Holding device, control method, and program

Abstract

To transport articles properly.SOLUTION: A holding device 1 includes: an upper surface holding unit 20 having a first suction surface 22a capable of suctioning upper surfaces Ra of articles R; a protruding part 84 which protrudes from a side of the article R to the article R side and may support the article R; and a control unit which controls operations of the upper surface holding unit 20 and the protruding part 84. The control unit sets a protruding length of the protruding part 84 based on transport object data of the article R to cause the protruding part 84 to protrude based on the protruding length.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gripping device, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known gripping devices such as palletizing devices that stack items on trays such as pallets. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a hand device having a suction mechanism that is driven to move up and down by a work pressing mechanism to suction the upper surface of the work, and fork claws that are inserted under the work to hold the work. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2838957 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is room for improvement in terms of appropriately transporting items such as workpieces.

[0005] The present disclosure is devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a gripping device, a control method, and a program that are capable of properly transporting an object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gripping device of the present disclosure comprises an upper gripping portion having a first suction surface capable of being adsorbed to the upper surface of an object, a protrusion portion capable of supporting the object by protruding from the side of the object toward the object, and a control portion for controlling the operation of the upper gripping portion and the protrusion portion, wherein the control portion sets a protrusion amount of the protrusion portion based on transport target data of the object, and protrudes the protrusion portion based on the protrusion amount.

[0007] The gripping device according to the present disclosure has an upper gripping portion having a first suction surface capable of being adsorbed to the upper surface of an article, a side gripping portion having a second suction surface capable of being adsorbed to the side surface of the article, a protrusion capable of protruding from the side of the article toward the article and supporting the article, and a flip-up mechanism capable of switching between a first state in which the side gripping portion is positioned below a lower end of the upper gripping portion and a second state in which the side gripping portion is positioned above the lower end of the upper gripping portion.

[0008] The control method of the present disclosure is a control method for controlling the operation of a gripping device having an upper gripping portion having a first adsorption surface capable of adsorbing to the upper surface of an object, and a protrusion capable of supporting the object by protruding from the side of the object toward the object, the control method including the steps of: setting a protrusion amount of the protrusion based on transport target data of the object; and protruding the protrusion based on the protrusion amount.

[0009] The program of the present disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute a control method for controlling the operation of a gripping device having an upper gripping portion with a first suction surface capable of being adsorbed to the upper surface of an object, and a protrusion capable of supporting the object by protruding from the side of the object toward the object, and causes the computer to execute a step of setting a protrusion amount of the protrusion based on transport target data of the object, and a step of protruding the protrusion based on the protrusion amount. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, items can be transported appropriately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a gripping device according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the gripping device shown in FIG. 1 is flipped up by 90 degrees. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a 180° flip-up state of the gripping device shown in FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of the gripping device shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of setting the amount of protrusion. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of control of the gripping device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of the control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and when there are multiple embodiments, the present disclosure also includes combinations of the embodiments.

[0013] (Configuration of gripping device) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a gripping device according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a 90° flip-up mode of the gripping device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a 180° flip-up mode of the gripping device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram of the gripping device shown in Fig. 1. The gripping device 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is attached to a palletizing device as a gripping device, and is a device that stacks articles on a pallet, unloads articles from a pallet, or transfers articles from an arbitrary pallet to another pallet in a facility that is managed by logistics such as a warehouse.

[0014] Here, the definition of a pallet by the Japan Pallet Association is "a surface on which cargo is placed in a single unit, and has a structure that allows loading, transporting, and storage all by hand or by a dedicated vehicle such as a forklift. It includes those with a superstructure." In this embodiment, a pallet refers to a container or platform on which the goods R are loaded. That is, the pallet here is not limited to a so-called flat platform, but also includes a cage cart and may be of any shape. The goods R are loaded on the pallet, for example, goods to be shipped. The goods R are also referred to as cardboard boxes in which goods are packed. The goods R have at least a flat top surface Ra, and in this embodiment, a rectangular or cubic cardboard box is assumed.

[0015] 1 to 3, the gripping device 1 includes a base 10, an upper gripping unit 20, a side gripping unit 30, a first arm 40, a second arm 50, a flip-up mechanism 60, a third arm 70, and a support unit 80. As shown in Fig. 4, the gripping device 1 further includes a control device 90 that controls the operation of each unit of the gripping device 1, an imaging device 100, and an input / output device 102. In this embodiment, the gripping device 1 including the control device 90, the imaging device 100, and the input / output device 102 includes a mode in which the functions of each unit are configured as part of a palletizing device to which the gripping device 1 is attached, or a function of a conveying system to which the palletizing device is deployed.

[0016] In this embodiment, the article R is stacked on a pallet. The upper surface of the article R in the vertical direction is the top surface Ra, the horizontal side surface perpendicular to the vertical direction is the side surface Rb, and the lower surface in the vertical direction is the bottom surface Rc. The direction perpendicular to the second opposing surface 30a facing the side surface Rb when the side gripping unit 30 supports the side surface Rb of the article R is the X-axis direction, the direction parallel to the rotation axis A of the flip-up mechanism 60 is the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions and perpendicular to the first opposing surface 20a facing the upper surface Ra when the upper gripping unit 20 supports the upper surface Ra of the article R is the Z-axis direction. At least during the operation of the gripping device 1, the X-axis and Y-axis directions correspond to the horizontal direction, and the Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction.

[0017] (base) 1 to 3 is connected to the tip of the arm of the palletizing device to which the gripping device 1 is attached via a rotating shaft 12, a rotating mechanism 14, and a lifting mechanism 16. The rotating shaft 12 is fixed to the upper surface side of the base 10 so that its axis is parallel to the Z-axis direction. The base 10 and the rotating shaft 12 are supported rotatably in a rotational direction φ around the axis of the rotating shaft 12 with respect to the arm of the palletizing device.

[0018] The turning mechanism 14 shown in Fig. 4 turns the base 10 and the turning shaft 12 in a rotation direction φ. For example, if the palletizing device is a multi-joint robot, the turning of the turning shaft 12 by the turning mechanism 14 corresponds to the operation of the sixth axis of the multi-joint robot. The turning mechanism 14 is realized by a well-known mechanism such as a rotary actuator including a motor, a rack-and-pinion mechanism including an air cylinder, or a wire or link mechanism. The operation of the turning mechanism 14 is controlled by a control unit 96 of the control device 90.

