Steel bar binding device

Abstract

The reinforcing steel bar binding device is provided with: a binding part (129) for binding reinforcing steel bars; a holding part (112) that holds the binding part (129); and a lifting mechanism (113) for lifting the holding part (112) relative to the main body unit, the lifting mechanism (113) including a connecting part (119) connected to the holding part (112) and a driving part (127) for moving the connecting part (119), the connecting part (119) having a movable shaft (115), the holding part (112) having a long hole (111H) engaged with the movable shaft (115), the driving part (127) moving the connecting part (119) in a state in which the binding part (129) is in contact with the reinforcing steel bar, and the driving part (127) moving the connecting part (119) in a state in which the binding part (129) is in contact with the reinforcing steel bar. The movable shaft (115) is moved relative to the long hole (111H) to release the engagement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a steel bar binding device. Background Art

[0002] Previously, for example, research has been conducted on technologies for automating the rebar bundling process, which involves bundling longitudinally extending rebar and transversely extending rebar at the intersection of the two. For example, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the bundling machine body (bundling mechanism) is moved, a restraining structure limits the relative displacement of the second fixing portion relative to the first fixing portion. This fixes the relative position of the bundling machine body relative to the connection portion of the robot body, allowing the bundling machine body to be accurately positioned at the target position. Meanwhile, during the bundling process, the restraint imposed by the restraining structure is lifted. Consequently, a reaction position deviation absorbing component absorbs the reaction of the bundling machine body during bundling and the positional deviation between the rebar and the bundling machine, reducing the load on the robot body.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-49568 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is difficult to stabilize the position of the binding machine body when the binding machine body contacts the reinforcing bars.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a reinforcing bar tying device capable of accurately arranging a tying mechanism at a target position and stabilizing the position of the tying mechanism when contacting the reinforcing bar.

[0009] Means for solving problems

[0010] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a steel bar bundling device, comprising: a bundling portion for bundling steel bars; a holding portion for holding the bundling portion; and a lifting portion for lifting and lowering the holding portion relative to a main body portion, the lifting portion including: a connecting portion connected to the holding portion; and a driving portion for moving the connecting portion, the connecting portion having an engaging portion, the holding portion having an engaged portion engaged with the engaging portion, the driving portion moving the connecting portion when the bundling portion is in contact with the steel bars, moving the engaging portion relative to the engaged portion, and releasing the engagement of the engaging portion relative to the engaged portion.

[0011] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a steel bar bundling device comprising: a bundling portion for bundling steel bars; a holding portion for holding the bundling portion; a lifting portion for lifting and lowering the holding portion relative to a main body portion; and an elastic portion for attenuating a movement speed of the holding portion in a downward direction, wherein the elastic portion attenuates the movement speed of the holding portion in a downward direction only when the bundling portion is in contact with the steel bars.

[0012] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a steel bar bundling device, comprising: a bundling portion for bundling steel bars; a holding portion for holding the bundling portion; a connecting portion connected to the holding portion; and a control portion for controlling the holding portion and the bundling portion to be able to be raised and lowered by driving the connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion has a locking portion for engaging with the holding portion, wherein the control portion is configured to be able to perform: a first action of lowering the holding portion and the locking portion together when the holding portion and the locking portion are engaged so that the bundling portion abuts the steel bars; and a second action of moving the locking portion relative to the holding portion when the bundling portion abuts the steel bars so as to release the engagement between the holding portion and the locking portion.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present disclosure, the bundling mechanism can be accurately arranged at a target position, and the position of the bundling mechanism when it contacts the reinforcing bars can be stabilized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 This is an overall perspective view of a rebar tying robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed obliquely from above.

[0016] Figure 2 This is an overall perspective view of a rebar tying robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed obliquely from below.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a plan view of the rebar tying robot 100 as viewed from above (upper side in the Z direction).

[0018] Figure 4 This is a plan view of the rebar tying robot 100 as viewed from below (from below in the Z direction).

[0019] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the rebar tying robot 100 from which the rebar tying unit 110 is removed, as seen from obliquely above.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the rebar tying robot 100 from which the rebar tying unit 110 is removed, as seen from obliquely above.

[0021] Figure 7 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional block configuration of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0022] Figure 8This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 as viewed from the Y direction while traveling along the first rebar R10.

[0023] Figure 9 This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 as it moves along the first rebar R10 as viewed from the X direction.

[0024] Figure 10 This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 , which stops traveling and performs tying work, as viewed from the Y direction.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 performing tying work as viewed from the X direction.

[0026] Figure 12 This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 performing tying work as viewed from the lower side in the Z direction.

[0027] Figure 13A It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0028] Figure 13B It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0029] Figure 13C It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0030] Figure 14A It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0031] Figure 14B It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0032] Figure 14C It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0033] Figure 15A It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0034] Figure 15B It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0035] Figure 15C It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the rebar tying robot 100 .

[0036] Figure 16 1 is a diagram showing a modified example of the rebar tying robot 100 as one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0038] The structure of the bundling device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the bundling device is a rebar bundling device that bundles multiple rebars arranged crosswise with each other. For example, it may also be a rebar bundling robot. Hereinafter, the bundling device 100 will be described using a rebar bundling robot as an example. The bundling device 100 will also be referred to as the rebar bundling robot 100. It should be noted that the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are sometimes shown in the various drawings. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis form a right-handed three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system. Hereinafter, the direction of the arrow on the X-axis will sometimes be referred to as the X-axis front, the +X direction, the right side of the X-axis, or the right side of the X-axis, while the direction opposite to the arrow will sometimes be referred to as the X-axis rear, the -X direction, the left side of the X-axis, or the left side of the X-axis. The same applies to the other axes. It should be noted that the direction in front of the Z-axis and the direction behind the Z-axis are sometimes referred to as "upper" or "above" and "lower" or "below," respectively. In addition, a plane perpendicular to the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis is sometimes referred to as a YZ plane, a ZX plane, or an XY plane. However, these directions are used for the convenience of describing relative positional relationships. Therefore, these directions do not limit absolute positional relationships.

[0039] Figure 1 This is an overall perspective view of a rebar tying robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed obliquely from above. Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the entire steel bar tying robot as an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from below. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the rebar tying robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a rebar tying unit 110, a travel unit 121, and a sensor unit 130. The rebar tying robot 100 may also include other components, such as a main unit 140, a support rod 150, a control unit 160, reels 180 (a first reel 180a and a second reel 180b), batteries 182 (a first battery 182a and a second battery 182b), a lateral movement unit 146, and a storage device 198 (not shown).

[0040] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 The figure also shows a steel bar group R including a plurality of steel bars R10 (also referred to as "first steel bars" or "longitudinal steel bars" in this embodiment) extending in the Y direction. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the rebar tying robot 100 is arranged on the rebar group R so as to move along the first rebar R10. In addition to the plurality of rebars R10, the rebar group R may also include a plurality of rebars extending along the X direction (also referred to as "second rebars R20" or "transverse rebars" in this embodiment).

