Card insertion system

Abstract

According to the turnover box with the card holder, the cards are automatically inserted into the card holder, so that the efficiency of the logistics process is improved, and manpower is saved. A conveyance system for a conveyance step introduced into a factory is provided with a robot and a robot hand (30) that constitutes a fingertip of the robot. The robot hand is provided with a card chuck device (41) capable of holding a card (CA1) in a state in which the card (CA1) is accommodated in a gap (44) between plates (42, 43). When a card is inserted into a gap between a side plate part (86) of a turnover box (80) and a card holder arranged on the side plate part, a manipulator is moved from a front position of the side plate part to a specific part in a state that a top end part (43a) of a lower plate (43) faces the specific part on the upper side of an inlet part of the card holder at the side plate part. After the lower plate abuts against the side plate portion, the posture of the robot body is controlled so that the top end portion of the lower plate is displaced downward along the side plate portion and the top end portion faces downward.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a card inserting system for inserting a card into a card holder of a reusable shipping carton. Background Art

[0002] In the logistics process of a factory, a card containing information related to the goods and transportation is sometimes placed in a turnover box used for the transportation of goods, and the logistics process is made more efficient by managing the circulation of goods using the card. Here, for example, in Patent Document 1, a technology is proposed that automatically inserts an identification card into a beer box conveyed by a conveyor belt through the opening of the beer box. By introducing this technology, manpower saving in the logistics process is contributed to.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-111234 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Some of the above-mentioned turnover boxes are provided with a card holder for holding cards. In order to facilitate visual confirmation of the card, this card holder is usually arranged on the outside of the turnover box. In addition, in recent years, a technology has been proposed, which can easily obtain the information of the card by mechanically reading the bar code or QR code (registered trademark) attached to the card, and the technical significance of arranging the card on the outside of the turnover box is relatively large. However, in the logistics process of using the turnover box with a card holder, the actual situation is that the card is still inserted into the card holder by hand by the staff. In this way, in terms of achieving efficiency and manpower saving in the logistics process of using the turnover box with a card holder, there is still room for improvement in the structure related to the insertion of the card.

[0008] The present invention is proposed to solve the above-mentioned exemplified technical problems, and its main purpose is to help improve the efficiency of the logistics process and save manpower by automating the insertion of cards into the card holder for a turnover box with a card holder.

[0009] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0010] A first technical solution is a card insertion system, which inserts a card into a gap between a side wall portion forming a part of the outer peripheral surface of a storage box and a card holder provided on the side wall portion, wherein the card i) allows the card to be inserted into the gap and ii) provides information indicating how to handle the storage box or an object stored in the storage box, and the card insertion system comprises: a card holding portion having a plate inserted into the gap when the card is inserted into the gap and holding the card in a state overlapping with the plate; a moving mechanism that moves the card holding portion; and a control portion that controls the card holding portion and the moving mechanism, wherein the control portion controls the moving mechanism so that the card holding portion moves toward a specific portion of the side wall portion connected to an entrance to the gap in a state where a specified edge portion in the plate faces the specific portion, after reaching the specific portion, controls the moving mechanism so that the posture of the card holding portion changes in a manner that the specified edge portion faces the entrance side and the specified edge portion moves along the side wall portion to the entrance side, and after the plate is inserted into the gap from the entrance, controls the moving mechanism and the card holding portion to release the holding of the card.

[0011] As shown in the first technical solution, the card holding part can be approached to a specific part by making the specified edge part in the plate face the specific part of the side wall part (first approach), and it is not easy to produce the unfavorable situation that, for example, the first approach is blocked by the convex part (for example, the opening flange 89) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the storage box. After reaching the specific part, the posture of the card holding part is changed so that the specified edge part faces the entrance side and the specified edge part approaches the entrance along the side wall part (second approach). The specific part is connected to the entrance, and the plate can be prevented from deviating from the route toward the entrance by shifting the specified edge part along the side wall part. Moreover, since the posture of the card holding part (plate) is changed so that the specified edge part faces the entrance side, the movement of the plate can be prevented from being blocked by the card holder. According to this action, the plate can be inserted from the entrance to the above-mentioned gap. After the plate is inserted, the card can be transferred to the card holder by releasing the card holder. With this structure, the insertion of the card into the card holder can be automated, which helps to improve the efficiency and manpower saving of the logistics process of the turnover box with the card holder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the conveying system in the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 (a) is a side view of the turnover box, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the turnover box.

[0014] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the transport system.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the transfer box transport by the transport system.

[0016] Figure 5 It is a top view of the robot.

[0017] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a chuck device for a turnover box ( Figure 5 (A arrow diagram).

[0018] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a first chuck device for cards ( Figure 5 (B arrow diagram).

[0019] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the card insertion process.

[0020] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the card insertion process.

[0021] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram showing a second chuck device for cards ( Figure 5 C arrow diagram).

[0022] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram showing the card insertion process.

[0023] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram showing the card insertion process.

[0024] Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram showing the card removal process.

[0025] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram showing the card removal process.

[0026] Fig.15 This is a schematic diagram showing a first chuck device in a second embodiment.

[0027] Fig.16 It is a schematic diagram showing a second chuck device in the third embodiment.

[0028] Description of Reference Numerals

[0029] 10: Handling system

[0030] 11: Robots

[0031] 20: Robot body

[0032] 30: Robotic Arm

[0033] 32: Substrate

[0034] 41: First chuck device (card chuck device)

[0035] 42: On the board

[0036] 43: Lower board

[0037] 44: Gap

[0038] 45: Containment

[0039] 46: Ejector

[0040] 47: Chuck parts

[0041] 51: Second chuck device (card chuck device)

[0042] 52: Board

[0043] 54: Chuck parts

[0044] 57: Ejector

[0045] 58: Push out components

[0046] 70: Robot controller

[0047] 73: Torque sensor

[0048] 80: Turnover box

[0049] 89: Open flange

[0050] 91: Card Holder

[0051] 91a: Entrance section

[0052] 93: Pressing part

[0053] 94: Top

[0054] 95: Gap DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] <First Embodiment>

[0056] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a transport system for transporting a turnover box in a transport process in a factory will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, the transport system 10 includes a robot 11 which is a vertically articulated industrial robot and transports the turnover boxes 80 (equivalent to "storage boxes") stacked on the pallet PA to the conveyor CV. The turnover boxes 80 are sequentially transported to the manufacturing line and the assembly line by the conveyor CV.

[0058] like Figure 1As shown, the main body of the robot 11 (robot body 20) includes: a base 22 fixed to a pedestal, etc.; a shoulder 23 supported by the base 22; a lower arm 24 supported by the shoulder 23; a first upper arm 25 supported by the lower arm 24; a second upper arm 26 supported by the first upper arm 25; a wrist 27 supported by the second upper arm 26; and a flange 28 supported by the wrist 27.

[0059] A first joint portion connecting the base 22 and the shoulder 23 is formed, and the shoulder 23 can rotate in the horizontal direction around the connecting axis (first axis AX1) of the first joint portion. A second joint portion connecting the shoulder 23 and the lower arm 24 is formed, and the lower arm 24 can rotate in the vertical direction around the connecting axis (second axis AX2) of the second joint portion. A third joint portion connecting the lower arm 24 and the first upper arm 25 is formed, and the first upper arm 25 can rotate in the vertical direction around the connecting axis (third axis AX3) of the third joint portion. A fourth joint portion connecting the first upper arm 25 and the second upper arm 26 is formed, and the second upper arm 26 can rotate in the torsional direction around the connecting axis (fourth axis AX4) of the fourth joint portion. A fifth joint portion connecting the second upper arm portion 26 and the wrist portion 27 is formed between the second upper arm portion 26 and the wrist portion 27, and the wrist portion 27 can rotate in the up-down direction around the connecting axis (fifth axis AX5) of the fifth joint portion. A sixth joint portion connecting the wrist portion 27 and the flange portion 28 is formed between the wrist portion 27 and the flange portion 28, and the flange portion 28 can rotate in the torsion direction around the connecting axis (sixth axis AX6) of the sixth joint portion.

[0060] The shoulder 23, the lower arm 24, the first upper arm 25, the second upper arm 26, the wrist 27, and the flange 28 are arranged in series to form an arm 21 in the robot body 20, and a servo motor as an electric actuator for rotating the joint is provided at each joint of the arm 21. A manipulator 30 capable of grasping the turnover box 80 is installed on the flange 28 constituting the top end of the arm 21.

[0061] Here, refer to Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The turnover box 80 will be supplementally described. Figure 2 (a) is a side view of the turnover box 80. Figure 2 (b) in Figure 2 Partial cross-sectional view along line AA in (a).

[0062] like Figure 1As shown, the turnover box 80 includes a box body 81 having an opening 87 opened on the upper side, and a cover body (not shown) covering the opening 87 of the box body 81. The box body 81 includes a rectangular bottom plate 82, a group of side plates 83, 84 rising from the long side of the bottom plate 82, and a group of side plates 85, 86 rising from the short side of the bottom plate 82, and a protrusion extending vertically and horizontally is formed on the outer surface of the side plates 83 to 86. Specifically, an opening flange 89 formed along the upper end of the side plates 83 to 86, a transverse rib 88a formed along the lower end of the side plates 83 to 86, and a longitudinal rib 88b extending up and down to connect the opening flange 89 and the transverse rib 88a are provided, and the box body 81 is reinforced by these opening flanges 89, transverse ribs 88a, and longitudinal ribs 88b.

