JP2021070063A - Retention mechanism, transfer device, handling robot system, and unloading device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a retention mechanism, a transfer device, a handling robot system, and an unloading device that are capable of easily holding an article.SOLUTION: A retention mechanism includes: a base having one end, a structure connection mechanism, a drive part, and a regulation member. The structure connection mechanism includes a connection member for connecting at least two or more structures with the structure, and is rotatable in a first rotation direction about a first shaft, whereas partly restricted in rotation in a second rotation direction about the first shaft. The regulation member is provided at a prescribed distance from the one end. The drive part moves the structure connection mechanism in a first direction from the one end toward the regulation member. According to drive of the drive part, a projection part of the structure connection mechanism projecting beyond the one end projects in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction after passing between the one end and the regulation member. The regulation member regulates movement of the projection part in the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to holding mechanisms, transfer devices, handling robot systems and unloading devices.

As an apparatus for automating the transfer operation of an article, there is known an apparatus for adsorbing and holding the article with a suction pad in contact with the upper surface of the article and moving the article to a desired place by an operation such as lifting. However, in a breathable article such as a mesh-shaped article (clothing, etc.), an air inflow occurs between the internal space of the suction pad and the closed space formed by the contact surface of the article, so that a sufficient suction force is generated. It is difficult to do so, and when the adsorbed article is pulled up vertically, the adsorbed state of the adsorption pad is easily released. Therefore, it is desired to develop an effective article taking-out method even for articles that are difficult to adsorb. In addition, roll box pallets equipped with intermediate shelves are often used in logistics facilities. Therefore, it is desired to develop a thin holding mechanism capable of entering a narrow space directly under the intermediate shelf and taking out an article, a transfer device equipped with this holding mechanism, a handling robot system, and an unloading device.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-69455 JP-A-2002-316098 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-44333

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide a holding mechanism, a transfer device, a handling robot system, and an unloading device capable of easily holding an article.

The holding mechanism of one embodiment includes a base, a structure connecting mechanism, a driving unit, and a regulating member. The base has one end. The structure connecting mechanism is mounted on the base. The structure connecting mechanism includes at least two or more structures and a connecting member that connects the structures, is rotatable in a first rotational direction around a first axis, and is a first around the first axis. Part of the rotation in the rotation direction of 2 is suppressed. The regulating member is provided at a predetermined distance from the one end. The drive unit moves the structure connecting mechanism along the base in a first direction from one end toward the regulating member. By driving the drive unit, the projecting portion of the structure connecting mechanism that protrudes beyond the one end passes between the one end and the restricting member and is in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction. Protruding into. The regulating member regulates the protruding portion so that it does not move in the first direction when it comes into contact with the protruding portion.

The schematic block diagram which shows the handling robot system provided with the holding mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The perspective view of one configuration example of the holding mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The side view of the structural example of the holding mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The perspective view of one configuration example of the holding mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The side view of the structural example of the holding mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The enlarged perspective view of one configuration example of the plate connecting mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a configuration example of the plate connecting mechanism according to the first embodiment in a stored state. The perspective view in the protruding state of one configuration example of the plate connecting mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is an internal structural diagram of a configuration example of a holding mechanism according to the first embodiment. Explanatory drawing of the hinge which concerns on 1st Embodiment. Explanatory drawing of the rotation suppressing member which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The perspective view of the pressing member which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The perspective view in the stored state of the pressing member which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The perspective view in the protruding state of the pressing member which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The functional explanatory view of the pressing member which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The functional block diagram of the handling robot system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the operation example of the handling robot system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The first explanatory view of the operation example of the handling robot system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The second explanatory view of the operation example of the handling robot system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The third explanatory view of the operation example of the handling robot system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The fourth explanatory view of the operation example of the handling robot system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a fifth explanatory view of an operation example of the handling robot system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a configuration example of a holding mechanism according to a modification 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view of a configuration example of a holding mechanism according to the second modification of the first embodiment. The first explanatory view of the operation example of the transfer apparatus which concerns on the modification 3 of the 1st Embodiment. FIG. 2 is a second explanatory view of an operation example of the transport device according to the third modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a configuration example of a holding mechanism according to a modified example 4 of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view of a configuration example of a holding mechanism according to a modified example 4 of the first embodiment. The functional block diagram of the handling robot system provided with the holding mechanism which concerns on modification 4 of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view of a configuration example of a holding mechanism according to a modified example 5 of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view of a configuration example of a holding mechanism according to a modification 6 of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view of a configuration example of a holding mechanism according to a modified example 7 of the first embodiment. The schematic block diagram which shows the handling robot system provided with the unloading apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Those with the same reference numerals indicate similar ones. The drawings are schematic or conceptual, and the relationship between the thickness and width of each part and the ratio coefficient of the size between the parts are not necessarily the same as the actual ones. Further, even if the same parts are represented, the dimensions and ratios may be different from each other depending on the drawings.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a handling robot system 100 according to the first embodiment. The handling robot system 100 includes a transfer device 110, a recognition device 130, a transfer device 140, and a transfer control unit 145. The recognition device 130 recognizes information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 placed in the placement area. Based on this information, the transfer device 110 transfers the article 125 in the loading area to the transfer device 140.

Here, for convenience of explanation, the + X-axis direction, the −X-axis direction, the + Y-axis direction, the −Y-axis direction, the + Z-axis direction, and the −Z-axis direction are defined. The + X-axis direction, the −X-axis direction, the + Y-axis direction, and the Y-axis direction are substantially horizontal directions. The −X axis direction is the opposite direction to the + X axis direction. The + Y-axis direction is substantially orthogonal to the + X-axis direction. The −Y axis direction is opposite to the + Y axis direction. The + Z-axis direction is a direction substantially orthogonal to the + X-axis direction and the + Y-axis direction. The + Z-axis direction is a substantially vertical upward direction. The −Z axis direction is the opposite direction to the + Z axis direction, and is substantially vertically downward. The + X-axis direction is referred to as the first direction. The −Z axis direction is referred to as the second direction. The −X-axis direction is referred to as the third direction.

Next, in the rotation in two directions around the Y axis, the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction are defined. In the rotation in two directions around the Y axis in FIG. 1, the rotation in the direction of the rotation arrow A is defined as the first rotation direction. Further, the rotation in the direction of the rotation arrow B is defined as the second rotation direction.

The loading area is a place where the article 125 is loaded or loaded. FIG. 1 shows that the movable car trolley 120 exists in the mounting area. The car trolley 120 has an intermediate shelf 121 and can be moved in a state where a plurality of articles 125 are placed. The article 125 is not limited to the car trolley 120, and the article 125 may be placed on a movable steel trolley, a box pallet, or a pallet, or the article 125 may be placed on a fixed shelf or the like.

Article 125 includes articles of various shapes, such as products placed in cardboard boxes and the like, packaged products and the products themselves. Article 125 may also be referred to as an object to be retained.

The recognition device 130 includes one or more image sensors 131 and a recognition control unit 135. The image sensor 131 acquires image data of the article 125 in the mounting area. The recognition control unit 135 recognizes information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 based on the image data output from the image sensor 131. The recognition control unit 135 transmits information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 to the control unit 115 of the transfer device 110. In the following, the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 includes information indicating the gap with the periphery of the article 125.

The transfer device 110 includes a manipulator 111, a holding mechanism 1, and a control unit 115. The transfer device 110 transfers the article 125 to the transfer device 140 while being held by the holding mechanism 1.

The transport device 140 transports the transferred article 125 to a desired location. The transport device 140 is a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, a sorter, or the like.

The transport control unit 145 controls the operation of the transport device 140. The transport control unit 145 is, for example, a computer provided with a CPU, a memory, and an auxiliary storage unit. The operation of the transport device 140 may be automatically controlled by the transport control unit 145 by a preset program, or may be controlled by the operator manually operating the transport control unit 145.

The manipulator 111 is an articulated robot. The manipulator 111 moves the holding mechanism 1 attached to the tip of the manipulator 111 to an arbitrary position in the mounting area. The manipulator 111 includes at least two links 114, 114, a plurality of joints 113 connecting the ends of the links 114, and a force sensor (not shown).