[0041] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first rebar R10 is arranged so that its extending direction, i.e., the first direction, is parallel to the Y direction. Furthermore, the second rebar R20 is arranged so that its extending direction, i.e., the second direction, is parallel to the X direction. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure, the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 are arranged orthogonally to each other. Furthermore, the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 are arranged so that the plane formed by the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 (also referred to as the "rebar plane" in this embodiment) is parallel to the XY plane. Therefore, the plane formed by the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 is a horizontal plane in this embodiment. It should be noted that the arrangement of the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 is not limited to this. For example, the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 may be arranged non-orthogonally to each other. For example, the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 may be arranged so that the angle between the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 is, for example, 30°, 45°, 60°, or another angle. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first reinforcement R10 and the second reinforcement R20 are arranged orthogonally to each other. However, depending on the intersection, they do not necessarily need to be orthogonal to each other, and may be arranged at an angle of 85° or more and less than 90°, for example.

[0042] Alternatively, the first and second reinforcing bars R10 and R20 may have a limited length, and multiple first and second reinforcing bars R10 and R20 may be connected via joints in the first and second directions, respectively. Furthermore, the first and second reinforcing bars R10 and R20 may have ends.

[0043] The reinforcing bar binding unit 110 is configured to bind the intersection c12 ( Figure 6 The binding operation of the reinforcing bar binding unit 110 on the intersection c12 of the first reinforcing bar R10 and the second reinforcing bar R20 will be described in detail later.

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the travel unit 121 may include four travel units 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d (also referred to as the "first travel unit," the "second travel unit," the "third travel unit," and the "fourth travel unit," respectively, in this embodiment). In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the travel units 121 are arranged on the rebar group R so that the rebar tying robot 100 travels in the Y direction. The first, second, third, and fourth travel units 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d respectively include a first roller 122a, a second roller 122b, a third roller 122c, and a fourth roller 122d. The first, second, third, and fourth rollers 122a, 122b, 122c, and 122d are configured to travel on one of the plurality of first rebars R10 along the Y direction (the first direction), which is the direction in which the first rebar R10 extends.

[0045] In this embodiment, the traveling unit 121 is an example of a mobile unit (a mobile unit 120 described later). The mobile unit 120 may replace the traveling unit 121 or may have a configuration other than the traveling unit 121 in addition to the traveling unit 121.

[0046] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first traveling unit 121a, the second traveling unit 121b, the third traveling unit 121c, and the fourth traveling unit 121d are configured to travel in the Y direction. However, the first traveling unit 121a, the second traveling unit 121b, the third traveling unit 121c, and the fourth traveling unit 121d may also be configured to travel in directions other than the Y direction. For example, they may travel in directions at an angle of several to several tens of degrees from the Y direction. For example, even if the rebar tying robot 100 is tilted due to the presence of foreign matter on the first rebar R10, the rebar tying unit 110 of the rebar tying robot 100 can still perform the tying operation at the intersection c12 of the first and second rebars R10 and R20 by traveling so as to substantially follow the first rebar R10. In addition, for example, at a construction site where the first steel bar R10 is configured to draw a curve, the first traveling unit 121a, the second traveling unit 121b, the third traveling unit 121c, and the fourth traveling unit 121d may also be configured to travel in a curved manner by following the curved first steel bar R10. In this case, the first direction, which is the extension direction of the first steel bar R10, may also be different at each point constituting the curve.

[0047] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 and the following Figure 3As shown, the sensor unit 130 includes a sensor 130a, a sensor 130b, a sensor 130c, and a sensor 130d (also referred to as a "first sensor," a "second sensor," a "third sensor," and a "fourth sensor," respectively, in this embodiment). The first sensor 130a and the second sensor 130b are mutually Figure 1 and Figure 2 The fourth sensor 130d is disposed separately along the Y direction (the direction in which the straight line connecting the first sensor 130a and the second sensor 130b extends is also referred to as the "third direction" in this embodiment). In addition, the fourth sensor 130d is disposed on the side surface of the rebar tying robot 100 opposite to the side surface on which the third sensor 130c is disposed (at the Figure 1 and Figure 2 The third sensor 130c and the fourth sensor 130d are located at the same position. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Along the direction crossing the Y direction (in Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the example shown, the X direction is used. In this embodiment, the direction in which the straight line connecting the third sensor 130c and the fourth sensor 130d extends is also referred to as the "fourth direction." ) are separately arranged.

[0048] The first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and the fourth sensor 130d are configured to detect the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20. For example, the first sensor 130a and the second sensor 130b may be configured to detect the first rebar R10, and the third sensor 130c and the fourth sensor 130d may be configured to detect the second rebar R20. Alternatively, the first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and the fourth sensor 130d may all be configured to detect the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20.

[0049] Figure 3 : is a plan view of the rebar tying robot 100 viewed from above (above in the Z direction). Figure 4 1 is a plan view of the rebar tying robot 100 as viewed from below (from below in the Z direction).

[0050] from Figure 3 and Figure 4 It can be seen that the first traveling unit 121a and the second traveling unit 121b may also be arranged at one side and the other side ( Figure 3(in the left and right directions in the X direction, respectively). Furthermore, the third traveling unit 121c and the fourth traveling unit 121d may be positioned on one side and the other side of the second sensor 130b in the fourth direction (X direction). In other words, the first sensor 130a may be positioned between the first and second traveling units 121a, 121b in the fourth direction. Similarly, the second sensor 130b may be positioned between the third traveling unit 121c, 121d in the fourth direction.

[0051] Moreover, if Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the third sensor 130c can also be in the third direction ( Figure 3 and Figure 4 Similarly, the fourth sensor 130d may also be arranged between the second traveling unit 121b and the fourth traveling unit 121d in the third direction (Y direction).

[0052] For example, the camera constituting the first sensor 130a may be arranged on a straight line passing through the rotation axis 128a of the first roller portion 122a constituting the first traveling unit 121a and the rotation axis 128b of the second roller portion 122b constituting the second traveling unit 121b, or in front of the straight line passing through the rotation axis 128a and the rotation axis 128b (in the vertical direction). Figure 4 Similarly, the camera constituting the second sensor 130b may be arranged on a straight line passing through the rotation axis 128c of the third roller portion 122c constituting the third traveling unit 121c and the rotation axis 128d of the fourth roller portion 122d constituting the fourth traveling unit 121d, or further rearward than the straight line passing through the rotation axis 128c and the rotation axis 128d (at the bottom of the image). Figure 4 -Y direction in the middle).

[0053] In addition, if Figure 3 、 Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first sensor 130a is arranged in the front (+Y direction) of the main unit 140 in the Y-axis direction. Similarly, the second sensor 130b is arranged in the rear (-Y direction) of the main unit 140 in the Y-axis direction. The third sensor 130c and the fourth sensor 130d are respectively arranged in the Figure 3 When viewed from above, they are arranged on the left and right sides in the X direction. Figure 4As can be seen, in this embodiment, the first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and the fourth sensor 130d are arranged so as to lie on the outer edge or inside the outer edge of a virtual rectangle formed by connecting the first travel unit 121a, the second travel unit 121b, the third travel unit 121c, and the fourth travel unit 121d approximately near their centers, when viewed from a plan view relative to the rebar tying robot 100. It should be noted that the virtual rectangle formed by the first to fourth travel units 121a to 121d may also be a square, for example, when the intervals between the travel units in the X and Y directions are approximately equal. In this case, the first to fourth sensors 130a to 130d may also be arranged so as to lie on the outer edge or inside the virtual square. In addition, according to the configuration structure of the first traveling unit 121a to the fourth traveling unit 121d, the first traveling unit 121a to the fourth traveling unit 121d can also be used to imaginarily form a quadrilateral other than a rectangle and a square. In this case, the first sensor 130a to the fourth sensor 130d can also be configured in a manner to become the outer edge or the inner side of the imaginary quadrilateral.