[0063] like Figure 2 As shown in (a) in the figure, a synthetic resin card holder 91 capable of holding (mounting) a card CA is arranged on the outer surface (equivalent to the "side wall") of the side plate portion 86 of the turnover box 80. The card CA is an identification component for identifying information related to manufacturing or transportation, and the circulation of articles is managed by using this information to achieve efficiency in the logistics process. The card holder 91 is transparent and it is difficult to hinder visual confirmation of the card CA.

[0064] On the card CA, identification information indicating how to handle the object stored in the storage box or the turnover box 80 is provided by printing or other means for various types of work, such as manufacturing or transportation. The card CA itself is made of paper, plastic or other materials, and is preferably formed to have a certain degree of hardness.

[0065] The card holder 91 has a long base 92 extending along the transverse rib 88a and a rising portion 93 rising upward from the base 92. The base 92 is fixed to the transverse rib 88a to be integrated with the box body 81. The rising portion 93 is in the shape of a plate facing the outer surface of the side plate 86. The base end (lower end) of the rising portion 93 is a fixed end, and the top end (upper end) 94 is a free end. A gap 95 is formed between the rising portion 93 and the side plate 86, and a card CA can be inserted into the gap 95.

[0066] Here, the tip portion 94 is located below the opening flange 89 and is separated from the opening flange 89. That is, the portion of the side plate portion 86 close to the opening flange 89 avoids overlapping with the rising portion 93.

[0067] like Figure 2As shown in (b) in the figure, the top end 94 is bent to protrude on the side of the side plate 86. At the upper side (opening flange 89 side) of the bent portion, the distance from the side plate 86 increases as it approaches the opening flange 89, and the portion sandwiched by the top end 94 and the side plate 86 is the entrance to the gap 95, that is, the entrance portion 91a of the card holder 91.

[0068] In addition, since the top portion 94 is bent, it is easy for the staff to put their fingers on the top portion 94. When inserting / removing the card CA by manual work, by putting the fingers on the top portion 94 and pulling it toward the front side, the rising portion 93 is bent (elastically deformed) with the base 92 as the base end. This facilitates the insertion and removal of the card CA into the card holder 91. Moreover, after the card CA is inserted, by removing the fingers from the rising portion 93, the card CA is pressed toward the side plate portion 86 by the elastic force of the rising portion 93, and the card CA is clamped by the rising portion 93 and the side plate portion 86. This prevents the card CA from falling off. In the following description, the rising portion 93 is referred to as the "pressing portion 93".

[0069] In addition, the card holder 91 shown in this embodiment has two pressing portions 93 (a pressing portion 93a on the right side and a pressing portion 93b on the left side) provided separately on the left and right sides, and the card CA is inserted in a state that the pressing portions 93 on the left and right sides are bridged (see FIG. Figure 2 (a) in the figure). In addition, the horizontal width of the pressing portion 93b on the left side is larger than that of the pressing portion 93a on the right side, and is in the shape of a door with an opening formed in the central portion. A small pressing portion 96 is arranged in the opening. The pressing portion 96 also stands upward from the base 92 in the same way as the pressing portion 93, and its top end 97 is bent. The inserted card CA can be clamped by the pressing portions 93b and 96 at the upper and lower positions, thereby enhancing the holding function. When inserting the card CA into the card holder 91 through the conveying system 10, the plate of the card chuck device to be described later is inserted to a position deeper inside than the top end 97 of the pressing portion 96.

[0070] Next, refer to Figure 3 The electrical structure of the transport system 10 is supplemented. The transport system 10 includes an upper controller 15 that constitutes a "control unit" together with the robot controller 70, and a controller that can capture the configuration pallet PA from above (see Figure 1 ) of the tray area. The camera 18 is connected to the upper controller 15, and the image taken by the camera 18 is sent to the upper controller 15.

[0071] The upper controller 15 is provided with an image analysis unit 16 for analyzing the image captured by the camera 18 and specifying the position and orientation of the turnover box 80, and an action instruction determination unit 19 for determining the turnover box 80 to be transported based on the analysis result of the image analysis unit 16 and determining an action instruction indicating the action mode of the robot 11 when transporting the turnover box 80. The action instruction determined by the action instruction determination unit 19 is sent to the robot controller 70. The action instruction includes information indicating the target position of the robot 11.

[0072] The robot controller 70 receives the action command from the upper controller 15 and reads the action program corresponding to the action command from the program storage unit and specifies (determines) the action target position according to the read action program. After that, a target trajectory is generated that smoothly connects the specified action target position and the current position of the arm 21 (each movable part), and an interpolation position is specified as a position for refining the target trajectory. The servo motors 71 arranged at each joint and the rotary encoders 72 corresponding to these servo motors 71 are connected to the robot controller 70, and the drive control of the servo motor 71 is performed according to the specified interpolation position and the current position data obtained from the rotary encoder 72, that is, the encoder value representing the rotation angle (rotation position) of the servo motor 71.

[0073] In addition, a torque sensor 73 is provided in the robot 11 for detecting the torque (force) generated at the joint. The torque sensor 73 is connected to the robot controller 70, and the robot controller 70 grasps the magnitude and direction of the force based on the information detected by the torque sensor 73, and decelerates or stops the arm 21 (including protective stop) based on the result. The robot 11 shown in this embodiment is a collaborative robot for the purpose of collaboration with humans, and safety is taken into consideration by adopting a structure that decelerates / stops the manipulator 30 when the arm 21 or the manipulator 30 collides with a human or other equipment. The details will be described later, but when the manipulator 30 abuts against the turnover box 80 when inserting and removing the card CA, it is determined whether the manipulator 30 abuts against the turnover box 80 based on the information from the torque sensor 73.

[0074] The robot 30 is provided with a chuck device 31 for a turnover box that can grasp the turnover box 80, and chuck devices 41 and 51 for cards that can hold the cards CA. The chuck device 31 for the turnover box and the chuck devices 41 and 51 for the cards are connected to the robot controller 70. Figure 4 , illustrating the operation flow of the conveying system 10.

[0075] When the pallet PA loaded with the turnover box 80 is arranged in the pallet area, the turnover box 80 on the pallet PA is gripped by the turnover box chuck device 31 and moved to the workbench TB (S1) provided in front of the robot 11. Specifically, the turnover box 80 is arranged so that the card holder 91 faces the robot 11 side. A positioning unit that specifies the left and right position and the front and back position of the turnover box 80 is provided on the workbench TB, and the position deviation of the turnover box 80 is suppressed by the positioning unit. After the turnover box 80 is arranged on the workbench TB, the camera 61 (refer to Figure 3 ) is used to confirm the presence of card CA. In the case where card CA (specifically, card CA2 which will be described later) remains in the card holder 91, the card chuck device 51 is used to remove the card CA (S2). The card CA removed from the card holder 91 is moved to a card placement location (not shown) (S3), and a new card CA is picked up from the card placement location using the card chuck transposition devices 41 and 51 (S4). Thereafter, the picked-up card CA is inserted into the card holder 91 of the turnover box 80 arranged on the workbench TB using the card chuck transposition devices 41 and 51 (S5). Thus, the replacement of the card CA is completed. After the replacement of the card CA is completed, the turnover box 80 on the workbench TB is grasped by the turnover box chuck device 31 and transported to the conveyor belt CV (S6).

[0076] Next, refer to Figure 5 , the structure of the robot 30 is supplemented.

[0077] As described, the manipulator 30 mainly includes a chuck device 31 for a turnover box and chuck devices 41 and 51 for cards. The chuck device 31 for a turnover box has a rectangular substrate 32, and an axis portion 33 is formed at its central portion orthogonal to the substrate 32. The axis portion 33 is fixed to the flange portion 28 of the arm 21 in such a way that the central axis CL of the axis portion 33 is coaxial with the sixth axis AX6 of the arm 21. The length of the long side portion 32a of the substrate 32 is the same as the interval between the side plate portions 83 and 84, and the length of the short side portion 32b is shorter than the interval. In the following description, the plate surface on the upright side of the axis portion 33 in the substrate 32 is distinguished as the "upper surface", and the plate surface on the opposite side is distinguished as the "lower surface".

[0078] Movable claws 34 supporting the turnover box 80 by abutting against the opening flange 89 of the turnover box 80 from below and a drive mechanism 35 moving the claws 34 to a supporting position and a non-supporting position are provided at four corners of the lower surface of the base plate 32 .

[0079] In a state where the robot 30 is arranged so that the lower surface of the base plate 32 is opposite to the opening 87 of the turnover box 80 and the short side 32b of the base plate 32 is located above the side plates 83 and 84 constituting the long side of the turnover box 80 (opening 87), each claw 34 is moved from the non-supporting position to the supporting position. Figure 6 After the turnover box 80 is carried, the grip of the turnover box 80 is released by moving the claws 34 from the supporting position to the non-supporting position.

[0080] The card chuck devices 41 and 51 are mounted on the substrate 32 in a manner protruding from the long side portion 32a of the substrate 32. In other words, when the robot 30 is viewed from above, the card chuck device 41 protrudes from one long side portion 32a, and the card chuck device 51 protrudes from the other long side portion 32a. The card CA shown in this embodiment is roughly divided into a paper card CA1 (so-called billboard), and a card CA2 that is a plastic ID card that is smaller and thicker than the card CA1. The card chuck device 41 corresponds to the card CA1, and the card chuck device 51 corresponds to the card CA2. First, refer to Figure 5 as well as Figure 7 , the card chuck device 41 (hereinafter also referred to as the first chuck device 41) is described.

[0081] like Figure 7 As shown, the first chuck device 41 has a housing portion 45 composed of a pair of upper and lower plates 42 and 43 opposed to each other with a gap 44. The housing portion 45 is configured so that the upper plate 42 (upper plate 42) overlaps the lower surface of the substrate 32, and is fixed to the substrate 32 by the upper plate 42, and is integrated with the substrate 32.