The joint portion 113 includes a motor, an encoder, a speed reducer, and the like (not shown). Each link 114 of the manipulator 111 can rotate or linearly move by driving a motor of the joint portion 113, respectively. Therefore, the holding mechanism 1 arranged at the tip of the manipulator 111 can be moved. The operation of the joint portion 113 is not limited to the rotation in the uniaxial direction, and includes the rotation in the multiaxial direction and the linear motion. The manipulator 111 may have a configuration in which a linear motion mechanism in the three-axis (XYZ-axis) direction, a rotation axis for rotating the link 114, and a joint portion are combined.

A force sensor (not shown) outputs an electric signal corresponding to the weight of the article 125 to the control unit 115 based on the magnitude of the force applied to the holding mechanism 1 when the holding mechanism 1 holds the article 125.

The manipulator 111 fixes the end of the manipulator 111 on the opposite side of the holding mechanism 1 to the gantry 112. The gantry 112 is installed on the floor or the ground. The gantry 112 may be a movable trolley or the like. When the gantry 112 is movable, the manipulator 111 can move freely on the floor surface.

The control unit 115 receives information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 from the recognition control unit 135, and controls the operation of the manipulator 111 and the holding mechanism 1 based on this information.

For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that there is a mounting area (car carriage 120 and article 125) in the + X-axis direction of the transport device 140, which will be described below.

Here, one surface of the article 125 to be taken out facing the transport device 140 is defined as the front surface 126 of the article 125. Further, the surface opposite to the front surface 126 is defined as the back surface 127 of the article 125. The article 125 to be taken out may be referred to as a holding object.

Further, the movement of the holding mechanism 1 from the manipulator 111 side to the mounting area side in the + X axis direction is defined as forward movement. On the other hand, the movement of the holding mechanism 1 from the mounting region side to the manipulator 111 side in the −X axis direction is defined as retreat.

The operation of taking out the article 125 by the holding mechanism 1 will be described. The manipulator 111 can move the holding mechanism 1 to an arbitrary position in the mounting region, but here, the holding mechanism 1 is moved (advanced) in the + X axis direction. After the holding mechanism 1 is moved to a position slightly higher than the upper surface of the article 125 to be taken out, the holding mechanism 1 can form a protruding portion in the −Z axis direction. This protruding portion comes into contact with the back surface 127 of the article 125 and can hold the article 125. By moving (retracting) the holding mechanism 1 in the state where the protruding portion is formed by the manipulator 111 in the −X-axis direction, the article 125 to be taken out can be taken out from the car carriage 120 to the transport device 140 side.

One configuration of the holding mechanism 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the holding mechanism 1 includes a base 20, a driving unit 30, a plate connecting mechanism 40, and a pressing member 90. The pressing member 90 may also be referred to as a regulating member 90. The base 20 includes a first base portion 21 and a second base portion 24. The drive unit 30 includes a movable unit 31 and other members described later.

The plate connecting mechanism 40 is a flexible plate-like member having a first surface 230 and a second surface 240, and is bendable on the first surface 230 side but bent on the second surface 240 side. Those with characteristics that cannot be achieved are preferable. The base 20 is located on the first surface 230 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40. The plate connecting mechanism 40 is placed on the base 20 so that the first surface 230 is in contact with the base 20. The drive unit 30 can slide the plate connecting mechanism 40 on the base 20 in the + X-axis direction and the −X-axis direction.

A part of the plate connecting mechanism 40 protruding beyond one end of the base 20 in the + X axis direction due to sliding falls in the −Z axis direction due to its weight and bends toward the first surface 230 side. One end of the base 20 in the + X axis direction is also referred to as one end of the base 20. Details will be described later. The pressing member 90 is provided at a predetermined distance from one end of the base 20, and regulates the plate connecting mechanism 40 so as not to move in the + X axis direction.

When the drive unit 30 continues to drive, the portion of the plate connecting mechanism 40 protruding in the −Z axis direction gradually increases. This protruding portion is defined as a protruding portion 48. The overall shape of the holding mechanism 1 is changed by the protruding portion 48. When the drive unit 30 stops driving in this state, the protrusion 48 passes between one end of the base 20 and the pressing member 90 and is bent toward the first surface 230. When the holding mechanism 1 is moved (backward) in the −X axis direction with the protruding portion (protruding portion 48) protruding in the −Z axis direction, the article 125 in contact with the protruding portion 48 of the plate connecting mechanism 40. If there is, the article 125 and the protrusion 48 come into contact with each other, and the protrusion 48 is pushed in the + X-axis direction by the reaction force. At this time, the protruding portion 48 comes into contact with the pressing member 90, but the pressing member 90 fixed to the base portion 20 regulates the protruding portion 48 so as not to move in the + X axis direction. As a result, the contact state between the article 125 and the protrusion 48 is maintained, so that the article 125 can be held and the article 125 can be taken out from the car carriage 120. Details will be described later.

The holding mechanism 1 can take two states, a retracted state and a protruding state, by moving the plate connecting mechanism 40. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the stored state is a state in which the entire plate connecting mechanism 40 is on the base 20 and does not hang down in the −Z axis direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the protruding state means that the plate connecting mechanism 40 slides (moves) due to the drive of the drive unit 30, and a part of the plate connecting mechanism 40 protrudes from the base 20 in the −Z axis direction. It is in a state of being (hanging). In this way, the outer shape of the holding mechanism 1 can be deformed.

The plate connecting mechanism 40 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 includes a plate material 50, a hinge 60, and a rotation suppressing member 70. A hinge 60 is fixed to the first surface 230 of the plate member 50. The rotation suppressing member 70 is fixed to the second surface 240 of the plate member 50. Since the first surface 230 of the plate material 50 faces the base 20, if the base 20 disappears, the adjacent plate materials 50 and 50 are bent toward the first surface 230 (in the first rotation direction). Rotation) is possible. On the other hand, the plate connecting mechanism 40 cannot be bent toward the second surface 240 (rotation in the second rotation direction) by the rotation suppressing member 70. Specifically, the angle α formed by the first surfaces 230 of the adjacent plate members 50 and 50 can be bent up to 0 degrees <α ≦ 180 degrees by the hinge. On the other hand, the angle β formed by the second surfaces 240 of the adjacent plate members 50, 50 can be taken only by 180 degrees or more, that is, even if there is a hinge 60, the bending toward the second surface 240 side (in the second rotation direction). Rotation) is suppressed.

When the article 125 is held in the projecting state and taken out, an external force is applied to the first surface 230 of the projecting portion 48 in contact with the article 125, and the article 125 is pushed in the + X-axis direction. Since the pressing member 90 generates a repulsive force on the second surface 240 in response to this, the protruding portion 48 cannot move in the + X axis direction. At this time, an external force is applied to each plate member 50 of the protruding portion 48 so as to rotate in the second rotation direction. If the rotation suppressing member 70 does not limit the rotation in the second rotation direction, each plate member 50 of the protrusion 48 rotates in the second rotation direction without limitation, and the article 125 cannot be continuously held. .. By suppressing the rotation of the plate connecting mechanism 40 in the second rotation direction, the article 125 can be continuously held.

Of the plate connecting mechanism 40, the end located closest to the movable portion 31 side is defined as the base end portion 41 of the plate connecting mechanism 40, and the end located at the most advanced end on the opposite side is defined as the tip end portion 42 of the plate connecting mechanism 40. Is defined as.

Next, the base 20 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the base 20 includes a first base portion 21 and a second base portion 24. The base end of the second base portion 24 is fixed to one end of the first base portion 21. Here, one end of the first base portion 21 is an end of the first base portion 21 in the + X axis direction. The base end of the second base portion 24 is the end of the second base portion 24 in the −X axis direction. Further, the end of the second base portion 24 in the + X axis direction is defined as the tip of the second base portion 24. The other end of the first base portion 21 is fixed to the tip of the manipulator 111. Therefore, the holding mechanism 1 can be freely moved by the manipulator 111.

As shown in FIG. 9, the second base portion 24 has a lower surface 25, a side surface 26, a tip portion 26b of the side surface 26, a recess 27, an upper surface 28, and a tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24. The tip portion 26b of the side surface 26 of the second base portion 24 is a portion of the side surface 26 of the second base portion 24 located on the tip end (+ X-axis direction end) side. The tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24 is a surface forming the tip (end in the + X axis direction) of the second base portion 24. One end of the base 20 described above includes the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24. A part of the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24 is rounded. Due to the roundness, the plate connecting mechanism 40 slides smoothly in the switching from the stored state to the protruding state and the switching from the protruding state to the stored state.

The tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24 does not have to be rounded. The tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24 may be provided with a sliding contact member. The sliding contact member is a member for smoothly sliding the plate connecting mechanism 40. Examples of sliding contact members include rotating rollers and columnar members having a low coefficient of friction on the outer peripheral surface.

The drive unit 30 slides the plate connecting mechanism 40 in the X-axis direction. The base end portion 41 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 is fixed to the drive portion 30. Details of the specific fixing method will be described later. As shown in FIG. 9, the drive unit 30 includes a movable portion 31, a tip 32 of the movable portion 31, a plate member 33, a rail 34, a sliding base 35, a first stopper 38, a second stopper 39, and a protrusion (not shown). It is provided with an amount detection unit. The rail 34 extends in the X-axis direction (longitudinal direction of the second base portion 24) and is fixed to the recess 27 of the second base portion 24. The first stopper 38 is fixed to the recess 27 of the second base portion 24 and the end of the rail 34 in the −X axis direction. The second stopper 39 is fixed to the recess 27 and the end of the rail 34 in the + X axis direction. The sliding base 35 is slidably attached to the upper surface of the rail 34. The plate member 33 is fixed to the upper surface of the sliding table 35. At least one plate member 50 including the base end portion 41 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 is screwed to the upper surface of the plate member 33. The tip 32 of the movable portion 31 is fixed to the plate member 33. As a result, the movable portion 31, the plate member 33, and the plate connecting mechanism 40 are connected and fixed.

The operation of the drive unit 30 will be described. When a force in the + X-axis direction acts on the movable portion 31, the sliding table 35 slides in the + X-axis direction. Similarly, when a force in the −X axis direction acts on the movable portion 31, the sliding table 35 slides in the −X axis direction. At this time, the plate member 33 fixed to the upper surface of the sliding table 35 also moves as the sliding table slides. Since the plate connecting mechanism 40 is connected and fixed to the plate member 33, the plate connecting mechanism 40 can slide in the X-axis direction by the operation of the drive unit 30. The sliding range of the sliding table 35 is a range between the first stopper 38 and the second stopper 39.

The drive unit 30 may have a configuration using a movable portion and a feed screw (not shown), a configuration using a linear slider, a configuration combining an electric motor and a rack and pinion, and a configuration using a pneumatic cylinder.

A preferred configuration example of the plate connecting mechanism 40 is one in which a plurality of plate members 50 are connected by a plurality of hinges 60. Each plate member 50 is a thin plate member. The plate material 50 may be a member having another shape. Plate materials and other shaped members are also called structures. A connecting mechanism or a plate connecting mechanism 40 formed by connecting a plurality of structures is also referred to as a structure connecting mechanism.

The plate members 50 are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other along the X-axis direction (longitudinal direction) of the second base portion 24. The plate members 50 are arranged along the X-axis direction so that the longitudinal direction of the plate member 50 is substantially orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. In the plate materials 50 arranged in this way, it is desirable that the thickness of the plate materials 50 in the Z-axis direction is thinner than the width in the X-axis direction. Therefore, the thickness of the holding mechanism 1 in the Z-axis direction in the stored state can be suppressed, and the holding mechanism 1 can be made thinner in the Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the plate material first arranged from the base end portion 41 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 is defined as the plate material 50a. The plate material arranged second from the base end portion 41 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 is defined as the plate material 50b. The plate material arranged third from the base end portion 41 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 is defined as the plate material 50c. The plate material arranged fourth from the base end portion 41 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 is defined as the plate material 50d.

The plate material 50a, the plate material 50b, and the plate material 50c are arranged on the upper surface of the plate member 33 and fastened with screws. The plate material 50 fixed to the upper surface of the plate member 33 is not limited to this, and the plate material 50 arranged at another position may be fixed. Further, the number of plate members 50 to be fixed is not limited to this. For example, the number of plate members 50 to be fixed may be increased.

In the present embodiment, the drive unit 30 and a part of the plate connecting mechanism 40 are directly fixed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, another member may be provided between the drive unit 30 and the plate connecting mechanism 40, and the drive unit 30 and the plate connecting mechanism 40 may be fixed to the other member. The plate connecting mechanism 40 may move as the drive unit 30 is driven.

The hinge 60 will be described. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the first surface 230 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 in the protruding state. As shown in FIG. 10, the hinge 60 is fixed by screwing from the first surface 230 side to two adjacent plate members 50, 50. Two hinges 60, 60 are used for two adjacent plate members 50, 50. The hinge 60 is also referred to as a connecting member.

The two hinges 60, 60 connecting the adjacent plate members 50, 50 are separated from each other. There are two types of hinge 60 arrangement patterns depending on the difference in separation distance. The first arrangement pattern is a pattern in which the hinges 60, 60 are arranged on one end side in the longitudinal direction and the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the adjacent plate members 50, 50. The second arrangement pattern is a pattern in which the hinges 60, 60 are arranged in the central portion of the plate members 50, 50 in the longitudinal direction as compared with the first arrangement pattern. The plate connecting mechanism 40 is configured by alternately repeating these two types of arrangement patterns for each of the adjacent plate members 50 and 50. The hinges 60, 60 used in the first arrangement pattern and the hinges 60, 60 used in the second arrangement pattern are arranged at positions that do not overlap each other in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the plate members 50, 50 (X). Not arranged in a straight line in the axial direction). Therefore, the width of the plate members 50 in the lateral direction (in the stored state) is wider than when the plate members 50 and 50 are arranged at overlapping positions in the longitudinal direction (arranged in a straight line in the X-axis direction) regardless of the size of the hinge 60. The length of the plate material 50 in the X-axis direction) can be shortened. By shortening the width of the plate material 50 in the lateral direction, it is possible to smoothly switch from the stored state to the protruding state and from the protruding state to the stored state.

The number and position of the hinges 60 are not limited to the above. For example, in the present embodiment, two hinges 60 are used between two adjacent plate members 50, 50, but the number of hinges 60 is not limited to this. Further, the position of the hinge 60 fixed to the plate member 50 is not limited, and may be arranged in a straight line, for example. The hinge 60 is described as an example of a connecting member that rotatably connects two adjacent plate members 50, 50, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the elastic member may be fixed to the two plate members 50, 50.

The rotation suppressing member 70 will be described. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second surface 240 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 in the protruding state. When the second surfaces 240 of both of the two adjacent plate members 50, 50 come into contact with the rotation suppressing member 70 by the rotation suppressing member 70, the two adjacent plate members 50, 50 rotate in the second rotation direction. Is suppressed. The rotation suppressing member 70 suppresses a part of the rotation of the plate member 50 in the second rotation direction.

The rotation suppressing member 70 is a plate-shaped plate member. In a plurality of plate members 50 arranged from the fourth plate member 50d from the base end portion 41 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 toward the tip end portion 42 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40, the two adjacent plate members 50, 50 The rotation suppressing member 70 is arranged on the second surface 240 side so as to cover the space. The rotation suppressing member 70 is fixed to the plate member 50 on the tip 42 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 among the adjacent plate members 50, 50 by being screwed from the second surface 240 side. Two rotation suppressing members 70, 70 are used for two adjacent plate members 50, 50.

In the present embodiment, the plate material 50a, the plate material 50b, and the plate material 50c are screwed onto the plate member 33. Therefore, the plate members 50a, 50b, and 50c do not serve as the protruding portion 48 of the plate connecting mechanism 40. Therefore, the rotation suppressing member 70 that covers between the plate material 50a and the plate material 50b, between the plate material 50b and the plate material 50c, and between the plate material 50c and the plate material 50d is unnecessary. Although it is not necessary, it may be used. Two rotation suppressing members 70 are fixed to the plate material 50 to which the rotation suppressing member 70 is attached, but the number of rotation suppressing members 70 is not limited to this. Further, the position of the rotation suppressing member 70 fixed to the plate member 50 is not limited to this embodiment.

