf. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the tip of the insert is inserted between the slip-sheet and the stack. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the insert is inserted up to the support portion. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the inserter is raised to form a gap between the slip-sheet and the stack. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the lower gripping portion is inserted into the gap. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a bundle is gripped by a gripping chuck. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a bundle is being transferred.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In this embodiment, a case will be described in which a stack 4 of blanks (sheet bodies 4a) loaded on a pallet 1 in a previous process is transferred in order onto a conveyor of a sacking machine. However, the present invention can be applied to the transfer of a stack 4 consisting of a plurality of sheet bodies 4a loaded on a platform such as a pallet 1, other than the transfer of the stack 4 in the sacking process.

1, the bundles 4 are stacked (piled) in a plurality of places on the pallet 1 in an imposed manner, and the upper and lower bundles 4 are separated by inserting a slip sheet 3 between the stacked bundles 4. The reason why the slip sheet 3 is inserted between the upper and lower bundles 4 is that the positions of the boundaries between the bundles 4 are visible since the bundles 4 are not yet bound.
The reason why the bundle 4 is not bound is so that each blank of the transferred bundle 4 can be transported in order to reliably carry out the sacking process.

"composition"
The bundle transfer device of this embodiment includes a hand unit 6 attached to a robot arm 5A of an articulated robot 5, and a control unit 7 that controls the hand unit 6. Furthermore, a transfer body 2 is constructed by imposing and stacking a plurality of bundles 4 on a pallet 1 with slip-sheets 3 interposed between each bundle 4 made of a plurality of stacked sheet bodies 4a. The bundle transfer device of this embodiment is a device that transfers each bundle 4 in order from the upper bundle 4 on the transfer body 2 on the pallet 1.
In addition, by employing the articulated robot 5, the hand unit 6 itself is capable of freely changing its posture and moving in approximately three-dimensional directions.

(Hand part 6)
The hand unit 6 includes a body portion 60 which is the main body of the hand unit, a gripping chuck 61, a plate-shaped insert 62, a laser displacement meter 63, a front pressure unit 69, a lower gripping unit advancement/retraction mechanism 64, an insert advancement/retraction mechanism 65, an insert lifting mechanism 66, an upper gripping unit lifting mechanism 67, and a front pressure unit lifting mechanism 68.

(Body portion 60)
The body part 60 is connected to the tip of the robot arm 5A, and is capable of changing its posture and moving by the robot arm 5A.

(Grip chuck 61)
The gripping chuck 61 is supported by the body portion 60 .
The gripping chuck 61 includes a lower gripping portion 61A and an upper gripping portion 61B that are vertically opposed to each other.

<Lower grip portion 61A>
The lower grip portion 61A is supported by a guide part (not shown), such as a slider, so as to be movable between an advanced position and a retreated position relative to the body part 60. The lower grip portion 61A is a plate-shaped part extending in the advance/retract direction.
The lower gripping portion 61A is configured to advance and retreat by being driven by a lower gripping portion advancing and retreating mechanism 64. The lower gripping portion advancing and retreating mechanism 64 is configured by a known mechanism such as a pneumatic cylinder device or an electric motor.
The lower grip portion 61A is housed within the body portion 60 in the retracted position 61Aa, and is set to a position protruding forward from the wall surface 60a facing the front of the body portion 60 in the advanced position 61Ab.
The rear end of the lower grip 61A constitutes an attachment portion for a lower grip advance/retract mechanism 64.

<Upper gripping portion 61B>
The upper grip part 61B is supported by the main body 60 and configured to be movable up and down by an upper grip part lifting mechanism 67. The upper grip part lifting mechanism 67 is configured, for example, from a cylinder device with an axis facing up and down, and the upper grip part 61B is attached to the tip of the piston of the cylinder device.
The upper gripping portion 61B is disposed above the lower gripping portion 61A in the forward position 61Ab. The upper gripping portion 61B is lowered to come into contact with the upper surface of the bundle 4 with a predetermined pressure, and is capable of gripping the bundle 4 to be transferred together with the lower gripping portion 61A from above and below.

