JPH11320470A - Robot hand device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot hand device without any interference by a pusher nor an action range restriction by providing a holding means for holding a work, at least, in one of stoppers. SOLUTION: When a pull-down fork claw 7 is inserted under a work 3 and a vertical drive cylinder 7f is actuated, it is transmitted to a link part 7e, a connecting part 7d, and a block 7c to raise an upward adsorption pad 7b and the vacuum suction is made by a vacuum pipe 7g to suck the work 3. When the vacuum suction of the vacuum pipe 7g is released to withdraw a vertical drive cylinder 7f, it is transmitted to the link part 7e, the connecting part 7d, and the block 7c to lower the upward suction pad 7b, and when the pull-down fork claw 7 is drawn and a work 3 is stacked thereon, the bottom part of the work 3 is sucked and fixed by the upward suction pad 7b. The work holding is thus implemented by an suction pad embedded in the pull-down fork, thereby dispensing with the pusher and eliminating any interference and action range restriction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hand device attached to, for example, an industrial robot, and more particularly to a hand device of a palletizing robot for stacking works on a pallet or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 10 and 11 are general views showing an example of a general palletizing robot system. In the figure, 1 is a robot body for palletizing, 2 is a robot hand body for palletizing, 3 is a work such as a carton,
4 is a conveyor for supplying works, 5 is a pallet for stacking works, and 6 is a backing sheet supply device.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show an example of a hand device used in a conventional palletizing robot system. In the drawing, reference numeral 2a denotes a pull-down fork claw for picking up a work to be conveyed and moving back and forth to drop the work. Reference numeral 2b denotes a pusher for pulling down the work and pressing against the fork claw. Stopper, 2
Reference numeral d denotes a mount holder, and reference numeral 2e denotes a work height detection switch.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the operation of the palletizing robot body 1 is as follows. The palletizing robot hand body 2 mounted on the palletizing robot body 1 grips the work 3 transferred onto the conveyor 4. And put it on the pallet 5. At this time, the operation of the palletizing robot hand body 2 is performed in a state in which the pusher 2b is raised and the pull-down fork claw 2a is in a front position, and the fork is moved under the work 3 conveyed onto the conveyor 4 under the fork. Push the claws 2a up and scoop up. At that time, the pusher 2b is lowered, the work 3 is pressed down, the palletizing robot body 1 is swung, and the pallet 5 is moved to the stacking position. So pusher 2
When the fork claw 2a is retracted and the fork claw 2a is retracted, the work 3 is pressed against the stopper 2c and its position is corrected, and the work 3 is dropped and dropped onto the pallet surface when the fork claw 2a is completely lowered.

[0005] If necessary, the palletized work 3 is laid on the palletized work 3 by holding the mount every several stages of the palletized work 3. At that time, the synthetic fiber 6a
Is transported to the pallet 5 by being gripped by the mount gripping portion 2 d mounted on the palletizing robot hand body 2. Further, if necessary, the current height of the palletized work 3 is measured, and the height at which the next work 3 is placed is corrected. At this time, the current height of the palletized work 3 is measured by contacting from above the work 3 with the work height detection switch unit 2e mounted on the palletizing robot hand body 2.

[0006]

However, the conventional palletizing robot hand device having the above-described structure has the following problems. That is, when the palletizing robot main body 1 performs a swinging operation, the pusher 2 is used to prevent the work 3 from jumping out or shifting due to centrifugal force or the like.
b is lowered and the work 3 is pressed down by a force not to lose the centrifugal force. At this time, however, there is a problem that a trace of the pusher 2b strongly pressed is formed on the upper surface of the work 3. Also,
The pusher 2b has a problem in that the pusher 2b is easily broken due to the vertical force of the pressing force and the reaction force and the horizontal force due to the centrifugal force, and there is also a problem that a support such as a guide is required in some cases.

In some cases, the pusher 2b requires a longer stroke, and protrudes long above the palletizing robot hand main body 2, thereby narrowing the operable range of the palletizing robot main body 1. There was a problem that there was a risk of interference when doing.