[0082] The gap between the plates 42 and 43 is larger than the thickness of the card CA1, and the card CA1 can be stored in the gap 44 in an unfolded state. The storage portion 45 is rectangular in a plan view of the robot 30, and one end thereof extends from the long side 32a of the base plate 32. An ejection port 45a for ejecting the card CA1 is provided at one end thereof.

[0083] The first chuck device 41 is provided with a chuck member 47 that can switch between a holding state and a non-holding state for holding the stored card CA, and a switching mechanism 48 that switches the chuck member 47 between the holding state and the non-holding state. The chuck member 47 holds the card CA to prevent the card CA from falling off.

[0084] The receiving portion 45 is formed with a slit 45b extending in the short side direction of the substrate 32, that is, in the extending direction of the receiving portion 45. A chuck member 47 is disposed in the slit 45b, and the chuck member 47 can slide along the slit 45b (see Figure 5). The first chuck device 41 is provided with a sliding mechanism 49 for sliding the chuck member 47, and the chuck member 47 and the sliding mechanism 49 constitute an ejector 46 for ejecting the card CA from the ejection port 45a. Specifically, the chuck member 47 is configured to abut against the end of the chuck CA1 accommodated in the gap 44, more specifically, the end on the side opposite to the ejection port 45a, and by sliding the chuck member 47 toward the ejection port 45a, the card CA pressed against the chuck member 47 is ejected from the accommodation portion 45 through the ejection port 45a (see Figure 7 (c) in the figure.

[0085] Here, the first chuck device 41 shown in the present embodiment transfers the card CA1 to the card holder 91 by discharging the card CA1 in a state where the receiving portion 45 is inserted into the gap 95 between the card holder 91 and the side plate portion 86. In order to smoothly perform this action, one of its characteristics is that the positions of the top end portion 42a of the upper plate 42 and the top end portion 43a of the lower plate 43 are staggered. Specifically, the protrusion amount of the lower plate 43 from the substrate 32 is larger than the protrusion amount of the upper plate 42 from the substrate 32, and a portion of the lower plate 43 extends from the upper plate 42. That is, a portion of the lower plate 43 extends from a portion opposite to the upper plate 42, and the top end (top end portion 43a) of the extended portion constitutes a "prescribed edge portion". In addition, the specific structure for staggering the positions of the top end portion 42a and the top end portion 43a is arbitrary, and the length (width) of the first plate and the second plate are different, or the first plate and the second plate are staggered in the length direction (width direction). In the following, according to the relationship between the two plates 42 and 43, refer to Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9 The flow of inserting the card CA1 will be described.

[0086] When inserting the card CA1 into the card holder 91 of the turnover box 80, the first chuck device 41 (manipulator 30) is arranged in a horizontal state at the insertion preparation position on the front side of the side plate portion 86 (see Figure 8 Specifically, the top end portion 43a of the lower plate 43 is disposed toward a portion (specific portion SP1) of the side plate portion 86 that is below the opening flange 89 and above the card holder 91 (entrance portion 91a).

[0087] After the insertion preparation position is completed, the posture of the arm 21 is changed so that the first chuck device 41 (manipulator 30) moves horizontally toward the specific position SP1. This can prevent the movement of the manipulator 30 from being blocked by the opening flange 89. The horizontal movement of the manipulator 30 continues until the lower plate 43 of the first chuck device 41 abuts against the side plate portion 86 (see Figure 8 (b) in the figure). Hereinafter, the approach from the insertion preparation position to the contact with the side plate portion 86 is referred to as the first approach.

[0088] Furthermore, the first chuck device 41 can accommodate the card CA1 so that it does not protrude beyond the top end 43a of the lower plate 43. Therefore, when the first chuck device 41 is moved toward the side plate 86 in the first approach, the card CA1 is prevented from abutting against the side plate 86 before the lower plate 43.

[0089] After the first approach is completed, the process is transferred to the second approach in which the first chuck device 41 is moved toward the insertion target position. In the second approach, the first chuck device 41 (manipulator 30) is tilted so that the top end 43a of the lower plate 43 faces the side (lower side) of the inlet portion 91a and the top end 43a is displaced toward the side (lower side) of the inlet portion 91a along the side plate portion 86 (see Figure 8 (c) in the figure). At this time, the posture of the arm 21 is changed so that the first chuck device 41 (manipulator 30) rotates around the tip portion 43a, thereby preventing the tip portion 43a from being separated from the side plate portion 86 due to the rotation.

[0090] In addition, as described above, since the top end 43a of the lower plate 43 extends further than the top end 42a of the upper plate 42, when the posture of the first chuck device 41 is changed, it is difficult to produce an undesirable situation in which the top end 42a of the upper plate 42 abuts against the side plate portion 86 and restricts the change of posture.

[0091] Here, the opening flange 89 is located on the upper side of the first chuck device 41. When the first chuck device 41 is tilted greatly, the first chuck device 41 may abut against the opening flange 89. Therefore, when changing the inclination, the posture of the arm 21 can be changed in a manner that the distance between the first chuck device 41 and the top end EP of the opening flange 89 is constant, thereby avoiding collision with the opening flange 89 and making the inclination of the first chuck device 41 relative to the side plate portion 86 as small as possible.

[0092] By changing the inclination of the first chuck device 41 and shifting the top end 43a of the lower plate 43 toward the entrance portion 91a, the lower plate 43 abuts against the card holder 91, more specifically, the top end 94 of the pressing portion 93. At this time, since the lower plate 43 is inclined, the pressing portion 93 is pressed away from the side plate portion 86 by the lower plate 43, and the pressing portion 93 expands the gap 95 (entrance portion 91a) through elastic deformation. Afterwards, the posture of the arm 21 is also changed so that the inclination of the lower plate 43 relative to the side plate portion 86 becomes smaller and the top end 43a of the lower plate 43 is shifted downward along the side plate portion 86. The second approach is completed by making the lower plate 43 reach the bottom (deep inner portion) of the card holder 91, and the arm 21 is temporarily stopped (refer to Figure 8(d) in the figure). That is, the first chuck device 41 (manipulator 30) is arranged at the insertion target position. Then, the switching mechanism 48 is operated to switch the chuck member 47 from the holding state to the non-holding state, and the sliding mechanism 49 is operated to slide the chuck member 47 toward the discharge port 45a. As a result, the card CA1 is pushed out from the discharge port 45a (refer to Fig. 9 (e) in the figure.

[0093] When the card CA1 is ejected, the first chuck device 41 starts the disengagement action from the gap 95 in conjunction with (e.g., synchronously with) the action of the chuck member 47. In this disengagement action, the posture of the change arm 21 is such that the receiving portion 45 is displaced to the opposite side of the chuck member 47 (see Fig. 9 (f) in the figure). This prevents the ejected card CA1 from being bent or crushed by the bottom of the card holder 91 and the chuck member 47. This is preferable in terms of preventing the visibility of the card CA1 from being reduced.

[0094] Afterwards, during the disengagement of the first chuck device 41, the lower plate 43 is separated from the pressing portion 93 of the card holder 91, and the pressing portion 93 returns to the side plate portion 86 due to elastic force, so that the card CA1 is sandwiched between the pressing portion 93 and the side plate portion 86 (see Fig. 9 (g) in the figure.

[0095] Here, in inserting the card CA into the entrance portion 91a of the card holder 91, it is desirable to place the card CA on the extension line of the entrance portion 91a and move it straight toward the entrance portion 91a. Figure 2 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , since the opening flange 89 is located on the extension line of the inlet portion 91a, this action is not realistic (see Figure 2 On the other hand, a straight line to the inlet portion 91a is ensured by avoiding the top EP of the opening flange 89 (refer to Figure 2 In the case of the virtual line FL2 in (b), the setting of the motion trajectory requires high precision, and the possibility of failure in the insertion of the card CA1 is high. In this regard, the insertion of the card CA1 of the first chuck device 41 can be divided into the first approach and the second approach and the entrance portion 91a is used as the target, thereby reducing the possibility of failure in the insertion of the card CA1.

[0096] Next, refer to Figure 5 as well as Fig.10 , the card chuck device 51 (hereinafter also referred to as the second chuck device 51) is described.

[0097] like Fig.10As shown in the figure, the second chuck device 51 has a rectangular plate 52 fixed to the substrate 32 by means of a gasket. The plate 52 is parallel to the lower surface of the substrate 32, and one end portion (hereinafter referred to as the top end portion 52a) thereof protrudes from the substrate 32. In the following description, the plate surface on the substrate 32 side of the plate 52 is referred to as the "upper surface", and the plate surface on the opposite side is referred to as the "lower surface 52b".

[0098] A chuck member 54 capable of holding the card CA2 by sandwiching the card CA2 between the plate 52 and the plate 52 is provided on the lower surface 52b side, and a state in which the chuck member 54 is switched to hold the card CA2 (see Fig.10 (a)) and the non-hold state (refer to Fig.10 (b)) of the switching mechanism 56. To provide additional information on the card CA2, since the card CA2 is smaller than the card holder 91, it is conveniently used in a state where it is accommodated in a transparent housing, and the second chuck device 51 is configured to insert the card CA2 into the card holder 91 for each housing.

[0099] In the present embodiment, as the chuck component 54, a first chuck component 54a is provided to press the vicinity of the mouth of the housing, and a second chuck component 54b to uniformly press the housing and the card CA2. The first chuck component 54a suppresses the card CA2 from falling off from the housing by pressing the vicinity of the mouth of the housing. In addition, the card CA2 and the housing have a certain degree of strength. By clamping the card CA2 for each housing by the second chuck component 54b, the sagging of the housing in the maintenance can also be suppressed, so the structure equivalent to the lower plate 43 of the first chuck device 41 can be omitted.

