Transfer mechanism, and transfer method

Abstract

To control an object after the object is placed on a conveyance surface.SOLUTION: A transfer mechanism 50 comprises a first transfer member 531 and a second transfer member 532 that are separately arranged in a direction crossing a conveyance direction of a belt conveyor 2 for conveying an object, on a horizontal surface. The first transfer member 531 brings the object into contact with the second transfer member 532 located on the conveyance surface by transferring the object to push out the object onto the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport mechanism and a transport method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, conveying devices such as belt conveyors have been widely used in factories and warehouses. Workers can easily transport objects to their destinations by placing them on the conveying surface of the conveying device. An example of a technique for placing an object on the conveying surface of such a conveying device is disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6881085 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By using the technology described in Patent Document 1, the object to be transported can be placed on the transport surface without the manual intervention of an operator, thereby supporting the operator's work. However, with such conventional technology, no action is taken on the object after it is placed on the transport surface, so the posture of the object or its position on the transport surface may be unintended, which could cause problems in subsequent processes carried out downstream. Thus, the conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of controlling the object after it has been placed on the transport surface.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The object of the present invention is to control an object after it has been placed on a transport surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a transfer mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: The apparatus includes a first member and a second member that are spaced apart from each other in a direction intersecting a conveying direction of a conveying device that conveys an object on a horizontal plane, the first member transports the object and pushes it onto a conveying surface of the conveying device, thereby bringing the object into contact with the second member located on the conveying surface; It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to control an object after it is placed on a transport surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a gripping system 1 according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of a control device 10. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device 10. FIG. [Figure 4] 2A to 2C are schematic diagrams showing examples of the shape of a gripping member 31a installed at the tip of a hand 31. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the accommodation space of the ingredient accommodation section 20, the hand 31, the gripping member 31a, the robot arm 32, and the ingredient when an operation such as a gripping operation is performed. FIG. [Figure 6] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the opening and closing of a pair of gripping members 31a. [Figure 7] 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of a detection unit 40. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of a transfer position P1 and a release position P2. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a view showing the vicinity of a transfer position P1 and a release position P2 viewed vertically from above. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the configurations of a first transfer member 531 and a second transfer member 532. [Figure 11]13A and 13B are diagrams showing control of the attitude of a container by utilizing the oblique shape of a first contact portion 531a. [Figure 12] 11A-11C are schematic diagrams illustrating a sequence of movements of the transfer mechanism 50 when performing a container control operation. [Figure 13] 11A-11C are schematic diagrams illustrating a sequence of movements of the transfer mechanism 50 when performing a container control operation. [Figure 14] 11A-11C are schematic diagrams illustrating a sequence of movements of the transfer mechanism 50 when performing a container control operation. [Figure 15] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a comparison for explaining the effect of the container control operation. [Figure 16] 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a holding member 54. FIG. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an ingredient plating process executed by the gripping system 1. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an ingredient plating process executed by the gripping system 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment] [Overall configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a gripping system 1 according to the present invention. Here, the gripping system 1 is intended to be applied to a system for plating ingredients. Therefore, in the following description, an example will be given in which the gripping system 1 grips ingredients of a side dish or the like and plates the ingredients in a container for the side dish. However, this is merely an example for the purpose of explanation, and is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention. The present invention is generally applicable to various systems in which processing is performed by a robot. The present invention is not limited to a plating system, but can be applied to systems that perform various processing, such as a system that cooks by heating or cooling, or a system that processes by cutting or crushing. In this case, the objects of processing are not limited to ingredients or containers, and can be applied to a system that processes industrial products such as electronic devices. Alternatively, the present invention can be applied to systems in which not only robots but also human workers perform various processing.

[0010] In the following explanation, weight will be used as an example of the amount of ingredients to be served, but the present invention can be applied to physical quantities other than weight, such as volume, bulk, mass, and other various names for physical quantities.

[0011] 1, the gripping system 1 includes a control device 10, an ingredient storage unit 20, an articulated robot 30, a detection unit 40, and a transfer mechanism 50. Among these, the control device 10, the articulated robot 30, the detection unit 40, and the transfer mechanism 50 are connected to each other via wired or wireless communication, and are capable of communicating with each other.

[0012] In addition, a belt conveyor 2 that automatically transports containers of prepared foods from upstream to downstream is installed adjacent to the gripping system 1. The belt conveyor 2 has a conveying surface for transporting the containers, and the containers are transported while placed on this conveying surface. In FIG. 1, as shown by the dashed arrow, the left side of the paper is the upstream of the transport on the belt conveyor 2, and the right side of the paper is the downstream of the transport on the belt conveyor 2. The task of supplying the containers to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 further upstream of the gripping system 1 may be performed manually or by a container supply device.

[0013] 1 shows only one set of the ingredient storage unit 20, the articulated robot 30, the detection unit 40, and the transport mechanism 50, but the present invention is not limited to this. In this embodiment, it is assumed that a plurality of these sets are installed along the transport direction of one belt conveyor 2, and that the plurality of articulated robots 30 work in cooperation with each other.

[0014] The control device 10 is configured by an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and controls the entire gripping system 1 by executing various programs. For example, the control device 10 controls the operation of the articulated robot 30 gripping ingredients from the ingredient storage section 20 and releasing them into a prepared food container to serve the ingredients. More specifically, the control device 10 controls the driving of the articulated robot 30 to realize the operation of moving the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 to a predetermined position set in advance at a predetermined route and at a predetermined speed, and controls the driving of the actuator of the hand 31 to realize the operation of gripping and releasing ingredients by the hand 31. In addition, for example, the control device 10 controls the operation of the transfer mechanism 50 based on the detection result of the detection section 40.

[0015] The ingredient storage unit 20 has a storage space for storing ingredients such as side dishes to be served by the gripping system 1. This storage space may be formed by the ingredient storage unit 20 itself, or may be formed by a general-purpose container such as a large tray or tray that can be installed in the ingredient storage unit 20. In this storage space, for example, a paste salad (salad containing ingredients having viscosity or stickiness) such as potato salad, unohana (soybean pulp), kiriboshi daikon, namasu (pickled vegetables), hijiki (simmered radish), boiled beans, buttered corn, and other side dishes are stored. In this embodiment, it is assumed that one type of ingredient is stored in the storage space for multiple meals (for example, tens to hundreds of meals). Then, the multiple gripping systems 1 serve ingredients such as any of the side dishes in the corresponding containers of the side dishes, thereby completing the work of serving the side dishes. This storage space can be replaced manually by an operator or automatically by the articulated robot 30.

[0016] The articulated robot 30 is, for example, a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, and is equipped with a hand 31 capable of grasping the ingredients to be plated, and a robot arm 32 that moves the hand 31 to any position within its movable range. A weight sensor 30A for measuring the weight of an ingredient held by the hand 31 is provided at a joint that holds the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30, as an example of a means for acquiring the physical quantity of the ingredient held by the hand 31. A force sensor 30B for measuring a reaction force (including a force sense obtained by touching a surface) from the ingredient that the hand 31 touches is provided at 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 the ingredient. Data on the weight of the ingredient measured by the weight sensor 30A (i.e., the weight of the held ingredient) and data on the reaction force from the ingredient measured by the force sensor 30B (i.e., the detection result of contact with the ingredient) are output to the control device 10.

