JPH05338740A - Positioning control device for storage shelf - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a control device to position a robot hand at the correct access position by detecting the position deviation of the robot hand to the unit shelf specified and correcting it in a robot parts handling mechanism for a multi-row and multi-stage storage shelf. CONSTITUTION:A position detecting rod 6 is provided at the same position in each unit shelf 1b as that in other unit shelves 1b, and a position detector 7, which is horizontally moved by means of a drivie mechanism and comprises a square window into which the position detecting rod 6 intrudes while having access to a specified unit shelf and an optical sensor to detect the deviation of position of the rod 6 intruding into the window to the center of the window in the vertical and horizontal directions, is provided in the lifting section of a handling mechanism. The position of a robot hand is minutely adjusted by the position deviation signals outputted from the position detector 7 to position the robot hand at the access position of a specified unit shelf 1b. This makes it possible to surely have access to the unit shelf specified in a multi-row and multi-stage storage shelf which is very long in overall length.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a robot hand positioning control apparatus for a multi-row, multi-stage storage rack.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since various kinds of parts are used in an assembly factory for mechanical devices, electronic devices, etc., an accommodating shelf having a multi-row, multi-stage unit shelf is provided to store the parts by type, and if necessary, It is taken out and distributed. When there are many types of parts, managing the correspondence between parts and unit shelves and storing / removing (accessing) parts to and from each unit shelf becomes complicated, and it is difficult to handle by hand.
The management is computerized, and the access is automated by the handling of the robot mechanism.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a multi-row, multi-tiered storage rack.
(a) shows a front view of the cabinet of the storage shelf, (b) shows the size of each unit shelf, and (c) shows the construction method of the storage shelf. In Fig. 4 (a), a cabinet 1a having a width W and a height H of 1.8M, for example, is made of a suitable metal plate, and 400 unit shelves 1b of 10 rows and 40 stages are provided therein. The storage shelf 1 is configured. When there are more types of parts, the storage shelves 1 are constructed on both sides of the cabinet 1a, and a plurality of n sets thereof are connected side by side. For example, 5 sets of storage shelves 1-
In the case of 1, 1-2, ... 1-5, a total of 4000 unit shelves 1b can be obtained, and the total width is 9 meters. (b)
Indicates the size of each unit shelf 1b, the width w is about 18 cm, and the height h is about 4.5 cm. Since it is troublesome to assemble such a multi-row, multi-stage storage rack 1 made of metal, a method of molding plastics is used. (c) shows this, and the storage rack 1 is easily constructed by molding a multi-stage member 2 having half of the unit rack 1b on each of the left and right sides by molding and connecting them in the lateral direction.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a robot handling mechanism for accessing parts to the storage rack 1. A motor 3 is provided above and below the front surface (front surface and rear surface if necessary) of the storage shelf 1.
A moving mechanism 3 including bar screws 3b and 3d that rotate by a and 3c and a moving portion 3e that meshes with these and moves by rotation thereof is provided. An elevating part 4 that moves up and down is provided with respect to the moving part 3e, and a robot hand 5 is attached to this. The robot hand 5 is moved by the rotation of the motors 3a and 3b and the elevation of the elevating / lowering unit 3e under the control of the microprocessor to stop at the designated position of the unit shelf 1b. Here, the robot hand 5 is operated by the microprocessor, and the unit shelf 1
The part is accessed for b.

[0005]