[0054] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the main body unit 140 may include a main body upper surface 142. The main body upper surface 142 may have a circular hole 144 formed near the center thereof, for example, and the reinforcing bar binding unit 110 may be disposed so as to pass through the hole 144.

[0055] In this embodiment, the rebar tying robot 100 may also include two support rods 150 (a first support rod 150a and a second support rod 150b). The first support rod 150a and the second support rod 150b are rods extending in one direction, for example, in the fourth direction ( Figures 1 to 4 Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first support rod 150a and the second support rod 150b are arranged in parallel with the horizontal direction, for example. Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the first support rod 150a and the second support rod 150b may also be provided in a manner separated from each other in the Y direction (third direction). The first support rod 150a and the second support rod 150b may also be configured, for example, to be arranged in a manner that the steel bar tying robot 100 moves in the horizontal direction (in the Figures 1 to 4 When the rebar tying robot 100 moves (the X direction in the center and the fourth direction in the center), the main body unit 140 and the like of the rebar tying robot 100 are supported.

[0056] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the state where the steel bar tying unit 110 of the steel bar tying robot 100 is removed, as seen from the right rear obliquely. Figure 6This is a perspective view of the state where the steel bar tying unit 110 of the steel bar tying robot 100 is removed, as viewed from the right front. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the steel bar bundling unit 110 can also be provided so as to be able to move in the vertical direction ( Figure 1 Thus, for example, when the steel bar tying robot 100 reaches the intersection c12 of the first steel bar R10 and the second steel bar R20, the steel bar tying unit 110 is lowered to tie the intersection c12 of the first steel bar R10 and the second steel bar R20. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the rebar tying robot 100 includes reels 180a and 180b. The reels 180a and 180b contain wires for tying rebars, and when the rebar tying unit 110 ties the intersection c12 of the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20, the wires contained in the reels 180a and / or 180b are drawn out to tie the intersection c12. Although detailed description is omitted, the rebar tying unit 110 is provided with a wire at one end (at the Figure 5 The wire twisting portion 114 ( FIG. 114 ) is provided with a wire guide and the like and is configured to perform a reinforcing bar binding operation. Figure 5 The reinforcing bar binding operation of the wire twisting unit 114 can also be achieved by, for example, the same function as a known reinforcing bar binding machine.

[0057] Figure 7 1 is a diagram illustrating the functional block structure of the steel bar tying robot 100. Figure 7 As shown, the rebar tying robot 100 may further include a control unit 160 , a lateral movement unit 146 and a storage device 198 in addition to the aforementioned rebar tying unit 110 , the travel unit 121 and the sensor unit 130 .

[0058] The control unit 160 is configured to control the movement and bundling operations performed by the rebar bundling robot 100. The control unit 160 may also include a sensor detection result acquisition unit 162, a determination unit 164, an intersection calculation unit 166 (also referred to as an "intersection estimation unit" or "intersection estimation unit" in this embodiment), a rebar bundling unit control unit 168, a rebar following control unit 170, a stop control unit 172, a movement amount calculation unit 174, a posture control unit 176, a motor control unit 178, and a foreign object bypass control unit 179.

[0059] It should be noted that, in the steel bar tying robot 100 of this embodiment, Figure 1As shown in FIG. 1 , the control unit 160 is disposed on the opposite side of the reel 180a and the reel 180b relative to the reinforcing bar binding unit 110 in the Y direction. More specifically, Figure 1 As shown, reels 180a and 180b are arranged in the -Y direction of the rebar tying unit 110, while control unit 160 is arranged in the +Y direction of the rebar tying unit 110. Especially immediately after replacement, the reels with the wire wound around them are relatively heavy. However, by arranging control unit 160 on the opposite side of the rebar tying unit 110, the weight is balanced.

[0060] Lateral movement unit 146 ( Figure 7 ) is configured to control the movement of the main unit 140 of the rebar tying robot 100. In the rebar tying robot 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the rebar tying robot 100 may be moved horizontally by the lateral movement unit 146. The lateral movement unit 146 may include a first lateral movement motor 146a and a second lateral movement motor 146b. For example, during the lateral movement of the rebar tying robot 100 described later, the main unit 140 may be moved horizontally by the two motors 146a and 146b.

[0061] The storage device 198 may include, for example, a storage medium (e.g., a semiconductor memory element) or other medium for non-transitory storage of one or more computer programs executed by the control unit 160, data used to control the rebar tying robot 100, and the like. The storage device 198 may also include, for example, a template database 198t. For example, as described below, the template database 198t may store images of templates used when detecting the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20 and the ends of the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20 using template matching, as well as data obtained by performing image processing such as frequency analysis on the template images, based on the detection results of the sensor unit 130. Furthermore, the control unit 160 may further include a template data generator. For example, the controller may be configured to generate template data based on images captured by the sensor unit 130 at a site where rebar tying work is to be performed, and store the generated template data in the template database 198t. The template data stored in the template database 198t may be accumulated when new template data is created and deleted at the end of tying work at each construction site. Alternatively, the created template data may be stored in the template database 198t of the storage device 198 for a certain period of time and then deleted periodically, for example.

[0062] The sensor detection result acquisition unit 162 acquires the detection results of the sensor unit 130. For example, the detection results of the first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and / or the fourth sensor 130d of the sensor unit 130 may also be used by the first rebar determination unit 164a1 and / or the second rebar determination unit 164a2 of the determination unit 164, described later, to determine the position of the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20. Furthermore, the detection results of the first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and / or the fourth sensor 130d may also be used by the first rebar end determination unit 164b1 and / or the second rebar end determination unit 164b2 of the determination unit 164 to determine the position of the end of the first rebar R10 and / or the end of the second rebar R20.

[0063] The determination unit 164 may also include a first rebar determination unit 164a1, a second rebar determination unit 164a2, a first rebar end determination unit 164b1, a second rebar end determination unit 164b2, a posture determination unit 164c, an obstacle determination unit 164d, and a robot height calculation unit 164e. The first rebar determination unit 164a1 and the second rebar determination unit 164a2 determine the position of the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20 using, for example, the detection results of the first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and / or the fourth sensor 130d acquired by the sensor detection result acquisition unit 162. As described later, the first rebar determination unit 164a1 and the second rebar determination unit 164a2 may also determine the position of the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20 by performing template matching based on captured images representing the detection results of the first sensor 130a to the fourth sensor 130d.

[0064] The first and second rebar end determination units 164b1 and 164b2 determine the end R10e of the first rebar R10 and / or the end R20e of the second rebar R20, for example, using the detection results of the first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and / or the fourth sensor 130d acquired by the sensor detection result acquisition unit 162. The first and second rebar end determination units 164b1 and 164b2 may determine the positions of the end R10e of the first rebar R10 and / or the end R20e of the second rebar R20 based on template matching, similar to the first and second rebar determination units 164a1 and 164a2.

[0065] The robot height calculator 164e can, for example, calculate the height of the rebar tying robot 100 from the rebar group R based on the detection results of the first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and / or the fourth sensor 130d. For example, when the first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and / or the fourth sensor 130d captures the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20 (e.g., when capturing a range including the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20), the robot height calculator 164e can calculate the distance between the rebar tying robot 100 and the rebar group R based on the relative sizes of the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20 within the captured images of the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20, thereby calculating the height of the rebar tying robot 100 from the rebar group R.

