Conveyance system, conveyance device, conveyance target, component mounting system, control method, and program

Abstract

To electrically connect a conveyance device and a conveyance target when mechanically connecting the conveyance device and the conveyance target.SOLUTION: A conveyance system 100 controls a movement of a device body of a conveyance device 1. The conveyance device 1 is attached to the device body and includes a gripping portion that grips a to-be-gripped portion of a conveyance target 2 and a first connector 13 that supplies power to the conveyance object 2. The first connector 13 is connected to a second connector 23 of the conveyance object 2 by moving the device body toward the conveyance target 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conveying system, a conveying device, a conveyed object, a component mounting system, a control method, and a program, and more particularly to a conveying system having a gripping mechanism, a conveying device, a conveyed object, a component mounting system, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] The gripping structure described in Patent Document 1 comprises a plurality of gripped parts provided on the transport object traveling on the moving surface, and a plurality of gripping parts provided on the main body of the transport device traveling on the moving surface, each corresponding to a plurality of gripped parts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 235049 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When mechanically connecting a transport device and a transport object as described in Patent Document 1, there has been a demand for also electrically connecting the transport device and the transport object.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above reasons, and aims to provide a conveying system, a conveying device, a conveying object, a component mounting system, a control method, and a program that can electrically connect the conveying device and the conveying object when mechanically connecting the conveying device and the conveying object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A conveyance system according to one aspect of the present disclosure controls movement of a main body of a conveyance device. The conveyance device is attached to the main body and has a gripping part that grips a gripped part of an object to be conveyed, and a first connector that supplies power to the object. The first connector is connected to a second connector of the object to be conveyed by moving the main body toward the object to be conveyed.

[0007] A transport device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a transport device used in the transport system.

[0008] A transport object according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a transport object used in the transport system.

[0009] A component mounting system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a component mounter that mounts components on a substrate, and a component supply device that supplies the components to the component mounter. The component supply device is a transport target used in the transport system, and is transported to the component mounter by the transport device used in the transport system.

[0010] A control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for controlling a transport device, the control method including: a gripping step of gripping a gripped portion of an object to be transported; and a connecting step of connecting a first connector of the transport device, which supplies power to the object to a second connector of the object to be transported, by moving a main body of the transport device closer to the object to be transported.

[0011] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the control method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, when the transport device and the transport object are mechanically connected, the transport device and the transport object can also be electrically connected. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a component mounting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a transport system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view schematically illustrating a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a conveying target according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the board and components to be mounted on the board by the component mounting system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main part of a transport target according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a second connector of the transport object. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the transport system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the above-mentioned transport system. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the above-mentioned transport system. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the above-mentioned transport system. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the above-mentioned transport system. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the above-mentioned transport system. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a main part of a transport device according to the first modification. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the transport system according to the first modification. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the above transport system. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the above transport system. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the above transport system. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a second connector included in a transport object according to the third modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A transport system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the figures referred to in the following description are schematic diagrams, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the figures do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the embodiment and modified examples described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment and modified examples. Various modifications other than these embodiment and modified examples are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0015] (1) Overview First, an outline of a transport system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0016] The transport system 100 controls the movement of the device body 10 of the transport device 1 .

[0017] The conveying device 1 has a gripping portion 12 and a first connector 13.

[0018] The gripping part 12 is attached to the device body 10 and grips a gripped part 21 of the transport object 2 .

[0019] The first connector 13 supplies power to the object 2 to be transported.

[0020] The first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23 of the object 2 to be transferred by the device body 10 moving closer to the object 2 to be transferred.

[0021] 2, the conveyance device 1 is used in a conveyance system 100. The conveyance object 2 is also used in the conveyance system 100.

[0022] Here, the conveyance device 1 is used for transportation work in facilities such as factories, logistics centers (including distribution centers), offices, stores, schools, and hospitals. The conveyance device 1 moves by running on a moving surface G1 using one or more wheels. The moving surface G1 is the surface on which the conveyance device 1 moves. When the conveyance device 1 moves within a facility, the moving surface G1 is the floor of the facility, and when the conveyance device 1 moves outdoors, the moving surface G1 is the ground. Note that the conveyance device 1 is not limited to a vehicle-type robot that moves (runs) on wheels on the moving surface G1. The conveyance device 1 may also be an airborne drone that flies in the air, a surface drone that navigates on water, or an underwater drone that navigates underwater. However, in the following embodiment, a case will be described in which the conveyance device 1 is a vehicle-type robot that runs on the moving surface G1.

[0023] According to the above configuration, when the device main body 10 moves closer to the transport object 2 in order to grip the gripped portion 21 of the transport object 2 with the gripping portion 12, the first connector 13 is electrically connected to the second connector 23. This allows the transport device 1 and the transport object 2 to be electrically connected when they are mechanically connected.

[0024] (2) Composition The transfer system 100 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0025] In the following description, the X-axis direction in the drawings is defined as the left-right direction, and the Y-axis direction is defined as the front-rear direction, with the positive direction of the X-axis direction being the right side and the positive direction of the Y-axis direction being the front side. Note that these directions are defined when the conveying device 1 is traveling while towing the object 2 to be conveyed, and are not intended to limit the directions of the conveying device 1 when in use to these directions. Also, the arrows indicating the directions in the drawings are merely shown for the purpose of explanation and do not have any substance.

[0026] (2.1) Overall configuration of the transport system 2, the transport system 100 includes a transport device 1 that transports an object 2 to be transported, and a host system 3 that controls the transport operation of the object 2 by the transport device 1. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, the transport system 100 further includes a regulating unit 4 that regulates the movement of the object 2 to be transported. Note that the transport system 100 may include the object 2 to be transported.

[0027] The conveying device 1 and the host system 3 are configured to be able to communicate with each other. In this disclosure, "communicable" means that information can be exchanged directly or indirectly via a network NT1 or a relay device 5, using an appropriate communication method such as wired or wireless communication. In this embodiment, the host system 3 and the conveying device 1 are capable of bidirectional communication, allowing both transmission of information from the host system 3 to the conveying device 1 and transmission of information from the conveying device 1 to the host system 3. Although FIG. 2 shows one conveying device 1, the number of conveying devices 1 may be two or more. In other words, the host system 3 may control the conveying operation of each of multiple conveying devices 1. Furthermore, the conveying device 1 is capable of conveying multiple types of objects 2. In other words, the host system 3 may control the conveying operation of multiple types of objects 2 by multiple conveying devices 1.