When the backing paper 6a is gripped by the backing paper holding part 2d, the end of the backing paper 6a must be gripped at two places. was there. In addition, when the mount is not held, the mount holding portion 2d is likely to be in the way, so a retracting mechanism is required. When detecting the height of the work 3, a dedicated work height detecting switch 2e is provided. In addition, there is a problem that the work height detection switch unit 2e may be stuck on the binding band of the work after coming into contact with the upper surface of the work 3.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem. By eliminating the need for a pusher, the trace of the pusher on the upper surface of the work is eliminated, and the interference by the pusher and the limitation of the operating range are prevented. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a robot hand device that can be eliminated. Another object of the present invention is to provide a robot hand device which can simplify the configuration, securely hold and convey a member to be conveyed such as a backing sheet, and efficiently detect the work height without using a dedicated work height detection switch. And

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand device for a robot, comprising: a hand device attached to an operating end portion of the robot; A holding means for holding the work is provided on at least one of the claw and the stopper for restricting the work from moving when the pull-down fork claw is retracted.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the holding means is a suction pad for sucking a work.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the suction pad is embedded in the pull-down fork claw.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot hand device according to the third aspect of the present invention, further comprising vacuum driving means provided in the pull-down fork claw to drive the suction pad.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the suction pad is provided on the stopper.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot hand device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, further comprising vacuum driving means provided in the stopper and driving the suction pad.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the holding means is provided on at least one of the pull-down fork claw and the stopper, and is means for sucking and adsorbing a work. It is assumed that there is.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand device according to the seventh aspect, the means for sucking / sucking the work has a structure in which the pull-down fork claw has a hollow structure, and the pull-down fork claw itself has a hollow structure. It has an evacuation hole formed in the surface and control means for controlling the evacuation.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the means for sucking and adsorbing the workpiece has a hollow structure for the stopper, and is provided on the surface of the stopper itself. And a control means for controlling the evacuation.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, there is provided a means provided on the lower surface side in the drop-in fork claw, for adsorbing and detaching the transported member. It is provided.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand device according to the tenth aspect, the means for sucking and releasing the conveyed member is embedded in the lower surface side of the drop-in fork claw to suck the mount. Then, the suction pad for mounting sheet supply is made to release the mounting sheet by forcibly exhausting.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot hand device according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, further comprising a vacuum switch provided in association with the mounting sheet supply suction pad and detecting a height of a work. .

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the overall configuration of a palletizing robot system to which the present invention is applied as an example will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 described above.

Embodiment 1 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entirety thereof, and FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the internal details of a fork claw with a built-in suction pad of FIG. . In FIGS. 1 and 2, portions corresponding to FIGS. 10 to 13 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the figure, 7 is a pull-down fork claw in which an upward suction pad is embedded, 7a is an opening opening on the upper surface of the pull-down fork claw 7, 7
b is an upward suction pad as a holding means that moves up and down at the position of the opening, 7c is a block for mounting the upward suction pad 7b, 7d is a component connecting the blocks 7c, 7
e is a link for transmitting the movement of the vertical drive cylinder, 7f
Is a cylinder for vertically driving the suction pad, and 7g is a vacuum pipe. The components 7c to 7g are arranged on the upward suction pad 7b.
And a vacuum driving means for driving.

Next, the operation will be described. Conveyor 4
Before the workpiece 3 is gripped by the upward suction pad 7b,
It is in the position where it entered the withdrawal claw 7. After the pull-down fork claw 7 is inserted under the work 3, the vertical drive cylinder 7 f comes out when scooping up, and the link portion 7
e, the upward suction pad 7b is lifted by being transmitted to the connecting component 7d and the block 7c. At this time, the vacuum is turned on by the vacuum pipe 7g, and the work 3 is sucked. When loading the work 3 on the pallet 5, the evacuation of the vacuum pipe 7g is turned off, and the upward suction pad 7b is lowered by being transmitted to the link 7e, the connecting part 7d, and the floc 7c for pulling the vertical drive cylinder 7f. Let it. Thereafter, the work 3 is stacked by pulling down the fork claw 7. At this time, since the lower surface of the work 3 is suction-fixed by the upward suction pad 7b, there is no need for a conventional pusher that presses from above, and no trace of the pusher remains on the upper surface of the work 3.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the work is held by the suction pad embedded in the pull-down fork claw, the pusher is not required, and the trace of the pusher on the upper surface of the work is eliminated, and the interference and the operation are prevented. There is no range restriction.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the entirety thereof, and FIG. 4 is a left side view showing the internal details of the fork pawls and the stopper of FIG. It is. In FIGS. 3 and 4, parts corresponding to those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the figure,
Numeral 8 denotes a hollow structure, which has a vacuum evacuation hole on the upper surface to draw and suck a work, and a suction fork claw 8a is provided on the upper surface of the fork claw 8;
Reference numeral b denotes a vacuum pipe for evacuating the dropping fork claw 8 having a hollow structure, 9 a stopper having a hollow structure having a hole for evacuation on a side surface for sucking and sucking a work, and 9a a side surface of the stopper 9. The suction hole 9b is a vacuum pipe for evacuating the stopper 9 having a hollow structure. The vacuum pipes 8b and 9b together with a vacuum source (not shown) constitute control means for substantially controlling the evacuation.

