WO2024100751A1

WO2024100751A1 - Foreign matter removal device, picking chuck, and control method

Info

Publication number: WO2024100751A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/041479
Authority: WO
Inventors: 弘規近藤
Original assignee: 株式会社Fuji
Priority date: 2022-11-08
Filing date: 2022-11-08
Publication date: 2024-05-16

Abstract

A foreign matter removal device according to the present disclosure comprises: a removal unit that grips an object and includes a base part, a first member fixed to the base part, and a second member that is supported on the base part, approaches and separates from the first member, and comes into contact with the object; a detection unit that is provided upstream of the removal unit and detects a target and a foreign matter contained in the target; and a control unit that, on the basis of a detection result from the detection unit, controls the removal unit such that through a pressing operation in which the second member is brought close to the first member side from a state in which the foreign matter is pressed by the first member, the first member and the second member grip and remove the foreign matter.

Description

Foreign object removal device, picking chuck and control method

This specification discloses a foreign object removal device, a picking chuck, and a control method.

Conventionally, a foreign object removal device that removes foreign objects from waste materials has been proposed that includes, for example, a manipulator with a suction gripper that interacts with the waste material and whose range of motion is within a working area, one or more pressure sensors that are fluidly connected to the suction gripper and generate a pressure signal that depends on the fluid pressure in the suction gripper, and one or more position sensors that generate a position signal that depends on the position of the manipulator and/or suction gripper (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This foreign object removal device is said to be capable of determining manipulator commands that depend on the pressure signal and the position signal.

Specific Publication No. 2021-523026

However, although the device in Patent Document 1 is said to increase the probability of successfully collecting foreign matter, this is still not sufficient, and there is a need to increase the removal rate of foreign matter contained in the target object.

The present disclosure has been made to solve these problems, and its main objective is to provide a foreign matter removal device, picking chuck, and control method that can increase the removal rate of foreign matter contained in an object.

This disclosure takes the following steps to achieve the above-mentioned primary objective:

The foreign body removal device disclosed in this specification is
a removal unit that has a base, a first member fixed to the base, and a second member supported by the base and in close proximity to and spaced apart from the first member and that contacts an object, and that grips the object;
a detection unit located upstream of the removal unit and detecting an object and foreign matter contained in the object;
a control unit that controls the removal unit to grasp and remove the foreign object between the first member and the second member by a pressing operation of moving the second member toward the first member from a state in which the foreign object is pressed down by the first member based on a detection result by the detection unit; and
It is equipped with the following:

In this foreign object removal device, a first member fixed to the base holds down the foreign object, and then a second member is brought close to grasp the foreign object. Therefore, compared to devices that rotate from both sides to grasp the foreign object, this foreign object removal device can grasp the foreign object with less of an effect of contacting objects around the foreign object. Therefore, this foreign object removal device can increase the removal rate of foreign objects contained in the target object.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recycling system 10. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a foreign matter removal device 30. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a removal unit 40. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams showing examples of

images

81 and 82 captured by the detection unit 31. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a picking chuck 46. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a gripping operation of a picking chuck 46. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a foreign matter removal processing routine. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of removing a foreign object 14 by a pressing operation. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of removing a foreign object 14 by a supporting operation.

The embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recycling system 10 for recycling waste materials. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a foreign matter removal device 30. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the schematic configuration of a removal unit 40. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of captured

images

81, 82 captured by a detection unit 31. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the schematic configuration of a picking chuck 46. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the gripping operation of the picking chuck 46, with FIG. 6A being an open state and FIG. 6B being an explanatory diagram of a closed state. In this embodiment, the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction are as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. In this embodiment, the direction in which the waste materials 12 are transported is referred to as the transport direction D.

The waste materials 12 processed by the recycling system 10 are a mixture of objects 13 to be recycled, such as stones, sand, and concrete, and foreign objects 14, including paper, resin, wood, and metals. As shown in FIG. 1, the recycling system 10 includes a primary crusher 15, a primary magnetic separator 16, a screener 17, a foreign object removal device 30, a secondary crusher 18, a secondary magnetic separator 19, and conveying devices 20-25.

The primary crusher 15 is a device that performs primary crushing of the waste material 12, which is the raw material. The primary crusher 15 crushes the waste material 12 to a predetermined primary size or less (e.g., 40 cm or less). The primary magnetic separator 16 is a device that removes magnetic foreign matter contained in the waste material 12 by magnetic force. The screener 17 is a device that separates the waste material 12 into the primary size or more and the waste material 12 less than the primary size, for example, by passing the waste material 12 over a mesh. The secondary crusher 18 is a device that performs secondary crushing of the waste material 12 into a size smaller than that of the primary crusher 15. The secondary crusher 18 crushes the waste material 12 to a predetermined secondary size or less (e.g., 10 cm or less). The secondary magnetic separator 19 is a device that removes magnetic material from the waste material 12 that could not be completely removed by the primary magnetic separator 16 and the foreign matter removal device 30.

The conveying devices 20 to 25 as the conveying line are devices that place the waste material 12 on a conveying surface and convey it along the conveying direction D, and are configured as belt conveyors, for example. Note that the conveying devices 20 to 25 may be configured as something other than a belt conveyor, so long as they are capable of conveying the waste material 12.

The foreign matter removal device 30 is a device that places the waste material 12 on the conveying surface of the conveying device 22, conveys the waste material 12 within the conveying line, and removes the foreign matter 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the foreign matter removal device 30 is composed of a detection unit 31, a removal unit 40, and a control device 60. The foreign matter removal device 30 also includes a disposal unit 36. The conveying device 22 places the waste material 12 on the conveying surface and conveys the waste material 12 at a predetermined conveying speed. The disposal unit 36 is a dust box that stores the foreign matter 14.

