JP7669422B2 - Ejection device, ejection method, control device and program - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a removal device.

In the logistics field, there is a tendency for the labor force to be insufficient to cope with the increase in logistics volume due to the globalization of supply chains and the aging of the workforce. Therefore, Cartesian mechanism robots and articulated arm robots are becoming more widespread in order to quickly and efficiently carry out loading and unloading tasks such as picking items.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 05-201546 JP 2013-103836 A

However, the orthogonal mechanism robot and the articulated arm robot tend to be large in size. For example, when an object is to be grasped from above by an orthogonal mechanism robot, a long arm is required in the vertical direction, which poses a problem that an orthogonal mechanism robot cannot be placed in a narrow space such as a low ceiling.
In addition, for articulated arm robots, when grasping an object from above, a number of joints is required to provide redundancy in order to avoid existing objects. Furthermore, when the area in which the objects are loaded is a rectangular parallelepiped area with an intermediate shelf, an even greater number of joints is required to take out an object from the intermediate shelf within the area, which causes a problem of the robot becoming larger.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a take-out device that can achieve stable transport while being compact in size.

The take-out device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a gripping unit and a transport unit. The gripping unit grips an object by adsorbing the object at at least two points. The transport unit is movable toward the object gripped by the gripping unit and transports the object.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a take-out device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an initial state in the removal process. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a state in which an object is grasped in a removal process. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the loading state of objects in a removal process. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a retracted state of the moving mechanism during removal processing. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a side-by-side state during removal processing. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the loading state of objects in a removal process. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an initial state when an object is loaded on an intermediate shelf. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a gripping state when an object is loaded on an intermediate shelf. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a loading state when objects are loaded on an intermediate shelf. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a side-mounted state when an object is loaded on an intermediate shelf. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a take-out device according to a second embodiment. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing an example of a position information generating process in a shape detecting unit; 10 is a flowchart showing an ejection process of an ejection device according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing an ejection process of an ejection device according to a second embodiment.

Below, a detailed description of an ejection device and method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be given with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following embodiments, parts with the same numbers perform similar operations, and will not be described repeatedly.

(First embodiment)
A take-out device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The removal device 100 of the first embodiment includes a first vertical member 101, a second vertical member 102, a third vertical member 103, a fourth vertical member 104, a fifth vertical member 105, a sixth vertical member 106, a first horizontal member 107, a second horizontal member 108, a third horizontal member 109, a fourth horizontal member 110, a first vertical movement mechanism 111, a horizontal movement mechanism 112, a first depth direction movement mechanism 113, a gripper movement mechanism 114, a gripper 115, a second vertical movement mechanism 116, a second depth direction movement mechanism 117, and a transport unit 118.

The first vertical movement mechanism 111 is also referred to as the first movement mechanism, and the horizontal movement mechanism 112 and the first depth movement mechanism 113 are collectively referred to as the second movement mechanism. The second vertical movement mechanism 116 is also referred to as the third movement mechanism, and the second depth movement mechanism 117 is also referred to as the fourth movement mechanism.

The first vertical member 101, the second vertical member 102, the third vertical member 103, the fourth vertical member 104, the fifth vertical member 105, the sixth vertical member 106, the first horizontal member 107, the second horizontal member 108, the third horizontal member 109 and the fourth horizontal member 110 are supports that form the skeleton of the removal device 100, and these members are collectively referred to as the base.
The base according to this embodiment is formed as follows: One end of each of the first vertical member 101, the third vertical member 103, and the fifth vertical member 105 stands in contact with the floor surface, and a first horizontal member 107 is horizontally joined to the other end of each of the first vertical member 101, the third vertical member 103, and the fifth vertical member 105. Similarly, one end of each of the second vertical member 102, the fourth vertical member 104, and the sixth vertical member 106 stands in contact with the floor surface, and a second horizontal member 108 is horizontally joined to the other end of each of the second vertical member 102, the fourth vertical member 104, and the sixth vertical member 106. One end of the third horizontal member 109 is joined horizontally near the position where the first horizontal member 107 and the third vertical member 103 are joined, and the other end of the third horizontal member 109 is joined horizontally near the position where the second horizontal member 108 and the fourth vertical member 104 are joined. Similarly, one end of the fourth horizontal member 110 is joined horizontally near the position where the first horizontal member 107 and the fifth vertical member 105 are joined, and the other end of the fourth horizontal member 110 is joined horizontally near the position where the second horizontal member 108 and the sixth vertical member 106 are joined.