[0066] The height of the steel bar tying robot 100 from the steel bar group R can also be calculated based on the angle of the traveling unit 121, for example. Figure 6 As shown, the travel unit 121a may also include a first main body side link portion 125a connected to the main body unit 140 and a first roller side link portion 123a connected to the first roller portion 122a, and the first main body side link portion 125a and the first roller side link portion 123a constitute a link mechanism. In this case, the first link angle detection sensor 134a ( Figure 7 ) Detect the angle formed by the first main body side link portion 125a and the first roller side link portion 123a, that is, the link angle, and calculate the height of the first traveling unit 121a based on the link angle.

[0067] Likewise, if Figure 2 As shown, the second traveling unit 121b, the third traveling unit 121c and the fourth traveling unit 121d have a second main body side link portion 125b, a second roller side link portion 123b, a third main body side link portion 125c, a third roller side link portion 123c, and a fourth main body side link portion 125d and a fourth roller side link portion 123d. By detecting the link angles formed by the second main body side link portion 125b and the second roller side link portion 123b, the third main body side link portion 125c and the third roller side link portion 123c, and the fourth main body side link portion 125d and the fourth roller side link portion 123d respectively by the second link angle detection sensor 134b, the third link angle detection sensor 134c and the fourth link angle detection sensor 134d, the height of the second traveling unit 121b, the third traveling unit 121c and the fourth traveling unit 121d can also be calculated.

[0068] The robot height calculation unit 164e may also calculate the height of the rebar tying robot 100 from the rebar group R based on the calculated heights (heights from the rebar group R) of the first, second, third, and fourth travel units 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d. For example, the height of the rebar tying robot 100 may be calculated as the average of some or all of the calculated heights of the first, second, third, and fourth travel units 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d. Furthermore, if the rebar tying robot 100 is located parallel or substantially parallel to a virtual plane formed by the rebar group R, the height of the rebar tying robot 100 may be determined by using any one of the heights of the first, second, third, and fourth travel units 121a, 121b, 121c, and 121d.

[0069] like Figure 7 As shown, the sensor unit 130 may include an inclination detection sensor 132 in addition to the first to fourth sensors 130a to 130d described above. The inclination detection sensor 132 may be, for example, a known inclination sensor, a level sensor, or any other sensor capable of detecting the inclination angle of the rebar tying robot 100. The sensor detection result acquisition unit 162 may also acquire the detection result of the inclination detection sensor 132. The posture of the rebar tying robot 100 may also be determined based on the detection result of the inclination detection sensor 132, for example, by the posture determination unit 164c of the determination unit 164. Based on the determination result of the posture determination unit 164c, the height change motors 126 of the traveling units 121 (the first height change motor 126a of the first traveling unit 121a, the second height change motor 126b of the second traveling unit 121b, the third height change motor 126c of the third traveling unit 121c, and / or the height change motor 126d of the fourth traveling unit 121d) may be driven by the posture control unit 176 to adjust the posture of the rebar tying robot 100.

[0070] The rebar tying robot 100 may, for example, drive the height change motor 126 based on the detection result of the inclination detection sensor 132 so that the main body unit 140 is parallel to the surface formed by the first rebar R10 and / or the second rebar R20 (also referred to as the "rebar surface" in this embodiment). For example, if the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 are arranged so that the rebar surface extends horizontally, and if the rebar tying robot 100 is tilted in the X direction, the height of the first and third travel units 121a and 121c, or the second and fourth travel units 121b and 121d, of the first to fourth travel units 121a to 121d may be changed to adjust the posture of the rebar tying robot 100.

[0071] The intersection calculation unit 166 estimates the intersection c12 between the first and second rebars R10 and R20 through calculation. For example, as described below, the intersection calculation unit 166 may calculate the position of the intersection c12 based on the positions of the first and second rebars R10 and R20 determined by the first and second rebar determination units 164a1 and 164a2. Based on the calculated position of the intersection c12, the rebar tying robot 100 can perform the tying operation using the rebar tying unit 110. Based on the estimated position of the intersection c12, the motor control unit 178 can adjust the position of the rebar tying robot 100 using the first, second, third, and / or fourth travel units 121a, 121b, 121c, and / or 121d so that the rebar tying unit 110 is located at the intersection c12.

[0072] The rebar bundling unit control unit 168 controls the movement of the rebar bundling unit 110 by controlling the rebar bundling unit moving unit 168m. The rebar bundling unit 110 can adopt a bundling position, where it performs a bundling operation at the intersection c12 where the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20 intersect, and a retreat position, where it retreats after the bundling operation is completed while moving toward the intersection c12 for the next bundling operation. The rebar bundling unit 110 moves in the -Z direction when moving from the retreat position toward the bundling position, and in the +Z direction when moving from the bundling position toward the retreat position. This Z-direction movement of the rebar bundling unit 110 is achieved, for example, by the rebar bundling unit moving unit 168m, which is comprised of a motor or the like. Furthermore, the Z-direction raising and lowering movement of the rebar bundling unit 110 by the rebar bundling unit moving unit 168m is controlled by the rebar bundling unit control unit 168.

[0073] Furthermore, after the rebar tying unit 110 moves to the tying position, the rebar tying unit control unit 168 controls the rebar tying unit 110 to perform tying operations on the intersection c12. For example, the rebar tying unit 110 may control the tying operation performed by the rebar tying unit 110 using a wire drawn from a wire reel 180 by a wire drawing unit (described later). For example, after the rebar tying robot 100 is moved by the first travel unit 121a, the second travel unit 121b, the third travel unit 121c, and / or the fourth travel unit 121d so that the rebar tying unit 110 is positioned above the intersection c12, the rebar tying unit control unit 168 may control the rebar tying unit moving unit 168m to lower the rebar tying unit 110 to the tying position so that it approaches the intersection c12, thereby tying the intersection c12.

[0074] The steel bar following control unit 170 may also control the traveling unit 121 by the motor control unit 178 based on information such as the position of the first steel bar R10 determined by the first steel bar determination unit 164a1, so that the steel bar tying robot 100 follows the traveling first steel bar R10. Figure 5 As shown, when the rebar tying robot 100 travels on the first rebar R12 and the first rebar R15, the driving motors of the traveling unit 121 (the first wheel driving motor 124a driving the first roller portion 122a, the second wheel driving motor 124b driving the second roller portion 122b, the third wheel driving motor 124c driving the third roller portion 122c and / or the fourth wheel driving motor 124d driving the fourth roller portion 122d) can also be driven in a manner that the rebar tying robot 100 does not separate from the first rebar R12 and the first rebar R15.

[0075] For example, the drive motors of the first travel unit 121a and the third travel unit 121c, which are arranged at the same position or approximately the same position in the X direction among the first wheel drive motor 124a, the second wheel drive motor 124b, the third wheel drive motor 124c and the fourth wheel drive motor 124d, i.e., the first wheel drive motor 124a and the third wheel drive motor 124c, can be accelerated or decelerated relative to the drive motors of the second travel unit 121b and the fourth travel unit 121d, which are arranged on the other side in the X direction, i.e., the second wheel drive motor 124b and the fourth wheel drive motor 124d, thereby adjusting the position of the rebar tying robot 100 so that the rebar tying robot 100 moves in a manner following the first rebar R10.