The detection unit 31 is disposed upstream of the removal unit 40 in the conveying direction D. The detection unit 31 includes an imaging unit 32 that images the waste material 12, including the target object 13 and the foreign object 14, conveyed by the conveying unit 22, and a measuring unit 33 that measures the height of the waste material 12. The imaging unit 32 is configured, for example, as a camera that captures an image of the waste material 12 placed on the conveying surface of the conveying device 22 and conveyed. The imaging unit 32 is held above the conveying surface of the conveying device 22 by a holding member that is provided so as to straddle the conveying device 22 in the left-right direction. The imaging unit 32 captures an image of a predetermined range including the waste material 12 from above the conveying surface of the conveying device 22, and outputs image data to the control device 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the imaging unit 32 captures captured

images

81 and 82, including the target object 13 and the foreign object 14. The captured image 81 is an example of an image in a state in which the waste material 12 is not being conveyed on the conveying device 22. The captured image 82 is an example of an image of the state in which the waste material 12 and the foreign matter 14 are being transported on the transport device 22. The control device 60 acquires the width of the waste material 12 from the captured image, and acquires the amount of the waste material 12. The measurement unit 33 detects the height of the waste material 12 on the transport device 22. For example, the measurement unit 33 may be provided upstream of the removal unit 40 in the transport direction D, and may be configured as a stereo camera equipped with two cameras. Alternatively, the measurement unit 33 may be a sensor that detects a reflected wave obtained by irradiating the transport surface and obtains the height of the reflection position. The measurement unit 33 is held above the transport surface of the transport device 22 by a holding member provided so as to straddle the transport device 22 in the left-right direction. The measurement unit 33 outputs information regarding the detected height of the waste material 12 to the control device 60. The foreign matter removal device 30 equipped with the measurement unit 33 can control the transport of the waste material 12 by using information on the height direction of the waste material 12. On the other hand, the foreign matter removal device 30 may omit the measuring unit 33, and may omit the use of height information of the waste material 12.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the removal unit 40 is a device that removes foreign objects 14 from the target object 13 transported by the transport device 22, and is configured as an XY robot, for example. The removal unit 40 grips and releases the foreign objects 14 by opening and closing the picking chuck 46 to collect and remove them from the waste material 12. The removal unit 40 detects and removes the foreign objects 14 present in the waste material 12 based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit 32. The removal unit 40 is provided downstream of the detection unit 31 in the transport direction D. The removal unit 40 includes an X-axis slider 41, a Y-axis slider 42, a lifting unit 44, a removal head 43, a lifting unit 44, and a picking chuck 46. The removal unit 40 discards the collected foreign objects 14 into the disposal unit 36 arranged to the side of the transport device 22. The removal unit 40 may be configured in other ways, such as a multi-joint arm robot.

The X-axis slider 41 is installed along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction D of the transport device 22, and includes a drive mechanism (not shown). The drive mechanism includes a guide rail, a slider that moves along the guide rail, and a drive motor that drives the slider. The guide rail is fixed to the slider of the Y-axis slider 42 that is installed on the transport section 22 along the transport direction D. A removal head 43 with a lifting section 44 is fixed to the slider of the X-axis slider 41. The drive mechanism may be, for example, a linear motion mechanism using a ball screw that includes a screw shaft and a nut. This drive mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it is a linear motion mechanism, and may be a linear motor, etc. Note that the drive mechanism described below has the same basic structure as this drive mechanism, and its description will be omitted. In the X-axis slider 41, the drive mechanism 42 moves the removal head 43 along the X-axis direction. The Y-axis slider 42 is installed along the transport direction D, and includes a drive mechanism. This drive mechanism is fixed to the support section 35. The Y-axis slider 42 moves the X-axis slider 41 along the Y-axis direction by a drive mechanism. The lifting unit 44 is fixed to the removal head 43 arranged on the X-axis slider 41. The removal head 43 has the lifting unit 44, the collection unit 45, and the picking chuck 46. The lifting unit 44 is equipped with a drive mechanism that raises and lowers the picking chuck 46, which is a gripping member that grips an object, along the Z axis. The collection unit 45 is a part that is fixed to the lifting unit 44 and rises and lowers, and the picking chuck 46 is attached so that it can be detached. The collection unit 45 rotates the picking chuck 46 on the Z axis by a drive unit (not shown) and opens and closes the picking chuck 46. The removal unit 40 moves the picking chuck 46 together with the collection unit 45 in the X, Y, and Z directions by the X-axis slider 41, the Y-axis slider 42, and the lifting unit 44.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the picking chuck 46 has a base 50, a first member 51, and a second member 52, and is a device for gripping an object. The picking chuck 46 is configured to grip an object from two directions, the first member 51 and the second member 52. The picking chuck 46 may grip an object from three or more directions, but gripping from two directions is preferable in terms of simplifying the configuration. The base 50 is a housing that is attached to the collection section 45, and has a mounting section 53 on its upper surface. The second member 52 of the picking chuck 46 opens and closes due to the driving force transmitted via the mounting section 53.

