JPS6165791A - Article unloading system by robot - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a system in which a robot unloads articles from a pallet, and is particularly suitable when the arrangement of articles on the pallet is different from pallet to pallet. Regarding the system.

[Background of the invention]

Conventionally, unloading of articles from pallets has been performed manually. Recently, mechanization of unloading work has been attracting attention for the following reasons.

(1) As labor costs have soared, it is necessary to save labor.

(2) Labor (121 people are required to perform simple tasks, making it difficult to secure a workforce).

Currently, the parts loaded on pallets 1 to 6 have the same shape, and the mechanization of unloading using a depalletizer is
It is being expressed. However, when the shapes of articles loaded on pallets vary, for example, when unloading air cargo, it is not possible to unload the articles using a depalletizer.

In addition to depalletizers, there are robots as a means of mechanizing unloading. As a robot movement teaching method,
Currently, the playback method is common. However, when the articles loaded on the pallet have many different shapes, the arrangement of the articles on the pallet differs from pallet to pallet. Therefore, in the playback method of teaching, since it is necessary to teach each palette, there is no effective method in this case.

Therefore, when articles loaded on pallets have many different shapes, it is not possible to mechanize unloading using the conventional method.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a system in which unloading work is performed by a robot when the arrangement of articles on the pallets differs from pallet to pallet.

[Summary of the invention]

Roboticization of unloading work can be realized by reversing the order of loading if it is known what goods were loaded, where, and in what order. In other words, it is sufficient to know the primary data.

(i) The shape of the goods loaded on the pallet.

(ii) Placement of articles on pallets.

(Lit) Loading order of goods.

However, data of 1 or more cannot be determined just by looking at the items loaded on the pallet from the outside.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned data can be easily taken in on the side where the goods are loaded.In the present invention, by taking in the above-mentioned data along with the goods from the loading side, unloading work can be automated into a robot.

[Embodiments of the invention]

The system of the present invention consists of the following five functions.

(1) Unloading operation determination data creation function: When loading articles onto a pallet, the shape of the articles to be loaded.

The loading order of goods, the position of the robot hand's operating point when the robot releases goods on the pallet.

In order to determine the robot's unloading operation, it is necessary to calculate the following data: the shape of the articles loaded on the pallet, the arrangement of the articles on the pallet, and the loading order of the articles.

(2) Unloading operation decision data output function: Created in (1). The unloading operation determination data is stored in a storage means such as a floppy disk or a magnetic card.

(3) Unloading operation determination data storage function: The unloading operation determination data stored in a storage means such as a floppy disk or a magnetic card is taken in and stored in a storage device.

(4) Unloading operation determination function: It takes in the unloading operation determination data stored in the storage device mentioned above and the positional relationship data between the robot and the pallet when performing unloading work, and performs the following robot unloading operations. Determine the data.

(i) Location of operating point.

(n) Operation 1, etc. at each operating point.

(5) Unloading operation teaching function: Outputs the robot's unloading operation data determined in (4) to the robot controller.

In order to realize the above functions, a device configuration as shown in FIG. 1 is adopted.

How the unloading operation of the robot is determined and taught to the robot using this device configuration will be explained through an example.

<1> One worker at the shipping source inputs the following data into the computer 1 using the input terminal 3.

(i) Shape of articles to be loaded onto pallets In this embodiment, it is assumed that rectangular parallelepiped articles are to be loaded. Therefore, enter the longitudinal dimension, lateral dimension, and height dimension.

(ii) Loading direction of articles: When loading articles, if the longitudinal direction of the articles matches the longitudinal direction of the pallet, it is assumed to be a "forward direction"; otherwise, it is assumed to be a "reverse direction".

(■) Order of loading goods: Enter the order in which goods are loaded.

(iv) Palette type code.

2) The computer 1 inputs the position of the release point (the point where the tip of the robot hand is located when the article is released) when each article is loaded onto the pallet from the robot controller.

<3> The unloading operation determination data creation unit 1-1 of the computer 1 creates the following unloading operation determination data from the data input in <1> and 2>, and stores it in the unloading side storage device t! 1-3
to be memorized. (See Figure 2) (i) Loading position of goods:
Set the orthogonal coordinate system on the palette and represent it using this.

(...) Article shape (length, width, and height dimensions of the rectangular parallelepiped article).

(fit)75? The stacking direction (for example, forward if the length of the article is oriented along the length of the pallet, otherwise reverse).