The shape of the base is not limited to that of the present embodiment described above, and each component may be joined so that the base is large enough to support the first vertical movement mechanism 111, the horizontal movement mechanism 112, the first depth movement mechanism 113, the gripper movement mechanism 114, the gripper 115, the second vertical movement mechanism 116, the second depth movement mechanism 117, and the transport unit 118.

The first vertical movement mechanism 111 is connected to the third vertical member 103, the fourth vertical member 104, the fifth vertical member 105, and the sixth vertical member 106 of the base so as to be movable in the vertical direction (y-axis direction). For example, a guide rail is attached along the vertical direction of the third vertical member 103, the fourth vertical member 104, the fifth vertical member 105, and the sixth vertical member 106 of the base, and the first vertical movement mechanism 111 moves vertically along this guide rail.

The horizontal movement mechanism 112 is connected to the first vertical movement mechanism 111 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction (x-axis direction). For example, a guide rail is attached along the horizontal direction of the first vertical movement mechanism 111, and the horizontal movement mechanism 112 moves horizontally along this guide rail.

The first depth direction movement mechanism 113 is connected to the horizontal direction movement mechanism 112 so as to be movable in the depth direction (z-axis direction). For example, a guide rail is attached along the depth direction of the horizontal direction movement mechanism 112, and the first depth direction movement mechanism 113 moves in the front-rear direction along this guide rail.

The gripper movement mechanism 114 is connected to the first depth direction movement mechanism 113 so as to be movable in the depth direction. For example, a guide rail is provided on the underside along the depth direction of the first depth direction movement mechanism 113, and the gripper 115 is movable in the depth direction of the first depth direction movement mechanism 113. In this embodiment, the gripper 115 is movable to both ends of the first depth direction movement mechanism 113, so that the movable range of the gripper 115 can be made larger than the movable range of the first depth direction movement mechanism 113 within the base.

The gripper 115 is connected to the first depth direction moving mechanism 113 and grips the object to be removed (hereinafter, referred to as the object). The gripper 115 may be rotatable so that it can grip any object. The gripper 115 uses, for example, a suction pad, has a suction source such as a compressor and an open valve such as an electromagnetic valve that can be opened and closed, and controls the suction pad to suck the object through the open valve to grip the object, and to stop suction to release the object. The object is gripped by being sucked to the object. A desired conveying force may be obtained by arranging multiple grippers 115. It is also preferable to allow a contact distance between the object and the gripper 115 by using a bellows-shaped pad made of a soft material and a pad supported by a spring. Note that the gripper 115 is not limited to a suction pad, and may be configured to grip the object from both sides, as long as it can move the object.

The second vertical movement mechanism 116 is located below the first vertical movement mechanism 111 and is connected to the third vertical member 103, the fourth vertical member 104, the fifth vertical member 105 and the sixth vertical member 106 of the base so as to be vertically movably connected to the third vertical member 103, the fourth vertical member 104, the fifth vertical member 105 and the sixth vertical member 106 of the base. The second vertical movement mechanism 116 moves vertically along the guide rails of the base, similar to the first vertical movement mechanism 111.
The second depth direction movement mechanism 117 is connected to the second vertical direction movement mechanism 116 so as to be movable in the depth direction. For example, the second vertical direction movement mechanism 116 has a guide rail along the depth direction thereof, so that the second vertical direction movement mechanism 116 can move in the depth direction thereof.

The transport unit 118 is a conveyor such as a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor, and is connected to the second depth direction movement mechanism 117. The transport unit 118 applies a rotational force to the rollers using a motor or the like, and the rollers rotate to transport the loaded object.

Next, the ejection process of the ejection device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
Assuming that boxes loaded on a loading box 201 are to be removed as objects 202 and 203 and the objects 202 and 203 are to be moved to a workbench 205, the examples of Figures 2 to 7 will be described with respect to the case where the object 202 is removed.

The loading box 201 is a platform formed of a lattice-like enclosure or the like, and has wheels on the bottom surface. This allows the loading box 201 to be moved even when loaded with items. In this embodiment, the base has a shape that can contain and fix the loading box 201, and when performing the removal process, the loading box 201 is fixed to the base. Note that the base does not have to have a shape that can contain the loading box 201, and as long as the loading box 201 can be fixed, the removal device 100 and the loading box 201 may be disposed adjacent to each other.
The workbench 205 is a platform to which objects are transferred from the loading box 201, and may be a static platform for temporarily storing objects, or a dynamic platform for transferring objects to other locations by a belt conveyer. In this embodiment, a dynamic platform is assumed, and objects loaded in the loading box 201 are moved to the workbench 205, so that the objects are transferred to other locations one after another.

