JPWO2019167700A1 - Food boxing system, food boxing device and food boxing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The food boxing system 1 includes a hand body 40, a plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B, a gripping motor 80 that brings the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B close to each other or separated from each other, and a robot that changes the position and orientation of the hand body 40. A food boxing device 4 having an arm 10 and a robot controller 200 for controlling the food boxing device 4 are provided, and the robot controller 200 has a plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B at positions where the food W1 to be boxed can be gripped. The pick control unit 214 that brings the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B close to each other until the food W1 is gripped, and the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B that grip the food W1 are brought into the box B1 to enter the food. W1 is arranged in the box B1 and has a place control unit 215 that separates a plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B from each other, and a gripping force control unit 216 that force-controls the gripping motor 80.

Description

The present disclosure relates to a food boxing system, a food boxing device and a food boxing method.

Patent Document 1 describes a grip body that grips an object, a flexible film that covers the grip surface of the grip body, and a fluid or fluid in the space between the flexible film and the grip body as the grip body approaches the object. A robot hand device comprising a fluid supply / discharge mechanism that supplies a gel-like fluid and discharges the fluid or the gel-like fluid from the space between the flexible membrane and the grip as the grip moves away from the object. Has been done.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-148380

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a food boxing system effective for automating food boxing operations.

The food boxing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a hand body, a plurality of fingers protruding in the same direction from the hand body, a gripping motor for bringing the plurality of fingers close to or separated from each other in the hand body, and the hand body. A food boxing device having an articulated robot arm connected to and changing the position and orientation of the hand body, and a controller for controlling the food boxing device, the controller can grip the food to be boxed. A pick control unit that controls the robot arm so as to arrange a plurality of fingers at positions and controls a gripping motor so that the plurality of fingers are brought close to each other until the food is gripped, and a food to be boxed is gripped. The robot arm is controlled so that the plurality of fingers are allowed to enter the box and the food is placed in the box, and the gripping motor is controlled so that the plurality of fingers are separated from each other until the food is released. It has a place control unit for controlling the food, and a gripping force control unit for force-controlling the gripping motor according to a preset force target value when a plurality of finger portions grip the food.

The food boxing device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a hand body, a plurality of fingers protruding in the same direction from the hand body, and a hand body so as to grip or release the food to be boxed by the plurality of fingers. A gripping motor that brings a plurality of fingers close to or separated from each other, and an articulated robot arm that is connected to the hand body and changes the position and orientation of the hand body, and each finger is from the hand body. A first protruding portion that protrudes, a second protruding portion that is provided at the end of the first protruding portion and further protrudes in a direction bent to one side with respect to the protruding direction of the first protruding portion, and a second protruding portion. It has a fingertip portion provided at the end portion.

The food boxing method according to still another aspect of the present disclosure includes a hand body, a plurality of fingers protruding in the same direction from the hand body, and a gripping motor for bringing the plurality of fingers close to or separated from each other in the hand body. Using an articulated robot arm that is connected to the hand body and changes the position and orientation of the hand body, the robot arm is controlled so that a plurality of fingers are placed at positions where the food to be boxed can be grasped. The gripping motor is controlled so that the plurality of fingers are brought close to each other until the food is gripped, and the plurality of fingers gripping the food to be packed are allowed to enter the box to bring the food into the box. The robot arm is controlled to be arranged, the gripping motor is controlled so as to separate the plurality of fingers from each other until the food is released, and the plurality of fingers are preset when gripping the food. Includes force control of the gripping motor according to the force target value.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a food boxing system effective for automating the food boxing operation.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the food boxing system. It is a front view of a hand. It is a side view of a hand. It is a bottom view of the hand. It is a bottom view which shows the deformation example of a hand. It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the robot arm. It is a perspective view which illustrates the box. It is a perspective view of a stage. It is sectional drawing of a stage. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of a stage. It is a schematic diagram which shows the posture of a hand when arranging food at the position of the outermost circumference in a box. It is a schematic diagram which shows the posture of a hand when arranging a new food in a position surrounded by a plurality of foods. It is a schematic diagram which shows the posture of a hand when arranging a new food in a position surrounded by a plurality of foods. It is a block diagram which illustrates the hardware configuration of a controller. It is a flowchart which shows the food boxing procedure. It is a schematic diagram which shows the modification of the food boxing system.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same function are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description is omitted.

[Food boxing system]
The food boxing system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system for automating at least a part of the food boxing operation. The food to be boxed may be any food with a clear individual. Specific examples of foods with clear individuals include agricultural products with clear individuals such as root vegetables, leaf stem vegetables, and fruits. The food with a clear individual may be a processed food (for example, processed meat product or confectionery) processed so that the individual is clear.

As shown in FIG. 1, the food boxing system 1 includes a food boxing device 4, a box conveyor 3, a boxing target conveyor 2, and a controller 5. Each will be described in detail below.

(Food boxing device)
The food boxing device 4 includes a robot hand 30 that grips the food to be transported, and a robot arm 10 that changes the position and posture of the robot hand 30. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the robot hand 30 includes a hand body 40, a plurality of (for example, two) finger portions 60A and 60B protruding from the hand body 40 in the same direction, and a plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B. It has a gripping motor 80 that moves the robots closer to or further from each other. By projecting in the same direction, it means that the direction in which the finger portion 60A protrudes from the hand body 40 and the direction in which the finger portion 60B protrudes from the hand body 40 substantially coincide with each other. Substantial match means that differences due to component dimensions and assembly errors are considered to be match.

Each of the finger portions 60A and 60B has a first protruding portion 61, a second protruding portion 62, and a fingertip portion 63. The first protruding portion 61 protrudes from the hand body 40 along the first direction d1. The second protruding portion 62 is provided at the end of the first protruding portion 61, and further protrudes in the second direction d2 which is bent to one side with respect to the first direction d1. In the illustration, the bending angle of the second direction d2 with respect to the first direction d1 is 90 °, but the bending angle is not limited to this. The bending angle of the second direction d2 with respect to the first direction d1 may be an acute angle or an obtuse angle.

The fingertip portion 63 is provided at the end of the second protruding portion 62. The fingertip portion 63 may further project in the third direction d3, which is bent to the opposite side of the hand body 40 with respect to the second direction d2. That is, the fingers 60A and 60B may be bent in a crank shape as a whole. In the illustration, the third direction d3 is parallel to the first direction d1, but is not limited to this. The third direction d3 may be a direction away from the hand body 40, and may be a direction inclined with respect to the first direction d1.