Next, the operation will be described. Before gripping the work 3 by the conveyor 4, the vacuum pipes 8b and 9b
After the evacuation is turned off and the fork claw 8 is dropped under the work 3, the evacuation is turned on by the vacuum pipes 8b and 9b when scooping up, and the work 3 is sucked. When stacking the work 3 on the pallet 5, the vacuuming of the vacuum pipes 8b and 9b is turned off, and the work 3 is stacked by pulling down the fork claw 8. At this time, the lower surface or the lateral surface of the work 3 has vacuum pipes 8b and 9 respectively.
Since the suction is fixed by turning on the evacuation of b, the conventional pusher that presses from above is not necessary, and the work 3
There are no traces of the pusher on the upper surface.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the work is held by using a pull-down fork claw having a hollow structure, and a vacuum evacuation hole is formed in the upper surface of the pull-down fork claw itself to suck / suck the work, or to stop the work. Has a hollow structure, a hole is evacuated in front of the stopper itself, and the work is sucked and adsorbed.This eliminates the need for a pusher and eliminates the trace of the pusher on the top surface of the work.
There is no interference or limited operating range.

Embodiment 3 5 and 6 show a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the whole, and FIG. 6 is a left side view showing the internal details of the stopper of FIG. In FIGS. 5 and 6, parts corresponding to those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the drawing, reference numeral 10 denotes a stopper having an opening through which a suction pad can enter and exit, 10a denotes an opening opened to the stopper, 10b denotes a horizontal suction pad as a holding means which enters and exits at the position of the opening, and 10c denotes a horizontal suction pad. A block 10b is mounted, 10d is a suction pad forward / backward moving cylinder, 10e is a cylinder block connecting part for transmitting the movement of the forward / backward moving cylinder, and 10f is a vacuum pipe. The components 10c to 10g constitute vacuum driving means for driving the horizontal suction pad 10b.

Next, the operation will be described. Conveyor 4
Before the workpiece 3 is gripped, the horizontal suction pad 10b is in a position inside the stopper 10 (the forward / backward moving cylinder 10d comes out). After the drop-in fork claw 2a is inserted under the work 3, the cylinder 10d for forward and backward movement is retracted when scooping up, and the suction pad 10b is moved forward along the cylinder / block connecting part 10e.

At this time, the vacuum is turned on by the vacuum pipe 10f, and the work 3 is sucked. When the work 3 is stacked on the pallet 5, the vacuum suction of the vacuum pipe 10f is turned off, and the forward / backward moving cylinder 10d is taken out.
Retreat. Thereafter, the work 3 is stacked by pulling down the fork claw 2a. At this time, since the stopper portion of the work 3 is sucked and fixed by the horizontal suction pad 10b, there is no need for a conventional pusher for pressing down from above, and no trace of the pusher remains on the upper surface of the work 3.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the work is held by the suction pad provided on the stopper, the pusher is not required, the trace of the pusher on the upper surface of the work is eliminated, and the interference and the operation range are limited. Disappears.

Embodiment 4 FIG. 7 and 8 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the entirety thereof, and FIG. 8 is a left side view showing the internal details of the fork claw of FIG. In FIGS. 7 and 8, parts corresponding to those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the drawing, reference numeral 11 denotes a pull-down fork claw in which a downward suction pad is embedded, 1la denotes an opening opening on the lower surface of the pull-down fork claw 11, and 1lb suctions and conveys a conveyed member slightly protruding from the lower surface at the position of the opening. A downward suction pad, which is a mount supply suction pad, is a block for mounting the downward suction pad 1lb, 1ld is a vacuum pipe, and 6a is a mount as a member to be conveyed.