[0017] Furthermore, the joint that holds the hand 31 has an axis that rotates the hand 31 in a twisting direction relative to the robot arm 32. Therefore, when the hand 31 grasps an ingredient, the direction in which the hand 31 opens and closes can be adjusted by changing the orientation of the hand 31. This makes it possible to change the orientation of the hand 31 so that the hand 31 opens and closes in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the accommodation space of the ingredient accommodation section 20 when the hand 31 reaches the vicinity of the inner wall surface of the container, making it easier to grasp ingredients near the inner wall surface of the container.

[0018] The detection unit 40 includes a plurality of optical sensors that detect containers being transported on the belt conveyor 2. For example, the detection unit 40 includes a sensor that detects the position of a container being transported on the belt conveyor 2, and a sensor that detects ingredients served in the container. Data on the position of the container detected by these sensors and data on whether ingredients are served or not are output to the control device 10. The control device 10 controls the operation of the transfer mechanism 50 based on the detection results of these sensors included in the detection unit 40. Details of the positional relationship of these sensors included in the detection unit 40 and the operation control of the transfer mechanism 50 by the control device 10 based on the detection results will be described later.

[0019] The transfer mechanism 50 is a mechanism for transferring an object (here, a container). The transfer mechanism 50 transfers the container, which has been conveyed to the transfer position P1 by the belt conveyor 2, to a release position P2, which is a position where the ingredients are released. After that, when the ingredients are completely put into the container at the release position P2, the transfer mechanism 50 transfers the container from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1 again. Thereafter, the containers with the ingredients piled up are transported further downstream by the belt conveyor 2, where post-processing (for example, closing the lids on the containers) is carried out. In this way, by the transfer mechanism 50 performing the transfer, the ingredients can be released and plated at the release position P2 provided near the articulated robot 30, rather than at the transfer position P1 or the like on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. This makes it possible to prevent the released ingredients from falling onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2.

[0020] The overall configuration of the gripping system 1 has been described above. Although not shown in the drawings, in order to shield each component of the gripping system 1 from the outside, a shielding section made of a plate-shaped member surrounding the periphery of the area in which each component is installed may be installed. In addition to each component of the gripping system 1, the belt conveyor 2 may also be shielded by a shielding section. By shielding by a shielding section in this manner, it is possible to prevent ingredients scattered during the operation of the gripping system 1 from soiling the outside and prevent foreign matter from the outside from mixing with the ingredients. In this case, the plate-like member constituting the shielding part is preferably made of a transparent material such as glass or resin, so that the operating status of the gripping system 1 can be visually confirmed from the outside. In addition, an openable door may be provided on a part of the side wall constituting the shielding part. In this way, when replacing the storage space of the ingredient storage part 20 or performing maintenance on the gripping system 1, a worker can approach each component by opening the door of the shielding part and perform these various tasks.

[0021] [Hardware configuration of the control device 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of the control device 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 10 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] The input unit 715 includes an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard, and receives input of various information to the control device 10. The input unit 715 may include a microphone, and may receive input of various information 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.

[0025] 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 10, 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.

[0026] [Functional configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 10 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 10. As shown in FIG. 3, by executing a program for controlling the operation of the gripping system 1, a sensor information acquisition unit 151, an ingredient state determination unit 152, an ingredient amount determination unit 153, an articulated robot control unit 154, a transport mechanism control unit 155, and a record control unit 156 function in the CPU 711 of the control device 10. In addition, a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172 are formed in the storage unit 717.

[0027] The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the gripping system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores the position of the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20, the position of the area in the prepared food container where the ingredients are served, the relationship between the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient when gripping the ingredient and the weight of the gripped ingredient (function or table-format data, etc.), and parameters that define the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30. In this embodiment, the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient is an index for estimating the weight (physical amount) of the ingredient. That is, from the relationship between the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient and the weight of the gripped ingredient, the actual weight of the gripped ingredient (target gripping weight) is estimated based on the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient.

[0028] The history DB 172 stores, as history, control-related parameters acquired when the gripping system 1 operates, or measurement data of the weight of ingredients arranged by the gripping system 1. The history DB 172 also stores an ingredient state map showing the state of ingredients in the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20. Details of this ingredient state map will be described later together with an explanation of the recording control unit 156 that creates and updates the ingredient state map.

[0029] The sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires sensor information that is information detected by various sensors installed in the gripping system 1 and the detection unit 40. For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires, as sensor information, data on the weight of ingredients measured by the weight sensor 30A installed at the joints of the articulated robot 30, data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B, data on the position of the container detected by the sensor included in the detection unit 40, data on whether ingredients are served, and data on the detection result of the processing sensor 56 described later. These sensor information are used as appropriate by each functional block of the control device 10.

[0030] The ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the ingredients based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B. For example, the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the depth of the ingredients in the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20 (the depth from the surface of the ingredients in the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20 to the bottom surface of the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20) and the flatness of the surface (how rough the surface is) based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B. In this embodiment, a method of measuring the state of the ingredients based on the reaction force using the force sensor 30B is used, rather than a method of determining the state of the ingredients by image analysis using a camera. Therefore, for example, the introduction cost and management cost of the camera can be reduced, and there is no need to consider the blind spot of the camera, so that the arrangement of the articulated robot 30 and the position of the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20 can be selected more flexibly. In addition, since a camera is not used, there is no need to consider the influence of steam generated from the ingredients and lighting on the shooting.

[0031] Furthermore, upon recognizing the depth and flatness of the ingredient surface, the ingredient state determination unit 152 determines whether these meet the conditions for gripping the ingredient (for example, whether the depth and flatness of the ingredient are equal to or greater than a set threshold value). The flatness of the ingredient surface can be defined, for example, based on the absolute value of the magnitude of unevenness on the surface, and can be defined so that the flatter the ingredient surface is, the greater the value. The flatness may also be determined for each portion of the ingredient surface. Furthermore, the ingredient state determination unit 152 determines whether the state of the ingredient in the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20 is such that a specified amount of ingredient can be gripped in one gripping operation.

[0032] The ingredient amount determining unit 153 determines, based on the data of the weight of the ingredient measured by the weight sensor 30A of the articulated robot 30, whether or not a specified amount of the ingredient has been grasped.

[0033] 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 plating ingredients according to the operation pattern defined in the gripping system 1. For example, the articulated robot control unit 154 causes the articulated robot 30 to execute an operation (detection operation) for detecting a container transported by the belt conveyor 2 using the detection unit 40, an operation (grasping operation) for gripping ingredients with the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30, an operation (ingredient transfer operation) for transferring the hand 31 gripping the ingredients onto a container for prepared food, an operation (releasing operation) for releasing the gripped ingredients onto the container, an operation (shaping operation) for shaping the surface of the released ingredients after plating, and the like.

[0034] The transfer mechanism control unit 155 controls the operation of transferring the container by the transfer mechanism 50 (container transfer operation) based on data on the position of the container detected by a sensor included in the detection unit 40, data on whether ingredients are served on it or not, and data on the detection results of the processing sensor 56 described below.

[0035] The record control unit 156 stores the control parameters acquired when the gripping system 1 performs the gripping operation and the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients arranged by the gripping system 1 in the history DB 172. In addition, the record control unit 156 creates and updates an ingredient state map showing the state of the ingredients in the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20, and also stores this ingredient state map in the history DB 172. More specifically, the record control unit 156 detects the state of the ingredients in each area of ​​the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20 based on the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients and the reaction force of the ingredients acquired when the gripping system 1 performs the gripping operation, the determination result by the ingredient state determination unit 152 described later, and the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients arranged by the gripping system 1, and stores the state of the ingredients in association with the identification information identifying each area, thereby generating an ingredient state map.