The intersecting portion 64 between the first protruding portion 61 and the second protruding portion 62 may be curved with a gentler curvature than the intersecting portion 65 between the second protruding portion 62 and the fingertip portion 63. In other words, the radius of curvature R1 of the intersection 64 may be larger than the radius of curvature R2 of the intersection 65. The curvature of the intersections 64 and 65 does not necessarily have to be arcuate, and the average radius of curvature of the intersection 64 may be larger than the average radius of curvature of the intersection 65.

Each of the finger portions 60A and 60B may further have a pad 66 for relieving the contact pressure between the fingertip portion 63 and the food W1. The pad 66 is made of a material that is more flexible than the fingertip 63. The pad 66 of the finger portion 60A and the pad 66 of the finger portion 60B are arranged so as to face each other. That is, the pad 66 of the finger portion 60A is attached to the fingertip portion 63 from the finger portion 60B side, and the pad 66 of the finger portion 60B is attached to the fingertip portion 63 from the finger portion 60A side. The fingertip portion 63 may be detachable from the second protruding portion 62. Hereinafter, in the description of the attachment / detachment structure of the fingertip portion 63, "outside" and "inside" mean the outside and the inside in the direction in which the finger portions 60A and 60B are arranged. That is, the outer side of the finger portion 60A means the opposite side of the finger portion 60B, and the inner side of the finger portion 60A means the finger portion 60B side. Similarly, the outside of the finger 60B means the opposite side of the finger 60A, and the inside of the finger 60B means the finger 60A side.

A joint portion 62a for attaching the fingertip portion 63 is provided at the tip portion of the second protruding portion 62. A joint portion 63a for attaching to the second protruding portion 62 is provided at the base end portion of the fingertip portion 63. At the tip of the second protruding portion 62, a notch 62b for arranging the joint portion 63a is formed on the outside of the joint portion 62a. At the base end portion of the fingertip portion 63, a notch portion 63b for arranging the joint portion 62a is formed inside the joint portion 63a. The fingertip portion 63 is arranged so that the joint portion 63a is located outside the joint portion 62a at the notch 62b and the joint portion 62a is located inside the joint portion 63a at the notch 63b.

In this state, the joint portion 63a is detachably attached to the joint portion 62a by bolting or the like. The joint portion 63a and the joint portion 62a may extend along the second direction d2. By making the fingertip portion 63 removable, it is possible to replace the fingertip portion 63 according to the shape of the food W1 to be packed. Further, since the joint portion 63a is located in the notch portion 62b and the joint portion 62a is located in the notch portion 63b, the thickness of the finger portions 60A and 60B can be suppressed even when the attachment / detachment structure of the fingertip portion 63 is adopted. Is possible. Further, since the joint portion 63a on the side of the fingertip portion 63 to be attached / detached is located on the outside, the attachment / detachment work is easy.

The hand body 40 has a base plate 41, a motor accommodating portion 42, and an opening / closing mechanism 45. The base plate 41 has, for example, a rectangular planar shape, and has main surfaces 41a and 41b opposite to each other. The motor accommodating portion 42 is provided on the main surface 41a side of the base plate 41 and accommodates the gripping motor 80. For example, the motor accommodating portion 42 has two side wall portions 44 projecting from the main surface 41a and a mounting portion 43 connecting the ends of the side wall portions 44. The tip portion 16 (described later) of the robot arm 10 is connected to the mounting portion 43. The motor accommodating portion 42 accommodates the gripping motor 80 in a space surrounded by the two side wall portions 44 and the mounting portion 43.

The opening / closing mechanism 45 is provided on the main surface 41b side of the base plate 41, holds the two finger portions 60A and 60B so as to project in the same direction from the base plate 41, and opens / closes (separates) the two finger portions 60A and 60B. Or proximity) enable. For example, the opening / closing mechanism 45 holds the fingers 60A and 60B so that the protruding direction of the first protruding portion 61 from the hand body 40 (the first direction d1) is perpendicular to the main surface 41b, and the length of the main surface 41b is long. The two fingers 60A and 60B can be opened and closed along the opening and closing line L1 parallel to the sides 41c and 41d. The opening / closing line L1 is located between the long sides 41c and 41d of the main surface 41b. The opening / closing mechanism 45 includes finger holding units 46A and 46B and a power transmission mechanism 47.

The finger holding unit 46A holds the finger portion 60A and is movable along the opening / closing line L1. For example, the finger holding unit 46A has a guide rail 51, a movable block 52, a movable plate 53, a bracket 54, a connecting plate 55, and two mechanical stoppers 56.

The guide rail 51 is a straight rail member, is arranged between the opening / closing line L1 and the long side 41c so as to be parallel to the opening / closing line L1, and is fixed to the base plate 41. The movable block 52 is attached to the guide rail 51 via a ball for reducing resistance, and is movable along the guide rail 51. The movable plate 53 is fixed to the movable block 52 from the opposite side of the guide rail 51. The bracket 54 is fixed to the movable plate 53 from the opposite side of the movable block 52. The connecting plate 55 is fixed to the bracket 54 and projects from the bracket 54 toward the opening / closing line L1. A finger portion 60A is fixed to the end portion of the connecting plate 55 on the opening / closing line L1 side with the first direction d1 perpendicular to the main surface 41b. The two mechanical stoppers 56 are arranged on both end sides of the guide rail 51, respectively, and limit the movable range of the movable block 52. Each mechanical stopper 56 is fixed to the base plate 41 at a position that hinders the movement of the movable block 52.

The finger holding unit 46B holds the finger portion 60B and is movable along the opening / closing line L1. For example, the finger holding unit 46B has a guide rail 51, a movable block 52, a movable plate 53, a bracket 54, a connecting plate 55, and two mechanical stoppers 56, similarly to the finger holding unit 46A. The guide rail 51 of the finger holding unit 46B is arranged between the opening / closing line L1 and the long side 41d so as to be parallel to the opening / closing line L1. In the finger holding unit 46B, the finger portion 60B is fixed to the end portion of the connecting plate 55 on the opening / closing line L1 side with the first direction d1 perpendicular to the main surface 41b.