Next, the operation will be described. When carrying the mount 6a from the mount supply device 6 with a palletizing robot hand, the downward suction pad 1lb protruding from the lower surface of the withdrawal fork claw 11 is brought into close contact with the mount 6a,
The vacuum evacuation of the vacuum pipe 1ld is turned on to adsorb the mount 6a. The mount 6a is conveyed to a position above the pallet 5, the vacuum of the vacuum pipe 1ld is turned off on the stacked work, and the mount 6a is released. In this case, the mount 6a can be gripped at the center with the downward suction pad 1lb, and can be stably gripped instead of being held in an unstable manner such as gripping one end. Further, since the pull-down fork claw 11 located on the downward suction pad 1lb forcibly flaps under the influence of the mount 6a being conveyed or the wind pressure, poor gripping and dropping can be prevented.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the suction pad is buried in the lower surface side of the drop-in fork claw for mounting paper supply, and suction is performed with the suction pad. Instead of holding it, it can be suction-held near the center, which reduces grip errors and slippage of the backing paper,
In addition, a mechanism for retracting the extra mount holding portion is not required.

Embodiment 5 FIG. 9 shows the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and is a left side view showing the internal details of the fork claw. In FIG. 9, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 8 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the figure, reference numeral 11e denotes a vacuum switch installed on a vacuum pipe 11d.

Next, the operation will be described. Pallet 6
In order to measure the height of the work 3 stacked in FIG.
And the downward suction pad 11b protruding from the lower surface of the pull-down fork claw 11 is brought into close contact with the work 3 and lowered until the vacuum switch 11e is turned on. Here, the height of the work 3 is known from the current value of the robot when the vacuum switch 11e is turned on.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the height of the work is detected by the suction pad and the vacuum switch embedded in the lower surface of the pull-down fork claw. it can. Further, since the height is detected by contacting the work with a soft rubber material such as a suction pad, the work is not caught by the binding band of the work after the contact.

Embodiment 6 FIG. In the second embodiment, a case has been described where holes for vacuum evacuation are formed on both the upper surface of the pull-down fork claw itself and the front surface of the stopper itself. However, a sufficient holding force for sucking and adsorbing a work is obtained. If possible, a hole may be formed in one of them. Also, the suction pad embedded in the pull-down fork claw according to the first embodiment and the suction pad installed on the stopper according to the third embodiment may be used at the same time. Furthermore, if the space in the pull-down fork claw allows, the suction pad embedded in the lower surface side in the pull-down fork claw for the backing sheet supply in the fourth embodiment may be applied to the first to third embodiments,
Further, a vacuum switch for detecting the height of the work provided in connection with this may be provided.

[0040]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the hand device attached to the operating end of the robot, the work to be conveyed is scooped, the pull-down fork claw for moving back and forth to drop the work, and the work. Is provided with holding means for holding the workpiece on at least one of the stoppers that restricts movement of the fork claw when retracted, so that the pusher conventionally used is eliminated,
Eliminates traces on the upper surface of the work, failures of the pusher itself, operation restrictions or interference, thereby improving the quality and flexibility of the palletizing line robot hand, and achieving stable line operation. There is.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the holding means is a suction pad for sucking the work, there is an effect that the pressing trace on the upper surface of the work can be eliminated.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the suction pad comprises:
Since it is embedded in the pull-down fork claw, there is an effect that the operation range of the device can be limited and interference can be eliminated.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the vacuum driving means for driving the suction pad provided in the pull-down fork claw is provided, there is an effect that the work can be reliably sucked.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the suction pad comprises:
Since it is installed on the stopper, there is an effect that the operation range of the device can be limited and interference can be eliminated.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the vacuum driving means for driving the suction pad provided in the stopper is provided, there is an effect that the work can be surely suctioned.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the holding means is provided on at least one of the pull-down fork claw and the stopper, and is a means for sucking and sucking the work, so that a pressing trace on the upper surface of the work can be eliminated. This has the effect.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the work is sucked
The suction means has a draw-down fork claw having a hollow structure, and has a vacuum evacuation hole formed on the surface of the draw-down fork claw itself, and control means for controlling vacuum evacuation. There is an effect that the work can be surely sucked and adsorbed without being restricted or interfered with, and the work can be gripped and conveyed without an extra lifting mechanism.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the work is sucked
The suction means has a stopper having a hollow structure, and has a vacuum evacuation hole formed on the surface of the stopper itself and a control means for controlling the evacuation, so that the operation range of the apparatus is limited or interfered. Workpiece is sucked without receiving
There is an effect that the work can be gripped and conveyed by omitting an extra up-down mechanism and the like.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, a means is provided on the lower surface side of the drop-in fork claw for sucking and releasing the member to be conveyed. There is an effect that it can be gripped and transported.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the means for sucking and releasing the member to be conveyed is embedded in the lower surface side of the pull-down fork claw to suck the mount and forcibly exhaust to release the mount. Since it is a backing paper supply suction pad, it is possible to hold by suction at the center of the member to be conveyed, and it is possible to carry out stable conveyance without gripping mistakes and misalignment after holding, and the mount backing mechanism is also complicated. There is an effect that it becomes simple to mount the fixed suction pad from the product.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, since the vacuum switch for detecting the height of the work is provided in association with the suction pad for supplying the backing sheet, the structure is simplified and the binding by the binding band is eliminated. In addition, since it can also be used as a mount holding function, there is an effect that an extra mechanism can be omitted. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a left side view showing internal details of a fork claw with a built-in suction pad according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a left side view showing the internal details of a fork claw with a built-in suction pad according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a left side view showing the internal details of a fork claw with a built-in suction pad according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a left side view showing internal details of a fork claw with a built-in suction pad according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a left side view showing internal details of a fork claw with a built-in suction pad according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a top view showing the overall configuration of the palletizing robot system.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a palletizing robot system.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing a hand device of a conventional palletizing robot.