The pressing member 90 will be described. FIG. 12 is a perspective view in which the plate connecting mechanism 40 is removed from the holding mechanism 1 for the purpose of explaining the pressing member 90. As shown in FIG. 12, the pressing member 90 is provided at a predetermined distance from the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24. Both ends of the pressing member 90 are fixed to the tip portions 26b, 26b of the side surface 26 of the second base portion 24 by the connecting members 92, 92. The gap between the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24 and the pressing member 90 is defined as the gap s. The gap s is sized so that the protrusion 48 can pass through. The distance between the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24 and the pressing member 90 is preferably as short as possible as long as the protrusion 48 can pass through the gap s. By shortening the distance between the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24 and the pressing member 90, the protrusion 48 when holding the article 125 rotates in the second rotation direction (in the + X-axis direction). The movement) can be reduced, and the article 125 can be stably held.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the pressing member 90 of the holding mechanism 1 in the stored state. FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the pressing member 90 of the holding mechanism 1 in the protruding state. As shown in FIG. 13, in the stored state, the tip portion 42 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 is in contact with the upper surface 28 of the second base portion 24. That is, the plate connecting mechanisms 40 are aligned in a straight line in the X-axis direction and do not enter the gap s. As shown in FIG. 14, in the protruding state, the plate connecting mechanism 40 enters the gap s via the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24.

Switching from the stored state to the protruding state will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the stored state, the tip portion 42 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 is located on the second base portion 24, and the plate connecting mechanism 40 is linear in the X-axis direction. They are lined up. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the plate connecting mechanism 40 moves in the + X-axis direction by driving the drive unit 30 in the + X-axis direction. The plate connecting mechanism 40 hangs down from the tip 42 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40, one after another, via the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24, through the gap s by its own weight, and in the −Z axis direction. It becomes a protruding state.

Next, switching from the protruding state to the stored state will be described. In the protruding state, the driving portion 30 is driven in the −X axis direction, so that the protruding portion 48 moves to the upper surface 28 of the second base portion 24 via the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24. It is pulled back and is in the stored state. The length of the protruding portion 48 in the Z-axis direction changes depending on the driving amount of the driving portion 30.

When the holding mechanism 1 takes out the article 125, if the holding mechanism 1 is retracted in the protruding state, the protruding portion 48 and the article 125 come into contact with each other. The state of the protrusion 48 before and after the contact between the article 125 and the protrusion 48 will be described. FIG. 15A is a perspective view of the holding mechanism 1 before the protrusion 48 comes into contact with the article 125. As shown in FIG. 15A, before the protrusion 48 and the article 125 come into contact with each other, the protrusion 48 and the pressing member 90 are not in contact with each other.

FIG. 15B is a perspective view of the holding mechanism 1 after the protrusion 48 and the article 125 are in contact with each other. As shown in FIG. 15B, when the protrusion 48 and the article 125 come into contact with each other, an external force in the + X axis direction is applied to the protrusion 48. At this time, with respect to the external force in the + X-axis direction, each of the plate members 50 constituting the projecting portion 48 is suppressed from rotating in the second rotation direction between the adjacent plate members 50 by the rotation suppressing member 70. To. Due to the external force, the entire protruding portion 48 rotates in the second rotation direction (moves in the + X-axis direction). The protrusion 48 that has rotated in the second rotation direction comes into contact with the pressing member 90, and the rotation in the second rotation direction is restricted. This makes it possible to hold the article 125 and take out the article 125.

In FIG. 15, the plate material 50y is a plate material located on the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24. The plate material 50z is a plate material that is adjacent to the plate material 50y among the plate materials 50 that form the protruding portion 48 apart from the tip surface 29 of the second base portion 24. As described above, the rotation suppressing member 70 is fixed to the plate material 50 on the tip 42 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 among the adjacent plate materials 50, 50 by being screwed from the second surface 240 side. .. Therefore, the rotation suppressing member 70 between the plate material 50y and the plate material 50z is screwed to the plate material 50z when switching between the stored state and the protruding state. Therefore, the length of the rotation suppressing member 70 between the plate material 50y and the plate material 50z in the + X axis direction is longer than that when the rotation suppressing member 70 between the plate material 50y and the plate material 50z is screwed to the 50y. Can be shortened. Therefore, the distance between one end of the base 20 and the pressing member 90 can be shortened, and the protrusion 48 rotates in the second rotation direction (movement in the + X-axis direction) when holding the article 125. Can be reduced.

As long as the article 125 can be taken out, the protruding portion 48 may come into contact with any part of the article 125, not limited to the back surface 127 of the article 125. The article 125 may be a flexible amorphous object such as a paper leaf or a packing material. In addition, the back surface 127 of the article 125 may be tilted or curved with respect to the vertical plane. In such a case, the article 125 moves while changing its posture so that the inclination or curvature of the back surface 127 of the article 125 follows the protrusion 48 during the taking-out operation.

FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram of the handling robot system 100 according to the first embodiment. As described above, the image sensor 131 acquires the image data of the article 125 in the mounting area. The recognition control unit 135 recognizes information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 based on the image data output from the image sensor 131. The recognition control unit 135 transmits information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 to the control unit 115 of the transfer device 110.

The control unit 115 is a microcomputer provided with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 153. The control unit 115 is realized by, for example, a processor such as a CPU 153 executing a program stored in the memory 154 or the auxiliary storage device 155. Further, a part or all of the control unit 115 may be realized by hardware such as LSI (Lare Scale Internation), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPA (Field-Proramable ate Array), and software. It may be realized by the cooperation of hardware.

The control unit 115 receives the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 transmitted from the recognition control unit 135, and determines the article 125 to be taken out. As described above, the control unit 115 moves the holding mechanism 1 to an arbitrary position in the mounting region by controlling the operation of the manipulator 111. Further, the control unit 115 controls the operation of the drive unit 30 and enables switching between the retracted state and the protruding state of the plate connecting mechanism 40. As a result, the shape of the holding mechanism 1 can be changed. The drive unit 30 is provided with a protrusion amount detection unit 36 that detects the length of the protrusion 48 in the Z-axis direction (the amount of protrusion of the plate connecting mechanism 40). The protrusion amount detection unit 36 transmits information indicating the length of the protrusion 48 in the Z-axis direction to the control unit 115. The control unit 115 controls to adjust the length of the protrusion 48 in the Z-axis direction based on this information.

The control unit 115 includes a holding control unit 156 and a heavy object control unit 157 as functional units. The holding control unit 156 controls the holding mechanism 1 so as to properly hold the article 125. For example, the protrusion 48 may come into contact with a position away from the center of gravity of the article 125. If the article 125 is moved in this state, the article 125 moves in translation and rotation, and the article 125 is likely to come off from the protrusion 48. In this case, the holding mechanism 1 cannot stably hold the article 125.

The holding control unit 156 detects the holding state of the article 125 by the holding mechanism 1 based on the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 received from the recognition control unit 135. When the holding control unit 156 detects the rotational movement of the article 125, it determines that the holding state is inappropriate. Further, when the holding control unit 156 does not detect the rotational movement of the article 125, the holding control unit 156 determines that the holding state is appropriate. The holding control unit 156 may detect the holding state based on the signal received from the force sensor 151 of the manipulator 111.

When the holding control unit 156 determines that the holding state is improper, the holding control unit 156 redoes the holding operation by the holding mechanism 1. That is, the holding control unit 156 temporarily releases the contact between the protrusion 48 and the article 125. The holding control unit 156 estimates the position of the center of gravity of the article 125 from the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125, moves the holding mechanism 1 to an appropriate position, and recontacts the protrusion 48 and the article 125. Then, the holding control unit 156 redetermines the holding state by the holding mechanism 1. The holding control unit 156 repeats the above process until it is determined that the holding state of the article 125 to be taken out is appropriate.

The heavy object control unit 157 controls so as to adjust the retreat speed of the holding mechanism 1 after holding the article 125 according to the weight of the article 125. When the article 125 to be taken out is a heavy object, when the holding mechanism 1 is retracted, the article 125 to be taken out may come into contact with the surrounding article 125 and damage the surrounding article 125. When the protrusion 48 and the article 125 to be taken out are in contact with each other and retracted, the force sensor 151 outputs an electric signal according to the weight of the article 125 to be taken out. The heavy object control unit 157 detects the weight of the article 125 based on the electric signal received from the force sensor 151.