(Insertion body 62)
2, the insert 62 is made of a tongue-shaped flat plate member extending in the forward and backward direction. The insert 62 is a flat plate member with its thickness direction facing up and down.
At least the tip of the insert 62 is made of a flexible thin plate that bends in the vertical direction when pressed against the slip-sheet 3. The outline of the tip of the insert 62 is arc-shaped in a plan view. The tip of the insert 62 constitutes an insert blade.
The insert 62 of this embodiment has, from the tip side in the forward/backward direction, a thin plate portion 62A on the tip side and a support portion 62B that is continuous with the thin plate portion 62A and has a plate thickness greater than that of the thin plate portion 62A. The rear end side is an attachment portion.

The thin plate portion 62A is set to a thickness capable of performing the functions of being able to bend along the slip-sheet 3, being able to be inserted between the stack 4 and the slip-sheet 3, and causing minimal damage to the workpiece when inserted. The support portion 62B is set to a thickness capable of performing the functions of having the strength to lift the workpiece, causing minimal damage to the workpiece when lifted, and having sufficient durability (for example, being able to be lifted more than one million times).
The thickness of the thin plate portion 62A depends on the material, etc., but is, for example, equal to or less than the thickness of the sheet body 4a, and the thickness of the support portion 62B depends on the material, etc., but is, for example, preferably thicker than the thickness of the sheet body 4a. For example, it is preferable that the thin plate portion 62A is made of a thin plate strong enough to bend in the vertical direction when pressed against the slip-sheet 3, and the support portion 62B has rigidity sufficient to lift the stack 4, and the thickness of each portion may be set from this perspective.

The insert 62 can be advanced and retreated by the insert advance/retract mechanism 65 between an advanced position forward of the retreated position 61Aa of the lower grip 61A and a retreated position rearward of the advanced position of the lower grip 61A with respect to the body 60. Specifically, the insert 62 is set to a position protruding forward from the wall surface 60a facing the front of the body 60 by advancing forward. The insert 62 is accommodated within the body 60 by retreating.
The insert body advancing and retracting mechanism 65 is constituted by, for example, a cylinder device.

In addition, the insert 62 can be raised and lowered relative to the body 60 by an insert lifting mechanism 66 to a lower position below the height position of the lower gripping portion 61A and an elevated position above the height position of the lower gripping portion 61A.
The insert lifting mechanism 66 is constituted by, for example, a cylinder device.
Here, the insert 62 and the lower gripping portion 61A are arranged in a position where they do not overlap when viewed from above. In this embodiment, when viewed from above, the lower gripping portions 61A are provided in two pairs on the left and right, and the insert 62 is arranged between the two pairs of lower gripping portions 61A.

(Laser displacement meter 63)
The laser displacement meter 63 is a sensor that is provided on the body portion 60 above the lower gripping portion 61A and the insert body 62 and detects the boundary between the stack 4 and the slip-sheet 3.
4, the laser displacement meter 63 projects a laser beam obliquely downward toward the bundle 4 to be transferred, thereby measuring the distance to the opposing object. The projection angle of the laser beam is set to, for example, 20 degrees to 30 degrees obliquely downward with respect to the horizontal direction.

(Front pressing portion 69)
The front presser 69 is supported by the body 60 at a position forward of the lower gripping portion 61A in the forward position 61Ab in a top view, and can be raised and lowered by a front presser lifting mechanism 68. The front presser lifting mechanism 68 is, for example, a cylinder device with an axis facing up and down.