[0036] In this case, the state of the ingredients refers to the remaining amount of ingredients in each region, and the depth and flatness of the ingredients determined by ingredient state determination unit 152 described below. Furthermore, when the storage space of ingredient storage unit 20 is replaced with a new one after the ingredients in the storage space of ingredient storage unit 20 have been piled up, the ingredient state map is updated assuming that a predetermined amount of ingredients (e.g., a sufficient amount of ingredients for the storage space of ingredient storage unit 20) is stored in a predetermined state (e.g., a flat surface state).

[0037] [Hand 31 Configuration] Next, the configuration of the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a installed on the hand 31 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of the gripping member 31a installed at the tip of the hand 31. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, only one of the pair of gripping members 31a is shown. As shown in Fig. 4, the grip member 31a in this embodiment is composed of a top plate portion, a main plate portion, a first side plate portion, and a second side plate portion. The top plate portion has a rectangular plane. When the plane of the top plate portion is in a horizontal state, the main plate portion extends at an angle from one end of the plane in the longitudinal direction to a position spaced vertically below the other end of the plane. When the plane of the top plate portion is in a horizontal state, the first side plate portion and the second side plate portion extend vertically downward from both ends of the plane. In the following description, when the pair of gripping members 31a is not to be distinguished from one another, they will simply be referred to as "grip members 31a."

[0038] 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the storage space of the ingredient storage section 20, the hand 31, the gripping member 31a, the robot arm 32, and the ingredient when performing an operation such as a gripping operation. In FIG. 5, the vertical direction is called the Z direction, a first horizontal direction perpendicular to the Z direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is called the Y direction, and a second horizontal direction perpendicular to each of the Z direction and the Y direction is called the X direction. In other words, the Z direction, the Y direction, and the X direction are each perpendicular to one another.

[0039] The hand 31 is disposed at the tip of a robot arm 32. The gripping member 31a is connected to the hand 31 by a connecting member and is thereby supported by the hand 31. The hand 31 and the gripping member 31a connected thereto can move within a movable range in each of the X, Y, and Z directions in accordance with the operation of the robot arm 32 controlled by the control device 10. The hand 31 achieves a gripping operation by opening and closing the pair of gripping members 31a in the Y direction by an actuator (not shown). Furthermore, the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a connected thereto are capable of rotating about the Z direction as a rotation axis. With this configuration, in this embodiment, the position and orientation of the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a can be changed arbitrarily, making it possible to appropriately perform operations such as gripping and releasing operations with various movements.

[0040] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the opening and closing of a pair of gripping members 31a. The gripping members 31a shown in Fig. 4 are connected to the hand 31 by a connecting member so that their openings face each other. The X, Y, and Z directions in Fig. 6 are the same as the directions defined in Fig. 5. The pair of gripping members 31a are opened in an opening operation along the opening / closing direction (Y direction) as shown in Fig. 6(a) to be in an open state. The pair of gripping members 31a are closed in a gripping operation by closing in the opening / closing direction (Y direction) as shown in Fig. 6(b).

[0041] Then, the pair of gripping members 31a are in a closed state and come into contact with each other, so that at least the inner surface with the closed tips and side plate portions becomes a container shape for gripping ingredients. With such a shape of gripping members 31a, the tips of gripping members 31a are inserted vertically from the surface into ingredients such as paste salad, and the pair of gripping members 31a are closed at a predetermined depth to lift up the ingredients, so that an approximately fixed amount of ingredients can be gripped and removed from the storage space of ingredient storage section 20. In addition, after the pair of gripping members 31a are transferred onto the prepared food container at the release position P2, the pair of gripping members 31a open and the container-shaped opening is exposed, thereby releasing the ingredients that have been gripped and allowing an approximately fixed amount of ingredients to be served in the prepared food container.

[0042] [Configuration of detection unit 40] Next, the configuration of the detection unit 40 will be described in detail. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the detection unit 40. In FIG. 7, similar to FIG. 1, the left side of the paper surface is the upstream side of the conveyor belt 2, and the right side of the paper surface is the downstream side of the conveyor belt 2.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, the detection unit 40 includes container detection sensors 41 and 42, a reflector arrangement unit 43, and an ingredient detection sensor 44. The container detection sensors 41, 42 are sensors that detect the position of a container being transported on the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensors 41, 42 are configured, for example, with optical sensors. The container detection sensor 41 detects that a container being transported on the belt conveyor 2 is about to be transported to the transfer position P1. Furthermore, the container detection sensor 42 detects that a container being transported on the belt conveyor 2 has been transported to the transfer position P1. The reflector arrangement section 43 is a member in which reflectors that reflect light emitted by the container detection sensors 41, 42 for detection are arranged on a surface facing the container detection sensors 41, 42.

[0044] As shown in the figure, detection unit 40 has reflector arrangement unit 43 installed at a predetermined position so as to straddle the conveying surface of belt conveyor 2. Light projected by container detection sensors 41, 42 is reflected by reflectors arranged in reflector arrangement unit 43 and received by container detection sensors 41, 42. This allows container detection sensors 41, 42 to detect the position of a container. In the figure, the paths of the projected and received light are illustrated as optical paths L1 and L2, respectively.

[0045] In this embodiment, the reflector arrangement section 43 is configured to be insertable into and removable from the opening of the main body of the detection section 40, and the length in the width direction of the conveying surface can be adjusted. This allows the reflector arrangement section 43 to be installed at a predetermined position, absorbing the difference in the width direction length of the conveying surface, which differs depending on the model of the belt conveyor 2. Here, the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 generally undulates in the vertical direction and the like as the conveyor moves. Therefore, in order to avoid this effect, it is preferable to install the reflector arrangement section 43 at a predetermined position on the outer frame portion of the conveying surface (i.e., a portion that is not the conveying surface). This allows the reflector arrangement section 43 to be constantly fixed at an appropriate height to detect the container in which the ingredients are served, without being affected by the vertical undulation of the conveying surface.

[0046] Here, since the height of the container (here, the relative height with respect to the conveying surface) is generally not so high, it is desirable to arrange the sensor and reflector at an appropriate position within a range of several centimeters to several millimeters. In this regard, in this embodiment, the reflector position is fixed at a predetermined position by the reflector arrangement unit 43 in this way, so that the position of the container being conveyed can be appropriately detected with an appropriate height according to the height of the container as the detection target range.

[0047] Although colored containers are sometimes used as containers for prepared foods, transparent containers are also commonly used. The container detection sensors 41 and 42 are capable of detecting both colored and transparent containers. With this configuration, the container detection sensors 41, 42 detect with high accuracy the position of the container being transported on the belt conveyor 2. In addition, data on the container position detected by the container detection sensors 41, 42 is output to the control device 10.

[0048] The ingredient detection sensor 44 is a sensor that detects ingredients served in a container. The ingredient detection sensor 44 is configured, for example, by an optical sensor, similar to the container detection sensors 41 and 42. The ingredient detection sensor 44 detects whether ingredients are served in a container whose position is detected by the container detection sensors 41 and 42. The light emitted by the ingredient detection sensor 44 is emitted vertically downward, reflected by the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, the top surface of the ingredients served in the container, or the bottom surface of the container where no ingredients are served, and received by the ingredient detection sensor 44. This allows the ingredient detection sensor 44 to detect whether ingredients are served in the container. In the drawing, the path of the light emitted and received is illustrated as an optical path L3.