When the weight of the article 125 to be taken out is equal to or more than a predetermined weight, the heavy object control unit 157 determines that the article 125 to be taken out is a heavy object. In this case, the heavy object control unit 157 lowers the moving speed of the manipulator 111 and lowers the retreating speed of the holding mechanism 1. By lowering the retreat speed of the holding mechanism 1, it is possible to prevent damage to the surrounding articles 125 when the articles 125 to be taken out come into contact with the surrounding articles 125.

An example of the taking-out operation of the article 125 using the handling robot system 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the image sensor 131 acquires image data of a plurality of articles 125 (step S501). The recognition control unit 135 recognizes information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 based on the image data output from the image sensor 131, and transmits this information to the control unit 115 (step S502). The control unit 115 determines the article 125 to be taken out first among the plurality of articles 125 based on the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 (step S503).

The control unit 115 determines whether or not the protrusion 48 can enter the gap of the back surface 127 of the article 125 to be taken out. At this time, the control unit 115 makes a determination based on the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 to be taken out and the thickness of the plate connecting mechanism 40 stored in the control unit 115 in advance. (Step S504). For example, if the gap on the back surface 127 of the article 125 is approximately equal to or greater than the thickness of the plate connecting mechanism 40 (thickness from the first surface 230 of the plate member 50 to the upper surface of the rotation suppressing member 70). , The protrusion 48 can enter the gap. If such a gap equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value cannot be detected (NO in step S504), the gap generation operation described later is performed in step S505, and then step S504 is executed again. When a gap equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is detected in step S504 (YES in step S504), the control unit 115 controls the operation of the manipulator 111, and as shown in FIG. 18A, the holding mechanism 1 In the stored state, one end of the base 20 is taken out and moved until it is located above the gap of 127 on the back surface of the target article 125 (step S506).

Next, as shown in FIG. 18B, the control unit 115 switches the holding mechanism 1 to the protruding state, causes the protruding portion 48 to enter the gap of the back surface 127 of the article 125 to be taken out, and the protruding portion 48 moves the article. The state is set to be located near the back surface 127 of 125 (step S507). The control unit 115 retracts the holding mechanism 1 to bring the protrusion 48 into contact with the article 125 to be taken out (step S508). By trying to retract the holding mechanism 1 while keeping the contact, a force is applied to the article 125 to be taken out in the direction of moving to the transport device 145. In this state, the following determinations in step S509, step S511, step S512, and step S513 are performed.

First, it is determined whether or not the holding state of the article 125 to be taken out by the holding mechanism 1 is appropriate based on the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 to be taken out (step 509). Specifically, when the holding control unit 156 detects the rotational operation of the article 125 to be taken out, it is determined that the holding state is inappropriate. Further, when the holding control unit 156 does not detect the rotational operation of the article 125 to be taken out, it is determined that the holding state is appropriate.

When it is determined in step S509 that the holding state is not appropriate (NO in step S509), first, the holding control unit 156 temporarily releases the contact of the protruding portion 48 with the article 125 to be taken out. The holding control unit 156 estimates the position of the center of gravity of the article 125 from the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 to be taken out, moves the holding mechanism 1 to an appropriate position, and moves the protrusion 48 and the object to be taken out. The article 125 is brought into contact again (step S510). Then, the process returns to step S509, and it is determined again whether or not the holding state is appropriate.

When it is determined in step S509 that the holding state is appropriate (YES in step S509), the control unit 115 uses the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 to be taken out transmitted from the recognition control unit 135. Based on this, it is determined whether or not the movement of the article 125 to be taken out is hindered by another article 125 (whether or not the load is jammed or whether the load is likely to be jammed) (step S511). If there is a jam (YES in step S511), the process proceeds to step S501. Details will be described later.

When it is determined in step S511 that there is no jam (NO in step S511), the control unit 115 collapses the load based on the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the removed article 125 transmitted from the recognition control unit 135. It is determined whether or not there is a sign of (step S512). If there is a sign of load collapse in step S512 (YES in step S512), the process proceeds to step S501. Details will be described later.

If there is no sign of load collapse in step S512 (NO in step S512), the heavy object control unit 157 determines whether the article 125 to be taken out is a heavy object based on the electric signal transmitted by the force sensor 151. Is determined (step S513). When it is determined in step S513 that the object is not heavy (NO in step S513), the article 125 is moved by continuously retracting the holding mechanism 1 at a normal speed as shown in FIG. 18 (c). Step S514). When it is determined to be a heavy object in step 513 (YES in step S513), as shown in FIG. 18D, the speed is set to be lower than the normal speed, and the holding mechanism 1 is continuously retracted to take out the target. Article 125 is moved (step S515).

After that, when it is detected that the article 125 to be taken out has been transferred to the transport device 140 (step S516), the holding mechanism 1 returns from the protruding state to the stored state. With the above, the transfer operation of the article 125 is completed. This operation is repeated until there are no more articles 125 in the mounting area.

FIG. 19 shows an example of one procedure of the gap generation operation in step S505 of FIG. When there is no gap on the back surface 127 of the article 125 to be taken out, it is necessary to create a gap for the protrusion 48 to enter. When it is desired to create a gap between the article 125a to be taken out and the article 125c behind it, first, the holding mechanism 1 is moved to above the upper surface of the article 125a to be taken out in the stored state (FIG. 19A). .. Next, the lower surface 25 of the second base portion 24 is pressed against the upper surface of the article 125a to be taken out and brought into contact with the object (FIG. 19 (b)). After that, when the holding mechanism 1 is retracted in the pressed state, the object 125a also moves together with the holding mechanism 1 due to friction on the contact surface (FIG. 19 (c)). In this way, a gap is created on the back surface of the article 125a to be taken out. A high friction member such as a rubber sheet may be arranged on the lower surface 25 of the second base portion 24.

FIG. 20 shows another procedure example of the gap generation operation of step S505 of FIG. FIG. 20 is suitable for the gap generation operation when the height of the article 125c behind the article 125a is higher than a certain value than the height of the article 125a to be taken out. First, the holding mechanism 1 is moved to the upper surface of the article 125a to be taken out in the stored state (FIG. 20A). Next, the holding mechanism 1 is advanced as it is, and the front surface of the article 125c is pushed out by the pressing member 90. (Fig. 20 (b)). In this way, a gap is created on the back surface of the article 125a to be taken out (FIG. 20 (c)).

FIG. 21 shows an example of one procedure of the operation after determining that the load is clogged in step S511 of FIG. In step S511 of FIG. 17, the control unit 115 determines whether or not the load is clogged while retracting the holding mechanism 1 while keeping the projecting portion 48 and the article 125e to be taken out in contact with each other. As shown in FIG. 21A, when the article 125e to be taken out is caught by another article 125f or mechanically interferes with the external environment, the holding mechanism 1 moves the article 125e to be taken out. Is difficult. At this time, the force sensor 151 detects the overload acting on the manipulator 111. The overload may be detected from the current value of the motor that drives the manipulator 111.

In this case, in step S503 again, a new removal target is determined in place of the article 125e in which the packing occurs. Based on the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125, the control unit 115 changes, for example, the article 125f, which is the cause of the jam, to be taken out. In this case, since it is determined in step S504 of FIG. 17 that there is no gap on the back surface of the article 125f through which the protrusion 48 can enter, a gap generation operation is performed. In this example, since the article 125e is higher than the article 125f, the same operation as the gap generation operation described with reference to FIG. 20 is performed (FIGS. 21 (b), 21 (c), 21 (d)). .. After the gap is generated, the protrusion 48 is inserted into the gap as described above (FIG. 21 (e)). Then, by retracting the holding mechanism 1, the article 125f is moved (FIG. 21 (f)).

FIG. 22 shows an example of one procedure of the operation after it is determined in step S512 of FIG. 17 that there is a sign of a load collapse. In step S512 of FIG. 17, the control unit 115 determines whether or not there is a sign of a load collapse while retracting the holding mechanism 1 while contacting and holding the projecting portion 48 and the article 125 g to be taken out. At this time, when the recognition control unit 135 detects the movement of the article 125h other than the article 125g, the control unit 115 determines that there is a sign of a load collapse based on this information, and stops the retreat of the holding mechanism 1 (FIG. 22). (A), FIG. 22 (b)).