(Control unit 7)
The control unit 7 is configured by a computer, and executes processes for controlling the behavior of the hand unit 6 .
As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 7 is equipped with a first setting unit S10, an insertion position detection unit S20, an insert insertion processing unit S30, a bundle holding processing unit S40, an insert lift processing unit S50, a lower gripping unit insertion processing unit S60, an insert retraction processing unit S70, a gripping completion processing unit S80, a bundle holding release unit S90, a bundle transfer processing unit S100 and a bundle grip release unit S110, and performs the processing in this order to transfer each bundle 4 in sequence.

<First Setting Unit S10>
The first setting unit S10 sets the lower gripping unit 61A and the insert body 62 to retracted positions 61Aa, 62a to store them within the body unit 60, and sets the hand unit 6 to a position where it can face the bundle 4 to be transferred when viewed from above (see Figure 4).

<Insertion Position Detection Unit S20>
The insertion position detection unit S20 detects the bundle 4 based on the detection signal from the laser displacement meter 63, and further, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, continuously acquires the detection signal from the laser displacement meter 63 while lowering the hand unit 6 along the bundle 4. Then, based on the height position at which the distance becomes shorter as a result of the detection, a process is executed to detect the height position of the boundary between the slip-sheet 3 and the lowermost sheet body 4a of the bundle 4 placed on the slip-sheet 3.
As the hand unit 6 descends, the distance is measured based on the detection signal from the laser displacement meter 63, resulting in a measurement result as shown in Fig. 6. When the laser light projected diagonally downward by the laser displacement meter 63 is irradiated onto the upper surface of the slip-sheet 3, the distance becomes continuously shorter as the hand unit 6 descends, as shown in Fig. 6, and when the end of the slip-sheet 3 is passed, it suddenly returns to the distance to the stack 4. From this distance detection, the distance between the stack 4 and the slip-sheet 3 is detected.

For example, the side distance between the stack 4 of multiple sheets and the slip-sheet 3 is measured based on the detection signal from the laser displacement meter 63, and the difference between the peak value and the lower limit value of the measured distance is calculated. By calculating the difference, the boundary between the stack 4 and the slip-sheet 3 is detected.
Here, when the bundle 4 is detected based on the detection signal from the laser displacement meter 63, the position of the hand unit 6 may be adjusted so that the distance between the hand unit 6 and the bundle 4 becomes a predetermined target distance. Also, two pairs of laser displacement meters 63 may be provided on the left and right, and the attitude of the hand unit 6 may be fine-tuned based on the detection values of the two pairs of laser displacement meters 63 so that the hand unit 6 is positioned directly facing the bundle 4 to be transferred.

<Insert body insertion processing section S30>
Based on the detection result of the insertion position detection unit S20, the hand unit 6 is moved up and down to a position higher than the height position of the slip-sheet 3, and the inserter 62 is moved to the forward position 62b and protruded. This process constitutes the process of the insertion position setting unit.
Next, the insert insertion processing section S30 tilts the orientation of the hand unit 6 so that the bundle 4 is on the lower side in a side view, and moves the hand unit 6 closer to the bundle 4 (see FIG. 7 ). In this state, the top surface of the slip-sheet 3 is in contact with or close to the tip of the insert 62.

Next, the insert insertion processing section S30 lowers the hand section 6 slightly, for example by 5 mm, so that the thin plate section 62A, which is the tip section of the insert 62, is bent to conform to the slip-sheet 3, as shown in Figure 8.
Next, the insert body insertion processing unit S30 advances the hand unit 6 as shown in Figure 9, so that the tip portion (thin plate portion 62A) of the insert body 62 is inserted between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4 as shown in Figure 9 (b).
10, the insert insertion processing section S30 returns the posture of the hand unit 6 (inserter 62) to horizontal while advancing the hand unit 6, thereby inserting the support portion 62B of the inserter 62 into the gap between the slip-sheet 3 and the bundle 4. Note that the posture of the hand unit 6 may be changed to horizontal before advancing the hand unit 6.
At this time, the insert 62 is inserted up to the support portion 62B.