The power transmission mechanism 47 transmits the power of the gripping motor 80 to the finger holding units 46A and 46B. For example, the power transmission mechanism 47 has racks 57A and 57B and a pinion 58. The rack 57A is arranged between the guide rail 51 of the finger holding unit 46A and the opening / closing line L1, and is fixed to the movable plate 53 of the finger holding unit 46A with the teeth facing the opening / closing line L1 side. The rack 57B is arranged between the guide rail 51 of the finger holding unit 46B and the opening / closing line L1, and is fixed to the movable plate 53 of the finger holding unit 46B with the teeth facing the opening / closing line L1 side. The pinion 58 is arranged between the racks 57A and 57B so that the center of rotation thereof is perpendicular to the main surface 41b. The teeth of the pinion 58 mesh with the teeth of the rack 57A on the long side 41c side and mesh with the teeth of the rack 57B on the long side 41d side. Therefore, by rotating the pinion 58, the racks 57A and 57B can be moved in opposite directions, and the fingers 60A and 60B can be opened and closed.

The gripping motor 80 brings the fingers 60A and 60B close to or separated from each other in the hand body 40 so that the food W1 to be boxed is gripped or released by the fingers 60A and 60B. In the hand body 40, bringing the fingers 60A and 60B close to or separated from each other means that the entire fingers 60A and 60B are brought close to or separated from each other by bringing the bases of the fingers 60A and 60B close to or separated from each other. The gripping motor 80 is, for example, a servomotor having a stator and a rotor, and the fingers 60A and 60B are brought close to each other or separated from each other by rotating the pinion 58. The gripping motor 80 may be connected to the hand body 40 without using a speed reducer. Connecting to the hand body 40 without going through the speed reducer means connecting to the opening / closing mechanism 45 without going through the speed reducer. For example, the output shaft 81 of the gripping motor 80 is connected to the pinion 58 of the opening / closing mechanism 45 without going through a speed reducer.

The structures of the hand body 40 and the gripping motor 80 are not limited to those described above. The hand body 40 and the gripping motor 80 may be configured in any way as long as the gripping motor 80 brings the fingers 60A and 60B close to or separated from each other in the hand body 40. For example, the robot hand 30 may have a plurality of gripping motors 80 for driving the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B, respectively.

The opening / closing mechanism 45 does not necessarily have to be configured to move the fingers 60A and 60B along the straight opening / closing line L1. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the opening / closing mechanism 45 is configured to move the fingers 60A and 60B along the arc-shaped opening / closing line L2 around the rotation center of the gripping motor 80 (the rotation center of the output shaft 81). It may have been. In this case, the opening / closing mechanism 45 only needs to have a connecting member extending from the outer circumference of the output shaft 81 to the opening / closing line L2 and connected to the fingers 60A and 60B, and the racks 57A and 57B and the pinion 58 are unnecessary. .. Further, the gripping motor 80 may be a linear motor instead of a rotary motor. In this case, the opening / closing mechanism 45 only needs to have a connecting member between the mover of the linear motor and the fingers 60A and 60B, and the racks 57A and 57B and the pinion 58 and the like are unnecessary.

As shown in FIG. 6, the robot arm 10 is, for example, a 6-axis vertical articulated robot. The robot arm 10 includes a base portion 11, a swivel portion 12, a first arm 13, a second arm 14, a wrist portion 15, a tip portion 16, and actuators 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. Have.

The base 11 is installed at a position where the robot hand 30 can be arranged at a position where the food W1 to be boxed can be grasped, and the food W1 gripped by the robot hand 30 can be arranged in the box. The swivel portion 12 is provided on the upper portion of the base portion 11 so as to be swivel around the vertical axis Ax1. The first arm 13 is connected to the swivel portion 12 so as to be swingable around the axis Ax2 that intersects (for example, is orthogonal to) the axis Ax1. The second arm 14 is connected to the end of the first arm 13 so as to be swingable around the axis Ax3 that intersects the axis Ax1. The axis Ax3 may be parallel to the axis Ax2. The tip of the second arm 14 is rotatable around the axis Ax4 along the center of the second arm 14. The wrist portion 15 is connected to the tip end portion of the second arm 14 so as to be swingable around the axis line Ax5 that intersects (for example, is orthogonal to) the axis line Ax4. The tip portion 16 is connected to the tip portion of the wrist portion 15 so as to be able to turn around the axis Ax6 along the center of the wrist portion 15.

The actuators 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 use, for example, an electric motor as a power source to drive a plurality of movable parts of the robot arm 10, respectively. For example, the actuator 21 swings the swivel portion 12 around the axis Ax1, the actuator 22 swings the first arm 13 around the axis Ax2, the actuator 23 swings the second arm 14 around the axis Ax3, and the actuator 24. Swives the tip of the second arm 14 around the axis Ax4, the actuator 25 swings the wrist 15 around the axis Ax5, and the actuator 26 swivels the tip 16 around the axis Ax6. According to such a robot arm 10, the position and posture of the tip portion 16 can be freely adjusted within the movable range thereof.

The tip portion 16 is connected to the robot hand 30. For example, the tip portion 16 is detachably attached to the mounting portion 43 by bolting or the like with its end surface in contact with the mounting portion 43 from the opposite side of the base plate 41. As a result, the protruding direction of the first protruding portion 61 of the finger portions 60A and 60B (the first direction d1) is perpendicular to the tip surface of the tip portion 16. The protruding direction of the tip portion 16 may intersect (for example, orthogonally) with respect to the tip end surface of the tip portion 16.

The configuration of the robot arm 10 described above is merely an example. The robot arm 10 may be configured as long as the robot hand 30 can be arranged at a desired position and posture. For example, the robot arm 10 may be a 7-axis robot in which a redundant axis is added to the 6-axis vertical articulated robot. Further, the robot arm 10 may be a so-called scalar type robot.

(Box conveyor)
The box conveyor 3 conveys the box B1 along a transfer path through which at least the robot arm 10 can arrange the fingers 60A and 60B. The box conveyor 3 is, for example, a belt conveyor, and conveys the box B1 along a straight transfer path TR1 that intersects (for example, orthogonally) in the vertical direction.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a box B1 for packing food W1. The box B1 has a bottom portion B11, a peripheral wall portion B12, a ceiling portion B13, and a tray B21. The bottom B11 has a rectangular outer shape such as a rectangle. The peripheral wall portion B12 is provided along the peripheral edge portion of the bottom portion B11 and surrounds the upper space of the bottom portion B11. The ceiling portion B13 is provided on the upper portion of the peripheral wall portion B12 and faces the bottom portion B11. The ceiling portion B13 has an opening B14 that allows the food W1 to be carried into the box B1.