[0019] The lifting mechanism 16 linearly moves the base 10 and the rotating shaft 12 in a vertical direction V parallel to the Z-axis direction. For example, if the palletizing device is a multi-joint robot, the linear movement of the rotating shaft 12 by the lifting mechanism 16 is achieved by the cooperative operation of multiple axes of the multi-joint robot. If the palletizing device is a Cartesian coordinate robot, the linear movement of the rotating shaft 12 by the lifting mechanism 16 corresponds to the operation of a vertical linear joint of the Cartesian coordinate robot. In this case, the lifting mechanism 16 is achieved by a well-known mechanism such as a linear actuator including a motor, an air cylinder, etc., or a rack and pinion mechanism. The operation of the lifting mechanism 16 is controlled by a control unit 96 of the control device 90.

[0020] (Top grip part) The upper surface gripping part 20 is provided on the lower part of the base 10. The upper surface gripping part 20 has a first opposing surface 20a on its lower surface that faces the upper surface Ra of the article R. The upper surface gripping part 20 is fixed to the base 10 so that the first opposing surface 20a is perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. The upper surface gripping part 20 rises and falls and rotates in accordance with the rising and lowering movements and rotation movements of the base 10 and the rotating shaft part 12. The upper surface gripping part 20 has a first suction part 22 on the first opposing surface 20a that can suction the article R.

[0021] In the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the first suction unit 22 is depicted as a single block shape, but may be, for example, a plurality of suction pads protruding downward from the first opposing surface 20a of the upper gripping unit 20. The first suction unit 22 has a first suction surface 22a at its lower end. When the first suction surface 22a is in contact with the upper surface Ra of the article R, the first suction unit 22 is attracted to the upper surface Ra of the article R by the operation of the first suction mechanism 24 shown in Fig. 4. The first suction mechanism 24 includes, for example, a vacuum generator connected to the first suction surface 22a via an air pipe (not shown) and sucking air from the first suction surface 22a. For example, when the first suction unit 22 is composed of a plurality of suction pads, each suction pad is connected to the first suction mechanism 24, which is a vacuum generator, via an air pipe. The operation of the first suction mechanism 24 is controlled by the control unit 96 of the control device 90.

[0022] (Side grip) The side gripping part 30 is provided on the side of the base 10 in the X-axis direction via the first arm 40, the second arm 50, and the flip-up mechanism 60. The side gripping part 30 has a second opposing surface 30a that faces the side surface Rb of the article R. The side gripping part 30 can move in the longitudinal direction of the first arm 40 relative to the base 10 by a first telescopic mechanism 44 described later. The side gripping part 30 can also move in the longitudinal direction of the second arm 50 relative to the base 10 by a second telescopic mechanism 54 described later. The side gripping part 30 can also rotate in a rotation direction θ around a rotation axis A of the flip-up mechanism 60 relative to the base 10 by the flip-up mechanism 60. The rotation axis A is a horizontal axis parallel to both the first suction surface 22a of the upper gripping part 20 and the second suction surface 32a of the side gripping part 30.

[0023] The side gripping unit 30 can move relative to the top gripping unit 20 in the XZ plane by the first telescopic mechanism 44, the second telescopic mechanism 54, and the flip-up mechanism 60. In other words, the first telescopic mechanism 44 and the second telescopic mechanism 54 are moving mechanisms that move the side gripping unit 30 relative to the top gripping unit 20. The side gripping unit 30 of this embodiment does not move relative to the top gripping unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, but may be configured to be relatively movable in the Y-axis direction. The side gripping unit 30 has a second suction unit 32 that can suction the article R on the second opposing surface 30a.

[0024] In the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the second suction unit 32 is depicted as a single block shape, but may be, for example, a plurality of suction pads protruding from the second opposing surface 30a of the side gripping unit 30. The second suction unit 32 has a second suction surface 32a at an end opposite to the second opposing surface 30a. When the second suction surface 32a is in contact with the side surface Rb of the article R, the second suction unit 32 is caused to adhere to the side surface Rb of the article R by the operation of the second suction mechanism 34 shown in Fig. 4. The second suction mechanism 34 includes, for example, a vacuum generator connected to the second suction surface 32a via an air pipe (not shown) and sucking air from the second suction surface 32a. For example, when the second suction unit 32 is composed of a plurality of suction pads, each suction pad is connected to the second suction mechanism 34, which is a vacuum generator, via an air pipe. The operation of the second suction mechanism 34 is controlled by the control unit 96 of the control device 90.

[0025] In the state shown in FIG. 1 where the longitudinal direction of the first arm 40 is parallel to the X-axis direction and the longitudinal direction of the second arm 50 is parallel to the Z-axis direction, the second opposing surface 30a of the side gripping portion 30 faces the side surface Rb of the article R. In this case, the second suction surface 32a of the second suction portion 32 faces the side surface Rb of the article R. Also, in this case, the entire surface of the second suction surface 32a is located below the first suction surface 22a. In the state shown in FIG. 2 where the longitudinal direction of the first arm 40 is parallel to the Z-axis direction and the longitudinal direction of the second arm 50 is parallel to the X-axis direction, the second opposing surface 30a faces vertically downward. In this case, the second suction surface 32a of the second suction portion 32 faces vertically downward. Also, in this case, the second suction surface 32a is located above the first suction surface 22a by a distance B.

[0026] (1st arm) The first arm 40 is provided on the side of the base 10 in the X-axis direction via the second arm 50 and the flip-up mechanism 60. The first arm 40 has a first support 42 and a first telescopic mechanism 44. The first support 42 is located at one end side of the longitudinal direction of the first arm 40. The first support 42 is connected to the second arm 50. The first support 42 supports the first telescopic mechanism 44 and is connected to the side grip 30 via the first telescopic mechanism 44. In this embodiment, the first support 42 has a frame shape that houses and supports the first fixed part 44a of the first telescopic mechanism 44. The first telescopic mechanism 44 extends along the longitudinal direction of the first arm 40 and is telescopic in a first telescopic direction F1, which is the longitudinal direction of the first arm 40. In the state shown in FIG. 1 where the longitudinal direction of the first arm 40 is parallel to the X-axis direction and the longitudinal direction of the second arm 50 is parallel to the Z-axis direction, the first telescopic mechanism 44 is pre-extended and retracted to match the width dimension w of the article R so that the second suction surface 32a abuts against the side surface Rb of the article R.