<Bundle holding processing unit S40>
Before the insert 62 is moved to the raised position 62c by the insert lifting section S50, the bundle holding section S40 executes a process of lowering the front presser 69 to press the front of the bundle 4 from above with the front presser 69, as shown in Fig. 11. As a result, the bundle 4 between the pallet 1 and the front presser 69 is restrained by the pallet 1 and the front presser 69.

<Insert lift processing section S50>
The insert lifting processing unit S50 performs a process of moving the insert 62, which is in the lowered position 62b and the forward position as shown in Figure 11, and which is inserted between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4, to the raised position 62c as shown in Figure 11.

<Lower gripping portion insertion processing portion S60>
As shown in FIG. 12, when the lower gripping portion insertion processing section S60 determines that the insert 62 has moved to the raised position 62c in the processing of the insert lift processing section S50, it executes a process of advancing the lower gripping portion 61A to the advanced position 61Ab.
As a result, the lower gripping portion 61A is inserted into the space between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4 that is formed by the lifting of the inserting body 62.

<Insert Retraction Processing Unit S70>
When the insert body retraction processing unit S70 determines that the lower gripping portion 61A has been inserted into the space between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4, as shown in Figure 12, it executes a process to move the insert body 62, which is in the forward position and raised position 62c, to the retracted position 62a.
As a result, the insert 62 positioned between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4 is pulled back, and the lower surface of the stack 4 comes into contact with the lower gripping portion 61A.

<Gripping completion processing section S80>
When the gripping completion processing unit S80 determines that the insertion of the lower gripping unit 61A is completed and the insert 62 has been returned into the body unit 60, it executes a process of lowering the upper gripping unit 61B and pressing the upper side of the bundle 4 to be transferred with the upper gripping unit 61B, as shown in Fig. 13. This results in a state in which the bundle 4 is gripped from above and below by the lower gripping unit 61A and the upper gripping unit 61B.
In this state, the end portion of the bundle 4 gripped by the lower gripping portion 61A and the upper gripping portion 61B is slightly tilted in side view (see FIG. 13). For this reason, the gripping completion processing portion S80 may lower the upper gripping portion 61B and grip it with the gripping chuck 61 while tilting the attitude of the hand unit 6 so that the tip end of the lower gripping portion 61A is on the lower side in side view, thereby more reliably performing gripping.

<Bundle Pressing Release Unit S90>
When the bundle pressing release section S90 determines that the bundle 4 to be transferred has been gripped from above and below by the lower gripping section 61A and the upper gripping section 61B, it raises the front pressing section 69 and executes a process of releasing the pressure on the front side of the bundle 4.

<Bundle Transfer Processing Unit S100>
As shown in Figure 14, when the bundle transfer processing unit S100 determines that the gripping chuck 61 has completed gripping the bundle 4 to be transferred, it drives the robot arm 5A to perform a process of moving the hand unit 6 to the feeder of the sack application machine.

<Bundle grip releasing section S110>
The bundle grip release section S110 releases the grip of the bundle 4 by the gripping chuck 61.
The process up to the bundle grip releasing section S110 completes the transfer of one bundle 4. Thereafter, the process returns to the first setting section S10 to execute the transfer process of the next bundle 4.
A command to move the hand unit 6 to the vicinity of the position of the next bundle 4 to be transferred may be executed by a manual instruction from an operator, or may be executed automatically based on a preset imposition, etc. Also, the transfer body 2 on the pallet 1 may be imaged by an imaging unit (not shown), and the captured image may be processed to obtain the position coordinates of the bundle 4, and the hand unit 6 may be moved accordingly.