[0076] Alternatively, the rebar following control unit 170 may also adjust the rotational speeds of the first wheel drive motor 124a, the second wheel drive motor 124b, the third wheel drive motor 124c, and / or the fourth wheel drive motor 124d to cause the rebar tying robot 100 to follow the first rebar R10. For example, by setting the rotational speed of one or more of the first wheel drive motor 124a, the second wheel drive motor 124b, the third wheel drive motor 124c, and the fourth wheel drive motor 124d to a speed different from that of the other wheel drive motors, or by setting the rotational speeds of all of the first wheel drive motor 124a, the second wheel drive motor 124b, the third wheel drive motor 124c, and the fourth wheel drive motor 124d to different speeds, the rebar tying robot 100 can flexibly follow the first rebar R10.

[0077] The stop control unit 172 is configured to control the stopping operation of the rebar tying robot 100. For example, as described later, if the first rebar end determination unit 164b1 and / or the second rebar end determination unit 164b2 determine, based on the detection results of the first sensor 130a, the second sensor 130b, the third sensor 130c, and / or the fourth sensor 130d, that the rebar tying robot 100 traveling toward the first rebar R12 and the first rebar R15 is near or close to the end of the first rebar R13, the stop control unit 172 may control the first to fourth wheel drive motors 124a to 124d to drive and stop the rebar tying robot 100 via the motor control unit 178, thereby stopping the rebar tying robot 100. It should be noted that the rebar tying robot 100 is not limited to the end of the first rebar R13, and can also be stopped instead of or in addition to the end when it is determined that the rebar tying robot 100 is located near the end of the first rebar R12 and / or the end of the first rebar R14, or the rebar tying robot 100 is approaching the end of the first rebar R12 and / or the end of the first rebar R14.

[0078] Furthermore, when the intersection c12 between the first and second reinforcing bars R10 and R20 is calculated by the intersection calculation unit 166 , the stop control unit 172 may stop the reinforcing bar tying robot 100 so that the reinforcing bar tying unit 110 can tie the intersection c12 .

[0079] As described later, the movement amount calculation unit 174 may also be configured to calculate the movement amount when the rebar tying robot 100 is moving laterally (moving in the X direction). For example, as described above, when the rebar tying robot 100 is determined by the first rebar end determination unit 164b1 and / or the second rebar end determination unit 164b2 to be near or approaching the ends of the first rebar R12 and the first rebar R14, the rebar tying robot 100 completes the rebar tying operation at the intersection c12 of the first rebar R13 positioned between the first rebar R12 and the first rebar R14, moves to the other first rebar R10, and begins tying the rebar at the intersection c12.

[0080] For example, when the rebar tying robot 100 completes the rebar tying operation at the intersection c12 of the first rebar R13 and then proceeds to the intersection c12 of the first rebar R14, the rebar tying robot 100 moves in the X direction by one interval, relative to the X-direction spacing of the first rebars R10. In this case, the movement amount calculation unit 174 may calculate the movement amount based on the X-direction spacing between adjacent first rebars R10, based on the information about the positions of the first rebars R10 determined by the first rebar determination unit 164a1. Similarly, when the rebar tying robot 100 ties two or more intersections c12 of the first rebars R10 separated in the X direction, the movement amount may be calculated based on the spacing between the first rebars R10. Furthermore, the calculated movement amount may be used to perform lateral movement (e.g., horizontal movement) of the main body unit 140 by the lateral movement unit 146 during lateral movement. It should be noted that the movement amount calculation unit 174 may also calculate movement amounts in directions other than lateral movement. For example, the movement amount calculation unit 174 may calculate the movement amount of the longitudinal movement (movement in the first direction, Y direction) of the rebar tying robot 100 based on the detection results of each sensor 130, the determination results of the rebar end determination unit 164b1 and / or the rebar end determination unit 164b2, etc.

[0081] As the sensor unit 130, for example, a camera capable of capturing two-dimensional or three-dimensional images can be used. Alternatively, the location of a foreign object can be determined based on the detection results of the sensor unit 130, for example, by the obstacle determination unit 164d of the determination unit 164. At a construction site where rebar is being assembled, for example, tools or the like may be placed on the surface of the rebar, or workers may be working on the surface. Alternatively, the foreign object bypass control unit 179 may detect the foreign object as a foreign object based on the detection results of the sensor unit 130. Based on the foreign object detection results, the foreign object bypass control unit 179 may drive the first wheel drive motor 124a, the second wheel drive motor 124b, the third wheel drive motor 124c, and / or the fourth wheel drive motor 124d via the motor control unit 178 to bypass the foreign object. Alternatively, the rebar tying robot 100 may bypass the foreign object by performing lateral movement, as described below.

[0082] The control unit 160 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which corresponds to a computing unit. It performs control related to the execution of computer programs stored in the storage device 198, as well as data calculations and processing. The processor is a computing unit that executes programs that use various detection data to perform the operations of the rebar tying robot 100 (such as rebar tracking and movement, lateral movement (e.g., horizontal movement), and rebar tying operations). The various units of the control unit (e.g., the sensor detection result acquisition unit 162) are implemented by the processor executing the programs stored in the storage device 198.

[0083] Storage device 198 may include, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). RAM can rewrite data in the storage unit and may be composed of, for example, semiconductor memory elements. RAM may also store programs executed by the processor and data required for program execution (for example, template data used to determine the position of rebar based on detection results from sensor unit 130, as described later). Note that these are examples only; RAM may store data other than these, or may not store some of these data.

[0084] The ROM can read data from the storage unit and may be formed of, for example, a semiconductor memory element. The ROM may store, for example, a program executed by the control unit 160 or data that is not to be rewritten.

[0085] The program executed by the control unit 160 can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a storage device 198 (e.g., RAM, ROM). In the case where the rebar tying robot 100 of this embodiment has a communication unit not shown in the figure, the program can also be provided via a communication network connected through the communication unit.

[0086] The physical structure described above is merely illustrative. In the rebar tying robot 100 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the control unit 160 and the storage device 198 may not be separate structures. For example, the rebar tying robot 100 may include an LSI (Large-Scale Integration) in which a processor and memory are integrated. Furthermore, the rebar tying robot 100 may include a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit) as the control unit 160, and the various operations described above may be implemented by executing programs on the GPU.

[0087] Next, refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , the traveling action on the steel bars performed by the steel bar tying robot 100 will be described. Figure 8 This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 as viewed from the Y direction (−Y direction) while traveling along the first rebar R10 . Figure 9 This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 as it moves along the first rebar R10, as viewed from the X direction (+X direction). Figure 8 and Figure 9 In FIG. 1 , the steel bar tying robot 100 moves in a first direction (Y direction). Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the rebar tying robot 100 moves in a manner such that the third roller portion 122c of the third traveling unit 121c is located on the first rebar R12 and the fourth roller portion 122d of the fourth traveling unit 121d is located on the first rebar R14. Figure 9 As shown, the second roller portion 122b of the second traveling unit 121b also travels on the first reinforcing bar R14 in the same manner as the fourth roller portion 122d of the fourth traveling unit 121d. Figure 8 and Figure 9 Although not shown, the first roller portion 122a of the first travel unit 121a also travels on the first rebar R12, similarly to the third roller portion 122c of the third travel unit 121c. Thus, the rebar tying robot 100 of the present embodiment, while traveling along the first rebar R10, travels over, for example, a certain first rebar R10 (the first rebar R12) and two first rebars R10 (the first rebar R14) located adjacent to the certain first rebar R12, and ties the intersection c12 between the first rebar R10 and the second rebar R20, that is, the first rebar R13, which is located between the traveling first rebar R12 and the first rebar R154.

