Fastening cord cutting device, processing device, and processing method

Abstract

To provide a fastening cord cutting device, a processing device, and a processing method capable of suppressing the occurrence of a cutting failure.SOLUTION: The fastening cord cutting device cuts a fastening cord for fastening an object to be fastened at a cutting position. The fastening cord cutting device comprises a base, a cutting blade, a fixing member and a step. The base includes an insertion tip, a first arrangement area, and a second arrangement area. The first and second arrangement areas are spaced apart from each other holding the cutting position therebetween in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction. The fastening cord is disposed in the first and second arrangement areas. The cutting blade moves between a start position and an end position spaced apart from each other holding the cutting position therebetween in the first direction. The fixing member moves between a fixing position for fixing the fastening cord to the first arrangement area in a state where the fastening cord is arranged in the first arrangement area and a releasing position for releasing the fixing of the fastening cord to the first arrangement area. The step is provided in the second arrangement area, and limits the movement of the fastening cord in the first direction in a state where the fastening cord is arranged in the second arrangement area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fastening cord cutting device, a processing device, and a processing method used to cut a fastening cord of an object fastened with the fastening cord. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a bundle unpacking and supplying device that can grip and unpack bundles on a pallet without manual labor and automatically supply them to a downstream wrapping device, etc. In this bundle unpacking and supplying device, a transfer process for gripping and transferring the bundles and a cutting process for cutting the bundles are performed by separate devices. In the cutting process, a string scooping part moves in an arc to scoop up the cross-intersecting parts of the fastening strings, and a rotating blade that also moves in an arc cuts the vertical and horizontal strings of the cross strings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-104033 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the bundle unpacking and supplying device described in the cited document 1, the string scooping part is configured to scoop up the cross-intersection of the fastening string by a circular motion in the string cutting process, but there are cases where the cross-intersection cannot be scooped up. In such cases, the string cannot be cut reliably, and poor cutting of the string may occur.

[0005] The present invention relates to a fastening cord cutting device, a processing device, and a processing method that can suppress the occurrence of cutting defects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A fastening cord cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention is capable of cutting a fastening cord that fastens an object at a cutting position. The fastening cord cutting device includes a base portion, a cutting blade, a fixing member, and a step portion. The base portion has an insertion tip portion, a first arrangement area, and a second arrangement area. The insertion tip portion is provided at one end portion that is an end portion facing one direction along the first direction. The first arrangement area and the second arrangement area are located on the upper surface of the base. More specifically, the first arrangement area and the second arrangement area are provided at the other end portion that is the end portion in the other direction along the first direction. The first arrangement area and the second arrangement area are arranged apart from each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction across the cutting position. The base portion is inserted between the object to be fastened and the fastening string from the insertion tip portion so that the fastening string is arranged in the first arrangement area and the second arrangement area. The cutting blade is oriented in one direction along the first direction and is movable between a start position and an end position that are spaced apart in the first direction across the cutting position. The fixing member is movable between a fixing position in which the fastening string is fixed to the first arrangement area with the fastening string placed in the first arrangement area, and a release position in which the fastening string is released from the fixation of the fastening string to the first arrangement area. The step portion is provided on the base portion and restricts movement of the fastening string in one direction along the first direction when the fastening string is placed in the second placement area.

[0007] A processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes the fastening-cord cutting device and a control unit that controls the operation of the fastening-cord cutting device.

[0008] A method for treating an object fastened with a fastening string according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for treating an object fastened with a fastening string using the above-described treatment device. The method for processing an object fastened with the fastening string includes an inserting step, a gripping step, a transferring step, and a cutting step. The insertion process is a process of inserting the fastening cord cutting device by inserting the fastening cord cutting device from the insertion tip end between the fastened object and the fastening cord, and moving it to place the fastening cord in the first placement area and the second placement area. The gripping step is a step of moving the fixing member to the fixing position, fixing the fastening string to the first arrangement area with the fixing member, and gripping the fastening string. The transfer process is a process in which, while the fastening string is held by the fixing member, the fastening string cutting device transfers the fastened object fastened with the fastening string so as to change its position and posture. The cutting process is a process in which, after changing the position and posture of the object fastened with the fastening string, the cutting blade is moved while the fastening string is gripped by the fixing member to cut the fastening string. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defective cutting of the fastening string. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a fastening cord cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating an example of how the fastening cord cutting device is used. [Diagram 3] 13 is a diagram for explaining the insertion process by the fastening cord cutting device, and is a diagram for explaining the state of insertion of the fastening cord cutting device from the time the fastening cord is scooped up to the time it is moved to the first and second placement areas. FIG. [Figure 4] 1A is a schematic perspective view of an enlarged portion of the fastening cord cutting device in which a fastening cord is placed, FIG. 1B is a schematic plan view, and FIG. 1C is a partial perspective view including the insertion tip portion of the base portion that constitutes part of the fastening cord cutting device. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating how the fastening cord is cut by the fastening cord cutting device. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a diagram of a processing system including a processing device having the fastening cord cutting device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a partial functional configuration of the processing device. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram of the processing apparatus. [Figure 9] This is a diagram explaining the insertion process by the above-mentioned processing device, and illustrates the state of insertion of the fastening string cutting device until the fastening strings of the processing object fastened with two fastening strings are scooped up and moved to the first and second placement areas. [Figure 10] 10(A) is a schematic plan view of FIG. 9(C), and (B) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XB-XB of FIG. 10(A). [Figure 11] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a transfer process performed by the processing device. [Figure 12] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating the fastening cord separating process and the fastening cord recovering process performed by the processing device. [Figure 13] 1A is a schematic plan view showing how the fastening string is cut by the processing device, and FIG. 1B is a schematic plan view illustrating the state after the fastening string has been cut. [Figure 14] 10 is a schematic plan view illustrating how the position of the fastening string is detected by an optical camera mounted on the processing device. FIG. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the positioning of the fastening cord cutting device relative to the object to be processed when the processing device starts to pick up the fastening cord. [Figure 16] 13 is a diagram for explaining the positioning of the fastening cord cutting device relative to the processing object when the processing device starts to pick up the fastening cord in the case where the processing object is placed at an angle. FIG. [Figure 17] 13 is a modified example of the claw portion of the fastening cord cutting device. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fastening cord cutting device according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the configuration of the device may be appropriately simplified in order to make the drawings easier to understand.

[0012] <Cutting cord cutting device> As shown in Fig. 1, a fastening cord cutting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction that are perpendicular to one another. The first direction corresponds to the extension direction of the fastening cord cutting device 1. The second direction corresponds to the width direction of the fastening cord cutting device 1. The third direction corresponds to the height direction of the fastening cord cutting device 1.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, the fastening cord cutting device 1 is configured to be capable of cutting a fastening cord 2 of a processing object 4. The processing object 4 is a laminate in which a plurality of fastened objects 3, such as flattened cardboard sheets, are stacked together and fastened with the fastening cord 2. The fastening cord cutting device 1 cuts the fastening cord 2 while being inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3 of the processing object 4.

[0014] In this specification, the surface of the object 4 to be processed on the side where the fastening cord cutting device 1 is inserted is referred to as the first surface 4a. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the first surface 4a is one surface of the object 3 to be fastened that is arranged at the top of the multiple objects 3 to be fastened, and is a surface that is approximately perpendicular to the stacking direction of the multiple objects 3 to be fastened. In addition, a surface of the object 4 to be processed that is approximately perpendicular to the first surface 4a is referred to as the side surface 4b. The side surface 4b is a surface that is approximately parallel to the stacking direction, and in the example shown in Fig. 2, the object 4 to be processed has four side surfaces 4b. Moreover, a pair of opposing sides parallel or approximately parallel to the fastening string 2 on the first surface 4a of the processing target object 4, which is approximately rectangular in plan view, are referred to as first sides 4c. There are cases where the first sides 4c and the fastening string 2 are not positioned completely parallel to each other and the fastening string 2 is positioned at an angle, in which case the first sides 4c and the fastening string 2 are positioned approximately parallel to each other.

[0015] Typically, the fastening cord cutting device 1 is moved along a first direction and inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3. In this specification, the direction of movement of the fastening cord cutting device 1 when inserting it between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3 in the first direction is referred to as "one direction", and the opposite direction is referred to as "the other direction". Furthermore, in this specification, when the fastening cord cutting device 1 is placed on the first surface 4a of the object to be processed 4 in the posture for cutting the fastening cord 2, the side facing the first surface 4a as viewed from the fastening cord cutting device 1 is referred to as "bottom" and the side away from the first surface 4a is referred to as "top". In this specification, a view seen from above in the third direction (height direction) is referred to as a plan view. Furthermore, in this specification, "along the first direction (second direction or third direction)" includes not only a direction parallel to the first direction (second direction or third direction) but also a direction that includes a component of the first direction (second direction or third direction).

[0016] In this specification, of a pair of side edges in the short direction of the fastening cord 2 (corresponding to the width direction of the fastening cord), the side edge on the side where the fastening cord cutting device 1 is inserted as viewed from the fastening cord 2 is referred to as the first side edge 2a, and the other side edge is referred to as the second side edge 2b.

[0017] 1 and 2, the fastening-cord cutting device 1 has a base portion 5, a pressing mechanism 75, a notched groove 6 as a step portion, a cutting mechanism 92, and a claw portion 8. The fastening-cord cutting device 1 is capable of cutting the fastening cord 2 of the object to be processed 4 at a cutting position 20 in a state where it is inserted between the fastening cord 2 of the object to be processed 4 and the object to be fastened 3. Each component will be described below.

