Workpiece gripping device and workpiece gripping method

Abstract

A workpiece gripping device includes a gripper, a rotating unit, a driving device, and a controller. The gripper grips the workpiece conveyed by the conveying unit. The rotation unit rotates the gripper to adjust an angle of the gripper with respect to a horizontal plane. The driving device comprises a transverse moving unit and a lifting unit which are used for enabling the clamping device and the rotating unit to move forwards, backwards, upwards and downwards. The controller controls the driving device and the rotating unit such that the workpiece is gripped by the gripper at a gripping position on the conveying unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a workpiece holding device and a workpiece holding method. Background Technology

[0002] Meat processing apparatuses are known for automatically conveying and processing meat as workpieces. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a meat processing apparatus that includes multiple conveyors for conveying workpieces. In this document, the workpieces conveyed by the conveyors are fed into a cutting station.

[0003] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2009 / 139031 Summary of the Invention

[0004] (a) Technical problems to be solved In the processing station of a meat processing apparatus like the one described in Patent Document 1, the workpieces, conveyed by a conveyor, are processed while lying flat on the conveyor. Within this processing station, various types and shapes of meat can be processed using the same hardware through software modifications. However, such processing stations utilize relatively low-force robotic arms, making it difficult to perform high-force processes, such as peeling meat from a workpiece. Therefore, in existing processing stations, peeling meat from a workpiece requires either gradually cutting it with a blade while peeling, increasing processing time, or inserting a blade-shaped tool in a straight line relative to a round bone, thus reducing yield.

[0005] To improve the efficiency of meat processing, one approach is to consider using a robotic arm to automatically hold the workpieces conveyed by a conveyor, perform necessary processing while the arm is suspended, and then peel the meat. However, because the workpieces being processed may have slight shape deviations due to individual differences and the completeness of pre-processing, it is not easy for the robotic arm to properly hold the workpieces conveyed on the conveyor. Furthermore, as mentioned above, while the robotic arm can perform various processing operations based on software installed in the controller, it is disadvantageous for processing requiring large forces, such as meat peeling. Assuming that large forces need to be handled by the robotic arm, the robotic arm becomes larger, and the equipment becomes more complex.

[0006] At least one embodiment of this disclosure was made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a workpiece holding device and a workpiece holding method, which can reliably hold a workpiece on a conveying unit with a simple structure and can operate the held workpiece with a large driving force.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution (1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, at least one aspect of the workpiece holding device disclosed herein includes: A gripper, used to hold a workpiece conveyed by a conveyor unit; A rotating unit for rotating the gripper to adjust the angle of the gripper relative to the horizontal plane; The drive unit includes a lateral movement unit and a lifting unit for moving the gripper and the rotating unit forward, backward, up, and down; and A controller is used to control the drive device and the rotating unit so that the workpiece is held in a gripping position on the conveying unit by the clamp.

[0008] According to the method described in (1) above, by controlling the drive device and the rotating unit, the angle of the gripper relative to the horizontal plane and its front-to-back and up-to-down positions are adjusted, thereby enabling the proper gripping of the workpiece located at the gripping position on the conveying unit. Thus, with a simple structure that does not use a weak robotic arm, the workpiece located on the conveying unit can be properly gripped.

[0009] (2) In other ways, based on the method described in (1) above, It also includes a first sensor for detecting that the front end of the workpiece located on the conveying unit has reached a first position. When the first sensor detects that the front end of the workpiece has reached the first position, the controller uses the conveying unit to return a predetermined amount in the opposite direction, thereby moving the gripping part of the workpiece to the gripping position.

[0010] According to the method described in (2) above, the front end of the workpiece conveyed by the first sensor is detected to have reached the first position. In this case, the conveying unit returns in the opposite direction by a predetermined amount, thereby enabling the gripping part of the workpiece to move with high precision to the gripping position on the conveying unit. Thus, by controlling the drive device and the rotating unit as described above, the gripper is brought close to the gripping position of the conveying unit, thereby enabling the workpiece on the conveying unit to be properly gripped.

[0011] (3) In other ways, based on the above (1) or (2), It includes a guide for adjusting the posture of the workpiece conveyed by the conveying unit.

[0012] According to the method described in (3) above, the posture of the workpiece being transported by the conveying unit is adjusted by setting a guide in the conveying unit. As a result, the posture of the workpiece on the conveying unit is uniform, and it can be held with high precision by a gripper that moves using a drive device and a rotating unit.

[0013] (4) In other ways, based on the method described in (3) above, The guide includes a pair of guide members, which are arranged on both sides of the conveying unit in the width direction with a spacing between them, decreasing in size towards the downstream side of the conveying unit.

[0014] According to the method described in (4) above, a pair of guide members are provided on both sides of the conveying unit in the width direction. The pair of guide members are configured such that the interval between them decreases towards the downstream side, thereby allowing the posture of the workpiece to be appropriately adjusted so that the central axis of the workpiece conveyed by the conveying unit is the center of the pair of guide members.