[0028] The transfer system 100 of this embodiment is used in a component mounting system 200 as shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0029] The component mounting system 200 includes a component mounter 6 that mounts a component E1 (see FIG. 4) on a board E2 (see FIG. 4), and a component supply device 7 that supplies the component E1 to the component mounter 6.

[0030] Here, the component supply device 7 is a transport target 2 used in the transport system 100, and is transported to the component mounter 6 by the transport device 1 used in the transport system 100.

[0031] In this embodiment, the transport device 1 receives an instruction from, for example, the host system 3, and moves the transport target 2 to a position where it is connected to the component mounter 6.

[0032] (2.2) Conveyor 1 and 3, the conveying device 1 has a device main body 10, at least one (for example, a pair of in this embodiment) drive wheel 11, a plurality of (for example, a pair of in this embodiment) gripping parts 12, and a first connector 13. The conveying device 1 further has guide parts 14 mechanically connected to each of the plurality of gripping parts 12.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the transport device 1 also includes a drive wheel unit 15, a gripping drive unit 16, a control unit 17, a power source PS1, a communication unit 18, and a detection unit 19.

[0034] The device body 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in Figures 1 and 3. In Figure 1 etc., the longitudinal direction and lateral direction of the device body 10 are aligned with the X-axis direction (left-right direction) and the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction), respectively.

[0035] A pair of drive wheels 11 are arranged at the bottom of the device body 10.

[0036] The pair of drive wheels 11 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction with respect to the device body 10. In the following description, of the pair of drive wheels 11, the drive wheel 11 located on the left side of the device body 10 may be referred to as the left drive wheel 11L, and the drive wheel 11 located on the right side of the device body 10 may be referred to as the right drive wheel 11R.

[0037] In this embodiment, the left driving wheel 11L and the right driving wheel 11R each serve as a steering wheel. A drive mechanism that drives the left driving wheel 11L and a steering mechanism that changes the direction of the left driving wheel 11L are integrated as a left driving wheel unit 15L (see FIG. 2). Also, a drive mechanism that drives the right driving wheel 11R and a steering mechanism that changes the direction of the right driving wheel 11R are integrated as a right driving wheel unit 15R (see FIG. 2). In other words, the above driving wheel unit 15 includes the left driving wheel unit 15L and the right driving wheel unit 15R.

[0038] The left driving wheel unit 15L controls the rotation and steering angle of the left driving wheel 11L. As shown in Fig. 2, the left driving wheel unit 15L includes a first motor M1L, which is a drive motor that rotates the left driving wheel 11L in the circumferential direction, and a second motor M2L, which is a steering motor that changes the orientation (rolling direction) of the left driving wheel 11L.

[0039] In the left driving wheel unit 15L, upon receiving a control command from the control unit 17, the second motor M2L changes the direction of the left driving wheel 11L instructed by the control command, and the first motor M1L rotates the left driving wheel 11L at the rotational torque or rotation speed instructed by the control command. Furthermore, when the rotational torque of the first motor M1L reaches a set value, the left driving wheel unit 15L stops the rotation of the first motor M1L.

[0040] The right driving wheel unit 15R controls the rotation and steering angle of the right driving wheel 11R. As shown in Fig. 2, the right driving wheel unit 15R includes a first motor M1R, which is a drive motor that rotates the right driving wheel 11R in the circumferential direction, and a second motor M2R, which is a steering motor that changes the orientation (rolling direction) of the right driving wheel 11R.

[0041] In the right drive wheel unit 15R, upon receiving a control command from the control unit 17, the second motor M2R changes the direction of the right drive wheel 11R instructed by the control command, and the first motor M1R rotates the right drive wheel 11R at the rotational torque or rotation speed instructed by the control command. In addition, when the rotational torque of the first motor M1R reaches a set value, the right drive wheel unit 15R stops the rotation of the first motor M1R.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the pair of gripping parts 12 are provided on the rear surface of the device body 10 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. Each of the pair of gripping parts 12 is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The pair of gripping parts 12 grip a pair of gripped parts 21 of the transport object 2. In the following description, the left gripping part 12 of the pair of gripping parts 12 may be referred to as the left gripping part 12L, and the right gripping part 12 may be referred to as the right gripping part 12R.

[0043] The gripping portion 12 is, for example, a plate-like member that protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the device body 10. The gripping portion 12 has a recess 120 on its outer surface into which a cylindrical gripped member 210 of a gripped portion 21 (described later) fits. Note that the "outer surface" here refers to the left side surface when the gripping portion 12 is the left gripping portion 12L, and the right side surface when the gripping portion 12 is the right gripping portion 12R.

[0044] The grip driving unit 16 moves each of the pair of gripping units 12 in the left-right direction. The grip driving unit 16 includes, for example, a feed screw arranged in the left-right direction, a servo motor that rotates the feed screw, and a reducer that transmits the rotation of the servo motor to the feed screw. The grip driving unit 16 is provided, for example, inside the device main body 10.

[0045] The guide portion 14 is mechanically connected to the rear end of the gripping portion 12. In this embodiment, the guide portion 14 and the gripping portion 12 are integrally formed from a metal material or the like. That is, the conveying device 1 has a pair of guide portions 14 aligned in the left-right direction. In the following description, the left guide portion 14 of the pair of guide portions 14 may be referred to as the left guide portion 14L, and the right guide portion 14 may be referred to as the right guide portion 14R.

[0046] The guide portion 14 has a first protruding portion 141 that protrudes outward and a second protruding portion 142 that protrudes rearward.

[0047] 5 and 8 to 13, the first protrusion 141 of the left guide portion 14L protrudes leftward, and the first protrusion 141 of the right guide portion 14R protrudes rightward.

