KR20220016426A - Apparatus and method for automatically transferring shoe soles - Google Patents

Abstract

An automated device is disclosed. The automated device includes a transport robot that picks up a shoe sole disposed at a first position, moves to a preset second position in the state of picking up the shoe sole, and puts down the shoe sole at the second position. The automated device of the present invention can automatically determine the standard, direction, etc. of the shoe sole disposed in the first position, and place the shoe sole in a predetermined posture at the second position.

Description

{Apparatus and method for automatically transferring shoe soles}

The present invention relates to a robotic automation system for automatically moving shoe soles.

Recently, under the influence of Adidas' Speed Factory, a German shoe manufacturer, shoe manufacturers with production bases abroad have been interested in returning to their home countries. Automation has been introduced, and research on intelligent shoe factories has been recently developed to provide customized shoes to users.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2058300 discloses a transport device that carries a shoe sole while following a rail.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2058300

An object of the present invention is to provide an automated device and an automated method for moving various types of shoe soles to preset positions.

The automated device of the present invention includes a transport robot that picks up a shoe sole disposed at a first position, moves to a preset second position in a state of picking up the shoe sole, and puts down the shoe sole at the second position can do.

The automated method of the present invention comprises the steps of placing an adsorption tool in a standby position facing the first position; approaching the suction tool toward the first position to bring the suction tool into face-to-face contact with the shoe sole disposed at the first position; forming a negative pressure for adsorbing the shoe sole to the suction tool when the suction tool is in face-to-face contact with the shoe sole; determining whether the shoe sole is adsorbed to the adsorption tool; if the shoe sole is adsorbed to the suction tool, moving the suction tool toward the second position; When the shoe sole reaches the second position, releasing the negative pressure adsorbing the shoe sole; may include.

The soles of shoes have various sizes and shapes, and there are many cases where there is a central protrusion and a hole that cannot be adsorbed depending on the use, so it is necessary to develop a dedicated tool to solve this problem.

For the stability of the post-processing application, the robot needs to transfer the shoe sole to the conveyor line in a certain posture, so it is necessary to divide the window into front and rear, left and right, adsorption point, and torsion angle.

The automated device of the present invention can provide a suction tool capable of picking up a shoe sole regardless of whether a central protrusion and a hole that is difficult to suction are formed in reality.

The automation device of the present invention may automatically determine the standard, direction, etc. of the shoe sole disposed at the first position, and place the shoe sole in the second position in a predetermined posture.

According to the present invention, the shoe soles may be aligned in the corresponding setting postures in front of the process requesting a setting posture in a custom shoe manufacturing process in which various materials and various types of shoe soles are input.

As a result, the automated device and the automated method of the present invention can be applied to the transport operation of various shoe soles.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an automated device of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing a control unit.
3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an adsorption tool.
4 is a schematic diagram illustrating different types of shoe soles.
5 is a perspective view showing the suction tool.
6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the analysis unit.
7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first image, a second image, and a difference image.
8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first operation of the analysis unit.
9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second operation of the analysis unit.
10 is a schematic diagram showing an automated method of the present invention.
11 is a diagram illustrating a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. However, the present invention may be embodied in several different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

In the present specification, duplicate descriptions of the same components will be omitted.

Also, in this specification, when it is said that a certain element is 'connected' or 'connected' to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but other elements in the middle It should be understood that there may be On the other hand, in this specification, when it is mentioned that a certain element is 'directly connected' or 'directly connected' to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

In addition, the terms used herein are used only to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention.

Also, in this specification, the singular expression may include the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Also, in this specification, terms such as 'include' or 'have' are only intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, and one or more It is to be understood that the existence or addition of other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, is not precluded in advance.

Also in this specification, the term 'and/or' includes a combination of a plurality of described items or any item of a plurality of described items. In this specification, 'A or B' may include 'A', 'B', or 'both A and B'.

Also, in this specification, detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted.

The sole of a shoe is subdivided into an insole, a midsole, and an outsole. Among them, the outsole and midsole can be assembled by applying adhesive, and the midsole can be assembled with the upper. In the intelligent shoe factory, instead of the 3D scanner system, which has problems such as high cost, frequent algorithm changes due to model changes, and noise caused by external conditions, the midsole is seated in a 3D mold manufactured by satisfying tolerances to secure precision and then 3D Based on the gauge line extracted from the 3D shape information of the mold, the adhesive application is planned.