[0100] Furthermore, when inserting the card CA2 or the like into the card holder 91 using the second chuck device 51, the second chuck member 54b passes through the gap 99 between the left and right pressing portions 96, thereby avoiding interference with the card holder 91. In addition, the moving path of the first chuck member 54a remains in front of the card holder 91 (entrance portion 91a) in the housing, thereby avoiding interference with the card holder 91.

[0101] The lower surface of the plate 52 is provided with a push-out member 58 that can slide toward the top end 52a side of the plate 52 and away from the top end 52a side, and a sliding mechanism 59 that slides the push-out member 58. The push-out member 58 is arranged at a position that abuts against the card CA2 held by the chuck member 54 from the side opposite to the top end 52a. The slide mechanism 59 is operated to slide the push-out member 58 toward the top end 52a side, and the card CA2 pressed by the push-out member 58 is forcibly ejected from the second chuck device 51 (see Fig.10 (c) in the figure.

[0102] Next, refer to Fig.11 as well as Fig.12 The flow of inserting the card CA2 using the second chuck device 51 will be described.

[0103] When inserting the card CA2 into the card holder 91 of the turnover box 80, the robot 30 is arranged at the insertion preparation position on the front side of the side plate 86 while maintaining the horizontal state (see Fig.11 Specifically, the tip end 52a of the plate 52 in the second chuck device 51 is arranged to face a portion of the side plate 86 that is below the opening flange 89 and above the card holder 91 (entrance portion 91a).

[0104] After the placement to the insertion preparation position is completed, the posture of the arm 21 is changed to tilt the second chuck device 51 (manipulator 30) so that the top end 52a of the plate 52 faces the specific position SP2 near the root of the opening flange 89 (see Fig.11 At this time, by rotating the second chuck device 51 around the top end 52a, the position of the top end 52a remains unchanged.

[0105] After the second chuck device 51 is tilted, the robot 30 is slid toward the specific portion SP2. Specifically, the posture of the arm 21 is changed so that it slides parallel to the plate surface of the plate 52. The sliding of the robot 30 ends when the plate 52 of the second chuck device 51 abuts against the side plate portion 86, and stops when the top end portion 52a of the plate 52 abuts against the side plate portion 86 (see Fig.11 (c) in the figure). If the plate 52 is moved horizontally while aiming at the specific part SP2, there is a high possibility that the plate 52 will collide with the top of the opening flange 89 before reaching the specific part SP2. As described above, this problem can be solved by approaching the specific part SP2 from the oblique lower side, making it less likely to cause such an undesirable situation.

[0106] In addition, a triangular rib 88c is formed near the root of the opening flange 89 so that the opening flange 89 is connected to the side plate portion 86 (see Figure 5 ). In contrast, in order to avoid contact with the triangular rib 88c, a notch 52c is formed at the top end 52a of the plate 52. When the plate 52 is moved toward the specific location SP2, the triangular rib 88c enters the notch 52c and does not hinder movement toward the specific location SP2.

[0107] After the first approach is completed, the second approach is performed to move the second chuck device 51 to the insertion target position. In the second approach, the second chuck device 51 (manipulator 30) is tilted so that the top end 52a of the plate 52 is directed toward the inlet portion 91a side (lower side) and the top end 52a is displaced toward the inlet portion 91a side (lower side) along the side plate portion 86 (see Fig.11(d) in the figure). At this time, the second chuck device 51 (manipulator 30) is rotated around the top end 52a by changing the posture of the arm 21, so that the top end 52a is prevented from moving away from the side plate 86 due to the rotation. In addition, the posture of the arm 21 is changed in such a way that the distance between the second chuck device 51 and the top end EP of the opening flange 89 is constant, which is the same as the second approach of the first chuck device 41.

[0108] By changing the inclination of the second chuck device 51 and bringing the top end 52a of the plate 52 closer to the entrance portion 91a, the card CA2 (shell in detail) overlapping the plate 52 abuts against the pressing portion 93 (top end 94 in detail) of the card holder 91. At this time, since the plate 52 is inclined, the pressing portion 93 is pressed by the plate 52 toward the side away from the side plate portion 86, and the gap 95 (entrance portion 91a) is enlarged by elastic deformation of the pressing portion 93. Afterwards, the posture of the arm 21 is also changed so that the inclination of the plate 52 relative to the side plate portion 86 becomes smaller and the top end 52a of the plate 52 is shifted downward along the side plate portion 86. In this way, by changing the inclination, the card CA2 or the shell is prevented from getting stuck with the top end 94 of the pressing portion 93.

[0109] The second approach is completed when the plate 52 reaches the bottom (deep inner part) of the card holder 91, and the arm 21 stops (refer to Fig.12 (e) in FIG. 3 ). That is, the robot 30 is arranged at the insertion target position. Then, the switching mechanism 56 is operated to switch the chuck member 54 from the holding state to the non-holding state (see FIG. 3 ). Fig.12 At this point in time, the card CA2 is clamped by the pressing portion 93 and the plate 52. Therefore, even if the chuck member 54 is switched to the non-holding state, the card CA2 does not necessarily fall due to its own weight. Therefore, after the chuck member 54 is switched to the non-holding state, the sliding mechanism 59 is activated to slide the push member 58 toward the top end 52a of the plate 52 (see Fig.12 (g) in the figure). In conjunction with the movement of the ejection member 58, the second chuck device 51 starts to be disengaged from the gap 95. Specifically, the posture of the change arm 21 is changed so that the inclination of the second chuck device 51 relative to the side plate portion 86 becomes larger and the top end portion 52a of the plate 52 is displaced upward. Thus, the card CA2 is prevented from following the movement of the plate 52.

[0110] Afterwards, during the disengagement of the second chuck device 51, the plate 52 is separated from the pressing portion 93 of the card holder 91, and the pressing portion 93 returns to the side plate portion 86 due to the elastic force, so that the card CA2 is sandwiched between the pressing portion 93 and the side plate portion 86 (see Fig.12 (h) in the figure.

[0111] Here, the first chuck device 41 has a function of inserting the card CA1 into the card holder 91, whereas the second chuck device 51 has a function of removing the card CA2 from the card holder 91 in addition to the function of inserting the card CA2 into the card holder 91. The second chuck device 51 is designed to be able to insert and remove the card CA2 by using a single plate.

[0112] Below, refer to Fig.13 as well as Fig.14 , the process of taking out the card CA2 using the second chuck device 51 is described. In addition, in this embodiment, the action of the arm 21 when taking out the card CA2 is basically the same as the action of the arm 21 when inserting the card CA2, thereby simplifying the control program. Fig.13 as well as Fig.14 In the figure, for the sake of convenience, the shell and the ID card are not distinguished and are collectively recorded as card CA2.

[0113] When taking out the card CA2 from the card holder 91 of the turnover box 80, the robot 30 is arranged in a horizontal state toward the taking-out preparation position on the front side of the side plate 86 (see Fig.13 (a) in the figure). Specifically, the top end portion 52a of the plate 52 in the second chuck device 51 is arranged to face a portion (specific portion SP1) of the side plate portion 86 that is lower than the opening flange 89 and higher than the card holder 91 (entrance portion 91a). In addition, the removal preparation position is the same as the insertion preparation position.

[0114] After the arrangement to the removal preparation position is completed, in order to tilt the second chuck device 51 (manipulator 30), the posture of the change arm 21 is changed so that the top end 52a of the plate 52 is directed toward a specific portion SP2 closer to the opening flange 89 than the specific portion SP1, specifically, the specific portion SP2 as the root of the opening flange 89 (see Fig.13 At this time, the second chuck device 51 is rotated around the top end portion 52a, so that the position of the top end portion 52a remains unchanged.

[0115] After the second chuck device 51 is tilted, the robot 30 is slid toward the specific portion SP2. Specifically, the posture of the arm 21 is changed so that it slides parallel to the plate surface of the plate 52. In this way, the movement of the robot 30 is prevented from being blocked by the opening flange 89. The sliding of the robot 30 ends when the plate 52 of the second chuck device 51 abuts against the side plate portion 86, and stops when the top end portion 52a of the plate 52 abuts against the side plate portion 86 (see Fig.13 That is, the first approach from the removal preparation position to the contact with the side plate portion 86 is the same as the first approach when the card CA2 is inserted.

[0116] The housing of the card CA2 inserted into the card holder 91 protrudes to the middle position between the opening flange 89 and the card holder 91. In the case where the position of the card CA2 is staggered up and down, the distance between the housing and the opening flange 89 may be further reduced. Here, in the first approach, the top end 52a of the plate 52 is made to abut against the base of the opening flange 89, so that the top end 52a is prevented from abutting against the housing.

[0117] After the first approach is completed, the process moves to the second approach in which the second chuck device 51 is moved toward the target removal position. In the second approach, the second chuck device 51 (robot 30) is tilted so that the top end 52a of the plate 52 is toward the entrance portion 91a side (lower side) and the top end 52a is shifted downward along the side plate portion 86. At this time, the posture of the arm 21 is changed so that the second chuck device 51 (robot 30) rotates around the top end 52a to prevent the top end 52a from moving away from the side plate portion 86 due to the rotation. By changing the inclination of the second chuck device 51 and bringing the top end 52a of the plate 52 closer to the entrance portion 91a, the top end 52a of the plate 52 is inserted between the housing (card CA2) and the side plate portion 86 (refer to Fig.13 (d) in the figure). Thereafter, the posture of the arm 21 is changed so that the inclination of the plate 52 relative to the side plate portion 86 becomes smaller and the top end portion 52a of the plate 52 is displaced downward along the side plate portion 86.