[0018] [Base part] As shown in FIG. 1, the base portion 5 has an insertion tip portion 51, a placement stand 50, and a side wall portion 52. The insertion tip portion 51, the placement stand 50, and the side wall portion 52 are, for example, integrally formed. The insertion tip portion 51 is provided on the opposite side of the side wall portion 52 along the first direction with the placement stand 50 therebetween. The base portion 5 has one end portion 5a which is an end portion in one direction along the first direction, and the other end portion 5b which is an end portion in the other direction along the first direction, with the insertion tip portion 51 provided at the one end portion 5a, and the side wall portion 52 provided at the other end portion 5b. The base portion 5 is made of, for example, aluminum, stainless steel, or a resin material.

[0019] 1 and 2, the base portion 5 has a pair of surfaces facing each other along the third direction, one of which is closer to the first surface 4a of the processing object 4 when the fastening string is cut and is referred to as the lower surface 5c here. Also, the surface facing the lower surface 5c along the third direction is referred to as the upper surface 5d. In the fastening cord cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the upper surface 5d includes an inclined surface 51a of the insertion tip portion 51 described later (see, for example, FIG. 4(C)), an upper surface 50a of the placement table 50, and an upper surface of the side wall portion 52. On the other hand, the lower surface 5c is formed by the lower surface of the insertion tip portion 51, the lower surface of the placement stand 50 and the lower surface of the side wall portion 52 being continuous on the same plane.

[0020] (Insertion tip) As shown in Fig. 1, the insertion tip 51 is provided at one end 5a of the base part 5. As shown in Fig. 2 and Figs. 3(A) to (D), the fastening-string cutting device 1 is inserted between the fastening string 2 of the processing object 4 and the fastened object 3, with the insertion tip 51 side first, in a direction in which a first direction of the fastening-string cutting device 1 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fastening string 2, and scoops up the fastening string 2 by moving in one direction along the first direction. When inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the object to be fastened 3, the angle between the longitudinal direction of the fastening cord 2 and the first direction of the fastening cord cutting device 1 when projected onto the first surface 4a is set to approximately 70° to 90°.

[0021] 1 and 3, the insertion tip 51 has a shape with an inclined surface 51a whose thickness (dimension in the third direction) decreases in one direction along the first direction (direction from the other end 5b toward the one end 5a). The inclined surface 51a is a surface that is inclined with respect to the upper surface 50a of the placement table 50. By making the insertion tip 51 have a shape in which the thickness decreases in one direction in this manner, the fastening string 2 can be more reliably scooped up, and the occurrence of poor scooping of the fastening string 2 can be suppressed.

[0022] Furthermore, in order to more reliably prevent the occurrence of poor scooping of the fastening string 2, it is preferable that the inclined surface 51a of the insertion tip portion 51 be provided with a claw portion 8 (details of which will be described later) that partially protrudes from the inclined surface 51a. In this embodiment, the insertion tip 51 is inserted between the fastening string 2 and the object 3 together with the claw portion 8. For this reason, if the insertion tip 51 is too thick, it may not be possible to insert the insertion tip 51. Also, the claw portion 8 is fixed to the insertion tip 51 by, for example, a flat head screw so as not to affect the insertion (scooping). Referring to Figure 4 (C), from the viewpoint of ensuring the strength of the insertion tip portion 51 while more reliably inserting the insertion tip portion 51 between the fastening string 2 and the object to be fastened 3, it is preferable that the thickness d of the most distal end (the thinnest part) of the insertion tip portion 51 be approximately 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. 4(C), in order to enable the claw portion 8 to be fixed by screwing, a certain thickness is required at the portion of the insertion tip portion 51 where the threading is performed, and it is preferable that the thickness e of the thickest portion of the insertion tip portion 51 is about 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. Note that the claw portion 8 may be fixed by an adhesive tape or the like, and in this case, the thickness e may be made thinner than in the case of screwing.

[0023] Please refer to Figures 3 and 4(C). As shown in Figures 3(A) to 3(D), the fastening string 2 scooped up by the insertion tip 51 moves to the upper surface 50a of the placement table 50 through the inclined surface 51a of the insertion tip 51 by the fastening string cutting device 1 moving in one direction along the first direction. At this time, the fastening string 2 passes through a corner 5e of the base part 5, which is a boundary part between the inclined surface 51a of the insertion tip 51 and the upper surface 50a of the placement table 50, and also passes through a corner 5f (see Figure 4(C)) corresponding to a pair of sides that define the width of the upper surface 50a of the base part 5. It is preferable to perform C-chamfering or R-chamfering on the corners 5e and 5f so that the fastening string 2 is not torn off at these corners 5e and 5f.

[0024] (Placement stand) As shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 4(A) and (B), the arrangement table 50 is connected to the insertion tip portion 51. A first arrangement area 21 and a second arrangement area 22 are provided on an upper surface 50a of the arrangement table 50. In the fastening cord cutting device 1 in a state in which the fastening cord is cut, the fastening cord 2 is arranged in the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22. The first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22 approximately correspond to an area on the base portion 5 that overlaps with the fastening cord 2 when the fastening cord cutting device 1 is viewed in a plan view. The first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22 are arranged apart from each other in the second direction, sandwiching the cutting position 20. The first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22 are provided at the other end portion 5b of the base portion 5. In this embodiment, the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22 are provided adjacent to the side wall portion 52 on the insertion tip portion 51 side, and are arranged so that they are distributed to the left and right sides of the base portion 5, sandwiching the cutting position 20, when viewed from the insertion tip portion 51.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 3(A) to 3(E), on the arrangement table 50, the fastening string 2 is arranged in the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22. In detail, by moving the fastening string cutting device 1 along the first direction, the fastening string 2 moves along the inclined surface 51a of the insertion tip portion 51 to the upper surface 50a of the arrangement table 50. Next, the fastening string 2 slides on the upper surface 50a and moves in the other direction along the first direction, and reaches the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22 provided at the other end 5b of the base part 5 in the first direction. The fastening string 2 is cut while being arranged in the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, 4(A) and (B), the placement stand 50 has a first arm portion 11, a second arm portion 12 and a connecting portion 13. The first arm 11 and the second arm 12 each extend in a first direction. The first arm 11 and the second arm 12 are disposed apart from each other in the second direction. 4(B), the connecting portion 13 connects one end 11a of the first arm portion 11 along the first direction to one end 12a of the second arm portion 12 along the first direction. The connecting portion 13 extends in the second direction. The connecting portion 13 is connected to the insertion tip portion 51. The placement base 50, which is constituted by the first arm portion 11, the second arm portion 12 and the connecting portion 13, has a U-shape in plan view. The space surrounded by the first arm 11, the second arm 12, and the connecting portion 13 constitutes a part of a movement region 95 in which a cutting blade 9 and a cutting blade support base 17 supporting the cutting blade 9, which will be described later, move. In this embodiment, the space surrounded by the first arm 11, the second arm 12, and the connecting portion 13 is formed as a hole penetrating along the third direction in which there is no member of the base portion 5, but it may have a bottom, and the region surrounded by the bottom, the first arm 11, the second arm 12, and the connecting portion 13 may be the movement region.

[0027] The first arm 11 is provided with a first arrangement area 21. The second arm 12 is provided with a second arrangement area 22. That is, the fastening string 2 can be held on the base portion 5 at two points spaced apart along the longitudinal direction.

[0028] From the viewpoint of allowing the fastening string 2 to move smoothly on the upper surface 50a without getting caught and to reliably reach the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22, it is preferable that the area of ​​the upper surface 50a where the fastening string 2 comes into contact and moves, other than the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22, be a flat surface. Note that the flat surface also includes, for example, a surface having minute irregularities to the extent that the movement of the fastening string 2 is not hindered.

[0029] In the fastening cord cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the first arrangement area 21 is on the same plane as the area of ​​the upper surface 50a other than the second arrangement area 22. From the above viewpoint, the first arrangement area 21 is also preferably a flat surface. In the fastening cord cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the second arrangement area 22 is provided with a notched groove 6 that is recessed further downward in the third direction than the area of ​​the upper surface 50a other than the second arrangement area 22.

[0030] (Side wall) 1, the side wall portion 52 is provided at the other end portion 5b of the base portion 5. The side wall portion 52 is provided on the opposite side to the insertion tip portion 51 in the first direction with the placement stand 50 therebetween. The side wall portion 52 protrudes and extends upward from the placement stand 50.

[0031] The side wall portion 52 has a side surface 52a perpendicular to the upper surface 50a. The side surface 52a may be a surface oblique to the upper surface 50a. The first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22 are adjacent to the side surface 52a.

[0032] 3(A) to 3(E), during insertion, the base portion 5 of the fastening cord cutting device 1 is inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3 until the first side edge 2a of the fastening cord 2 comes into contact with the side surface 52a. As a result, the fastening cord 2 is guided to the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22, and is arranged in the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22. More specifically, in the second arrangement area 22, the fastening cord 2 is guided so as to be arranged in a notched groove 6, described later, provided in the second arrangement area 22. In this way, the side wall portion 52 can be used to position the fastening cord 2 on the base portion 5.

[0033] [Press mechanism] As shown in FIG. 1, the pressing mechanism 75 has a pressing plate 7 as a fixing member, and a first drive unit 72.

[0034] The pressing plate 7 as a fixing member is configured to be able to clamp the fastening cord 2 arranged in the first arrangement area 21 of the base part 5 together with the base part 5 and fix the fastening cord 2 to the fastening cord cutting device 1. The pressing plate 7 can be said to be a holding means that fixes the fastening cord 2 and holds the arrangement position of the fastening cord 2 in the first arrangement area 21.