[0048] The second protrusion 142 is formed such that the outer surface S1 approaches the inner surface S2 toward the rear. Note that the "outer surface S1" referred to here refers to the left side surface when the second protrusion 142 is the second protrusion 142 of the left guide portion 14L, and refers to the right side surface when the second protrusion 142 is the second protrusion 142 of the right guide portion 14R. Note that the "inner surface S2" referred to here refers to the right side surface when the second protrusion 142 is the second protrusion 142 of the left guide portion 14L, and refers to the left side surface when the second protrusion 142 is the second protrusion 142 of the right guide portion 14R. In other words, the outer surface S1 is inclined with respect to the inner surface S2.

[0049] The control unit 17 (see FIG. 2) mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the control unit 17 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0050] 2, the control unit 17 has functions such as a movement control unit 171 and a grip control unit 172. Note that these merely indicate the functions realized by the control unit 17 and do not necessarily indicate actual configurations.

[0051] The movement control unit 171 controls the operation of the left drive wheel unit 15L and the right drive wheel unit 15R based on control commands received by a communication unit 18 (described later) from the higher-level system 3, thereby moving the device main body 10 on the movement plane G1. More specifically, the movement control unit 171 controls the current flowing through the second motor M2L to change the orientation of the left drive wheel 11L, and controls the current flowing through the second motor M2R to change the orientation of the right drive wheel 11R. The movement control unit 171 also controls the current flowing through the first motor M1L to rotate the left drive wheel 11L, and controls the current flowing through the first motor M1R to rotate the right drive wheel 11R.

[0052] The grip control unit 172 controls the grip driving unit 16 based on a control command received by the communication unit 18 from the higher-level system 3, and moves each of the pair of grip units 12 in the left-right direction.

[0053] The detection unit 19 detects the behavior of the device main body 10 and the surrounding conditions of the device main body 10. In the present disclosure, "behavior" means movement, posture, etc. In other words, the behavior of the device main body 10 includes the operating state of the device main body 10, which indicates whether the device main body 10 is moving or stopped, the distance traveled and the traveling time of the device main body 10, the speed (and speed change) of the device main body 10, the acceleration acting on the device main body 10, the posture of the device main body 10, etc.

[0054] The detection unit 19 includes, for example, a sensor such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) for detecting objects present around the device body 10. The detection unit 19 detects the presence or absence of objects around the device body 10 and, if an object is present, its position, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 17. The control unit 17 can avoid a collision with the object based on information about the object detected by the detection unit 19. Note that the detection unit 19 for detecting objects present around the device body 10 is not limited to LiDAR. This type of sensor may also be a sensor that detects objects using at least one of sound waves, light, and radio waves.

[0055] The communication unit 18 is configured to be able to communicate with the upper system 3. In this embodiment, the communication unit 18 communicates with any of a plurality of relay devices 5 installed within a predetermined area in which the transport device 1 moves, by wireless communication using radio waves as a medium. Therefore, the communication unit 18 and the upper system 3 communicate indirectly via at least the network NT1 and the relay device 5.

[0056] Each relay device 5 is a device (access point) that relays communication between the communication unit 18 and the upper system 3. The relay device 5 communicates with the upper system 3 via a network NT1. In this embodiment, as an example, wireless communication conforming to standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or low-power radio (specified low-power radio) that does not require a license is adopted for communication between the relay device 5 and the communication unit 18. Furthermore, the network NT1 is not limited to the Internet, and may be, for example, a local communication network within a predetermined area in which the transport device 1 moves or within the operating company of this predetermined area.

[0057] The power supply PS1 is, for example, a secondary battery. The power supply PS1 directly or indirectly supplies power to the left drive wheel unit 15L, the right drive wheel unit 15R, the control unit 17, the communication unit 18, the detection unit 19, etc. The power supply PS1 may be located outside the conveyance device 1. In other words, the conveyance device 1 may be supplied with power from the external power supply PS1.

[0058] 5, the first connector 13 is a connector for supplying power to the object to be conveyed 2. In this embodiment, the component supply device 7, which is the object to be conveyed 2, operates using power supplied from the conveying device 1 through the first connector 13.

[0059] The first connector 13 is attached to the rear surface of the device main body 10 .

[0060] The first connector 13 has a first connection portion 131 and a pair of insertion holes 132 provided on the left and right sides of the first connection portion 131.

[0061] A first conductive part 8 (see FIG. 2) electrically connected to the power supply PS1 is housed inside the first connection part 131. The first connection part 131 also has a plurality of pin holes 133 (see FIG. 5) that communicate with the first conductive part 8.

[0062] The entrance of the insertion hole 132 is formed in a tapered shape.

[0063] (2.3) Transport target As explained in "(2.1) Overall Configuration of the Conveyance System," in this embodiment, the conveyance target 2 is a component supply device 7 (see FIG. 1) that supplies components E1 to the component mounter 6. Here, the component supply device 7 includes, for example, at least one of a tape supply unit that supplies reels wound with tape to which components E1 (see FIG. 4) are attached, a tray supply unit that supplies trays on which components are placed, a batch exchange cart that supplies multiple types of components, a tape scrap collection box, a mask magazine cart, a solder pod exchange cart, and a cart that carries materials before and after work.

[0064] As shown in Figure 1, the object to be transported 2 has a main body 20, a plurality of casters 22 (for example, four in this embodiment), a plurality of grippable portions 21 (for example, a pair in this embodiment), a second connector 23, and an attachment portion 25.

[0065] The main body 20 is equipped with a functional unit 24 (see FIG. 2), such as a sensor that detects surrounding obstacles.

[0066] The main body 20 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in Figures 1 and 3. In Figure 1 etc., the short side direction and long side direction of the main body 20 are aligned along the X-axis direction (left-right direction) and the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction), respectively.

[0067] Four casters 22 are provided on the underside of the main body 20. As a result, the object 2 to be transported can be pulled by the transport device 1 and moved on the moving surface G1.

[0068] 8 to 13, the pair of gripped parts 21 are provided on the front surface of the main body 20 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction with a distance D1 therebetween. In the following description, of the pair of gripped parts 21, the left gripped part 21 may be referred to as the left gripped part 21L, and the right gripped part 21 may be referred to as the right gripped part 21R.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 6, the grasped portion 21 has a grasped member 210 and a fixing member 211.