[0027] In this embodiment, the first telescopic mechanism 44 includes a first fixed part 44a and a first movable part 44b. The first fixed part 44a is fixed to the first support part 42. The first fixed part 44a supports the first movable part 44b so that the first movable part 44b can move linearly in the first telescopic direction F1 within a predetermined range. The first movable part 44b can move in the first telescopic direction F1 relative to the first fixed part 44a. One end side of the first movable part 44b in the longitudinal direction is supported by the first fixed part 44a. The other end side of the first movable part 44b in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the side grip part 30. The first telescopic mechanism 44 is realized by a well-known mechanism such as a cylinder having a cylindrical first fixed part 44a and a rod-shaped first movable part 44b, an electric actuator, a wire, or a link mechanism.

[0028] (2nd arm) The second arm 50 is provided on the side of the base 10 in the X-axis direction via the flip-up mechanism 60. The second arm 50 has a second support 52 and a second telescopic mechanism 54. The second support 52 is located at one end of the second arm 50 in the longitudinal direction. The second support 52 is connected to the flip-up mechanism 60. The second support 52 supports the second telescopic mechanism 54 and is connected to the first support 42 of the first arm 40 via the second telescopic mechanism 54. In this embodiment, the second support 52 has a frame shape that accommodates and supports the second fixed portion 54a of the second telescopic mechanism 54. The second telescopic mechanism 54 extends along the longitudinal direction of the second arm 50 and is telescopic in a second telescopic direction F2, which is the longitudinal direction of the second arm 50. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, where the longitudinal direction of the first arm 40 is parallel to the X-axis direction and the longitudinal direction of the second arm 50 is parallel to the Z-axis direction, the second extension mechanism 54 is pre-extended and retracted to match the height dimension h of the article R so that the second suction surface 32a abuts at a suitable height position on the side surface Rb of the article R.

[0029] In this embodiment, the second telescopic mechanism 54 includes a second fixed part 54a and a second movable part 54b. The second fixed part 54a is fixed to the second support part 52. The second fixed part 54a supports the second movable part 54b so that the second movable part 54b can move linearly in the second telescopic direction F2 within a predetermined range. The second movable part 54b can move in the second telescopic direction F2 relative to the second fixed part 54a. One end side of the second movable part 54b in the longitudinal direction is supported by the second fixed part 54a. The other end side of the second movable part 54b in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the first support part 42 of the first arm part 40. The second telescopic mechanism 54 is realized by a well-known mechanism such as a cylinder having a cylindrical second fixed part 54a and a rod-shaped second movable part 54b, an electric actuator, a wire, or a link mechanism.

[0030] (Support part) The support unit 80 is connected to the base 10 via the third arm 70. The support unit 80 is a mechanism for supporting the article R. In this embodiment, the support unit 80 is provided on the side of the base 10 in the X-axis direction. More specifically, in this embodiment, the support unit 80 is connected to the flip-up mechanism 60 via the third arm 70, and is rotatable in the rotation direction θ with respect to the base 10 by the flip-up mechanism 60. That is, in this embodiment, the support unit 80 is connected to the flip-up mechanism 60 together with the side grip unit 30, and is rotatable in the rotation direction θ with respect to the base 10 together with the side grip unit 30.

[0031] However, the support part 80 is not limited to being connected to the flip-up mechanism 60 common to the side grip part 30, and may be connected to a flip-up mechanism other than the flip-up mechanism 60 to which the side grip part 30 is connected. In this case, the side grip part 30 and the support part 80 rotate individually by independently driving the respective flip-up mechanisms. Furthermore, the support part 80 is not connected to the flip-up mechanism and may not be movable in the rotation direction θ. In this case, the support part 80 is fixed in the state shown in FIG. 1, that is, in the state in which the third arm part 70 extends in the Z direction.

[0032] 1, the third arm 70 and the support 80, and the side grip 30 are provided on the same side (X-axis direction side) with respect to the base 10, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the third arm 70 and the support 80 may be provided on a different side from the side grip 30 (for example, the Y-axis direction side of the base 10 or the opposite side in the X-axis direction).

[0033] The support part 80 has a storage part 82 and a protruding part 84. The storage part 82 is a housing having an opening part 80A formed at a tip. As shown in Fig. 1, when the support part 80 supports the article R, the storage part 82 is disposed in a direction in which the opening part 80A opens toward the side surface Rb of the article R. In other words, when the support part 80 supports the article R, the storage part 82 is disposed in a direction in which the direction toward the bottom part 80B (the bottom surface opposite to the tip) and the opening part 80A is the direction opposite to the X direction.

[0034] The protruding portion 84 is a member that is stored inside the storage portion 82. The protruding portion 84 can protrude from the opening 80A of the storage portion 82, and in this embodiment, can expand and contract in the direction G1. The direction G1 refers to the axial direction of the opening 80A, and can also be said to be the direction connecting the bottom 80B and the opening 80A. When the protruding portion 84 is expanded, it protrudes from the opening 80A, and when the protruding portion 84 is contracted, it returns to the inside of the opening 80A and is stored in the storage portion 82. In addition, the protruding amount (i.e., the protruding length in the direction G1) of the protruding portion 84 can be adjusted by the control device 90.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, when the support portion 80 supports the article R, the support portion 80 is disposed on the side of the article R (the X-direction side in the example of FIG. 1) by the movement of the third arm portion 70 described later. The protruding portion 84 extends in the direction G1 in this state, and thereby protrudes from the side of the article R toward the article R to support the article R. The protruding portion 84 protrudes beyond the side surface Rb of the article R toward the center of the article R (the opposite direction to the direction X beyond the side surface Rb in the example of FIG. 1) to support the article R. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 84 protrudes from the side of the article R toward the article R to support the bottom surface Rc of the article R. That is, the protruding portion 84 supports the article R by contacting its upper surface with the bottom surface Rc of the article R. However, the protruding portion 84 is not limited to supporting the bottom surface Rc. For example, the protruding portion 84 may protrude and be inserted into an opening provided in the side surface Rb of the article R to support the edge of the opening, thereby supporting the article R.

[0036] In this embodiment, the protrusion 84 is a plate-shaped member, but the shape is not limited to a plate shape and may be any shape. For example, when the protrusion 84 is inserted into an opening provided in the side surface Rb of the article R, the protrusion 84 may have a shape (e.g., a shaft shape) that allows insertion into the opening.

[0037] (3rd arm) The third arm 70 is provided on the side of the base 10 in the X-axis direction via the flip-up mechanism 60. However, as described above, the third arm 70 is not limited to being connected to the flip-up mechanism 60, and may be connected to a flip-up mechanism other than the flip-up mechanism 60, or may not be connected to a flip-up mechanism and may have a non-rotating structure. In the case of a non-rotating structure, the third arm 70 is fixed in the state shown in FIG. 1, i.e., with its longitudinal direction aligned with the Z direction.

[0038] The third arm 70 has a third support part 72 and a third telescopic mechanism 74. The third support part 72 is located at one end side of the third arm 70 in the longitudinal direction. The third support part 72 is connected to the flip-up mechanism 60. The third support part 72 supports the third telescopic mechanism 74. In this embodiment, the third support part 72 has a frame shape that houses and supports the third fixed part 74a of the third telescopic mechanism 74. A support part 80 is attached to the tip of the third telescopic mechanism 74 (the side opposite to the side to which the third support part 72 is connected). The third telescopic mechanism 74 extends along the longitudinal direction of the third arm 70 and is telescopic in a third telescopic direction G2, which is the longitudinal direction of the third arm 70. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in which the longitudinal direction of the third arm 70 is parallel to the Z-axis direction, the third telescopic mechanism 74 is telescopically extended in advance to match the height dimension h of the article R so that the support portion 80 is positioned at a suitable height position on the side surface Rb of the article R.

[0039] In this embodiment, the third telescopic mechanism 74 includes a third fixed part 74a and a third movable part 74b. The third fixed part 74a is fixed to the third support part 72. The third fixed part 74a supports the third movable part 74b so that the third movable part 74b can move linearly in the third telescopic direction G2 within a predetermined range. The third movable part 74b can move in the third telescopic direction G2 relative to the third fixed part 74a. One end side of the third movable part 74b in the longitudinal direction is supported by the third fixed part 74a. The other end side of the third movable part 74b in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the support part 80. The third telescopic mechanism 74 is realized by a well-known mechanism such as a cylinder having a cylindrical third fixed part 74a and a rod-shaped third movable part 74b, an electric actuator, a wire, or a link mechanism.

[0040] (Flip-up mechanism) The flip-up mechanism 60 can be switched between a first state (the state shown in FIG. 1) in which the side gripping portion 30 is positioned below the lower end of the upper gripping portion 20 (in this embodiment, the first suction surface 22a of the first suction portion 22) and a second state (the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) in which the side gripping portion 30 is positioned above the lower end of the upper gripping portion 20. The flip-up mechanism 60 is connected to the upper gripping portion 20 via the base 10. The flip-up mechanism 60 is also connected to the side gripping portion 30 via the first arm portion 40 and the second arm portion 50. The flip-up mechanism 60 is also connected to the support portion 80 via the third arm portion 70. The flip-up mechanism 60 of this embodiment is provided on the side of the base 10 in the X-axis direction. The flip-up mechanism 60 rotates the second arm 50, the first arm 40, the side gripping portion 30, the third arm 70, and the support portion 80 relative to the base portion 10 in a rotation direction θ about a rotation axis A parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0041] In this embodiment, the flip-up mechanism 60 has a fixed part 62 and a rotating part 64. The fixed part 62 is fixed to the connecting part 10a of the base 10. That is, the fixed part 62 moves integrally with the base 10 and the upper grip part 20. The rotating part 64 is rotatable in a rotation direction θ around a rotation axis A relative to the fixed part 62. The rotating part 64 is fixed to the second support part 52 of the second arm part 50 and the third support part 72 of the third arm part 70. The flip-up mechanism 60 is realized by a well-known mechanism such as a rotation actuator including a motor, a rack and pinion mechanism including an air cylinder, a wire or link mechanism, etc. The flip-up mechanism 60 has a lock mechanism (not shown) that can position the position of the rotation direction θ of the rotating part 64 relative to the fixed part 62. The lock mechanism is realized by a well-known mechanism such as an air lock using high-pressure air, a mechanical lock using a motor drive, or a solenoid lock using an electromagnetic solenoid.

[0042] The flip-up mechanism 60 allows the side gripping portion 30, the first arm portion 40, the second arm portion 50, the support portion 80, and the third arm portion 70 to rotate in a rotation direction θ around the rotation axis A between the 0° position shown in FIG. 1, the 90° position shown in FIG. 2, and the 180° position shown in FIG. 3. In addition, the side gripping portion 30, the first arm portion 40, the second arm portion 50, the support portion 80, and the third arm portion 70 can be positioned at any position between the 0° position shown in FIG. 1 and the 180° position shown in FIG. 3 by a locking mechanism (not shown). In the 0° position shown in FIG. 1, the first arm portion 40 is located below the second arm portion 50, and the second suction surface 32a of the side gripping portion 30 is located below the first suction surface 22a of the upper gripping portion 20 and faces the side surface Rb of the article R. In addition, in the 0° position, the third arm portion 70 is parallel to the Z direction. 2, the second suction surface 32a of the side gripping portion 30 faces vertically downward and is located a distance B above the first suction surface 22a of the top gripping portion 20. At the 180° position shown in FIG. 3, the second suction surface 32a of the side gripping portion 30 faces in the X-axis direction opposite the base 10, and the first arm 40 is located above the second arm 50.

[0043] (Another configuration example of the gripping device) As described above, the gripping device 1 according to this embodiment has the upper gripping portion 20, the side gripping portion 30, and the support portion 80 (the protruding portion 84), and grips the article R with at least one of the upper gripping portion 20, the side gripping portion 30, and the support portion 80. However, the gripping device 1 is not limited to having all of the upper gripping portion 20, the side gripping portion 30, and the support portion 80, and may not have the side gripping portion 30, for example. In this case, the gripping device 1 may not have the first arm portion 40 and the second arm portion 50, and may have the upper gripping portion 20, the third arm portion 70, and the support portion 80. In this case, for example, the third arm portion 70 to which the support portion 80 is connected may be connected to the flip-up mechanism 60 and be rotatable, or the flip-up mechanism 60 may not be provided, and the third arm portion 70 and the support portion 80 may not be rotatable.

[0044] (Imaging device) The imaging device 100 shown in Fig. 4 captures an image of a pallet on which an item R is to be loaded or unloaded, the items R loaded on the pallet, and the stacked arrangement of the items R, and outputs image data capable of identifying the position and individual items of the imaged object to the control device 90. The imaging device 100 is disposed in a position where the pallet and the items R loaded on the pallet can be observed. At this time, the imaging device 100 captures an image of all (multiple) items R loaded on the pallet, thereby capturing an image of the stacked arrangement of the multiple items R, that is, the layout of the multiple items R. The imaging device 100 may be attached to the gripping device 1, or may be disposed separately from the gripping device 1. The imaging device 100 includes one or more cameras.

[0045] (Input / Output Devices) The input / output device 102 shown in Fig. 4 includes an input device through which an operator inputs various pieces of information for operating the gripping device 1, and an output device for presenting various pieces of information to the operator. The input device is realized by, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a physical switch, a button, a touch panel, or the like. The output device is realized by, for example, a display device including a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, or the like, a light-emitting device including an LED (Light Emitting Diode), or a speaker, or the like. The input / output device 102 may be an information terminal capable of inputting and outputting various pieces of information.

[0046] (Control device) The control device 90 shown in FIG. 4 is a computer that controls the gripping device 1. The control device 90 has a communication unit 92, a storage unit 94, and a control unit 96. The communication unit 92 is a module used by the control unit 96 to communicate with an external device such as the management device 120, and may include, for example, an antenna. In this embodiment, the communication method by the communication unit 92 is assumed to be wireless communication, but the communication method may be arbitrary. The storage unit 94 is a memory that stores the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 96, and various information acquired from the management device 120 via the communication unit 92, and includes, for example, at least one of a RAM (Random Access Memory), a main storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an external storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0047] The control unit 96 is an arithmetic processing device, and includes an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 96 executes various processes by reading and executing programs (software) from the storage unit 94. The control unit 96 may execute processes using one CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute processes using the multiple CPUs.

[0048] The control of the gripping device 1 by the control device 90 will be described later.

[0049] (Management device) The management device 120 shown in Fig. 4 is a system that manages the operation of each device in a logistics management facility in which the gripping device 1 of this embodiment is deployed. The management device 120 is, for example, a warehouse control system (WCS) or a warehouse management system (WMS), but is not limited to a WCS or a WMS and may be any system, for example, a back-end system such as other production management systems. The location at which the management device 120 is installed is arbitrary, and it may be installed in the facility in which the gripping device 1 is deployed, or may be installed at a location remote from the facility to manage the facility from the remote location.

[0050] (Control of gripping device) Next, the control of the gripping device 1 by the control device 90 (control unit 96) will be described.

[0051] (Acquisition of delivery target data) The control device 90 acquires transport target data of the item R to be transported. The transport target data is information about the item R to be transported. The transport target data may include, among the information about the item R, parameters of the item R that affect the transport parameters (control parameters of the gripping device 1), in other words, parameters of the item R that affect the ease of transport. The transport target data may be acquired by any method. For example, the control device 90 may acquire the transport target data from the management device 120 via the communication unit 92, or may acquire image data of the item R by imaging the item R using the imaging device 100, and detect the transport parameters from the image data of the item.

[0052] Examples of the transport target data include the type, weight, and dimensions of the items R to be loaded on the pallet, the perforations or zippers of the box, the number of glued items, the number of items R, the arrangement of each item R on the pallet or the position where the items R are loaded on the pallet, the order in which the items R are unloaded from the pallet or the order in which the items R are loaded on the pallet, and the like. Since such information can be known in advance, the control device 90 may acquire such information from the management device 120. Furthermore, the transport target data may include the number, position, shape, size, and the like of the items R. The control device 90 may acquire (detect) such information from image data of the items R. Furthermore, the transport target data may include the moisture content of the cardboard box constituting the items R, and may include the deformation amount of the cardboard box constituting the items R. When acquiring the moisture content, a moisture detector (e.g., a contact or non-contact moisture sensor) not shown is provided, and the control device 90 may acquire the moisture content by detecting the moisture content of the cardboard box using the moisture detector. In addition, when acquiring the amount of deformation, a shape detector (e.g., a contact displacement meter or a non-contact laser displacement meter) not shown is provided, and the control device 90 may detect the amount of deformation from the shape of the cardboard box using the shape detector.

[0053] (Setting transport parameters) The control device 90 sets the transport parameters based on the transport object data. The transport parameters are control parameters of the gripping device 1 for transporting the object R to be transported, and can be said to be parameters indicating the operation content of the gripping device 1. The control device 90 may set the transport parameters by any method based on the transport object data. For example, when there are multiple types of transport object data, the control device 90 may set the transport parameters using all of them, or may set the transport parameters using only a part of them.

[0054] In addition, the control device 90 may acquire transport performance data and set transport parameters based on the transport target data and the transport performance data. The transport performance data is transport target data for the item R transported in the past. The method of setting the transport parameters based on the transport target data and the transport performance data may be arbitrary. For example, the control device 90 may select transport performance data whose parameter value corresponds to the current transport target data from among the transport performance data of multiple items, and set the transport parameters of the item R to be transported this time based on the transport parameters (the transport parameters of the selected item R) when the item R of the selected transport performance data was transported. In this case, for example, the control device 90 may apply the value of the transport parameter of the selected item R itself to the transport parameter of the item R to be transported this time, or may correct the value of the transport parameter of the selected item R to set the transport parameter of the item R to be transported this time. Note that the method of acquiring the transport performance data may be arbitrary. For example, the control device 90 may read out the transport performance data stored in the memory unit 94, or may acquire the transport performance data from the management device 120.

[0055] The transport parameter may be the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84. In the present embodiment, it is preferable to determine whether or not the protrusion 84 supports the article as a transport parameter. In the present embodiment, it is preferable to set the moving speed of the gripping device 1 as a transport parameter. The moving speed of the gripping device 1 is the speed (conveying speed) at which the gripping device 1 moves while gripping the article R, and may refer to the moving speed of the gripping device 1 relative to the palletizing device to which the gripping device 1 is attached. The moving speed of the gripping device 1 may include the rotation speed and rotation acceleration of the upper gripping unit 20 and the side gripping unit 30 by the rotation mechanism 14, the rising speed and rising acceleration of the upper gripping unit 20 and the side gripping unit 30 by the lifting mechanism 16, and the moving speed of the third arm 70 in the third extension direction G2. Furthermore, at least one (preferably all) of the suction pressure and suction time of the article R by the first suction mechanism 24 and the suction pressure and suction time of the article R by the second suction mechanism 34 may be set as the transport parameters. Furthermore, at least one (preferably all) of the necessity of side gripping by the side gripping portion 30 and the flip-up direction and angle of the side gripping portion 30 may be set as the transport parameters.

[0056] (Protruding amount of protrusion) As described above, in this embodiment, the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 is set as a transport parameter. Since the protrusion 84 supports the article R by protruding, the support level of the article R (the degree to which the article R can be stably supported) differs depending on the degree of the protrusion amount. For example, the greater the protrusion amount, the more stably the article R can be supported, but if the protrusion amount is too large, the operation time may be longer by the amount of the protruding operation. On the other hand, if the protrusion amount is small, the operation time can be shortened, but the article R may not be stably supported. In contrast, in this embodiment, the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 is set based on the transport target data, so that the protrusion amount can be set according to the characteristics of the article R, and the article R can be appropriately supported.

[0057] A specific example of setting the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 as a transport parameter is described below. As described above, the control device 90 sets the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 as a transport parameter based on the transport object data (or, for example, the transport object data and transport performance data). More specifically, the control device 90 determines whether or not the protrusion 84 needs to support an article (i.e., whether or not to protrude the protrusion 84) based on the transport object data, and when it determines that the protrusion 84 needs to support an article, it preferably sets the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 and causes the protrusion 84 to protrude.

[0058] The method of determining whether or not the protrusion 84 needs to support the item may be arbitrary. For example, the control device 90 may select the transport record data whose parameter value corresponds to the current transport target data, and when the transport parameter of the selected item R indicates that the protrusion 84 supports the item, the control device 90 may determine that the protrusion 84 needs to support the item. For example, the control device 90 may determine that the protrusion 84 needs to support the item when the weight of the item R indicated in the transport target data is equal to or greater than a threshold value. For example, the control device 90 may determine that the protrusion 84 needs to support the item when the moisture content of the item R indicated in the transport target data is equal to or greater than a threshold value. For example, the control device 90 may determine that the protrusion 84 needs to support the item when the deformation amount of the item R indicated in the transport target data is equal to or greater than a threshold value. For example, the control device 90 may determine that the protrusion 84 needs to support the item based on the type of item R indicated in the transport target data (for example, the type of cardboard box). In this case, for example, whether or not the item needs to be supported by the protrusion 84 is set in advance for each type of item R, and if the type of item R indicated in the transport target data is a type that requires support, it may be determined that the item needs to be supported by the protrusion 84.

[0059] The method of setting the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84 based on the transport target data may also be arbitrary. For example, the control device 90 may select transport performance data whose parameter values ​​correspond to the current transport target data, and set the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84 based on the protrusion amount indicated in the transport parameters of the selected item R. For example, the control device 90 may set the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84 based on at least one of the weight, moisture content, and deformation amount of the item R indicated in the transport target data. In this case, for example, the control device 90 may increase the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84 as the weight of the item R increases, as the moisture content of the item R increases, or as the deformation amount of the item R increases. For example, the control device 90 may set the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84 based on the type of item R (e.g., type of cardboard box) indicated in the transport target data. In this case, for example, the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84 is set in advance for each type of item R, and the protrusion amount set for the type of item R indicated in the transport target data may be adopted as the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84.

[0060] Further, for example, the control device 90 may set the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based on the transport object data as well as transport parameters other than the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84. It is preferable that the control device 90 sets the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based on the transport object data and the moving speed of the gripping device 1, which is one of the transport parameters.

[0061] FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of the setting of the protrusion amount. The control device 90 may set the correspondence between the moving speed of the gripping device 1 and the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 (data showing the protrusion amount for each moving speed) based on the transport object data (for example, at least one of the type of the article R, the moisture content, and the deformation amount). In this case, for example, the correspondence between the moving speed of the gripping device 1 and the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 is set in advance for each transport object data (for example, for each type of the article R). In this case, the correspondence between the moving speed and the protrusion amount is set so that the more the transport object data indicates that the cardboard box of the article R is more fragile, the larger the change in the protrusion amount relative to the change in the transport speed becomes. FIG. 5 shows an example of the correspondence between the moving speed and the protrusion amount. The line L1 in FIG. 5 shows the correspondence between the moving speed and the protrusion amount in certain transport object data. And the line L2 shows the correspondence between the moving speed and the protrusion amount in transport object data indicating that the cardboard box of the article R is more fragile than the transport object data of the line L1.

[0062] The control device 90 selects a correspondence relationship between the moving speed and the protrusion amount that corresponds to the currently acquired data of the transport object. Then, in the selected correspondence relationship, the control device 90 adopts the protrusion amount that corresponds to the currently set moving speed of the gripping device 1 as the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84. Taking FIG. 5 as an example, when the currently acquired data of the transport object corresponds to the data of the transport object of the line L1, the control device 90 selects the correspondence relationship of the line L1, and adopts the protrusion amount that corresponds to the currently set moving speed of the gripping device 1 as the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84 in the correspondence relationship of the line L1.

[0063] (Setting whether or not to use the side grip) A method for setting whether or not to use the side gripping unit 30 will also be described below. The control device 90 determines whether or not side gripping is required (whether or not to use the side gripping unit 30) based on the transport object data. For example, if the item R can be sufficiently lifted by only the top gripping unit 20, the control device 90 determines that side gripping is unnecessary. If the item R cannot be sufficiently lifted by only the top gripping unit 20, the control device 90 determines that side gripping is necessary.

[0064] When the control device 90 determines that side gripping is unnecessary, it is preferable to determine the flip-up direction and angle of the side gripping part 30 based on the image data of the article R included in the transport target data. The flip-up direction indicates the position of the side gripping part 30 in the φ rotation direction. The flip-up angle indicates the position of the side gripping part 30 in the θ rotation direction. For example, if there is an obstacle around the article R, the side gripping part 30 may interfere with the obstacle. Specifically, if another article R is stacked adjacent to the side gripping part 30 side of the article R (the right side shown in FIG. 1), when the upper gripping part 20 abuts against the upper surface Ra of the article R, the side gripping part 30 may interfere with the adjacent article R.