In this case, it is assumed that the positions at which the objects are loaded in the loading box 201 and the order in which the objects are removed are predetermined, and the control unit (not shown) controls each moving mechanism of the removal device 100 to grip the objects and move them a specified distance to a position at which they can be loaded onto the transport unit 118. Typical control methods include an open-loop control method in which a step motor can move a specified amount with a specified pulse, and an open-loop method in which a position sensor can move to a specified position by controlling the position to reduce the error with respect to the target value.

Figure 2 shows the initial state before the object removal process is performed, in which the loading box 201 is set in the removal device 100. In addition, the loading box 201 is placed close to the work table 205, which is the destination of the transport unit 118 of the removal device 100, so that the object can be moved from the transport unit 118 to the work table 205.

3 shows a state in which the object 202 is gripped. The first vertical movement mechanism 111 moves downward (in the negative direction of the y-axis) to a position where the object 202 can be gripped. It is assumed here that the second vertical movement mechanism 116 is already positioned at a height where the object 202 can be loaded onto the transport unit 118. If the transport unit 118 is positioned at a position where the object 202 cannot be loaded, the second vertical movement mechanism 116 may move vertically to a position on the bottom surface of the object 202 so that the object 202 can be loaded onto the transport unit 118.
Furthermore, the first depth direction moving mechanism 113 moves the object 202 in the depth direction (negative direction of the z-axis) to a position where it can be held, and the gripping unit 115 adsorbs and holds the object 202. Here, the object 202 is held by adsorbing it at two points, the front side and the upper side of the object 202. Also, the horizontal direction moving mechanism 112 may move in the horizontal direction (x-axis direction) depending on the position of the object 202. The second depth direction moving mechanism 117 moves in the depth direction (negative direction of the z-axis) to the front lower part of the object 202, similar to the first depth direction moving mechanism 113. At this time, the edge of the conveying unit 118 only needs to be located near the front lower part of the object 202, and may be slightly higher than the front lower part of the object 202, but it is preferable that it is lower than the front lower part of the object 202. In this way, the object 202 can be stably loaded on the conveying unit 118.

Figure 4 shows the state in which the object 202 is loaded onto the transport unit 118. With the gripping unit 115 gripping the object 202, the second depth direction movement mechanism 117 moves in the positive direction of the z axis. Furthermore, as the belt conveyor of the transport unit 118 rotates in the z axis direction, the object 202 is sandwiched between the gripping unit 115 and the transport unit 118, i.e., a transport force is applied to both the top and bottom surfaces of the object 202, making it easier to load the object 202 onto the transport unit 118. At this time, in order to prevent the object 202 from tipping over, it is desirable to make the movement speed of the second depth direction movement mechanism 117 equal to the rotation speed of the belt conveyor of the transport unit 118.

When the object 202 reaches a predetermined transport position of the transport unit 118, the movement of the second depth direction movement mechanism 117 and the rotation of the transport unit 118 are stopped. This completes the loading of the object 202 onto the transport unit 118. Note that if the object 202 is light, the motor may be de-energized so that the transport unit 118 can rotate freely, and the object 202 may be moved on the transport unit 118 while being gripped by the gripper 115, thereby allowing the object 202 to reach the transport position.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the gripper 115 is retracted so as not to interfere with the movement of the target object 202 .
The gripping unit 115 stops suction and ceases gripping the object 202, and the first vertical movement mechanism 111 moves vertically upward and away from the object 202. The amount of movement of the first vertical movement mechanism 111 at this time may be any amount that does not cause collision between the first vertical movement mechanism 111, the horizontal movement mechanism 112, the second depth direction movement mechanism 113, the gripping unit movement mechanism 114, and the gripping unit 115 when the transport unit transports the object.

FIG. 6 shows the state in which the transport unit 118 is pulled up next to the work table 205 .
The second depth-direction movement mechanism 117 moves toward the work table 205, and the second vertical-direction movement mechanism 116 moves vertically to a position where the edge of the transport unit 118 and the opposing edge of the work table 205 are close to each other and the object 202 can be moved to the work table 205 without impact. Specifically, the second vertical-direction movement mechanism 116 moves to a position where the edge of the transport unit 118 is slightly higher than the edge of the work table 205. At this time, the transport unit 118 may be stopped so that the object 202 does not move, or the conveyor may be rotating at a speed at which the object 202 does not tip over while the second depth-direction movement mechanism 117 is moving.

