JPH03149160A - Positioning device for material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily position a material in a predetermined position by providing constitution such that a tilt for a reference rule of the material is detected by using a camera to perform picture processing with an attitude of a material holding part corrected in accordance with a tilt angle of the material. CONSTITUTION:Cameras 32, 33, which photograph reference rules 14, 30 arranged in a reference position and a side opposed to the reference rules 14, 30 of a held material 8, are provided. A picture signal, obtained from these cameras 32, 33, is processed in a picture processing part 34, a tilt angle of the material for the reference rules 14, 30 is calculated with a control signal, in accordance with an arithmetic result of the tilt angle, calculated in an arithmetic control part 35. In accordance with this control signal, a material holding part is turned by a driving means 17. Thus, by placing the material 8 automatically in a straight condition in relation to the reference rules 14, 30, the material can be loaded on a table 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention C. Industrial Application Field This invention relates to a material positioning device for positioning a material at a predetermined position on a table. It is used when positioning a workpiece material at a predetermined position on a processing table.

[Conventional technology]

In wood processing equipment equipped with a cutting tool whose movement is controlled in three axes by numerical control, it is necessary to accurately position the workpiece material (hereinafter simply referred to as the material), such as a board, at a predetermined position on the processing table. There is. Conventionally, reference rulers in the X and Y directions were provided on the table, and the material was manually brought into contact with these reference rulers to determine its position. After positioning, the material was fixed on the table by vacuum suction. I have to.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventional positioning work is inefficient because it is performed manually for each material, and machining can occur without realizing that the material is tilted relative to the reference ruler. Therefore, there were problems such as a tendency to produce defective products.

[Means to solve the problem]

The material positioning device according to the present invention uses a camera to image the side of the material held in the material holding section and the reference ruler, and calculates the inclination angle of the material by processing the image signal. is detected, and the attitude of the material holding section is corrected according to this inclination angle.

[For production]

Since the material can be placed on the table automatically in a straight state with respect to the reference ruler, the next positioning process can be easily performed and the previous process can be automated.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the structure of a table of a material processing apparatus applicable to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG.

In the figure, a table 1 is provided with guide rails 2.degree. 3.4, and a plurality of suction units 5 are provided movably in the Y direction along the guide rails 2, 3.4. This suction unit 5 is provided with five suction devices 7 having suction pads 6, each movable in the X direction and the Y direction. In addition, X of the adsorption unit 5 and the adsorption device 7.

Movement in the Y direction is performed by a motor (not shown) provided in each suction unit 5 and a motor (not shown) provided in each suction device 7.
(not shown).

According to the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 8, the suction pads 6 to be used are selected as shown by the dotted lines, and the suction pads 6 used are selected according to the size and shape of the materials 8 placed on the table l, and the suction pads 6 are selected as shown by the solid lines. Unused suction pads 6 can be lowered so that they do not interfere with the lowering of cutting. Also, the 9th
As shown in FIGS. (A) and (B), a plurality of suction pads 6 are moved according to the size and shape of the material 8, and the spacing between them can be controlled.

In the states shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 above, the material 8 can be suctioned and fixed onto the table l by operating the vacuum pumps to which the respective suction devices 7 are connected.

Next, an embodiment of a material positioning device using the table I configured as described above will be described.

In FIG. 1, 1 indicates the above table, and Y in FIG.
It is illustrated as a front view from the direction. 9 is material 8
This is a conveyance device that conveys the material to the vicinity of the table l, and has a large number of rollers 9a on the upper part.

IO is a conveyance device that conveys the processed material to the next process, and has a large number of rollers 10a.

11 transfers the material 8 from the conveying device 9 to the table l
This is a transfer device that serves as a material supply device for supplying the material to the table 1 and transferring the processed material from the table 1 to the transfer device IO. A guide section 12 guides the transfer device 11, and is supported at both ends by leg sections 13. 14 is an X-direction reference ruler placed at a reference position; 15- is the X-direction reference ruler; and an be. Although not shown, a Y-direction reference ruler is placed at a reference position, and a Y-direction reference ruler is used to move the Y-direction reference ruler a predetermined distance from the reference position in the Y direction (direction perpendicular to the page). A direction reference cylinder arrangement is provided.