[0035] The pressing plate 7 is movable between a fixed position 71 and a released position 70 . The fixing position 71 is a position where the fastening cord 2 is fixed to the first arrangement area 21 in a state where the fastening cord 2 is arranged in the first arrangement area 21. By fixing the fastening cord 2 with the pressing plate 7, the fastening cord 2 is gripped by the fastening cord cutting device 1. The release position 70 is a position where the fastening string 2 is released from the first arrangement area 21. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the fixing position 71 is located below the release position 70, and the presser plate 7 is configured to be movable up and down along the third direction. Note that the presser plate 7 is not limited to being moved up and down, and for example, the release position may be diagonally above the fixing position. Furthermore, the shape of the fixing member is not limited to a plate like the pressing plate 7, but may be, for example, a box shape, as long as it has a surface for pressing the fastening string 2.

[0036] The first drive unit 72 controls the movement of the presser plate 7 between the release position 70 and the fixed position 71 . The first driving unit 72 is, for example, a linear actuator such as an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a linear motor. In this embodiment, for example, an air cylinder having a piston rod 73 is used as the first driving unit 72 (see FIG. 5). The pressure plate 7 is fixed to the piston rod 73 of the air cylinder (first driving unit 72) or a plate provided at the tip of the rod. The pressure plate 7 can move between a release position 70 and a fixed position 71 (movement in the vertical direction in this embodiment) by being driven by the first driving unit 72.

[0037] 1 and 4(A), the pressing plate 7 has a guide portion 7a that is curved upward at the end portion on the side where the fastening string 2 is inserted. The guide portion 7a can be formed by cutting or bending the end portion of the pressing plate 7 into a tapered shape. The guide portion 7a has an inclination such that the distance from the upper surface 50a of the first arm portion 11 gradually decreases toward the other side along the first direction. With this shape, when the fastening string 2 is moved on the upper surface 50a of the base portion 5, the fastening string 2 is less likely to get caught on the pressing plate 7, and the fastening string 2 can be guided between the base portion 5 and the pressing plate 7.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 4(A) and Fig. 5(A), at the fixing position 71, the lower surface 7b of the pressing plate 7 becomes the surface that contacts the fastening string 2. From the viewpoint of making the fastening string 2 less likely to shift position and more reliably fixing the fastening string 2 to the first arrangement area 21, it is preferable that the lower surface 7b is configured so as to have a large coefficient of friction with the fastening string 2. For example, in order to increase the coefficient of friction, the lower surface 7b of the pressing plate 7 may be embossed, knurled, sandblasted, or the like to form projections and recesses. Alternatively, in order to increase the coefficient of friction, a member such as a rubber material may be attached to the lower surface 7b of the pressing plate 7.

[0039] In the base part 5, the first arrangement area 21 is a portion with which the pressing plate 7 located at the fixing position 71 comes into contact via the fastening string 2 when the fastening string is cut. As described above, the first arrangement area 21 is a flat surface.

[0040] [Notched groove (step)] As shown in FIG. 1, 4(A) and 4(B), the fastening cord cutting device 1 has a notch groove 6 as a step portion. The notch groove 6 is provided in the base portion 5. The notch groove 6 restricts the movement of the fastening cord 2 arranged in the second arrangement area 22 of the second arm portion 12 along the first direction. In this embodiment, the notch groove 6 is provided in correspondence with the region of the second arrangement area 22. The notch groove 6 is formed in the upper surface 50a of the arrangement base 50 so as to be recessed from other regions of the upper surface 50a, forming a step. The notch groove 6 can be said to be a holding means for holding the arrangement position of the fastening cord 2 in the second arrangement area 22 by arranging the fastening cord 2 therein while allowing some movement along the first direction.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3(D), FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B), the notch groove 6 has a pair of inner side surfaces facing each other along the first direction and a bottom surface 6b. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 6b is, for example, a flat surface, and is a surface parallel to the upper surface 50a of the placement table 50. In the example shown in the figure, one of the pair of inner side surfaces, the inner side surface 6a, is a surface perpendicular to the upper surface 50a and the bottom surface 6b, but may be a surface oblique to the upper surface 50a and the bottom surface 6b. The other of the pair of inner side surfaces is formed by the side surface 52a of the side wall portion 52, and the notch groove 6 is adjacent to the side wall portion 52. In order to increase the coefficient of friction with the fastening string 2, the bottom surface 6b may be embossed, knurled, sandblasted, or the like to make the bottom surface 6b uneven. Alternatively, in order to increase the coefficient of friction, a member such as a rubber material may be attached to the bottom surface 6b.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 3(E), Fig. 4(A) and (B), the fastening string 2 placed in the notch groove 6 is placed on the bottom surface 6b, with the first side edge 2a being able to abut against the side surface 52a of the side wall portion 52, and the second side edge 2b being able to abut against the other inner surface 6a. The notch groove 6 restricts the movement of the fastening string 2 in the first direction with the fastening string 2 placed therein. More specifically, the notch groove 6 restricts the movement of the fastening string 2 placed in the notch groove 6 in one direction along the first direction by one inner surface 6a, and restricts the movement of the fastening string 2 placed in the notch groove 6 in the other direction along the first direction by the side surface 52a.

[0043] The notched groove 6 has a rectangular shape in a plan view. In a plan view, the notched groove 6 is provided over the entire length of the second arm portion 12 in the second direction, and the length of the notched groove 6 in the second direction is the same as the length of the second arm portion 12 in the second direction. In addition, the length of the notched groove 6 in the first direction is the same as or slightly longer than the length of the fastening string 2 of the object 4 in the short side direction.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 4(A). From the viewpoint of reliably positioning the fastening cord 2 within the cutout groove 6 and reliably cutting the fastening cord 2 by restricting the fastening cord 2 from moving excessively in its short direction when the fastening cord is cut, it is preferable that the length m in the first direction of the bottom surface 6b of the cutout groove 6 is approximately 5 mm larger than the short-side dimension of the fastening cord 2. In order to ensure that the fastening string 2 is securely positioned within the cutout groove 6 and makes it difficult for the fastening string 2 to come loose from within the cutout groove 6, it is preferable that the groove depth n of the cutout groove 6 in the third direction be approximately half the dimension p of the placement base 50 in the third direction, or approximately 5 mm.

[0045] Moreover, the angle between one inner surface 6a and the bottom surface 6b of the cutout groove 6 is preferably within a range of 90°±10°, and more preferably 90°±5°. This allows the fastening string 2 moving in the other direction along the first direction on the upper surface 50a to be reliably guided into the cutout groove 6. From the viewpoint of making it even more difficult for the fastening string 2 guided into the cutout groove 6 to come off from the cutout groove 6, it is particularly preferable to set the angle at 90°, and the fastening string 2 can be cut more reliably.

[0046] [Cutting mechanism] As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting mechanism 92 has a cutting blade 9, a cutting blade support base 17 that supports the cutting blade 9, and a second drive unit 93 (see FIG. 7 described later).

[0047] The cutting blade 9 is supported by the cutting blade support base 17 with its cutting edge facing in one direction along the first direction and the blade standing upright (with the width direction of the blade coinciding with the third direction). The cutting blade 9 is replaceable with respect to the cutting blade support base 17 that supports it. In this embodiment, the cutting edge is slightly inclined so that the lower part of the cutting edge reaches the cutting position 20 first.

[0048] In the fastening cord cutting device 1, with the fastening cord 2 arranged in the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22 as shown in Figures 4(A) and (B), the cutting blade 9 is moved from a start position 90 to an end position 91 as shown in Figures 5(A) to (C), whereby the fastening cord 2 is cut at the cutting position 20. Note that in the side view of Figure 5(C), although it is actually difficult to see the cut end of the fastening cord 2 from the side, the cut end is illustrated for the sake of convenience so that the state in which the fastening cord 2 is cut can be easily seen.

[0049] 1, the cutting blade support base 17 has a shape in which its thickness decreases in one direction in the first direction. With this configuration, when the cutting blade support base 17 supporting the cutting blade 9 is moved to cut the fastening cord 2, the cutting blade support base 17 is less likely to get caught on the fastening cord 2, and the fastening cord 2 can be cut more reliably.

[0050] The second drive unit 93 advances and retreats in the first direction the cutting blade support base 17 on which the cutting blade 9 is supported. The second drive unit 93 is, for example, a linear actuator such as an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a linear motor. 1 and 5(A) to (C), the cutting blade 9 and the cutting blade support base 17 that supports it can be moved between a start position 90 and an end position 91 that are spaced apart in the first direction across the cutting position 20 by being driven by a second drive unit 93. By moving the cutting blade 9 from the start position 90 to the end position 91, the fastening string 2 located at the cutting position 20 can be cut. The cutting blade support base 17 on which the cutting blade 9 is supported moves within a movement region 95 including an area surrounded by the first arm portion 11 , the second arm portion 12 , and the connecting portion 13 that constitute a part of the base portion 5 . As shown in FIG. 1, the fastening cord cutting device 1 has a cover part 53. The cover part 53 is provided so as to cover the cutting blade support base 17 on which the cutting blade 9 is supported, from three sides, two sides and an upper side, when the cutting blade 9 is located at the starting position 90. The cover part 53 has a U-shaped cross section along the third direction. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the fastening cord cutting device 1 has a regulating plate 54 that extends and protrudes from the side of the cover part 53 in the second direction. The lower surface of the regulating plate 54 is on the same plane as the lower surface 5c of the base part 5 and the lower surface of the cover part 53. The regulating plate 54 regulates the posture of the processing object 4 when the fastening cord 2 is gripped and transferred by the fastening cord cutting device 1.

[0051] The cutting position 20 is located between the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22. The cutting position 20 is where the cutting blade 9 passes and cuts the fastening string 2. 1 and 4(B), the cutting position 20 is preferably provided in a position adjacent to the first arrangement area 21 where the fastening string 2 is fixed by the pressure plate 7. "The cutting position is adjacent to the first arrangement area" refers to a state in which the cutting position 20 is located in an area closer to the first arrangement area 21 along the second direction than a position half the length along the second direction between the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22 (movement area 95).