FIG. 7 shows the state in which the object 202 is joined to the work table 205 from the transport section 118 .
The transport unit 118 rotates the conveyor to make the object join the work table 205. Taking into consideration the rotation speed of the work table 205, the belt conveyor of the transport unit 118 is rotated at a speed that will not cause the object 202 to tip over when it joins. This is the end of the object removal process of the removal device 100.

Next, another example of the take-out process of the take-out device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
Since the loading box 201 is designed to carry a large number of objects, the objects at the bottom will be subjected to a greater load when loaded. Therefore, it is conceivable that the objects may be deformed or damaged by the load, so an intermediate shelf may be provided in the loading box to distribute the load of objects, and the objects may be loaded on the intermediate shelf. In Fig. 8 to Fig. 11, it is assumed that an intermediate shelf 801 exists in the loading box 201, and an object 802 is to be removed from the intermediate shelf.

Figure 8 shows the initial position state with respect to the middle shelf 801. The first vertical movement mechanism 111 moves vertically upward (in the positive direction of the y-axis) so that it is in a position where it can grasp the object 802 on the middle shelf 801. Note that when the first vertical movement mechanism 111 moves vertically upward, it moves so that it is positioned outside the loading box 201 so that the first depth direction movement mechanism 113 and the gripping unit 115 do not collide with the middle shelf. Specifically, the first depth direction movement mechanism 113 and the gripping unit 115 move in the positive direction of the z-axis. After that, the first vertical movement mechanism moves vertically upward.

The second depth direction movement mechanism 117 and the transport unit 118 similarly move in the positive direction of the z axis so as not to collide with the middle shelf, and then the second vertical direction movement mechanism 116 moves to be positioned near the top surface of the middle shelf 801. Specifically, they may be moved to a position where the edge of the middle shelf 801 and the edge of the transport unit 118 are at the same height, or where the edge of the transport unit 118 is lower than the edge of the middle shelf 801.

Figure 9 shows the state in which an object 802 is removed from the middle shelf 801. The first depth direction movement mechanism 113 moves toward the object 802 on the middle shelf 801. The gripping unit 115 then adsorbs and grips the object 802.

Figure 10 shows the state in which the object 802 is loaded onto the transport unit 118. The gripper 115 moves in the positive direction of the z-axis while gripping the object 802. The operation of the gripper 115 and transport unit 118 here is the same as the process described in Figure 4.

Figure 11 shows the state where the transport unit 118 is parked next to the work table 205. The second vertical movement mechanism 116 moves vertically downward so that the edge of the work table 205 and the edge of the transport unit 118 are at the same height. Here, the gripper unit 115 does not interfere when the object 802 is moved to the work table 205, so there is no need to retract the gripper unit 115. The operation of transporting the object 802 from the transport unit 118 to the work table 205 is the same as that shown in Figure 7, so a description thereof will be omitted here. This completes the process of removing the object 802 loaded on the intermediate shelf 801.

According to the first embodiment described above, the object is removed from the loading box by the gripping unit and the transport unit that move vertically and in the depth direction within the base, so that the removal device can be realized with a size almost the same as the range of motion of the gripping unit and the transport unit, and the device can be made compact. In addition, since the gripping unit and the transport unit can move vertically and forward and backward independently, the device can be applied to existing loading boxes having existing transport belt conveyors and intermediate shelves. Furthermore, when the gripping unit and the transport unit work in cooperation to remove an object, the transport unit moves closer to each other to shorten the time that the gripping unit alone supports the weight of the object, and the transport unit moves to match the height of the workbench to which the object is to be moved, so that the object can be moved smoothly. Therefore, for example, even when an object is transported at a high place or a heavy object is transported, the object can be stably removed and transported.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the positions where the objects are loaded in the loading box, the number of objects, and the order in which the objects are taken out are specified in advance, and that the object take-out process can be performed by controlling a certain drive amount and order. In the second embodiment, the image sensor detects the positions of the objects to be loaded and the take-out process is performed, which is different from the first embodiment. In this way, the take-out process can be performed for objects that are placed and loaded in any way, and versatility can be improved.

A block diagram of a take-out device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The removal device 1200 of the second embodiment includes a first vertical movement mechanism 111, a horizontal movement mechanism 112, a first depth movement mechanism 113, a gripper movement mechanism 114, a gripper 115, a second vertical movement mechanism 116, a second depth movement mechanism 117, a conveying unit 118, an image sensor 1201, a shape detection unit 1202 and a control unit 1203.

The image sensor 1201 is, for example, a distance image sensor such as a laser range finder or a stereo camera sensor that can obtain three-dimensional position information, captures an image or video of an object, and generates image data.