[0049] As described above, the detection unit 40 is installed so as to straddle the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, so that the ingredient detection sensor 44 can be disposed at an appropriate height (for example, about 15 cm above the conveying surface) for detecting ingredients vertically above the belt conveyor 2. That is, the ingredient detection sensor 44 is also fixed at a predetermined position (here, a position relative to the height of the detection unit 40, the container, and the ingredients), so that it can detect with high accuracy whether ingredients are placed in the container. Data on whether ingredients are placed in the container detected by the ingredient detection sensor 44 is output to the control device 10.

[0050] In this way, the detection unit 40 has a unique structure, and by being installed so as to straddle the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, various sensors and reflectors can be arranged in optimal positions for detection.

[0051] [Configuration of the transfer mechanism 50] Next, the configuration of the transfer mechanism 50 will be described in detail. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in this embodiment. In this Fig. 8, the belt conveyor 2, the articulated robot 30, and the transfer mechanism 50 are shown with the downstream direction of transport on the belt conveyor 2 as the front side of the page.

[0052] 8, the transfer mechanism 50 includes an actuator 51, a slide member 52, a connecting portion 53, a first transfer member 531, a second transfer member 532, and a holding member 54. Similarly to the example shown in FIG. 1, the transfer position P1 is the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, and the release position P2 is on a work table provided on the side portion of the articulated robot 30.

[0053] The actuator 51 is disposed vertically above the belt conveyor 2 and performs linear motion in a direction (left-right direction on the paper) perpendicular to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2. The actuator 51 is realized by, for example, an electric cylinder (ROBO Cylinder) or an air cylinder.

[0054] The slide member 52 and the connecting portion 53 are connected to a drive portion of the actuator 51, and perform linear motion in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 2 (left-right direction on the paper) in association with the linear motion of the actuator 51. The connecting portion 53 is further connected to the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532, and as a result, the linear motion of the actuator 51 is also transmitted to the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532, so that the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 also perform the same linear motion as the actuator 51. In this manner, the transfer mechanism 50 of the present embodiment can realize a drive mechanism with a relatively simple configuration.

[0055] 9 is a vertically overhead view of the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in this embodiment. In FIG. 9, the belt conveyor 2, the ingredient storage section 20, the articulated robot 30, the connecting section 53, the first transfer member 531, the second transfer member 532, and the holding member 54 are illustrated.

[0056] One end of the holding member 54 is placed on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, and the other end is placed on the top surface of the workbench where the release position P2 is located. This connects the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and the top surface of the workbench via the holding member 54. The transfer mechanism 50 transfers the container by sliding the container from the transfer position P1 on the conveying surface to the release position P2 on the top surface of the workbench using the horizontal linear motion of the actuator 51. The transfer mechanism 50 also transfers the container from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1 by sliding the container in the opposite direction.

[0057] 9(a), when an empty container is transported to transfer position P1, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 moves the transfer mechanism 50 and transfers the container from transfer position P1 to release position P2 while contacting the container with the end (the right end on the page) of the second transfer member 532. Also, when the ingredient is released by the articulated robot 30, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 transfers the container from release position P2 to transfer position P1 while contacting the container with the end (the left end on the page) of the first transfer member 531.

[0058] In this way, by the transfer mechanism 50 performing the transfer, the ingredients can be released and plated at the release position P2 provided near the articulated robot 30, rather than at the transfer position P1 or the like on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. This makes it possible to prevent the released ingredients from falling onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. In addition, after the ingredients are gripped in the ingredient storage section 20, they can be plated at the nearby release position P2, which shortens the travel distance of the articulated robot 30, shortens the processing time, and prevents ingredients from scattering during movement. Furthermore, since ingredients can be plated at the nearby release position P2, more precise movements can be achieved and proper plating can be achieved compared to when the robot arm 32 is extended and ingredients are plated at a distance.

[0059] In addition, since the transfer mechanism 50 performs the transfer, it is sufficient to transfer and supply the containers from upstream, and there is no need to place a container supplying device or a container stock near the articulated robot 30. This not only saves space, but also increases the degree of freedom in the placement of the ingredient storage unit 20 and the articulated robot 30. Furthermore, since the containers from which the ingredients have been released are transferred again to the conveying surface of the same belt conveyor 2, there is no need to prepare multiple belt conveyors, such as a first belt conveyor for transporting containers before plating and a second belt conveyor for transporting containers after plating.

[0060] [Configuration of the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532] Next, the configurations of the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 will be described in detail. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532. More specifically, Fig. 10(a) is a diagram showing this configuration as a top view, and Fig. 10(b) is a diagram showing this configuration as a perspective view. In both figures, the relationship with the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 2 is shown when the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 are arranged as shown in Fig. 9. As shown in FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b), the first transfer member 531 includes a first contact portion 531a. Similarly, the second transfer member 532 includes a second contact portion 532a. As shown in FIG. 10(a), the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a are fixed to both ends (left and right ends in the drawing) of a support member 53a, which is a part of the connecting portion 53, by a method such as welding, and are supported thereby. In this configuration, when the actuator 51 performs a linear motion, the linear motion is also transmitted to the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a via the slide member 52 and the connecting portion 53 (including the support member 53a). That is, the support member 53a and the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a connected thereto form a single member as a whole, and perform a similar linear motion in accordance with the linear motion of the actuator 51. In this way, the transfer operation by the transfer mechanism 50 is realized.

[0061] The first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a are portions that come into contact with the container when the transfer mechanism 50 transfers the container. The first contact portion 531a comes into contact with the container when the container is transferred from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1, as shown in Fig. 9(b). The second contact portion 532a comes into contact with the container when the container is transferred from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2, as shown in Fig. 9(a). The first contact portion 531a has a shape that is inclined from the outer side to the inner side of the conveying surface as it moves from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction in a top view (hereinafter, referred to as an "oblique shape"). The oblique shape is used in order to control the attitude of the container.

[0062] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing control of the attitude of a container by utilizing the oblique shape of the first contact portion 531a. As a premise, when a container is transported with the contact member in contact with the container and the container is pushed out onto the conveying surface, a force that rotates the container in a horizontal plane is applied. This is because, during the pushing process, a force that tries to transport the container in the conveying direction acts on the bottom part of the container that has already contacted the conveying surface, while a force that tries to transport the container in the conveying direction does not act on the bottom part of the container that has not yet contacted the conveying surface. In other words, the force that tries to transport the container acts only on a part of the bottom surface, causing the container to rotate. For example, when the container is pushed against the conveying surface from the left side (here, the right side of the paper) with the conveying direction being the front side as shown in the figure, a force is applied to the container to rotate it counterclockwise.

[0063] 11A shows, as a comparative example, a state in which the portion of the contact part for comparison that contacts the container is parallel to the conveying direction in a horizontal plane. Note that this is a shape for comparison only, and is not a shape originally intended by this embodiment. When the comparative contact portion contacts and pushes out the container, the container is pushed out onto the conveying surface with its longitudinal direction parallel to the conveying direction on a horizontal plane. In this case, the rotating force acting on the container causes the container to rotate, and it is no longer in a position appropriate for conveying (here, the longitudinal direction of the container is parallel to the conveying direction on a horizontal plane). In Figures 11(A) and 11(B), the change in the position of the rotating container over time is shown by imaginary dashed lines.