[0052] [Claw part] 1, the claw portion 8 is provided on an inclined surface 51a of the insertion tip portion 51. The claw portion 8 is fixed to the insertion tip portion 51 by, for example, a screw.

[0053] The claw portion 8 has a protruding portion 8a that protrudes downward from the insertion tip portion 51 of the base portion 5, and a fixed portion 8b that is fixed to the inclined surface 51a of the insertion tip portion 51. In the claw portion 8, the protruding portion 8a and the fixed portion 8b are connected to each other to form an integrated structure, and the claw portion 8 has an overall flat thin plate shape. The protruding portion 8a protrudes downward from the insertion tip portion 51 along the inclination of the inclined surface 51a.

[0054] By providing a claw portion 8 having a protruding portion 8a that protrudes from the insertion tip portion 51 of the base portion 5, the fastening string 2 can be more reliably scooped up, and the occurrence of poor scooping of the fastening string 2 can be further prevented, which in turn can prevent the occurrence of poor cutting of the fastening string.

[0055] From the viewpoint of more reliably scooping the fastening string 2 with the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8, the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 is preferably configured to be thin and flexible, and the claw portion 8 is preferably made of an elastic member or has an elastically deformable shape, more specifically, a thin plate shape. For example, PP (polypropylene, flexural modulus 1350 MPa), PE-HDPE (high density polyethylene, flexural modulus 880 MPa), SUS (elastic modulus 193000 MPa), spring steel (elastic modulus 206000 MPa), etc. can be used as the claw portion 8. By using an elastic member or a material having an elastically deformable shape for the claw portion 8, the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 can be bent when the claw portion 8 is inserted between the fastening string 2 and the object to be fastened 3, and the fastening string 2 can be more reliably scooped.

[0056] From the viewpoint of more reliably scooping the fastening string 2, the thickness of the claw portion 8 is preferably about 0.5 mm or less. From the same viewpoint, the width (dimension in the second direction) of the portion of the claw portion 8 that is first inserted between the fastening string 2 and the object to be fastened 3 (the tip portion of the protruding portion 8a) is preferably about 10 mm or less. In addition, the width (dimension in the second direction) of the base portion of the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 (the boundary portion between the protruding portion 8a and the fixed portion 8b) is preferably the same as the width f of the base portion 5 (see FIG. 4(C)).

[0057] The material used for the claw portion 8 may be appropriately set depending on the material of the fastened object 3. For example, if the fastened object 3 is made of an easily scratched material such as metal, paper sheet, transparent resin, glass, etc., it is preferable to use a plastic material for the claw portion 8. Also, if the fastened object 3 is cardboard, it is preferable to use a stainless steel plate (SUS) for the claw portion 8.

[0058] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of more reliably scooping up the fastening string 2 with the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8, it is preferable that the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 has a shape in which the dimension in the second direction (width dimension) decreases toward one side of the first direction when viewed in a plane. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the claw portion 8 has a shape tapered in one direction in the first direction, in which a triangular protruding portion 8a and a rectangular fixing portion 8b are connected in a plan view. The shape of the claw portion 8 is not limited to this shape. For example, it may be a triangular claw portion 8A shown in Fig. 17(A), a rectangular claw portion 8B shown in Fig. 17(B), an elliptical claw portion 8C shown in Fig. 17(C), a claw portion 8D having a shape longer and thinner than the above-mentioned claw portion 8 shown in Fig. 17(D), a claw portion 8E having a shape in which a rectangle and a semi-ellipse are connected as shown in Fig. 17(E), or a claw portion 8F having a shape in which a trapezoid and a rectangle are connected as shown in Fig. 17(F).

[0059] <Method of cutting fastening cord using fastening cord cutting device> Next, the operation of the fastening cord cutting device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0060] As shown in Figures 2 and 3(A), the tip of the claw portion 8 is aligned with the insertion start position 43 on the first side edge 2a of the fastening cord 2 of the object to be processed 4, and the fastening cord cutting device 1 is moved so that the first direction of the fastening cord cutting device 1 is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fastening cord 2 when the fastening cord cutting device 1 is projected onto the first surface 4a.

[0061] Next, as shown in Fig. 3(B), the fastening cord cutting device 1 is moved in one direction along the first direction, whereby the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 is inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3, and the protruding portion 8a is bent.

[0062] Furthermore, as the fastening cord cutting device 1 moves in one direction along the first direction, the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 is inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3, and then, as shown in Fig. 3(C), the insertion tip portion 51 of the base portion 5 is inserted together with the claw portion 8 between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3. The lower surface 5c of the base portion 5 comes into contact with the first surface 4a of the object 4 to be processed.

[0063] Furthermore, as the fastening-cord cutting device 1 moves in one direction along the first direction, the fastening cord 2 moves along the inclined surface 51a with the claw portion 8 therebetween, and then moves on the upper surface 50a as shown in Fig. 3(D). At this time, since the guide portion 7a of the pressure plate 7 located at the release position 70 has an upwardly curved shape, the fastening cord 2 is less likely to get caught on the pressure plate 7, and the fastening cord 2 is guided between the base portion 5 and the pressure plate 7.

[0064] Furthermore, as the fastening cord cutting device 1 moves in one direction along the first direction, the fastening cord 2 moves until the first side edge 2a contacts the side surface 52a of the side wall portion 52, as shown in Figures 3(E), 4(A) and 4(B), and reaches the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22. As a result, the fastening cord 2 is arranged within the cutout groove 6 in the second arrangement area 22.

[0065] 4(A) and (B), the movement of the fastening string 2 on the placement table 50 during insertion is restricted by the side surface 52a of the side wall portion 52. The first side edge 2a of the fastening string 2 can contact the side surface 52a.

[0066] The fastening string 2 arranged in the first arrangement area 21 of the first arm portion 11 is located between the base portion 5 and the pressing plate 7. Until the fastening string 2 reaches the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22, the pressing plate 7 is located in the release position 70.

[0067] When the fastening string 2 is placed in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, as shown in Fig. 5(A), the presser plate 7 is driven by the first drive unit 72 to move from the release position 70 to the fixed position 71. As a result, in the first placement area 21, the fastening string 2 is sandwiched between the presser plate 7 and the base part 5, and its position is fixed relative to the base part 5 and it is gripped. In the second placement area 22 of the second arm portion 12, the fastening string 2 is placed within the cutout groove 6, so that movement in the first direction, in other words, movement of the fastening string 2 in the short side direction (width direction) is restricted. In this manner, the fastening string 2 is configured such that its movement in the short side direction is restricted at two points, the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22.

[0068] After the fastening string 2 is fixed by the presser plate 7, the cutting blade 9 is located at a starting position 90 as shown in FIG. 5(A) before the cutting blade 9 starts to move. When the fastening string 2 is fixed by the presser plate 7, the cutting blade 9 is driven by a second drive unit 93 (not shown) to move from a start position 90 to an end position 91, as shown in Figures 5(B) and (C). As a result, the fastening string 2 is cut at a cutting position 20 between the start position 90 and the end position 91.

[0069] When the fastening string 2 is cut by the cutting blade 9, a force is likely to be applied to the fastening string 2 by the cutting blade 9 in a direction from the first side edge 2a to the second side edge 2b (one direction along the first direction). Therefore, when the fastening string 2 is cut, it is likely to move in one direction along the first direction. In contrast, in this embodiment, in the first arrangement area 21, the fastening string 2 is fixed by the pressing plate 7 and its movement is restricted, and in the second arrangement area 22, the movement of the fastening string 2 in one direction along the first direction is restricted by one inner surface 6a of the cutout groove 6.

[0070] <Action and effect> The effects of the fastening cord cutting device 1 having the above configuration will be described below.

[0071] As described above, in the fastening cord cutting device 1 of the present invention, when the fastening cord 2 is cut, the movement of the fastening cord 2 in the short direction is restricted at two points, the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22, which are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and further, in the first arrangement area 21, the fastening cord 2 is fixed by the pressing plate 7, so that the movement in the thickness direction is also restricted. In this manner, the fastening cord 2 is cut at a cutting position 20 between the part of the fastening cord 2 arranged in the first arrangement area 21 and the part of the fastening cord 2 arranged in the second arrangement area 22. With this configuration, the positional deviation of the fastening cord 2 when it is cut is suppressed, the fastening cord 2 can be reliably cut, and the occurrence of poor cutting of the fastening cord 2 can be effectively suppressed.

[0072] In the fastening cord cutting device 1, it is preferable that the base portion 5 has a side wall portion 52 adjacent to the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22. According to this configuration, when the fastening cord cutting device 1 is inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3, the presence of the side wall portion 52 can guide the fastening cord 2 to be more reliably arranged in the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22. This allows the fastening cord 2 to be positioned so that the longitudinal direction of the fastening cord 2 is approximately perpendicular to the movement direction (first direction) of the cutting blade 9 during cutting. This makes it possible to more reliably cut the fastening cord 2 and further suppress the occurrence of poor cutting.

[0073] In the fastening cord cutting device 1, it is preferable that the placement stand 50 constituting a part of the base unit 5 includes a first arm unit 11 and a second arm unit 12. According to this configuration, the first arrangement area 21 and the presser plate 7 which fix the fastening cord 2 when the fastening cord is cut, the notched groove 6 provided in the second arrangement area 22, and the movement area 95 of the cutting blade 9 can be arranged along the second direction in a plan view, and the fastening cord cutting device 1 can be made compact as a whole. This makes it possible to make the fastening cord cutting device 1 highly versatile.