The shape detection unit 1202 receives image data from the image sensor 1201 and detects the upper position and the lower position of the object based on the image data. The shape detection unit 1202 generates position information including the upper position of the object and the distance to the upper position, and the lower position of the object and the distance to the lower position.

The control unit 1203 receives position information from the shape detection unit 1202, and based on the position information, drives the first vertical movement mechanism 111, the horizontal movement mechanism 112, and the first depth direction movement mechanism 113 in a direction in which the gripping unit 115 moves toward the upper position, and drives the second vertical movement mechanism 116 and the second depth direction movement mechanism 117 in a direction in which the conveying unit 118 moves toward the lower position.
As an example of drive control, the control unit 1203 generates drive signals indicating the drive amounts of each of the first vertical movement mechanism 111, the horizontal movement mechanism 112, the first depth direction movement mechanism 113, the gripper movement mechanism 114, the second vertical movement mechanism 116, and the second depth direction movement mechanism 117. In addition, the control unit 1203 generates a grip control signal that controls the gripping operation of the gripper 115, and a transport control signal that controls the transport operation of the transport unit 118.

The first vertical movement mechanism 111, the horizontal movement mechanism 112, the first depth movement mechanism 113, the gripper movement mechanism 114, the second vertical movement mechanism 116 and the second depth movement mechanism 117 each receive a drive signal from the control unit 1203 and are driven to achieve the drive amount indicated by the drive signal.

The gripping unit 115 receives a gripping control signal from the control unit 1203 and starts and stops the gripping operation based on the control signal.

The conveying unit 118 receives a conveying control signal from the control unit 1203, and controls the start and stop of the conveyor's rotation and adjustment of the rotation speed based on the conveying control signal.

Note that a specific example of the shape of the take-out device 1200 according to the second embodiment is similar to that of the take-out device 100 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. Note that the image sensor 1201 only needs to be fixed at a position where it can capture an image of an object in the loading box. The shape detection unit 1202 and the control unit 1203 may be disposed as a control panel on the base, or may be located away from the take-out device 100 where they can receive and process image data wirelessly or via wires, and transmit drive signals, grip control signals, and transport control signals to the take-out device 100.

Next, an example of the position information generation process in the shape detection unit 1202 will be described with reference to FIG.
13 shows image data obtained by an image sensor when viewed from the open side of the side of the loading box 201 on which two boxes are loaded. The coordinate axes are the same as those in FIG. 2. Here, the bottom surface of the loading box 201 is taken as the reference.

The shape detection unit 1202 performs image recognition processing of the image data, extracts three-dimensional position information or RGB image information, and recognizes the shape of the object. In the example of FIG. 13, two rectangles 1301 and 1302 are recognized, and the rectangle that is the maximum value in the vertical direction (y-axis direction) and the minimum value in the depth direction (z-axis direction) is determined as the object. In other words, boxes are taken out from the top of the box that is loaded at the front, and in this case, the rectangle 1301 is determined as the object. The shape detection unit 1202 extracts the upper position 1303 from the determined object, and calculates the coordinates of the upper position 1303 and the distance to the upper position 1303. Furthermore, the shape detection unit 1202 extracts the lower position 1304 from the determined object, and calculates the coordinates of the lower position 1304 and the distance to the lower position 1304. As a result, the shape detection unit 1202 obtains, as position information, information regarding the coordinates of the upper position 1303 and the distance to the upper position 1303, and the coordinates of the lower position 1304 and the distance to the lower position 1304. Here, the coordinates of the upper position 1303 include the coordinates (at least the y-axis component) of the highest point in the vertical direction (y-axis direction) of the object. Also, the coordinates of the lower position 1304 include the coordinates (at least the y-axis component) of the lowest point in the vertical direction (y-axis direction) of the object. If the object is a rectangle, the coordinates of the upper side of the rectangle 1301 may be the coordinates of the upper position 1303, and the coordinates of the lower side may be the coordinates of the lower position 1304.

Next, the ejection process of the ejection device 1200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 14A and 14B.
In step S1401, the image sensor 1201 captures an image of the inside of the loading box and obtains image data.
In step S1402, the shape detection unit 1202 performs image recognition processing on the image data to detect the shape and determine the target object.
In step S1403, the shape detection unit 1202 calculates the upper position and the lower position of the object whose shape has been recognized. In the second embodiment, since it is assumed that a box is to be taken out as the object, the upper position and the lower position are calculated for the object that is located at the top in the vertical direction and at the front in the depth direction.