[0064] In contrast, Fig. 11(B) shows a case where the first contact portion 531a of this embodiment is used. When the first contact portion 531a contacts a container, the container is pushed onto the conveying surface in a posture oblique to the conveying direction, which corresponds to the oblique shape on the horizontal plane. In this case, too, the container rotates due to the rotating force applied to the container. However, since the container is initially pushed out in an oblique direction, the container rotates from there and ultimately assumes a posture appropriate for conveying. In addition, the faster the conveying speed of the conveying surface, the stronger the rotating force acting on the container. Therefore, it is desirable to appropriately determine the angle of the oblique shape (i.e., the angle at which the conveying surface intersects with the horizontal plane) based on the conveying speed of the conveying surface, etc.

[0065] In this manner, in this embodiment, the surface of the first contact portion 531a that contacts the container is intentionally made oblique, so that the attitude of the container after it is placed on the conveying surface can be controlled. In other words, the shape of the first contact portion 531a is made such that the portion that contacts the container downstream in the conveying direction protrudes toward the conveying surface more than the portion that contacts the container upstream in the conveying direction, so that the container can be pushed out onto the conveying surface in an oblique attitude with respect to the conveying direction. This makes it possible to control the attitude of the container after it is placed on the conveying surface.

[0066] 10(a) and 10(b), the upstream end of the second contact portion 532a in the conveying direction is bent outwardly of the conveying surface (hereinafter, referred to as the "bent shape"). This bent shape enables the container conveyed from the upstream side to be guided to the center of the conveying surface.

[0067] The length of the surface of the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 that contacts the container when viewed from above can be designed as appropriate. For example, the total length of the container in a direction parallel to the surface that contacts the container when the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 transfer the container is defined as the first length. In this case, it is desirable that the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 transfer the container while contacting the container over a second length that is half or more of the first length. Therefore, it is preferable to determine the length of the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 so as to satisfy such a condition. This allows the container to be transferred by contacting the container so as to include the center of the contact surface, and therefore, when controlling the container as described below, the attitude and position of the container can be controlled to an expected attitude and position with higher accuracy.

[0068] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a are welded to the support member 53a that supports them, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a may be detachable from the support member 53a and may be replaced with other first contact portions 531a and second contact portions 532a having different sizes and shapes. This allows the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a to be replaced with appropriate first contact portions 531a and second contact portions 532a as appropriate based on the operating environment such as the size of the container to be transferred, the speed required for the transfer, and the length of the portion in contact with the container, and the like, to be transferred.

[0069] [Container control operation] Next, a description will be given of a "container control operation" that is realized by the transfer mechanism 50 transferring a container by the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532. In this embodiment, by performing this container control operation, the attitude and position of the container after it is placed on the conveying surface are controlled. 12, 13, and 14 are schematic diagrams showing a series of movements of the transfer mechanism 50 when performing a container control operation. Like FIG. 9, these figures are views of the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in this embodiment viewed vertically from above.

[0070] As a premise, as shown in Fig. 9(a), the second transfer member 532 transfers the container from transfer position P1 to release position P2. After that, when the ingredients are released into the container by the articulated robot 30 at release position P2, the first transfer member 531 transfers the container from release position P2 to transfer position P1 as shown in Fig. 9(b). A container control operation is executed in conjunction with this transfer. That is, Fig. 12(a) shows the state at the start of execution of this container control operation.

[0071] Next, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the first transfer member 531 transfers the container to the transfer position P1 while in contact with the container. In this case, it is conceivable that the first transfer member 531 may transfer the container with an appropriate strength that is assumed to move the container to an appropriate position on the conveying surface (for example, near the center of the conveying surface) and push the container onto the conveying surface. However, depending on the environment in which the gripping system 1 operates, the shape and size of the container, the weight of the ingredients released into the container, the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 2, and the like vary. For this reason, it is difficult to uniformly set such an appropriate strength. Therefore, in the container control operation of this embodiment, the container is pushed onto the conveying surface with a force stronger than the force that would be expected to move the container to an appropriate position on the conveying surface, thereby intentionally bringing the container into contact with the first transfer member 531 located on the conveying surface.

[0072] Then, as shown in FIG. 13(c), a container that is pushed out with such a strong force that it comes into contact with the first transport member 531 will continue to move in the direction of the first transport member 531 due to the pushing force even when the transport has stopped.

[0073] 13(d), the second transfer member 532 starts transferring the container toward the release position P2. Then, the container comes into contact with the second transfer member 532 and stops moving. The container then remains in contact with the second transfer member 532 and is transferred toward the release position P2. In this case, the second transfer member 532 transfers the container with a force weaker than the force used by the first transfer member 531 to push the container onto the conveying surface. For example, the transfer distance is shortened or the transfer speed is slowed down. This allows the second transport member 532 to control the attitude of the container with a gentle movement and without giving any shock to the container.

[0074] In the drawings, in order to clarify the behavior of each transfer member and container, the container is shown in a straight position (i.e., the conveying direction and the longitudinal direction of the container are parallel on a horizontal plane). In reality, however, the force with which the first transfer member 531 pushes out the container may cause the container to assume a slightly tilted position (i.e., the conveying direction and the longitudinal direction of the container intersect on a horizontal plane). Even in such a case, the container comes into contact with the second transfer member 532 as described above. The second contact portion 532a of the second transfer member 532 has a contact surface that is parallel to the conveying direction on a horizontal plane. Therefore, this contact causes the container to assume a straight posture. In this manner, the posture of the container after it is placed on the conveying surface can be controlled by the container control operation.

[0075] 14(e), the second transport member 532 continues transporting the container with the gentle force described above, and transports the container to an appropriate position (near the center of the transport surface in this case). As a result, the container is transported to near the center of the transport surface without coming into contact with the first transport member 531 again. Next, as shown in Fig. 14(f), the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 return to the standby position by moving toward the transfer position P1. Here, the standby position is a position where the members wait to transfer the next container. After that, when the next container to be processed is transported to the transfer position P1, the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 that have been waiting at the standby position again perform the transfer shown in Fig. 9(a) and the transfer (including the container control operation) shown in Fig. 9(b). On the other hand, by the container control operation, a container located near the center of the transport surface is transported further downstream through between the first transport member 531 and the second transport member 532. In this way, the position of the container after it is placed on the transport surface can be controlled by the container control operation.

[0076] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a comparison to explain the effect of the container control operation. Fig. 15(a) shows, as a comparative example, a state in which the container control operation is not performed and the container is transported further downstream. Note that this is a state that is intentionally assumed for comparison purposes in which the container control operation is not performed, and is not a state that is originally intended by this embodiment.

[0077] When the container control operation is not performed, the first transport member 531 pushes the container onto the transport surface with an appropriate force that is assumed to move the container to an appropriate position on the transport surface. The pushed-out container is then transported further downstream without coming into contact with the second transport member 532. However, as described above, it is difficult to uniformly set such an appropriate force. Therefore, the container is not necessarily transported near the center of the transport path, but is transported to various positions on the transport surface. In this case, as shown in the figure, the container may collide with the first transport member 531 and the second transport member 532 located in the standby position downstream. If the container collides with these members, the container may rotate or tip over on the horizontal plane, resulting in an inappropriate position, or ingredients may be scattered.

[0078] 15(b) shows a state in which the container for which the container control operation has been performed is transported further downstream. As described above, in this embodiment, a plurality of articulated robots 30 are arranged along the transport surface of one belt conveyor 2, and these plurality of articulated robots 30 work in cooperation with each other. Therefore, further downstream, other transfer mechanisms 50 than the transfer mechanism 50 that performed the container control operation on this container are waiting at the waiting positions. In this case, the container that has undergone the container control operation is transported in a straight posture near the center of the transport surface, and therefore passes between the first transport member 531 and the second transport member 532 downstream as well, and is transported further downstream.