[0074] In the fastening cord cutting device 1, the placement table 50 constituting a part of the base portion 5 is preferably configured to include a first arm portion 11, a second arm portion 12 and a connecting portion 13, and the connecting portion 13 is connected to the insertion tip portion 51. The placement table 50 forms a U-shape in a plan view. According to such a configuration, the fastening cord cutting device 1 has two arms (the first arm 11 and the second arm 12) provided for one insertion tip 51, and the fastening cord 2 scooped up by one insertion tip 51 can be reliably placed on the two arms 11 and 12. This makes it possible to more reliably cut the fastening cord 2 and further reduce the occurrence of poor cutting of the fastening cord 2. The base portion 5 may have two insertion tips, that is, each of the two arms is provided with an insertion tip. However, in such a case, if one of the insertion tips fails to scoop the fastening-string 2, the fastening-string 2 may be poorly cut. For this reason, from the viewpoint of more reliably preventing the fastening-string 2 from being poorly cut, it is more preferable to have two arms (the first arm 11 and the second arm 12) for one insertion tip 51, as in the fastening-string cutting device 1.

[0075] In the fastening cord cutting device 1, a cutout groove (step portion) 6 is provided in the second placement area 22, and the fastening cord 2 is placed within the cutout groove 6, thereby restricting movement of the fastening cord 2 in one direction along the first direction, suppressing displacement of the fastening cord 2 when cut, and enabling the fastening cord 2 to be cut more reliably.

[0076] As another example of the step portion, a locking claw 26 may be provided instead of providing a notched groove as in the fastening-cord cutting device 1A shown in Fig. 18. In Fig. 18, the same components as those in the fastening-cord cutting device 1 are given the same reference numerals. The fastening-cord cutting device 1A differs from the fastening-cord cutting device 1 only in the configuration of the step portion. The locking claw 26 is provided on the base portion 5. A part of the locking claw 26 is fixed to the upper surface of the second arm portion 12, and the other part is spaced from the upper surface, forming a plate-like surface having an inclination. On the upper surface of the second arm portion 12, the area from the base of the locking claw 26 to the side surface 52a of the side wall portion 52 becomes the second arrangement area 22. The locking claw 26 forms a step and restricts the movement of the fastening string 2 arranged in the second arrangement area 22 in one direction along the first direction. As in the case where the notch groove 6 is provided, the locking claw 26 can suppress the positional deviation of the fastening string 2 when it is cut, and suppress the occurrence of cutting failure of the fastening string 2. In the fastening string cutting device 1A shown in FIG. 18, the second arrangement area 22 does not have a recessed shape like the notch groove 6, but is on the same plane as the area of ​​the upper surface 50a of the arrangement table 50 other than the second arrangement area 22. Moreover, the step portion may be formed by combining the notched groove 6 and the locking claw 26.

[0077] In the fastening cord cutting device 1, it is preferable to have a claw portion 8 including a protruding portion 8a that protrudes downward from the insertion tip 51 of the base portion 5, which makes it easier to scoop up the fastening cord 2 more reliably and prevents the occurrence of poor scooping of the fastening cord 2.

[0078] Furthermore, the claw portion 8 is preferably an elastic member or a thin plate that is elastically deformable. This allows the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 to bend easily. As a result, when the fastening-cord cutting device 1 is inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 bends, and the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 moves along the surface of the fastened object 3 to more reliably slip between the fastened object 3 and the fastening cord 2, making it easier to scoop the fastening cord 2 and preventing poor scooping of the fastening cord 2. In addition, because the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 is flexible, when the fastening-cord cutting device 1 is inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3, excessive force is less likely to be applied locally to the surface of the fastened object 3, and damage to the fastened object 3 caused by the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 can be prevented.

[0079] In the fastening cord cutting device 1, it is preferable that the insertion tip 51 has a shape with an inclined surface 51a that is inclined relative to the upper surface 50a and whose thickness decreases in one direction along the first direction, the claw portion 8 has a protruding portion 8a and a fixed portion 8b that is fixed to the inclined surface 51a, and the protruding portion 8a protrudes downward from the insertion tip 51 along the inclination of the inclined surface 51a. In this way, by giving the insertion tip 51 a shape that reduces in thickness, it is possible to more reliably scoop up the fastening string 2, and further, by making the inclination angle of the protruding portion 8a of the claw portion 8 the same as the inclination angle of the fixed portion 8b, it is possible to more reliably scoop up the fastening string 2 with the protruding portion 8a.

[0080] In the fastening cord cutting device 1, the cutting position 20 is preferably disposed in the vicinity of the first arrangement area 21. In the first arrangement area 21, the fastening string 2 is held down and fixed by the pressing plate 7 in the third direction, and the movement of the fastening string 2 in the first, second and third directions is restricted. On the other hand, in the second arrangement area 22, the movement of the fastening string 2 in the first direction is restricted, but the movement in the third direction is not restricted. In this way, by providing the cutting position 20 at a position closer to the first arrangement area 21 where the movement in the third direction is also restricted, the fastening string 2 can be cut more reliably.

[0081] <Processing System> Next, the processing system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The processing system 100 includes a processing device (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a processing robot) 10 having a robot arm 15 with the fastening-cord cutting device 1 provided at its tip. The following mainly describes the configuration and movement of the processing robot (processing device) 10, and the movement of the fastening-cord cutting device 1 will be described in more detail.

[0082] The fastening-cord cutting device 1 can be used as a hand (end effector) of a robot arm, and the position and posture of the fastening-cord cutting device 1 provided at the tip of the robot arm can be controlled by controlling the movement of the robot arm. In a processing robot 10 having the fastening-cord cutting device 1, the fastening-cord cutting device 1 can cut the fastening cord as described above, as well as grip, transfer, and recover the fastening cord, without changing the hand, making it highly versatile. This will be described in detail below.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 6, the processing system 100 is a system for processing a processing target 4 which is formed by a plurality of fastened objects 3 fastened by a fastening string 2. In the processing system 100, the fastening strings 2 of the processing target 4 which is formed by stacking a plurality of fastened objects (e.g., cardboard sheets) which have been folded flat are cut to release the fastening, and then each fastened object 3 is processed into a three-dimensional box.

[0084] The processing system 100 performs a process of cutting the fastening string 2 of the processing target 4, and a box-making process of processing the fastened object 3 into a three-dimensional box. Furthermore, the processing system 100 may perform a process of separating and recovering the fastening string 2 after cutting, and may also perform a transfer process of transferring the fastened object 3 so that it is in a position and posture suitable for the box-making process.

[0085] The processing system 100 includes a processing robot 10 including the fastening cord cutting device 1, and a box-making robot 142 that processes the fastened object 3 into a three-dimensional box. The processing robot 10 performs the above-mentioned cutting process. Furthermore, the processing robot 10 may perform the above-mentioned separation and recovery process and the above-mentioned transfer process. The box-making robot 142 performs the box-making process.

[0086] In explaining the processing system 100, an example will be given of a processing target 4 in which two fastening strings 2 are positioned in parallel. Note that the processing target 4 may have one fastening string 2 or three or more fastening strings 2, which is appropriately determined depending on the size, shape, etc. of the fastened object 3. Also, the processing target 4 is not limited to a form in which multiple fastening strings 2 are positioned in parallel, and the fastening strings 2 may be knotted in a cross knot.

[0087] The processing system 100 has a material transport process area 110, a transfer process area 120, a cutting, separating and recovering process area 130, a box making process area 140, and a control device 101 that comprehensively controls the movements of robots and the like in each area. The control device 101 may have, for example, operation buttons, an input display, and the like so that a user can input operations related to the operation of the system.

[0088] In the material transport process area 110, the transport object 4 is transported and placed at a transport destination 112 by transport rollers 111. A first surface 4a of the transport object 4 transported to the transport destination 112 is located at the uppermost surface of the transport object 4, and is typically parallel to a horizontal plane.

[0089] In the transfer process area 120, the processing object 4 is grasped by the processing robot 10 at the transport destination 112, and then transferred from the transport destination 112 to the temporary placement table 141 and its position is changed. During this transfer, the processing object 4 is placed on the temporary placement table 141 after its position and posture are changed to a posture suitable for the box making process. The processing object 4 is placed upright on the temporary placement table 141 so that one side surface 4b faces downward and is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. As a result, the fastened objects 3 that are folded flat and generally plate-like are placed on the temporary placement table 141 in an upright posture. In this manner, in the transfer process area 120, the position and posture of the processing object 4 is changed to one suitable for the subsequent box-making process. The processing robot 10 has the above-mentioned fastening cord cutting device 1. The processing robot 10 will be described in detail later.

[0090] In the cutting, detaching and recovery process area 130, the processing robot 10 cuts the fastening string 2 of the processing target object 4 in an upright position placed on the temporary placement table 141. Furthermore, the processing robot 10 detaches the fastening string 2 from the fastened object 3. Next, the fastening string 2 that has been cut and detached from the fastened object 3 is recovered.

[0091] In this way, by using the fastening string cutting device 1, it is possible to continuously perform not only the fastening string cutting process but also the fastening string separation and recovery process by using only the processing robot 10 having the fastening string cutting device 1. Furthermore, it is also possible to continuously perform the transfer process, cutting process, separation and recovery process by using only the processing robot 10. Details will be described later.

[0092] In the box-making process area 140, the fastening string 2 placed on the temporary placement table 141 is removed by a box-making robot 142, and boxes are made for each of the fastened objects 3 whose fastening has been released from each other.

[0093] [Processing robot (processing device)]

[0094] (External configuration of processing robot) 6, the processing robot 10 is a dual-arm robot having two robot arms 15R and 15L. Note that the number of robot arms in the processing robot is not limited to two.