In addition, in FIG. 1, the material 8 positioned on the table l
A processing device for numerically controlled cutting is not shown.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the transfer device ifll.

This transfer device 11 includes a substrate 16, a material position twist correction motor 17 attached to the substrate 16, a two-way vertical cylinder assembly 218, four vertical slide units 19, a vertical substrate 20, and a A vertical slide shaft 21 provided on the substrate 20 and vertically movably fitted into the vertical slide unit 19, and a mounting shaft 16a provided on the substrate 16 are screwed through the hole 20a of the vertical substrate 20, and 20, a rotating plate 22 for correcting material position twist, a fixed substrate 23 provided with this rotating plate 22, and an X provided on this fixed substrate 23.
The direction is brought together using the cylinder device 24 and the
A direction slide plate 25, a Y direction slide plate 26 that slides in the Y direction with respect to this slide plate 25 via a slide portion 26a, a holding board 27 to which this sliding plate 26 is fixed, and a structure provided on this holding board 27. The cylinder shaft 24 of the cylinder device 24 is composed of a cylinder device 2B and six suction pads 29 for adsorbing materials attached to a pair of holding members 27a.
The tip of a is attached to the mounting member 2 provided on the slide plate 25.
5b. Further, the tip of the cylinder shaft 28a of the cylinder device 28 is fixed to the slide plate 25.

FIG. 3 explains the operation of the transfer device 11, and only the main members 22 to 29 in FIG. 2 are schematically shown. Note that the portion consisting of these main members will hereinafter be referred to as the movable holding portion 11a.

In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3(A), the cylinder device 24
When the cylinder shaft 24a is operated, the cylinder shaft 24a is fully extended by a predetermined length X. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the slide plates 25, 26 and the holding board 27 move integrally by a distance X with respect to the fixed board 23 in the X direction. Further, in FIGS. 2 and 3A, when the cylinder device 28 is operated, the cylinder shaft 28a is fully extended by a predetermined length y. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3(C), the slide plate 26 and the holding board 27 move integrally in the Y direction by a distance y with respect to the fixed board 23 and the slide plate 25.

Next, the operation of positioning the material 8 on the table l using the transfer device 1l will be explained with reference to FIG. 4.

First, as shown in FIG. 4(A), the movable holding section 11a is waiting above the conveyance device W9, and when the material 8 is conveyed, the two-way up and down cylinder device l8 is operated to move it. The holding part 11a descends as shown by the arrow. Next, the same figure (B
) After the suction pad 29 suctions and holds the material 8,
The transfer device 1 rises as shown by the arrow and moves from the state shown in Figure (C).
1 moves to the left in the diagram (left in Figure 2), stops above the table l as shown in Figure (D), and then descends. Then, as shown in the same figure (E), there is a distance M from the top surface of the table 1.
It stops at a position where it is floating by A. Near table 1,
The aforementioned X-direction reference ruler l4, an X-direction reference cylinder device l5 for moving it, a Y-direction reference ruler 30, and a Y-direction reference cylinder device 31 for moving it are arranged.

Next, by operating the cylinder device 24 for moving in the X direction as shown in FIG.
The member below the fixed substrate 23 moves by a distance Mx in the X direction (to the right in the figure). Similarly, for Y-direction shifting, the cylinder device 28 moves the member below the slide plate 25 by a distance jlly in the Y-direction. As a result of the above, the material 8 is moved in the X and Y directions from the position when it was sucked.

Next, in this state, x. The sides opposite to the Y-direction reference ruler 14.30 are these reference rulers 1
4.30 is detected. If they are not parallel, the movable holding part 1 is moved by driving the correction motor l7 and rotating the correction rotary plate 22.
Rotate 1a in a twisting manner until the above-mentioned parallelism is obtained. Note that the detection of the parallel state is performed by image processing using a camera or the like, as will be described later.

Next, when the above-mentioned parallel state is obtained, as shown in FIG. pushes back this material 8. As a result, the amount of deviation X between the fixed substrate 23 and the slide plate 25 is reduced to X. <X, and the material 8 is positioned in the X direction. Similarly, when the cylinder device 3l moves the material 8 a predetermined distance while pushing it back using the Y-direction reference ruler 30, the material 8 is positioned in the Y-direction. At this time, the deviation Wyl between the slide plate 25 and the slide plate 26 becomes 71<V. In addition,
Reference cylinder arrangement W l 5 .