Next, in step S503 again, the control unit 115 determines a new take-out target in place of 125 g of the article having a sign of the load collapse, and the control unit 115 causes the load collapse based on the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article. The article 125h that has become the item is changed to be taken out. In this case, in step S504 of FIG. 17, since it is determined that there is no gap on the back surface of the article 125h through which the protrusion 48 can enter, a gap generation operation is performed. In this example, since the article 125g is heavier than the article 125h, an operation similar to the gap generation operation described with reference to FIG. 20 is performed (FIGS. 22 (c) and 22 (d)). After the gap is generated, the protrusion 48 is inserted into the gap as described above (FIG. 22 (e)). Then, by retracting the holding mechanism 1, the article 125h is moved (FIG. 22 (f)).

As described above, according to the configuration of the holding mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment, the holding mechanism 1 can form the protruding portion 48 which is thin in the stored state and highly rigid in the protruding state. Since it is thin in the stored state, the holding mechanism 1 can be inserted into a constricted space such as directly under the intermediate shelf 121. Further, since the highly rigid protrusion 48 can be formed, the article 125 can be easily held. Further, the transfer device 110 provided with the holding mechanism 1 and the handling robot system 100 can easily hold and take out the article 125 placed in the constricted space such as directly under the intermediate shelf 121.

In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the processing in the control unit 115 is realized by the program software in the external storage device such as the memory 154 using the CPU 153 (central processing unit), but the CPU 153 is not used. It may be realized by a single electronic circuit (hardware). Further, the process may be executed via the cloud server.

The instructions given in the processing procedure shown in the first embodiment described above can be executed based on a program that is software. It is also possible for a general-purpose computer system to store this program in advance and read this program to obtain an effect similar to the above-mentioned effect. The instructions described in the first embodiment include magnetic disks (flexible disks, hard disks, etc.), optical disks (CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, etc.) as programs that can be executed by a computer. It is recorded on a DVD ± R, DVD ± RW, Blu-raY (registered trademark) Disc, etc.), a semiconductor memory, or a similar recording medium. The storage format may be any form as long as it is a recording medium that can be read by a computer or an embedded system. If the computer reads the program from the recording medium and causes the CPU 153 to execute the instruction described in the program based on the program, the operation similar to that of the handling robot system 100 can be realized. Of course, when the computer acquires or reads the program, it may be acquired or read through the network. In addition, the OS (operating system) running on the computer based on the instructions of the program installed on the computer or embedded system from the recording medium, database management software, MW (middleware) such as the network, etc. realize this embodiment. You may perform a part of each process for doing so. Further, the recording medium in the first embodiment is not limited to a medium independent of a computer or an embedded system, but also includes a recording medium in which a program transmitted by a LAN, the Internet, or the like is downloaded and stored or temporarily stored. Further, the recording medium is not limited to one, and even when the processing in the first embodiment is executed from a plurality of media, it is included in the recording medium in the first embodiment, and the configuration of the medium is any configuration. You may.

The computer or embedded system in the first embodiment is for executing each process in the first embodiment based on the program stored in the recording medium, and is from one of a personal computer, a microcomputer, and the like. It may have any configuration such as a device, a system in which a plurality of devices are connected to a network, and the like. Further, the computer in the first embodiment is not limited to a personal computer, but also includes an arithmetic processing unit, a microcomputer, and the like included in an information processing device, and is a device capable of realizing the functions in the first embodiment by a program. It is a general term for devices.

(Modification 1 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 23 shows a schematic configuration diagram of the holding mechanism 1a according to the first modification of the first embodiment as viewed from the side surface. In the first modification of the first embodiment, the same components as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The holding mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 16 will be replaced with the holding mechanism 1a, which will be described below.

The plate connecting mechanism 40a of the holding mechanism 1a includes a plate member 501 and a hinge 610, but is not provided with a rotation suppressing member 70. The point that the side surface 505 of the plate material 501 is inclined and the point that the side surfaces 505 of the adjacent plate materials 501 and 501 are connected at a distance between the plate materials 501 and 501 that are in contact with each other when rotating in the second rotation direction. It is different from the plate connecting mechanism 40 of the first embodiment. Other configurations of the holding mechanism 1a are the same as those of the holding mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment.

When the plate member 501 forming the projecting portion 48 is forced to rotate in the second rotation direction, the side surfaces 505 of the adjacent plate members 501 and 501 come into contact with each other. At this time, since the side surface 505 is provided with an inclination, the side surface 505 comes into contact with a wide range, so that rotation can be suppressed.

Since the holding mechanism 1a according to the first modification of the first embodiment does not use the rotation suppressing member 70 used in the holding mechanism 1 in addition to the effect of the holding mechanism 1, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. .. Further, it is possible to provide the transfer device 110 and the handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1a.

(Modification 2 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 24 shows a side view of the holding mechanism 1b according to the second modification of the first embodiment. In the second modification of the first embodiment, the same components as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The holding mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 16 will be replaced with the holding mechanism 1b, which will be described below. The holding mechanism 1b is newly provided with a suction portion 170 on the lower surface 25 of the second base portion 24 of the holding mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment. Other configurations of the holding mechanism 1b are the same as those of the holding mechanism 1.

The suction unit 170 is, for example, a suction pad made of rubber, resin, or the like. Instead of the adsorption pad, for example, an adhesive, an adhesive tape, or the like may be used. The number of the suction portions 170 provided on the lower surface 25 of the second base portion 24 may be a plurality or one. Each of the suction units 170 may be configured in combination with a vacuum generator such as a vacuum ejector, a vacuum pump, or a vacuum blower. Further, each of the suction portions 170 may be connected to a pressure source via a tube (not shown). The pressure source may be depressurized by decompressing the space where the suction unit 170 and the article 125 are in contact with each other. The tubes may be connected to different pressure sources.

The holding mechanism 1b according to the second modification of the first embodiment can hold the article 125 by sucking the suction portion 170 in addition to the effect of the holding mechanism 1. Therefore, the article 125 can be stably held by combining the holding by the contact with the protruding portion 48 and the holding by the adsorption of the suction portion 170 with respect to the article 125. Further, it is possible to provide the transfer device 110 and the handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1b. When there are a plurality of suction units 170, the article 125 can be held by using the other suction units 170 even if any of the suction units 170 is damaged.

(Modification 3 of the first embodiment)
25 and 26 show explanatory views of the transport device 140c according to the third modification of the first embodiment. In the third modification of the first embodiment, the same components as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The operation of the transfer device 140c is different from that of the transfer device 140 according to the first embodiment. The transport control unit 145 controls not only the transport speed and transport direction of the article 125 taken out from the mounting area, but also the vertical movement of the upper surface of the transport device 140c.

FIG. 25 shows a case where the mounting surface of the transport device 140c moves horizontally and vertically. As a result, when the article 125 is moved from the mounting area to the transfer device 140c, the impact on the article 125 can be reduced by aligning the bottom surface of the article 125 with the upper surface of the transfer device 140c, and the article 125 is prevented from being damaged. be able to.

FIG. 26 shows a case where the end portion of the transport device 140c is tilted by moving it up and down. As a result, it is not necessary to move the entire transfer device 140c up and down, so that the output of the actuator that moves the end of the transfer device 140c up and down can be reduced. Therefore, a small actuator can be used, and the entire device can be miniaturized. Further, when the article 125 is conveyed to an adjacent transfer device (not shown), in the method of moving the entire upper surface of the transfer device 140c up and down, it is necessary to make the heights of the upper surfaces of the adjacent transfer device 140c and the adjacent transfer device 140c the same. On the other hand, in the method of moving the end of the transfer device 140c in FIG. 26 up and down, there is no waiting time for aligning the upper surfaces of the transfer device 140c and the adjacent transfer device 140c, so that the throughput of the transfer operation can be expected to be improved. In the case of the method of moving the end of the transport device 140c in FIG. 26 up and down, the transport device 140c may be a passive roller.

In addition to the effect of the transport device 140, the transport device 140c according to the third modification of the first embodiment includes the bottom surface of the article 125 and the entire top surface of the transport device 140c when the article 125 is moved from the mounting area to the transport device 140c. Alternatively, the edges of the top surface can be aligned. Thereby, the impact on the article 125 can be reduced, and the article 125 can be prevented from being damaged. Further, it is possible to provide a handling robot system 100 provided with a transfer device 140c.