[0095] The processing robot 10 has a head 16, a body 18, a right robot arm 15R, a left robot arm 15L, a right fastening cord cutting device 1R, and a left fastening cord cutting device 1L.

[0096] The right fastening cord cutting device 1R is provided at the tip of the right robot arm 15R, and the left fastening cord cutting device 1L is provided at the tip of the left robot arm 15L. The right fastening cord cutting device 1R and the left fastening cord cutting device 1L both have the same basic structure as the fastening cord cutting device 1 described above, and are capable of cutting the fastening cord 2 while inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the object 3 to be fastened. Hereinafter, unless there is a need to distinguish between the left and right, they will be referred to as the robot arm 15 and the fastening cord cutting device 1.

[0097] In the processing robot 10, the right fastening-cord cutting device 1R can grasp and cut one of the two fastening cords 2 of the processing target object 4. The left fastening-cord cutting device 1L can grasp and cut the other fastening cord 2. Hereinafter, the fastening cord 2 arranged by the right fastening-cord cutting device 1R will be referred to as the fastening cord 2R, and the fastening cord 2 arranged by the left fastening-cord cutting device 1L will be referred to as the fastening cord 2L, and when there is no particular need to distinguish them, they will be referred to as the fastening cord 2. In addition, the side edge of the fastening cord 2R on the side where the right fastening-cord cutting device 1R is inserted will be referred to as the first side edge 2Ra, and the side edge of the fastening cord 2L on the side where the left fastening-cord cutting device 1L is inserted will be referred to as the first side edge 2La, and when there is no particular need to distinguish them, they will be referred to as the first side edge 2a.

[0098] 9 and 10(A), the right fastening-cord cutting device 1R is inserted from a first side edge 2Ra of the fastening cord 2R, and the left fastening-cord cutting device 1L is inserted from a first side edge 2La of the fastening cord 2L. As shown in Figure 10(A), the right fastening cord cutting device 1R and the left fastening cord cutting device 1L are arranged with their claw portions 8 facing each other, with the pressure plate 7 located on the upper side and the cutout groove 6 located on the lower side in the figure. 10(B), the object 4 to be processed is transferred upright with, for example, each fastening cord cutting device 1 inserted and gripped. When transferred, the object 4 to be processed is gripped and lifted at a single fixed point by the presser plate 7 of each fastening cord cutting device 1, and so is prone to swinging in the stacking direction of the fastened objects 3 with this single point as a fulcrum. In contrast, the fastening cord cutting device 1 of the present invention is provided with a regulating plate 54, which suppresses swinging during transfer and can regulate the attitude of the object 4 to be processed during transfer.

[0099] 6, 11 and 12, the processing robot 10 is provided on and supported by a base 19. The base 19 may be configured to be able to rise and fall according to the height of the processing object 4 transported to the transport destination 112, and the height of the entire processing robot 10 may change in the up and down direction as the base 19 rises and falls. With this configuration, even if the heights of the multiple processing objects 4 transported differ, the processing robot 10 can be moved to a height appropriate for gripping the fastening string 2 of the processing object 4 placed at the transport destination 112 according to the height of the processing object 4. In addition to raising and lowering the base 19, the transport destination 112 on which the object to be treated 4 is placed may be configured to be raised and lowered.

[0100] The head portion 16 is connected to the upper end of the body portion 18 . A right robot arm 15R and a left robot arm 15L are provided on the left and right sides of the body 18. The body 18 is configured to be rotatable in the horizontal direction relative to a base 19. The robot arm 15 is operated by driving an arm drive unit 35 (see FIG. 7), and can change the position and posture of the fastening cord cutting device 1 provided at the tip of the robot arm 15 in three dimensions.

[0101] Further, a right hand height detection sensor 42R and a left hand height detection sensor 42L may be mounted on the second drive unit 93 that moves the cutting blades 9 of the right fastening cord cutting device 1R and the left fastening cord cutting device 1L back and forth or on the tip side of the base part 5 (near the insertion tip part 51) (see Fig. 7, Fig. 16 (A) and (B)). When there is no particular need to distinguish between the left and right, they are referred to as height detection sensors 42.

[0102] (Functional configuration of processing robot) Next, a functional configuration of a part of the processing robot 10 will be described with reference to a functional configuration block diagram of the processing robot 10 having the fastening cord cutting device 1 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the processing robot 10 includes a sensor unit 40, a control unit 30, a right robot arm 15R, a left robot arm 15L, a first driving unit 72, and a second driving unit 93.

[0103] ((Sensor unit)) The sensor unit 40 senses the position information of the processing object 4 and the like. The sensor unit 40 has an optical camera 41, a right hand height detection sensor 42R, and a left hand height detection sensor 42L.

[0104] 14, the optical camera 41 is mounted on, for example, the head 16 of the processing robot 10. The optical camera 41 detects the position of the fastening string 2 on the first surface 4a of the processing target object 4 placed at the transport destination 112. Image data captured by the optical camera 41 is subjected to image recognition processing by the control unit 30, making it possible to detect the two-dimensional position of the fastening string 2 on the first surface 4a. Furthermore, image recognition processing using the image data makes it possible to confirm whether or not the claw portion 8 is inserted between the fastening string 2 and the fastened object 3. Furthermore, image recognition processing using the image data makes it possible to detect the contour of the first surface 4a of the processing object 4, and to detect the positions of a pair of first side portions 4c that are located parallel or approximately parallel to the two fastening strings 2 on the first surface 4a that is approximately rectangular in plan view.

[0105] The right hand height detection sensor 42R and the left hand height detection sensor 42L can be used to obtain position information in the height direction of each of the pair of first side portions 4c on the first surface 4a of the processing object 4. A proximity sensor or a distance sensor can be used as the height detection sensor 42.

[0106] With this configuration, for example, even if the first surface 4a of the processing object 4 is inclined obliquely with respect to the horizontal plane, the inclination of the first surface 4a can be calculated using the sensing result of the height detection sensor 42. Then, by using the inclination information of the first surface 4a and the image recognition processing result using the image data of the optical camera 41, three-dimensional position information of each of the two fastening strings 2 can be obtained.

[0107] The insertion start position of the fastening-string cutting device 1 and the attitude of the base portion 5 relative to the first surface 4a can be controlled using three-dimensional position information of each of the two fastening strings 2. This makes it possible to prevent the fastening strings from being poorly picked up and to reliably cut the fastening strings.

[0108] Height detection using the height detection sensor 42 can be performed, for example, as follows. As shown in FIG. 16(A), the fastening cord cutting device 1 having the height detection sensors 42 at the tip of the base portion 5 is lowered until the height detection sensors 42 detect each of the pair of first side portions 4c. 16(B), position information in the height direction of each fastening cord cutting device 1 when each height detection sensor 42 detects the first side portion 4c is obtained. From the position information, position information in the height direction of the pair of first side portions 4c of the processing target object 4 can be obtained.

[0109] Using the height position information of the pair of first side portions 4c obtained in this manner and the lateral dimension of the fastened object 3 (corresponding to the distance between the pair of first side portions 4c), the control unit 30 can obtain inclination information of the first surface 4a of the object to be processed 4 by utilizing the principle of triangulation.

[0110] Then, using the inclination information of the first surface 4a and the position information related to the first surface 4a of the processing object 4 detected using the sensing results (image data) of the optical camera 41, the insertion start position 43 when the tip of the claw portion 8 of each fastening cord cutting device 1 is inserted and the posture of the fastening cord cutting device 1 at the time of insertion can be calculated. The posture of the fastening cord cutting device 1 during insertion is, for example, a posture in which, when the fastening cord cutting device 1 is projected onto the first surface 4a, the first direction of the fastening cord cutting device 1 is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fastening cord 2, and the claw portion 8 and the first surface 4a form a predetermined angle (for example, 5° to 30°).

[0111] The movement of each robot arm 15 is controlled so that the fastening cord cutting device 1 aligns the tip of the claw portion 8 with the calculated insertion start position and assumes the calculated posture. The robot arm 15 is operated by the arm drive unit 35 driving it based on a control signal generated by the control unit 30.

[0112] In this embodiment, the three-dimensional positions of the fastening string 2 and the pair of first side portions 4c are detected using the sensing results of the optical camera 41, the right hand height detection sensor 42R, and the left hand height detection sensor 42L, but this is not limited to the above.

[0113] For example, a stereo camera may be used as the optical camera 41, and image data acquired by the camera may be used to acquire three-dimensional position information related to the first surface 4a, including distance information between the camera and the first surface 4a. In this case, the right hand height detection sensor 42R and the left hand height detection sensor 42L may not be installed. This simplifies the structure of the fastening cord cutting device, and prevents problems such as scratches on the processing object 4 and damage to the height detection sensor 42 caused by, for example, collision between the processing object 4 and the height detection sensor 42 when the fastening cord cutting device is moved.

[0114] Furthermore, when the processing object 4 is placed at the transport destination 112 so that the first surface 4a is horizontal, the dimensions of the processing object 4 can be known by measuring them in advance, and therefore it is not necessarily necessary to provide a height detection sensor 42. In this case, various pieces of position information related to the processing object 4 may be detected using only image data from the optical camera 41.

[0115] ((Control Unit)) As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 30 includes a robot arm control unit 31, a pressing mechanism control unit 32, and a cutting mechanism control unit 33.

[0116] The robot arm control unit 31 controls the movement of each robot arm 15. This makes it possible to control the position, posture, and movement of the fastening cord cutting device 1 provided as a hand at the tip of the robot arm 15. The robot arm control unit 31 uses the sensing results from the sensor unit 40 to generate a control signal for controlling the right arm drive unit 35R of the right robot arm 15R and a control signal for controlling the left arm drive unit 35L of the left robot arm 15L, and outputs these to the right arm drive unit 35R and the left arm drive unit 35L.