In step S1404, the control unit 1203 determines whether the object is located above the middle shelf. Whether the object is located above the middle shelf may be determined, for example, by determining whether the upper and lower positions calculated in step S1403 are higher than the position of the middle shelf that is given in advance. Also, if the position of the middle shelf can be analyzed from the image data, the shape detection unit 1202 or the control unit 1203 may determine whether the position of the object is higher than the position of the middle shelf based on the image data. If the position of the object is higher than the middle shelf, the process proceeds to step S1413, and if the position of the object is lower than the middle shelf, the process proceeds to step S1405.

In step S1405, the first vertical movement mechanism 111, the horizontal movement mechanism 112, the first depth movement mechanism 113 and the gripper movement mechanism 114 move the gripper 115 to an upper position of the object in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203 indicating the drive amount for moving to the upper position.
In step S1406, the second vertical movement mechanism 116 and the second depth movement mechanism 117 move the transport unit 118 to a position below the object in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203 indicating the drive amount for moving to the lower position.
In step S1407, the gripping unit 115 grips the object in response to a gripping control signal from the control unit 1203 indicating the start of suction.

In step S1408, the horizontal movement mechanism 112, the first depth movement mechanism 113, the gripper movement mechanism 114, the gripper 115 and the transport unit 118 work together in response to the drive signal, gripper control signal and transport control signal from the control unit 1203 to move the object to a specified position on the transport unit 118 and load it onto the transport unit 118.
In step S1409, after the object is loaded at a specified position on the transport unit 118, the gripping unit 115 releases the grip in response to a gripping control signal from the control unit 1203 indicating a stop of suction.
In step S1410, the first vertical movement mechanism 111 retracts in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203 so as not to obstruct the movement path of the object.

In step S1411, the second vertical movement mechanism 116 and the second depth direction movement mechanism 117 move the transport unit 118 in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203 to a position where the object can be transported to the work table.
In step S1412, the transport unit 118 transports the object to the work table in response to a transport control signal from the control unit 1203. Here, the rollers are rotated to rotate the belt conveyor, so that the object can be transported to the work table while being kept in a stable state.

In step S 1413 , the first depth direction movement mechanism 113 retracts in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203 .
In step S 1414 , the second depth direction movement mechanism 117 retracts in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203 .
In step S1415, the first vertical movement mechanism 111 moves to the uppermost position of the base in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203.

In step S1416, the second vertical movement mechanism 116 moves the conveying unit 118 to a position below the object on the middle shelf, or to the edge of the middle shelf if there is only one object on the middle shelf, in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203.

In step S1417, the first vertical movement mechanism 111, the horizontal movement mechanism 112, the first depth movement mechanism 113, and the gripper movement mechanism 114 move the gripper 115 to an upper position of the object in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203 indicating the drive amount for moving to the upper position.

In step S1418, the gripping unit 115 grips the object in response to a gripping control signal from the control unit 1203 indicating the start of suction.

In step S1419, the horizontal movement mechanism 112, the first depth movement mechanism 113, the gripper movement mechanism 114, the gripper 115 and the transport unit 118 work together in response to the drive signal, gripper control signal and transport control signal from the control unit 1203 to move the object to a specified position on the transport unit 118 and load it onto the transport unit 118.
In step S1420, after the object is loaded at a specified position on the transport unit 118, the gripping unit 115 releases the grip in response to a gripping control signal from the control unit 1203 indicating the end of suction.
In step S1421, the second vertical movement mechanism 116 and the second depth direction movement mechanism 117 move the transport unit 118 in response to a drive signal from the control unit 1203 to a position where the object can be transported to the work table.
In step S1422, the transport unit 118 transports the object to the work table in response to a transport control signal from the control unit 1203. This completes the take-out process of the take-out device 1200.

In the removal process in this embodiment, when a loading box becomes empty, it is replaced with the next loading box in which the object is to be loaded, and the removal process is performed in the same manner. When replacing the loading box, this can be done manually, or the empty loading box can be pushed out and the next loading box can be controlled to be enclosed within the base. For example, when an image sensor is not used, the loading box is deemed empty after a predetermined number of removal processes have been completed, and the box drive unit (not shown) can push out the loading box and enclose a new loading box. When an image sensor is used, the control unit determines whether an object exists from the image data, and if it is determined that the object does not exist in the image data, the box drive unit can push out the loading box and enclose a new loading box.

According to the second embodiment described above, by detecting objects from image data using an image sensor, the removal process can be performed not only on predetermined objects and positions, but also on objects that are placed and loaded in any way, thereby improving versatility.