[0015] (5) In other methods, based on the method described in (1) above, it also has the following characteristics: A first sensor is used to detect that the front end of the workpiece located on the conveying unit has reached a first position, which is a first distance from the downstream end of the conveying unit; A second sensor is used to detect that the front end of the workpiece located on the conveying unit has reached a second position, which is a second distance from the downstream end of the conveying unit, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; A guide for adjusting the posture of the workpiece conveyed by the conveying unit; and A pressure adjustment unit is included, which is used to adjust the holding pressure of the guide member. When the second sensor detects that the front end of the workpiece being conveyed forward by the conveying unit has reached the second position, the controller adjusts the holding pressure by using the holding pressure adjustment unit to reduce the holding pressure of the guide. Then, the conveying unit further conveys the workpiece forward so that the front end of the workpiece reaches the first position, thereby moving the gripping part of the workpiece to the gripping position.

[0016] According to the method described in (5) above, when the second sensor detects that the front end of the workpiece being conveyed in the forward direction has reached the second position, the adjustment is made in a way that reduces the holding pressure of the guide used to adjust the posture of the conveyed workpiece. When the workpiece is in contact with the guide during conveying, the pressing load borne by the guide may vary depending on the hardness of the workpiece. However, by adjusting in this way to reduce the holding pressure of the guide, the pressing load borne by the workpiece from the guide can be mitigated, and conveying defects such as the workpiece jumping onto the guide during conveying can be properly prevented. As a result, when the workpiece is in contact with the guide during conveying, the pressing load borne by the workpiece can be absorbed by the guide, and conveying to the holding position can be achieved with high precision. As a result, by combining the rotational action of the gripper performed by the rotating unit as described above with the forward and backward vertical movement performed by the lateral movement unit and the lifting unit, the workpiece moved to the holding position can be held with high precision.

[0017] (6) In other ways, based on the method described in (5) above, When the first sensor detects that the front end of the workpiece being conveyed in the forward direction by the conveying unit has reached the first position, the controller uses the holding pressure adjustment unit to readjust the holding pressure of the guide.

[0018] According to the method described in (6) above, when the front end of the workpiece conveyed by the conveying unit reaches the first position, the holding pressure of the guide is readjusted. By implementing this readjustment of the holding pressure in a way that makes the workpiece return to the proper gripping position, it is possible to grip it with high precision using a clamp.

[0019] (7) In other ways, based on the methods described in (5) or (6) above, During the period when the front end of the workpiece moves from the second position to the first position, the controller controls the conveying unit to convey the workpiece in a forward direction, overcoming the holding pressure of the guide.

[0020] According to the method described in (7) above, during the period when the front end of the workpiece moves from the second position to the first position, the workpiece being conveyed forward by the conveying unit is supported by a guide that is adjusted to maintain reduced pressure. This appropriately prevents the pressing load on the workpiece from becoming too large, thus avoiding conveying defects such as the workpiece jumping onto the guide.

[0021] (8) In other ways, based on any of the ways described in (5) to (7) above, The holding pressure adjustment unit adjusts the holding pressure based on the temperature of the workpiece.

[0022] According to the above (8), when the hardness of the workpiece depends on the temperature of the workpiece, by adjusting the holding pressure of the guide as described above, it is possible to properly prevent the conveyed workpiece from jumping onto the guide and other conveying defects.

[0023] (9) In other ways, based on any of the ways described in (5) to (8) above, The guide includes a pair of guide members, which are arranged on both sides of the conveying unit in the width direction with a spacing between them, decreasing in size towards the downstream side of the conveying unit.

[0024] According to the method described in (9) above, a pair of guide members are provided on both sides of the conveying unit in the width direction. The pair of guide members are configured such that the interval between them decreases towards the downstream side, thereby allowing the posture of the workpiece to be appropriately adjusted so that the central axis of the workpiece conveyed by the conveying unit is the center of the pair of guide members.

[0025] (10) In other ways, based on any of the above (1) to (9), a third sensor is also provided, which is used to detect the gripping part of the workpiece by the gripper when the workpiece held by the gripper is rotated to a suspended posture by the rotating unit.

[0026] According to the method described in (10), the gripper is rotated by the rotating unit, thereby suspending the workpiece held on the conveying unit. The workpiece in the suspended position is detected by the third sensor at the gripping part, thereby enabling the appropriate determination of the position for various processing based on the gripping part.

[0027] (11) In other ways, based on the method described in (10) above, The processing position of the workpiece is determined by comparing the gripping part detected by the third sensor with the image data of the workpiece.

[0028] According to the above (11), by comparing the gripping position of the workpiece detected by the third sensor with the pre-acquired image data of the workpiece, the implementation position, i.e. the processing position, of various processing performed on the workpiece can be appropriately determined.

[0029] (12) In other ways, based on the method described in (11) above, The processing position is the cut section for inserting a meat separator that extends horizontally.

[0030] According to the method described in (12) above, the cutting portion for inserting the meat separator used when separating meat from the workpiece can be appropriately determined based on the gripping position detected by the third sensor. Thus, by inserting the meat separator into the cutting portion, the meat separation process can be appropriately performed.

[0031] (13) In other ways, based on the method described in (12) above, The controller controls the drive device to raise and lower the clamp holding the workpiece while the meat separator is inserted into the cut portion.