[0070] The graspable member 210 is a cylindrical member extending in the vertical direction. The graspable member 210 fits into the recess 120 of the gripping portion 12, whereby the graspable member 210 is gripped by the gripping portion 12.

[0071] The fixing member 211 is formed in a substantially U-shape and holds the graspable member 210 by sandwiching both ends of the graspable member 210. The fixing member 211 is fixed to the main body 20 in a state in which it holds the graspable member 210.

[0072] 1, the second connector 23 is a connector to which the first connector 13 is connected. In this embodiment, the component supply device 7, which is the conveyance target 2, operates using power supplied from the conveyance device 1 through the first connector 13 and the second connector 23.

[0073] The second connector 23 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20. More specifically, the second connector 23 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20 by an attachment portion 25 (see FIG. 7) in a state in which the second connector 23 can be tilted with respect to a plane intersecting the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected.

[0074] The second connector 23 has a first substrate 231, a second substrate 232, a second connection portion 233, and a pair of guide pins 234 provided on the left and right sides of the second connection portion 233.

[0075] The first substrate 231 is, for example, a plate-like member. The first substrate 231 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20 via an attachment portion 25. Here, the attachment portion 25 has a first swinging portion 251 including a plurality of (for example, four) springs Sp1. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first substrate 231 is attached to an attachment member J1 provided on the front surface of the main body 20 via the first swinging portion 251 (four springs Sp1). Here, when no force is applied to the first substrate 231, the first substrate 231 intersects approximately perpendicularly with the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected (front-rear direction). When a force is applied to the first substrate 231, the first substrate 231 inclines with respect to a plane that intersects approximately perpendicularly with the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected (front-rear direction).

[0076] The second substrate 232 is, for example, an L-shaped plate member. A second connection portion 233 and a pair of guide pins 234 are fixed to the second substrate 232.

[0077] The second substrate 232 is attached to the first substrate 231. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , the second substrate 232 is fixed to the front end of a shaft 236 that passes through a through-hole 235 provided in the first substrate 231. The diameter of the shaft 236 is smaller than the diameter of the through-hole 235. A disk member 237 is fixed to the rear end of the shaft 236. The diameter of the disk member 237 is larger than the diameter of the through-hole 235. In this manner, the second substrate 232 is attached to the first substrate 231 in a state where it can move on a plane that intersects with the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected (the front-rear direction). The range over which the second substrate 232 can move on the plane that intersects with the front-rear direction is determined by the diameters of the through-hole 235 and the shaft 236. In other words, the larger the range over which the shaft 236 can move within the through-hole 235, the larger the range over which the second substrate 232 can move on the plane that intersects with the front-rear direction. Although one through hole 235 is shown in FIG. 7, the first substrate 231 has a pair of through holes 235 aligned in the left-right direction, and is attached to the first substrate 231 by a shaft 236 passed through each of the pair of through holes 235.

[0078] The second connection portion 233 is fixed to the second substrate 232 with screws or the like. A second conductive portion 9 (see FIG. 2) electrically connected to the functional portion 24 is housed inside the second connection portion 233. A plurality of connection pins 238 electrically connected to the second conductive portion 9 are provided on the surface of the second connection portion 233. The plurality of connection pins 238 are electrically connected to the first conductive portion 8 by being inserted into a plurality of pin holes 133 provided in the first connection portion 131. Here, the spring force of the above-mentioned spring Sp1 is set to a value that allows the plurality of connection pins 238 to be normally inserted into the pin holes 133 when the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are connected.

[0079] The pair of guide pins 234 extend further forward than the multiple connection pins 238 .

[0080] When the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are connected, the pair of guide pins 234 are respectively inserted into a pair of insertion holes 132 provided in the first connector 13, and determine the position of the second connector 23 relative to the first connector 13.

[0081] (2.4) Upper system The host system 3 (see FIG. 2) is a system for controlling the transport device 1, and is realized by, for example, a server device. The host system 3 indirectly controls the transport device 1 by issuing instructions to the transport device 1. Specifically, when the host system 3 issues an instruction to the transport device 1 to transport the object 2 to be transported, the transport device 1 receives the instruction and autonomously performs the transport operation of moving the object 2 to the target position. The host system 3 may be located inside the facility where the transport device 1 performs the transport operation, or outside the facility.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper system 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33.

[0083] The communication unit 32 communicates with the transport device 1 via the network NT1 and the relay device 5. As a communication method between the communication unit 32 and the relay device 5, an appropriate communication method such as wireless communication or wired communication is adopted.

[0084] The control unit 31 mainly comprises a computer system including, for example, a memory and a processor. That is, the functions of the control unit 31 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0085] The control unit 31 issues a control instruction (transport instruction) to the transport device 1 via the communication unit 32 to transport the transport object 2. The control unit 31 issues a transport instruction to the transport device 1 to transport the transport object 2, which is located at a certain location within the moving plane G1, to a target position, for example, thereby causing the transport device 1 to transport the transport object 2 to the target position. For example, the control unit 31 transmits a transport instruction to the transport device 1 that includes information on the type of the transport object 2, information on the location where the transport object 2 is located, information on the target position, etc., thereby causing the transport device 1 to perform a gripping operation of gripping the transport object 2 and a transporting operation of transporting the gripped transport object 2 to the target position.

[0086] The storage unit 33 includes, for example, a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM, etc. The storage unit 33 stores, for example, the contents of a transport instruction created in advance by a user of the upper system 3 or the like.

[0087] (3) Example of transport system operation An operation example of the conveying system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 8 to Fig. 13. In this operation example, the conveying device 1 moves to grip the object 2 to be conveyed placed on the moving surface G1, and at this time, the operation of electrically connecting the first connector 13 of the conveying device 1 and the second connector 23 of the object 2 to be conveyed will be described.