In the illustrated example, the opening B14 extends over the entire width in the direction along the short side of the bottom B11. Therefore, the ceiling portion B13 is divided into a support portion B15 on one short side side of the bottom portion B11 and a support portion B16 on the other short side side of the bottom portion B11. The support portions B15 and B16 function as support portions when a plurality of boxes B1 are stacked.

The tray B21 has a plurality of slots B22 arranged along a plane parallel to the bottom B11. The slot B22 is a recess capable of accommodating the food W1 to be boxed, and is open upward. The support portions B15 and B16 hang at least in the outermost slot B22 in the box B1. That is, the support portions B15 and B16 extend to a range that covers at least a part of the outermost slot B22 when viewed from vertically above.

(Conveyor for boxing)
The boxing target conveyor 2 transports the food W1 along the transport path TR2 through the region where the robot arms 10 can arrange the fingers 60A and 60B. The boxing target conveyor 2 transports the food W1 along the transport path TR2 that circulates around the vertical axis. For example, the boxing target conveyor 2 circulates a plurality of support plates connected in an annular shape along the transport path TR2 by a chain, a belt, or the like. The boxing target conveyor 2 is provided on the box conveyor 3. The installation height of the boxing target conveyor 2 is set so as not to interfere with the transportation of the box B1 by the box conveyor 3.

The transport path TR2 intersects (for example, orthogonally) the transport path TR1 when viewed from above vertically so that the food W1 can be transported between the two areas A1 and A2 sandwiching the transport path TR1. The area A1 is an area for performing the boxing work of the food W1 conveyed by the boxing target conveyor 2. The base 11 of the robot arm 10 described above is installed in the area A1. The area A2 can be used as an area for performing the work of installing the food W1 on the boxing target conveyor 2. The boxing target conveyors 2 may have a plurality of stages 90 arranged along the transport path TR2 and each supporting the food W1.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the stage 90 has a base 91, a saucer 92, a movable mechanism 93, and a weight sensor 97. The base 91 is installed in the transport path TR2. The saucer 92 is installed on the base 91 to support the food W1. A recess 92a for receiving the food W1 is formed in the upper part of the saucer portion 92. The movable mechanism 93 is interposed between the base portion 91 and the saucer portion 92 so that the saucer portion 92 can move at least horizontally with respect to the base portion 91. The movable mechanism 93 includes a concave support curved surface 93a provided on the upper surface of the base 91, and a plurality (for example, three) sliding portions 94 provided below the saucer portion 92 and in contact with the support curved surface 93a. In the illustration, the support curved surface 93a is a spherical surface, but the present invention is not limited to this. The support curved surface 93a may be aspherical as long as the movable mechanism 93 can be moved smoothly.

The sliding portion 94 has a ball 95 and a ball holder 96. The ball 95 is in contact with the support curved surface 93a. The ball holder 96 is provided below the saucer portion 92 and holds the ball 95 in a rollable state. The weight sensor 97 measures the weight of the saucer portion 92. The weight sensor 97 is, for example, a load cell type sensor, and is provided on the base 91.

As shown in FIG. 10, the stage 90 may further have a surrounding wall 98 for preventing the saucer portion 92 from falling off from the base portion 91. For example, the surrounding wall 98 projects upward from the base 91 along the circumference of the supporting curved surface 93a, and surrounds the space above the supporting curved surface 93a. The surrounding wall 98 does not necessarily have to be continuous over the entire circumference of the support curved surface 93a, and may be divided into a plurality of portions at intervals not passing through the saucer portion 92.

(controller)
Returning to FIG. 1, the controller 5 includes a conveyor controller 100 that controls the boxing target conveyor 2 and the box conveyor 3, and a robot controller 200 that controls the food boxing device 4. The conveyor controller 100 controls the boxing target conveyor 2 so as to circulate the stage 90 along the transport path TR2, controls the box conveyor 3 so as to transport the box B1 along the transport path TR1, and controls the box conveyor 3. Is configured to run.

For example, the conveyor controller 100 has a functional configuration (hereinafter referred to as a “functional module”) such as a box-packing target transfer control unit 111, a box transfer control unit 112, a weight information acquisition unit 113, and an arrangement information holding unit 114. And have. The boxing target transfer control unit 111 controls the boxing target conveyor 2 so as to circulate the stage 90 along the transfer path TR2. The box transport control unit 112 controls the box conveyor 3 so as to transport the box B1 along the transport path TR1 according to the progress of the boxing state.

The sequence information holding unit 114 holds a database showing information on the weight of food on the stage 90 for each stage 90. For example, the sequence information holding unit 114 holds a database in which the identification information of the stage 90 and the information regarding the weight of the food on the stage 90 are associated with each other. The identification information of the stage 90 is, for example, information indicating the arrangement of the stage 90 in the boxing target conveyor 2. As a specific example of the information indicating the arrangement of the stages 90, there is information indicating the position of the stage 90 from the reference, with reference to one location moving along the transport path TR2 together with the plurality of stages 90. Be done.

The weight information acquisition unit 113 acquires the measurement result by the weight sensor 97 as information regarding the weight of the food W1 on the stage 90, and stores it in the arrangement information holding unit 114 in association with the identification information of the stage 90. The weight information acquisition unit 113 does not necessarily have to acquire the measurement result by the weight sensor 97 as the information regarding the weight of the food W1. For example, the weight information acquisition unit 113 may acquire information on the weight of the food W1 from the information input by the worker who installs the food W1 on the boxing target conveyor 2. In this case, the stage 90 does not have to include the weight sensor 97.

The robot controller 200 controls the robot arm 10 so as to arrange the hand body 40 at a position where the finger portions 60A and 60B can grip the food W1 to be packed, and holds the finger portions 60A and 60B until the food W1 is gripped. The robot controls the gripping motors 80 so as to be close to each other, and causes the fingers 60A and 60B that grip the food W1 to be packed into the box B1 so that the food W1 is placed in the box B1. The arm 10 is controlled to control the gripping motor 80 so as to separate the finger portions 60A and 60B from each other until the food W1 is released, and the finger portions 60A and 60B are preset when gripping the food W1. It is configured to perform force control of the gripping motor 80 according to the force target value.