[0088] Next, refer to Figure 10 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 , the rebar tying robot 100 during the rebar tying operation will be described. Figure 10 This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 , which stops traveling and performs tying work, as viewed from the Y direction (−Y direction). Figure 11 This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 performing the tying work as viewed from the X direction (+X direction). Figure 12 This is a diagram of the rebar tying robot 100 performing tying work as viewed from the lower side in the Z direction (−Z direction). Figure 10 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 The example of the reinforcing bar tying robot 100 tying the intersection c12 of the first reinforcing bar R13 and the second reinforcing bar R20 is shown. Figure 10 ), the steel bar bundling unit 110 is lowered to perform bundling ( Figure 11 and Figure 12 ).

[0089] Here, a mechanism for raising and lowering the reinforcing bar binding unit 110 relative to the main body unit 140 in the Z direction and an operation of the reinforcing bar binding unit 110 when it descends will be described in detail.

[0090] Figure 13A 、 Figure 13B and Figure 13C The figures are a side view of the rebar tying unit 110 in a state in which the rebar tying unit 110 is retracted upward (also referred to as a "standby state") and a perspective view from above.

[0091] As shown in the figure, the rebar tying robot 100 includes a lifting mechanism 113 (an example of a "lifting unit") for lifting and lowering a rebar tying unit 110, which includes a tying unit 129 for tying rebar and a holding unit 112 for holding the tying unit 129, relative to a main unit 140. The lifting mechanism 113 includes a connecting portion 119 connected to the holding unit 112 of the rebar tying unit 110 and a driving unit 127 for moving the connecting portion 119. The connecting portion 119 includes an engaging portion (e.g., a movable shaft 115) for engaging with the holding unit 112. Meanwhile, the holding unit 112 includes an engaged portion (e.g., a hole 111) that engages with the engaging portion (e.g., the movable shaft 115). In such a structure, when the bundling portion 129 is in contact with the steel bar R10, if the driving portion 127 drives the connecting portion 119, the engaging portion (e.g., the movable shaft 115) of the connecting portion 119 can be moved relative to the bundling portion 129 whose movement is restricted by the steel bar R10, thereby releasing the engagement between the engaged portion (e.g., the hole portion 111) of the retaining portion 112 and the engaging portion (e.g., the movable shaft 115). Specifically, the control unit 160 (an example of a "control unit") of the rebar tying robot 100 is configured to execute: a first operation, wherein the holding unit 112 and the engaging portion (e.g., the movable shaft 115) are engaged, and the holding unit 112 and the engaging portion (e.g., the movable shaft 115) are lowered together to bring the tying unit 129 into contact with the rebar R10; and a second operation, wherein the engaging portion (e.g., the movable shaft 115) is moved relative to the holding unit 112 to release the engagement between the holding unit 112 and the engaging portion (e.g., the movable shaft 115) while the tying unit 129 is in contact with the rebar R10. Such a hole 111 restricts movement of the holding unit 112 in a direction intersecting the direction of elevation of the holding unit 112 when the engaging portion is in the engaged position, and permits movement of the holding unit 112 in the intersecting direction when the engaging portion is moved from the engaged position. Therefore, it is sometimes referred to as a position restricting unit.

[0092] The specific structure is described below.

[0093] The rebar bundling unit 110, which is raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism 113, comprises a bundling unit 129, which corresponds to the lower end of the rebar bundling unit 110 and includes a wire twisting unit 114 for twisting the wire used to bundle the rebar, and is configured to perform the rebar bundling operation; and a holding unit 112, which corresponds to the upper portion of the rebar bundling unit 110, holds the bundling unit 129, and carries known components for performing the rebar bundling operation. The holding unit 112 extends in the vertical direction and is connected to the connecting unit 119 at its upper end, for example.

[0094] Here, the holding portion 112 has an engaged portion (connected portion) for engaging (connecting) with the connecting portion 119. The holding portion 112 in this embodiment has a hole portion 111 formed with a long hole 111H for engaging (connecting) with the movable shaft 115 of the connecting portion 119 as the engaged portion. As described later Figure 15C As shown, hole 111 includes a first hole portion 111A, formed in the shape of an arc or semicircle with a diameter equal to or slightly larger than the shaft diameter (diameter) of movable shaft 115, and located at the upper end of long hole 111H; and a wide second hole portion 111B, located below first hole portion 111A and continuous with first hole portion 111A. The second hole portion 111B extends vertically, expanding to a width greater than the diameter of the arc or semicircle forming the upper end. The width of second hole portion 111B is, for example, 110% to 150% of the diameter of the arc of first hole portion 111A.

[0095] According to such a configuration, when the movable shaft 115 is engaged with the first hole 111A, the movable shaft 115 is inserted into the first hole 111A substantially without any gap, and thus the movement of the holding portion 112 in the horizontal direction is restricted.

[0096] On the other hand, when the movable shaft 115 moves downward relative to the retaining portion 112 and the engagement with the hole portion 111 (first hole portion 111A) is released, the movable shaft 115 is inserted into the second hole portion 111B with a gap, so that the retaining portion 112 is configured to move relatively slowly in the horizontal direction and can move in the horizontal direction within a range less than the size of the gap.

[0097] Therefore, as will be described later, the horizontal movement of the holding portion 112 can be restricted by the relative position of the movable shaft 115 provided in the long hole 111H of the holding portion 112 .

[0098] However, the first hole portion 111A may be formed to have a gap (first gap) with the movable shaft 115 , and the second hole portion 111B may be formed to have a gap (second gap) larger than the first gap with the movable shaft 115 .

[0099] Alternatively, the long hole 111H may be formed in a shape that becomes wider as it goes downward (for example, a tapered shape).

[0100] In the present embodiment, the holding portion 112 includes a pair of hole portions 111 formed at both axial end portions of the movable shaft 115 , each of which has a long hole 111H that engages with the movable shaft 115 .

[0101] The holding portion 112 further includes a fixing shaft 116 for fixing the plate-shaped member forming the hole portion 111. Figure 13A and Figure 13BAs shown, the fixed shaft 116 of this embodiment is composed of a pair of cylindrical pins whose ends are fixed to a part of the holding portion 112 .

[0102] The connecting portion 119 is a member connected to the holding portion 112 for raising and lowering the rebar bundling unit 110 and driven by the driving portion 127. The connecting portion 119 of this embodiment includes: a movable shaft 115 for engaging with the hole portion 111 serving as the engaged portion of the holding portion 112; a second link member 119B having a pair of holes formed therein for connecting the movable shaft 115; a first link member 119A coupled to the output shaft 127A of the driving portion 127 and rotationally driven by the driving portion 127; and a pin member 119C rotatably connecting the second link member 119B to the first link member 119A.