[0088] In an initial state, the pair of gripped portions 21 of the transport target 2 are not gripped by the pair of grippers 12 of the transport device 1. Also, as shown in FIG. 3 , the transport target 2 is placed on the moving surface G1 with its backward movement restricted by the restricting unit 4. That is, in this operation example, the first connector 13 connects with the second connector 23 with the movement of the transport target 2 restricted by the restricting unit 4. The restricting unit 4 is, for example, a so-called wheel chock installed on the moving surface G1. The restricting unit 4 is disposed behind two of the four casters 22 of the transport target 2 that are disposed at the rear of the main body 20. Note that, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 , if the transport target 2 does not move backward because it is connected to a component mounter 6, the restricting unit 4 is not necessary.

[0089] First, the control unit 31 of the host system 3 issues a control instruction (transport instruction) to the transport device 1 via the communication unit 32 to transport the object 2 to be transported.

[0090] When the movement control unit 171 of the conveying device 1 receives a conveyance instruction from the host system 3, it moves the device main body 10 to a position (initial position) near the object 2 to be conveyed, where the front surface of the main body 20 faces the rear surface of the device main body 10, as shown in Fig. 8. Note that the vicinity of the object 2 to be conveyed here means, for example, within a predetermined range around the object 2 to be conveyed. In this operation example, as shown in Fig. 8, when the device main body 10 is in the initial position, the center line L1 in the longitudinal direction of the device main body 10 is shifted to the right of the center line L2 in the longitudinal direction of the main body 20 when viewed from above.

[0091] When the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 to the initial position, the grip control unit 172 adjusts the distance between the pair of gripping units 12 (left gripping unit 12L, right gripping unit 12R) to a specified distance Ds. The specified distance Ds is specified by information (specified information) about the type of the transport object 2 included in the transport instruction transmitted from the higher-level system 3. The specified distance Ds is approximately equal to the distance D1 between the pair of gripped units 21 (left gripped unit 21L, right gripped unit 21R).

[0092] After the gripping control section 172 adjusts the distance between the pair of gripping sections 12 to the specified distance Ds, the movement control section 171 moves the device main body 10 closer to the transport object 2 until the pair of gripping sections 12 and the pair of gripped sections 21 assume a predetermined positional relationship, which will be described later. This will be explained in detail below.

[0093] When the gripping control unit 172 adjusts the distance between the pair of grippers 12 to the specified distance Ds, as shown in FIG. 9 , the movement control unit 171 moves the device body 10 backward to approach the transport target 2. At this time, the movement control unit 171 controls the movement of the device body 10 by controlling the current flowing through the first motors M1L, 21R, which are drive motors, so that the rotation speeds of the first motors M1L, 21R are constant. The movement control unit 171 also controls the current flowing through the second motors M2L, M2R, which are steering motors, so that the orientations of the left drive wheel 11L and the right drive wheel 11R are aligned with the widthwise direction of the device body 10. In other words, the movement control unit 171 controls the current flowing through the second motors M2L, M2R, which are steering motors, so that the rotation axes of the left drive wheel 11L and the right drive wheel 11R are aligned with the lengthwise direction of the device body 10.

[0094] Here, as described above, since the center line L1 is shifted to the right of the center line L2, when the device body 10 moves closer to the transport object 2, the outer surface S1 of the second protrusion 142 (142R) of the right guide portion 14R comes into contact with the right grasped portion 21R. More specifically, when the device body 10 moves closer to the transport object 2, the outer surface S1 of the second protrusion 142R comes into contact with the grasped member 210 (210R) of the right grasped portion 21R.

[0095] When the outer surface S1 of the second protrusion 142R comes into contact with the grasped member 210R, the rotation speed of the right drive wheel 11R decreases. In other words, the rotation speed of the first motor M1R decreases. As described above, the movement control unit 171 controls the current flowing through the first motors M1L and 21R, which are drive motors, so that their rotation speeds are constant. As a result, the movement control unit 171 increases the rotational torque of the first motor M1R so that the rotation speed of the first motor M1R is constant. In addition, the movement control unit 171 controls the current flowing through the second motors M2L and M2R, which are steering motors, so that the orientation of the left drive wheel 11L and the right drive wheel 11R is along the short-side direction of the device main body 10.

[0096] When the rotational torque of the first motor M1R increases while the left drive wheel 11L and the right drive wheel 11R are oriented along the short side of the device main body 10, the device main body 10 moves so that the right side tilts backward while keeping the outer surface S1 of the second protrusion 142R in contact with the grasped member 210R, as shown in Figure 10.

[0097] The device body 10 moves so that the right side tilts backward until the first protruding portion 141 (141R) of the right guide portion 14R comes into contact with the grasped member 210R.

[0098] When the first protrusion 141R comes into contact with the grasped member 210R, the movement control unit 171 increases the rotational torque of the first motor M1R, and when the rotational torque of the first motor M1R reaches a set value, stops the rotation of the first motor M1R.

[0099] When the rotation of the first motor M1R stops, the rotation of the first motor M1L causes the apparatus main body 10 to move so that the left side tilts backward.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 11, the device body 10 moves with the left side tilting backward until the first protruding portion 141 (141L) of the left guide portion 14L comes into contact with the grasped member 210L.

[0101] When the first protrusion 141L comes into contact with the graspable member 210L, the movement control unit 171 increases the rotational torque of the first motor M1L, and stops the rotation of the first motor M1L when the rotational torque of the first motor M1L reaches a set value.

[0102] When the rotation of the first motor M1L stops, the first protrusions 141R and 141L are in contact with the gripped members 210R and 210L, respectively. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the transport target 2 is placed on the movement plane G1 with its rearward movement restricted by the restricting unit 4, and therefore the transport device 1 is in a state where its rearward movement is restricted by the pair of gripped members 210. In other words, at this time, the pair of gripping units 12 and the pair of gripped units 21 are in a predetermined positional relationship where they cannot get any closer in the front-to-rear direction. Thus, when viewed relatively, the pair of guide units 14 guide the pair of gripping units 12 and the pair of gripped units 21 until they are in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0103] 11, after the pair of gripping portions 12 and the pair of gripped portions 21 have attained a predetermined positional relationship, the gripping control portion 172 adjusts the distance between the pair of gripping portions 12 to be narrower than the specified distance Ds. As a result, the first protrusions 141R, 141L change from a state in which they are in contact with the gripped members 210R, 210L, respectively, to a state in which they are not in contact with the gripped members 210R, 210L. In other words, the transport device 1 becomes capable of moving backward.