The first member 51 is a member having two or more claw shapes fixed to the base 50 so as not to rotate. The first member 51 is fixed to the base 50 removably by screws via the stay 54. Since the first member 51 is a consumable item, it is fixed to the stay 54 by a mechanism that is relatively easy to remove. A buffer structure such as a damper (not shown) is connected to the stay 54, and the first member 51 moves up and down a short distance along the lifting and lowering direction of the base 50, and the impact applied is buffered. The first member 51 is a plate-like member fixed to the base 50 so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the vertical direction when the base 50 is in a vertical position with respect to the conveying surface of the conveying device 22. As shown in FIG. 5, three claw-shaped first members 51 are fixed to the stay 54, and although the first member 51 side is shown to have an overall width W, this number is not particularly limited, and an appropriate number can be selected according to the target object 13 and foreign object 14. As shown in FIG. 6A, the first member 51 is fixed by a stay 54 at a position where the contact surface 51a that contacts the object is along the vertical plane of the center C of the base 50. When the first member 51 is at the center of the base 50 in the gripping direction of the object, it is preferable that the balance is good when the first member 51 and the second member 52 are completely closed as shown in FIG. 6B. Furthermore, the first member 51 fixed in this manner can grip the object in a well-balanced manner in relation to the center of gravity of the object. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the first member 51 has a length L1 from the base 50 to the tip of the first member 51 that is longer than the length L2 from the base 50 to the tip of the second member 52 when the tip of the second member 52 approaches. With such a first member 51, it is preferable that the first member 51 and the second member 52 can easily grip the object. If length L1 is shorter than length L2, the object will be more likely to be repelled when grasped, and if it is too long, it will be difficult to insert it into object 13, so it is preferable to empirically determine an appropriate value for object 13.

The second member 52 is a member supported by the base 50, approaches and moves away from the first member 51, and contacts an object with the abutment surface 52a. The second member 52 is removably fixed to the base 50 by screws via a rotation support part 57, which is supported by a support shaft 56 and is in a rotatable state relative to the base 50. Since the second member 52 is a consumable item, it is arranged on the rotation support part 57 by a mechanism that is relatively easy to remove. The second member 52 approaches and moves away from the first member 51 as the rotation support part 57 rotates. The second member 52 is a member having two or more claw shapes arranged on the rotation support part 57. Two claw-shaped second members 52 are fixed to the rotation support part 57, which is fewer than the first member 51, but this number is not particularly limited, and an appropriate number can be selected depending on the target object 13 or foreign object 14. It is preferable that the number of rotating second members 52 is fewer than the first members 51, since it is easier to grasp the object. Alternatively, it is preferable that the number of fixed first members 51 is greater than the number of second members 52, since this makes it easier to grasp an object. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the second members 52 have a curved portion that is bent toward the first members 51, and when their tips approach the first members 51, a space is created between them. The picking chuck 46 may also store and pick up foreign matter 14 in this space.

It is preferable that at least one of the first member 51 and the second member 52 is provided with an auxiliary claw member having an uneven surface at a portion that contacts an object. In the picking chuck 46, the auxiliary claw member 55 is removably screwed to the first member 51. The auxiliary claw member 58 is removably screwed to the second member 52. The first member 51 may have the same shape as the second member 52 in terms of width, thickness, etc., at a portion that contacts an object, or may have a different shape. The auxiliary claw member 58 may have the same shape as the auxiliary claw member 55, or may have a different shape. Here, the auxiliary claw member 55 and the auxiliary claw member 58 have the same shape, and are collectively referred to simply as the auxiliary claw member. The auxiliary claw member may be provided only on the first member 51, only on the second member 52, or both on the first member 51 and the second member 52, but it is more preferable that the auxiliary claw member is provided only on the second member 52. This picking chuck 46 is preferable because it can further suppress the removal of unwanted objects 13. The picking chuck 46 may not include an auxiliary claw member. The auxiliary claw member is formed with multiple sharp-angled thorns that protrude toward the abutment surface 51a of the first member 51 and the abutment surface 52a of the second member 52. The thorns may have a triangular shape when viewed from the side. The picking chuck 46 can increase the efficiency of collecting objects by catching objects on the thorns. The removal unit 40 grips objects using a picking chuck 46 having such a structure.

The control device 60 is a device that controls the entire foreign matter removal device 30, and is equipped with a control unit 61 and a memory unit 62. The control unit 61 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and controls the entire device. The control unit 61 outputs control signals to the detection unit 31 and the removal unit 40, and inputs signals from the detection unit 31 and the removal unit 40. The memory unit 62 is a storage medium that stores information, and is configured, for example, by a HDD or flash memory.

Next, the operation of the foreign matter removal device 30 thus configured will be described. First, the process of removing the foreign matter 14 from the waste material 12 to produce the target object 13 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a foreign matter removal process routine executed by the control unit 61 of the control device 60. This routine is stored in the memory unit 62, and is executed by the control unit 61 after the worker M starts the foreign matter removal device 30. When this routine is started, the control unit 61 first drives the conveying device 22 (S100) and determines whether it is time to detect the waste material 12 on the conveying device 22 (S110). This detection timing can be, for example, a timing at which all of the foreign matter 14 contained in the target object 13 being conveyed can be detected. This detection timing can be, for example, a timing at which the imaging unit 32 captures all of the waste material 12 being conveyed by the conveying device 22 in continuous still images, and the still image moves to the next image. Note that when the imaging unit 32 captures a video, the detection timing can be a certain period of time during which still images are acquired. Furthermore, the detection timing of the measurement unit 33 may be, for example, every certain time period, or may be the same as the detection timing of the imaging unit 32.

When it is detection time in S110, the control unit 61 acquires the captured image captured by the imaging unit 32 and the height value measured by the measurement unit 33, and performs detection processing of the object 13 and the foreign object 14 using the captured image and the height value (S120). As the detection processing of the object 13, the control unit 61 performs processing to detect an area with a different brightness from the transport surface of the transport device 22, for example, and to determine that area as the area of the object 13. The control unit 61 may also determine the area of the object 13 from the acquired height of the transport surface. Furthermore, the control unit 61 can determine the presence or absence of the foreign object 14 based on whether or not there is an area of the foreign object 14 in the captured image (see FIG. 4).