(Modification 4 of the first embodiment)
27 and 28 show a perspective view and a side view of the holding mechanism 1d according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment. In the fourth modification of the first embodiment, the same components as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The holding mechanism 1d newly provides a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor 210 in the holding mechanism 1 in order to detect information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 with high accuracy. The other parts of the holding mechanism 1d are the same as those of the holding mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment. At least one ToF sensor 210 is used, and it is preferable that a plurality of ToF sensors 210 are arranged.

The ToF method is a method of measuring the distance from the round-trip time of light to an object. The ToF method has advantages such as measurement in a dark environment, simple device configuration, small size and light weight, high distance measurement accuracy, and no influence of reflectance, surface roughness, color, etc. of an object. The ToF sensor 210 is provided on the lower surface 25 of the second base portion 24. The ToF sensor 210 may also be referred to as a distance detection unit.

FIG. 29 is a functional block diagram of the handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1d according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment. In addition to the functions of the control unit 115, the control unit 115d acquires information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 based on the position of the ToF sensor 210 and the measured value transmitted from the ToF sensor 210. The memory 154 in the control unit 115d stores the position of the ToF sensor 210 and the measured value of the article 125 of the ToF sensor 210 in association with each other. The CPU 153 calculates the three-dimensional information of the article 125 based on the position of the ToF sensor 210 stored in the memory 154 and the measured value of the article 125. As a result, information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 can be acquired.

When the article 125 is measured by the ToF sensor 210, the manipulator 111 may move the holding mechanism 1d while measuring the article 125, or the manipulator 111 may stop and measure the article 125. When the number of ToF sensors 210 is small, a wide range can be measured in a short time by measuring the article 125 while moving the holding mechanism 1d with the manipulator 111. On the other hand, when there are a large number of ToF sensors 210, the holding mechanism 1d in the stopped state can measure a wide range in the mounting area in a short time.

The handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1d and the control unit 115d according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment is a means for acquiring information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 by the recognition device 130. And an acquisition means using the ToF sensor 210 and the control unit 115d. By combining the two acquisition means, the control unit 115d acquires information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 with high accuracy.

The handling robot system 100 according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment acquires information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 with high accuracy in addition to the effect of the handling robot system 100 according to the first embodiment. can do. Further, in an environment where it is difficult for the image sensor 131 to measure (for example, when the number of articles 125 loaded on the intermediate shelf 121 of the trolley 120 is large, the articles 125 in the trolley 120 from around the trolley 120 Even if it is difficult to see), the holding mechanism 1d enters the space directly under the intermediate shelf 121, and by measuring from the inside of the car carriage 120, information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 is acquired. be able to.

If the distance to the article 125 to be taken out can be detected, the sensor is not limited to the ToF sensor 210, and an optical sensor or other sensor may be used.

Further, the holding mechanism 1d is rotatably connected to the manipulator 111 by a rotary joint (not shown), and the holding mechanism 1d is oscillated by the manipulator 111. As a result, the number of light emission directions of the ToF sensor 210 can be set to two or more, so that the control unit 115d detects the shape of the article 125 with high accuracy, and the protrusion 48 is based on the shape of the article 125. By adjusting the length in the −Z axis direction, the article 125 can be stably held.

Further, by arranging a vibration isolation mechanism (not shown) between the manipulator 111 and the holding mechanism 1d, it is possible to detect information indicating the position, posture and shape of the article 125 with high accuracy. For the vibration damping mechanism, for example, an elastic body such as rubber or a vibration damping device such as a dashpot is used. By arranging the vibration isolation mechanism, the vibration from the manipulator 111 to the holding mechanism 1 can be blocked. As a result, the measurement error of the ToF sensor 210 due to vibration can be reduced, and information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 can be detected with high accuracy.

(Modification 5 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 30 shows a side view of the holding mechanism 1e according to the fifth modification of the first embodiment. In the modified example 5 of the first embodiment, the same components as the modified example 4 of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the modified example 4 of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. To do. The holding mechanism 1d shown in FIG. 29 will be replaced with the holding mechanism 1e, which will be described below.

On the lower surface of the holding mechanism 1e, in order to detect the shape of the back surface 127 of the article 125 with high accuracy, a first group including at least the ToF sensor 210a and a second group of sensors including at least the ToF sensor 210b are provided. It is assumed that the light emission direction from the ToF sensor 210a (first group) and the light emission direction from the ToF sensor 210b (second group) are different. Other configurations of the holding mechanism 1e are the same as those of the holding mechanism 1d according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment.

In FIG. 30, the ToF sensor 210a faces the lower surface 25 of the second base portion 24 in the −Z axis direction, and easily catches the upper surface 128 of the object. Since the ToF sensor 210b inclines the lower surface 25 of the second base portion 24 and faces the direction intersecting the −Z axis direction, it is easy to catch the back surface 127 of the article 125. Light is emitted in two or more directions for measurement, and the measured value is transmitted to the control unit 115d. The control unit 115d acquires the shape of the back surface 127 of the article 125 with high accuracy based on the measured values of the ToF sensor 210a and the ToF sensor 210b.

The handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1e according to the modified example 5 of the first embodiment has the effect of the handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1d according to the modified example 4 of the first embodiment. The shape of the back surface 127 of the article 125 can be detected with high accuracy. As a result, the article 125 can be stably held and taken out by adjusting the length of the protrusion 48 in the −Z axis direction based on the shape of the back surface 127 of the article 125.

(Variation Example 6 of the First Embodiment)
FIG. 31 shows a side view of the holding mechanism 1f according to the modified example 6 of the first embodiment. In the modified example 5 of the first embodiment, the same components as the modified example 4 of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the modified example 4 of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. To do. The holding mechanism 1d shown in FIG. 29 will be replaced with the holding mechanism 1f, which will be described below. In the holding mechanism 1f, the tilt sensor 216 is newly arranged in the holding mechanism 1d according to the modified example 4 of the first embodiment. Other configurations of the holding mechanism 1f are the same as those of the holding mechanism 1d.

The control unit 115d can acquire the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 with high accuracy by combining the measured value of the tilt sensor 216 and the measured value of the ToF sensor.

For example, it is assumed that the member fixing the manipulator 111 and the holding mechanism 1 is bent. In this case, even if the lower surface 25 of the second base portion 24 is intended to be horizontal to the ground, it may be tilted. In this state, if the article 125 is measured by the ToF sensor 210, a measurement error will occur. In such a case, the control unit 115d corrects the measurement error based on the measured value received from the tilt sensor 216 and the measured value received from the ToF sensor 210, so that the information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the article 125 is input. It can be acquired with high accuracy.

The handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1f according to the modified example 6 of the first embodiment has the effect of the handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1d according to the modified example 4 of the first embodiment. Since the measurement error is corrected by combining the measurement value of the tilt sensor 216 and the measurement value of the ToF sensor 210, information indicating the position, orientation, and shape of the article 125 can be acquired with high accuracy.

(Modification 7 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 32 shows a side view of the holding mechanism 1g according to the modified example 7 of the first embodiment. In the modified example 7 of the first embodiment, the same components as the modified example 4 of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the modified example 4 of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. To do. The holding mechanism 1d shown in FIG. 29 will be replaced with the holding mechanism 1g, which will be described below.

In the holding mechanism 1g, the air discharge device 218 is newly arranged on the lower surface 25 of the second base portion 24 of the holding mechanism 1d according to the modified example 4 of the first embodiment. Other configurations of the holding mechanism 1g are the same as those of the holding mechanism 1d. The control unit 115d detects the presence or absence of flexibility of the article 125 by operating the air discharge device 218 and the ToF sensor 210 in combination. The air discharge device 218 is a device that discharges air to the article 125. When the article 125 is flexible (the article 125 is an amorphous object), the shape of the article 125 is deformed by the discharge of air.

The control unit 115d determines whether or not the article 125 is flexible based on the measured values of the ToF sensor 210 when the air is discharged and when the air is not discharged from the article 125. The control unit 115d changes the retreat speed after holding the article 125 of the holding mechanism 1g according to the amount of deformation of the article 125. Specifically, when the article 125 has flexibility (the article 125 is an amorphous object), the retreat of the holding mechanism 1 g is slowed down. As a result, the amount of deformation of the amorphous object can be reduced, and the article 125 can be prevented from being damaged.

The handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1g according to the modified example 7 of the first embodiment has the effect of the handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1d according to the modified example 4 of the first embodiment. The presence or absence of flexibility of the article 125 can be detected. Further, in the handling robot system 100 provided with the holding mechanism 1g according to the modified example 7 of the first embodiment, even when the article 125 has flexibility (the article 125 is an amorphous object), the holding mechanism 1g By reducing the retreat speed of the article 125, the article 125 can be taken out while being prevented from being damaged.

(Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 33 shows the handling robot system 100h according to the second embodiment. The handling robot system 100h includes an unloading device 250, a control unit 115h, a transfer device 140, a transfer control unit 145, and a recognition device 130.

The unloading device 250 includes a take-out mechanism 260 capable of taking out the article 125 according to the position of the article 125 mounted on the car carriage 120, and a conveyor 270 capable of changing the height of the upper surface. The take-out mechanism 260 includes a moving mechanism 265 and a holding mechanism 1. The holding mechanism 1 is attached to the moving mechanism 265. The moving mechanism 265 moves the holding mechanism 1 in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). The length of the conveyor 270 (in the X-axis direction) is adjusted to the distance from the car carriage 120 to the transport device 140. The conveyor 270 is preferably a device whose height can be changed in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). The control unit 115h controls the operation of the unloading device 250.

The operation of the unloading device 250 will be described. First, the moving mechanism 265 moves the holding mechanism 1 to a position higher than the upper surface of the article 125 to be taken out. Further, the conveyor 270 is raised to the height of the lower surface of the article 125 mounted on the car carriage 120. With the height of the upper surface of the conveyor 270 and the height of the lower surface of the article 125 aligned, the protruding portion 48 of the holding mechanism 1 is made to enter the gap of the back surface 127 of the article 125, and the holding mechanism 1 is retracted. As a result, the article 125 mounted on the car carriage 120 can be unloaded. Next, the height of the upper surface of the conveyor 270 on which the article 125 is placed is changed to a state in which the height is lowered (changed) to the height of the conveyor 140. By driving the conveyor 270 after adjusting the height, the article 125 on the conveyor 270 can be moved onto the transport device 140.

As described above, according to the configuration of the unloading device 250 according to the second embodiment, the unloading device 250 includes the holding mechanism 1. The unloading device 250 can allow the holding mechanism 1 to enter a constricted space such as directly under the intermediate shelf 121. Since the holding mechanism 1 can form the highly rigid protrusion 48, the unloading device 250 can easily hold and unload the article 125. Further, the height of the conveyor 270 can be changed in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, the impact on the article 125 generated when the article 125 is moved from the car carriage 120 to the conveyor 270 and from the conveyor 270 to the conveyor 140 can be reduced, and the article 125 can be prevented from being damaged. Further, it is possible to provide a handling robot system 100h provided with an unloading device 250.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 ... Holding mechanism 1a according to the first embodiment ... Holding mechanism 1b according to the modified example 1 of the first embodiment ... Holding mechanism 1d according to the modified example 2 of the first embodiment ... The holding mechanism 1e according to the modified example 4 of the first embodiment ... The holding mechanism 1f according to the modified example 5 of the first embodiment ... The holding mechanism 1g according to the modified example 6 of the first embodiment. .. Holding mechanism 20 ... Base 21 ... First base portion 24 ... Second base portion 25 ... Second base according to modification 7 of the first embodiment. Lower surface 26 of the portion 24 ... Side surface 26b of the second base portion 24 ... Tip portion 27 of the side surface 26 of the second base portion 24 ... Recessed portion 28 of the second base portion 24 ... The upper surface 29 of the second base portion 24 ... the tip surface 30 of the second base portion 24 ... the drive portion 31 ... the movable portion 32 ... the tip 33 of the movable portion 31 ... the plate Member 34 ... Rail 35 ... Sliding base 36 ... Projection amount detection unit 38 ... First stopper 39 ... Second stopper 40 ... Plate connection according to the first embodiment Mechanism 40a ... Plate connecting mechanism 41 according to the first modification of the first embodiment ... Base end portion 42 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 ... Tip portion 48 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 ... Protruding portion 50.・ ・ Plate material 51a ・ ・ ・ First plate material 52b from the base end portion 41 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 ・ ・ ・ Second plate material 53c from the base end portion 41 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 ・ ・ ・ Plate connecting mechanism 40 Third plate material 53d from the base end portion 41 side ... Fourth plate material 50y from the base end portion 41 side of the plate connecting mechanism 40 ... Plate material 50z ... Plate material 60 ... Butterfly number 70 ... Rotation Suppressing member 90 ... Pushing member 92 ... Connecting member 100 ... Handling robot system 100h according to the first embodiment ... Handling robot system 110 according to the second embodiment ... Transfer device 111 ... Manipulator 112 ... Stand 113 ... Joint 114 ... Link 115 ... Control unit 115d according to the first embodiment d ... Control according to modification 4 of the first embodiment Unit 115h ... Control unit 120 according to the second embodiment ... Cage trolley 121 ... Intermediate shelf 125 ... Article 125a ... Article 125c ... Article 125e ... Article 125f ... Article 125g ... Article 125h ... Article 126 ... Front 127 of Article 125 ... Back side 130 of Article 125 ... Recognition device 131 ... Image sensor 135 ... Recognition control unit 140 ... Conveyor device 140c according to the first embodiment ... A modified example of the first embodiment Conveying device 145 ... Conveying control unit 151 ... Force sensor 153 ... CPU
154 ... Memory 155 ... Auxiliary storage device 156 ... Holding control unit 157 ... Heavy object control unit 170 ... Suction unit 210 ... ToF sensor according to modification 4 of the first embodiment 210a ... ToF sensor 210b according to the first modification of the first embodiment ToF sensor 216 ... the tilt sensor 218 ... the air exhaust device 230 ... The first surface 240 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 ... The second surface 250 of the plate connecting mechanism 40 ... The unloading device 260 ... The unloading mechanism 265 ... The moving mechanism 270 ... The conveyor 501 ... The plate material 505 according to the modification 1 of the first embodiment ... The side surface 610 of the plate material 501 according to the modification 1 of the first embodiment ... The hinge according to the modification 1 of the first embodiment.

Claims (13)

A base with one end and
The first shaft is provided with at least two or more structures and a connecting member for connecting the structures, is mounted on the base, and is rotatable in the first rotation direction around the first shaft. A structure connecting mechanism that suppresses part of the rotation in the second rotation direction around it,
A regulatory member provided at a predetermined distance from one end, and
A drive unit that moves the structure connecting mechanism along the base in a first direction from one end toward the regulating member.
A holding mechanism for holding an object to be held.
By driving the drive unit, the projecting portion of the structure connecting mechanism that protrudes beyond the one end passes between the one end and the restricting member and is in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction. Protruding into
The regulating member is a holding mechanism that regulates the movement of the protruding portion in the first direction by coming into contact with the protruding portion. The holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the structure connecting mechanism further includes a rotation suppressing member that is connected so as to suppress a part of rotation in the second rotation direction. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein when the driving unit moves the structure connecting mechanism in a direction opposite to the first direction, the protruding portion is reduced. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the structure is a plate material. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a suction member on the lower surface of the base. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein one end is rounded. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a sliding contact member at one end. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a high friction member on the lower surface of the base. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a distance detecting unit that is arranged on the lower surface of the base and detects the distance to the holding object. The holding mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the distance detection unit is a ToF sensor. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and
A manipulator that moves the holding mechanism and
A control unit that controls the holding mechanism and the manipulator,
A transfer device equipped with. The transfer device according to claim 11 and
A recognition device that recognizes information indicating the position, posture, and shape of the object to be held, and
With
A handling robot system in which the control unit controls the transfer device based on the information. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and
A moving mechanism that moves the holding mechanism in at least two directions including the first direction and the second direction.
A conveyor that receives the holding object from the holding mechanism at a first height, changes it to a second height different from the first height, and then conveys the holding object.
Unloading device equipped with.

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