[0104] The movement control unit 171 moves the apparatus main body 10 backward so as to approach the object 2 to be transported even closer.

[0105] Here, since the pair of guide pins 234 extend to the front of the plurality of connection pins 238, as the device body 10 moves closer to the transport device 1, the pair of guide pins 234 are inserted into the pair of insertion holes 132 of the first connector 13, respectively, before the plurality of connection pins 238 are inserted into the plurality of pin holes 133. In other words, as the device body 10 moves closer to the transport target 2, the pair of guide pins 234 determine the position of the second connector 23 with respect to the first connector 13 before the plurality of connection pins 238 are electrically connected to the first conductive part 8. At this time, as described above, the second board 232 to which the pair of guide pins 234 are fixed is attached to the first board 231 in a state where it can move on a plane intersecting the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected (the front-rear direction). As a result, even if the pair of insertion holes 132 of the first connector 13 are misaligned with the pair of guide pins 234, the second board 232 moves along a plane intersecting with the front-rear direction, so that the pair of guide pins 234 are correctly inserted into the pair of insertion holes 132. Also, as described above, the first board 231 to which the second board 232 is attached is attached to the attachment member J1 via four springs Sp1. As a result, even if the first connector 13 is inclined with respect to the first board 231 and the second board 232, the first board 231 and the second board 232 are inclined with respect to a plane intersecting approximately perpendicularly with the front-rear direction, so that the pair of guide pins 234 are correctly inserted into the pair of insertion holes 132.

[0106] When the device body 10 moves further backward so as to approach the transport object 2, the multiple connection pins 238 are inserted into the multiple pin holes 133, as shown in Figure 12. In other words, the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23.

[0107] After the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23, the device body 10 moves further rearward, and when the pair of gripped members 210 hits the pair of stoppers St1 as shown in Fig. 12, the movement control unit 171 stops the rotation of the first motors M1L, 21R. At this point, the pair of gripping parts 12 have not yet gripped the pair of gripped parts 21. In other words, the first connector 13 connects to the second connector 23 before the pair of gripping parts 12 grip the pair of gripped parts 21.

[0108] 13, when the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23, the grip control section 172 widens the distance between the pair of gripping sections 12 to the specified distance Ds. As a result, the pair of gripped members 210 fit into the recesses 120 of the pair of gripping sections 12, respectively, and the pair of gripping sections 12 grip the pair of gripped sections 21.

[0109] When the pair of gripping parts 12 grip the pair of gripped parts 21, the movement control part 171 moves the device main body 10 forward. As a result, the transport device 1 travels while pulling the transport object 2.

[0110] In this way, even when the center line L1 is shifted to the right of the center line L2, the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 can be connected normally. Note that in this operation example, a case has been described in which the center line L1 is shifted to the right of the center line L2 when the device main body 10 is in the initial position. However, when the center line L1 is shifted to the left of the center line L2, the operation of the conveyance system 100 is reversed from this operation example. Furthermore, even when the center lines L1 and L2 intersect in the initial state, the pair of guide units 14 can guide the pair of gripping units 12 and the pair of gripped units 21 until they assume a predetermined positional relationship.

[0111] (4) Variations The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure, and various modifications can be made to the above embodiment depending on the design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved.

[0112] Modifications of the above embodiment will be described below. In the modifications described below, components common to the above embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0113] (4.1) Variation 1 In the above embodiment, the conveying device 1 has the guide unit 14 mechanically connected to each of the plurality of gripping units 12, but the conveying object 2 may have the guide unit 14. This will be described in detail below.

[0114] As shown in FIGS. 14 to 18, the transport device 1 (1a) included in the transport system 100 according to the first modification has a pair of gripping parts 12 (12a).

[0115] The pair of gripping portions 12a are provided on the rear surface of the device main body 10 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. Each of the pair of gripping portions 12a is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The pair of gripping portions 12a grip a pair of gripped portions 21 (21a) of the transport object 2 (2a). In the following description, the left gripping portion 12a of the pair of gripping portions 12a may be referred to as the left gripping portion 12aL, and the right gripping portion 12a may be referred to as the right gripping portion 12aR.

[0116] As shown in FIG. 14, the gripping portion 12a has a gripping member 121a and a fixing member 122a.

[0117] The gripping member 121a is a cylindrical member extending in the vertical direction. The gripping member 121a fits into the recess 212a of the gripped portion 21a, whereby the gripping portion 12a grips the gripped portion 21a.

[0118] The fixing member 122a holds the gripping member 121a by sandwiching both ends of the gripping member 121a. The fixing member 122a is attached to the rear surface of the apparatus main body 10 in a state in which it can move in the left-right direction.

[0119] 15 to 18, the transport object 2a has a pair of grippable parts 21a. The pair of grippable parts 21a are provided on the front surface of the main body 20 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction with a distance D2 therebetween. In the following description, the left grippable part 21a of the pair of grippable parts 21a may be referred to as the left grippable part 21aL, and the right grippable part 21a may be referred to as the right grippable part 21aR.

[0120] The gripped portion 21a is, for example, a plate-like member that protrudes forward from the front surface of the main body 20. The gripped portion 21a has a recess 212a on its inner surface, into which the cylindrical gripping member 121a of the gripping portion 12a fits. Note that the "inner surface" referred to here refers to the right side surface when the gripped portion 21a is the left gripped portion 21aL, and refers to the left side surface when the gripped portion 21a is the right gripped portion 21aR.

[0121] The transport object 2a further has a pair of guide portions 14 (14a). The pair of guide portions 14a are mechanically connected to the tips of the pair of gripped portions 21a. In other words, the transport object 2a has a pair of guide portions 14a aligned in the left-right direction. In the following description, the left guide portion 14a of the pair of guide portions 14a may be referred to as the left guide portion 14aL, and the right guide portion 14a may be referred to as the right guide portion 14aR.