Next, the control unit 61 determines whether or not a foreign object 14 is present in the captured image of the transport device 22 (S130). When a foreign object 14 is present in the transport device 22, the control unit 61 acquires characteristic information including the size, shape, and material of the foreign object 14, and height information around the foreign object 14, based on the detection result obtained by the detection unit 31 (S140). The control unit 61 can acquire the size and shape of the foreign object 14 by detecting the area of the foreign object 14 included in the captured image. The control unit 61 can also store in the storage unit 62 correspondence information that associates characteristics such as brightness ranges empirically determined from various images of the foreign object 14 with materials, and can use this to determine the material of the foreign object 14. Furthermore, the control unit 61 can acquire the height value of objects present around the foreign object 14 from the measurement unit 33.

Next, the control unit 61 determines whether the size factor Sf relating to the size of the foreign object 14 is equal to or greater than the width factor Wf relating to the width W of the first member 51 based on the detection result of the detection unit 31 (S150). In this step, it is determined whether the foreign object 14 is to be collected by a pressing operation or a supporting operation based on the relationship between the size of the foreign object 14 and the width W of the first member 51. The pressing operation is an operation of moving the second member 52 toward the first member 51 side from a state in which the tip of the first member 51 presses the foreign object 14. On the other hand, the supporting operation is an operation of moving the second member 52 toward the first member 51 side from a state in which the first member 51 is placed on the side of the foreign object 14. When the size (e.g., area S) of the foreign object 14 is small and the width W of the first member 51 is large, there is a high possibility that the foreign object 14 will be repelled when the control unit 61 executes the pressing operation. The control unit 61 may use, for example, the area S of the foreign matter 14 as the size factor Sf, and the square value of the width W of the first member 51 as the width factor Wf. Specifically, the control unit 61 may determine whether or not ^W2 ( ^cm2 ) ≦ a × S ( ^cm2 ) ... (Formula 1) is satisfied. "a" in Formula 1 is a coefficient determined according to the device configuration. Formula 1 is an equation empirically determined by experiments to obtain a higher collection efficiency by the pressing operation. Here, examples of the size factor Sf include the area S of the foreign matter 14, the outer periphery length, long side length, and short side length of the foreign matter 14. Examples of the width factor Wf include the square value of the width W of the first member 51, the width W, and the tip area of the first member 51. Any one or more of these factors may be used in appropriate combination as long as they can further increase the collection probability of the foreign matter 14.

When the size factor Sf of the foreign object 14 is equal to or greater than the width factor Wf of the first member 51, the control unit 61 determines whether the height Hm of the foreign object 14 is equal to or less than the height Hs of the objects present around the foreign object 14 based on the detection result of the detection unit 31 (S160). In this step, it is determined whether to collect the foreign object 14 by a pressing operation or a supporting operation based on the relationship between the height Hm of the foreign object 14 and the height Hs of its surroundings. When the height Hm of the foreign object 14 is higher than the height Hs of the surroundings, there is a high possibility that the foreign object 14 will be repelled when the control unit 61 performs a pressing operation. On the other hand, when the height Hm of the foreign object 14 is equal to or less than the height Hs of the surroundings, the first member 51 is more likely to hold down the foreign object 14.

When the height Hm of the foreign object 14 is equal to or less than the height Hs of the object around the foreign object 14, the control unit 61 sets the pressing operation of pressing the first member 51 to collect the foreign object 14 as the execution operation (S170), and executes the pressing operation (S190-210). Specifically, the control unit 61 first sets the position on the foreign object 14 to which the first member 51 is to be lowered (S190). The lowering position of the first member 51, i.e., the pressing position of the first member 51, is determined to be an optimal position according to the size and shape of the foreign object 14. In the pressing operation, for example, the control unit 61 may set the lowering position of the first member 51 to the end of the long side when the foreign object 14 is flat, and may set the end perpendicular to the longitudinal direction when the foreign object 14 is rod-shaped. Also, when the longitudinal direction of the foreign object 14 is longer than the grippable width of the second member 52, the control unit 61 may set the lowering position of the first member 51 to the end along the lateral direction. Next, the control unit 61 determines whether it is time to start removing the foreign object 14 (S200), and if it is not time to start removing the foreign object 14, it waits as it is. The control unit 61 can set this removal start timing based on the time it takes for the removal head 43 to move directly above the foreign object 14 by calculation. On the other hand, when the removal start timing is reached, the control unit 61 moves the picking chuck 46 to the set lowering position of the first member 51, lowers the first member 51, and moves the second member 52 close to the first member 51 while pressing the foreign object 14 against it (S210), thereby collecting the foreign object 14. In the pressing operation, the end of the foreign object 14 is pressed down by the first member 51, so that the opposite end of the foreign object 14 is lifted up, which is expected to make it easier to collect.