For example, the robot controller 200 has a selection unit 211, a command holding unit 212, a command setting unit 213, a pick control unit 214, a place control unit 215, and a gripping force control unit 216 as functional modules. The selection unit 211 selects the food W1 satisfying the preset selection conditions from the plurality of foods W1 based on the data of the plurality of foods W1 in the transport path TR2. For example, the selection unit 211 selects the food W1 that satisfies the selection condition regarding the weight based on the database stored in the sequence information holding unit 114. More specifically, the selection unit 211 selects the stage 90 that supports the food W1 that satisfies the selection condition regarding weight. The selection unit 211 may be configured to select the food W1 based on some selection condition, and may be configured to select the food W1 based on a selection condition different from the weight. .. Specific examples of the selection conditions other than the weight include selection conditions related to size, selection conditions related to quality such as the presence or absence of scratches, and the like.

The command holding unit 212 conveys the food W1 from a predetermined position of the transport path TR2 (hereinafter, referred to as “transport start position”) to a predetermined position in the box B1 (hereinafter, referred to as “transport complete position”). The operation pattern for causing the food boxing device 4 to execute is stored. This operation command releases the food W1 at the gripping position information that specifies the position / posture (hereinafter, referred to as “grasping position”) of the robot hand 30 when gripping the food W1 at the transport start position, and at the transport completion position. Release position information that specifies the position / posture of the robot hand 30 (hereinafter referred to as "release position") and the movement path / posture of the robot hand 30 from the gripping position to the release position (hereinafter referred to as "pass"). Includes path information that specifies.). For example, the gripping position includes the position / posture of the hand body 40 for arranging the fingers 60A and 60B at positions where the food W1 can be gripped in the transport path TR2. For example, the release position includes the position / posture of the hand body 40 for allowing the fingers 60A and 60B holding the food W1 to enter the box B1 and arranging the food W1 in the box B1.

The release position and the path vary depending on which of the positions in the box B1 where the food W1 can be placed (hereinafter, referred to as “placeable position”) is the transport completion position. Therefore, the command holding unit 212 stores the operation pattern for each of the plurality of displaceable positions (for example, the positions of the plurality of slots B22) in the box B1. The release position of each operation pattern is set so that the first direction d1 of the first protrusion 61 of the finger portions 60A and 60B intersects (for example, orthogonally) with the opening surface of the box B1. The opening surface means a plane including the peripheral edge portion of the opening B14 of the box B1. In the box B1 of FIG. 7, the plane along the ceiling portion B13 corresponds to the opening surface.

As shown in FIG. 11, the release position of the operation pattern corresponding to the position TP1 of the outermost slot B22 in the box is the protruding direction of the second protruding portion 62 with respect to the first protruding portion 61 (the second direction d2). It is set to face the outer peripheral side of the box B1. When following such an operation pattern, the fingertip portion 63 can be easily entered into the region hidden by the support portions B15 and B16 around the opening B14, and the food W1 can be arranged at the outermost peripheral transport completion position.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the release position of the operation pattern corresponding to the position TP2, which is expected to be surrounded by the plurality of foods W1 at the time when the transport completion position is reached, is the circumferential direction surrounding the position TP2. In, the finger portions 60A and 60B are arranged between the plurality of foods W1. The plurality of foods W1 surrounding the position TP2 mean a plurality of foods W1 arranged along the circumference surrounding the position TP2 and adjacent to the position TP2, respectively. In FIG. 12, four foods W1 located at two locations above and below the position TP2 and two locations on the left and right of the position TP2 correspond to a plurality of foods W1 surrounding the position TP2. Six foods W1 located at two locations diagonally above the position TP2, two locations diagonally below the position TP2, and two locations on the left and right of the position TP2 correspond to a plurality of foods W1 surrounding the position TP2.

Returning to FIG. 1, the command setting unit 213 sets the operation pattern based on which position in the box B1 is the transfer completion position. For example, the command setting unit 213 selects an operation pattern corresponding to the transfer completion position from a plurality of operation patterns stored in the command holding unit 212. The pick control unit 214 controls the robot arm 10 so as to arrange the fingers 60A and 60B at positions where the food W1 to be boxed can be gripped, and brings the fingers 60A and 60B close to each other until the food W1 is gripped. The gripping motor 80 is controlled in this way. The position where the food W1 can be gripped means a position where the food W1 is gripped by the fingertip 63 of the finger 60A and the fingertip 63 of the finger 60B when the fingers 60A and 60B are brought close to each other at the position. To do.

The pick control unit 214 controls the robot arm 10 so as to pack the food W1 in the transport path TR2 into a box and arrange the fingers 60A and 60B at positions where the food W1 can be gripped, and grips the food W1. The gripping motor 80 is controlled so that the fingers 60A and 60B are brought close to each other. For example, the pick control unit 214 controls the robot arm 10 so as to arrange the robot hand 30 at the gripping position designated by the gripping position information of the operation pattern set by the command setting unit 213. The pick control unit 214 may target the food W1 selected by the selection unit 211 as a boxing target. For example, the pick control unit 214 waits for the food W1 selected by the selection unit 211 to reach the transport start position, and places the robot hand 30 at the grip position while the food is in the transport start position. The robot arm 10 may be controlled so as to do so.

The place control unit 215 controls the robot arm 10 so that the fingers 60A and 60B holding the food W1 enter the box B1 and arranges the food W1 in the box B1 and releases the food W1. The gripping motor 80 is controlled so as to separate the fingers 60A and 60B from each other. For example, the place control unit 215 controls the robot arm 10 so as to arrange the robot hand 30 at the release position specified by the release position information of the operation pattern set by the command setting unit 213. Based on the operation pattern set as described above, the place control unit 215 projects the second protrusion 62 with respect to the first protrusion 61 when arranging the food W1 at the outermost peripheral position in the box B1. The robot arm 10 may be controlled so that the direction is directed to the outer peripheral side of the box B1. Further, when the place control unit 215 arranges the new food W1 at the position surrounded by the plurality of foods W1 arranged in the box B1, the place control unit 215 is placed between the plurality of foods W1 in the circumferential direction surrounding the food W1. The robot arm 10 may be controlled so that each fingertip portion 63 is arranged between them.