[0032] According to the method described in (13), by raising and lowering the gripper while holding the workpiece, a larger peeling force can be applied between the gripper and the meat separator inserted into the incision. Thus, meat peeling can be performed with a simple structure and a force greater than that of a robotic arm.

[0033] (14) In other ways, based on any of the ways described in (1) to (13) above, The rotating unit has: A first rotating mechanism for rotating the clamp about a first axis along the vertical plane; and The second rotation mechanism is used to rotate the gripper about a second axis that intersects the first axis.

[0034] According to the above (14), by rotating the gripper around the first axis and the second axis respectively, the degree of freedom of the gripper is increased, and the workpiece on the conveying unit can be gripped more flexibly.

[0035] (15) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, at least one of the workpiece holding methods disclosed herein includes: A gripper, used to hold a workpiece conveyed by a conveyor unit; A rotating unit for rotating the gripper to adjust the angle of the gripper relative to a horizontal plane; and The drive unit includes a lateral movement unit and a lifting unit for moving the gripper and the rotating unit forward, backward, up, and down. The drive device and the rotating unit are controlled so that the workpiece is held in a gripping position on the conveying unit by the clamp.

[0036] According to the method described above (15), by controlling the drive device and the rotating unit, the angle of the gripper relative to the horizontal plane and its front-to-back and up-to-down positions are adjusted, thereby enabling the proper gripping of the workpiece located at the gripping position on the conveying unit. Thus, with a simple structure that does not use a weak robotic arm, the workpiece located on the conveying unit can be properly gripped.

[0037] (III) Beneficial Effects According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a workpiece holding device and a workpiece holding method can be provided, which can reliably hold a workpiece on a conveying unit with a simple structure and can operate the held workpiece with a large driving force. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of an edible meat processing system according to one embodiment.

[0039] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the workpiece.

[0040] Figure 3 It is represented from the side. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an edible meat processing device.

[0041] Figure 4 It is an enlarged representation Figure 3 Diagram of the area surrounding the clamp.

[0042] Figure 5 It is indicated from above. Figure 3 An enlarged view of the area near the downstream end of the conveyor.

[0043] Figure 6 It is a schematic representation. Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the processing equipment.

[0044] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for processing edible meat.

[0045] Figure 8A Is with Figure 7 The explanatory diagram corresponding to step S101.

[0046] Figure 8B Is with Figure 7 The explanatory diagram corresponding to step S103.

[0047] Figure 8C Is with Figure 7 The explanatory diagram corresponding to step S104.

[0048] Figure 8D Is with Figure 7 The explanatory diagram corresponding to step S105.

[0049] Figure 8E Is with Figure 7 The explanatory diagram corresponding to step S107.

[0050] Figure 9 yes Figure 5 A variation of the above.

[0051] Figure 10 It means that it is possible to possess Figure 9 A flowchart of a processing method for edible meat implemented by a workpiece holding device in a modified example.

[0052] Figure 11A Is with Figure 10 Explanatory diagrams for steps S200 to S204.

[0053] Figure 11B Is with Figure 10 Explanatory diagrams for steps S200 to S204.

[0054] Figure 11C Is with Figure 10 Explanatory diagrams for steps S200 to S204. Detailed Implementation

[0055] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the structures described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are merely illustrative examples.

[0056] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of an edible meat processing system 1 according to one embodiment. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of workpiece 2. The edible meat processing system 1 is a system for automatically conveying and processing workpiece 2, which is edible meat.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, workpiece 2 is edible meat comprising a bone portion 2a and a meat portion 2b. In this embodiment, as an example of workpiece 2, a leg of a bird with an ankle portion 2c is shown. In this workpiece 2, the meat portion 2b is more attached to the side opposite to the ankle portion 2c. The amount of meat portion 2b attached to the ankle portion 2c is less, and its width is relatively narrow.

[0058] in addition, Figure 3 The workpiece 2 shown is just one example; it could also be meat from pigs, cows, fish, or horses, and the part of the body is not limited.

[0059] like Figure 1 As shown, the meat processing system 1 has a conveying unit 3, at least one processing station 7 and at least one meat processing device 10.

[0060] The conveying unit 3 is a structure for conveying the workpiece 2, which is the object of processing. It includes a conveyor 4 that can transport the workpiece 2 supplied from a supply unit (not shown) located upstream to a processing station 7 or meat processing device 10 located downstream. The conveyor 4 receives the workpiece 2 from the supply unit at an inlet 5 located at the upstream end. Near the inlet 5, pre-processing areas 6 are provided on both sides of the conveyor 4, where workers can be stationed. In the pre-processing areas 6, the workpiece 2 can be appropriately pre-processed before being processed by the processing station 7 or meat processing device 10 located downstream.

[0061] In the upstream section of the conveying unit 3, which includes the pre-processing area 6, the conveyor 4 is a separate channel, but it is configured to branch off into a left channel 4L and a right channel 4R from the middle downstream. A switching unit (not shown) distributes the workpiece 2 from the upstream section to either the left channel 4L or the right channel 4R. A corresponding processing station 7 and a meat processing device 10 are respectively arranged in the left channel 4L and the right channel 4R. The workpiece 2, processed by the processing station 7 and the meat processing device 10, is then transported to the outside via an exit channel.