8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of removing a foreign object 14 by a pressing operation, where FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram of when the first member 51 presses the foreign object 14, FIG. 8B is an explanatory diagram of when the second member 52 approaches, and FIG. 8C is an explanatory diagram of when the foreign object 14 is lifted. FIG. 8 shows an example of a picking chuck 46 in which an auxiliary claw member 58 is arranged only on the second member 52. The control unit 61 first lowers the first member 51 to press the end of the foreign object 14 with the first member 51 (FIG. 8A). The foreign object 14 is fixed by the first member 51. Next, the control unit 61 brings the tip of the second member 52 close to the first member 51 side, and causes the first member 51 and the second member 52 to grip the foreign object 14 (FIG. 8B). At this time, there may be a case where another object is caught between at least one of the first member 51 and the second member 52 and the foreign object 14, but the picking chuck 46 is only required to be able to grip at least the foreign object 14. The control unit 61 then raises the picking chuck 46 and, in some cases, collects the foreign object 14 together with the other object. As shown in FIG. 9C, which will be described later, the contact surface 51a of the first member 51 is aligned along the vertical direction, and the first member 51 does not have the auxiliary claw member 55 and is less likely to be caught in the vertical direction. Therefore, even if another object is caught between the first member 51 and the foreign object 14, the picking chuck 46 may have the effect of sliding the object down. In addition, since the auxiliary claw member 58 is provided on the second member 52, the picking chuck 46 can hook the foreign object 14 and further prevent it from falling. In this way, the removal unit 40 can more reliably collect and remove foreign objects 14 that are relatively large in size and low in height by pressing them down with the first member 51 that is fixed to the base 50 so that it cannot rotate.

On the other hand, when the size factor Sf of the foreign object 14 is less than the width factor Wf of the first member 51 in S150, or when the height Hm of the foreign object 14 is greater than the height Hs of the objects present around the foreign object 14 in S160, the control unit 61 sets the support operation of attaching the first member 51 to the side of the foreign object 14 to collect the foreign object 14 as the execution operation (S180), and executes the support operation (S190-210). Specifically, first, in S190, the control unit 61 sets the lateral position of the foreign object 14 to which the first member 51 is to be lowered. The lowering position of the first member 51, i.e., the insertion position of the first member 51, is determined to be an optimal position depending on the height of the objects around the foreign object 14. In the support operation, for example, the control unit 61 may detect an area around the foreign object 14 where there are fewer objects, and set the lowering position of the first member 51 within that area. The control unit 61 may also detect an area of lower height among the heights of objects around the foreign object 14 and set the lowering position of the first member 51 within that area. Next, in S200, the control unit 61 determines whether it is time to start removing the foreign object 14, and if the removal start timing has not arrived, it waits as it is. The control unit 61 can set this removal start timing based on the time it takes for the removal head 43 to move directly above the foreign object 14 by calculation. On the other hand, when the removal start timing arrives, the control unit 61 moves the picking chuck 46 to the set lowering position of the first member 51, lowers the first member 51, and moves the second member 52 close to the first member 51 side with the first member 51 attached to the side of the foreign object 14, thereby collecting the foreign object 14 (S210). In the supporting operation, the end face of the foreign object 14 is supported by the first member 51, so that the foreign object 14 can be pinched and collected.

9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of removing a foreign object 14 by a supporting operation, in which FIG. 9A shows a state in which the first member 51 is attached to the side of the foreign object 14, FIG. 9B shows when the second member 52 approaches, FIG. 9C shows when lifting of the foreign object 14 starts, and FIG. 9D shows when the foreign object 14 is lifted. FIG. 9 shows an example of a picking chuck 46 in which an auxiliary claw member 58 is arranged only on the second member 52. The control unit 61 first lowers the first member 51 to position the first member 51 so that it is attached to the side of the foreign object 14 (FIG. 9A). Next, the control unit 61 brings the tip of the second member 52 close to the first member 51 side, and grips the foreign object 14 with the first member 51 and the second member 52 (FIG. 9B). At this time, there may be cases in which another object is sandwiched between at least one of the first member 51 and the second member 52 and the foreign object 14, but it is sufficient for the picking chuck 46 to be able to grip at least the foreign object 14. Next, the control unit 61 raises the picking chuck 46, and in some cases, picks up the foreign object 14 together with other objects. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9C, the contact surface 51a of the first member 51 is aligned vertically, and the first member 51 does not have the auxiliary claw member 55, so there is little vertical catching. Therefore, even if another object is caught between the first member 51 and the foreign object 14, the picking chuck 46 may have the effect of sliding the object down. In addition, since the auxiliary claw member 58 is arranged on the second member 52, the picking chuck 46 can catch the foreign object 14 and further prevent it from falling. In this way, the removal unit 40 can more reliably pick up and remove the foreign object 14 that is relatively small in size or tall by supporting it with the first member 51 fixed to the base 50 so as not to rotate.

After collecting the foreign object in S210, the control unit 61 moves the picking chuck 46 of the removal unit 40 above the disposal unit 36, drops the foreign object 14 into the disposal unit 36, and moves the picking chuck 46 to its initial position (S220). Note that if there is another foreign object 14 to be removed at this time, the control unit 61 may move the picking chuck 46 directly from above the disposal unit 36 to the next collection position.

After S220, or when there is no foreign object 14 in S130, the control unit 61 determines whether or not all recycling processes for the waste material 12 have been completed (S230), and when all recycling processes for the waste material 12 have not been completed, executes the processes from S110 onward. That is, when there is a foreign object 14 on the transport device 22, the control unit 61 sets an operation method for collecting the foreign object 14 according to the characteristic information of the foreign object 14 and the condition around the foreign object 14, and repeatedly executes the process for removing the foreign object 14. On the other hand, when all recycling processes for the waste material 12 have been completed in S230, the control unit 61 stops driving the transport device 22 (S240) and ends this routine.

Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of this disclosure will be clarified. The foreign matter removal device 30 of this embodiment corresponds to an example of the foreign matter removal device of the present disclosure, the detection unit 31 corresponds to an example of a detection unit, the removal unit 40 corresponds to an example of a removal unit, and the control unit 61 corresponds to an example of a control unit. In addition, the picking chuck 46 corresponds to an example of a picking chuck, the first member 51 corresponds to an example of a first member, the second member 52 corresponds to an example of a second member, the target object 13 corresponds to an example of a target object, and the foreign matter 14 corresponds to an example of a foreign matter. Note that in this embodiment, by explaining the operation of the foreign matter removal device 30, an example of a control method for the foreign matter removal device of the present disclosure is also clarified.

The foreign object removal device 30 described above includes a removal unit 40 having a base 50, a first member 51 fixed to the base 50, and a second member 52 supported by the base 50 and moving toward and away from the first member 51 to contact the object, which grasps the object, a detection unit 31 located upstream of the removal unit 40 and detecting the target object 13 and the foreign object 14 contained in the target object 13, and a control unit 61 that controls the removal unit 40 to grasp and remove the foreign object 14 with the first member 51 and the second member 52 by a pressing operation that brings the second member 52 closer to the first member 51 side based on the detection result by the detection unit 31. In this foreign object removal device 30, the foreign object 14 is grasped by bringing the second member 52 closer to the first member 51 from a state in which the foreign object 14 is held down by the first member 51 fixed to the base 50. Therefore, compared to devices that rotate from both sides to grasp the foreign object 14, the foreign object removal device 30 can grasp the foreign object 14 with less impact from contacting objects around the foreign object 14. Therefore, the foreign object removal device 30 can increase the removal rate of the foreign object 14 contained in the target object 13.

Alternatively, the foreign object removal device 30 includes the above-mentioned removal unit 40 and detection unit 31, and a control unit 61 that controls the removal unit 40 to grasp and remove the foreign object 14 with the first member 51 and the second member 52 by a support operation of moving the second member 52 toward the first member 51 side from a state in which the first member 51 is attached to the side of the foreign object 14 based on the detection result by the detection unit 31. In this foreign object removal device 30, the first member 51 fixed to the base 50 is placed to the side of the foreign object 14, and the second member 52 is brought close to grasp the foreign object 14. Therefore, compared to, for example, a device that rotates from both sides to grasp the foreign object 14, this foreign object removal device 30 can grasp the foreign object 14 with less influence of contact with objects present around the foreign object 14. Therefore, this foreign object removal device 30 can increase the removal rate of the foreign object 14 contained in the target object 13.

In addition, when the detection result by the detection unit 31 indicates that the size factor Sf related to the size of the foreign object 14 is equal to or greater than the width factor Wf related to the width W of the first member 51 of the removal unit 40, the control unit 61 controls the removal unit 40 to grasp and remove the foreign object 14 with the first member 51 and the second member 52 by a pressing action of moving the second member 52 closer to the first member 51 from a state in which the first member 51 is pressing down on the foreign object 14, whereas when the detection result by the detection unit 31 indicates that the size factor Sf of the foreign object 14 is smaller than the width factor Wf, the control unit 61 controls the removal unit 40 to grasp and remove the foreign object 14 with the first member 51 and the second member 52 by a supporting action of moving the second member 52 closer to the first member 51 from a state in which the first member 51 is attached to the side of the foreign object 14. In this foreign object removal device 30, a pressing operation is performed for larger foreign objects 14 that are easier to press with the first member 51, and a support operation is performed for smaller foreign objects 14 that are harder to press with the first member 51, thereby making it possible to further increase the removal rate of foreign objects 14 contained in the target object 13.

In addition, since the size factor Sf is the area S of the foreign object 14 and the width factor Wf is the square of the width W of the first member 51, the foreign object removal device 30 can use an empirically obtained relationship to further increase the removal rate of the foreign object 14 contained in the target object 13. Furthermore, when the detection result by the detection unit 31 indicates that the height Hm of the foreign object 14 is equal to or less than the height Hs of the object present around the foreign object 14, the control unit 61 controls the removal unit 40 to grip and remove the foreign object 14 with the first member 51 and the second member 52 by a pressing action, whereas when the detection result by the detection unit 31 indicates that the height Hm of the foreign object 14 is greater than the height Hs of the object present around the foreign object 14, the control unit 61 controls the removal unit 40 to grip and remove the foreign object 14 with the first member 51 and the second member 52 by a supporting action. In this foreign object removal device 30, a pressing operation is performed for low-height foreign objects 14 that are easy to press with the first member 51, and a support operation is performed for high-height foreign objects 14 that are difficult to press with the first member 51, thereby making it possible to further increase the removal rate of foreign objects 14 contained in the target object 13.

The picking chuck 46 used in the foreign object removal device 30 includes a base 50, a first member 51 fixed to the base 50, and a second member 52 rotatably supported on the base 50 and rotates to contact an object. In this picking chuck 46, the second member 52 rotates to grip the foreign object 14 while the first member 51 is fixed, making it easy to grip the foreign object 14. The picking chuck 46 also includes a base 50, a first member 51, and a second member 52, and the first member 51 has a length L1 that is longer than the length L2 to the tip of the second member 52 when the tip of the second member 52 approaches. In this picking chuck 46, for example, the longer first member 51 makes it easy to press the foreign object 14 in the pressing operation and easy to support the foreign object 14 in the supporting operation, which is preferable. Furthermore, the picking chuck 46 includes a base 50, a first member 51, and a second member 52, and

auxiliary claw members

55, 58 having unevenness at the portion that contacts the object are disposed on at least one of the first member 51 and the second member 52. In this picking chuck 46, the

auxiliary claw members

55, 58 can further suppress the falling of the foreign object 14. Furthermore, when the auxiliary claw member 58 is disposed only on the second member 52, for example, the picking chuck 46 can more reliably hold objects such as the foreign object 14 by the second member 52, and can drop the object 13 that has entered between the first member 51 and the foreign object 14 along the vertical direction, thereby further suppressing the removal of objects other than the foreign object 14.