(~) Loading order.

(v) Palette type code.

<4> The unloading operation determination data output unit 1-2 of the computer 1 is stored in the loading flight storage device [1-3].

The unloading operation decision data is taken in and stored in the external storage means 5.

<5> Send the external storage means 5 to the destination together with the goods.

<6> The unloading operation determination data storage section 2-1 of the computer 2 is stored in the external storage device i! The unloading operation determination data stored in t! Store in A2-4.

<7> The worker inputs the following pallet data into the computer 2 using the unloading side input terminal 7.

(1) Type code of the pallet used for unloading.

(ii) Pallet installation position, expressed in a coordinate system (robot coordinate system) based on 10 bots.

(ill unloading site position fi! (represented in robot coordinate system).

(8> The unloading operation determination unit 2-2 of the computer 2 uses the unloading operation determination data stored in the unloading side memory bag WA,
> Import the pallet data entered, determine the unloading operation using the method below, and save the unloading side memory bag! 1B2-5 (see Figure 3).

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the unloading robot is a Cartesian coordinate robot.

1: Determining the order of unloading goods Generally speaking, the order of robots and packets! a! Depending on the relationship, the order of unloading goods will change. Therefore.

The order of unloading the goods is determined based on the installation position of the pallet, the dimensions of the goods, the loading position of the goods, etc.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the positional relationship between the robot and the pallet at the shipping source and shipping destination is the same. Therefore, goods are unloaded in the reverse order of loading.

2: Determination of operation data In this embodiment, it is assumed that the robot unloads articles through the following first-order operation. This will be explained below using FIG.

(i) The robot hand, which has been stopped at the standby point 41, starts operating when a start signal is input from the computer 2.

(ii) The robot hand moves to one gripping point 42.

At this point, the article is gripped, raised perpendicularly to the pallet surface, and moved to the first pass point 43.

(Melon) Next, the robot hand moves horizontally to the pallet surface from the passing point 43, and moves to the passing point 44, which is a point directly above the article release point 45.

(iv) descend perpendicularly to the pallet surface from the passing point 44;
Move to release point 45.

(v) the robot hand releases the article at the release point 45;
It moves again to the passing point 46 located at the same position as the passing point 44.

(vi) Move from passing point 46 to waiting point 41, total Wt1
Repeat steps (i) to (positive) until the stop signal from step 2 is input.

In order to cause the robot to perform the above operations, the operation order 2 operation information for each of the six operation points is determined as follows.

Standby point 41: Operation sequence 1: Hand open 'Moving speed to the primary operating point' Low speed 'Precision positioning when moving to the primary operating point', Synchronized operation with external signal + 2 List 90
° Rotation (conversion of unloading direction) is 'No' if the direction at the loading position of the article and the unloading direction match, otherwise 1
Case 1: Yes (the orientation of the folded article shall not change unless the list is rotated by 90°).

Gripping point 42: Operation order 2: Hand 'closed', movement speed 'medium speed', positioning accuracy 'coarse', external signal 'no' 9 in the list
0° 'No'.

Passing point 43: Operation order 3: Hand 'closed', movement speed 'medium speed', positioning accuracy 'coarse', external signal 'no' 9 in the list
0° rotation is 'none' when the direction at the loading position of the article and the unloading direction match.

If not, there is.

Passing point 44: Operation sequence 4: Hand closed, moving speed slow, 1 positioning accuracy, fine, external signal absent, 9 in the list.
0' rotation 'no'.

Release point 45: Operation order 5: Hand “Kan”, moving speed “High speed” 1 Positioning accuracy “Coarse”, External signal focus”, 9 in the list
0"No rotation".

Passing process 46: Operation sequence 6: Hand open', moving speed 'high speed', 2 positioning, accuracy 1'coarse', external signal 'natural', wrist 90" rotation 'no'.

The positions of the above six operating points can be determined as follows.

Location of O waiting point 41: (X= , Y= , I) As high a position as possible near the unloading area.

O grip point 42 position El: (Xs, Ya, Za
) As shown in FIG. 5, the right front and lower apex of the article when viewed from the X-axis direction (robot coordinates) is at the loading position fi!
It is assumed that the cargo is loaded so as to match (X,,Y,,Z,) (expressed in the robot coordinate system). Also the 6th
As shown in the figure, the robot hand grips the object so that the tip of the robot hand and the center of gravity of the object are on the same straight line. Based on this assumption, the position of the gripping point is as follows.

x, =xL-x/2 Ya =Y, -y/2 Z, =Z, +z/ However, x, y, and z are the X-axis of the object being held, respectively, as shown in FIG. Dimensions in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions.