[0062] In addition, in the following description, without distinguishing between the left channel 4L and the right channel 4R, both shall be referred to as conveyor 4.

[0063] Processing station 7 receives workpiece 2 from conveyor 4 and processes it using a multi-axis robot (not shown) equipped with tools for processing meat. The meat processing performed at processing station 7 is similar to existing meat processing apparatuses for making cuts in workpieces (e.g., see Japanese Patent No. 4961613, Japanese Patent No. 4867050, Japanese Patent No. 5788076, Japanese Patent No. 5788077, or Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-170894), and is carried out using relatively small forces.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a structural example is shown where two processing stations 7 are respectively arranged along the left channel 4L and the right channel 4R; however, the number of processing stations 7 arranged in each channel is not limited. Additionally, each processing station 7 may have the same structure as the others, or it may have different structures from the others.

[0065] The meat processing apparatus 10 is a device for holding a workpiece 2 conveyed by the conveying unit 3 and placed on the conveyor belt 4, and for processing the held workpiece 2. The meat processing apparatus 10 includes a workpiece holding device 20 and a processing device 50, described later. The workpiece holding device 20 is a device for holding the workpiece 2 conveyed by the conveying unit 3 and placed on the conveyor belt 4, and the processing device 50 is a device for performing various processing on the workpiece 2 held by the workpiece holding device 20 in cooperation with the workpiece holding device 20.

[0066] Furthermore, the processing performed by the meat processing apparatus 10 includes processes requiring greater force than the processing station 7 described above. In this embodiment, as an example of a processing performed by such a meat processing apparatus 10, the process of separating the meat portion 2b from the workpiece 2 will be described, but other processes may also be considered. The meat portion 2b separated from the workpiece 2 is transported to the outside by a conveyor (not shown) located in the lower section (in addition, the remaining workpiece 2 with the meat portion 2b separated is returned to the conveyor 4 and thus transported to other processes downstream).

[0067] Furthermore, the meat processing system 1 includes a controller (not shown) for controlling the aforementioned structures. The controller is one or more computing devices. The processor included in the computing device may be a CPU, GPU, MPU, DSP, or a combination thereof, or it may be implemented using integrated circuits such as PLD, ASIC, FPGA, or MCU. The computing device may also appropriately include memory such as ROM, RAM, or flash memory.

[0068] Next, the structure of the workpiece holding device 20 of the meat processing apparatus 10 will be described in detail. Figure 3 It is represented from the side. Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the edible meat processing device 10. Figure 4 It is an enlarged representation Figure 3 A diagram of the area surrounding the clamp 22. Figure 5 It is indicated from above. Figure 3 An enlarged view of the area near the downstream end of conveyor 4. Figure 6 It is a schematic representation. Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the processing device 50.

[0069] The workpiece holding device 20 includes a clamp 22, a rotating unit 24, and a drive device 30. The clamp 22, the rotating unit 24, and the drive device 30 are all automatically controlled based on control signals from the controller, thereby enabling them to perform the functions described later through mutual cooperation.

[0070] like Figure 4As shown, the gripper 22 has a pair of jaws 22a and 22b that can open and close according to a control signal from the controller. When the gripper 22 is in the open state, there is a gap between the pair of jaws 22a and 22b that is larger than the ankle portion 2c, which serves as the gripping part of the workpiece 2, so that the ankle portion 2c of the workpiece 2 can be inserted into the gap. On the other hand, when the gripper 22 is in the closed state, the gap is reduced to the point that the inner sides of the pair of jaws 22a and 22b contact the ankle portion 2c, so that the ankle portion 2c of the workpiece 2 inserted into the gap is gripped by the gripper 22 (in addition, in Figure 4 (The example shown is when the gripper 22 is in the closed state).

[0071] In addition, during the opening and closing action of the gripper 22, either one of the two claws 22a and 22b can be movable, or one can be fixed and only the other can be movable.

[0072] The rotating unit 24 is a structure used to rotate the gripper 22. The rotating unit 24 is at least capable of adjusting the angle of the gripper 22 relative to the horizontal plane. Figure 4 As shown, the rotating unit 24 has a first rotating mechanism 24a and a second rotating mechanism 24b, which have different rotation axes (i.e., the gripper can rotate about the two axes). In this embodiment, in particular, the rotation axes of the first rotating mechanism 24a and the second rotating mechanism 24b are orthogonal to each other.

[0073] The first rotation mechanism 24a is a structure for rotating the gripper 22 about a first rotation axis a, which is used to adjust the angle of the gripper 22 relative to the horizontal plane. The first rotation mechanism 24a includes an actuator 26, which serves as a power source for rotating the gripper 22 about the first axis a. The actuator can be a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or an electric cylinder. The actuator 26 is adjusted based on a control signal from the aforementioned controller, enabling control of the amount of rotation of the gripper 22 about the first rotation axis a.