It goes without saying that this disclosure is in no way limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

For example, in the above embodiment, the second member 52 is described as moving toward and away from the first member 51 by rotating around the support shaft 56, but this is not particularly limited, and the second member 52 may move toward and away from the first member 51 by, for example, a sliding motion. This picking chuck 46 can also further increase the removal rate of foreign matter 14 contained in the target object 13.

In the above-described embodiment, the first member 51 has a length L1 that is longer than the length L2 of the second member 52, but this is not particularly limited. Note that it is preferable that the length L1 is longer than the length L2, since this makes it easier to grip the foreign object 14 during the pressing operation and the supporting operation.

In the above embodiment, the auxiliary claw member 55 is attached to the first member 51, and the auxiliary claw member 58 is attached to the second member 52, but one or more of these may be omitted. In addition, the

auxiliary claw members

55 and 58 have triangular spikes when viewed from the side, but are not limited to this as long as they are uneven.

In the above-described embodiment, the first member 51 is fixed at a position where its contact surface 51a is aligned with the center line C of the base 50, but this is not limited thereto and the first member 51 may be fixed at another position. It is preferable that the first member 51 is fixed at a position where the entire picking chuck 46 is well balanced when the second member 52 approaches.

In the above embodiment, the pressing operation and the supporting operation are switched based on the relationship between the size factor Sf and the width factor Wf, but this is not particularly limited, and this process may be omitted and either the pressing operation or the supporting operation may be performed. Also, in the above embodiment, the size factor Sf of the foreign object 14 is the area S of the foreign object 14, but this is not particularly limited, and it may be one or more of other factors, such as the outer perimeter length, long side length, and short side length of the foreign object 14. Also, in the above embodiment, the width factor Wf is the square value of the width factor Wf, but this is not particularly limited, and it may be one or more of other factors, such as the width W and the tip area of the first member 51.

In the above-described embodiment, the pressing operation and the supporting operation are switched based on the relationship between the height Hm of the foreign object 14 and the height Hs of its surroundings, but this is not particularly limited, and this process may be omitted and either the pressing operation or the supporting operation may be performed.

In the above-described embodiment, the control device 60 detects the presence or absence of the target object 13 or foreign object 14 on the transport device 22 using the image captured by the imaging unit 32 and the height information of the measurement unit 33, but this is not particularly limited, and either the image captured by the imaging unit 32 or the height information of the measurement unit 33 may be omitted. This control device 60 can also detect the presence or absence of the waste material 12 on the transport device 22. Note that it is preferable for the foreign object removal device 30 to detect the presence or absence of the waste material 12 on the transport device 22 using the imaging unit 32 and the measurement unit 33, as this allows for more accurate detection. Also, the detection unit 31 may be equipped with other detection devices instead of or in addition to the imaging unit 32 and the measurement unit 33.

In the above-described embodiment, foreign matter 14 is removed from target object 13 in the production of waste material 12, but this is not limited to waste material 12, and foreign matter contained in objects other than waste material 12 may also be removed.

In the above-described embodiment, the image captured by the imaging unit 32 is used to detect the presence or absence of waste material 12 on the transport device 22, and to detect foreign matter 14 contained in the waste material 12, but this is not particularly limited, and each detection may be performed using a separate image. Furthermore, the foreign matter removal device 30 may have multiple detection units 31. It is more efficient and preferable for the foreign matter removal device 30 to detect the presence or absence of the target object 13 on the transport device 22 and to detect the foreign matter 14 contained in the target object 13 using the same captured image.

In the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure has been described as a foreign matter removal device 30 equipped with a control unit 61, but is not particularly limited to this, and the present disclosure may be a control device 60 or a control method for the foreign matter removal device 30 executed by a computer.

Here, the control method of the present disclosure may be configured as follows. For example, the control method of the foreign matter removal device of the present disclosure includes:
A method for controlling a foreign object removal device comprising: a removal unit having a base, a first member fixed to the base, and a second member supported by the base and spaced apart from the first member to contact the object, and configured to grip the object; and a detection unit located upstream of the removal unit and configured to detect the target object and foreign objects contained in the target object, the method comprising the steps of:
a step of controlling the removal unit so as to grasp and remove the foreign object between the first member and the second member by a pressing operation of moving the second member toward the first member from a state in which the foreign object is held down by the first member based on a detection result by the detection unit;
It includes.

　In this control method for a foreign object removal device, as with the foreign object removal device described above, the foreign object can be grasped with less impact from contact with objects surrounding the foreign object, thereby increasing the removal rate of foreign objects contained in the target object. Note that this control method may employ various aspects of the foreign object removal device described above, and may also include additional steps that realize the various functions of the foreign object removal device described above.

Alternatively, the control method for the foreign matter removal apparatus of the present disclosure includes:
A method for controlling a foreign object removal device comprising: a removal unit having a base, a first member fixed to the base, and a second member supported by the base and spaced apart from the first member to contact the object, and configured to grip the object; and a detection unit located upstream of the removal unit and configured to detect the target object and foreign objects contained in the target object, the method comprising the steps of:
a step of controlling the removal unit so as to grasp and remove the foreign object with the first member and the second member by a supporting motion of moving the second member toward the first member from a state in which the first member is placed next to the foreign object based on a detection result by the detection unit;
It includes.