The gripping force control unit 216 force-controls the gripping motor 80 according to a preset force target value when the finger portions 60A and 60B grip the food W1. For example, when the gripping motor 80 is a rotary motor, the gripping force control unit 216 torque-controls the gripping motor 80 according to a preset torque target value. The force control of the gripping motor 80 means that the torque generated by the gripping motor 80 is controlled so as to approach the torque target value without being based on the force information in the finger portions 60A and 60B. Such force control is realized, for example, by feeding back the output current to the gripping motor 80.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the controller 5. As shown in FIG. 14, the conveyor controller 100 includes a circuit 120 and the robot controller 200 includes a circuit 220. The circuits 120 and 220 constitute the circuit of the controller 5.

The circuit 120 includes at least one processor 121, a memory 122, a storage 123, an input / output port 124, and a communication port 125. The storage 123 is a non-volatile storage medium (eg, hard disk or flash memory) that can be read by a computer. The storage 123 includes a storage area of a program for configuring each functional module of the conveyor controller 100, and a storage area allocated to the array information holding unit 114. The memory 122 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage 123, the calculation result by the processor 121, and the like. The processor 121 constitutes each functional module of the conveyor controller 100 by executing the above program in cooperation with the memory 122. The input / output port 124 inputs / outputs an electric signal to / from the boxing target conveyor 2, the box conveyor 3, and the weight sensor 97 in response to a command from the processor 121. The communication port 125 performs network communication with the robot controller 200 in response to a command from the processor 121.

The circuit 220 includes at least one processor 221 and a memory 222, a storage 223, a driver 224, a driver 225, and a communication port 226. The storage 223 is a non-volatile storage medium (eg, hard disk or flash memory) that can be read by a computer. The storage 223 includes a storage area of a program for configuring each functional module of the robot controller 200, and a storage area allocated to the command holding unit 212. The memory 222 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage 223 and the calculation result by the processor 221. The processor 221 constitutes each functional module of the robot controller 200 by executing the above program in cooperation with the memory 222. The driver 224 outputs drive power to the motors of the actuators 21 to 26 in response to a command from the processor 221. The driver 225 outputs drive power to the gripping motor 80 in response to a command from the processor 221. The communication port 226 performs network communication with the conveyor controller 100 in response to a command from the processor 221.

The circuit 120 and the circuit 220 are not necessarily limited to those that configure each function by a program. For example, at least one of the circuit 120 and the circuit 220 may be configured with at least a part of a function by a dedicated logic circuit or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) in which the circuit 120 is integrated.

[Food boxing procedure]
Subsequently, the food boxing procedure using the food boxing device 4 will be described. In this procedure, the robot arm 10 is controlled so that the plurality of fingers 60A and 60B are arranged at positions where the food W1 to be boxed can be gripped, and the plurality of fingers 60A and 60B are held together until the food W1 is gripped. The gripping motor 80 is controlled so as to be close to each other, and the plurality of fingers 60A and 60B gripping the food W1 to be packed are brought into the box B1 so that the food W1 is arranged in the box B1. The robot arm 10 is controlled to control the gripping motor 80 so as to separate the plurality of fingers 60A and 60B from each other until the food W1 is released, and the plurality of fingers 60A and 60B grip the food W1. At the same time, the force control of the gripping motor 80 according to a preset force target value is included.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the robot controller 200 first executes step S01. In step S01, the box transport control unit 112 waits for the box B1 to reach the position for performing the boxing operation of the food W1. The pick control unit 214 acquires information regarding the transport status of the box B1 from the box transport control unit 112.

Next, the robot controller 200 executes steps S02, S03, and S04. In step S02, the selection unit 211 selects the food W1 that satisfies the preset selection condition as the food W1 to be boxed. In step S03, the command setting unit 213 sets the operation pattern based on which position in the box B1 is the transfer completion position. The command setting unit 213 selects, for example, an operation pattern corresponding to the transfer completion position from a plurality of operation patterns stored in the command holding unit 212. In step S04, the pick control unit 214 waits for the food W1 selected by the selection unit 211 to reach the transport start position.

Next, the robot controller 200 executes steps S05 and S06. In step S05, the pick control unit 214 controls the robot arm 10 so that the fingers 60A and 60B of the robot hand 30 are arranged at positions where the food W1 to be boxed can be gripped. In step S06, the pick control unit 214 controls the gripping motor 80 so that the fingers 60A and 60B are brought close to each other until the food W1 to be boxed is gripped. After that, the gripping force control unit 216 force-controls the gripping motor 80 according to a preset force target value.

Next, the robot controller 200 executes steps S07, S08, and S09. In step S07, the place control unit 215 controls the robot arm 10 so that the fingers 60A and 60B of the robot hand 30 holding the food W1 are arranged at the released positions. In step S08, the place control unit 215 controls the gripping motor 80 so as to separate the fingers 60A and 60B from each other until the food W1 to be boxed is released. In step S09, the place control unit 215 confirms whether or not the food W1 is arranged in all the slots B22.

When it is determined in step S09 that the food W1 is not arranged in all the slots B22, the robot controller 200 executes steps S11 and S12. In step S11, the selection unit 211 changes the boxing target. For example, the selection unit 211 selects the food W1 that satisfies the preset selection condition as a new boxing target. In step S12, the command setting unit 213 changes the transfer completion position, and changes the operation pattern accordingly. After that, the robot controller 200 returns the process to step S04. After that, the food W1 is repeatedly transported from the transport start position to the transport complete position until the food W1 is arranged in all the slots B22.

When it is determined in step S09 that the food W1 is arranged in all the slots B22, the robot controller 200 executes step S13. In step S13, the place control unit 215 controls the robot arm 10 so as to retract the robot hand 30 to a position that does not interfere with the transportation of the box B1. Further, the place control unit 215 notifies the box transport control unit 112 that the box B1 can be transported. As a result, the box B1 filled with the food W1 is carried out from the boxing position by the box transport control unit 112, and the empty box B1 is carried into the boxing position by the box transport control unit 112.

[Effect of this embodiment]
As described above, in the food boxing system 1, the hand body 40, the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B protruding in the same direction from the hand body 40, and the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B in the hand body 40 are close to each other. Alternatively, a food boxing device 4 having a gripping motor 80 to be separated and an articulated robot arm 10 connected to the hand body 40 to change the position and orientation of the hand body 40, and a robot controlling the food boxing device 4. A controller 200 is provided, and the robot controller 200 controls the robot arm 10 so as to arrange a plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B at positions where the food W1 to be boxed can be gripped, and a plurality of robot controllers 200 until the food W1 is gripped. The pick control unit 214 that controls the gripping motor 80 so that the finger portions 60A and 60B of the food are brought close to each other, and the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B that grip the food W1 to be packed are brought into the box B1 to enter the food. A place control unit 215 that controls the robot arm 10 so as to arrange W1 in the box B1 and controls the gripping motor 80 so as to separate the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B from each other until the food W1 is released. A gripping force control unit 216 that controls the force of the gripping motor 80 according to a preset force target value when the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B grip the food W1.