[0074] The second rotation mechanism 24b is a structure for rotating the gripper 22 about a second rotation axis b that intersects the first rotation axis a. The second rotation mechanism 24b includes an actuator 28, which serves as a power source for rotating the gripper 22 about the second rotation axis b. The actuator can be a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or an electric cylinder. The actuator 28 is adjusted based on a control signal from the aforementioned controller, enabling control of the amount of rotation of the gripper 22 about the second rotation axis b.

[0075] The drive unit 30 is a device for moving the rotating unit 24, which carries the clamp 22, forward, backward, up, and down. For example... Figure 3As shown, the drive device 30 includes a first track 32 extending along a first direction X and a second track 34 extending along a second direction Y intersecting the first direction X, serving as both a lateral movement unit and a lifting unit. In this embodiment, the first direction X and the second direction Y intersect each other perpendicularly. The gripper 22 can move together with the rotating unit 24 on the first track 32 and the second track 34. That is, the gripper 22 can move along the first direction X on the first track 32 and can move along the second direction Y on the second track 34.

[0076] Furthermore, in the drive unit 30, the first track 32 extending along the first direction X can be moved along the second direction Y by power from a servo motor (not shown) serving as the drive source. The second track 34 extending along the second direction Y can be moved along the first direction X by power from a servo motor (not shown) serving as the drive source. These servo motors are driven based on control signals from the aforementioned controller, thereby enabling the position of the gripper 22, mounted on the first track 32 and the second track 34 via the rotating unit, to be moved to any position in the XY plane.

[0077] Thus, in the workpiece holding device 20, by combining the action based on the rotation unit 24 and the action based on the drive device 30, the gripper 22 can be operated with a high degree of freedom on a two-dimensional plane (a plane parallel to the paper plane) defined by the first direction X and the second direction Y. As a result, the gripper 22 is brought close at an appropriate angle relative to the ankle portion 2c of the workpiece 2 located at the holding position on the conveyor 4, and the holding action based on the gripper 22 can be realized with high precision in a simple structure.

[0078] Furthermore, the specific control methods for the rotating unit 24 and the drive device 30 will be described later.

[0079] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, a guide 38 is provided on the conveyor 4 to adjust the posture of the workpiece 2 conveyed from the upstream side. The workpiece 2, fed into the conveyor 4 from the upstream side, is initially fed with its front end 2d facing approximately downstream, but its posture may deviate slightly. The guide 38 includes a pair of guide members 38a and 38b, which are arranged on both sides of the conveyor 4 in the width direction, decreasing in size towards the downstream side of the conveyor 4 at intervals between them. The workpiece 2, conveyed forward on the conveyor 4, has its posture adjusted by the pair of guide members 38a and 38b to bring its front end 2d closer to the center, thereby uniformizing the posture of the workpiece 2 on the conveyor 4. This allows the gripper 22 to hold the workpiece 2 on the conveyor 4 with high precision.

[0080] In addition, the pair of guide members 38a and 38b are configured to have a predetermined angle relative to the extension direction of the conveyor 4, and can also be configured to allow the angle to be variable as needed.

[0081] Additionally, a first sensor 40 is disposed near the downstream end of the conveyor 4. The first sensor 40 is an optical sensor that can detect, in a non-contact manner, that the front end 2d of the workpiece 2 conveyed on the conveyor 4 has reached the first position P1 by emitting measuring light and detecting its reflected light. As described above, when a guide 38 is provided on the conveyor 4, the first sensor 40 can detect that the front end 2d of the workpiece 2, after its posture has been adjusted by the guide 38, has reached the first position P1.

[0082] The first position P1 is located at a position a first distance X1 away from the downstream end of the conveyor 4. The first sensor 40 is positioned corresponding to the first position P1, at a location where measuring light can be emitted from the side of the conveyor 4 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the extending direction of the conveyor 4. When the first sensor 40 detects that the front end 2d of the workpiece 2 has reached the first position P1, as shown in reference... Figure 8A As described later, the controller causes the conveyor 4 to return in the opposite direction by a predetermined amount, thereby enabling the workpiece's gripping part (near the ankle 2c) to be moved with high precision to the gripping position on the conveyor 4. Thus, through the combination of the rotational action of the gripper 22 performed by the rotating unit 24 and the forward, backward, up, and down movements performed by the lateral movement unit and lifting unit constituting the drive device 30, the workpiece 2, which has been moved to the gripping position, can be gripped with high precision.

[0083] The processing apparatus 50 is an apparatus for performing a specified processing on a workpiece 2 held by the clamp 22 in a suspended state at a specified position via the aforementioned rotating unit 24 and drive device 30.

[0084] The processing apparatus 50 includes a third sensor 42 for detecting the state of the workpiece 2 in a suspended position. In this embodiment, the third sensor 42, like the aforementioned first sensor 40, is a non-contact optical sensor, configured to detect the gripping portion of the clamp 22 on the workpiece 2 in a suspended position.

[0085] The detection result of the third sensor 42 is sent to the controller, which is used to determine the location for performing the processing by the processing device 50. That is, by using the third sensor 42 to detect the gripping part of the clamp 22 on the workpiece 2 which is in a suspended position, the location where various processing by the processing device 50 should be performed can be appropriately determined based on the gripping part.