[0065] The control device 90 judges whether or not there is another object R that is an obstacle in the direction of the side gripping unit 30 with respect to the object R, based on the image data included in the transport object data. When the control device 90 judges that there is no other object R that is an obstacle, it decides to maintain the flip-up direction and angle of the side gripping unit 30. On the other hand, when the control device 90 judges that there is another object R that is an obstacle, it decides the flip-up angle of the side gripping unit 30 so that the side gripping unit 30 can avoid the obstacle. When the control device 90 judges, for example, based on the transport object data, that the height dimension h of the other object R that is an obstacle is equal to or smaller than the height dimension h of the object R to be transported, it decides the flip-up angle to be 90° (position shown in FIG. 2). When the control device 90 judges, for example, based on the transport object data, that the height dimension h of the other object R that is an obstacle is larger than the height dimension h of the object R to be transported and smaller than a predetermined threshold, it decides the flip-up angle to be 180° (position shown in FIG. 3). The predetermined threshold is set in advance by the configuration of the gripping device 1 other than the side gripping unit 30. In the configuration of this embodiment, for example, the predetermined threshold value is set within a range in which the second support portion 52 does not interfere at the 180° position shown in FIG.

[0066] For example, when the control device 90 determines that the height dimension h of the other object R that poses an obstacle is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold based on the transport target data, the control device 90 decides to move the side gripping unit 30 in the φ rotation direction. The control device 90 determines the flip-up angle at which the side gripping unit 30 can avoid the other object R that poses an obstacle by the above-mentioned procedure when the side gripping unit 30 has moved 90°, 180°, or 270° in the φ rotation direction.

[0067] The control device 90 sets the transport parameters, such as the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion 84, in the manner described above.

[0068] (Control of gripping device) The control device 90 controls the gripping device 1 based on the set transport parameters. That is, for example, the control device 90 protrudes the protrusion amount 84 based on the set protrusion amount. An example of the transport of the article R by the gripping device 1 under the control of the control device 90 will be described below.

[0069] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of control of the gripping device. First, the control device 90 controls the gripping device 1 based on the transport parameters to move the gripping device 1 above the article R to be transported. The article R is placed on the surface GR, and the bottom surface Rc is in contact with the surface GR. Then, as shown in step S1 of FIG. 6, the control device 90 controls the base 10 and the pivot shaft 12 based on the transport parameters to place the upper surface gripping unit 20 on the upper surface Ra of the article R, and causes the upper surface gripping unit 20 to adsorb the upper surface Ra of the article R. As a result, the article R is gripped by the upper surface gripping unit 20. In addition, when side gripping is performed, the control device 90 controls the first arm 40 and the second arm 50 based on the transport parameters to place the side surface gripping unit 30 on the side surface Rb of the article R, and causes the side surface gripping unit 30 to adsorb the side surface Rb of the article R. As a result, the article R is gripped by the side surface gripping unit 30. Note that this control is unnecessary when side gripping is not performed.

[0070] 6, the control device 90 raises the base 10 based on the transport parameters, and lifts upward the article R gripped by the upper gripping portion 20 or the side gripping portion 30. The control device 90 lifts the article R to a position where the entire area of ​​the article R is not in contact with the surface GR.

[0071] Then, as shown in step S3, the control device 90 causes the protrusion 84 to protrude from the side of the article R lifted upward toward the article R based on the transport parameters (set protrusion amount). This causes the protrusion 84 to come into contact with the bottom surface Rc of the article R and support the bottom surface Rc of the article R. Note that this control is not necessary if support by the protrusion 84 is not performed. The control device 90 then controls the gripping device 1 based on the transport parameters to move the article R supported by the protrusion 84 while being gripped by the upper gripping unit 20 or the side gripping unit 30 to a desired position.

[0072] When placing the item R at the destination, the process is performed in the reverse order. That is, the control device 90 retracts the protrusion 84 to release the support of the item R by the protrusion 84, and then lowers the base 10 to place the item R held by the upper gripping portion 20 and the side gripping portion 30 at the destination. The control device 90 then controls the upper gripping portion 20 and the side gripping portion 30 to release the grip of the item R.

[0073] In this manner, in this embodiment, the article R is gripped by the upper gripping portion 20 or the side gripping portion 30, lifted upward, and then supported by the protrusions 84. This makes it possible to transport the article R without colliding with other articles, which is preferable.

[0074] (Processing flow) Next, the process flow of the control device 90 described above will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the process flow of the control device. As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 90 acquires the transport target data of the item R to be transported (step S10), and sets the transport parameters based on the transport target data (step S12). When it is determined that the support of the item R by the protrusion 84 is necessary in setting the transport parameters (step S14; Yes), the control device 90 also sets the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 as the transport parameter (step S16). In this case, as described above, the control device 90 may set the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based on the transport target data and transport parameters other than the protrusion amount (e.g., moving speed). After setting the protrusion amount, the control device 90 controls the gripping device 1 based on the set transport parameters to grip and transport the item R (step S18). In this case, the control device 90 transports the item R by protruding the protrusion 84 by the set protrusion amount to support the item R. On the other hand, if it is determined that the support of the item R by the protrusion 84 is not necessary (step S14; No), the process proceeds to step S18, and the control device 90 controls the gripping device 1 based on the set transport parameters to grip and transport the item R (step S18). In this case, however, the control device 90 transports the item R without protruding the protrusion 84 and without supporting the item R with the protrusion 84. After transporting the item R in step S18 and placing it at the destination, if the process is to be ended (step S20; Yes), this process is ended, and if the process is not to be ended (step S20; No), the process returns to step S10 and continues.

[0075] (effect) As described above, the gripping device 1 according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes the upper gripping unit 20 having the first suction surface 22a capable of being suctioned to the upper surface Ra of the article R, the protrusion 84 capable of protruding from the side of the article R toward the article R and supporting the article R, and the control unit 96 for controlling the operation of the upper gripping unit 20 and the protrusion 84. The control unit 96 sets the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based on the transport target data of the article R, and protrudes the protrusion 84 based on the protrusion amount. According to the present disclosure, the article R can be stably held by gripping the article R with the upper gripping unit 20 and the protrusion 84. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, since the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 is controlled based on the transport target data of the article R, the protrusion amount can be set according to the characteristics of the article R, and therefore the article R can be appropriately supported and transported.

[0076] The gripping device 1 according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the gripping device 1 according to the first aspect, in which the control unit 96 sets transport parameters, which are control parameters of the gripping device 1 for transporting an article, based on transport target data, and sets the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based on transport parameters other than the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84. According to the present disclosure, by setting the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based on transport parameters other than the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84, the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 can be set more appropriately, and the article R can be appropriately supported and transported.

[0077] The gripping device 1 according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the gripping device 1 according to the first or second aspect, and the control unit 96 sets the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based on the movement speed of the gripping device 1 indicated in the transport parameters. According to the present disclosure, by setting the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based also on the movement speed of the gripping device 1, the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 can be set more appropriately, and the article R can be appropriately supported and transported.

[0078] A gripping device 1 according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the gripping device 1 according to any of the first to third aspects, in which the control unit 96 determines whether to protrude the protrusion 84 based on the transport object data, and when it is determined that the protrusion 84 should be protruded, sets the protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 and protrudes the protrusion 84. According to the present disclosure, by determining whether to protrude the protrusion 84, the protrusion 84 can be used as necessary, and the article R can be appropriately supported and transported.

[0079] The gripping device 1 according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the gripping device 1 according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which the protruding portion 84 protrudes to support the bottom surface Rc of the article R. By supporting the bottom surface Rc with the protruding portion 84, the article R can be appropriately supported and transported.

[0080] The gripping device 1 according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the gripping device 1 according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further including a side gripping section 30 having a second suction surface 32a capable of suctioning the side surface Rb of the article R, and a flip-up mechanism 60 capable of switching between a first state in which the side gripping section 30 is positioned below the lower end of the upper gripping section 20 and a second state in which the side gripping section 30 is positioned above the lower end of the upper gripping section 20, and a control section 96 controls the flip-up mechanism 60 based on the transport target data of the article. According to the present disclosure, by controlling the side gripping section 30 in this manner, the article R can be more appropriately supported and transported. Furthermore, when the side gripping section 30 is in the second state, it is positioned above the lower end of the upper gripping section 20, i.e., it is positioned above the upper surface of the article R, so that interference with an obstacle at least equal to or lower than the height of the article R can be avoided. By switching the state of the side gripping portion 30 in this manner, the article R can be properly transported while avoiding interference between other articles R and the side gripping portion 30.

[0081] The gripping device 1 according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure includes an upper gripping part 20 having a first suction surface 22a capable of being suctioned to an upper surface Ra of the article R, a side gripping part 30 having a second suction surface 32a capable of being suctioned to a side surface Rb of the article R, a protruding part 84 protruding from the side of the article R toward the article R and capable of supporting the article R, and a flip-up mechanism 60 capable of switching between a first state in which the side gripping part 30 is positioned below the lower end of the upper gripping part 20 and a second state in which the side gripping part 30 is positioned above the lower end of the upper gripping part 20. According to the present disclosure, the article R can be supported by the upper gripping part 20, the side gripping part 30, and the protruding part 84, so that the article R can be appropriately transported. In addition, by having the flip-up mechanism 60, the article R can be appropriately transported while avoiding interference between another article R and the side gripping part 30.

[0082] A control method according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure controls the operation of a gripping device 1 having an upper surface gripping part 20 having a first suction surface 22a capable of being attracted to an upper surface Ra of an article R, and a protrusion 84 capable of supporting the article R by protruding from a side of the article R toward the article R. This control method includes a step of setting a protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based on transport target data of the article R, and a step of protruding the protrusion 84 based on the protrusion amount. According to the present disclosure, the article R can be appropriately supported and transported.

[0083] A program according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a control method for controlling the operation of a gripping device 1 having an upper surface gripping part 20 having a first suction surface 22a capable of being attracted to an upper surface Ra of an article R, and a protrusion 84 capable of supporting the article R by protruding from a side of the article R toward the article R. The program causes a computer to execute a step of setting a protrusion amount of the protrusion 84 based on transport target data of the article R, and a step of protruding the protrusion 84 based on the protrusion amount. According to the present disclosure, the article R can be appropriately supported and transported.

[0084] Although the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the embodiment is not limited by the contents of this embodiment. In addition, the above-mentioned components include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-mentioned components can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the gist of the above-mentioned embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1 Gripping device 10 base 20 Top grip part 30 Side grip part 40 1st arm 50 2nd arm 60 Flip-up mechanism 70 Third arm 80 Support part 82 Storage area 84 Protrusion 90 Control device 96 Control Unit R Goods Ra top surface Rb side RC bottom

Claims

1. An upper gripping portion having a first suction surface capable of being suctioned to an upper surface of an article; A protruding portion protruding from a side of the article toward the article and capable of supporting the article; A control unit that controls the operation of the upper gripping portion and the protruding portion; having the control unit sets a protrusion amount of the protrusion portion based on transport target data of the article, and causes the protrusion portion to protrude based on the protrusion amount. gripping device.

2. The control unit is setting transport parameters, which are control parameters of the gripping device for transporting the object, based on the transport object data; setting the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion based on the transport parameters other than the protrusion amount of the protrusion portion; The gripping device according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit sets a protrusion amount of the protrusion portion based on a moving speed of the gripping device indicated in the transport parameter. The gripping device according to claim 2.

4. The control unit is determining whether to protrude the protrusion portion based on the transport object data; when it is determined that the protruding portion is to be protruded, a protruding amount of the protruding portion is set and the protruding portion is caused to protrude. The gripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The protruding portion supports a bottom surface of the article by protruding. The gripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A side gripping portion having a second adsorption surface capable of adsorbing to a side surface of the article; The side gripping portion further includes a flip-up mechanism that can switch between a first state in which the side gripping portion is positioned below a lower end of the upper gripping portion and a second state in which the side gripping portion is positioned above the lower end of the upper gripping portion, The control unit controls the flip-up mechanism based on the transport target data of the item. A gripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. An upper gripping portion having a first suction surface capable of being suctioned to an upper surface of an article; A side gripping portion having a second adsorption surface capable of adsorbing to a side surface of the article; A protruding portion protruding from a side of the article toward the article and capable of supporting the article; a flip-up mechanism that can switch between a first state in which the side gripping portion is positioned below a lower end of the upper gripping portion and a second state in which the side gripping portion is positioned above the lower end of the upper gripping portion; having gripping device.

8. A control method for controlling an operation of a gripping device having an upper gripping portion having a first suction surface capable of adsorbing to an upper surface of an object, and a protrusion protruding from a side of the object toward the object and capable of supporting the object, comprising: setting a protrusion amount of the protrusion portion based on transport target data of the article; protruding the protrusion based on the protrusion amount; Including, Control methods.

9. A program for causing a computer to execute a control method for controlling the operation of a gripping device having an upper gripping portion having a first suction surface capable of adsorbing to an upper surface of an object, and a protrusion protruding from a side of the object toward the object and capable of supporting the object, setting a protrusion amount of the protrusion portion based on transport target data of the article; protruding the protrusion based on the protrusion amount; to cause a computer to execute program.

Images