(Action etc.)
In this embodiment, a bundle transfer device is used to carry out a process of transferring the bundle 4 to be transferred by grasping the bundle 4 to be transferred from above and below with a gripping chuck 61 of a hand portion 6 attached to a robot arm 5A of a multi-jointed robot 5 from a transfer body 2 on which a slip sheet 3 is inserted between the bundles 4 consisting of a plurality of stacked sheet bodies 4a.
Specifically, in this embodiment, the insert 62 is inserted between the slip-sheet 3 and the lowest sheet body 4a of the stack 4 placed on the slip-sheet 3, and then the insert 62 is raised to form a gap between the slip-sheet 3 and the lowest sheet body 4a of the stack 4 placed on the slip-sheet 3. Then, the lower gripping portion 61A is inserted into the gap, and then the insert 62 is removed from between the slip-sheet 3 and the lowest sheet body 4a of the stack 4 placed on the slip-sheet 3.

As a result, the lower gripping portion 61A of the gripping chuck 61, which has a predetermined rigidity and thickness, is set between the stack 4 and the slip-sheet 3 to be transferred.
In this case, the insert body 62 is provided, from the tip side to the rear end, with a thin plate portion 62A on the tip side and a support portion 62B that is continuous with the thin plate portion 62A and has a thickness greater than that of the thin plate portion 62A, the thickness of the thin plate portion 62A being less than or equal to the thickness of the sheet body 4a, and the thickness of the support portion 62B being greater than the thickness of the sheet body 4a.

Therefore, the blade-shaped tip of the insertion part can be bent and inserted between the slip sheet 3 and the stack 4, and the inserted support can lift the stack 4 upward with the insertion body 62 even if it is of a predetermined weight.
In addition, before the insert 62 inserted between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4 is raised, the stack 4 to be transferred is pressed from above at a position forward of the position where the insert 62 is inserted as viewed from above. This prevents the stack 4, which is made up of a plurality of sheet bodies 4a, from collapsing even if the stack 4 is unbound and loosely stacked, and even if the inserted insert 62 is lifted.

(effect)
This embodiment provides the following advantages.
(1) This embodiment is a bundle transfer device that includes a hand unit 6 attached to a robot arm 5A of an articulated robot 5 and a control unit 7 that controls the hand unit 6, and transfers each bundle 4 from a transfer body 2 on which a slip-sheet 3 is interposed between the bundles 4 made of a plurality of stacked sheet bodies 4a. The hand unit 6 includes a body 60, a lower gripping unit 61A that is movable between an advanced position and a retreated position relative to the body 60, and a forward gripping unit 62A that is movable between an advanced position and a retreated position relative to the body 60. and a plate-shaped insert 62 that can be advanced and retreated relative to the body 60 to a forward position forward of the retreated position of the lower gripping portion 61A and to a retreated position rearward of the forward position of the lower gripping portion 61A, and that can be raised and lowered to a lower position below the height position of the lower gripping portion 61A and to an elevated position 62c above the height position of the lower gripping portion 61A.
According to this configuration, it is possible to automate the transfer of stacked bundles 4 consisting of multiple sheet bodies 4a, thereby eliminating the need for workers to perform heavy physical work when transferring bundles 4 consisting of multiple sheet bodies 4a.

(2) In this embodiment, the hand portion 6 is supported on the body portion 60 above the lower gripping portion 61A and the insert body 62, and is equipped with a laser displacement meter 63 for detecting the boundary between the stack 4 and the slip-sheet 3, and the laser displacement meter 63 is capable of projecting laser light diagonally downward toward the stack 4 being transferred.
This configuration makes it possible to detect the height position of the boundary between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4. As a result, the insert 62 can be inserted between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4 more reliably.

(3) In this embodiment, at least the tip portion of the insert 62 is made of a thin plate that bends in the vertical direction when pressed against the slip-sheet 3 .
With this configuration, the tip of the insert 62 bends to conform to the upper surface of the portion of the slip-sheet 3 protruding laterally from the stack 4, making it possible to more reliably insert the insert 62 between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4.