It is assumed that the force 31 is greater than the force of the cylinder device 24 and 28 used for the approach.

When the positioning of the material 8 is completed as described above, the material 8 is placed on the upper surface of the table l as shown in FIG. The transfer device 11 moves to the right and returns to its original position as shown in FIG.

In table l, as explained with reference to FIG. 7, suction device 7 selects M1 according to the size and shape of material 8.
11, the material 8 is suctioned and fixed at a predetermined position on the table l by the suction pad 6.

Next, the aforementioned twist correction motor 17 and rotary plate 22
An example of a twist correction device using the following will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, the camera 32 captures an image of the side 8A of the material 8 facing the reference ruler 14 and a part of the reference ruler 14, and the camera 33 images the side 8B of the material 8 facing the reference ruler 30 and a part of the reference ruler 30. image a part of the After the image signals obtained from the cameras 32 and 33 are subjected to image processing in the image processing section 34,
It is sent to the calculation WI4 control section 35. The calculation control unit 35 calculates the side 8A of the material 8 based on the image-processed data.
It is checked whether or not the and reference ruler 14 are parallel, and it is also checked whether the side 8B and the reference ruler 3o are parallel.

As shown in FIG. 6(A), when the material 8 is tilted to the left and the above-mentioned parallelism is not obtained, the calculation control section 35 sends a control signal according to the tilt angle of the material 8 to the drive circuit 36. , whereby the correction motor I is driven. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the correction rotary plate 22 is twisted clockwise in the figure, and the entire movable holding part 11a is rotated in the same direction, so that the inclination of the material 8 is corrected.

The above-mentioned operation is performed, for example, in the process between FIG.

Note that the above embodiment uses a table l provided with a plurality of suction devices 7 having suction puff holes as shown in FIG. It can also be applied when positioning the material 8 on top. In that case, a jig plate is used in which a large number of penetrating suction holes are arranged according to the size and shape of the material 8.

This jig plate is fixed on a table with a stopper, and positioning is performed on this jig plate in the same manner as shown in FIG. 4 using the above-described positioning device of the present invention. After the positioning is completed, the material 8 is sucked and fixed onto the table together with the jig plate through the suction holes on the table and the suction holes in the jig plate.

Further, even when using the table 1 shown in FIG. 7, the jig plate may be placed on a suction pad when the material 8 is small or has a multiple shape.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the inclination of the material with respect to the reference ruler is detected by image processing using a camera, and the posture of the material holding part is corrected according to the inclination angle. It is possible to make the material straight with respect to the reference ruler just before it is placed on the table, and it is possible to make the material straight on the table. After placing the material, it is possible to easily position the material in a predetermined position by pressing the reference ruler, and it also has the effect of automating all processes such as holding, transporting, and transferring the material to the table. can get.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a material positioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a transfer device of the same device, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of essential parts showing the operation of the transfer device. , Fig. 4 is a plan view and a front view of the main parts showing the operation of the positioning device, Fig. 5 is a configuration diagram showing the twist correction device of the material of the device, and Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the operation of the same correction device. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a table applied to the present invention, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are plan views showing the operation of a suction pad on the same table. 1 is a table, 8 is a material, 11 is a transfer device, 11a is a movable holding unit, 14 is an X-direction reference ruler, 15 is an X-direction reference cylinder device, 17 is a twist correction motor, 22 is a twist correction rotating plate, 29 is a suction pad; 30 is a Y-direction reference ruler; 31 is a Y-direction reference cylinder; 32 and 33 are cameras;
34 is an image processing section, and 35 is an arithmetic control section. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts. Patent applicant: Heian Iron Works Co., Ltd. (2 others) No. IAI 181
IC) C day (G) 4 Figure 101, IEI

Claims (1)

[Claims] a camera that captures an image of a reference ruler placed at a reference position and a side of a material held by a material holding unit that faces the reference ruler; an image processing unit that processes an image signal obtained from the camera; and an image processing unit that processes an image signal obtained from the camera; a calculation control unit that calculates an inclination angle of the material with respect to the reference ruler based on the data processed by the processing unit and outputs a control signal according to the calculation result; and a calculation control unit that rotates the material holding unit in accordance with the control signal. A material positioning device comprising: a drive means for moving a material;