Position of O release point 45: (x@, Yl, Z-) - As shown in FIG. 5, the right front lower vertex of the article when viewed from the X-axis direction is the unloading area position (xo).

It is assumed that the cargo is unloaded so as to match Ya - zo ) (represented in the robot coordinate system). Under this assumption, the position of the release point is as follows.

X, =X0-x/2 Yi =Y0-y/2 Zm =26 + z/2 Position of 00 passage 43: 'CXpx-Y-z-ZPl)
As described above, the first passing point 43 is a point directly above the first gripping point 42. Therefore, Xa,=X0 y rz =y a z,,=h However, h>! 1, fZLI+H,) +z/2Z:
Z coordinate of loading position of article i, H4: height dimension of article i,
(i=1.2...,n) where n is the number of /(L/watt overloaded articles).

The height h is a height at which the article held by the robot hand does not come into contact with the article on the pallet.

03F! 1 over point 44 position” (Xrt, Yrz, Z
yz) As mentioned above, the passing point 44 is a point directly above the release point 45, and the Z coordinate is equal to the 2 coordinates of the passing point 43. Therefore, xvt = Xt = XL -x / 2Ypx =
Y* = YL)' / 2z,! =h Position of O passing point 46: (Xri+ Y-3, Zr2
) As mentioned above, the position of the passing point 46 coincides with the position of the passing point 44. Therefore, Xrz = Xrt = XL -x / 2Ypx =
Ypz=Yc -y/2 z, , = z, , = h By the above method, the position and operation information of the operation point for unloading each mt in the unloading operation determination data in the reverse order of the loading order is determined and stored in the storage device B on the unloading side.

<9> The unloading operation teaching unit 2-3 of the computer 2 takes in the unloading operation data stored in the unloading side storage device, and transmits the unloading side transmission bag ff! 8 to send it to the robot controller.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, when the shape of each item to be shipped is large in value, it is possible to teach the robot unloading operation in a shorter time than in the playback method. Therefore, even when the shapes of the articles to be shipped vary, the robot can unload the articles.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 shows the overall configuration of a system for unloading goods from a pallet using a robot according to the present invention, Fig. 2 shows an example of unloading operation determination data in an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 shows unloading by a robot. An example of motion data, FIG. 4 is an example of robot motion during unloading work, FIG. 5 is an explanation of the loading position and unloading area position, and FIG. 6 is an example of robot motion during unloading work. '54 Figure A Ivy 6 En

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An unloading system comprising a robot control means and a robot that unloads goods loaded onto pallets and shipped from a shipping source according to instructions from the control means. The step includes the step of taking in data regarding the shape of the goods, their arrangement on the pallet, and the loading order along with the goods loaded on the pallet from the shipping source, and providing the taken data to the robot control means to control the robot. 1. A system for unloading goods using a robot, characterized by comprising steps for performing unloading work. 2. The step of causing the robot to perform the unloading work is characterized by the steps of creating unloading operation determination data, outputting unloading operation determination data, storing unloading operation determination data, determining unloading operation, and teaching unloading operation. The article unloading system using a robot according to item 1. 3. The above-mentioned unloading operation determination data creation step takes in data such as the shape of the articles to be loaded and the loading order of the articles when loading the articles onto a pallet, and creates data necessary for determining the robot's unloading operation. The article unloading system using a robot according to item 1, characterized in that the shape of the articles loaded on the pallet, the arrangement on the pallet, and the loading order are calculated as data. 4. The unloading operation determination data output step is characterized in that the unloading operation determination data created in the unloading operation determination data creation step is stored in a storage means such as a floppy disk or a magnetic card. Article unloading system using a robot as described in Section 1. 5. The unloading operation determination data storage step is characterized in that the unloading operation determination data stored in a storage means such as a floppy disk is taken in and stored in a storage device. system. 6. The unloading operation determination step takes in the unloading operation determination data stored in the storage device and the positional relationship data between the robot and the pallet when performing unloading work, and calculates the unloading operation data of the robot. Item 1. The robot-based article unloading system according to item 1, characterized in that: 7. The article unloading system using a robot according to item 1, wherein the unloading operation teaching step outputs unloading operation data of the robot to a robot controller.