[0079] In this way, in this embodiment, the position and attitude of the container can be controlled by performing the container control operation, so that collisions occurring downstream as in the comparative example can be prevented. In addition, rotation or tipping of the container, scattering of ingredients, falling of the container from the conveying surface, etc. can also be prevented. Therefore, it is clear that controlling the container by the container control operation is beneficial.

[0080] [Configuration of holding member 54] Next, the configuration of the holding member 54 will be described in detail. Figure 16 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the holding member 54. In both Figures 16(a) and (b), the holding member 54 is shown in the installed state as shown in Figure 9, with the left side of the paper being the transfer position P1 side when installed, and the right side of the paper being the release position P2 side when installed. As shown in FIGS. 16(a) and (b), the holding member 54 includes a guide portion 541, a bottom portion 542, and a slit 543.

[0081] The guide section 541 is configured as a pair of guide sections. The guide section 541 has a tapered shape in which the width narrows from the transfer position P1 side toward the release position P2 side, and is structured to be able to guide the container to the release position P2. In addition, the tip of the guide section 541 on the release position P2 side has a shape that is bent inward toward the center, and as shown in FIG. 16(b), the bent part can hold the container. In this embodiment, the position where the container is held corresponds to the release position P2. Therefore, the articulated robot 30 releases the ingredients into the container in a state where the guide section 541 holds the container.

[0082] Bottom 542 functions as a transfer surface of the container when transfer mechanism 50 performs transfer. Bottom 542 is also provided with a plurality of slits 543. These slits 543 allow the scattered ingredients and juices to fall further vertically downward from slits 543, even if the released ingredients themselves or the juices of the ingredients splash at release position P2, thereby preventing the ingredients from adhering to the bottom of the container.

[0083] In addition, the tip of the holding member 54 on the transfer position P1 side has a mountain-shaped shape that rises vertically upward. If it were flat instead of this shape, and the height of the conveying surface and the height of the top surface of the work table differed even slightly, the member would be inclined from one side to the other, making it difficult to slide from the other side to one side. In contrast, the holding member 54 slides downward to the other side once it overcomes this mountain-shaped shape, so even if the height of the conveying surface and the height of the top surface of the work table differed slightly, this difference can be absorbed and the container can be slid and transferred appropriately. In addition, since the force that tries to slide toward the release position P2 is maintained even after transfer, the holding of the container by the guide part 541 can be made more stable. In this manner, in this embodiment, the holding member 54 also has a distinctive structure, which makes it possible to more reliably transport the container and hold the container when released.

[0084] [Overall operation] Next, the overall operation of the gripping system 1 will be described. 17 and 18 are flowcharts showing the flow of an ingredient plating process executed by the gripping system 1. The ingredient plating process is started, for example, when an operation for starting the ingredient plating process is performed by an operator.

[0085] When the ingredient plating process is started, in step S11 of FIG. 17, the articulated robot control unit 154 prepares to grasp the ingredients by reading operation data (movement pattern data, data on the insertion amount of the hand 31, etc.) for executing a series of operations in the ingredient plating process from the parameter memory unit 171.

[0086] In step S12, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the accommodation space of the ingredient accommodation unit 20 in accordance with the data of the motion pattern.

[0087] In step S13, the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the ingredients in the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20 by reading an ingredient state map showing the state of the ingredients in the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20 from the history DB 172. The ingredient state determination unit 152 continues to recognize the state of the ingredients based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B, which is acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 151.

[0088] In step S14, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines the depth to which the gripping member 31a is to be inserted into the ingredient based on the data of the movement pattern read in step S11 and the state of the ingredient in the storage space of the ingredient storage section 20 recognized in step S13. In step S15, the articulated robot control unit 154 inserts the gripping member 31a into the ingredient to the determined insertion depth. In this case, for example, the articulated robot control unit 154 can calculate the insertion depth from the control parameters (such as the rotation angle of the joints) of the articulated robot 30, or calculate the insertion depth from the elapsed time since the surface of the ingredient was detected in step S12 and the insertion was started. In step S16, the articulated robot control unit 154 closes the gripping members 31a to grip the ingredient.

[0089] In step S17, the ingredient amount determination unit 153 measures the weight (physical amount) of the grasped ingredient and determines whether a specified amount of ingredient is grasped. The specified amount of ingredient being grasped means, for example, that the weight of the grasped ingredient is within a specified error (within ±15%, etc.) with respect to the target weight. However, in consideration of a case where the ingredient sticks to the grasping member 31a and cannot be released, the error when the grasped weight is more than the specified amount may be set to be larger than the error when it is less than the specified amount.

[0090] If the specified amount of ingredients is being held, step S17 is judged as Yes, and processing proceeds to step S18. On the other hand, if the specified amount of ingredients is not being held, step S17 is judged as No, and processing is performed again from step S14. In this case, if the held ingredients exceed the specified amount, the insertion depth is re-determined to be shallower in step S14 that is performed again. On the other hand, if the held ingredients are less than the specified amount, the insertion depth is re-determined to be deeper in step S14 that is performed again.

[0091] In the process of repeating steps S14 to S17, even if the gripping member 31a is inserted deeper into the ingredient than the previous time, if the specified amount of ingredient cannot be gripped (if the depth of the ingredient at the intended gripping position is shallower than the insertion depth required to obtain the specified amount), it is also possible to control the total amount of ingredient gripped multiple times to be the specified amount by gripping the ingredient from multiple points on the ingredient's surface. In this case, for example, the total depth to which the gripping member 31a is inserted into multiple points on the ingredient's surface (total insertion amount) can be controlled to be the same as the depth to which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient when gripping a specified amount of ingredient at one time. Also, for example, when gripping the second or subsequent points, it is also possible to control the gripping member 31a to once release the already gripped ingredient at the next intended gripping position, and then insert the gripping member 31a into the ingredient to the depth to which it would be inserted when gripping a specified amount of ingredient at one time against the surface of the ingredient where the released ingredient is present, and grip the specified amount of ingredient again at one time.

[0092] In step S18, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether or not a container has been detected at the transfer position P1 based on the detection results of the container detection sensors 41, 42. If a container has been detected, the result of step S18 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if a container has not been detected, the result of step S18 is No, and the process repeats the determination of step S18.

[0093] In step S19, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether or not ingredients are already served in the container based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 44. Specifically, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 sets a threshold value for the height of the ingredients from the conveying surface, assuming that ingredients are already served in the container. Then, based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 44, when a height exceeding this threshold value continues to be detected for a certain period of time, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines that ingredients are already served in the container.

[0094] For example, even if a part of an empty container with a certain height (for example, the periphery of the container) exceeds this threshold, it will only be for a short time, less than the certain time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the empty container from being mistakenly determined to have ingredients already in it. In this case, the length of this certain time can be appropriately set within a range of time that is shorter than the time from when the container detection sensors 41, 42 detect the container to when the container is transported and passes the transfer position P1.

[0095] If ingredients have already been served, the determination in step S19 is Yes, and the process returns to step S18, and the determination in step S18 is performed again. If the determination in step S19 is Yes in this way, the container with ingredients served passes between the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 of the transfer mechanism 50, and is conveyed directly downstream of the belt conveyor 2. On the other hand, if ingredients have not been served, the determination in step S19 is No, and the process proceeds to step S20. The reason for making this determination is that, as mentioned above, when multiple articulated robots 30 are arranged for one conveyor belt 2 and these multiple articulated robots 30 are working in cooperation with each other, there is a possibility that a container with ingredients already placed inside it by an upstream articulated robot 30 may be transported.