[0103] Therefore, the first end portion in the longitudinal direction of the second link member 119B is rotatably connected to the movable shaft 115, and the second end portion in the longitudinal direction of the second link member 119B is rotatably connected to the first end portion in the longitudinal direction of the first link member 119A via the pin member 119C. Furthermore, the second end portion in the longitudinal direction of the first link member 119A, which has a first end portion rotatably connected to the second end portion in the longitudinal direction of the second link member 119B, is connected to the output shaft 127A of the drive unit 127.

[0104] Therefore, the first link member 119A of the connecting portion 119 rotates about the output shaft 127A as the output shaft 127A of the driving portion 127 is rotated. Therefore, the second end of the second link member 119B connected to the first end of the first link member 119A moves about the output shaft 127A on a circle having a diameter equal to the length of the first link member 119A.

[0105] The movable shaft 115 is a component that engages with the engaged portion (elongated hole 111H) provided in the retaining portion 112 and is movable (movable) relative to the engaged portion to disengage the engagement state. In this embodiment, the movable shaft 115 is a horizontally extending cylindrical pin formed so as to penetrate each of the elongated holes 111H in a pair of holes 111 spaced apart in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). Therefore, the movable shaft 115 extends through the elongated holes 111H in the pair of holes 111 at both ends, and is provided so as to penetrate a pair of holes formed in the second link member 119B in the region sandwiched between the pair of elongated holes 111H.

[0106] The holding portion 112 is constantly biased downward by gravity, while the movable shaft 115 is inserted through the long hole 111H provided in the hole portion 111 of the holding portion 112. Therefore, in the standby state, the movable shaft 115 supports the holding portion 112 while being engaged with the first hole portion 111A corresponding to the upper end edge of the long hole 111H.

[0107] The second link member 119B is a link-shaped member extending in the vertical direction in the standby state, and includes: a base end connected to the pin member 119C; and a top end extending in two branches from the base end, and a hole for the movable shaft 115 to pass through is formed at the top end.

[0108] Pin member 119C rotatably connects second link member 119B to first link member 119A. Therefore, in the standby state, the angle between second link member 119B and first link member 119A changes depending on the state. As shown in the figure, in the standby state, second link member 119B and first link member 119A extend linearly in the same direction, that is, in a substantially vertical direction. Therefore, movable shaft 115B, which is supported by second link member 119B at its tip, is located at a position farthest from output shaft 127A of drive unit 127.

[0109] The first link member 119A is coupled to the output shaft 127A of the driving unit 127 and is configured to rotate along with the rotation of the output shaft 127A.

[0110] The driving unit 127 is, for example, an electric motor that uses a battery 182 as a power source and is controlled by the motor control unit 178 .

[0111] The rebar tying robot 100 of this embodiment further includes a compression spring, or spring member 118, as a biasing member that biases the movable shaft 115, serving as the engaging portion, upward toward engagement with the first hole 111A of the hole 111, serving as the engaged portion. In this embodiment, the spring member 118 is supported from below by a spring receiving portion 117 fixed to the holding portion 112 and inserted between the spring member 118 and the movable shaft 115. Therefore, in the standby state, the movable shaft 115 is biased upward toward contact with the engaged hole 111. It should be noted that the rebar tying robot 100 of this embodiment includes a pair of spring members 118 and a pair of spring receiving portions 117 to bias both ends of the movable shaft 115. As the movable shaft 115 moves downward, the spring member 118 is compressed between the movable shaft 115 and the spring receiving portion 117 fixed to the holding portion 112, thereby functioning as an elastic member that attenuates the speed of movement of the holding portion 112 in the downward direction. In other words, the spring member 118 slows down or reduces the moving speed of the holding portion 112 in the downward direction. That is, the spring member 118 makes the moving speed of the holding portion 112 slower or lower than the moving speed of the movable shaft 115.

[0112] Based on the above configuration, the rebar tying unit 110 travels on the first rebar R10 while in a standby position. When the rebar tying robot 100 reaches the intersection c12 between the first and second rebars R10, R20, the rebar tying unit 110 is lowered to tie the intersection c12. Next, the operation for lowering the rebar tying unit 110 in the above configuration will be described.

[0113] 14A to 14C These are a perspective view and a side view showing the state immediately after the reinforcing bar bundling unit 110 starts to descend and comes into contact with the first reinforcing bar R10.

[0114] As shown in these figures, to lower the rebar bundling unit 110 in the Z direction, the motor control unit 178 first rotates the output shaft 127A of the drive unit 127. Consequently, at the initial stage of rotation of the output shaft 127A of the drive unit 127, the first link member 119A rotates about the second end of the first link member 119A coupled to the output shaft 127A of the drive unit 127. As the first link member 119A rotates, the first end of the second link member 119B coupled to the first end of the first link member 119A begins to move downward from its upper position in the standby state. Consequently, the movable shaft 115 coupled to the first end of the second link member 119B also begins to move downward.

[0115] As the movable shaft 115 moves downward, the holding portion 112 supported by the movable shaft 115 also begins to move downward. At this time, the movable shaft 115 supports the holding portion 112 while being engaged with the first hole portion 111A corresponding to the upper end edge of the long hole 111H, while performing the first movement of descending together with the holding portion 112.

[0116] like 14A to 14C As shown, when the reinforcing bar tying unit 110 descends and the tying portion 129 abuts against the first reinforcing bar R10 , the first link member 119A and the second link member 119B form an acute angle.

[0117] Next, a second operation after the binding portion 129 of the reinforcing bar binding unit 110 comes into contact with the first reinforcing bar R10 will be described. Figures 15A to 15C These are a perspective view and a side view for explaining a second operation after the bundling portion 129 comes into contact with the first reinforcing bar R10 .

[0118] The motor control unit 178 of the rebar bundling unit 110 further rotates the output shaft 127A of the drive unit 127. Consequently, the first end of the first link member 119A further moves along a circumference centered on the output shaft 127A of the drive unit 127. As the first end of the first link member 119A moves, the second end of the second link member 119B attempts to move further downward. As the movable shaft 115 moves downward, the retaining portion 112 supported by the movable shaft 115 also moves downward. However, because the bundling portion 129 abuts the first rebar R10, the retaining portion 112 does not move downward along with the movable shaft 115, and instead presses the first rebar R10 downward.

[0119] Therefore, of the retaining portion 112 and the movable shaft 115, only the movable shaft 115 moves downward. Consequently, the movable shaft 115 moves downward relative to the hole 111 of the retaining portion 112. As a result, the movable shaft 115 moves from the first hole 111A to the second hole 111B, disengaging the movable shaft 115 from the hole 111 (first hole 111A). This disengagement allows the retaining portion 112 to move horizontally within the gap between the movable shaft 115 and the second hole 111B. Therefore, when the movable shaft 115 is located in the second hole 111B, the binding portion 129 is supported so that it can swing about the fixed shaft 116. At this point, because the movable shaft 115 moves further downward, the first link member 119A and the second link member 119B form a smaller acute angle than when the binding portion 129 abuts the first reinforcing bar R10.