In the above embodiment, it is assumed that the base stands upright in the vertical direction (y-axis direction) and the first vertical direction moving mechanism 111 and the second vertical direction moving mechanism 116 move in the vertical direction. However, depending on the shape of the base, the base may be tilted from the vertically upright state. In such a case, the first vertical direction moving mechanism 111 (first moving mechanism) and the second vertical direction moving mechanism 116 (third moving mechanism) may move in the up-down direction (also called the first direction) along the inclination of the base. At this time, it is sufficient that the left-right direction moving mechanism 112 and the first depth direction moving mechanism 113 (second moving mechanism) are movable on the xz plane (first horizontal plane) that intersects with the first direction. In addition, it is sufficient that the second depth direction moving mechanism 117 (fourth moving mechanism) connected to the third moving mechanism is movable on the xz plane (second horizontal plane) opposite to the first horizontal plane. The first horizontal plane and the second horizontal plane do not have to be planes that are strictly parallel to each other, and may be within a range that allows movement in the vertical direction or the first direction.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the gripper 115 and the transport unit 118 move as a result of the movement of each moving mechanism, but the gripper 115 and the transport unit 118 may be movable alone. For example, the take-out device may include the gripper 115 attached to the tip of an arm that is connected to a base and is extendable and retractable in the same range of motion as the first and second moving mechanisms and is movable in three axial directions, and the transport unit 118 that is connected to the base and has the same range of motion as the third and fourth moving mechanisms. This allows the device to be made smaller while still achieving stable transport.

Although several 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 embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

The inventions described in the claims at the time of the allowance of a patent for the original application are set forth below.
[1]
With the base,
a gripping portion provided on the base, movable in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, and configured to grip an object;
a conveying section that is located below the gripping section, that is movable in each of the first direction and the second direction, and that conveys the object.
[2]
A sensor for acquiring position information of the object;
a detection unit that detects at least one of an upper position of the object and a lower position of the object based on the position information;
a control unit that drives the gripping unit in a direction toward the upper position when the upper position is detected, and drives the conveying unit in a direction toward the lower position when the lower position is detected.
[3]
The sensor acquires position information including information regarding a distance to the object;
The control unit calculates at least one of a first distance from the gripping unit to the upper position and a second distance from the transport unit to the lower position based on the position information, and drives the gripping unit according to the first distance when the control unit calculates the first distance, and drives the transport unit according to the second distance when the control unit calculates the second distance.
The take-out device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the gripping unit moves to avoid collision when the transport unit transports the object.
[5]
The control unit drives the conveying unit so that, when an intermediate shelf is present on the platform on which the object is loaded and the object is to be removed from the intermediate shelf, one end of the conveying unit is positioned at the lower position of the object, or so that one end of the conveying unit is positioned at the lower end of the intermediate shelf on the conveying unit side of the device described in [2].
[6]
The ejection device according to any one of [1] to [5], having an area capable of containing a platform on which the object is loaded.
[7]
The take-out device according to any one of [1] to [6], further comprising a work table to which the object is transferred.
[8]
a gripping portion that is movable in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction and that grips an object;
a conveying section that is located below the gripping section, that is movable in each of the first direction and the second direction, and that conveys the object.
[9]
a gripping portion provided on the base moves in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction to grip an object;
A method for transporting the object, comprising the steps of: a transport section positioned below the gripping section; moving in the first direction and the second direction, respectively;
[10]
On the computer,
A gripping portion provided on the base moves in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction to grip an object;
a conveying unit located below the gripping unit moves in the first direction and the second direction to convey the object;
An extraction program to achieve this.
[11]
a gripping portion provided on a base is moved in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction to grip an object;
A control device that controls a conveying unit located below the gripping unit to move in each of the first direction and the second direction to convey the object.
[12]
Detecting at least one of an upper position and a lower position of the object based on position information of the object;
The control device described in [11], wherein when the upper position is detected, the gripping unit is driven in a direction toward the upper position, and when the lower position is detected, the conveying unit is driven in a direction toward the lower position.
[13]
The position information includes information regarding a distance to the object,
The control device described in [12] calculates at least one of a first distance from the gripping unit to the upper position and a second distance from the transport unit to the lower position based on the position information, and when the first distance is calculated, drives the gripping unit according to the first distance, and when the second distance is calculated, drives the transport unit according to the second distance.
[14]
The control device according to any one of [11] to [13], which controls the movement of the gripper so as not to collide with the object when the transport unit transports the object.
[15]
The control device described in [12], when an intermediate shelf is present on the platform on which the object is loaded and the object is to be removed from the intermediate shelf, controls the driving of the conveying unit so that one end of the conveying unit is positioned at the lower position of the object, or so that one end of the conveying unit is positioned at the lower end of the intermediate shelf on the conveying unit side.