[0118] The second approach is completed by making the plate 52 reach the bottom (deep inside) of the card holder 91, and the arm 21 stops (refer to Fig.14 (e) in FIG. 1 ). That is, the robot 30 is arranged at the removal target position. In this state, the card CA and the housing are pressed against the plate 52 by the pressing portion 93 of the card holder 91. Then, the switching mechanism 56 is operated to switch the chuck member 54 from the open state to the closed state (see FIG. 1 ). Fig.14 (f) in the figure.

[0119] Then, the posture of the arm 21 is changed so that the inclination of the second chuck device 51 relative to the side plate portion 86 becomes larger and the top end portion 52a of the plate 52 is displaced upward (see Fig.14 (g) in the figure). Then, the card CA2 held in the second chuck device 51 and the housing are separated from the card holder 91 together with the second chuck device 51, and the removal of the card CA2 is completed (refer to Fig.14 (h) in.

[0120] According to the first embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

[0121] As shown in the present embodiment, the card chuck devices 41 and 51 can be brought close to the specific parts SP1 and SP2 from the front side of the side plate 86 in a state where the top ends 43a and 52a of the plates 43a and 52a face the specific parts SP1 and SP2 of the side plate 86, and the inconvenience that the approach is blocked by the opening flange 89 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the turnover box 80 is not likely to occur. After reaching the specific parts SP1 and SP2, the posture of the card chuck devices 41 and 51 is changed so that the top ends 43a and 52a face the entrance part 91a side of the card holder 91 and the top ends 43a and 52a are brought close to the entrance part 91a along the side plate 86. The specific parts SP1 and SP2 are connected (continuous) to the entrance part 91a, and by displacing the top ends 43a and 52a along the side plate 86, it is possible to suppress the plates 43 and 52 from deviating from the route toward the entrance part 91a. Furthermore, since the posture of the card chuck devices 41 and 51 is changed so that the top ends 43a and 52a face the entrance portion 91a side, it is possible to prevent the movement of the plates 43 and 52 from being obstructed by the card holder 91. According to this movement, the plates 43 and 52 can be inserted into the gap 95 from the entrance portion 91a. When inserting the card CA, the card CA can be transferred to the card holder 91 by releasing the retention of the card CA after the insertion of the plates 43 and 52. In addition, when taking out the card CA, the card CA2 can be taken out from the card holder 91 by holding the card CA2 after the insertion of the plate 52. With this structure, the insertion / removal of the card CA into the card holder 91 can be automated, which helps to improve the efficiency and save manpower of the logistics process of the turnover box 80 with the card holder 91.

[0122] In the structure in which the card CA is automatically inserted into the card holder 91 as described above, it is assumed that not only the visibility of the card CA is reduced due to the bending or crushing of the card CA during insertion, but also the removal of the card CA becomes difficult. Here, in the case where the card CA protrudes from the top end portion 43a, 52a, the card CA is easily deformed or stuck when the plates 42, 53 move around the side plate portion 86 or the card holder 91. This may become the main cause of the above-mentioned undesirable situation. Therefore, as shown in the present embodiment, the card CA can be held in a manner that does not protrude from the top end portion 43a, 52a, which has technical significance.

[0123] When the gap 95 between the card holder 91 and the side plate 86 is small, the greater the distance between the plates 43 and 52 (top ends 43 and 52a) and the side plate 86 when the top ends 43 and 52a are moved along the side plate 86, the more difficult it is to approach the gap 95. Therefore, as shown in the present embodiment, as long as the plates 43 and 53 (top ends 43 and 52a) are configured to abut against the side plate, the second approach to the entrance portion 91a can be started in a state where the plates 43 and 52 abut against the side plate 86, which can help improve the accuracy of the second approach. This is preferred in terms of reducing the chance of failure in the insertion of the plates 4 and 52. In addition, the shorter the distance between the specific parts SP1 and SP2 and the entrance portion 91a, the more significant this effect is.

[0124] When the inclination (posture) of the card chuck devices 41, 51 is changed during the second approach, the card chuck devices 41, 51 can be rotated around the top ends 43a, 52a to simply avoid the top ends 43a, 52a from moving away from the side plate 86 due to the rotation. This is preferable in terms of suppressing the complication of control.

[0125] In order to smoothly insert the plates 43 and 53 into the entrance portion 91a of the card holder 91, it is preferable to make the inclination of the plates 43 and 53 relative to the side plate portion 86 as small as possible (close to parallel). However, an opening flange 89 is provided on the extension line of the entrance portion 91a, and the opening flange 89 constitutes an obstacle to the inclination of the plates 43 and 53. That is, it is actually difficult to shift the top end portions 43a and 52a to the entrance portion 91a side after the plates 43 and 53 are fully tilted. In this regard, as shown in the present embodiment, as long as the posture change of the card chuck device 41 and 51 in the second approach and the displacement of the top end portions 43a and 52a to the entrance portion 91a are configured in parallel, the influence of the opening flange 89 can be reduced. In addition, in the second approach, by configuring the distance between the card chuck device 41 and 51 and the opening flange 89 (top end EP) to be constant, the influence of the opening flange 89 can be further reduced.

[0126] In this embodiment, a chuck device 31 for a turnover box and chuck devices 41 and 51 for cards are integrated in one manipulator 30. Therefore, there is no need to replace the manipulator 30 for the handling of the turnover box and the insertion of the card. In other words, since the handling can be performed by simply rotating the manipulator 30 around the sixth axis AX6 to change the direction, the operation efficiency in the handling process can be appropriately improved. In particular, when the turnover box 80 is moved to the workbench TB, by configuring the turnover box so that the card holder 91 is located in front of the robot 11, it is possible to directly transfer to the insertion / removal of the card CA without rotating the manipulator 30. As a result, the operation efficiency in the case of carrying the turnover box 80 and inserting / removing the card CA by one robot 11 can be appropriately improved.

[0127] <Second Embodiment>

[0128] In the first chuck device 41 shown in the first embodiment, the card CA1 accommodated between the pair of plates 42 and 43 (gap 44) is pushed out by the card member 47, and the card CA1 is moved to the card holder 91. In the first chuck device shown in this embodiment, the chuck member 47 is omitted, and the structure related to the retention of the card CA1 is also changed with the omission of the chuck member 47. Fig.15 The first chuck device 41X in this embodiment will be described mainly with respect to the differences from the first chuck device 41 shown in the first embodiment.

[0129] The first card device 41X is the same as the first chuck device 41 shown in the first embodiment in that it is composed of an upper plate 42X and a lower plate 43X that are opposite to each other with a gap 44X therebetween and contain a storage portion 45X for accommodating the card CA1. On the other hand, the first chuck device 41X is different from the first chuck device 41 in that it is provided with a variable mechanism 63X that makes the size of the gap between the two plates 42X and 43X, that is, the size of the gap 44X variable. Specifically, the lower plate 43X can be arranged in the direction of the two plates 42X and 43X (with respect to the arrangement direction of the two plates 42X and 43X). Figure 6 By shifting the lower plate 43X in the arrangement direction, the state of the accommodating portion 45X can be switched between a closed state in which the gap 44X is smaller than the thickness of the card CA1 and an open state in which the gap 44X is larger than the thickness of the card CA1.

[0130] The storage section 45X switches from the open state to the closed state when the card CA1 is picked up from the card placement. As a result, the card CA1 is clamped by the plates 42X and 43X to prevent the card CA1 from falling off. When the card CA1 is inserted into the card holder 91, the first chuck device 41X is arranged in the insertion preparation position on the front side of the side plate 86 in a state where the top end 43aX of the lower plate 43X faces the specific part SP1 of the side plate 86 (refer to Fig.15 (a)), after being arranged in the insertion preparation position, the first chuck device 41X is maintained in a posture and the first chuck device 41X is moved horizontally so that the top end portion 43aX of the lower plate 43X abuts against the side plate portion 86 (specific portion SP1) (refer to Fig.15 (b) in the figure.

[0131] After abutting the specific position SP1, the top end portion 43aX is displaced downward along the side plate portion 86 and the inclination relative to the side plate portion 86 is reduced, that is, the posture of the first chuck device 41X is changed so that the inclination of the first chuck device 41X relative to the horizontal plane becomes larger (refer to Fig.15 (c) in the figure). The behavior of the tip portion 43aX after being inserted into the entrance portion 91a to the gap 95 is different from that of the first embodiment described above. Specifically, when the angle of the first chuck device 41X relative to the side plate portion 86 is a predetermined angle (e.g., 45°), the tip portion 43aX is moved away from the side plate portion 86 (see Fig.15 Thus, a falling path of the card CA1 is ensured from the discharge port 45aX of the storage unit 45X toward the bottom of the card holder 91.

[0132] Then, when the top end 43aX reaches the insertion completion position which is the middle position between the entrance portion 91a and the bottom of the card holder 91, the movement of the first chuck device 41X is stopped, and the receiving portion 45X is switched from the closed state to the open state (see Fig.15 (e) in the figure). As a result, the card CA1 stored therein falls along the lower plate 43X due to its own weight. After switching from the closed state to the open state, the first chuck device 41X is separated from the card holder 91 (see Fig.15 (f) in the figure.