The shoe sole 30 adhesive application operation is one of the most important operations in the assembly process of a finished shoe product consisting of a combination of an upper and a sole (sole). In order for the adhesive application operation of the shoe sole 30 to be normally performed, it is important to maintain a preset position of the shoe sole 30 entering the adhesive application operation means. In various shoe manufacturing processes other than adhesive application, the need for a transport robot 101 capable of moving the shoe sole 30 to a set posture is increasing.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an automated device 100 of the present invention.

The automation device 100 proposed by the present invention includes a suction tool 710 capable of adsorbing various shoe soles 30 , a vision system that can recognize the shoe sole 30 and deduce an adsorption point, and an actual shoe transfer operation. A method of driving a robot operation for

The automated apparatus 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 may include a transfer robot 101 , an application chamber 50 , and a drying chamber 60 .

The transfer robot 101 may pick up the shoe sole 30 loaded on the carrier 20 or the like and put it on the conveyor line 51 connected to the entrance of the application chamber 50 .

The shoe sole 30 mounted on the conveyor line 51 may be input into the application chamber 50 by the conveyor line 51 .

The application chamber 50 may apply an adhesive to the shoe sole 30 . The shoe sole 30 to which the adhesive is applied may be adhered to another member in the application chamber 50 or another chamber.

The drying chamber 60 may dry the adhesive applied to the shoe sole 30 .

The transfer robot 101 may pick up the shoe sole 30 disposed at the first position p1 . The transfer robot 101 may move to a preset second position p2 while picking up the shoe sole 30 . Then, the transfer robot 101 may put down the shoe sole 30 at the second position p2.

A control unit 103 for controlling the transfer robot 101 may be provided. The control unit 103 may be integrally formed with the transfer robot 101 , or may be provided separately from the transfer robot 101 , and may perform wired/wireless communication with the transfer robot 101 .

2 is a block diagram showing the control unit 103 .

The control unit 103 may include a photographing unit 610 , an analysis unit 630 , and a control unit 650 . Macroscopically, the photographing unit 610 , the analyzing unit 630 , and the control unit 650 may be included in the automated device 100 .

The photographing unit 610 may photograph the shoe sole 30 disposed at the first position p1 . The photographing unit 610 may include a camera, a vision, a range finder, and the like. The photographing unit 610 may be installed at a location spaced apart from the robot, or may be installed directly on the robot.

The analysis unit 630 may analyze the posture of the shoe sole 30 through analysis of the first image captured by the photographing unit 610 .

The controller 650 may control the second posture of the adsorption tool 710 provided in the transfer robot 101 according to the first posture of the shoe sole 30 analyzed by the analysis unit 630 .

When the shoe sole 30 is loaded in the suction tool 710 , the controller 650 may control the transfer robot 101 to move the shoe sole 30 to the second position. The adsorption tool 710 may perform loading in a manner to adsorb the shoe sole 30 by forming a negative pressure to suck air. Alternatively, the suction tool 710 may perform loading in a manner of grabbing the shoe sole 30 using a plurality of fingers moving in a direction approaching each other with the shoe sole 30 interposed therebetween.

The controller 650 may control the transfer robot 101 so that the suction tool 710 that has absorbed the shoe sole 30 is in a preset unloading posture at the second position. It is preferable that the shoe sole 30 be input to the post process in a preset posture so that the post process, such as the adhesive application process, in which the shoe sole 30 is input is performed accurately and quickly. The unloading posture of the suction tool 710 may refer to a posture of the suction tool 710 in which the shoe sole 30 is placed in the set posture when the shoe sole 30 is unloaded at the second position. The 'posture' described herein may include a three-dimensional position (coordinate) and an angle based on each axis in a three-dimensional space formed by three orthogonal x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis.

The controller 650 may control the transfer robot 101 so that the suction tool 710 unloads the shoe sole 30 to the second position in the unloading posture. The unloading of the suction tool 710 may mean releasing the restraint state and placing or leaving the shoe sole 30 in the second position.

3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an adsorption tool 710 . 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating different types of shoe soles 30 .

The shape and size of the shoe sole 30 may vary. As an example, two shoe soles 30a and 30b having different shapes and sizes are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 .

Preferably, the suction tool 710 is formed so that it can pick up any kind of shoe sole 30 regardless of shape or size.