In order to perform the above handling, the vertical and horizontal coordinate positions of each unit shelf 1b are determined from the dimensions of the storage shelf 1 and the unit shelf 1b and stored in the memory in advance. To be done. However, as described above, when the total width of the storage shelves reaches 9 M, the unit shelves 1b are likely to be laterally displaced. As for the height, there may be a positional deviation due to a change in the level of the floor surface on which the storage shelves 1 are arranged or the bending of the bar screws 3b and 3d. When the size of these misalignments cannot be ignored compared to the dimensions of the unit shelf 1b,
Access to parts by the robot hand is uncertain or impossible. On the other hand, when the number of storage shelves and unit shelves is a small number, the actual coordinate position of each unit shelf is accurately measured and stored in the memory, or handling is performed on each unit shelf to shift the position. Accurate access can be performed by correcting so-called so-called teaching. However, when there are a large number of unit shelves, it is not easy to perform accurate actual measurement and teaching. Therefore, it is considered appropriate to store approximate coordinate data in the memory and to provide a means for positioning the robot hand by detecting and correcting the positional deviation of each unit shelf at the access stage. This invention has been made in view of the above, and in a robot handling mechanism of parts for a multi-row, multi-stage storage rack,
An object of the present invention is to provide a control device which has means for detecting the positional deviation of each unit shelf at the access stage, corrects the positional deviation of the robot hand, and correctly positions the designated unit shelf.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a storage rack positioning control device that achieves the above-mentioned object, wherein position detection rods protruding horizontally are provided at the same position on each unit rack. In addition, a rectangular window that moves horizontally in the elevating section of the handling mechanism by the drive mechanism, and the position detection rod approaches the designated unit shelf, and the vertical position of the invading position detection rod with respect to the center of the window. A position detector having an optical sensor for detecting a position shift in the horizontal direction is provided. The handling mechanism is operated by the position shift signal output from the position detector to finely adjust the position of the robot hand, and the robot hand is positioned with respect to the designated unit shelf.

[0007]

In the above control device, the elevating part of the handling mechanism is moved to a position corresponding to the designated unit shelf and stopped by the control of the microprocessor. here,
The position detector approaches the designated unit shelf by the drive mechanism, and the position detection rod enters the window. The optical sensor detects the positional deviation of the invading position detecting rod in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the center of the window. The handling mechanism is operated by this position shift signal to finely adjust the position of the robot hand, and the robot hand is positioned with respect to the designated unit shelf. It should be noted that these positional relationships are set in advance so that the robot hand will be in the correct access position with respect to the unit shelf when the rod coincides with the center of the window.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an overall configuration diagram and (b) is a partial detailed view. In FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), position detecting rods 6 projecting from the surface of the storage rack 1 are provided at appropriate, same positions of each unit rack 1b of the storage rack 1. The robot handling mechanism is the same as that shown in FIG. 5, and a position detector 7 having a window 7a is attached in parallel with the robot hand 5 provided on the elevating part 4. The positional relationship between the two is determined by the handling mechanism 7
Is moved up and down or left and right, and when the center of the window 7a coincides with the detection rod 6, the tip of the robot hand 5 moves to the unit shelf 1
Set so that the access position is correct for b.
Further, a motor 8 for moving the position detector 7 in the front-back direction with respect to the storage rack 1 is provided.