According to the food boxing device 4, the pick control unit 214 automates the work of grasping the food W1 to be boxed. The place control unit 215 automates the work of arranging the food W1 to be boxed in the box B1. In these operations, the force with which the plurality of fingers 60A and 60B grip the food W1 is limited by the force control of the gripping motor 80. Therefore, it is possible to automate the work of transporting the food W1 into the box B1 while suppressing damage to the food W1. Further, since the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B are brought close to each other or separated from each other in the hand body 40, it is not necessary for the finger portions 60A and 60B themselves to have a complicated mechanism. Further, since the gripping force is adjusted by the force control of the gripping motor 80, it is not necessary to arrange the force sensor on the fingers 60A and 60B. Therefore, it is possible to slim down the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B. As a result, even at the final stage of boxing in which many foods W1 are arranged in the box B1, the foods W1 can be arranged by allowing the plurality of fingers 60A and 60B to enter the limited space. Therefore, it is effective for automating the food boxing work.

The finger portions 60A and 60B are provided at the first protruding portion 61 protruding from the hand body 40 and the end portion of the first protruding portion 61, and are bent to one side with respect to the protruding direction of the first protruding portion 61. It may have a second protruding portion 62 that further protrudes in the direction, and a fingertip portion 63 provided at the end of the second protruding portion 62. In this case, it becomes easy to reach the fingertip portion 63 by utilizing the bending of the finger portions 60A and 60B even in the region where the fingertip portion 63 is difficult to reach with the finger portion having a straight shape as a whole.

The fingertip portions 63 of the finger portions 60A and 60B may further project in a direction bent to the opposite side of the hand body 40 with respect to the protruding direction of the second protruding portion 62. In this case, the contact area between the fingertip portion 63 and the food W1 can be increased, and the pressure concentration on the food W1 can be suppressed.

The intersecting portion 64 between the first protruding portion 61 and the second protruding portion 62 may be curved with a gentler curvature than the intersecting portion 65 between the second protruding portion 62 and the fingertip portion 63. In this case, the intersecting portion 64 between the first protruding portion 61 and the second protruding portion 62 is less likely to collide with the food W1 in the box.

When arranging the food W1 at the outermost peripheral position in the box B1, the place control unit 215 directs the protruding direction of the second protruding portion 62 with respect to the first protruding portion 61 toward the outer peripheral side of the box B1. 10 may be controlled. In this case, even when the opening B14 of the box B1 is smaller than the outer circumference of the box B1, the food W1 can be arranged by easily allowing the fingertip portion 63 to enter the hidden area around the opening B14.

When arranging a new food W1 at a position surrounded by a plurality of foods W1 arranged in the box B1, the place control unit 215 sandwiches the new foods W1 between the plurality of foods W1 in the circumferential direction surrounding the position. The robot arm 10 may be controlled so as to arrange the fingertip portion 63 of the robot arm 10. In this case, after arranging the new food W1 in the region surrounded by the plurality of foods W1, it is easy to avoid contact between the finger portions 60A and 60B and the surrounding foods W1 when releasing the new food W1. ..

The gripping motor 80 may be connected to the hand body 40 without using a speed reducer. In this case, since the force transmission efficiency between the fingertip portion 63 and the gripping motor 80 is increased, the force of the fingertip portion 63 can be controlled more appropriately.

The food boxing system 1 further includes a boxing target conveyor 2 for transporting the food W1 along the transport path TR2 through which the robot arm 10 can arrange the plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B, and the pick control unit 214 transports the food W1. The food W1 in the path TR2 is targeted for boxing, and the robot arm 10 is controlled so that a plurality of finger portions 60A and 60B are arranged at positions where the food W1 can be gripped, and the plurality of finger portions until the food W1 is gripped. The gripping motor 80 may be controlled so that the 60A and 60B are close to each other. In this case, the speed of the boxing operation can be increased by the cooperation between the food boxing device 4 and the boxing target conveyor 2. For example, by sequentially supplying the food W1 to be boxed by the boxing target conveyor 2, the boxing operation by the food boxing device 4 can be repeated in a short cycle.

The robot controller 200 further includes a selection unit 211 that selects foods W1 satisfying preset selection conditions from the plurality of foods W1 based on data of a plurality of foods W1 in the transport path TR2, and is a pick control unit. The 214 may target the food W1 selected by the selection unit 211 as a boxing target. In this case, since the pick control unit 214 sorts the food W1, the number of sorting devices can be reduced and the system can be simplified.

The boxing target conveyors 2 are arranged along the transport path TR2 and each have a plurality of stages 90 that support the food W1. The stages 90 are installed on the base 91 and the base 91 installed on the transport path TR2. A saucer portion 92 that supports the food W1 and a movable mechanism 93 that is interposed between the base portion 91 and the saucer portion 92 so that the saucer portion 92 can move at least horizontally with respect to the base portion 91 may be included. .. In this case, since the saucer portion 92 is provided on the boxing target conveyor 2, the food W1 is arranged at least on the saucer portion 92 even when the food W1 is installed on the boxing target conveyor 2 by a person. Will be. Therefore, by setting an operation program on the premise that the food W1 is on the saucer 92 and operating the food boxing device 4 according to the operation program, the food W1 can be operated without relying on the sensing of the position of the food W1. It is possible to automate the boxing work. Due to the variation in the position of the food W1 on the saucer 92, a situation in which one fingertip 63 touches the food W1 first (hereinafter, this is referred to as “one piece”) may occur. Even when one side is generated, the force generated between the fingertip portion 63 and the food W1 which is the tip is absorbed by the movement of the saucer portion 92. Therefore, it is possible to automate the food boxing work with a simple system.

The movable mechanism 93 may include a concave support curved surface 93a provided on the upper surface of the base portion 91 and a sliding portion 94 provided on the lower portion of the saucer portion 92 and in contact with the support curved surface 93a. In this case, even if the position of the saucer portion 92 deviates from the reference position due to one piece, the saucer portion 92 returns to the reference position due to its own weight after the food W1 floats. In this way, the system can be further simplified by realizing the function of returning to the reference position by a simple configuration utilizing the weight of the saucer portion 92.