(4) In the present embodiment, the insert 62 includes, from the tip side along the forward/backward direction of the insert 62, a thin plate portion 62A on the tip side and a support portion 62B that is continuous with the thin plate portion 62A and has a plate thickness greater than that of the thin plate portion 62A.
The thickness of the thin plate portion 62A is equal to or smaller than the thickness of the sheet body 4a, and the thickness of the support portion 62B is greater than the thickness of the sheet body 4a.
With this configuration, the tip of the insert 62 is flexible, allowing the insert 62 to be inserted more reliably between the slip-sheet 3 and the stack 4, and also allowing the insert 62 to lift the end of the stack 4 from below.

(5) This embodiment is a method for transferring a bundle 4, in which a bundle 4 to be transferred is transferred from above and below with a gripping chuck 61 of a hand unit 6 attached to a robot arm 5A of an articulated robot 5, from a transfer body 2 on which a slip sheet 3 is inserted between two bundles 4 made of a plurality of stacked sheet bodies 4a, and the bundle 4 is transferred. The hand unit 6 includes a gripping chuck 61 consisting of a lower gripping portion 61A and an upper gripping portion 61B that can be opposed to each other above and below, and a gripping chuck 61 that is bent in the vertical direction when at least the tip is pressed against the slip sheet 3. The insert 62 is inserted between the slip-sheet 3 and the lowest sheet 4a of the stack 4 placed on the slip-sheet 3, and then the insert 62 is raised to form a gap between the slip-sheet 3 and the lowest sheet 4a of the stack 4 placed on the slip-sheet 3. The lower grip 61A is inserted into the gap, and then the insert 62 is removed from between the slip-sheet 3 and the lowest sheet 4a of the stack 4 placed on the slip-sheet 3.

For example, in the bundle transfer device of this embodiment, the control unit 7 includes an insertion position setting unit that sets the lower gripping unit 61A to the retreated position and sets the insert 62 to the lower position and the advanced position, an insert insertion processing unit S30 that advances the hand unit 6 set by the insertion position setting unit to insert the insert 62 between the slip-sheet 3 and the lowermost sheet body 4a of the bundle 4 placed on the slip-sheet 3, and a control unit that controls the insertion by the processing of the insert insertion processing unit S30. the insert 62 being inserted into the lower gripping portion 61A and a lower gripping portion insertion processing portion S60 which, when it is determined by the processing of the insert ascent processing portion S50 that the insert 62 has moved to the elevated position 62c, advances the lower gripping portion 61A to an advanced position; and the insert retraction processing portion S70 which, when it is determined that the lower gripping portion 61A has advanced to the advanced position, moves the insert 62 from the elevated position 62c to a retracted position.
According to this configuration, the lower gripping portion 61A of the gripping chuck 61 can be inserted below the bundle 4 using the insert 62.

(6) In this embodiment, the hand unit 6 has the front pressing unit 69 that is movably arranged in front of the lower grip unit 61A in the advanced position in top view.
According to this configuration, the bundle 4 to be transferred is in an unbound state, and the bundle 4 consisting of a plurality of sheet bodies 4a can be grasped by the grasping chuck 61 without collapsing.

(7) In this embodiment, before the inserted insert body 62 is raised, the bundle 4 to be transferred is pressed from above at a position forward of the position where the insert body 62 is inserted when viewed from above.
For example, in the bundle transfer device of this embodiment, the hand unit 6 has a front pressure section 69 that is arranged to be raised and lowered at a position forward of the lower gripping unit 61A in the forward position when viewed from above, and the control unit 7 is configured to include a bundle holding processing unit S40 that lowers the front pressure section 69 to hold down the bundle 4 from above with the front pressure section before the insert 62 is moved to the raised position 62c by the insert lift processing unit S50.
According to this configuration, the bundle 4 to be transferred is in an unbound state, and the bundle 4 consisting of a plurality of sheet bodies 4a can be grasped by the grasping chuck 61 without collapsing.