100, 1200... removal device, 101... first vertical member, 102... second vertical member, 103... third vertical member, 104... fourth vertical member, 105... fifth vertical member, 106... sixth vertical member, 107... vertical member, 107... first horizontal member, 108... second horizontal member, 109... third horizontal member, 110... fourth horizontal member, 111... first vertical movement mechanism, 112... horizontal movement mechanism, 113... first depth direction 3. Directional movement mechanism, 114...gripping unit movement mechanism, 115...gripping unit, 116...second vertical movement mechanism, 117...second depth movement mechanism, 118...transport unit, 201...loading box, 202, 203, 802...object, 205...work table, 801...middle shelf, 1201...image sensor, 1202...shape detection unit, 1203...control unit, 1301, 1302...rectangle, 1303...upper position, 1304...lower position.

Claims (10)

A conveying unit including a conveyor that is movable in a first direction and in a first horizontal plane that intersects with the first direction and that conveys an object;
a gripping unit that is movable in the first direction and in a second horizontal plane intersecting the first direction, grips the object, and loads the object on the transport unit, and the first horizontal plane is located lower than the second horizontal plane in the first direction,
the conveying unit moves in at least one of the first direction and the first horizontal plane so as to approach a position where the gripping unit grips the object;
the gripping unit moves in at least one of the first direction and the second horizontal plane, and loads the object onto the transport unit located close to the object;
The conveying unit is configured to load the object and move it toward another conveying unit other than the conveying unit, and the rotational speed of the conveyor is controlled so that the loaded object joins the other conveying unit depending on the rotational speed of the other conveying unit. 2. The take-out device according to claim 1 , wherein the transport section is configured to move in accordance with a height of the other transport section and to be able to move the object to the other transport section. The removal device of claim 1, wherein the conveying section is configured to move the object to a position and height at which it can be moved to the other conveying section from a direction intersecting the direction in which the object moves in the other conveying section, depending on the height of the other conveying section, and to move the object to the other conveying section. A detection unit capable of detecting an upper position and a lower position of the object is further provided,
4. The take-out device according to claim 1, configured to control the gripping unit to move in a direction toward the upper position when the upper position of the object is detected, and to control the conveying unit to move in a direction toward the lower position when the lower position of the object is detected. At least one of the position information of the upper position and the lower position of the object is used,
When in the upper position, moving the gripping portion in a direction toward the upper position;
When the conveyor is at the lower position, the conveyor is controlled to move in a direction toward the lower position.
The ejection device according to claim 4. a first horizontal plane intersecting a first direction and a second horizontal plane intersecting the first direction, and the first horizontal plane is located below the second horizontal plane in the first direction,
moving a conveyor that is movable in the first direction and within the first horizontal plane so as to approach a position where the gripper grips the object;
gripping the object with a gripping unit that is movable in the first direction and within the second horizontal plane , and loading the object onto the transport unit that is located close to the object;
A control device configured to move the conveying unit toward another conveying unit while the object is loaded thereon, and to control the rotational speed of the conveyor so that the loaded object joins the other conveying unit in accordance with the rotational speed of the other conveying unit. The control device according to claim 6 , configured to be capable of moving the transport section in accordance with a height of the other transport section and to move the object to the other transport section. A control device as described in claim 6 or 7, configured to move the conveying section to a position and height where the object can be moved to the other conveying section from a direction intersecting the direction in which the object moves in the other conveying section, depending on the height of the other conveying section, and to move the object to the other conveying section. A method for a take-out device including a transport unit that is movable in a first direction and in a first horizontal plane intersecting the first direction and includes a conveyor that transports an object, and a gripping unit that is movable in the first direction and in a second horizontal plane intersecting the first direction, grips the object, and loads the object on the transport unit, comprising:
the first horizontal plane is located below the second horizontal plane in the first direction;
the conveying unit moves in at least one of the first direction and the first horizontal plane so as to approach a position where the gripping unit grips the object;
the gripping unit moves in at least one of the first direction and the second horizontal plane, and loads the object onto the transport unit located close to the object;
The conveying unit loads the object and moves toward another conveying unit different from the conveying unit, and the rotation speed of the conveyor is controlled according to the rotation speed of the other conveying unit so that the loaded object joins the other conveying unit. A program for causing a computer to execute the extraction method according to claim 9.