JPH03245926A - Article feeding method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To feed articles without delay and prevent mis-operation and non- efficient operation by detecting the condition of a pallet kept under an article feed position, and carrying out the discharging operation of the pallet by a robot according to the detected results. CONSTITUTION:A pallet where articles are stored is transported to an automatic machine such as a robot 12 which processes and assembles articles and are held at the article feed position of a pallet feed device 20A, to carry out article picking-up by a robot hand 10. When the robot 12 discriminates the unloaded condition of the articles on the pallet, the unloaded pallet moves in a discharging direction to feed the pallet where the articles are stored. In this case, when a feeder controller 2B detects that the articles are not at the article feed position for picking-up, the robot 12 is prohibited from changing to the next operation for a prescribed period. It is thus possible to carry out article feed without delay and prevent mis-operation such as mistaken robot access operation and non-efficient operation during changing the pallet.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for feeding articles to automatic machines such as robots for processing or assembly.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-271636, a method is known in which articles are placed in a tray or the like and sequentially fed to a processing machine using a lifter.

The apparatus according to the method includes a tray box for storing a plurality of parts in line, a wagon that can stack the tray boxes in multiple stages and freely transport them on a flat surface, and a wagon and the tray box for storing the parts. a pallet stand device provided near the processing machine for movement to a handling position; a connecting means for coupling the wagon and the pallet stand device so as not to cause relative movement; a tray gripping device for holding the tray box on the wagon and carrying it in and out between the pallet stand device and the wagon;
The pallet stand device includes a lift device for moving the tray box up and down, a lance means for reducing the burden of the driving force for the up and down movement of the lifter device, and the pallet stand device includes a lift device for moving the tray box up and down. This is an automatic handling system device in a factory, which is equipped with positioning means for positioning the machine at a set vertical movement position.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

As in the above-mentioned apparatus, in a method of supplying articles to an automatic machine such as a processing machine, articles are stored in pallets such as trays, the pallets are stacked, and the articles are sequentially supplied by elevator means such as a lifter. To supply goods to automatic machines when they are out of stock (to supply goods to automatic machines), to accurately control the operation of each part so that the entire system will not be disrupted when there are no goods on the pallet (to supply goods to automatic machines) It is important to quickly replenish the next pallet when the pallet at the goods supply position becomes empty.

In view of the above points, one of the problems of the present invention is to propose a method that enables uninterrupted supply of articles by accurately performing the next operation on the automatic machine side depending on the condition of the article supply position (a certain pallet). do.

[Means and actions for achieving the task]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a method for conveying and supplying a pallet containing articles to an automatic machine such as a robot that processes or assembles articles, in which a pallet containing articles is held at an article supplying position. The robot then performs an operation to pick up an article, the robot determines whether the article in the pallet is empty, and based on the determination, the robot moves the empty pallet in the pallet ejection direction, and then stores the article. The article is supplied by holding the pallet at the article supplying position.

Furthermore, in a method for supplying articles to an automatic machine such as a robot that processes or assembles articles, it is detected that the article is not at an article supply position for picking up the article, and based on the detection operation, the next robot We propose an article supply method characterized by prohibiting transition to the operation for a predetermined period of time.

[Explanation of Examples]

1. Description of the entire assembly system including the pallet feeding device.

Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of an assembly device 1 according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a robot side 2A seen from a cross section in the -A2 direction of Fig. 1A.
and shows a side view of the pallet supply device 2B.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 4 denotes a base to which a rail 8A on which a shuttle 6 carrying a robot moves is attached.

The shuttle 6 is loaded with articles, parts, etc. from a pallet that will be described later.
A robot 12 equipped with a hand 10 for picking up units, materials, etc., an assembly jig 14 for assembling the items picked up by a node, and a hunt exchange table for exchanging the hand 10 according to the purpose of assembly. 16 and a controller 18 on the robot side for signal communication and signal control by connecting with a controller on the pallet supplying device side to be described later.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a method of supplying goods by transporting a pallet containing goods to an automatic machine such as a robot that processes or assembles goods, the pallet containing goods is held at the goods supply position and the goods are picked up by the robot. The robot determines the empty state of the articles in the pallet, and based on the determination, the robot moves the empty pallet in the pallet discharge direction, and then moves the pallet containing articles to the article supply direction. A method of feeding items while holding them in place. (2) In a method for supplying articles to an automatic machine such as a robot that processes or assembles articles, it is detected that the article is not at the article supply position for picking up the article, and based on the detection operation, the robot A method for supplying goods, characterized in that transition to the next operation is prohibited for a predetermined period of time.