In addition, various functional holes 39 or a central protrusion 38 may be formed in the shoe sole 30 . The functional hole 39 or the central protrusion 38 may correspond to a structure that is difficult to be adsorbed by negative pressure of air. It is desirable to have a suction tool 710 that can pick up the sole 30 irrespective of the presence of a functional aperture 39 or central protrusion 38 .

In consideration of the characteristics of the shoe sole 30 having various sizes and shapes, and in consideration of various situations in which adsorption is impossible, the adsorption point in the shoe sole 30 may be determined as three types of upper, middle, and lower. In this case, even if any two points are in a non-adsorption state, adsorption may be possible at the remaining one point.

As an example, a suction tool 710 for adsorbing the shoe sole 30 using a negative pressure to suck air may be provided in the transfer robot 101 .

A first pad 711 unit, a second pad 712 unit, and a third pad 713 unit may be provided in the suction tool 710 to be spaced apart from each other. The first pad 711 unit, the second pad 712 unit, and the third pad 713 unit are distal ends of the suction tool 710 that generate negative pressure, and may be in direct contact with the shoe sole 30 . For example, each pad portion may be formed in a plate shape of a rubber material that is in face-to-face contact with the shoe sole 30 , and a configuration for sucking air may be formed in the center. The hole 39 may be connected via a hollow tube 719 to a pneumatic pump that is a source of negative pressure.

In the longitudinal direction of the shoe sole 30 , the shoe sole 30 may be divided into a first region ①, a second region ②, and a third region ③. In this case, a first adsorption point t1 may be set in the first region ①. A second adsorption point t2 may be set in the second region ②. A third adsorption point t3 may be set in the third region ③.

The first pad 711 may be formed at a position facing the first area ①. The first pad 711 may be provided at a position in face-to-face contact with the first adsorption point t1.

The second pad 712 may be formed at a position facing the second area ②. The second pad 712 may be provided at a position in face-to-face contact with the second adsorption point t2.

The third pad 713 may be formed at a position facing the third area 3 . The third pad 713 may be provided at a position in face-to-face contact with the third adsorption point t3.

When at least one of the first pad 711 , the second pad 712 , and the third pad 713 comes into direct contact with the shoe sole 30 , the first pad 711 , the second pad 712 , and the third A negative pressure capable of adsorbing and lifting the shoe sole 30 alone may be formed in each of the pads 713 . According to the present embodiment, even if two pads do not normally face-to-face contact with the shoe sole 30 due to the functional hole 39 , the central protrusion 38 , etc., only one pad normally faces the shoe sole 30 . Upon contact, the transfer robot 101 may pick up the shoe sole 30 .

5 is a perspective view showing the suction tool 710 .

The first pad 711 , the second pad 712 , and the third pad 713 forming the distal end of the suction tool 710 may be connected to a hollow tube 719 in which a negative pressure is formed.

The first pad 711 , the second pad 712 , and the third pad 713 may be formed at positions spaced apart from each other along the length direction of the shoe sole 30 .

The hollow tube 719 or each pad may be installed to be elastically movable with respect to a frame supporting the hollow tube 719 . The shape of the first pad 711 , the second pad 712 , and the third pad 713 of the one surface of the shoe sole 30 facing the suction tool 710 through an elastic means such as a spring or the height between the suction points Regardless of the difference (distance from the suction tool), all of them may be in face-to-face contact with the shoe sole 30 .

6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the analysis unit 630 . 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first image, a second image, and a difference image.

The analysis unit 630 may compare the second image i2 photographed at the first position in a state in which the shoe sole 30 is excluded with the first image i1 photographed by the photographing unit 610 .

The analysis unit 630 may extract the target area ta corresponding to the image of the shoe sole 30 by removing the background from the difference image corresponding to the difference between the first image i1 and the second image i2 .

The analysis unit 630 may analyze the posture information of the shoe sole 30 by applying a contour finding algorithm to the target area ta.

Specifically, a first image i1 obtained by photographing the first location p1 by the photographing unit 610 may be obtained ( S810 ). The photographing unit 610 may additionally acquire a second image obtained by photographing the first position p1 in a state in which the shoe sole 30 is excluded (S 830).

The analyzer 630 may calibrate the first image i1 and the second image i2 to adjust the scales of the two images to the same reference (s 840). The analysis unit 630 may grayscale-convert the first image i1 and the second image i2 (S850), obtain a difference image by comparing the two images, and remove the background from the difference image (S860) . When the difference image from which the background is removed is binarized, only the target area ta representing the appearance of the shoe sole 30 remains (S870).