(8) In this embodiment, once the bundle 4 to be transferred is gripped by the lower gripping portion 61A and the upper gripping portion 61B inserted into the gap, the pressure on the bundle 4 to be transferred from above is released.
For example, the bundle transfer device of this embodiment is configured to include a gripping completion processing section S80 in which, when the control section 7 determines that processing of the lower gripping section 61A is completed, the upper gripping section 61B presses the upper side of the bundle 4, thereby causing the lower gripping section 61A and the upper gripping section 61B to grip the bundle 4 from above and below, and a bundle holding release section S90 in which, when it determines that gripping of the bundle 4 is completed by processing of the gripping completion processing section S80, the front holding section is raised.
According to this configuration, the unbound bundle 4 can be securely grasped and transferred.

(9) The insert 62 of this embodiment is an insert 62 for being inserted between the slip-sheet 3 and the lowest sheet body 4a of the stack 4 placed on the slip-sheet 3 in order to transfer the stack 4 on the transfer body 2 in which the stack 4 consisting of a plurality of stacked sheet bodies 4a is placed with the slip-sheet 3 interposed between the stacks 4. From the tip side to the rear end side, the insert 62 is provided with a thin plate portion 62A on the tip side and a support portion 62B that is continuous with the thin plate portion 62A and has a thickness greater than that of the thin plate portion 62A, the thickness of the thin plate portion 62A being equal to or less than the thickness of the sheet body 4a, and the thickness of the support portion 62B being greater than the thickness of the sheet body 4a.
For example, the insert 62 is made of a thin plate such that the thin plate portion 62A is bent in the vertical direction when pressed against the slip-sheet 3, and the support portion 62B has a rigidity sufficient to lift the stack 4.
The insert 62 having this configuration can be inserted between the unbound bundle 4 and the slip-sheet 3, and one end of the bundle 4 can be lifted up by the insert 62.

1 Pallet 2 Transfer body 3 Slip sheet 3 Bundle 4a Blanks (sheet body)
5 Articulated robot 5A Robot arm 6 Hand unit 7 Control unit 60 Body unit 61 Grip chuck 61A Lower grip unit 61Aa Retracted position 61Ab Forward position 61B Upper grip unit 62 Insert 62A Thin plate unit 62B Support unit 62a Retracted position 62b Forward position, lowered position 62c Upward position 63 Laser displacement meter 64 Lower grip unit advance/retract mechanism 65 Insert advance/retract mechanism 66 Insert lift mechanism 67 Upper grip unit lift mechanism 68 Front pressure unit lift mechanism 69 Front pressure unit S10 First setting unit S20 Insert position detection unit S30 Insert insertion processing unit S40 Bundle holding processing unit S50 Insert lift processing unit S60 Lower grip unit insertion processing unit S70 Insert retract processing unit S80 Grip completion processing unit S90 Bundle pressing release section S100 Bundle transfer processing section S110 Bundle grip release section

Claims (14)