　This specification also discloses the technical idea of changing "the foreign matter removal device according to claim 1 or 2" to "the foreign matter removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4" in claim 5 as originally filed, the technical idea of changing "the foreign matter removal device according to claim 1 or 2" to "the foreign matter removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5" in claim 6 as originally filed, the technical idea of changing "the foreign matter removal device according to claim 1 or 2" to "the foreign matter removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5" in claim 7 as originally filed, and the technical idea of changing "the foreign matter removal device according to claim 1 or 2" to "the foreign matter removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5" in claim 8 as originally filed.

This disclosure can be used in technical fields such as industrial waste recycling.

10 Recycling system, 12 Waste material, 13 Target object, 14 Foreign object, 15 Primary crusher, 16 Primary magnetic separator, 17 Screening machine, 18 Secondary crusher, 19 Secondary magnetic separator, 20-25 Transport device, 30 Foreign object removal device, 31 Detection unit, 32 Imaging unit, 33 Measurement unit, 35 Support unit, 36 Disposal unit, 40 Removal unit, 41 X-axis slider, 42 Y-axis slider, 43 Removal head, 44 Lifting unit, 45 Collection unit, 46 Piston chucking chuck, 50 base, 51 first member, 51a contact surface, 52 second member, 52a contact surface, 53 mounting portion, 54 stay, 55 auxiliary claw member, 56 support shaft, 57 rotation support portion, 58 auxiliary claw member, 60 control device, 61 control portion, 62 memory portion, 81 captured image, 82 captured image, D conveying direction, Hm, Hs height, L1, L2 length, M worker, S area, Sf size factor, W width, Wf width factor.

Claims

a removal unit that has a base, a first member fixed to the base, and a second member supported by the base and in close proximity to and spaced apart from the first member and that contacts an object, and that grips the object;
a detection unit located upstream of the removal unit and detecting an object and foreign matter contained in the object;
a control unit that controls the removal unit to grasp and remove the foreign object between the first member and the second member by a pressing operation of moving the second member toward the first member from a state in which the foreign object is pressed down by the first member based on a detection result by the detection unit; and
A foreign object removal device comprising:
a removal unit that has a base, a first member fixed to the base, and a second member supported by the base and in close proximity to and spaced apart from the first member and that contacts an object, and that grips the object;
a detection unit located upstream of the removal unit and detecting an object and foreign matter contained in the object;
a control unit that controls the removal unit to grasp and remove the foreign object with the first member and the second member by a supporting operation of moving the second member toward the first member from a state in which the first member is placed next to the foreign object based on a detection result by the detection unit; and
A foreign object removal device comprising:
The foreign object removal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the removal unit to grasp and remove the foreign object with the first and second members by a pressing action of bringing the second member closer to the first member side from a state in which the first member holds down the foreign object when the size factor related to the size of the foreign object is equal to or greater than a width factor related to the width of the first member of the removal unit according to the detection result by the detection unit, and controls the removal unit to grasp and remove the foreign object with the first and second members by a supporting action of bringing the second member closer to the first member side from a state in which the first member is attached to the side of the foreign object when the detection result by the detection unit shows that the size factor of the foreign object is smaller than the width factor.
The foreign object removal device of claim 3, wherein the size factor is the area of the foreign object, and the width factor is the square of the width of the first member.
The foreign object removal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the removal unit to grasp and remove the foreign object with the first and second members by a pressing action of bringing the second member closer to the first member side from a state in which the first member holds down the foreign object when the height of the foreign object is equal to or less than the height of an object present around the foreign object according to the detection result by the detection unit, and controls the removal unit to grasp and remove the foreign object with the first and second members by a supporting action of bringing the second member closer to the first member side from a state in which the first member is attached to the side of the foreign object when the detection result by the detection unit indicates that the height of the foreign object is higher than the height of an object present around the foreign object.
A picking chuck for use in the foreign matter removal device according to claim 1 or 2,
A base and
A first member fixed to the base;
A second member that is rotatably supported on the base and rotates to contact an object;
A picking chuck equipped with a
A picking chuck for use in the foreign matter removal device according to claim 1 or 2,
A base and
A first member fixed to the base;
a second member supported by the base and in close proximity to and spaced apart from the first member and adapted to contact an object;
The first member has a length longer than a tip end of the second member when the tip end of the second member approaches the first member.
Picking chuck.
A picking chuck for use in the foreign matter removal device according to claim 1 or 2,
A base and
A first member fixed to the base;
a second member supported by the base and in close proximity to and spaced apart from the first member and adapted to contact an object;
At least one of the first member and the second member is provided with an auxiliary claw member having projections and recesses at a portion that contacts an object.
Picking chuck.
A method for controlling a foreign object removal device comprising: a removal unit having a base, a first member fixed to the base, and a second member supported by the base and spaced apart from the first member to contact the object, and configured to grip the object; and a detection unit located upstream of the removal unit and configured to detect the target object and foreign objects contained in the target object, the method comprising the steps of:
a step of controlling the removal unit so as to grasp and remove the foreign object between the first member and the second member by a pressing operation of moving the second member toward the first member from a state in which the foreign object is held down by the first member based on a detection result by the detection unit;
A control method comprising:
A method for controlling a foreign object removal device comprising: a removal unit having a base, a first member fixed to the base, and a second member supported by the base and spaced apart from the first member to contact the object, and configured to grip the object; and a detection unit located upstream of the removal unit and configured to detect the target object and foreign objects contained in the target object, the method comprising the steps of:
a step of controlling the removal unit so as to grasp and remove the foreign object with the first member and the second member by a supporting motion of moving the second member toward the first member from a state in which the first member is placed next to the foreign object based on a detection result by the detection unit;
A control method comprising: