Mating robot, mating method

Abstract

To enable fitting parts of a container and of a lid to fit to each other more surely, in making a robot perform work for closing the lid.SOLUTION: A fitting system 1 comprises a multi-joint robot 30 equipped with a suppressing mechanism 340 and a pressing mechanism 310, and a control device 40 that controls operation of the multi-joint robot 30. The control device 40 makes the multi-joint robot 30 execute: holding operation to hold a lid having a first fitting part, with the suppressing mechanism 340, to maintain a state where the first fitting part is made to approach to a second fitting part that a container has; first fitting operation to press a portion to be pressed of the first fitting part by moving the pressing mechanism 310 in a first direction, while the state where the first fitting part is made to approach the second fitting part is maintained; and second fitting operation to press the portion to be pressed again, by moving the pressing mechanism 310 in a second direction which is different from the first direction, after executing the first fitting operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fitting system, a robot, a fitting method, a control device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, mechanization has been promoted in various industries, and various tasks are being performed by robots. For example, a lid-closing task in which a lid is fitted to a container in which food such as prepared foods is served, thereby closing the container, is performed by a robot. Such technology relating to a robot that performs lid closing work is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7126437 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The general technology described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 and the like discloses that, in order to align the fitting portion of the container and the fitting portion of the lid, the lid is moved in a plurality of directions (for example, the up-down direction and the left-right direction when the lid is viewed in a plan view from vertically above) to perform the alignment. In addition, in such a general technology, it is assumed that if the fitting portion of the lid is pressed after the alignment, the fitting portions will naturally fit together. However, the shapes of the fitting portions of the container and lid have various concave and convex shapes taking into consideration factors such as airtightness after the lid is closed, and even if they are aligned and then pressed, they do not necessarily fit securely together.

[0005] This problem is not limited to situations where a lid is to be closed on a container containing food, but is common to a wide variety of situations in which a robot is used to close a lid, such as in the industrial field. As described above, in the conventional technology, there is still room for improvement in terms of performing the fitting reliably when the fitting is performed by a robot.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to more reliably fit the fitting portions of the container and the lid together when the fitting is performed by a robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a fitting system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: A fitting system including a robot having a holding mechanism and a pressing mechanism, and a control device that controls an operation of the robot, The control device includes: a holding operation of holding a lid having a first fitting portion with the holding mechanism to maintain a state in which the first fitting portion is close to a second fitting portion of a container; a first fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism is moved in a first direction to press a pressing target portion of the first fitting portion while the state in which the two fitting portions are brought into close proximity by the holding operation is maintained; a second fitting operation in which, after the first fitting operation, the pressing mechanism is moved in a second direction different from the first direction to press the pressing target portion again; The present invention is characterized in that the robot is caused to execute the above. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when the lid closing operation is performed by a robot, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an entire fitting system 1 according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control device 40. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device 40. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a fitting member 31a attached to the tip of a hand 31. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the pressing mechanism 310 in more detail. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining in detail the structure of the pressing mechanism 310 in a state in which the first support portion 312 and the second support portion 313 are fixed. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the suppression mechanism 340 in more detail. FIG. [Figure 8] 4A to 4C are schematic diagrams showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the control device 40. [Figure 9] 4A to 4C are schematic diagrams showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the control device 40. [Figure 10] 4A to 4C are schematic diagrams showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the control device 40. [Figure 11] 4A to 4C are schematic diagrams showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the control device 40. [Figure 12] 4A to 4C are schematic diagrams showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the control device 40. [Figure 13] 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the control device 40 in the first modification. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a plurality of functions are realized by different mechanisms in Modification 2. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a lid fitting process executed by the fitting system 1. [Figure 16]13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a lid fitting process executed by the fitting system 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment] [Overall configuration] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an entire fitting system 1 according to the present invention. The fitting system 1 in this embodiment is intended to be applied to a fitting system that fits a lid to a container that an object is served in. In the following description, an example is given in which the fitting system 1 fits a lid to a container that has food served as an object, thereby closing the opening of the container.

[0011] In this case, the type of food is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a staple food such as noodles or sushi, a main dish such as a meat or fish dish, a side dish such as potato salad (i.e., a prepared meal), or a bento box in which these are packed in separate areas within a container. The shape of the container and lid is also not particularly limited, and when viewed in plan from above, the container and lid may be polygonal, such as a square or hexagonal, or may be polygonal with an arc added to it, or may be circular, such as a perfect circle or ellipse. That is, the fitting system 1 can generally perform fitting to containers and lids of various shapes in which various foods are served.

[0012] 1, the fitting system 1 includes a lid supply unit 10, a container detection sensor 20, an articulated robot 30, and a control device 40. The control device 40, the lid supply unit 10, the container detection sensor 20, and the articulated robot 30 are communicatively connected via wire or wirelessly, and are capable of communicating with each other.

[0013] Furthermore, adjacent to the fitting system 1, a belt conveyor 2 is installed which automatically transports containers filled with food from upstream to downstream. A pair of guide members 2A are installed on the belt conveyor 2 on the left and right sides when the container travels in the forward direction. The guide members 2A have a tapered shape that narrows in width in the forward direction, and are structured to guide the containers to a predetermined position. The containers filled with food are transported at various positions (e.g., different positions in the left-right direction) on the belt conveyor 2 upstream of the guide members 2A, but are guided by the guide members 2A to a fitting position P1 where the lids are fitted.

[0014] In this embodiment, the task of plating food in containers further upstream of the fitting system 1 may be performed manually or by a food plating robot.

[0015] The lid supply unit 10 supplies lids to the lid supply position P2, which is a position where lids are supplied to the articulated robot 30. The lid supply unit 10 stores a plurality of types of lids corresponding to a plurality of types of containers. When the fitting system 1 starts operating, the lid supply unit 10 uses a push-out mechanism provided in the lid supply unit 10 to supply lids having a shape corresponding to the container being transported on the belt conveyor 2, one by one, to the lid supply position P2. In addition, the lid supply unit 10 supplies a new lid every time the articulated robot 30 obtains a lid for capping. In addition, to ensure that the lids are reliably supplied to the lid supply position P2, a member having a concave shape when viewed in a planar view from vertically above and opening toward the lid discharge portion of the lid supply section 10 may be installed to surround the lid supply position P2.

[0016] The container detection sensor 20 is a sensor that detects the position of a container being transported on the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensor 20 is, for example, configured with an optical sensor. The container detection sensor 20 detects, for example, that a container guided by the guiding member 2A has been transported to the fitting position P1 or is about to be transported to the fitting position P1. Data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensor 20 is output to the control device 40.

[0017] The articulated robot 30 is, for example, a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, and is equipped with a hand 31 that fits the lid to the container, a fitting member 31a that is attached to the tip of the hand 31 and fits the lid, and a robot arm 32 that moves the hand 31 to any position within its movable range. In addition, a force sensor 30A that measures a reaction force (including a sense of force obtained by touching a surface) from a contact object is installed on a joint that holds the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30, as an example of a means for detecting that the hand 31 has come into contact with a container or a lid. Data on the reaction force measured by the force sensor 30A is output to the control device 40.

[0018] Furthermore, the joint that holds the hand 31 has an axis that rotates the hand 31 in a torsional direction relative to the robot arm 32. Therefore, when the hand 31 fits the lid to the container, the direction in which the hand 31 faces the lid and the container can be adjusted by changing the orientation of the hand 31. This allows for appropriate fitting with a high degree of freedom of movement.

[0019] The control device 40 is configured with an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and controls the entire fitting system 1 by executing various programs. For example, the control device 40 controls the operation of the lid supply unit 10 to supply lids, the operation of the articulated robot 30 to obtain a lid from the lid supply position P2 and fit the lid to the container at the fitting position P1, etc. More specifically, for example, the control device 40 controls the operation of moving the hand 31 to a predetermined position set in advance at a predetermined route and at a predetermined speed by controlling the drive of the robot arm 32, and the operation of controlling the drive of each mechanism provided in the fitting member 31a attached to the hand 31.

[0020] [Hardware configuration of the control device 40] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of the control device 40. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 711, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 712, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 713, a bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a memory unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719.

[0021] The CPU 711 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 712 or a program loaded from the storage unit 717 to the RAM 713 . The RAM 713 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 711 to execute various processes.

[0022] The CPU 711, the ROM 712, and the RAM 713 are connected to one another via a bus 714. To the bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a storage unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719 are connected.

[0023] The input unit 715 includes an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard, and receives various information input to the control device 40. The input unit 715 may include a microphone, and may receive various information input by voice input from the worker. The output unit 716 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs images and sounds. The storage unit 717 is configured with a hard disk or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or the like, and stores various data managed by each server. The communication unit 718 controls communication with other devices via the network.

[0024] Removable media 731, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, is appropriately loaded into the drive 719. A program read from the removable media 731 by the drive 719 is installed in the storage unit 717 as necessary. It should be noted that the above hardware configuration is the basic configuration of the control device 40, and it is possible to adopt a configuration that does not include some of the hardware, to include additional hardware, or to change the implementation form of the hardware.

[0025] [Functional configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 40 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 40. As shown in FIG. 3, by executing a program for controlling the operation of the fitting system 1, a target information acquisition unit 151, a sensor information acquisition unit 152, a lid supply control unit 153, an articulated robot control unit 154, and a record control unit 155 function in a CPU 711 of the control device 40. In addition, a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172 are formed in the storage unit 717.

[0026] The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the fitting system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores parameters that define the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30, such as the positions of the fitting position P1 and the lid supply position P2, the movement path of the hand 31 when performing fitting, and the procedure for drive control of the fitting member 31a when performing fitting. As described above, the fitting system 1 can accommodate fitting of various types of containers and lids, so that a plurality of these parameters may be set corresponding to each of the various types of containers and lids.

[0027] The history DB 172 stores, as history, parameters related to control acquired when the fitting system 1 operates, or a value indicating the time required for fitting when the fitting system 1 performs fitting (for example, a value obtained by dividing the time required for multiple fittings by the number of fittings), etc. In this case, the recorded parameters related to control are used, for example, when setting a new operation pattern, etc. Also, the value indicating the time required for fitting is used, for example, as an index when considering whether or not a takt time (TT) required by a user of the fitting system 1 can be met.

[0028] The target information acquisition unit 151 acquires target information, which is information about the containers and lids to be fitted. For example, the target information acquisition unit 151 acquires information such as the type of container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2, the type of lid with a shape corresponding to the container, and information such as the number of remaining fittings required to change the containers transported on the belt conveyor 2 to a different type of container. The target information acquisition unit 151 acquires such information by the user inputting the information through the input unit 715 of the control device 40. In this case, instead of the input unit 715, for example, an input device such as a touch panel may be installed near the articulated robot 30, and the user may input the information through the input device.

[0029] The sensor information acquisition unit 152 acquires sensor information that is information detected by various sensors installed in the fitting system 1. For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 152 acquires data on reaction forces measured by a force sensor 30A installed at a joint of the articulated robot 30, and data on the position of a container detected by a container detection sensor 20 installed in the vicinity of the articulated robot 30.

[0030] The lid supply control unit 153 controls the lid supply unit 10 and controls the timing of supplying lids to the lid supply position P2. For example, the lid supply control unit 153 causes the lid supply unit 10 to start supplying lids when the fitting system 1 starts operating. The lid supply control unit 153 also causes the lid supply unit 10 to supply new lids every time the articulated robot 30 acquires a lid for closing the lid. In this case, the lid supply control unit 153 identifies the type of container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2 based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition unit 151, and causes the lid supply unit 10 to supply a lid having a shape corresponding to the identified container.

[0031] The articulated robot control unit 154 controls the operation of the articulated robot 30, and causes the articulated robot 30 to execute a series of operations for fitting the lid to the container according to the operation pattern defined in the fitting system 1. For example, the articulated robot control unit 154 causes the articulated robot 30 to execute various operations including an operation (transport operation) of moving the hand 31 toward the fitting position P1 or the lid supply position P2, an operation (lid acquisition operation) of acquiring the lid from the lid supply position P2 by the hand 31, an operation (pushing operation) of pushing the lid into the container storage space side by the hand 31, and an operation (fitting execution operation including the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation) of fitting the lid to the container multiple times by the hand 31 at the fitting position P1. In this case, the articulated robot control unit 154 identifies the type of container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2 based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition unit 151, and uses the operation pattern corresponding to the identified container.

[0032] The record control unit 155 stores, in the history DB 172, parameters related to control acquired when the fitting system 1 operates, a value indicating the time required for fitting when the fitting system 1 performs fitting, and the like. The method of utilizing this information is as described above in the explanation of the history DB 172.

[0033] [Configuration of fitting member 31a] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a fitting member 31a attached to the tip of the hand 31. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the fitting member 31a includes a pressing mechanism 310, a sliding mechanism 320, an opening / closing mechanism 330, a suppressing mechanism 340, and a hand mounting unit 350. Here, as shown in the figure, the direction in which the opening / closing mechanism 330 is disposed is defined as the front direction based on the longitudinal direction of the pressing unit 311 included in the pressing mechanism 310. The direction in which the sliding mechanism 320 is disposed on the opposite side to the front direction is defined as the rear direction. In addition, in a horizontal plane, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the right direction when the fitting member 31a is viewed in a plan view from the rear direction to the front direction is defined as the right direction, and the left direction is defined as the left direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is defined as the vertical direction. In this case, with the vertical direction as the reference, the direction toward the side where the slide mechanism 320 and the opening / closing mechanism 330 are arranged is vertically upward, and the direction toward the side where the pressing mechanism 310 and the suppression mechanism 340 are arranged is vertically downward.

[0034] The pressing mechanisms 310 are arranged on the left and right sides, respectively, and constitute a pair. Each of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 includes a pressing part 311 formed in a plate shape from a flexible material such as silicon or rubber, a first support part 312 that supports the pressing part 311, and a second support part 313 that similarly supports the pressing part 311. The pressing mechanism 310 functions as a mechanism for contacting the lid with the pressing portion 311 when fitting the lid, thereby contacting the contact target portion of the lid or pressing the pressing target portion of the lid. A more detailed structure of the pressing mechanism 310 will be described later with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

[0035] The slide mechanism 320 comprises a rail portion 321 having a linear groove in the left-right direction, a hook portion 322 that engages with this groove, and a connecting portion 323 that connects the second support portion 313, the hook portion 322, and the rack 333 together to connect the respective mechanisms. The slide mechanism 320 supports the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 so that they can move linearly in the left-right direction using rail portions 321, hook portions 322 and connecting portions 323, and also functions as a mechanism for moving the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 closer to or farther away from each other in the left-right direction (i.e., opening and closing) in response to a linear force in the left-right direction transmitted from the opening / closing mechanism 330 via the connecting portions 323.

[0036] The opening / closing mechanism 330 includes an actuator 331 that rotates around the vertical axis, a pinion gear 332 connected to the tip of the rotating part of the actuator 331, and a pair of racks 333 having grooves that mesh with the gears of the pinion gear 332. The pinion gear 332 and the rack 333 form a rack-and-pinion mechanism, and the rotational force generated by the rotational motion of the actuator 331 is converted into a force that moves linearly in the left-right direction by the pinion gear 332 and each of the pair of racks 333. As a result, the opening / closing mechanism 330 functions as a mechanism that drives the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 by transmitting the force that moves linearly in the left-right direction to each of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 via the connecting portion 323.

[0037] The suppression mechanism 340 is a suction pad that suctions an object by bringing the space between the suppression mechanism 340 and the object into a vacuum state using a connected vacuum generator (not shown). In this embodiment, the suppression mechanism 340 holds the lid by adhering to the lid as the object and adsorbing it. Furthermore, the suppression mechanism 340 has a structure in which the tip that is in contact with the lid expands and contracts in the vertical direction when the lid is fitted to the container in the vertical direction. The suppression mechanism 340 uses this expandable tip to push the top surface of the lid toward the storage space of the container. The structure of the suppression mechanism 340 will be described in more detail later with reference to FIG. 7.

[0038] The hand attachment part 350 is a part for attaching the entire fitting member 31a having the above-mentioned configuration to the tip of the hand 31. The hand attachment part 350 is provided with, for example, a plurality of screw holes (not shown), and the fitting member 31a is attached to the tip of the hand 31 by screwing screws into the screw holes.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining in more detail the structure of the pressing mechanism 310. Fig. 5 shows the structure of the pressing mechanism 310 as viewed in plan from vertically below.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 5(a), the pressing unit 311 has a structure in which two different shapes are combined. Specifically, in the left-right direction defined in Fig. 4 (the up-down direction on the paper surface of Fig. 5), the side where one of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 faces the other (i.e., the inner side) has a flat shape. On the other hand, in the left-right direction, the opposite side to the inner side (i.e., the outer side) has a shape in which vertically extending rectangular columns are arranged at a predetermined interval. As described above, the pressing unit 311 is made of a flexible material.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5(b), the pressing portion 311 is fitted into first support portions 312 each having a shape corresponding to the prismatic shape at each end of the pressing portion 311.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 5(c), the pressing portion 311 is supported by the second supporting portion 313 so as to be sandwiched between the first supporting portion 312. Then, as shown in Fig. 5(d), the first supporting portion 312 and the second supporting portion 313 are fixed by being screwed together with a screw. In order to properly support the pressing portion 311, the first supporting portion 312 and the second supporting portion 313 are made of a material with extremely low flexibility, such as stainless steel, which does not deform during normal use, unlike the pressing portion 311.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining in detail the structure of the pressing mechanism 310 in a state in which the first support portion 312 and the second support portion 313 are fixed.

[0044] Fig. 6(a) shows the pressing mechanism 310 as viewed from the outside as defined in Fig. 5. Fig. 6(b) shows the pressing mechanism 310 as viewed from the inside as defined in Fig. 5. As a premise, even if they are made of the same material, due to their structure, the planar shape of the inside of the pressing part 311 is relatively flexible and easily deformed. In contrast, the rectangular column shape of the outside of the pressing part 311 is relatively less flexible and less easily deformed.

[0045] Therefore, when the bottom surface (bottom surfaces of the planar shape and prismatic shape) of pressing portion 311 comes into contact with some object and receives a vertical force (for example, a vertically upward force) from that object, the low flexibility of the prismatic shape affects the overall state of low flexibility and resistance to deformation. In contrast, when the inner planar shape of pressing portion 311 comes into contact with some object and receives an outward force from that object, the planar shape curves outward due to its high flexibility, and since the prismatic shapes are spaced apart, they do not come into contact with each other and do not affect the curvature of the planar shape. This results in an overall state of high flexibility and resistance to deformation.

[0046] 6(c) shows the pressing mechanism 310 in a plan view from above in the latter case described above (when the inner planar shape of the pressing part 311 comes into contact with some object and an outward force is applied from the object). As shown in the figure, when an outward force is applied, the planar shape curves outward due to its high flexibility, except for the parts supported by the first support part 312 and the second support part 313. It can be seen that the prismatic shape does not affect the curvature of this planar shape. In this embodiment, appropriate fitting is achieved by utilizing the feature that the way in which the pressing part 311 deforms based on its flexibility differs depending on the direction in which the force is applied.

[0047] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining in more detail the structure of the suppression mechanism 340. Fig. 7 shows the structure of the suppression mechanism 340 as viewed from the front in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 7( a ), the suppression mechanism 340 includes a housing portion 341 , a pushing portion 342 , and a holding portion 343 .

[0048] Housing part 341 is a cylindrical housing that houses the entire pushing part 342, and the top surface of housing part 341 is fixed to the bottom surface of fitting member 31a. In order to clarify the configuration of pushing part 342 in the drawings, a cross section of housing part 341 is shown. Push-in portion 342 supports holding portion 343 inside housing portion 341. Push-in portion 342 has an elastic body (here, a compression coil spring) that expands and contracts in the vertical direction. The holding part 343 is a vacuum pad that adheres closely to the lid and holds the lid by adsorbing it. The holding part 343 is inserted vertically through the center parts of the housing part 341 and the pushing part 342, and is connected to a vacuum generator (not shown).

[0049] As shown in Fig. 7(b), when the suppression mechanism 340 having such a configuration comes into contact with the lid, it holds the lid in a movable state by suction with the holding portion 343. Also, as shown in Fig. 7(c), in the fitting operation described below, when the lid is in close contact with the tip of the holding portion 343 (i.e., in a state where the lid is being held) and the fitting member 31a is lowered in a state where the lid is supported by the container (details will be described later), the suppression mechanism 340 is pushed vertically downward. Then, a reaction force from the lid is applied to the tip of the holding portion 343 in a direction opposite to the pushing direction (here, vertically upward), and in response, the compression coil spring, which is an elastic body, elastically deforms and contracts in the pushing direction (here, vertical direction).

[0050] 7(d), when the fitting member 31a is further lowered, the pushing portion 342 of the suppression mechanism 340 is further elastically deformed, and the pushed-in lid is deformed due to the flexibility of the lid itself, and is in a state of being pushed in the pushing direction (here, vertically downward). In this embodiment, by utilizing such a feature that the tip of the suppression mechanism 340 expands and contracts in the vertical direction, when fitting is performed in the lid closing operation, the fitting portions of the container and the lid are more reliably fitted to each other. The operation and function during this mating will be further explained below.

[0051] [Series of operations for mating] 8 to 12 are schematic diagrams showing an example of a series of operations related to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 under the control of the control device 40. In FIG.

[0052] FIG. 8(a) shows the container and lid in a plan view from vertically above. Food is served in a serving area in the center of the container and lid. A fitting portion is provided around the serving area, and the opening of the container is closed by the lid by pressing the fitting portion of the container against the fitting portion of the lid and fitting the two fitting portions together. Note that there are various fitting methods for fitting the container and lid in this manner, such as an external fitting method, an internal fitting method, and an internal and external fitting method, and in this embodiment, any fitting method can be processed as long as the fitting can be achieved by pressing the fitting portion of the lid.

[0053] 8(a) to 9, 11 and 12, which will be described below, and Fig. 13, which will be described later, are all cross-sectional views taken along line AA in Fig. 8(a). Also, Fig. 10, which will be described later, is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 8(a). 8(b), the articulated robot 30 moves the hand 31 to the lid supply position P2, and then moves the fitting member 31a vertically downward until it contacts the lid supplied to the lid supply position P2. Then, the articulated robot 30 starts holding the lid by adsorbing the lid with the suppression mechanism 340. Then, the articulated robot 30 moves the hand 31 to the fitting position P1 while still holding the lid.

[0054] 8(c), the articulated robot 30 lowers the fitting member 31a vertically from above onto the container conveyed to the fitting position P1 by the belt conveyor 2. In this case, the bottom surface of the fitting portion of the lid comes into contact with the top surface of the fitting portion of the container. However, since the pressing mechanism 310 has not yet pressed the fitting portions, the fitting portions have not yet been mated with each other. As a result, the fitting portions of the lid at both ends are supported vertically from below by the container.

[0055] Next, as shown in FIG. 9(d), the articulated robot 30 further lowers the fitting member 31a from vertically above relative to the container. Here, as described above, the fitting portions of the lid at both ends of the lid are supported vertically below by the container. Therefore, both ends of the lid do not move vertically downward any further. In contrast, the central region of the lid is not supported like both ends of the lid. Therefore, as the central region of the lid is pushed vertically downward by the suppression mechanism 340, the central region of the lid is deformed and is pushed in the direction of the container storage space side (i.e., the side where food is served).

[0056] 9(e), while holding the lid with the suppression mechanism 340, the articulated robot 30 continues to push the lid with the suppression mechanism 340, thereby maintaining a state in which the lid is pushed toward the storage space side and the fitting portion of the lid is close to the fitting portion of the container. Then, while this pushed state is maintained, the articulated robot 30 drives the actuator 331 to horizontally move each of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 in a direction approaching the central portion of the horizontal surface of the container (i.e., inward direction), thereby bringing the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 closer to each other and abutting the pressing portion 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 against a portion of the side surface of the lid vertically above the fitting portion (hereinafter referred to as the "contact target portion").

[0057] As described above with reference to Fig. 6, when the planar shape of the inner side of the pressing part 311 comes into contact with some object (here, the contact target part of the lid) and a force (here, a reaction force from the contact target part of the lid) is applied from the object in the outward direction opposite to the inward direction, the pressing part 311 has the characteristic of curving outward due to the relatively high flexibility of the planar shape. Therefore, due to its flexibility, the pressing part 311 curves into a shape that conforms to the shape of the outer periphery of the contact target part when the lid and the pressing part 311 are viewed in a plan view vertically from above. That is, in this embodiment, the shape of the horizontal plane of the container (i.e., the shape viewed in a plan view vertically from above) itself is utilized, and the pressing mechanism 310 is deformed into a shape that conforms to this shape. Accordingly, the pressing portion 311 is deformed into a shape that fits the portion that is to be pressed for fitting (hereinafter referred to as the "pressing target portion") that is located vertically below the abutting target portion of the lid.

[0058] 9(f), the articulated robot 30 uses the pressing part 311 of the pressing mechanism 310, which is in a state transformed by the transformation operation, to press the pressing target part to be pressed for fitting the fitting part of the lid vertically downward. The position of the pressing target part differs depending on the container, but typically the part vertically above the fitting part of the lid is the pressing target part.

[0059] Although the details will be described below, in this embodiment, while the suppression mechanism 340 maintains the state in which the fitting portion of the lid is close to the fitting portion of the container, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a predetermined direction (hereinafter referred to as the "first direction") to perform an operation of pressing the pressing target portion of the lid (hereinafter referred to as the "first fitting operation"). The above fitting operation described with reference to Fig. 9(f) corresponds to this first fitting operation. Furthermore, in this embodiment, after performing this first interlocking operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a direction different from the first direction (hereinafter referred to as the "second direction") to further perform an operation of pressing the pressing target portion again (hereinafter referred to as the "second interlocking operation").

[0060] As a result, after moving and pressing in the first direction in the first fitting operation, the container and the lid can be fitted together by moving and pressing in a different direction, that is, the second direction, in the second fitting operation. Therefore, even if the fitting parts have various uneven shapes in consideration of airtightness after the lid is closed, gaps between the fitting parts can be eliminated as much as possible, and fitting can be performed more reliably. For example, even if the fitting is insufficient in the first fitting operation, the second fitting operation can achieve more reliable fitting. Or, even if the fitting is not performed in the first place in the first fitting operation, the second fitting operation can achieve more reliable fitting.

[0061] Here, there is no particular limitation as to which directions the first direction and the second direction are, but in this embodiment, as an example, the first direction is assumed to be vertically downward as described above. In this case, the second direction may be any direction different from vertically downward, and may be, for example, a direction in a horizontal plane such as the left direction, the right direction, the forward direction, or the backward direction, or may be vertically upward. In addition, the second direction may be a direction that includes both a vertical component in the vertically upward or vertically downward direction and a horizontal component in a direction such as the left and right direction. In other words, it may be a diagonal direction. Furthermore, the second direction may be a direction in which the locus of the movement is a straight line or a curved line. For example, the second direction may be a direction in which the locus of the movement is an arc based on a rotational motion. In addition, the second direction may be one direction, or may be multiple directions based on a reciprocating motion, for example. Furthermore, the first direction being vertically downward is merely an example as described above, and any of the various directions described above may be the first direction.

[0062] That is, in this embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are different, and it is only necessary that the pressing mechanism 310 moving in these different directions can perform pressing in different ways. Therefore, for example, any direction can be selected as the first direction or the second direction in consideration of various factors such as the shape, size, and material properties of the container or lid to be fitted.

[0063] Next, the second fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in various second directions to press the pressing target portion again will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 10(a) shows the state of the container and the lid after the first fitting operation is performed as shown in Fig. 9(f). Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 8(a), and is a plan view of the container and the pressing mechanism 310 in the longitudinal direction.

[0064] First, in the first fitting operation, pressing is performed by moving the pressing mechanism 310 vertically downward. In this case, if the positional relationship between the container and the lid is appropriate, the fitting portions of the container and the lid will fit together by the first fitting operation. For example, if the container and the lid are both in a horizontal state and the fitting portions of the container and the lid are accurately aligned, the fitting portions of the container and the lid will fit together by the first fitting operation. However, in reality, when the first fitting operation is performed, these positional relationships may be misaligned. In addition, the shape of the fitting portion may be complex to begin with, and it may be difficult to fit the parts by simply moving and pressing them in one direction. In these cases, even if the first fitting operation is performed, the fitting may be insufficient or may not be fully fitted. For example, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the cover may be tilted and a part of the fitting portion of the cover may be floating, resulting in an insufficient fit. Therefore, in order to more reliably fit such a container and lid, a second fitting operation is performed as described below.

[0065] For example, as shown in FIG. 10(b-1), while the pressing mechanism 310 is kept in contact with the pressing target portion, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in the second direction to press the pressing target portion again, and the second fitting operation is performed. In this case, the pressing mechanism 310 is reciprocated in the front-rear direction (left-right direction on the paper) as the second direction while keeping the bottom surface of the pressing mechanism 310 in contact with the pressing target portion in the horizontal direction so that the inclination of the lid is corrected. That is, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved so as to swing back and forth. Note that, including the following description, swinging does not only mean a simple movement in a certain direction, but may also include, for example, a movement in which the mechanism moves while vibrating slightly. For example, it may include a movement in which the mechanism moves while vibrating slightly in the vertical up-down direction while moving in the front-rear direction.

[0066] This allows the pressing mechanism 310 to convert the force of moving in the second direction (here, the front-rear direction) into a force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to engage the portions. This engagement force includes not only a linear force from vertically upward to downward, but also a force acting in an oblique direction. Therefore, unlike the first engagement operation in which the portions are pressed only vertically downward, a force acting in a variety of directions can be used to engage the portions so as to eliminate gaps between the engaging portions in various directions.

[0067] In this case, a relatively stronger pressing force is applied to the portion of the fitting portion of the lid that is floating vertically upward due to the inclination than to the other portions. This allows the portion that is floating and insufficiently fitted to be fitted more reliably. In particular, in this embodiment, the pressing portion 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 has flexibility. Therefore, it is possible to deform into a shape that fits the floating portion of the fitting portion of the lid, and to apply a strong fitting force. In addition, since the pressing portion 311 is subjected to a force that tries to restore the shape before deformation, this force can further apply a fitting force.

[0068] 10 and 12 described later, in order to clarify the positional relationship between the pressing mechanism 310 and the container and lid, the suppression mechanism 340 is not shown, but it is assumed that the holding and pushing by the suppression mechanism 340 continues in the second fitting operation. However, this is not limited, and the holding and pushing by the suppression mechanism 340 may be ended at the point in time when the first fitting operation is completed, and the second fitting operation may be performed thereafter.

[0069] 10(b-2), the second fitting operation may be performed by reciprocating the pressing mechanism 310 in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction on the paper) as the second direction while keeping the bottom surface of the pressing mechanism 310 in contact with the pressing target portion in a slightly inclined direction that matches the inclination of the lid so that the inclination of the lid is corrected. In other words, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved so as to swing back and forth.

[0070] In this way, as in Fig. 10(b-1), pressing can be performed while converting the force of the pressing mechanism 310 moving in the second direction (here, the front-rear direction) into a force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to fit it. In this case, as in Fig. 10(b-1), a relatively stronger pressing force acts on the portion of the fitting portion of the lid that is floating vertically upward due to the inclination than on other portions. In particular, in this example, even if the entire pressing portion 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 is made of a material with low flexibility and is hardly deformed, the second fitting operation can be realized as long as the material is such that friction between the pressing portion 311 and the pressing target portion can be ensured.

[0071] 10, a case has been described in which the right side of the fitting portion of the lid is raised and the pressing mechanism 310 moves to the right side of the page to fit this portion more securely, but this is merely one example. In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 also moves to the left side of the page, so that even if the left side of the fitting portion of the lid is raised, this portion can be fitted more securely. Furthermore, due to this reciprocating motion, even if the center of the fitting portion of the lid is raised, this portion can be fitted more securely.

[0072] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of deformation of the bottom surface portion of pressing part 311 accompanying the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 8(a), and is a plan view of a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the container and pressing mechanism 310 on the horizontal plane (i.e., the short side direction).

[0073] As shown in FIG. 11(a), when the positional relationship between the container and the lid is appropriate and the first fitting operation is performed appropriately, the pressing portion 311 does not deform because the rectangular column shape of the above-mentioned pressing portion 311 has a relatively low flexibility in the vertical direction. 11(b), if the positional relationship between the container and the lid is inappropriate, for example, if the lid is tilted relative to the container when the first fitting operation is performed, the pressing part 311 is deformed so as to be rolled up outward, due to the relatively high outward flexibility of the planar shape of the pressing part 311. This deformation is not limited to the first fitting operation, but can also occur when the second fitting operation is performed as shown in FIG. 10(b-1).

[0074] When the cover is deformed in this way, only a part of the bottom surface of the pressing portion 311 comes into contact with the part of the cover that is to be pressed, and the fitting force acts only on this part. Therefore, even if the first fitting operation or the second fitting operation is continued in this state, it becomes difficult to properly fit the part that is to be pressed. Therefore, as a second fitting operation, the pressing portion 311 is moved in a second direction, which is a direction different from the first direction, namely, vertically downward, such as vertically upward or vertically diagonally upward. As a result, the pressing portion 311 is released from the state in which it is pressed by the lid. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the pressing portion 311 is restored inward to its original shape by a restoring force based on the flexibility of the pressing portion 311.

[0075] In this way, by moving the pressing portion 311 again vertically downward or diagonally vertically downward during the inward restoration, pressing can be performed while converting the force of the pressing portion 311 moving again into a force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to engage. This engagement force includes not only a linear force from vertically upward to downward, but also a force that acts diagonally as the pressing portion 311 during the restoration returns to its inward state. Therefore, unlike the case of pressing only vertically downward as in the first engagement operation, engagement can be performed to eliminate gaps between the engagement portions in various directions using forces that act in various directions.

[0076] Furthermore, by combining the second mating operation taking into account the state in the short direction as described above with the second mating operation taking into account the state in the long direction as shown in FIG. 10 (i.e., performing two second mating operations in different second directions in sequence), a more reliable mating can be achieved. In particular, since it is difficult to predict how the mating portions of the container and lid will be mated together in the first mating operation, and various situations can be envisaged, performing the two second mating operations in sequence in this manner is preferable for ensuring more reliable mating.

[0077] FIG. 12 shows an example of the second fitting operation that is performed by utilizing the characteristics of the pressing portion 311 as shown in FIG. For example, as shown in Fig. 12(a-1), for the second fitting operation, the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 is moved once in the second direction (for example, vertically upward or vertically diagonally upward), and then the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 is moved vertically downward or vertically diagonally downward again. In other words, the pressing mechanisms 310 are moved so as to swing up and down with a direction including vertically upward or vertically diagonally upward as the second direction. In this way, in addition to the force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to fit, as described above with reference to Fig. 11, a force acting in a diagonal direction to restore the pressing portion 311 inward during restoration can also be used to more reliably perform fitting.

[0078] In addition, for example, in the case where the fitting member 31a can be rotated around a part functioning as a joint of the hand 31 as a rotation axis, the fitting member 31a is rotated around a trajectory moved by the rotational movement as a second direction for the second fitting operation, as shown in FIG. 12(b-2). That is, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved so as to swing like a pendulum around the rotation axis. This also makes it possible to perform fitting more reliably by using a force that presses the pressing target part vertically downward to fit the pressing target part, as well as a force that acts in an oblique direction to restore the pressing part 311 in the middle of restoration to its inward state. In addition, in this case, the force that presses the pressing target part vertically downward to fit the pressing target part is a force based on the rotational movement, so that the fitting can be performed to eliminate gaps between the fitting parts in various directions by using a force that acts in various directions, unlike the case where the pressing target part is pressed only vertically downward as in the first fitting operation.

[0079] In addition, for example, when the pair of fitting members 31a can be driven independently, as shown in FIG. 12(b-3), one pressing mechanism 310 (the pressing mechanism 310 on the left side of the drawing) continues to press the pressing target portion. Then, for the second fitting operation, the other pressing mechanism 310 (the pressing mechanism 310 on the right side of the drawing) is moved once in the second direction (for example, vertically upward or vertically diagonally upward), and then this pressing mechanism 310 is moved vertically downward or vertically diagonally downward again. In other words, one pressing mechanism 310 is moved so as to swing up and down with a direction including vertically upward or vertically diagonally upward as the second direction. This also makes it possible to perform more reliable fitting by utilizing the force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to fit, and also the force that the pressing part 311 exerts inwardly to restore during restoration. In this case, since each of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 performs pressing in a different manner, unlike the first mating operation which presses only vertically downward, it is possible to use forces acting in various directions to eliminate gaps between mating parts in various directions. In this case, the pressing mechanisms 310 performing the second mating operation are switched so that after one pressing mechanism 310 performs the second mating operation, the other pressing mechanism 310 performs the second mating operation.

[0080] 12, the right side of the fitting portion of the lid is raised, and the pressing mechanism 310 on the right side of the page presses this portion more reliably, but this is merely one example. The pressing mechanism 310 on the left side of the page similarly performs the second fitting operation, so that even if the left side of the page of the fitting portion of the lid is raised, this portion can be fitted more reliably.