[0117] The robot arm control unit 31 has a sensing result acquisition unit 310 , a position detection unit 311 , and a control signal generation unit 312 .

[0118] The sensing result acquisition unit 310 acquires the sensing result acquired by the sensor unit 40. Specifically, the sensing result acquisition unit 310 acquires, as the sensing result, image data captured by the optical camera 41 and position information in the height direction of each fastening cord cutting device 1 when the first side portion 4c is detected by the right hand height detection sensor 42R and the left hand height detection sensor 42L. The position information in the height direction of the fastening cord cutting device 1 is, in other words, position information in the height direction of the pair of first side portions 4c of the processing target 4.

[0119] The position detection unit 311 detects the two-dimensional position of the fastening-string 2 on the first surface 4a by performing image recognition processing on the image data captured by the optical camera 41. The position detection unit 311 also detects the two-dimensional positions of the pair of first side portions 4c of the processing target object 4 by performing image recognition processing on the image data. The position detection unit 311 also recognizes the positional relationship between the first side edge 2a of the fastening-string 2 and the tip of the claw portion 8 by performing image recognition processing on the image data. Based on the recognition result, it is possible to confirm whether or not the claw portion 8 is inserted between the fastening-string 2 and the fastened object 3.

[0120] The position detection unit 311 uses the height position information of each of the pair of first side portions 4c of the processing object 4 detected by the right hand height detection sensor 42R and the left hand height detection sensor 42L, respectively, and the lateral dimension of the fastened object 3 (corresponding to the distance between the pair of first side portions 4c) to calculate the inclination of the first surface 4a of the processing object 4 using the principle of triangulation.

[0121] The position detection unit 311 obtains three-dimensional position information of the first side edge 2a of the fastening string 2 using two-dimensional position information of the fastening string 2 and the pair of first side portions 4c based on image data from the optical camera 41, and inclination information of the first surface 4a based on the sensing results of the height detection sensor 42. The three-dimensional position information of the first side edge 2 a of the fastening string 2 and the position information of the pair of first side portions 4 c obtained by the position detection unit 311 are output to a control signal generation unit 312 .

[0122] The control signal generating unit 312 generates control signals for controlling the movements of the torso 18 and each robot arm 15. The generated control signals are output to the arm driving units 35 of each robot arm 15 and a torso driving unit (not shown) that drives the torso 18. The torso 18 and robot arms 15 of the processing robot 10 operate based on the control signals.

[0123] The control signal generating unit 312 generates a control signal for controlling the movement of each robot arm 15 and the torso portion 18 using the three-dimensional position information of the first side edge 2a of the fastening string 2 and the position information of the pair of first side portions 4c obtained by the position detecting unit 311.

[0124] The control signal generating unit 312 uses the above position information to generate a control signal for the arm driving unit 35 of each robot arm 15 to control the movement of each fastening cord cutting device 1 when the fastening cord cutting device 1 is inserted between the fastened object 3 and the fastening cord 2. Specifically, the start insertion position 43 of each fastening cord cutting device 1 between the fastened object 3 and the fastening cord 2 and the posture of the fastening cord cutting device 1 at the time of insertion are calculated, and a control signal is generated so that each fastening cord cutting device 1 moves to the calculated position and posture. Furthermore, after the tip of the claw portion 8 of each fastening cord cutting device 1 is positioned at the insertion start position 43, a control signal is generated to move each fastening cord cutting device 1 so that the fastening cord 2 scooped up by the claw portion 8 moves to the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 of the base portion 5.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 15(A), the control signal generating unit 312 may generate a control signal for the arm driving unit 35 of each robot arm 15 so that the tip of the claw portion 8 of the fastening cord cutting device 1 is first positioned at the contact start position 44, and then moves over the first surface 4a while maintaining contact with the first surface 4a to reach the insertion start position 43, thereby more reliably preventing the occurrence of poor scooping of the fastening cord 2.

[0126] Furthermore, the control signal generating unit 312 generates a control signal to control the movement of the torso 18 and each robot arm 15 so that each fastening cord cutting device 1, while holding the fastening cord 2, changes its posture and transfers the processing object 4 from the transport destination 112 to the temporary placement table 141. Specifically, as shown in Figures 11(A) to (D), control signals are generated for the torso 18 and each robot arm 15 so that the fastening cord cutting device 1, holding the fastening cord 2, changes the posture of the object 4 to be processed from a state in which the first surface 4a is horizontal to an upright state, and changes the position of the object 4 to be processed from the transport destination 112 to the temporary placement table 141.

[0127] Furthermore, the control signal generating unit 312 generates a control signal to control the movement of each robot arm 15 so as to separate and recover the fastening string 2 after the object 4 to be processed is transferred to the temporary placement table 141 and the fastening string 2 is cut. Specifically, as shown in Figures 12(A) to (D), a control signal is generated for each robot arm 15 so as to move the fastening cord cutting device 1 holding the fastening cord 2 upward to separate and remove the cut fastening cord 2 from the fastened object 3, and further to move the separated fastening cord 2 to the transfer position 23 where it is handed over to the cord recovery section 38.

[0128] The presser mechanism control unit 32 generates a control signal for controlling the first drive unit 72 of the presser mechanism 75. The movement of the presser plate 7 of the presser mechanism 75 between the fixed position 71 and the released position 70 is controlled by driving the first drive unit 72 based on the control signal.

[0129] The presser mechanism control unit 32 controls the presser mechanism 75 so that, when the fastening string 2 is placed in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, the presser plate 7 moves from the release position 70 to the fixed position 71. Furthermore, after the fastening string 2 is gripped by the pressure plate 7 in the first placement area 21, the pressure mechanism control unit 32 controls the pressure mechanism 75 so that the pressure plate 7 is positioned at the fixed position 71 until the transfer of the object to be processed 4, the cutting of the fastening string 2, the pulling of the fastening string 2 away from the object to be fastened 3, and the movement to the transfer position 23 are completed. When the fastening string 2 is to be withdrawn, the presser mechanism control section 32 controls the presser mechanism 75 so that the presser plate 7 moves from the fixed position 71 to the released position 70 .

[0130] The movement of the presser plate 7 from the release position 70 to the fixed position 71 and from the fixed position 71 to the release position 70 may be performed based on an input operation instruction from the control device 101 by the user, for example. Alternatively, a control signal for the pressing mechanism 75 may be generated using image data from the optical camera 41, movement information of the fastening cord cutting device 1, or the like.

[0131] The cutting mechanism control unit 33 generates a control signal for controlling a second drive unit 93 of the cutting mechanism 92. The movement of the cutting blade of the cutting mechanism 92 between a start position 90 and an end position 91 is controlled by driving the second drive unit 93 based on the control signal. The cutting blade 9 is located at the start position 90 except when the fastening cord is cut. When the fastening cord is cut, the cutting blade 9 moves from the start position 90 to the end position 91. After the fastening cord is cut, the cutting blade 9 returns from the end position 91 to the start position 90.

[0132] The movement of the cutting blade 9 from the start position 90 to the end position 91 and from the end position 91 to the start position 90 may be performed based on an input operation instruction from the control device 101 by the user, for example. Alternatively, a control signal for the cutting mechanism 92 may be generated using image data from the optical camera 41, movement information of the presser plate 7, or the like.

[0133] <Method for processing objects fastened with fastening strings using a processing robot (processing device)> A method for treating an object to be treated, which is an object to be fastened with a fastening string, using the treatment robot 10 will be described along the treatment steps in Fig. 8. In Fig. 8, the treatment related to the treatment robot 10 will be mainly described.

[0134] 14, the processing robot 10 faces the transport destination 112. When the processing target 4 is transported to the transport destination 112, image capturing by the optical camera 41 and sensing by the height detection sensor 42 are started, and the sensing result is acquired by the control unit 30 of the processing robot 10 (S1).

[0135] Next, the control unit 30 uses the sensing results to detect position information related to the object to be processed 4 (the fastening string 2 and the object to be fastened 3) (S2), and uses the position information to generate control signals for each robot arm 15 and a control signal for the torso portion 18 (S3).

[0136] The generated control signal is output to the arm drive unit 35 of each robot arm 15 and the body drive unit of the body 18, and each robot arm 15 and body 18 are operated based on the control signal. This causes each step of S4 to S9 described later to be performed.

[0137] 9(A) and (B), the fastening cord cutting device 1 moves and is inserted between the fastening cord 2 and the fastened object 3, and the fastening cord 2 is placed in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22 (S4, insertion step). At this time, the pressing plate 7 of the pressing mechanism 75 is located at the release position 70.

[0138] When the fastening string 2 is placed in the first placement area 21 and the second placement area 22, as shown in Figure 9 (C), the pressing plate 7 of the pressing mechanism 75 moves to the fixed position 71, and in the first placement area 21, the fastening string 2 is clamped and fixed between the pressing plate 7 and the base portion 5, and the fastening string 2 is grasped (S5, grasping process).

[0139] Next, as shown in FIG. 11(A), the processing robot 10 lifts the processing object 4 while holding the two fastening strings 2 with the pressing plates 7 of the right fastening string cutting device 1R and the left fastening string cutting device 1L, respectively, and changes the posture of the processing object 4 so that the first surface 4a, which was in the horizontal direction, is erected as shown in FIG. 11(B). With the processing object 4 whose posture has been changed and held, the body part 18 rotates 90° in the horizontal direction, so that the processing robot 10 faces the temporary placement table 141 as shown in FIG. 11(C). Next, as shown in FIG. 11(D), the processing robot 10 places the processing object 4 in the erected posture on the temporary placement table 141 while almost maintaining that posture. In this manner, the processing robot 10 transfers the processing object 4 (S6, transfer step).