[0086] At this time, before the workpiece is held by the workpiece holding device 20, if the controller has information related to the shape of the workpiece 2 located on the conveyor 4, it can make the above-mentioned judgment by considering the detection result of the third sensor 42 in addition to the information. For example, if image data of the workpiece 2 is obtained by an imaging device (not shown) on the conveyor 4 upstream of the holding position, the controller can also determine the processing position of the workpiece 2 by comparing the holding position based on the gripper 22 detected by the third sensor 42 with the image data.

[0087] The processing device 30 includes: a robotic arm 45, which has a tool 43 at its front end capable of forming a cut (not shown) on the workpiece 2 (see reference). Figure 6 The robotic arm 45 is a multi-axis robot capable of moving based on control signals from a controller (not shown). The robotic arm 45 has a robotic structure with six or more axes, and a tool 43 mounted at its front end can approach the workpiece 2 at any angle or orientation. The controller, for example, controls the robotic arm 45 to form the incision at a processing position determined based on the detection results of the third sensor 42, as described above.

[0088] The meat separator 46 has a plate-shaped portion extending horizontally. Viewed from the workpiece 2 held by the clamp 22, a support portion 44 is arranged on the side opposite to the meat separator 46. The workpiece 2 is clamped by the meat separator 46 with its inserted cut portion and the support portion 44. The support portion 44 can be rotated by an actuator (not shown). In this state, as shown in the reference... Figure 8E As will be described later, by moving the clamp 22 upward, the meat portion 2b clamped between the meat separator 46 and the support portion 44 is peeled off from the workpiece 2.

[0089] Furthermore, a recess 47 corresponding to the workpiece 2 is provided in the support portion 44. As a result, when the workpiece 2 is clamped by the meat separator 46 and the support portion 44, the workpiece 2 is prevented from shifting laterally, and the posture of the workpiece 2 can be stabilized.

[0090] Next, the method for processing edible meat implemented by the edible meat processing system 10 having the above-described structure will be described. Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for processing edible meat. Figures 8A-8E Is with Figure 7 The explanatory diagrams for each step are shown below.

[0091] First, while workpieces 2 are being conveyed sequentially on conveyor 4, the first sensor 40 determines whether the front end 2d of a specific workpiece 2 has reached the first position P1 (step S100). When the first sensor 40 detects that the front end 2d of workpiece 2 has reached the first position P1 (step S100: Yes), as follows... Figure 8A As shown, by causing the conveyor 4 to return in the opposite direction by a predetermined amount ΔX (step S101), the gripping position of the workpiece 2 is adjusted to the gripping position of the conveyor 4.

[0092] The ankle portion 2c of workpiece 2 may vary in size due to preprocessing, and is a part with large individual differences. However, by using the first sensor 40 to reach the first position P1 at the front end 2d of workpiece 2, the conveyor 4 is made to return in the opposite direction by a predetermined amount ΔX. Thus, regardless of the size of the ankle portion 2c of workpiece 2, the position from the front end 2d of workpiece 2 to the predetermined amount ΔX is uniformly determined as the holding position.

[0093] Next, the controller moves the gripper 22 to the gripping position on the conveyor 4 by controlling the rotation unit 24 and the drive device 30 (step S102). In step S102, the control is performed as described above, the angle of the gripper 22 is adjusted by the rotation unit 24 to a suitable angle for gripping the workpiece 2, and the gripper 22 is brought close to the gripping position on the conveyor 4 by the drive device 30.

[0094] Next, as Figure 8B As shown, the controller controls the gripper 22 to hold the gripping part of the workpiece 2 in the gripping position (step S103). In step S103, the gripping part of the workpiece 2 is inserted between a pair of jaws 22a and 22b of the gripper 22 in the open state, and the gripper 22 is closed by reducing the gap between the pair of jaws 22a and 22b, thereby holding the workpiece 2.

[0095] Next, as Figure 8C As shown, the controller, by controlling the rotating unit 24 and the drive device 30, uses the gripper 22 to move the workpiece 2 into a suspended position (step S104). In step S104, the rotating unit 24 and the drive device 30 cooperate to lift the gripped workpiece 2 from the conveyor 4. Furthermore, at a predetermined position where the workpiece 2 does not interfere with the conveyor 4, the rotating unit 24 adjusts the angle of the gripper 22 to be approximately horizontal, thereby achieving a downward suspended position for the meat portion of the workpiece 2.

[0096] Next, as Figure 8D As shown, via the third sensor 42 (refer to...) Figure 6 The process involves detecting the gripping part of the workpiece 2 in a suspended posture (step S105), and determining the processing position for processing based on the detection result (step S106). In step S106, as described above, if image data of the workpiece 2 has been acquired in advance, the processing position can also be determined by comparing the detection result of the third sensor 42 with the image data.

[0097] Next, processing is performed on the processing location determined in step S106 (step S107). In this embodiment, as an example of processing, such as Figure 8E As shown, by inserting the meat separator of the processing device 30 into the cut portion formed at the processing position, and with the workpiece 2 fixed between the meat separator and the support portion, the gripper 22 holding the workpiece 2 is raised and lowered, thereby separating the meat from the workpiece 2. By raising and lowering the gripper 22 while holding the workpiece 2 in this manner, a larger peeling force can be applied between the gripper 22 and the meat separator inserted into the cut portion. Therefore, meat peeling can be performed with a simple structure and a force greater than that of a robotic arm.