When the target area ta corresponding to the image of the shoe sole 30 included in the first image is extracted, the analysis unit 630 performs a contour finding algorithm on the target area ta to analyze the posture of the shoe sole 30 . It can be applied (S910).

The analyzer 630 may apply the first algorithm and the second algorithm together to the target area ta ( S920 ).

The first algorithm is an algorithm using a quadrangle, and may include an algorithm for finding a circumscribed quadrangle having a minimum size (S 930). In other words, the first algorithm may generate a rectangle with a minimum size circumscribing the target area ta.

The second algorithm may determine the outline of the target area ta (S940).

When the shoe size condition is found and the condition is satisfied (S950), the analysis unit 630 may extract at least one of the center coordinates and the center axis of the rectangle generated through application of the first algorithm (S960). The analysis unit 630 may extract at least one of a convex hull, a center of gravity coordinate, a long axis, and front/rear/left/right division information using the outline identified through application of the second algorithm (S970).

The analysis unit 630 may generate posture information of the shoe sole 30 including at least one of central coordinates and the central axis, and including at least one of a convex shell, center of gravity coordinates, long axis, and division information.

8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first operation of the analysis unit 630 , and FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second operation of the analysis unit 630 .

The analysis unit 630 may perform a first operation of analyzing the rotation angle of the shoe sole 30 using the central coordinates D1 and the central axes Dx and Dy calculated using the circumscribed rectangle m.

The analysis unit 630 divides the front and rear sides of the shoe sole 30 using the front and rear information of the shoe sole 30 analyzed using the outline n, and the shoe sole 30 is the left foot using the left and right information of the shoe sole 30 . You can tell if it's for a dragon or a right foot.

10 is a schematic diagram showing an automated method of the present invention.

The automation method illustrated in FIG. 10 may be performed by the automation apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 provided with the transfer robot 101 .

An initial position of the robot may be set (S510).

The adsorption tool 710 may be disposed at a standby position facing the first position p1 (S520).

By approaching the suction tool 710 toward the first position p1, the suction tool 710 may be brought into face-to-face contact with the shoe sole 30 disposed at the first position p1 (S 530).

When the suction tool 710 is brought into contact with the shoe sole 30 , a negative pressure may be formed to adsorb or suck the shoe sole 30 to the suction tool 710 ( S540 ).

It may be determined whether the shoe sole 30 is adsorbed to the adsorption tool 710 (S550). As an example, the control unit 103 may determine whether the adsorption succeeds by analyzing the vacuum pressure using a signal of the vacuum pressure switch installed in the vacuum pump or the hollow tube 719 ( S559 ).

If the shoe sole 30 is adsorbed to the adsorption tool 710, the adsorption tool may be moved toward the second position p2 (S560).

When the shoe sole 30 arrives at the second position p2, the negative pressure of the transfer robot 101 that has adsorbed the shoe sole 30 may be released (S 570).

In order to pick up the shoe sole 30 charged back to the first position p1, the transfer robot 101 may be returned to the initial position (S580).

The automation method shown in FIG. 10 relates to a robot driving method using the functions of the vision system and the suction tool 710 , and may be performed by the control unit 103 .

11 is a diagram illustrating a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computing device TN100 of FIG. 11 may be a device described herein (eg, the automation device 100 , the control unit 103 , etc.).

11 , the computing device TN100 may include at least one processor TN110 , a transceiver device TN120 , and a memory TN130 . In addition, the computing device TN100 may further include a storage device TN140 , an input interface device TN150 , an output interface device TN160 , and the like. Components included in the computing device TN100 may be connected by a bus TN170 to communicate with each other.

The processor TN110 may execute a program command stored in at least one of the memory TN130 and the storage device TN140. The processor TN110 may mean a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor on which methods according to an embodiment of the present invention are performed. The processor TN110 may be configured to implement procedures, functions, and methods described in connection with an embodiment of the present invention. The processor TN110 may control each component of the computing device TN100.

Each of the memory TN130 and the storage device TN140 may store various information related to the operation of the processor TN110. Each of the memory TN130 and the storage device TN140 may be configured as at least one of a volatile storage medium and a nonvolatile storage medium. For example, the memory TN130 may include at least one of a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM).