[0133] <Third Embodiment>

[0134] In the first embodiment, the plate 52 of the second chuck device 51 is inserted between the card CA2 disposed in the card holder 91 and the side plate portion 86 of the turnover box 80. Here, when the card is large in size and the card protrudes greatly from the entrance portion 91a of the card holder 91 toward the opening flange 89, it may be difficult to insert the plate 52 between the card and the side plate portion 86 based on the positional relationship between the opening flange 89 and the entrance portion 91a. In this embodiment, one of its features is that the design is made in consideration of this situation. Fig.16 , the characteristic structure of this embodiment is described mainly focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0135] The card CA2Y in this embodiment protrudes upward from the entrance portion 91a of the card holder 91, and the edge of the card CA2Y is close to the opening flange 89 of the turnover box 80. In the card insertion process into the turnover box 80, first, as in the first embodiment, the second chuck device 51Y is configured to the removal preparation position on the front side of the side plate portion 86 (see Fig.16 Specifically, the robot body 20 (see Figure 1 The second chuck device 51Y is in a horizontal position and the top end 52aY of the plate 52Y faces the side plate 86 of the turnover box 80. In this state, the protruding portion of the card CA2Y is located at the front end of the top end 52aY (on the extension line of the plate 52Y).

[0136] For the second chuck device 51Y, various structures such as the chuck component 54 and the ejector 57 shown in the first embodiment (various structures mounted on the lower surface side of the plate 52) are omitted. Here, the structure for holding the card CA2Y in the second chuck device 51Y is supplemented. A plurality of fine holes 65Y open on the upper surface 52dY side are formed in the plate 52Y, and these fine holes 65Y are connected to the suction pump 66Y. When the suction pump 66Y is operated, air is sucked through the fine holes 65Y to adsorb the object that is in contact with or close to the upper surface 52dY. That is, in this embodiment, the upper surface 52dY of the plate 52Y is the adsorption surface for adsorbing the card CA2Y.

[0137] After being arranged at the removal preparation position, the second chuck device 51Y is horizontally moved while maintaining the posture of the second chuck device 51Y, so that the tip 52aY of the plate 52Y abuts against the card CA2Y (see Fig.14 That is, the plate 52Y is different from the first embodiment in that the contact target is not the side plate 86 but the card CA2Y.

[0138] Next, the top end 52aY of the plate 52Y is displaced downward along the side plate 86 (parallel to the side plate 86) and the posture of the robot body 20 is changed so that the inclination of the plate 52Y relative to the side plate 86 becomes smaller. In this process, the plate 52Y is inserted into the inlet portion 91a of the card holder 91, specifically, between the pressing portion 93 of the card holder 91 and the card CA2Y. That is, the plate 52Y of the second chuck device 51Y is in a state where it is clamped by the pressing portion 93 of the card holder 91 and the card CA2Y (see Fig.16 (c) in the figure). Since the side plate portion 86 is slightly inclined toward the outside of the turnover box 80, the card CA2Y which loses the support of the pressing portion 93 in the above process is easy to lean against the plate 52Y.

[0139] After reaching the removal target position, the suction pump 66Y (see Fig.16 After the suction pump 66Y is operated, the posture of the robot body 20 is first changed so that the inclination of the plate 52Y with respect to the side plate 86 with the plate 52Y as the center becomes larger, that is, the inclination with respect to the horizontal plane becomes smaller (see Fig.16 (d) in the figure). This is a design to prevent the card CA2Y from slipping off. Then, the second chuck device 51Y is raised while the suction pump 66Y is kept in operation, and the posture of the robot body 20 is changed so that the inclination relative to the side plate 86 is further increased (see Fig.16 As a result, the card CA2Y is released from the card holder 91 while being held by the second chuck device 51Y (see Fig.16 (f) in the figure.

[0140] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0141] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above-mentioned embodiments, and may be implemented as follows, for example. In addition, the following structures may be applied to the above-mentioned embodiments alone, or may be applied to the above-mentioned embodiments in combination with a part or all of them.

[0142] In the second approach when the plates 43, 52 of the card chuck devices 41, 51 are inserted into the entrance portion 91a of the card holder 91 when inserting / removing the card CA, it is not necessary to simultaneously shift (drop) the top ends 43a, 52a of the plates 43, 52 toward the entrance portion 91a and change (rotate) the posture of the plates 43, 52. For example, the posture of the arm 21 may be controlled so that the top ends 43a, 52a are shifted toward the entrance portion 91a after the posture change.

[0143] In the first embodiment, the plate 43, 52 of the card chuck device 41, 51 is configured to abut against the side plate 86 of the turnover box 80 when inserting / removing the card CA, and then the top end 43a, 52a of the plate 43, 52 is displaced according to a pre-programmed trajectory, but it is not limited to this. For example, by configuring to monitor the presence or absence of a reaction force from the side plate 86 based on information (feedback) from the torque sensor 73, the top end 43a, 52a is displaced while adjusting in a manner to maintain the state of the reaction force, so that the separation of the top end 43a, 52a from the side plate 86 can be appropriately suppressed. In addition, the target trajectory through the top end 43a, 52a can also be set to be slightly closer to the inside (the center side of the turnover box 80) than the outer surface of the side plate 86. By setting such a target trajectory, the top end 43a, 52a is pressed against the side plate 86 by the action of the arm 21. In addition, by slightly bending the plates 43 and 52 , it is possible to absorb the amount of deviation between the outer surface of the abutment object and the target trajectory.

[0144] In the first embodiment, the upper plate 42 and the lower plate 43 of the first chuck device 41 are both flat, but as long as the card CA1 accommodated in the gap 44 between the two plates 42 and 43 can be discharged by the ejector 46, for example, the two plates 42 and 43 may be curved. In addition, the plate 52 of the second chuck device 51 may also be curved as long as the top end 52a of the plate 52 can avoid the card CA2 from warping.

[0145] In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the first chuck device 41 and the second chuck device 51 are arranged to protrude from the long side portion 32a of the substrate 32, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The first chuck device 41 and the second chuck device 51 may also be arranged to protrude from the short side portion 32b of the substrate 32. However, when the posture of the arm 21 is changed in order to tilt the robot 30 when inserting / removing the card CA, the robot 30 and the arm 21 are easily interfered by increasing the distance from the shaft portion 33 to the top end of the first chuck device 41 and the distance to the top end of the second chuck device 51. In view of the fact that it is preferred to tilt the first chuck device 41 and the second chuck device 51 to a greater extent relative to the horizontal plane when inserting / removing, it is technically significant to arrange the first chuck device 41 and the second chuck device 51 on the long side portion 32a side of the substrate 32 as shown in the above-mentioned embodiments. In addition, the first chuck device 41 and the second chuck device 51 are separately configured in a manner such that the first chuck device 41 protrudes from one of the two long sides 32a, and the second chuck device 51 protrudes from the other of the two long sides 32a, but the first chuck device 41 and the second chuck device 51 can also be configured to protrude from the same long side 32a.

[0146] In the above-described embodiments, the case where the entrance portion 91 a of the card holder 91 faces upward is exemplified. However, even when the entrance portion of the card holder is oriented horizontally, the card can be inserted and removed by the transport system 10 .

[0147] In the second embodiment, the interval between the two plates 42X and 43X is enlarged or reduced by displacing the lower plate 43X in the arrangement direction of the two plates 42X and 43X, but the interval between the two plates 42X and 43X may be enlarged or reduced by displacing the upper plate 42X in the arrangement direction of the two plates 42X and 43X. In addition, the interval between the two plates 42X and 43X may be enlarged or reduced by displacing each plate 42X and 43X.

[0148] The specific structure for realizing the actions of inserting and removing the card CA shown in the above-mentioned embodiments is arbitrary. For example, the actions of the robot 11 when inserting and removing the card CA can be configured to directly execute the actions (control points, etc.) pre-stored in the storage unit of the robot controller 70 without considering the actual position of the card holder 91 and the position of the opening flange 89, or can be configured to confirm the position of the card holder 91 and the position of the opening flange 89 of the turnover box 80 based on the image taken by the camera 61, and correct the insertion preparation position of the card CA when inserting, the removal preparation position when removing, the specific parts SP1, SP2, etc. according to the position of the card holder 91 and the position of the opening flange 89.

[0149] In the transport system 10 shown in the above-mentioned embodiments, the robot 11 is shown as performing three operations of transporting the turnover box 80 and inserting / removing the card CA, but the operations performed may be divided among multiple robots. That is, for example, the robot performing transporting the turnover box 80, the robot performing inserting the card CA, and the robot performing removing the card CA may be divided.

[0150] In each of the first embodiments described above, a six-axis vertical articulated robot is used to construct the transport system 10 (card insertion system), but other articulated robots having three to five axes, seven axes, etc. may be used to construct the transport system. In addition, a horizontal articulated robot may be used to construct the transport system instead of the vertical articulated robot. In addition, the specific structure for moving the structure equivalent to the first chuck device 41 and the second chuck device 51 is arbitrary and is not necessarily limited to the robot 11. For example, a dedicated mobile device for moving the structure equivalent to the first chuck device 41 and the second chuck device 51 may be provided instead of the robot 11.

[0151] <About the invention group extracted from the above-mentioned embodiment>

[0152] Hereinafter, the features of the invention group extracted from the above-mentioned embodiments will be described according to the desired effects, etc. In addition, in the following, for ease of understanding, the corresponding structures in the above-mentioned embodiments are appropriately shown with brackets, etc., but are not limited to the specific structures shown with the brackets, etc.