[0098] Figure 9 yes Figure 5 A modified example. In this modified example, the workpiece holding device 20, in addition to the aforementioned first sensor 40, also includes a second sensor 41. The second sensor 41 is configured to detect the arrival of the workpiece 2 at a second position P2 located at a second distance X2 from the downstream end of the conveyor 4 constituting the conveying unit 3. The second distance X2 is smaller than the first distance X1 corresponding to the first sensor 40 (i.e., the second sensor 41 is positioned closer to the first sensor 40 when viewed from the downstream end of the conveyor 4). The second sensor 41, like the aforementioned first sensor 40, is an optical sensor, capable of detecting the arrival of the front end 2d of the workpiece 2 conveyed on the conveyor 4 at the second position P2 in a non-contact manner by emitting measuring light and detecting its reflected light.

[0099] Furthermore, the workpiece holding device 20 of this modification includes a holding pressure adjustment unit 52 for adjusting the holding pressure of the guide member 38. The guide members 38a and 38b constituting the guide member 38 are held at the edge of the conveyor 4 constituting the conveying unit 3 by a predetermined holding mechanism. The holding pressure of the holding mechanism on the guide members 38a and 38b can be appropriately adjusted by the holding pressure adjustment unit 52. The adjustment of the holding pressure by the holding pressure adjustment unit 52 can be performed manually by an operator or automatically by a controller based on a controller not shown.

[0100] Figure 10 It means that it is possible to possess Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a method for processing edible meat implemented by the processing apparatus 50 of the workpiece holding device 20 in a modified example. Figures 11A-11C Is with Figure 10 The explanatory diagrams for each step are shown below.

[0101] First, while the workpiece 2 is being conveyed forward on the conveyor 4 (step S200), the second sensor 41 determines whether the front end 2d of the specific workpiece 2 has reached the second position P2 (step S201). Figure 11AAs shown, when the second sensor 41 detects that the front end 2d of the workpiece 2 has reached the second position P2 (step S201: Yes), the holding pressure adjustment unit 52 adjusts to reduce the holding pressure of the guide 38 (step S202).

[0102] After this adjustment reduces the holding pressure of guide 38, such as Figure 11B As shown, during the further transport of workpiece 2 towards the downstream side of conveyor 4, the side of workpiece 2 contacts guide member 38, thereby bearing the pressing load from guide member 38. At this time, workpiece 2 bears the pressing load through a pair of guide members 38a and 38b arranged on both sides of conveyor 4, thereby adjusting its posture so that the front end 2d of workpiece 2 is located on the center line of conveyor 4. At this time, the pressing load borne by guide member 38 depends on the hardness of workpiece 2. If the pressing load is too large, poor transport such as workpiece 2 jumping onto guide member 38 may occur. For example, if workpiece 2 is extremely cooled meat, it is harder than moderately cooled meat, so workpiece 2 is difficult to deform relative to the pressing load borne by guide member 38 and is prone to jumping onto guide member 38. However, in this modified example, by reducing the holding pressure in step S202, the pressing load borne by workpiece 2 from guide member 38 is adjusted so that it is not too large, thereby utilizing the softness of guide member 38 to absorb the pressing load and appropriately preventing such poor transport.

[0103] Next, the first sensor 40 determines whether the front end 2d of the workpiece 2, which is being further conveyed forward by the conveyor 4, has reached the first position P1 (step S203). Figure 11C As shown, when the first sensor 40 detects that the front end 2d of the workpiece 2 has reached the first position P1 (step S203: Yes), the holding pressure adjustment unit 52 readjusts the holding pressure of the guide 38 again so that the workpiece is in the proper gripping position again (step S204). Thus, the gripper can be used to perform gripping with high precision.

[0104] Thus, through the processes up to step S204, the front end 2d of the workpiece 2 can be appropriately positioned in the holding position near the downstream end of the conveyor 4. Consequently, by performing the processes after step S205, the workpiece 2, which has been moved to the holding position, can be held with high precision through the combination of the rotational action of the gripper 22 performed by the rotating unit 24 and the forward and backward vertical movement performed by the lateral movement unit and the lifting unit constituting the drive device 30.

[0105] also, Figure 10 The subsequent processing steps after step S205 and Figure 7 The subsequent processes after step S102 are the same, so repeated explanations are omitted here.

[0106] Furthermore, the adjustment of the holding pressure of the guide 38 in step S202 or S204 can be based on the hardness of the workpiece 2. In particular, the hardness of the workpiece 2 is closely related to the temperature of the workpiece 2 (for example, the lower the temperature of the workpiece 2, the harder the workpiece 2), so the adjustment of the holding pressure can also be based on the temperature of the workpiece 2.