[0081] 10 to 12 is merely an example, and the second fitting operation can be realized by various other methods suited to the container and the lid. Furthermore, the second fitting operation by the various methods can be appropriately combined.

[0082] Then, when the second fitting operation is completed, the articulated robot 30 stops suction by the suppression mechanism 340 and ends holding of the lid by the suppression mechanism 340. This ends the series of operations during fitting by the fitting system 1. After that, the articulated robot 30 rises to release the fitted container, but during this rise, the pressing mechanism 310 may be opened once to the left and right to stop abutting against the abutment target portion and then rise, so that the fitted lid does not come off again.

[0083] A series of operations during fitting by the fitting system 1 has been described above. According to this series of operations, for example, the following effects are achieved. First, in such a fitting operation, the contact target portion and the pressing target portion usually have similar shapes when viewed vertically from above, but are separated due to their different sizes. Therefore, it is not the planar shape of the pressing portion 311 that contacts the contact target portion, but the prismatic shape of the pressing portion 311 that is separated outward from this planar shape that presses the pressing target portion. Here, as described above with reference to FIG. 6, when the bottom surface of the prismatic shape of the pressing portion 311 contacts some object (here, the pressing target portion of the lid) and a force (here, a reaction force from the pressing target portion of the lid) is applied vertically upward from the object, the pressing portion 311 is characterized in that it is difficult to deform due to the low flexibility of the prismatic shape. Therefore, the pressing portion 311 can perform pressing without being deformed. In addition, due to the contact with the contact target portion described above, the pressing portion 311, including the prismatic shape, is deformed into a shape that fits the pressing target portion. Therefore, the pressing portion 311 can press the entire pressing target portion with uniform force evenly, and the fitting portions, that is, the fitting portion of the lid and the fitting portion of the container, can be fitted together more reliably.

[0084] Furthermore, in the first and second fitting operations, the suppression mechanism 340 continues to push the lid in the direction of the storage space, thereby maintaining the state in which the lid is pushed in. This reduces the space closed by the container and the lid, and allows the fitting to be performed while removing air. This reduces the amount of air flowing into the container, and prevents the container and the lid from expanding after closing. Furthermore, by preventing the expansion, the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably.

[0085] In this way, in the series of operations involved in mating using the mating system 1, by taking advantage of the characteristic that the way in which deformation occurs based on the flexibility of the pressing portion 311 differs depending on the direction of the force applied, deformation occurs with relatively high flexibility, while pressing occurs with relatively low flexibility without deformation. This allows the pressing mechanism 310 to be shaped to fit the fitting portion of the container or lid to be fitted, and then pressing can be performed appropriately. This makes it possible to achieve fitting corresponding to each of a plurality of types of lids and containers. Therefore, for example, in a situation where containers of different shapes must be accommodated on one production line, fitting can be achieved without replacing the member used for closing the lid. Moreover, this deformation can be achieved by utilizing the physical property of the pressing mechanism 310, that is, its flexibility. Therefore, in the above-mentioned situation, it is possible to cope with the situation without making detailed adjustments to the control method of the articulated robot 30. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, fitting can be performed more generally for various objects to be fitted.

[0086] In addition, in the series of operations related to fitting by the fitting system 1, the tip of the suppression mechanism 340 has the characteristic of expanding and contracting in the vertical direction, so that the space closed by the container and the lid can be reduced and the air can be removed while fitting. This reduces the amount of air flowing into the container, and the bulging of the container and the lid after closing can be suppressed. Furthermore, by suppressing the bulging, the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably. Furthermore, with the fitting system 1, there is no need to perform a complicated process of alternately pressing using a plurality of independently operable pressing members. Therefore, for example, fitting can be completed with a single pressing, and the working time can be reduced. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably.

[0087] In particular, according to the fitting system 1, after moving and pressing in a first direction in the first fitting operation, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together by moving and pressing in a different direction, that is, a second direction, in the second fitting operation. This makes it possible to eliminate gaps between the fitting portions as much as possible and to fit more reliably, even if the fitting portions have various uneven shapes in consideration of airtightness after the lid is closed. For example, even if the fitting by the first fitting operation is insufficient, the second fitting operation can make the fitting more reliably. Or, even if the fitting is not possible in the first place by the first fitting operation, the second fitting operation can make the fitting more reliably. In this way, the mating system 1 takes into consideration a problem that was not even anticipated in the prior art, that is, "moving and pressing in a certain direction does not necessarily result in a secure mating," and further solves this problem. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably.

[0088] Furthermore, according to the fitting system 1, the pressing mechanism 310 is swung in the second direction to press the pressing target portion again. This allows the mating portions of the container and the lid to be more reliably engaged with each other by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 (for example, by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 to cause it to move back and forth in the second direction, or by vibrating the pressing mechanism 310 by rocking).

[0089] Furthermore, according to the mating system 1, as shown in Figures 10(b-1) and 10(b-2), in the second mating operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in the second direction while maintaining contact with the portion to be pressed, thereby pressing the portion to be pressed again. This makes it possible to perform pressing while converting the force of the pressing mechanism 310 moving in the second direction into a force pressing the pressing target portion.

[0090] Furthermore, according to the mating system 1, as shown in Figures 12(a-2) and 10(a-3), in the second mating operation, the first region of the pressing target portion and the second region of the pressing target portion are pressed at different times, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again. This makes it possible to apply pressure to a plurality of pressure target portions in a different manner, distributing the pressure force rather than applying pressure uniformly to all of the pressure target portions.

[0091] Furthermore, according to the fitting system 1, by performing the second fitting operation in a plurality of ways, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a second direction different from the first direction, in a plurality of second directions, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again. This allows, for example, pressing to be performed from a direction suitable for the pressing target portion to be pressed again.

[0092] Furthermore, according to the fitting system 1, as shown in FIG. 12(a-2), the pressing mechanism 310 is rotated around the hand 31 supporting the pressing mechanism 310 as a rotation axis, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again. This allows the pressing force to be applied in various directions by utilizing the regularity of the rotational movement.

[0093] Furthermore, according to the fitting system 1, as shown in FIG. 12, the pressing target portion is pressed again without the pressing mechanism 310 swinging in the horizontal direction. As a result, even if, for example, the frictional force of the belt conveyor 2 and the bottom surface of the container is low and the container moves on the belt conveyor 2 when the pressing mechanism 310 is swung in the horizontal direction, and deviates from the fitting position P1 where the lid is fitted, the container can be made to stay at the fitting position P1. Therefore, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably.

[0094] [Effect] 13 and 14 are schematic diagrams for explaining the action of a series of operations relating to fitting by the fitting system 1 described above.

[0095] FIG. 13(A) shows the state of the container closed by the lid after fitting when the fitting parts at both ends of the lid are simultaneously fitted to the fitting parts of the container in a general technique. Note that this is shown only for comparison with the present embodiment, and does not show the state when fitting is performed according to the present embodiment. If an operation such as the second fitting operation of the present embodiment is not performed, the fitting parts cannot be reliably fitted to each other, and fitting may be insufficient. Also, if an operation such as the pushing operation of the present embodiment is not performed, fitting is performed with air flowing into the container, so as shown in the figure, the lid is pushed outward by the internal air, and the container and lid are in a bulging state after fitting. If the container or lid swells in this way, as shown in the figure, the fitting parts are also deformed with the bulging of the container and lid, resulting in insufficient fitting, and the lid is easily removed when an external force is applied.