[0153] <Feature Group A> Card Insertion

[0154] The following Feature Group A is directed to the following background technology, namely, "In the logistics process of a factory, etc., a card containing information related to the item or the transportation is sometimes placed in a turnover box used for transporting the item, and the circulation of the item is managed using the card to improve the efficiency of the logistics process. Here, for example, in Patent Document 1, a technology is proposed, which automatically inserts an identification card into a beer box transported by a conveyor belt through an opening of the beer box. The introduction of this technology helps to save manpower in the logistics process", and is proposed in view of the following background / technical problems, etc., namely, "In some of the above-mentioned turnover boxes, a card holder for holding a card is provided. In order to In order to facilitate visual confirmation of the card, this card holder is usually set on the outside of the turnover box. In addition, in recent years, a technology has been proposed that can easily obtain the card information by mechanically reading the barcode or QR code (registered trademark) attached to the card. The technical significance of configuring the card on the outside of the turnover box is relatively large. However, in the logistics process of using turnover boxes with card holders, the actual situation is that the card is still inserted into the card holder by hand by the staff. In this way, in terms of achieving efficiency and manpower saving in the logistics process of using turnover boxes with card holders, there is still room for improvement in the structure related to the insertion of the card. ".

[0155] Feature A1. A card insertion system (transportation system 10) that inserts a card (card CA) into a gap (gap 95) between a side wall portion (outer surface of a side plate portion 86) forming a portion of an outer peripheral surface of a storage box (turnover box 80) and a card holder (card holder 91) provided on the side wall portion, and that allows the card (card CA) to be inserted into the gap and provides information on how to handle the storage box or objects stored in the storage box, comprising:

[0156] a card holding portion (card chuck device 41, 51) having a plate (plate 43, 52) inserted into the gap when the card is inserted into the gap, and holding the card in a state overlapped with the plate;

[0157] A moving mechanism (robot body 20) that moves the card holding portion; and

[0158] A control unit (e.g., a robot controller 70) controls the card holding unit and the moving mechanism,

[0159] The control unit controls the moving mechanism so that the card holding unit moves toward the specific portion in a state where the specified edge portion (top end portion 43a, 52a) of the plate is toward the specific portion (specific portion SP1, SP2) of the side wall portion connected to the entrance to the gap,

[0160] After reaching the specific position, the control unit controls the moving mechanism so that the posture of the card holding unit changes so that the specified edge portion faces the entrance side and the specified edge portion moves toward the entrance side along the side wall portion.

[0161] After the plate is inserted into the gap from the inlet, the control unit controls the moving mechanism and the card holding unit to release the holding of the card.

[0162] As shown in this feature, the card holding portion can be approached toward a specific portion in a state where a specified edge portion in the plate is directed toward a specific portion of the side wall portion (first approach), and it is not easy to produce an undesirable situation such as the first approach being blocked by a convex portion (such as an opening flange 89) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the storage box. After reaching the specific portion, the posture of the card holding portion is changed so that the specified edge portion is directed toward the entrance side and the specified edge portion is brought close to the entrance along the side wall portion (second approach). The specific portion is connected to the entrance, and the plate can be prevented from deviating from the route toward the entrance by shifting the specified edge portion along the side wall portion. Moreover, since the posture of the card holding portion (plate) is changed so that the specified edge portion is directed toward the entrance side, the movement of the plate can be prevented from being blocked by the card holder. According to this action, the plate can be inserted from the entrance to the above-mentioned gap. After the plate is inserted, the card can be transferred to the card holder by releasing the card holder. With this structure, the insertion of the card into the card holder can be automated, which helps to improve the efficiency and save manpower of the logistics process of the turnover box with the card holder.

[0163] Feature A2. A card insertion system according to feature A1, wherein:

[0164] The card holding portion can hold the card so that the card does not protrude from the predetermined edge portion.

[0165] As shown in feature A1, in a structure for automatically inserting a card, it is assumed that not only the visibility of the card is reduced due to the bending or crushing of the card during insertion, but also the card removal becomes difficult. Here, in the case where the card protrudes from the specified edge portion, the card is easily deformed or stuck when the plate moves around the side wall portion or the card holder. This may become the main cause of the above-mentioned undesirable situation. Therefore, as shown in this feature, the card can be held in a manner that does not protrude from the specified edge portion, which has technical significance.

[0166] Feature A3. A card insertion system according to feature A1 or feature A2, wherein:

[0167] A detection unit (torque sensor 73) is provided, which can detect that the plate abuts against the side wall portion when the plate is moved from a position that is the front side of the side wall portion toward the specific position,

[0168] Based on the detection by the detection unit that the plate is in contact with the side wall portion, the control unit controls the moving mechanism so as to complete the movement of the plate toward the specific location.

[0169] In the case where the gap between the card holder and the side wall portion is small, the greater the distance between the plate (prescribed edge portion) and the side wall portion when the prescribed edge portion is moved along the side wall portion, the more difficult it is to approach the gap. Therefore, as shown in this feature, as long as the plate (prescribed edge portion) is configured to abut against the side wall portion, the second approach can be started in a state where the plate and the side wall portion are abutted, which can help improve the accuracy of the second approach. This is preferred in terms of reducing the chance of failure in inserting the plate. In addition, it is preferred that the prescribed edge portion is configured to maintain the abutment state with the side wall portion during the second approach.

[0170] Feature A4. A card insertion system according to any one of Features A1 to A3, wherein:

[0171] When the predetermined edge portion moves toward the entrance side along the side wall portion, the control portion controls the moving mechanism to rotate the card holding portion around the predetermined edge portion to change the posture of the card holding portion.

[0172] By rotating the card holding portion around the predetermined edge portion, it is possible to easily avoid the predetermined edge portion from being separated from the side wall portion due to the rotation. This is preferable in terms of suppressing complication of control.

[0173] Feature A5. A card insertion system according to any one of Features A1 to A4, wherein:

[0174] After reaching the specific position, the control unit controls the moving mechanism so that the posture of the card holding unit changes so that the predetermined edge portion faces the entrance side and the predetermined edge portion moves toward the entrance side along the side wall portion.

[0175] In terms of smoothly inserting the plate, it is preferred to make the inclination of the plate relative to the side wall portion as small as possible (close to parallel). However, as mentioned above, in most cases, a convex portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the turnover box, and when the convex portion is located around a specific part, the convex portion constitutes an obstacle to inclining the plate. In other words, after the plate is fully tilted, it may be substantially difficult to shift the specified edge portion to the entrance side. As shown in this feature, as long as the posture change of the card holding portion and the displacement of the specified edge portion to the entrance side are configured in parallel in the second approach, even if the convex portion is located around a specific part, the influence of the inclination restriction caused by the convex portion can be appropriately alleviated.

[0176] Feature A6. A card insertion system according to any one of Features A1 to A5, wherein:

[0177] The side wall portion is provided with a protrusion (opening flange 89) which is opposed to the card holder across the specific portion.

[0178] When the predetermined edge portion moves toward the entrance side along the side wall portion, the control portion controls the moving mechanism to change the posture of the card holding portion while keeping the distance between the plate and the protruding portion (eg, the top EP) constant or substantially constant.

[0179] According to the structure shown in this feature, the inclination of the plate with respect to the side wall portion can be made as small as possible while taking into account the restriction of the protruding portion.

[0180] In addition, "the distance is constant or approximately constant" means that it is assumed that the distance changes due to the influence of errors when the position of the pre-imagined protrusion deviates from the actual position of the protrusion, or when the action is determined by image analysis, the distance changes due to the influence of accuracy depending on the accuracy of image analysis, etc.

[0181] Feature A7. A card insertion system according to any one of Features A1 to A6, wherein:

[0182] A discharge unit (ejector 46, 57) is provided, wherein the discharge unit discharges the card from the card holding unit,

[0183] The control unit controls the moving mechanism and the card holding unit to release the holding of the card after moving the plate toward the inner depth of the gap. After the holding of the card is released, the control unit controls the ejection unit and the moving mechanism to perform the ejection action of the card by the ejection unit and the detachment action of the card holding unit from the card holder by the moving mechanism in parallel.

[0184] It is preferable to use the ejection unit to forcibly eject the card in order to avoid the card from remaining on the card holding unit side. On the other hand, when the card is ejected with the card holding unit inserted deep into the gap, the card may be bent or skewed. Such deformation may reduce the visibility of the card. As shown in this feature, after the card is released from the holding, the ejection action of the card and the disengagement action of the card holding unit are performed in parallel, thereby alleviating the load on the card during ejection and suppressing the deformation of the card.

[0185] Feature A8. A card insertion system according to any one of Features A1 to A7, wherein:

[0186] The plate is a first plate,

[0187] The card holding portion is provided with a second plate (upper plate 42) which is opposed to the first plate with a gap (gap 44) therebetween and is inserted into the gap together with the first plate.

[0188] The card is received in a gap between the first plate and the second plate.

[0189] When the first plate is inserted into the gap between the card holder and the side wall portion, the card may be distorted or bent away from the first plate, which may cause the card to be stuck or rolled up in the card holder. In this regard, as long as the card is accommodated in the gap between the two opposing plates, the distortion and bending of the card can be suppressed, and the insertion error of the card can be reduced. In addition, in the case where the prescribed top end portion in the card holding portion goes to the entrance side along the side wall portion, in order to change the posture of the card holding portion so that the prescribed top end portion is as close to the side wall portion as possible, it is preferred that "the card holding portion" is configured as "a part of the first plate extends from the portion opposite to the second plate, and the top end of the extended portion constitutes the prescribed edge portion". For example, the length (width) of the first plate and the second plate may be different, or the first plate and the second plate may be staggered in the width direction.

[0190] Feature A9. A card insertion system according to feature A8, wherein:

[0191] In a state of being inserted into the gap, the first plate is on the card holder side, and the second plate is on the side of the side wall portion.

[0192] The first plate extends from the edge portion of the second plate on the predetermined edge portion side.