[0122] The guide portion 14a has a first protrusion 141a that protrudes inward and a second protrusion 142a that protrudes forward. As shown in Figures 15 to 18, the first protrusion 141a of the left guide portion 14aL protrudes to the right. The first protrusion 141a of the right guide portion 14aR protrudes to the left.

[0123] The second protrusion 142a is formed such that the inner surface S2a approaches the outer surface S1a as it goes forward. Note that the "inner surface S2a" here refers to the right side surface when the second protrusion 142a is the second protrusion 142a (142aL) of the left guide portion 14aL, and refers to the left side surface when the second protrusion 142a is the second protrusion 142a (142aR) of the right guide portion 14aR. Also, the "outer surface S1a" here refers to the left side surface when the second protrusion 142a is the second protrusion 142aL of the left guide portion 14L, and refers to the right side surface when the second protrusion 142a is the second protrusion 142aR of the right guide portion 14aR. In other words, the inner surface S2a is inclined with respect to the outer surface S1a.

[0124] The gripping operation of the transport object 2a by the transport device 1a will be described below with reference to Figures 15 to 18. Note that the connection operation between the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 is the same as in the above embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0125] When the movement control unit 171 of the conveying device 1a receives a conveyance instruction from the upper system 3, it moves the device main body 10 to a position (initial position) near the object 2a to be conveyed, where the front surface of the object 2a to be conveyed faces the rear surface of the device main body 10, as shown in Fig. 15. In this operation example, as shown in Fig. 15, when the device main body 10 is in the initial position, the center line L1 in the longitudinal direction of the device main body 10 is shifted to the right of the center line L2 in the longitudinal direction of the main body 20 when viewed from above.

[0126] When the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 to the initial position, the grip control unit 172 adjusts the distance between the pair of grip portions 12a (left grip portion 12aL, right grip portion 12aR) to the specified distance Ds.

[0127] When the gripping control unit 172 adjusts the distance between the pair of grippers 12a to the specified distance Ds, as shown in FIG. 16, the movement control unit 171 moves the device body 10 backward to approach the transport target 2a. At this time, the movement control unit 171 controls the movement of the device body 10 by controlling the current flowing through the first motors M1L and M1R, which serve as drive motors, so that the rotation speeds of the first motors M1L and M1R are constant. The movement control unit 171 also controls the current flowing through the second motors M2L and M2R, which serve as steering motors, so that the orientations of the left drive wheel 11L and the right drive wheel 11R are aligned along the lateral direction of the device body 10. In other words, the movement control unit 171 controls the current flowing through the second motors M2L and M2R, which serve as steering motors, so that the rotation axes of the left drive wheel 11L and the right drive wheel 11R are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the device body 10.

[0128] Here, as described above, since the center line L1 is shifted to the right of the center line L2, when the device body 10 moves closer to the transport object 2a, the inner surface S2a of the second protrusion 142a (142aR) of the right guide portion 14aR comes into contact with the right gripping portion 12aR. More specifically, when the device body 10 moves closer to the transport object 2, the inner surface S2a of the second protrusion 142aR comes into contact with the gripping member 121a (121aR) of the right gripping portion 12aR.

[0129] When the inner surface S2a of the second protrusion 142aR comes into contact with the grip member 121aR, the rotation speed of the right driving wheel 11R decreases, that is, the rotation speed of the first motor M1R decreases.

[0130] When the rotational torque of the first motor M1R increases while the left drive wheel 11L and the right drive wheel 11R are oriented along the short side of the device main body 10, the device main body 10 moves so that the right side tilts backward while the gripping member 121aR remains in contact with the inner surface S2a, as shown in Figure 17.

[0131] The apparatus main body 10 moves so that the right side tilts backward until the grip member 121aR comes into contact with the first protrusion 141a (141aR) of the right guide portion 14aR.

[0132] When the gripping member 121aR comes into contact with the first protrusion 141aR, the movement control unit 171 increases the rotational torque of the first motor M1R, and stops the rotation of the first motor M1R when the rotational torque of the first motor M1R reaches a set value.

[0133] When the rotation of the first motor M1R stops, the rotation of the first motor M1L causes the device body 10 to move so that the left side tilts backward.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 18, the device body 10 moves so that the left side tilts backward until the gripping member 121aL comes into contact with the first protruding portion 141a (141aL) of the left guide portion 14aL.

[0135] When the gripping member 121aL comes into contact with the first protrusion 141aL, the movement control unit 171 increases the rotational torque of the first motor M1L, and stops the rotation of the first motor M1L when the rotational torque of the first motor M1L reaches a set value.

[0136] When the rotation of the first motor M1L stops, the gripping members 121aR and 121aL are in contact with the first protrusions 141aR and 141aL, respectively. Here, the transport target 2a is placed on the movement plane G1 with its rearward movement restricted by the restricting unit 4, and therefore the transport device 1a is in a state where its rearward movement is restricted by the pair of gripped portions 21a. In other words, at this time, the pair of gripping portions 12a and the pair of gripped portions 21a are in a predetermined positional relationship where they cannot get any closer in the front-to-rear direction. In this way, the pair of guide portions 14a guide the pair of gripping portions 12a until the pair of gripping portions 12a and the pair of gripped portions 21a are in the predetermined positional relationship.

[0137] After the pair of gripping portions 12a and the pair of gripped portions 21a have attained a predetermined positional relationship, the gripping control portion 172 adjusts the distance between the pair of gripping portions 12a to be narrower than the specified distance Ds. As a result, the gripping members 121aR and 121aL change from a state in which they are in contact with the first protrusions 141aR and 141aL, respectively, to a state in which they are not in contact with the first protrusions 141aR and 141aL. In other words, the transport device 1a becomes capable of moving backward.

[0138] The movement control unit 171 moves the apparatus main body 10 backward so as to come closer to the object 2a to be conveyed.

[0139] When the device main body 10 moves further backward so as to approach the transport object 2a, the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23.

[0140] After the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23, the device main body 10 moves further backward, and when the pair of guide portions 14a hits the stopper St2, the movement control unit 171 stops the rotation of the first motors M1L and M1R.