[0096] In contrast, FIG. 13(B) shows the state of the container closed by the lid after the first fitting operation is performed as described above in this embodiment, and then the second fitting operation is performed to fit the container. As described above, in this embodiment, the second fitting operation is performed to fit the fitting portions more securely. Also, in this embodiment, the fitting is performed in a state in which the central region of the lid is pushed toward the container storage space side by the suppression mechanism 340. This reduces the space blocked by the container and the lid, and the fitting can be performed while removing air. Therefore, as shown in the figure, it is possible to suppress the bulging of the container and the lid after the closing. Also, by suppressing the bulging, the fitting portion is not deformed, and the container and the lid can be fitted more securely. Thus, it is clear that the present embodiment can more reliably fit the fitting portions of the container and the lid together, as compared with the general technology.

[0097] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a modified example in which pressing portion 311 of pressing mechanism 310 is brought into contact with a contact target portion. Fig. 14 shows pressing mechanism 310, the container, and the lid before and after the deformation, as viewed vertically from above in a plan view. 14(A) and (B), the pressing mechanism 310 before deformation has a length in the longitudinal direction that is equal to or longer than the contact target portion and the pressing target portion. In other words, the pressing mechanism 310 before deformation is relatively long in the longitudinal direction. This makes it possible to press the entire pressing target portion regardless of the size of the lid or container.

[0098] 14(A) and (B), the contact target portion and the pressing target portion have a shape including an arc shape. The pressing mechanism 310 after deformation is deformed so that at least a part of it is curved so as to have a shape that follows the arc shape. This allows appropriate pressing against, for example, containers and lids that include an arc shape, which are often used for containers and lids for serving food. 14A and 14B show examples of a rectangular container having arc-shaped corners and a circular container that is a perfect circle composed of arc-shaped corners, but the object to be deformed by the pressing mechanism 310 is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to deform the pressing mechanism 310 to a polygonal container such as a hexagon that does not have arc-shaped corners.

[0099] [Overall operation] Next, the overall operation of the fitting system 1 will be described. 15 and 16 are flowcharts showing the flow of the lid fitting process executed by the fitting system 1. The lid fitting process is started, for example, when a user performs an operation to start the lid fitting process.

[0100] 15, when the lid fitting process is started, in S11, the articulated robot control unit 154 prepares to fit the lid to the container by reading operation data (data on operation patterns, etc.) for executing a series of operations in the lid fitting process from the parameter storage unit 171. At this time, the articulated robot control unit 154 reads the operation pattern corresponding to the container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2.

[0101] In step S12, the lid supply control unit 153 controls the lid supply unit 10 to supply a lid corresponding to the container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2 to the lid supply position P2. In step S13, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the lid supply position P2 in accordance with the operation pattern data.

[0102] In step S14, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the suppression mechanism 340 to suck and hold the lid. In step S15, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether or not the container detection sensor 20 has detected that the container has been transported to the fitting position P1 or is about to be transported to the fitting position P1. If it has been detected, the determination in step S15 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if it has not been detected, the determination in step S15 is No, and the determination in step S15 continues.

[0103] In step S16, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the fitting position P1 in accordance with the operation pattern data. In step S17, the articulated robot control unit 154 uses the tip portion of the restraining mechanism 340 to push in the central region of the lid supported by the container. In step S18, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the fitting member 31a to bring the pressing mechanism 310 into contact with the contact target portion, thereby deforming the pressing portion 311.

[0104] Moving on to FIG. 16, in step S19, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the engaging member 31a to perform a first engaging operation by pressing the portion to be pressed in a first direction (here, vertically downward) using the pressing portion 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 in a deformed state. In step S20, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the fitting member 31a to press the pressing target portion in the second direction with the pressing unit 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 in a deformed state, thereby performing the first fitting operation.

[0105] In step S21, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether or not to further execute a different second interlocking operation from another second direction. If the second interlocking operation is to be further executed, the determination in step S21 is Yes, and the process returns to step S20. Then, in this step S20, a different second interlocking operation is further executed from another second direction. On the other hand, if the second interlocking operation is not to be further executed, the determination in step S21 is No, and the process proceeds to step S22. In step S22, when the container and the lid are fitted together by the pressing force in the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the suppression mechanism 340 to end holding of the lid and raises the hand 31. This realizes the fitting of the container and the lid.

[0106] In step S23, the record control unit 155 stores, in the history DB 172, parameters related to control acquired when the fitting system 1 operates, a value indicating the time required for fitting when the fitting system 1 performs fitting, and the like.

[0107] In step S24, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether or not a condition for terminating the lid fitting process is met. In this case, the condition for terminating the lid fitting process can be defined as the fact that the lids have been fitted to the planned number of containers, or the fact that the user has performed an operation to terminate the lid fitting process, or the like. If the conditions for ending the lid fitting process are not met, step S24 is judged as No and the process proceeds to step S25. On the other hand, if the conditions for ending the lid fitting process are met, step S24 is judged as Yes and the lid fitting process ends.

[0108] In step S25, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether or not there is a change in the container and lid to be fitted, based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition unit 151. If there is a change, the result of step S25 is Yes, and the process returns to step S11 shown in FIG. 15. Then, the articulated robot control unit 154 reads a new operation pattern corresponding to the changed container and lid, and performs the process from step S12 onwards again according to the newly read operation pattern. On the other hand, if there is no change, the result of step S25 is No, and the process returns to step S12 shown in FIG. Then, the articulated robot control unit 154 performs the process from step S12 onwards again according to the read operation pattern.

[0109] As described above, according to the fitting system 1 of this embodiment, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably when the lid closing operation is performed by the articulated robot 30. In addition, the fitting system 1 of this embodiment also has various effects as described above in the description with reference to the drawings.

[0110] [Variation 1] In the above-described embodiment, the articulated robot control unit 154 can control the articulated robot 30 to start pushing the lid, start contacting the contact target portion, start pressing the pressing target portion in the first fitting operation or the second fitting operation, or end these operations based on data of the reaction force from the container or the lid measured by the force sensor 30A (i.e., the detection result of contact with the container or the lid). This is not limiting, and control may be performed by other methods.

[0111] For example, if the width and height of the container and lid can be accurately grasped as data and the articulated robot 30 can be driven with higher precision, the articulated robot 30 may be controlled based only on the data on the width and height of the container and lid. Alternatively, if the installation cost of a camera is not an issue, the lid and container at the fitting position P1 may be photographed by a camera (i.e., an imaging device). Then, the image captured by the imaging device may be analyzed in real time, and the articulated robot 30 may be controlled based on the analysis results.

[0112] [Variation 2] In the above embodiment, the pressing portion 311 is configured by combining a planar shape with a prismatic shape. By utilizing the high flexibility of the planar shape, for example, the pressing portion 311 is deformed so as to be curved outward. However, the pressing portion 311 is not limited to this and may be configured in a shape that can appropriately apply pressure, and does not necessarily have to be deformed. Even in this case, it is possible to achieve pushing using at least the suppression mechanism 340, etc., so that the effect of more reliably fitting the mating portions of the container and the lid together can be achieved.

[0113] [Variation 3] In the above-described embodiment, during the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation, the lid is held by the pushing portion 342 of the suppression mechanism 340 and the lid is pushed in the direction of the container storage space side. However, this is not limiting, and for example, when the container or the lid has low flexibility and is difficult to expand, the pushing portion 342 of the suppression mechanism 340 may not push the lid. In this case, it is only necessary to provide a mechanism equivalent to the function of the holding portion 343 in place of the suppression mechanism 340, and the device configuration can be simplified. This modified example may be further modified. For example, if the worker, who is the user of the fitting system 1, can hold the lid, the holding part 343 of the suppression mechanism 340 may not hold the lid. That is, the articulated robot 30 may perform the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation while the worker holds the lid to keep the fitting part of the lid close to the fitting part of the container. In this case, the suppression mechanism 340 itself can be omitted, and the device configuration can be further simplified. It should be noted that the above-mentioned modified examples 1 to 3 can also be appropriately combined to form separate modified examples.