A bundle transfer device comprising: a hand unit attached to a robot arm of an articulated robot; and a control unit for controlling the hand unit, the bundle transfer device transferring each bundle from a transfer body on which a plurality of stacked sheet bodies are placed with slip sheets interposed between the bundles, the transfer body comprising the stacked sheet bodies,
The hand unit is
The body part and
a lower gripping portion that is movable between a forward position and a backward position relative to the body portion;
an upper gripping portion that can face up and down the lower gripping portion in the forward position;
a plate-shaped insert body that can advance and retreat with respect to the body portion to a forward position forward of the retreated position of the lower grip portion and a retreated position rearward of the forward position of the lower grip portion, and that can be raised and lowered to a lower position below the height position of the lower grip portion and an elevated position above the height position of the lower grip portion;
A bundle transfer device comprising: The bundle transfer device described in claim 1, characterized in that the hand unit is supported by the body unit above the lower grip unit and the insert body, and is equipped with a laser displacement meter for detecting the boundary between the bundle and the slip sheet, and the laser displacement meter is capable of projecting a laser beam obliquely downward toward the bundle to be transferred. The bundle transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least the tip of the insert is made of a thin plate that bends in the vertical direction when pressed against the slip sheet. The insert body includes a thin plate portion on the tip side along the forward/backward direction of the insert body, and a support portion that is continuous with the thin plate portion and has a plate thickness greater than that of the thin plate portion,
A bundle transfer device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the thickness of the thin plate portion is less than or equal to the thickness of the sheet body, and the thickness of the support portion is thicker than the thickness of the sheet body. The control unit is
an insertion position setting unit that sets the lower gripping portion to the retreated position and sets the insertion body to the lower position and the advanced position;
an insert body insertion processing section that advances the hand section set by the insertion position setting section to insert the insert body between the slip-sheet and the lowest sheet body of the stack placed on the slip-sheet;
an insert lifting section that moves the insert inserted in the process of the insert inserting section to a lifted position;
a lower gripping portion insertion processing portion that advances the lower gripping portion to an advanced position when it is determined that the insert has moved to an elevated position by the processing of the insert lifting processing portion;
an insert retraction processing unit that moves the insert located in the raised position to a retracted position when it is determined that the lower gripping unit has advanced to the advanced position;
The bundle transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: The bundle transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the hand unit has a front presser unit that is arranged to be liftable and lowerable at a position forward of the lower grip unit in the forward position when viewed from above. the hand portion has a front pressing portion that is arranged to be liftable and lowerable at a position forward of the lower gripping portion that is in an advanced position as viewed from above,
The bundle transfer device described in claim 5, characterized in that the control unit is provided with a bundle holding processing unit that lowers the front pressure section before the insert lifting processing unit moves the insert to an elevated position, thereby holding the bundle from above with the front pressure section. When the control unit determines that the process of the lower gripping unit is completed, the control unit causes the upper gripping unit to press an upper side of the bundle, thereby causing the bundle to be gripped from above and below by the lower gripping unit and the upper gripping unit; and
a bundle pressing release unit that lifts the front pressing unit when it is determined that the holding of the bundle is completed by the processing of the holding completion processing unit;
8. The bundle transfer device according to claim 7, further comprising: The bundle transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that each bundle is in an unbundled state. A method for transferring a bundle, comprising the steps of: gripping a bundle to be transferred from above and below with a gripping chuck of a hand portion attached to a robot arm of an articulated robot from a transfer body on which a slip sheet is inserted between the bundles, the transfer body comprising a plurality of stacked sheet bodies;
the hand unit includes a gripping chuck having a lower gripping portion and an upper gripping portion that are vertically opposed to each other, and a plate-like inserter having at least a tip portion formed of a thin plate that bends in the vertical direction when pressed against the slip-sheet,
the inserting body is inserted between the slip-sheet and the lowest sheet body of the stack placed on the slip-sheet, and then the inserting body is raised to form a gap between the slip-sheet and the lowest sheet body of the stack placed on the slip-sheet;
After inserting the lower gripping portion into the gap, the inserting body is removed from between the slip-sheet and the lowermost sheet body of the stack placed on the slip-sheet.
A bundle transfer method comprising the steps of: The insert includes, from the front end to the rear end, a thin plate portion on the front end side and a support portion that is continuous with the thin plate portion and has a plate thickness greater than that of the thin plate portion,
11. The method for transferring a bundle according to claim 10, wherein the thickness of the thin plate portion is equal to or smaller than the thickness of the sheet body, and the thickness of the support portion is greater than the thickness of the sheet body. The method for transferring a bundle according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, before the inserted insert is raised, the bundle to be transferred is pressed from above at a position forward of the position where the insert is inserted as viewed from above. The method for transferring a bundle described in claim 12, characterized in that, once the bundle to be transferred is gripped by the lower gripping part and the upper gripping part inserted into the gap, the pressure on the bundle to be transferred from above is released. The bundle transfer method described in any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the bundle to be transferred is unbundled.

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