[0107] Thus, according to this modified example, although a second sensor 41 and a pressure adjustment unit 52 are required compared to the aforementioned embodiments, no design changes are made to the hardware structure of the guide member 38, etc. By using software control of these structures, the workpiece 2 can be positioned in the gripping position based on the guide member 38 with high precision. Therefore, even when the workpiece 2 handled by the user of this system has various types (hardness, temperature), the workpiece 2 can be positioned in the gripping position with high precision according to the state of the workpiece 2 through such software control.

[0108] As explained above, according to the above embodiments, by controlling the rotation unit 24 and the drive device 30, the angle and front-back and up-down position of the clamp 22 relative to the horizontal plane can be adjusted, thereby enabling the workpiece 2 to be held with good precision and processed with large force with a simple structure.

[0109] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1. Meat processing system 2. Workpiece 2a Bone 2b Meat section 2c Ankle 2d front end 3 Conveying Unit 4 Conveyor 5 entrance 6 Pre-processing area 7 Processing Stations 10. Meat processing equipment 20 Workpiece holding device 22 Clamping device 22a, 22b Claws 24 Rotating Units 24a First Rotating Mechanism 24b Second Rotating Mechanism 26, 28 actuators 30 Drive unit 32 First Track 34 Second Track 38. Guide 38a, 38b Guide components 40 First Sensor 41 Second Sensor 42 Third Sensor 43 Tools 44 Support section 45 robotic arms 46 Meat Separator 47 recess 50 Processing Equipment 52. Maintain pressure adjustment section

Claims

1. A workpiece holding device, comprising: A gripper, used to hold a workpiece conveyed by a conveyor unit; A rotating unit for rotating the gripper to adjust the angle of the gripper relative to the horizontal plane; The drive unit includes a lateral movement unit and a lifting unit for moving the gripper and the rotating unit forward, backward, up, and down; and A controller is used to control the drive device and the rotating unit so that the workpiece is held in a gripping position on the conveying unit by the clamp.

2. The workpiece holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first sensor for detecting that the front end of the workpiece located on the conveying unit has reached a first position. When the first sensor detects that the front end of the workpiece has reached the first position, the controller uses the conveying unit to return a predetermined amount in the opposite direction, thereby moving the gripping part of the workpiece to the gripping position.

3. The workpiece holding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It includes a guide for adjusting the posture of the workpiece conveyed by the conveying unit.

4. The workpiece holding device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide includes a pair of guide members, which are arranged on both sides of the conveying unit in the width direction with a spacing between them, decreasing in size towards the downstream side of the conveying unit.

5. The workpiece holding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also has: A first sensor is used to detect that the front end of the workpiece located on the conveying unit has reached a first position, which is a first distance from the downstream end of the conveying unit; A second sensor is used to detect that the front end of the workpiece located on the conveying unit has reached a second position, which is a second distance from the downstream end of the conveying unit, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; A guide for adjusting the posture of the workpiece conveyed by the conveying unit; and A pressure adjustment unit is included, which is used to adjust the holding pressure of the guide member. When the second sensor detects that the front end of the workpiece being conveyed forward by the conveying unit has reached the second position, the controller adjusts the holding pressure by using the holding pressure adjustment unit to reduce the holding pressure of the guide. Then, the conveying unit further conveys the workpiece forward so that the front end of the workpiece reaches the first position, thereby moving the gripping part of the workpiece to the gripping position.

6. The workpiece holding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the first sensor detects that the front end of the workpiece being conveyed in the forward direction by the conveying unit has reached the first position, the controller uses the holding pressure adjustment unit to readjust the holding pressure of the guide.

7. The workpiece holding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, During the period when the front end of the workpiece moves from the second position to the first position, the controller controls the conveying unit to convey the workpiece in a forward direction, overcoming the holding pressure of the guide.

8. The workpiece holding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The holding pressure adjustment unit adjusts the holding pressure based on the temperature of the workpiece.

9. The workpiece holding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guide includes a pair of guide members, which are arranged on both sides of the conveying unit in the width direction with a spacing between them, decreasing in size towards the downstream side of the conveying unit.

10. The workpiece holding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It also has a third sensor, which is used to detect the gripping part of the workpiece by the gripper when the workpiece held by the gripper is rotated into a suspended posture by the rotating unit.

11. The workpiece holding device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The processing position of the workpiece is determined by comparing the gripping part detected by the third sensor with the image data of the workpiece.

12. The workpiece holding device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The processing position is the cut section for inserting a meat separator that extends horizontally.

13. The workpiece holding device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The controller controls the drive device to raise and lower the clamp holding the workpiece while the meat separator is inserted into the cut portion.

14. The workpiece holding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The rotating unit has: A first rotating mechanism for rotating the clamp about a first axis along the vertical plane; and The second rotation mechanism is used to rotate the gripper about a second axis that intersects the first axis.

15. A workpiece holding method, comprising: A gripper, used to hold a workpiece conveyed by a conveyor unit; A rotating unit for rotating the gripper to adjust the angle of the gripper relative to a horizontal plane; and The drive unit includes a lateral movement unit and a lifting unit for moving the gripper and the rotating unit forward, backward, up, and down. in, The drive device and the rotating unit are controlled so that the workpiece is held in a gripping position on the conveying unit by the clamp.

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