[0096] In step S20, the transfer mechanism control section 155 drives the transfer mechanism 50 to transfer the container from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2.

[0097] 18, in step S21, the articulated robot control unit 154 executes release onto the container at the release position P2.

[0098] In step S22, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 judges whether or not it is time to transfer the container with ingredients served after release to the transfer position P1. The reason for this judgment is that if the container is transferred to the transfer position P1 simply on the condition that the release by the articulated robot 30 has been completed, there is a possibility that the container may collide with other containers (other empty containers or containers with ingredients already served by other articulated robots 30) that have been transported to the transfer position P1. Therefore, based on the detection results of the container detection sensors 41 and 42, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 judges that it is time to transfer the container to the transfer position P1 on the condition that it has been confirmed that other containers have not been transported to the transfer position P1 or are not about to be transported to the transfer position P1. This makes it possible to prevent collisions between containers. If it is not determined that the timing is right to transfer the container to the transfer position P1, the determination in step S22 is No, and the process repeats the determination in step S22. On the other hand, if it is determined that the timing is right to transfer the container to the transfer position P1, the determination in step S22 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S23.

[0099] In step S23, the transfer mechanism control section 155 drives the transfer mechanism 50, and causes the first transfer member 531 to transfer the container to the transfer position P1 side, and pushes the container out onto the conveying surface. In step S24, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 50 and controls the attitude of the container by contacting the container with the second transfer member 532. Then, the container is transferred to the release position P2 side by the second transfer member 532, and the position of the container is controlled so that the container is located at an appropriate position (for example, the center position of the conveying surface).

[0100] In step S25, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 50 to return the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 to the standby position. The container positioned near the center of the transfer surface passes between the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 and is transferred further downstream. Note that the processes in steps S23 to S25 correspond to the container control operation described above with reference to Figures 13 to 15.

[0101] In step S26, the record control unit 156 stores the control parameters acquired in the ingredient plating process and the measurement data (history data) of the weight of the plated ingredients in the history DB 172. The record control unit 156 also updates an ingredient state map showing the state of the ingredients in the storage space of the ingredient storage unit 20, and also stores this updated ingredient state map in the history DB 172. In this case, if the weight of the plated ingredients is excessive or insufficient, an alert may be output to the operator.

[0102] In step S27, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether or not a condition for terminating the ingredient plating process is met. In this case, the condition for terminating the ingredient plating process can be defined as when ingredients have been plated in the planned number of side dish containers, when an operation for terminating the ingredient plating process has been performed by the worker, or the like. If the condition for terminating the ingredient plating process is not met, the result in step S27 is No, and the process returns to Fig. 17, and is repeated from step S12. On the other hand, if the condition for terminating the ingredient plating process is met, the result in step S27 is Yes, and the ingredient plating process is terminated.

[0103] As described above, the gripping system 1 according to this embodiment can act to control the container placed on the conveying surface by the first conveying member 531. For example, the attitude and position of the container placed on the conveying surface by the first conveying member 531 can be controlled by contacting it with the second conveying member 532 located on the conveying surface. In addition, the position of the container can be controlled by the conveyance of the second conveying member 532 so that it is in an appropriate position for conveyance. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to control the container after it is placed on the conveying surface.

[0104] [Variation 1] In the above-described embodiment, the first transfer member 531, the second transfer member 532, and the support member 53a are described based on the configurations shown in Fig. 10(a) and Fig. 10(b). However, the configurations of these members are not limited to these, and can be appropriately changed depending on the environment in which the gripping system 1 is implemented, the target container, etc. For example, in the above embodiment, the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a are supported at both ends of one support member 53a. However, this may be modified so that the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a are supported by separate support members 53a. In this case, two sets of the actuator 51, the slide member 52, and the connecting portion 53 (including the support member 53a) are provided. Then, the first contact portion 531a is supported by the support member 53a of one set, and the second contact portion 532a is supported by the support member 53a of the other set.

[0105] As a result, the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a also perform linear motion in response to the linear motion of the actuator 51 of the corresponding pair. Therefore, the transfer mechanism 50 can move the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a in the same or different directions at the same or different timings on the straight line along which the linear motion is performed. This allows the container to be transferred with a higher degree of freedom when it is transferred. That is, the first contact portion 531a and the second contact portion 532a may function as a single member as a whole connected by one support member 53a, or may function as individual members moved by different support members 53a.

[0106] Also, for example, in the above embodiment, the surface of the first contact portion 531a that contacts the container is intentionally made oblique to control the attitude of the container after it is placed on the conveying surface. However, this is not limited to this, and other shapes may be used. For example, the surface of the first contact portion 531a that contacts the container may be L-shaped (or an inverted shape) when viewed in a plan view, instead of being oblique. In this case, the L-shape is formed by a main component that is parallel to the conveying direction and a sub-component that protrudes toward the conveying surface on the downstream side of the conveying direction. In this case, the container abuts against both the end of the main component on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the end of the sub-component that protrudes downstream in the conveying direction, and is pushed out onto the conveying surface in an oblique attitude with respect to the conveying surface. Even in this way, the attitude of the container after it is placed on the conveying surface can be controlled. In this way, by configuring the shape of the first abutment portion 531a so that the portion that abuts against a container downstream in the conveying direction protrudes toward the conveying surface more than the portion that abuts against a container upstream in the conveying direction, the effect of controlling the posture of the container can be achieved, similar to the above-described embodiment.

[0107] [Variation 2] In the above-described embodiment, the articulated robot 30 arranges ingredients in the vicinity of the container, and therefore can perform more precise movements and more appropriate arrangement than when the robot arm 32 is extended to arrange ingredients at a distance. Therefore, the articulated robot 30 may utilize this more precise movement to perform an operation of shaping the released ingredients after releasing them into the container, or an operation of releasing the ingredients that have adhered to the gripping member 31a after release, without leaving any ingredients remaining in the container.

[0108] In this case, the action of shaping the released ingredients may be, for example, an action of shaping the ingredients into a more stable shape by gripping the ingredients once released from the container again and releasing them back into the container. Another action may be, for example, an action of shaping the ingredients into a mountain shape by lifting the gripping members 31a while closing them from the released state into the container. Another action may be, for example, a shaping action of poking the released ingredients with the tip of the gripping members 31a to firmly bind the ingredients together and prevent the released ingredients from falling apart.

[0109] As an operation for releasing the ingredients attached to the gripping member 31a after the release without leaving them in the container, for example, the gripping member 31a may be vibrated to cause the ingredients attached to the gripping member 31a to fall.Also, the gripping member 31a may be lowered from vertically above the container and suddenly stopped, causing the ingredients attached to the gripping member 31a to fall by inertial force.

[0110] It is difficult to perform such an operation when plating on the conveyor belt as in the case of a general technique. However, in the above-described embodiment, the articulated robot 30 performs an operation on a container that is stopped near the container, so that it is possible to perform further complicated operations such as those exemplified above.

[0111] [Variation 3] In the above embodiment, it is assumed that a pair of gripping members 31a (i.e., two gripping members 31a) is used, but this is not limited thereto. For example, three or more gripping members 31a may be used. A configuration may be used in which the gripping action is performed by bringing the openings of the gripping members 31a closer to each other, and the release action is performed by moving the openings of the gripping members 31a away from each other. In this case, for example, if three gripping members 31a are used, when viewed vertically from above, the tips of the three gripping members 31a, each with a central angle of 120°, are moved closer to or farther away from the center. Even in this way, the above-mentioned guidance operation and other operations can be executed.

[0112] [Variation 4] In the above-described embodiment, the ingredient state determination unit 152 determines the state of the ingredient based on data of the reaction force from the ingredient measured by the force sensor 30B (i.e., the detection result of contact with the ingredient), but this is not limited to this.

[0113] If the installation cost of the camera is not an issue, the state of the ingredients may be determined by taking an image using a camera (i.e., an imaging device). In the above embodiment, the weight of the ingredients held by the articulated robot 30 or the weight of the ingredients placed in the prepared food container is measured by the weight sensor 30A, but this is not limited to the above. For example, it is possible to estimate the volume of an ingredient from an image of the ingredient captured by an imaging device, and calculate the weight of the ingredient by multiplying the density by the estimated volume, etc. In this case, it is possible to implement a means for calculating the weight of the ingredient without using the weight sensor 30A.

[0114] [Configuration example] As described above, the transfer mechanism 50 in this embodiment includes the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 that are disposed apart from each other in a direction that intersects, in a horizontal plane, with the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 2 that conveys the objects. The first transfer member 531 transfers the object and pushes it onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, thereby bringing the object into contact with the second transfer member 532 positioned on the conveying surface. This makes it possible to exert control over the object placed on the conveying surface by the first conveying member 531. That is, the posture and position of the object placed on the conveying surface by the first conveying member 531 can be controlled by bringing the object into contact with the second conveying member 532 located on the conveying surface. Thus, the transfer mechanism 50 allows for control of the object after it is placed on the transport surface.

[0115] When the second transport member 532 comes into contact with the object pushed onto the conveying surface by the first transport member 531, it transports the object in the direction of the position of the first transport member 531 a distance without coming into contact with the first transport member 531. This makes it possible to control the posture of the object without giving any shock to the object by gentle movement for transporting the object by a distance that does not contact the first transport member 531. Also, the position of the object can be controlled so that the object is transported to an appropriate position for transportation, such as near the center of the first transport member 531 and the second transport member 532.

[0116] One or more pairs of a first transfer member 531 and a second transfer member 532 of another transfer mechanism 50 are arranged along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 2, The object is pushed out by the first transport member 531 and comes into contact with the second transport member 532, and is guided to a position where it will not collide with other first transport members 531 and second transport members 532 located further downstream as it is transported on the transport surface. This makes it possible to prevent the object from colliding with the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 in an environment in which a plurality of transfer mechanisms 50 are operating in cooperation with one another.

[0117] The first transport member 531 is When the object is transported, a portion that contacts the container downstream in the transport direction protrudes toward the transport surface side more than a portion that contacts the object upstream in the transport direction, By transporting the container according to this shape, the object is pushed onto the transport surface in an oblique position relative to the transport direction. This makes it possible to control the attitude and position of the object by pushing it onto the transport surface at an angle.

[0118] The oblique direction of the abutment portion is configured in a direction that prevents the object from being placed in an undesired position due to rotation in a horizontal plane caused by transportation by the transport surface. This makes it possible to control the posture of the object when it rotates on the conveying surface.

[0119] When the first conveying member 531 and the second conveying member 532 convey the object, if the total length of the object in a direction parallel to the surface that contacts the object is defined as a first length, When transporting an object, the first transport member 531 and the second transport member 532 transport the object while contacting the object over a second length that is equal to or greater than half the first length. This makes it possible to transport the object including the center of the surface that contacts the object, and to control the attitude of the object to an intended attitude with higher precision.

[0120] When a processing device, which performs a predetermined processing on an object at a position adjacent to the conveying surface, has completed the predetermined processing, the first conveying member 531 conveys the object from the adjacent position and pushes it onto the conveying surface, thereby bringing the object into contact with the second conveying member 532 located on the conveying surface. This makes it possible to assist a processing device that performs processing at a position adjacent to the transport surface.

[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-mentioned embodiment and modified example, the present invention has been described as being applied to a gripping system for serving prepared foods, but the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping various objects. For example, the present invention can be applied to a system for gripping highly viscous or adhesive materials such as kneaded mortar, concrete, plaster, clay, etc. The present invention is suitable for gripping objects having a viscosity of medium or higher (5000 mPa s) at working temperature or room temperature. 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 grasping 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 gripping system, 2 belt conveyor, 10 control device, 20 ingredient storage section, 30 articulated robot, 30A weight sensor, 30B force sensor, 31 hand, 31a gripping member, 32 robot arm, 40 detection section, 41, 42 container detection sensor, 43 reflector arrangement section, 44 ingredient detection sensor, 50 transport mechanism, 51 actuator, 52 slide member, 53 connection section, 53a support member, 531 first transport member, 531a first contact section, 532 second transport member, 532a second contact section, 54 holding member, 541 guide section, 542 bottom section, 543 slit, 151 sensor information acquisition section, 152 ingredient state determination section, 153 ingredient amount determination section, 154 articulated robot control section, 155 transport mechanism control section, 156 recording control section, 171 Parameter storage unit, 172 history database (history DB), 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. The conveying device includes a first member and a second member that are spaced apart from each other in a direction that intersects with a conveying direction of a conveying device that conveys an object on a horizontal plane, the first member transports the object and pushes it onto a conveying surface of the conveying device, thereby bringing the object into contact with the second member located on the conveying surface; A transfer mechanism comprising:

2. When the second member comes into contact with the object pushed out onto the conveying surface by the first member, the second member transports the object in a direction toward the first member by a distance without contacting the first member.

2. The transfer mechanism of claim 1.

3. One or more pairs of the first member and the second member included in another transfer mechanism are arranged along a transport direction of the transport device, The object is pushed out by the first member and contacts the second member, and is guided to a position where the object does not collide with other first members and second members disposed downstream when being transported on the transport surface.

3. A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The first member is When the object is transferred, a portion that contacts a container on a downstream side in the conveying direction protrudes toward the conveying surface more than a portion that contacts the object on an upstream side in the conveying direction, By transferring the container according to the shape, the object is pushed onto the conveying surface in an oblique position with respect to the conveying direction.

3. A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 or 2.

5. a diagonal direction of the contacting portion is configured in a direction that prevents the target object from being placed in an undesired position due to rotation of the target object in a horizontal plane based on the transport by the transport surface; 5. The transfer mechanism of claim 4.

6. When the first member and the second member transfer the object, the total length of the object in a direction parallel to a surface that contacts the object is defined as a first length, When transferring the object, the first member and the second member transfer the object while contacting the object over a second length that is equal to or greater than half of the first length.

3. A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 or 2.

7. When a processing device that performs a predetermined process on the object at a position adjacent to the transport surface finishes the predetermined process, the first member transfers the object from the adjacent position and pushes it onto the transport surface, thereby bringing the object into contact with the second member located on the transport surface.

3. A transfer mechanism according to claim 1 or 2.

8. A transfer method performed by a transfer mechanism including a first member and a second member that are spaced apart from each other in a direction intersecting a transfer direction of a transfer device that transfers an object on a horizontal plane, the method comprising: the first member transports the object and pushes it onto a conveying surface of the conveying device, thereby bringing the object into contact with the second member located on the conveying surface, A method of transporting a vehicle.

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