The transceiver TN120 may transmit or receive a wired signal or a wireless signal. The transceiver TN120 may be connected to a network to perform communication.

On the other hand, the embodiment of the present invention is not implemented only through the apparatus and/or method described so far, and a program for realizing a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention or a recording medium in which the program is recorded may be implemented. And, such an implementation can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art from the description of the above-described embodiments.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the following claims are also presented. It belongs to the scope of the invention.

20...Carrier 30...Shoe window
38...Protrusion 39...Hole
50...application chamber 51...conveyor line
60...dry chamber 100...automated device
101...Transfer robot 103...Control unit
610...photography department 630...analysis department
650...control unit 710...suction tool
711...first pad 712...second pad
713...3rd pad 719...hollow tube

Claims (6)

An automated device having a transport robot that picks up the shoe sole disposed at the first position, moves to a second preset position in the state of picking up the shoe sole, and puts the shoe sole down at the second position.
According to claim 1,
A photographing unit for photographing the shoe window disposed in the first position;
Analysis unit for analyzing the posture of the shoe sole through the analysis of the first image taken by the photographing unit,
A control unit for controlling a second posture of the suction tool provided in the transfer robot is provided in accordance with the first posture of the shoe sole analyzed by the analysis unit,
When the shoe sole is loaded on the suction tool, the control unit controls the transfer robot to move the shoe window to the second position,
The control unit controls the transfer robot so that the suction tool adsorbing the shoe sole is in a preset unloading posture at the second position,
The control unit is an automated device for controlling the transfer robot so that the suction tool unloads the shoe sole to the second position in the unloading posture.
According to claim 1,
A suction tool for adsorbing the shoe sole using negative pressure to suck air is provided in the transfer robot,
The suction tool is provided with a first pad portion, a second pad portion, and a third pad portion disposed at positions spaced apart from each other,
When the shoe sole is divided into a first region, a second region, and a third region along the length direction of the shoe sole,
The first pad is formed at a position facing the first area,
The second pad is formed at a position facing the second area,
The third pad is formed at a position facing the third area,
When at least one of the first pad, the second pad, and the third pad comes into direct contact with the shoe sole, the first pad, the second pad, and the third pad each individually adsorb the shoe sole, An automated device that creates a liftable negative pressure.
According to claim 1,
A photographing unit for photographing the shoe sole disposed in the first position, an analysis unit for analyzing the posture of the shoe sole through analysis of the first image photographed by the photographing unit are provided,
The analysis unit compares the first image with a second image photographed at the first position in a state in which the shoe sole is excluded,
The analysis unit extracts a target area corresponding to the image of the shoe sole by removing the background from the difference image corresponding to the difference between the first image and the second image,
The analyzing unit applies a contour finding algorithm to the target area to analyze the posture information of the shoe sole.
According to claim 1,
An analysis unit is provided for analyzing the posture of the shoe sole through the analysis of the first image taken of the shoe sole disposed at the first position,
The analysis unit extracts a target area corresponding to the image of the shoe sole included in the first image,
The analysis unit applies the first algorithm and the second algorithm together to the target area,
The first algorithm generates a rectangle of minimum size circumscribed in the target area,
The second algorithm recognizes the outline of the target area,
The analysis unit extracts at least one of the central coordinates and the central axis of the rectangle generated through application of the first algorithm,
The analysis unit extracts at least one of a convex hull, a center of gravity coordinate, a long axis, and front-rear left-right division information using the contour line identified through application of the second algorithm,
The analysis unit includes at least one of the central coordinates and the central axis, and the convex shell, the center of gravity coordinates, the long axis, and the automatic device for generating the posture information of the shoe sole including at least one of the classification information.
Pick up the shoe sole disposed in the first position, move to a preset second position in the state of picking up the shoe sole, and perform by an automation device equipped with a transfer robot that puts the shoe sole down at the second position In the automated method to be,
placing the adsorption tool in a standby position opposite the first position;
approaching the suction tool toward the first position to bring the suction tool into face-to-face contact with the shoe sole disposed at the first position;
forming a negative pressure for adsorbing the shoe sole to the suction tool when the suction tool is in face-to-face contact with the shoe sole;
determining whether the shoe sole is adsorbed to the adsorption tool;
if the shoe sole is adsorbed to the suction tool, moving the suction tool toward the second position;
releasing the negative pressure adsorbing the shoe sole when the shoe sole reaches the second position;
An automation method comprising

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