[0114] [Configuration example] As described above, the fitting system 1 in this embodiment includes the articulated robot 30 including the suppression mechanism 340 and the pressing mechanism 310, and the control device 40 that controls the operation of the articulated robot 30. The control device 40 is a holding operation of holding the lid having the first fitting portion with the suppression mechanism 340 to maintain a state in which the first fitting portion is close to the second fitting portion of the container; a first fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a first direction to press the pressing target portion of the first fitting portion while the state in which the two fitting parts are brought into close proximity by the holding operation is maintained; a second fitting operation in which, after the first fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a second direction different from the first direction to press the pressing target portion again; The articulated robot 30 is caused to execute the above. This allows the mating member to move in one direction to press, and then move in another direction to press. Therefore, even if the mating members have various uneven shapes in consideration of airtightness after the lid is closed, gaps between the mating members can be eliminated as much as possible, allowing for more reliable mating. For example, even if the mating is insufficient in the first mating operation, the mating can be more reliably achieved by the second mating operation. Or, even if the mating is not achieved in the first place by the first mating operation, the mating can be more reliably achieved by the second mating operation. In this way, the mating system 1 takes into consideration a problem that was not even anticipated in the prior art, that is, "moving and pressing in a certain direction does not necessarily result in a secure mating," and further solves this problem. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably.

[0115] In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is swung in the second direction to press the pressing target portion again. This allows the mating portions of the container and the lid to be more reliably engaged with each other by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 (for example, by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 to cause it to move back and forth in the second direction, or by vibrating the pressing mechanism 310 by rocking).

[0116] In the second fitting operation, while the pressing mechanism 310 is kept in contact with the pressing target portion, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in the second direction to press the pressing target portion again. This makes it possible to perform pressing while converting the force of the pressing mechanism 310 moving in the second direction into a force pressing the pressing target portion.

[0117] In the second fitting operation, the pressing target portion is pressed again by pressing the first region of the pressing target portion and pressing the second region of the pressing target portion at different timings. This makes it possible to apply pressure to a plurality of pressure target portions in a different manner, distributing the pressure force rather than applying pressure uniformly to all of the pressure target portions.

[0118] In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a second direction different from the first direction, that is, in a plurality of second directions, to press the pressing target portion again. This allows, for example, pressing to be performed from a direction suitable for the pressing target portion to be pressed again.

[0119] In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is rotated around the support portion that supports the pressing mechanism 310 as the rotation axis, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again. This allows the pressing force to be applied in various directions by utilizing the regularity of the rotational movement.

[0120] The control device 40 is While the state where the pressing mechanism 310 is brought into close proximity to the pressing object is maintained by the holding operation, the articulated robot 30 is further caused to perform a deformation operation in which the pressing mechanism 310 having flexibility is deformed by utilizing the flexibility so that the pressing mechanism 310 has a shape conforming to the shape of the pressing object. The pressing mechanism 310 in a state deformed by the deformation operation causes the articulated robot 30 to execute at least one of the first interlocking operation and the second interlocking operation. This allows the fitting portions of the container and the lid to be fitted together more reliably with a shape that matches the portion to be pressed.

[0121] The above-described embodiment and modifications are merely examples of the present invention, and various embodiments that realize the functions of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment and modified examples, the present invention has been described as being applied to a fitting system for closing a lid on a container containing food, but the present invention can be applied to systems for fitting various objects. For example, the present invention can be applied to various systems in the industrial field, etc., in which fitting is performed by a robot. Furthermore, the examples described in the above-described embodiments can be appropriately combined to implement the present invention. The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. In other words, the functional configuration in Fig. 3 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. In other words, it is sufficient that the fitting system 1 is provided with a function capable of executing the above-mentioned series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Fig. 3. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination of both.

[0122] When the series of processes is executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0123] The storage medium for storing the program is composed of a removable medium distributed separately from the device body, or a storage medium previously built into the device body. The removable medium is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. The optical disk is composed of, for example, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), or the like. The magneto-optical disk is composed of, for example, an MD (Mini-Disk), or the like. The flash memory is composed of, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD card. The storage medium previously built into the device body is composed of, for example, a ROM or a hard disk in which the program is stored.

[0124] In this specification, the steps of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium include not only processes that are performed chronologically according to the order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically but are executed in parallel or individually. In addition, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall device that is composed of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

[0125] The above embodiment shows an example of application of the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention can be modified in various ways, such as omissions and substitutions, without departing from the gist of the present invention, and various embodiments other than the above embodiment can be adopted. The various embodiments and modifications that the present invention can adopt are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1 Fitting system, 2 Belt conveyor, 2A Guide member, 10 Lid supply unit, 20 Container detection sensor, 30 Articulated robot, 30A Force sensor, 31 Hand, 31a, 31a-1 Fitting member, 32 Robot arm, 40 Control device, 151 Object information acquisition unit, 152 Sensor information acquisition unit, 153 Lid supply control unit, 154 Articulated robot control unit, 155 Recording control unit, 171 Parameter storage unit, 172 History database (history DB), 310 Pressing mechanism, 311 Pressing unit, 312 First support unit, 313 Second support unit, 320 Slide mechanism, 321 Rail unit, 322 Hook unit, 323 Connection unit, 330 Opening / closing mechanism, 331 Actuator, 332 Pinion gear, 333 Rack, 340 Suppression mechanism, 341 Housing unit, 342 Push-in unit, 343 holding unit, 350 hand mounting unit, 711 CPU, 712 ROM, 713 RAM, 714 bus, 715 input unit, 716 output unit, 717 storage unit, 718 communication unit, 719 drive, 731 removable media

Claims

1. A fitting robot having a robot arm, A retention mechanism that holds the lid by suction, a pushing mechanism that pushes the held lid toward the container storage space; a fitting mechanism that presses a fitting portion of the lid against a fitting portion of the container in a state in which the lid is pushed toward the storage space side, thereby fitting the fitting portions together; All of the above are provided at the tip of one of the robot arms, A fitting robot characterized by:

2. When the direction in which the holding mechanism contacts the lid when adsorbing the lid is defined as a first direction, the fitting mechanism performs the fitting by pressing a long side of the lid with a pressing member extending in a second direction that is a direction intersecting the first direction; The length of the pressing member extending in the second direction is relatively longer than the length of the long side of the lid.

2. The fitting robot according to claim 1.

3. The fitting robot comprises: The fitting is performed on a conveyance path of a conveying device that conveys the container, and The device operates with a lid having a first fitting portion corresponding to an internal fitting method or an internal / external fitting method and a container having a second fitting portion corresponding to the same method as the first fitting portion as the fitting object.

3. The fitting robot according to claim 2.

4. The fitting mechanism performs the fitting in a state in which the pressing member abuts against both at least a part of the long side of the lid and at least a part of the short side of the lid.

3. The fitting robot according to claim 2.

5. The fitting mechanism includes a plurality of pressing members, and the plurality of pressing members press the lid at different times to perform the fitting.

2. The fitting robot according to claim 1.

6. A fitting method performed by a robot equipped with a holding mechanism, a pushing mechanism, and a fitting mechanism all at the tip of a single robot arm, comprising: a holding step of holding the lid by suction using the holding mechanism; a pushing step of pushing the held lid toward the container storage space side using the pushing mechanism; a fitting step of pressing a fitting portion of the lid against a fitting portion of the container using the fitting mechanism while the lid is pushed toward the storage space side, thereby fitting the fitting portions together; A fitting method comprising:

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