[0140] Next, as shown in Figures 12(A) and 13(A), the processing robot 10 cuts the fastening cord 2 by moving the cutting blade 9 (S7, cutting step). This cutting is the same as the flow of operations during cutting by the fastening cord cutting device 1 using Figures 5(B) and (C) described above. As shown in Figure 13(B), when the fastening cord 2 is cut, the fastening cord 2 is maintained in the first arrangement area 21 by the pressing plate 7, while in the second arrangement area 22, the fastening cord 2 is separated from the second arrangement area 22.

[0141] Next, as shown in Figure 12 (B), the fastening cord cutting device 1 moves upward while maintaining the fastening cord 2 held by the pressure plate 7 in the first placement area 21, and pulls the fastening cord 2 away from the object 3 (S8, pulling process).

[0142] Next, the fastening cord cutting device 1 moves above the transfer position 23 as shown in FIG. 12(C) while maintaining the fastening cord 2 held by the holding plate 7 in the first arrangement area 21. Then, as shown in FIG. 12(D), the fastening cord cutting device 1 moves to the transfer position 23, and at the transfer position 23, the fastening cord 2 is released from the holding plate 7 in the first arrangement area 21, whereby the fastening cord 2 is collected by the cord collection mechanism 39 (S9, collection step). The cord collection mechanism 39 includes a cord collection section 38 that stores the cut fastening cord, and a vacuum device (not shown) that sucks up the cut fastening cord 2 and stores it in the cord collection section 38. It is not necessary to provide a vacuum device, and it is also possible to provide only a box- or bag-shaped cord collection section that stores the fastening cord, release the grip of the fastening cord above the cord collection section, and collect the fastening cord by free fall. However, from the viewpoint of more reliably collecting the fastening cord 2 in the cord collection section 38, it is preferable to use a vacuum device to collect the fastening cord by suction.

[0143] <Action and effect> The effects of the processing robot 10 having the above configuration will be described below.

[0144] By using the fastening cord cutting device 1 in the processing robot 10, it is possible for the processing robot 10 having the fastening cord cutting device 1 to continuously perform not only the cutting process but also the separation and recovery processes.

[0145] In other words, when the fastening string is cut, the fastening string 2 is fixed by the pressure plate 7 in the first arrangement area 21 and its movement in the first direction is restricted by the cutout groove 6 in the second arrangement area 22, thereby preventing the fastening string 2 from shifting out of position when cut. Since the cutting is performed at the cutting position 20 between the first arrangement area 21 and the second arrangement area 22, the fastening string 2 can be cut more reliably and the occurrence of poor cutting of the fastening string 2 can be prevented. After the fastening string 2 is cut, the restriction on the movement of the fastening string 2 by the notch groove 6 is released, so that the fastening string 2 is fixed at one point by the pressure plate 7. Then, after the fastening string 2 is cut, while maintaining the fixation of the fastening string 2, a series of movements can be continuously performed up to detaching the fastening string 2 from the fastened object 3 and moving the detached fastening string 2 to the transfer position 23. Furthermore, the fastening string can be collected by releasing the fixation by the pressure plate 7 at the transfer position 23. In this way, the processing robot 10 is capable of continuously performing the cutting process, detachment and collection process of the fastening string 2.

[0146] Here, for example, a configuration in which the fastening string is fixed using two pressure plates is also conceivable, but in this configuration, the fixation by each of the two pressure plates is maintained after the fastening string is cut. Therefore, when the fastening string 2 is pulled away from the fastened object 3, it becomes necessary to release the fixation by one of the pressure plates. In this case, for example, it becomes necessary to provide two holding mechanisms so that the two pressure plates can be driven separately, which complicates the device configuration and makes it difficult to perform the cutting process, the pulling away process, and the recovery process quickly and consecutively.

[0147] In contrast, in this embodiment, one of the two locations (the first arrangement area and the second arrangement area) where the fastening string is fixed when cut is a notched groove (step portion). With this configuration, a process of releasing the fixation of one of the pressing plates when the fastening string is separated, as in the case of using the two pressing plates described above, is not required, and the cutting process, separation process, and recovery process can be performed quickly in succession, improving work efficiency.

[0148] Furthermore, in the processing system 100, the fastening string 2 is cut in a state in which the processing target object 4 has been changed to a position and posture suitable for the box-making process. Therefore, the fastened object 3 from which the fastening string 2 has been removed and placed on the temporary placement table 141 is carried into the box-making process area 140 in a state suitable for the next process, the box-making process. This allows the cutting process of the fastening string 2, the separation and recovery process, and the box-making process to be carried out quickly in succession, improving work efficiency. In addition, the transfer process to the temporary placement table 141 can also be performed by a processing robot 10 that performs cutting, separation and recovery processes, and one processing robot 10 can continuously perform the transfer process, cutting process, separation and recovery processes, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0149] <Other> Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0150] For example, in the above-mentioned processing system 100, the processing object 4 is described as having two fastening strings 2 positioned in parallel, but the present invention is not limited to this. Depending on the size of the processing object, there may be only one fastening string. In this case, the processing object may be transferred by the fastening-string cutting device 1 in a state where one fastening string is held at one point by one fastening-string cutting device 1.

[0151] Furthermore, in the object to be processed, two fastening strings 2 may be knotted in a cross shape. In this case, the transfer processing of the processing object by the fastening cord cutting device 1 may be performed in a state where one of the vertical or horizontal fastening cords is gripped at one location by one fastening cord cutting device 1. In this case, after the transfer, one fastening cord may be continuously cut, separated, and collected while maintaining the grip of the other fastening cord. After that, the same fastening cord cutting device 1 may be used to grip the other fastening cord and continuously cut, separated, and collected. Alternatively, the vertical and horizontal cords may be gripped by two fastening-cord cutting devices 1, respectively. In the above-described processing robot 10, the position and posture of the fastening-cord cutting devices 1 can be freely changed, so that the position and posture of each of the two fastening-cord cutting devices 1 can be set so that the first direction in the fastening-cord cutting devices 1 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fastening cord 2 to be scooped. In this case, after transfer, each fastening-cord cutting device 1 may continuously cut, separate, and collect the fastening cord while maintaining its grip on the fastening cord.

[0152] In the above-described processing system 100, the processing target 4 is transferred to the temporary placement table 141 by way of example, but the processing target 4 may be a next process facility or a transport device such as a conveyor. In addition, the process after cutting is not limited to a box-making process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0153] 1, 1A… Fastening cord cutting device 2… Fastening cord 3…Object to be fastened 4...Object to be processed (object fastened with fastening string) 5…Base section 5a...One end 5b...Other end 5d…Top surface of base 6...Notched groove (step) 7…Press plate (fixing member) 9…Cutting blade 10... Processing robot (processing device) 20...Cutting position 21…First placement area 22…Second placement area 30…Control unit 51…Insertion tip 70…Release position 71…Fixed position 90...Start position 91...End point

Claims

1. A fastening string cutting device for cutting a fastening string that fastens an object to be fastened, the device being capable of cutting at a cutting position, an insertion tip provided at one end, which is an end in one direction along a first direction, a first arrangement area and a second arrangement area provided on an upper surface of the other end, which is the other end in the other direction along the first direction, and spaced apart along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction with the cutting position therebetween and having a base portion inserted from the insertion tip between the object to be fastened and the fastening string so that the fastening string is arranged in the first arrangement area and the second arrangement area, a cutting blade directed in one direction along the first direction and movable between a starting position and an ending position spaced apart in the first direction with the cutting position therebetween, a fixing member movable between a fixing position for fixing the fastening string with respect to the first arrangement area and a releasing position for releasing the fixing of the fastening string with respect to the first arrangement area in a state where the fastening string is arranged in the first arrangement area, a step portion provided on the base portion for restricting movement of the fastening string in one direction along the first direction in a state where the fastening string is arranged in the second arrangement area and comprising a fastening string cutting device.

2. The base portion has the insertion tip, a placement table having the first arrangement area and the second arrangement area, and a side wall portion provided on the opposite side of the insertion tip along the first direction with the placement table interposed therebetween and extending upward from the placement table. The side wall portion is adjacent to the first arrangement area and the second arrangement area. The fastening string cutting device according to claim 1.

3. The placement table includes a first arm portion having the first arrangement area and a second arm portion having the second arrangement area, and the first arm portion and the second arm portion are spaced apart along the second direction. The fastening string cutting device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The placement table further includes a connecting portion connecting one end along the first direction of the first arm portion and one end along the first direction of the second arm portion, and the connecting portion is connected to the insertion tip. The fastening string cutting device according to claim 3.

5. A processing device comprising the fastening string cutting device according to claim 1 or 2 and a control unit for controlling the movement of the fastening string cutting device.

6. The processing device further comprises a robot arm, and the fastening string cutting device is mounted at the tip of the robot arm. The processing device according to claim 5.

7. ​ ​ ​ A method for processing an object to be fastened fastened with a fastening string, using the processing apparatus according to claim 5, an insertion step of inserting the fastening string cutting device from the insertion tip portion between the object to be fastened and the fastening string, and moving the fastening string cutting device to dispose the fastening string in the first arrangement area and the second arrangement area; a gripping step of moving the fixing member to the fixing position, and fixing the fastening string with the fixing member with respect to the first arrangement area to grip the fastening string; a transfer step of transferring the object to be fastened fastened with the fastening string while gripping the fastening string with the fixing member by the fastening string cutting device so that the position and posture thereof are changed; a cutting step of moving the cutting blade while gripping the fastening string with the fixing member after changing the position and posture of the object to be fastened fastened with the fastening string to cut the fastening string A method for processing an object to be fastened fastened with a fastening string, comprising the steps.

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