[0193] As shown in this feature, as long as the position of the edge portion of the first plate is offset from the position of the edge portion of the second plate, when the specified edge portion of the first plate is brought close to the entrance along the side wall portion, it is possible to simply prevent the second plate from abutting against the side wall portion and hindering the change in the posture of the card holding portion, that is, the specified edge portion of the first plate can be kept away from the side wall portion.

[0194] Feature A10. A card insertion system according to any one of features A1 to A9, wherein:

[0195] The moving mechanism is an arm (arm 21) of a robot (robot 11),

[0196] The card holding portion is mounted on the arm.

[0197] According to the structure shown in this feature, the card holding part can be moved or its posture can be changed by the arm of the robot.

[0198] Feature A11. A card insertion system according to feature A12, wherein:

[0199] The arm is provided with a torque sensor (torque sensor 73) for detecting the torque generated at the joint of the arm.

[0200] The control unit determines whether the card holding unit is in contact with the side wall unit based on information from the torque sensor when the control unit moves the card holding unit toward the specific location.

[0201] As long as the card holding portion is configured to be judged based on information from a torque sensor provided on the arm whether it is in contact with the side wall portion, the structure of the card holding portion can be prevented from becoming complicated. For example, even when a plurality of card holding portions are combined to construct an end effector in order to cope with a variety of cards, there is no need to separately provide sensors (such as proximity sensors and pressure sensors, etc.) for monitoring contact with each card holding portion.

[0202] <Feature Group B> Card Removal

[0203] The following feature group B is directed to the following background technology, namely, "In the logistics process, cards containing information related to the items and the transportation are sometimes placed in the turnover boxes used for the transportation of the items, and the circulation of the items is managed by using the cards to achieve efficiency in the logistics process. Some of the above-mentioned turnover boxes are provided with card holders for holding cards, and such card holders are mostly arranged on the outside of the turnover box in consideration of the visibility of the cards. Here, for example, in patent document 1 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-275825), a technology is proposed that removes a label from the pocket of a container transported by a conveyor belt. Specifically, a structure is described in which, after the label is adsorbed by a vacuum nozzle, the label is removed from the pocket by rotating the vacuum nozzle. According to this technology , which helps save manpower in the logistics process", was proposed in view of the following background / technical problems, namely, "However, the outer peripheral surface of the turnover box is not necessarily flat, and in most cases, convex parts such as ribs and opening flanges are formed for the purpose of reinforcement. Moreover, the card holder usually has a certain degree of depth for the purpose of suppressing the falling of the card. In other words, it may become difficult to remove the deeply inserted card by avoiding the convex parts around. Moreover, in the logistics process using the turnover box with the card holder, the actual situation is that the cards are still removed from the card holder by hand. Thus, in terms of achieving efficiency and manpower saving in the logistics process using the turnover box with the card holder, there is still room for improvement in the structure related to the removal of the card".

[0204] Feature B1. A card retrieval system (transportation system 10) for retrieval of a card (card CA2) from a gap (gap 95) between a side wall portion (outer surface of a side plate portion 86) forming a portion of an outer peripheral surface of a storage box (turnover box 80) and a card holder (card holder 91) provided on the side wall portion, wherein the card (card CA) i) allows retrieval from the gap (gap 95) and ii) provides information on how to handle the storage box or objects stored in the storage box, comprising:

[0205] a card holding portion (second chuck transfer 51) having a plate (plate 52) inserted into the gap when the card is taken out from the gap, and capable of holding the card in a state overlapped with the plate;

[0206] A moving mechanism (robot body 20) that moves the card holding portion; and

[0207] A control unit (e.g., a robot controller 70) controls the card holding unit and the moving mechanism,

[0208] The control unit controls the moving mechanism so that the card holding unit moves toward the specific portion in a state where a specified edge portion (top end portion 52a) in the plate is directed toward a specific portion (specific portion SP2) in the side wall portion connected to an entrance (entrance portion 91a) to the gap, and when the movement of the card holding unit is blocked by the side wall portion, the posture of the card holding unit is changed in such a manner that the specified edge portion is directed toward the entrance side and the specified edge portion moves toward the entrance side along the side wall portion.

[0209] The control unit controls the card holding unit and the moving mechanism to hold the card disposed in the gap after the plate is inserted into the gap from the inlet, and to move the plate away from the gap while holding the card.

[0210] As shown in this feature, the card holding portion can be approached toward a specific portion while the specified edge portion in the plate is facing the specific portion (first approach), and it is not easy to produce the undesirable situation that the first approach is blocked by the convex portion (for example, the opening flange 89) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the storage box. After more movement is blocked by the side wall portion, the posture of the card holding portion is changed in a manner that the specified edge portion in the plate is facing the entrance side and the specified edge portion is approached to the entrance along the side wall portion (second approach). The specific portion is connected to the entrance, and the plate can be suppressed from deviating from the route toward the entrance by shifting the specified edge portion along the side wall portion. Moreover, since the posture of the card holding portion (plate) is changed so that the specified edge portion is facing the entrance side, it is possible to suppress the movement of the plate from being blocked by the card holder. According to this action, the plate can be inserted from the entrance to the above-mentioned gap. After the plate is inserted, the card is held, and the plate is removed from the gap while the card is held. According to this structure, the removal of the card from the card holder can be automated, which helps to improve the efficiency and save manpower of the logistics process of the turnover box with the card holder.

[0211] Feature B2. The card retrieval system according to feature B1, wherein:

[0212] The side wall portion is provided with a protrusion (opening flange 89) which is opposed to the card holder across the specific portion.

[0213] The specific portion is set to a portion of the side wall portion that is near the protruding portion.

[0214] The card may protrude from the card holder in different amounts depending on its type and position. When a protrusion is formed to face the card holder across a specific portion, the plate can be easily inserted between the card and the side wall by using a portion of the side wall near the protrusion as the specific portion.

[0215] Feature B3. A card retrieval system according to feature B1 or feature B2, wherein:

[0216] When the control unit moves the predetermined edge portion of the plate toward the inlet, the control unit controls the moving mechanism so that the predetermined edge portion is maintained in contact with the side wall portion.

[0217] According to the structure shown in this feature, the board is prevented from moving away from the side wall when the board moves toward the inlet side. This is preferable in terms of inserting the board between the side wall and the card.

[0218] Feature B4. A card retrieval system according to any one of features B1 to B3, wherein:

[0219] The moving mechanism is an arm (arm 21) of a robot (robot 11),

[0220] The card holding portion is mounted on the arm.

[0221] According to the structure shown in this feature, the card holding part can be moved or the posture can be changed by the arm of the robot.

Claims

1. A card insertion system for inserting a card into a gap between a side wall portion forming a part of the outer peripheral surface of a storage box and a card holder provided on the side wall portion, wherein the card is allowed to be inserted into the gap and information indicating how to handle the storage box or an object stored in the storage box is provided thereon, the card insertion system comprising: a card holding portion having a plate which is inserted into the gap when the card is inserted into the gap and holds the card in a state overlapped with the plate; a moving mechanism to move the card holding portion; and a control unit for controlling the card holding unit and the moving mechanism, The control unit controls the moving mechanism so that the card holding unit moves toward the specific portion in a state where a predetermined edge portion of the plate faces a specific portion of the side wall portion connected to an entrance to the gap. After reaching the specific position, the control unit controls the moving mechanism so that the posture of the card holding unit changes in such a way that the specified edge portion faces the entrance side and the specified edge portion moves toward the entrance side along the side wall portion. After the plate is inserted into the gap from the inlet, the control unit controls the moving mechanism and the card holding unit to release the holding of the card.

2. The card insertion system according to claim 1, wherein: When the predetermined edge portion moves toward the entrance side along the side wall portion, the control portion controls the moving mechanism to rotate the card holding portion around the predetermined edge portion to change the posture of the card holding portion.

3. The card insertion system according to claim 1, wherein: The side wall portion is provided with a protrusion that is opposed to the card holder across the specific portion. When the predetermined edge portion moves toward the inlet side along the side wall portion, the control portion controls the moving mechanism to change the posture of the card holding portion while keeping the distance between the plate and the protruding portion constant or substantially constant.

4. The card insertion system according to claim 1, wherein: A discharging unit is provided, the discharging unit discharging the card from the card holding unit, The control unit controls the moving mechanism and the card holding unit to release the holding of the card after moving the plate toward the inner depth of the gap. After the holding of the card is released, the control unit controls the ejection unit and the moving mechanism to perform the ejection action of the card by the ejection unit and the detachment action of the card holding unit from the card holder by the moving mechanism in parallel.

5. A card removal system for removing a card from a gap between a side wall portion forming a part of the outer peripheral surface of a storage box and a card holder provided on the side wall portion, wherein the card allows removal from the gap and provides information indicating how to handle the storage box or an object stored in the storage box, comprising: a card holding portion having a plate inserted into the gap when the card is taken out from the gap and capable of holding the card in a state overlapped with the plate; a moving mechanism to move the card holding portion; and a control unit for controlling the card holding unit and the moving mechanism, The control unit controls the moving mechanism so that the card holding unit moves toward the specific portion in a state where a specified edge portion in the plate is directed toward a specific portion in the side wall portion connected to an entrance to the gap, and when the movement of the card holding unit is blocked by the side wall portion, the posture of the card holding unit is changed in such a way that the specified edge portion is directed toward the entrance side and the specified edge portion moves toward the entrance side along the side wall portion, The control unit controls the card holding unit and the moving mechanism to hold the card disposed in the gap after the plate is inserted into the gap from the inlet, and to move the plate away from the gap while holding the card.

6. The card insertion system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The moving mechanism is the arm of the robot, The card holding portion is mounted on the arm.

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