[0120] Thus, in the second operation, while the bundling portion 129 is in contact with the first reinforcing bar R10, the movable shaft 115 is moved relative to the holding portion 112, thereby disengaging the holding portion 112 from the movable shaft 115. Disengaging the holding portion 112 from the movable shaft 115 allows or mitigates horizontal (intersecting) movement of the holding portion 112 and the bundling portion 129. Therefore, even if the bundling portion 129 slightly deviates from the intersection c12, the bundling portion 129 can continue to move horizontally, mimicking the first reinforcing bar R10 or the second reinforcing bar R20, while moving closer to the intersection c12. Therefore, compared to a steel bar bundling machine in which the bundling portion cannot move horizontally at all after abutting the steel bar and has to perform bundling in a state where the position of the bundling portion (the intersection of the steel bars) is uncertain, the bundling portion 129 can be accurately arranged at the target position and the position of the bundling portion 129 when abutting the steel bar can be stabilized.

[0121] It should be noted that when the movable shaft 115 is biased by the spring member 118, the movable shaft 115 moves downward against the biasing force of the spring member 118. Therefore, the reinforcing bars R10 can be bundled while being pressed by the spring member 118 via the holding portion 112 with a force greater than the weight of the holding portion 112.

[0122] The above description uses an example in which a compression spring is provided between the movable shaft 115 and the fixed shaft 116 as the spring member 118. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible within the ordinary creative capabilities of those skilled in the art. For example, a tension spring may be provided in place of the compression spring. Figure 16 A modified example of the reinforcing bar tying device 100 is shown, in which a tension spring 118α is provided as the spring member 118. As shown in the figure, a fixed shaft 116α may be provided above a movable shaft 115α inserted through a hole 111α (long hole 111 Hα), with the tension spring 118α inserted therebetween.

[0123] Even in such a modified example, the same effects as those of the present embodiment can be achieved by moving the movable shaft 115α downward against the biasing force of the tension spring 118α after the reinforcing bar bundling unit 110 comes into contact with the reinforcing bar.

[0124] In addition, each embodiment described above is for easy understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the interpretation of the present invention. The present invention can be changed / improved without departing from its main purpose, and its equivalents are also included in the present invention. That is, as long as the features of the present invention are possessed, the designs obtained by those skilled in the art by appropriately designing and changing the various embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the various elements and their configurations, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc. possessed by the various embodiments are not limited to the illustrated contents and can be appropriately changed. In addition, the various embodiments are illustrative, and of course, local replacement or combination of the structures shown in different embodiments can be performed, and these also include the features of the present invention and are included in the scope of the present invention.

[0125] This application is based on Japanese patent applications No. 2023-007172 filed on January 20, 2023, No. 2023-007174 filed on January 20, 2023, No. 2023-007176 filed on January 20, 2023, No. 2023-007177 filed on January 20, 2023, No. 2023-007182 filed on January 20, 2023, No. 2023-007187 filed on January 20, 2023, and No. 2023-130997 filed on August 10, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0126] Industrial Application Possibilities

[0127] The reinforcing bar tying device disclosed herein can accurately arrange the tying mechanism at a target position and can stabilize the position of the tying mechanism when it contacts the reinforcing bar.

[0128] Description of Reference Numerals

[0129] 100…Rebar tying robot

[0130] 110…Rebar bundling unit

[0131] 111…hole

[0132] 111H…long hole

[0133] 111A…First hole

[0134] 111B…Second hole

[0135] 112…Maintaining part

[0136] 113…Lifting mechanism

[0137] 115…Movable shaft

[0138] 115α…Movable shaft

[0139] 116…Fixed shaft

[0140] 116α…Fixed shaft

[0141] 117…Spring receiving part

[0142] 118…Spring components

[0143] 119…Connection

[0144] 119A…First connecting rod component

[0145] 119B…Second connecting rod component

[0146] 119C…Pin components

[0147] 127…Drive unit

[0148] 127A…output shaft.

Claims

1. A steel bar bundling device comprising: Bundling department, bundling steel bars; a holding portion that holds the bundling portion; and a lifting portion for lifting the holding portion relative to the main body; The lifting part includes: a connecting portion connected to the holding portion; and a driving portion for moving the connecting portion; The connecting portion has a snap-fit portion, The holding portion includes an engaged portion engaged with the engaging portion. The driving portion moves the connecting portion in a state where the bundling portion is in contact with the reinforcing bar, thereby moving the engaging portion relative to the engaged portion and releasing the engagement of the engaging portion from the engaged portion.

2. The steel bar binding device according to claim 1, wherein: The reinforcing bar binding device further includes a force applying portion that applies force to the engaging portion in a direction in which the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion.

3. The steel bar binding device according to claim 1, wherein: After the driving portion moves the connecting portion to a position where the bundling portion contacts the reinforcing bar, the driving portion further moves the connecting portion to release the engagement of the engaging portion from the engaged portion.

4. The steel bar binding device according to claim 1, wherein: The reinforcing bar binding device further includes a detection unit that detects that the binding unit abuts against the reinforcing bars. The driving portion releases the engagement of the engaging portion from the engaged portion on the condition that the detecting portion detects that the bundling portion is in contact with the reinforcing bar.

5. The steel bar binding device according to claim 1, wherein: The reinforcing bar tying device further includes a guide portion that guides the connecting portion along a lifting direction of the holding portion.

6. The steel bar binding device according to claim 5, wherein: The engaged portion is in the shape of a long hole, The engaged portion includes: A first hole portion for the engaging portion to engage; and The second hole portion communicates with the first hole portion and has a width dimension in a direction intersecting the lifting direction of the holding portion greater than that of the first hole portion.

7. The steel bar binding device according to claim 6, wherein: The steel bar binding device further comprises a guided portion, which is guided by the guiding portion. When the engaging portion is located in the second hole, the binding portion is supported so as to be swingable about the guided portion.

8. A steel bar bundling device comprising: Bundling department, bundling steel bars; a holding portion for holding the bundling portion; a lifting portion for lifting and lowering the holding portion relative to the main body; and The elastic part attenuates the moving speed of the holding part in the descending direction. The elastic portion attenuates the moving speed of the holding portion in the descending direction only when the bundling portion is in contact with the reinforcing bar.

9. A steel bar bundling device comprising: Bundling department, bundling steel bars; a holding portion for holding the bundling portion; a connecting portion connected to the holding portion; and The control unit is configured to drive the connecting unit so as to move the holding unit and the binding unit upward and downward. The connecting portion has an engaging portion for engaging with the holding portion. in, The control unit is configured to execute: A first operation is to lower the holding portion and the engaging portion together in a state where the holding portion and the engaging portion are engaged, so that the binding portion comes into contact with the reinforcing bars; and The second operation is to move the engaging portion relative to the holding portion in a state where the bundling portion is in contact with the reinforcing bar to disengage the holding portion from the engaging portion.

10. The steel bar binding device according to claim 9, wherein: The reinforcing bar binding device further includes a biasing portion that biases the engaging portion in a direction in which the engaging portion engages with the holding portion.

11. The steel bar binding device according to claim 10, wherein: The holding portion is provided with a position limiting portion, which limits the movement of the holding portion in a cross direction that intersects the lifting direction of the holding portion when the engaging portion is in an engaging position for engaging, and allows the holding portion to move in the cross direction when the engaging portion is in a position moved from the engaging position.

12. A steel bar bundling device comprising: Bundling department, bundling steel bars; a holding portion for holding the bundling portion; a lifting portion for lifting and lowering the holding portion relative to the main body; and The elastic part slows down the movement speed of the holding part in the descending direction. The elastic portion slows down the moving speed of the holding portion in the descending direction only when the bundling portion is in contact with the reinforcing bar.

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