FIG. 13 is a front view showing a hand device of a conventional palletizing robot.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Palletizing robot hand body, 3 workpieces, 7 Drop-down fork claw (built-in upward suction pad), 7a Upward closing part, 7b Upward suction pad, 7c Suction pad mounting block, 7d
Block connecting parts, 7e link part, 7f suction pad vertical drive cylinder, 7g vacuum pipe, 8
Drop-down fork claw (hollow, top hole type), 8
a Suction hole, 8b vacuum pipe, 9 stopper (hollow, side hole opening type), 9a suction hole, 9b vacuum pipe, 10 stopper (built-in suction pad type), 10
a stopper opening, 10b horizontal suction pad,
10c Suction pad mounting block, 10d Cylinder for forward / backward movement of suction pad, 10e Cylinder block connecting part, 10f Vacuum piping, 11 Pull-down fork claw (built-in downward suction pad), 1la
Downward opening, 1lb downward suction pad, 1lc
Suction pad mounting block, 1 ld vacuum piping,
1le vacuum switch.

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A hand device attached to an operating end portion of a robot, wherein a work to be conveyed is scooped up, a pull-down fork claw that moves back and forth to drop the work, and that the work is restricted from moving when the draw-down fork claw is retracted. A holding device for holding a workpiece on at least one of the stoppers. 2. The hand device of a robot according to claim 1, wherein said holding means is a suction pad for sucking a work. 3. The suction pad is embedded in the pull-down fork claw.
The hand device of the robot described. 4. The hand device for a robot according to claim 3, further comprising a vacuum driving means provided in the pull-down fork claw to drive the suction pad. 5. The robot hand device according to claim 2, wherein the suction pad is provided on the stopper. 6. The robot hand device according to claim 5, further comprising vacuum driving means provided in said stopper to drive said suction pad. 7. The holding means is provided on at least one of the pull-down fork claw and the stopper,
2. The robot hand device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a means for sucking and sucking a work. 8. The means for sucking / sucking the work, wherein the pull-down fork claw has a hollow structure, and controls a vacuum-evacuation hole formed in the surface of the pull-down fork claw itself and the vacuum-evacuation. The robot hand device according to claim 7, further comprising control means. 9. The means for sucking and adsorbing the work, wherein the stopper has a hollow structure, and comprises a vacuum evacuation hole formed in the surface of the stopper itself, and a control means for controlling the vacuum evacuation. The robot hand device according to claim 7, comprising: 10. The robot hand device according to claim 1, further comprising a means provided on a lower surface side in the pulling-down fork claw, for sucking and releasing the member to be conveyed. The means for adsorbing and releasing the conveyed member is embedded in the lower surface of the pull-down fork claw, and is a sheet-feeding suction pad for adsorbing the sheet and forcibly exhausting the sheet to release the sheet. 11. The robot hand device according to claim 10, wherein: 12. The robot hand device according to claim 11, further comprising a vacuum switch provided in connection with the mount pad supply suction pad and detecting a height of the work.