As shown in FIG. 16, the food boxing system 1 includes a plurality of food boxing devices 4 and a plurality of robot controllers 200 that control each of the plurality of food boxing devices 4, and the plurality of robot controllers 200 are mutually selectable. A plurality of different robot controllers 200 may be included. In this case, boxing of a plurality of groups of foods, which are distinguished by selection conditions, can be performed in parallel. As a result, the boxing work can be further speeded up.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

1 ... Food boxing system, 2 ... Conveyor for boxing (conveyor), 4 ... Food boxing device, 10 ... Robot arm, 40 ... Hand body, 60A, 60B ... Fingers, 61 ... First protrusion, 62 ... Second protrusion Part, 63 ... fingertip portion, 64 ... intersection of first protrusion 61 and second protrusion 62, 65 ... intersection of second protrusion 62 and fingertip 63, 80 ... gripping motor, 90 ... stage , 91 ... base, 92 ... saucer, 93 ... movable mechanism, 93a ... support curved surface, 94 ... sliding part, 200 ... robot controller, 211 ... selection part, 214 ... pick control unit, 215 ... place control unit, 216 ... grip Force control unit, B1 ... box, B14 ... opening, TR2 ... transport path, W1 ... food.

Claims (16)

With the hand body
A plurality of fingers protruding in the same direction from the hand body,
A gripping motor that brings the plurality of fingers close to or separated from each other in the hand body,
A food boxing device having an articulated robot arm connected to the hand body and changing the position and posture of the hand body.
A controller for controlling the food boxing device is provided.
The controller
The robot arm is controlled so that the plurality of fingers are arranged at positions where the food to be boxed can be gripped, and the gripping motor is controlled so that the plurality of fingers are brought close to each other until the food is gripped. Pick control unit and
The robot arm is controlled so that the plurality of fingers holding the food to be boxed enter the box and the food is placed in the box, and the plurality of fingers are held until the food is released. A place control unit that controls the gripping motor so as to be separated from each other,
A food boxing system including a gripping force control unit that controls a force of the gripping motor according to a preset force target value when the plurality of fingers grip the food. Each of the finger portions is provided at a first protruding portion protruding from the hand body and an end portion of the first protruding portion, and is further bent in one side with respect to the protruding direction of the first protruding portion. The food boxing system according to claim 1, further comprising a second protruding portion and a fingertip portion provided at the end of the second protruding portion. The food boxing system according to claim 2, wherein the fingertip portion of each of the finger portions further protrudes in a direction bent to the opposite side of the hand body with respect to the protruding direction of the second protruding portion. The food boxing system according to claim 3, wherein the intersecting portion between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion is curved with a gentler curvature than the intersecting portion between the second protruding portion and the fingertip portion. When arranging the food at the outermost peripheral position in the box, the place control unit directs the protruding direction of the second protruding portion with respect to the first protruding portion toward the outer peripheral side of the box. The food boxing system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, which controls. When the place control unit arranges a new food at a position surrounded by the plurality of foods arranged in the box, the place control unit is located between the plurality of foods in the circumferential direction surrounding the position. The food boxing system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the robot arm is controlled so as to arrange the fingertip portion. The food boxing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the gripping motor is connected to the hand body without a speed reducer. Further comprising a conveyor for transporting food along a transport path through which the robot arm can arrange the plurality of fingers.
The pick control unit controls the robot arm so as to target the food in the transport path as the boxing target, arrange the plurality of fingers at positions where the food can be gripped, and hold the food until the food is gripped. The food boxing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the gripping motor is controlled so that a plurality of fingers are brought close to each other. The controller further includes a selection unit that selects the foods satisfying preset selection conditions from the plurality of foods based on the data of the plurality of foods in the transport route.
The food boxing system according to claim 8, wherein the pick control unit targets the food selected by the selection unit as the boxing target. With the plurality of the food boxing devices,
A plurality of the controllers for controlling each of the plurality of food boxing devices are provided.
The food boxing system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of controllers include a plurality of the controllers having different selection conditions from each other. The conveyors line up along the transport path, each having a plurality of stages supporting the food.
The stage has a base portion installed in the transport path, a saucer portion installed on the base portion to support the food, and the saucer portion so as to be movable at least horizontally with respect to the base portion. The food boxing system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising a movable mechanism interposed between the base portion and the saucer portion. The food boxing system according to claim 11, wherein the movable mechanism includes a concave support curved surface provided on the upper surface of the base portion and a sliding portion provided on the lower portion of the saucer portion and in contact with the support curved surface. With the hand body
A plurality of fingers protruding in the same direction from the hand body,
A gripping motor that brings the plurality of fingers close to or separated from each other in the hand body so that the food to be boxed is gripped or released by the plurality of fingers.
It is provided with an articulated robot arm which is connected to the hand body and changes the position and posture of the hand body.
Each of the finger portions is provided at a first protruding portion protruding from the hand body and an end portion of the first protruding portion, and is further bent in one side with respect to the protruding direction of the first protruding portion. A food boxing device having a protruding second protruding portion and a fingertip portion provided at an end portion of the second protruding portion. The food boxing device according to claim 13, wherein the fingertip portion of each of the finger portions further projects in a direction bent toward the opposite side of the hand body with respect to the protruding direction of the second protruding portion. The food boxing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the intersecting portion between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion is curved with a gentler curvature than the intersecting portion between the second protruding portion and the fingertip portion. A hand body, a plurality of fingers protruding in the same direction from the hand body, a gripping motor that brings the plurality of fingers close to or separated from each other in the hand body, and a gripping motor connected to the hand body and connected to the hand body Using an articulated robot arm that changes its position and posture, the robot arm is controlled so as to arrange the plurality of fingers at positions where the food to be boxed can be gripped, and the robot arm is controlled until the food is gripped. Controlling the gripping motor so that a plurality of fingers are brought close to each other
The robot arm is controlled so that the plurality of fingers holding the food to be boxed enter the box and the food is placed in the box, and the plurality of fingers are held until the food is released. Controlling the gripping motors so that they are separated from each other
A food boxing method comprising controlling the force of the gripping motor according to a preset force target value when the plurality of fingers grip the food.

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