FIG. 2A shows an example of the configuration of the position detecting rod 6 and FIG. 2B shows an example of the configuration of the position detector 7. In Figure 2 (a),
The position detection rods 6 are provided at the positions shown in the unit shelves 1b, for example, but it is troublesome and inaccurate to attach them after the storage shelves 1 are manufactured. Therefore, as shown in FIG. When the molding member 2 is molded, it is molded together. As a result, the position detecting rod 6 is accurately positioned and is easily molded. In FIG. 2 (b), the position detector 7 cuts out a window 7b having a size corresponding to the range of the positional deviation of the unit shelf 1b on a base plate 7a having an appropriate size. Multiple windows in the horizontal direction around the window 7b (4 in the figure)
The light emitter 7c and the light receiver 7d are arranged, and the light emitter 7f and the light receiver 7g are arranged in the vertical direction to form an optical sensor. Connecting. Position detection rod 6 on window 7b
When the light enters, the light emitted from either of the light emitters is blocked,
Vertical and horizontal misalignment of the rod 6 with respect to the center of the window is detected. The optical sensor may be different in the number and configuration method of the light projector and the light receiver from each other, but in any case, any device capable of detecting the positional deviation of the position detection rod 6 may be used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the control unit. The control unit 9 includes a microprocessor (MPU) 9a, an operation unit 9b,
It is composed of a memory 9c and three control circuits 9d, 9e, 9f. The vertical position detecting circuit 7e, the horizontal position detecting circuit 7h, the motors 3a and 3b, the elevating unit 4, and the motor 8 are connected to the control unit 9 as illustrated. In addition, the memory 9c stores in advance approximate coordinate data of each unit shelf 1b determined from the dimensions of each part. The handling of parts will be described with reference to FIG. 3. First, when the unit shelf 1b is designated by the operation unit 9b, the MPU 9a
Reads out the coordinate data from the memory 9c, and the control circuit 9
The motors 3a and 3c rotate to move the moving part 3e, and the elevating part 4 moves up or down to stop at a designated position relative to the designated unit shelf 1b. Here, a movement command is given from the MPU 9a to the control circuit 9f, the motor 8 operates, the position detector 7 approaches the unit shelf 1b, and the position detection rod 6 enters the window 7b. The optical sensor detects the positional deviation of the rod 6 with respect to the center of the window 7b, and the positional deviation signals are output from the vertical position detecting circuit 7e and the horizontal position detecting circuit 7h. These are given to the control circuits 9d and 9e via the MPU 9a, and the moving part 3e and the elevating part 4 are respectively moved and moved up and down so that the positional deviation becomes 0,
The robot hand 5 stops at the correct access position, and the parts are accessed to the unit shelf 1b. Around this, the position detector 7 retracts and recovers.

[0011]

As described above, in the storage rack positioning control device according to the present invention, the position detection rod provided on each unit rack and the position detector provided on the elevating part of the robot handling mechanism specify the position. It detects the position shift of the robot hand with respect to the access position of the unit shelf, and finely adjusts the robot hand with the position shift signal to position it at the correct access position.It does not require troublesome teaching for the robot mechanism, and multi-row multi-stage Therefore, there is a great effect that the parts can be surely accessed in a storage rack having a very long length.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is an overall configuration diagram, and (b) is a partial detailed diagram.

FIG. 2A is a position detection rod in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a position detector.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control unit in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a multi-row, multi-stage storage shelf, (a) is a front view, (b) is a size of each unit shelf, and (c) is a method of constructing a storage shelf.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a robot handling mechanism for parts.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 1-1, 1-2, ... 1-n ... Storage rack, 1a ... Cabinet, 1b ... Unit shelf, 2 ... Mold member, 3 ... Moving mechanism,
3a, 3c ... Motor, 3b, 3d ... Bar screw, 3e ... Moving part,
4 ... Elevating part, 5 ... Robot hand, 6 ... Position detection rod, 7 ... Position detector, 7a ... Base plate, 7b ... Window, 7c,
7f ... Emitter, 7d, 7g ... Photoreceiver, 7e ... Vertical position detection circuit, 7h ... Horizontal position detection circuit, 8 ... Motor, 9 ... Control section, 9a ... Microprocessor (MPU), 9b ... Operation section, 9c ... Memory , 9d, 9e, 9f ... Control circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A moving part which is provided facing a component storage shelf having multi-row multi-stage unit shelves, is controlled by a microprocessor, and moves in a horizontal direction, and which is attached to the moving part and moves up and down in a vertical direction. In a robot handling mechanism composed of an elevating part and a robot hand attached to the elevating part and accessing parts to the designated unit shelves, the unit horizontally protrudes at the same position of each of the unit shelves. Position detecting rods are provided respectively, and a rectangular window through which the position detecting rods enter by the approach by moving horizontally in the elevating part by a driving mechanism to approach the designated unit shelf, and the position of the intruded position. A position detector having an optical sensor for detecting the positional deviation of the detection rod in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the center of the window is provided, and the output of the position detector is provided. A storage rack positioning control device characterized in that the handling mechanism is operated in response to a force shift signal to finely adjust the position of the robot hand to position the robot hand with respect to the designated unit rack.