[0141] Furthermore, when the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23, the gripping control section 172 widens the distance between the pair of gripping sections 12a to the specified distance Ds. As a result, the pair of gripping members 121a fit into the recesses 212a of the pair of gripped sections 21a, respectively, and the pair of gripping sections 12a grip the pair of gripped sections 21a.

[0142] (4.2) Variation 2 The restricting unit 4 may be a brake of the object to be transported 2. In this case, for example, when the first connector 13 is not connected to the second connector 23, the object to be transported 2 activates the brake to restrict the movement of the main body 20. Furthermore, when the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23, the object to be transported 2 releases the brake to allow the main body 20 to move.

[0143] (4.3) Variation 3 The attachment portion 25 that attaches the second connector 23 to the main body 20 may have, in addition to the first swinging portion 251, a second swinging portion 252 that includes a plurality of (for example, four) springs Sp2.

[0144] 19, the first swinging portion 251 and the second swinging portion 252 are connected via, for example, a connecting plate 253. That is, the attachment portion 25 has the first swinging portion 251, the second swinging portion 252, and the connecting plate 253.

[0145] More specifically, the first substrate 231 is attached to the connection plate 253 via a first swinging portion 251 (four springs Sp1). The connection plate 253 is attached to an attachment member J1 provided on the front surface of the main body 20 via a second swinging portion 252 (four springs Sp2).

[0146] This allows the angle at which the first board 231 is inclined with respect to a plane that intersects approximately perpendicularly with the direction (front-rear direction) in which the first connector 13 is connected to be larger than in the above embodiment. In other words, even if the first connector 13 is inclined with respect to the first board 231 and the second board 232, the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are more reliably connected. Furthermore, when the transport device 1 transports the transport object 2, even if the position of the transport object 2 changes relative to the transport device 1 due to the state of the moving surface G1 or the like, the transport object 2 can be transported stably.

[0147] The attachment portion 25 may include an additional swinging portion in addition to the first swinging portion 251 and the second swinging portion 252, or may be realized by a bellows structure.

[0148] (4.4) Other Modifications The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Furthermore, functions similar to those of the transport system 100 according to the above embodiment may be embodied as a control method, a (computer) program, a non-transitory recording medium on which a computer program is recorded, or the like.

[0149] A control method according to one aspect is a control method for controlling a conveyance device 1. The control method includes a gripping step of gripping a gripped portion 21 of an object 2 to be conveyed, and a connecting step of connecting a first connector 13, which is included in the conveyance device 1 and supplies power to the object 2 to a second connector 23 of the object 2 to be conveyed, by moving a device body 10 of the conveyance device 1 so as to approach the object 2 to be conveyed.

[0150] A program according to one aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the above control method.

[0151] The following are examples of modifications of the embodiment. The basic example described above and the modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0152] The functions realized by the control unit 17 (the movement control unit 171 and the grip control unit 172) may be realized by a computer system (a server or the like) provided outside the transport device 1.

[0153] The transport system 100 of the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system is primarily composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the memory of the computer system to realize the functions of the transport system 100 of the present disclosure. The program may be pre-stored in the memory of the computer system, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided in a non-transitory recording medium readable by the computer system, such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits, such as ICs and LSIs, are referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, very large-scale integrations (VLSIs), and ultra-large-scale integrations (ULSIs). Furthermore, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are programmable after the LSI is manufactured, or logic devices that allow the reconfiguration of internal connections or internal circuit partitions of the LSI, can also be used as processors. The electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip or distributed across multiple chips. The chips may be integrated into one device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0154] (5) Summary As described above, the transport system (100) of the first aspect controls the movement of the device body (10) of the transport device (1). The transport device (1) is attached to the device body (10) and has a gripping part (12) that grips a gripped part (21) of the transport object (2), and a first connector (13) that supplies power to the transport object (2). The first connector (13) is connected to the second connector (23) of the transport object (2) by moving the device body (10) closer to the transport object (2).

[0155] According to this aspect, when the conveying device (1) and the object (2) to be conveyed are mechanically connected, the conveying device (1) and the object (2) to be conveyed can also be electrically connected.

[0156] In the second aspect of the conveying system (100), the conveying device (1) in the first aspect further includes a guide unit (14) mechanically connected to the gripping unit (12). The guide unit (14) comes into contact with the gripped portion (21) when the device body (10) moves toward the object (2) to be conveyed.

[0157] According to this embodiment, the trajectory of the device body (10) can be stabilized when the device body (10) moves closer to the object (2) to be conveyed.

[0158] In the transport system (100) of the third aspect, in the second aspect, the guide section (14) guides the gripped section (21) until the gripping section (12) and the gripped section (21) assume a predetermined positional relationship.

[0159] According to this aspect, the device body (10) can be reliably moved so that the gripping portion (12) and the gripped portion (21) are in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0160] In the conveyance system (100) of the fourth aspect, the conveyance object (2) in the first aspect further includes a guide part (14) mechanically connected to the gripped part (21). The guide part (14) comes into contact with the gripping part (12) when the device body (10) moves toward the conveyance object (2).

[0161] According to this embodiment, the trajectory of the device body (10) can be stabilized when the device body (10) moves closer to the object (2) to be conveyed.

[0162] In the transfer system (100) of the fifth aspect, in the fourth aspect, the guide part (14) guides the gripping part (12) until the gripping part (12) and the gripped part (21) are in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0163] According to this aspect, the device body (10) can be reliably moved so that the gripping portion (12) and the gripped portion (21) are in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0164] The transport system (100) of the sixth aspect is any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which the first connector (13) is connected to the second connector (23) before the gripping portion (12) grips the gripped portion (21).

[0165] According to this aspect, before the transport device (1) starts transporting the object (2), the transport device (1) and the object (2) can be electrically connected to each other.

[0166] The transport system (100) of the seventh aspect is the third or fifth aspect, further comprising a gripping control unit (172). The transport device (1) comprises a pair of gripping units (12) that include a gripping unit (12) and grip a pair of gripped units (21) of the transport target (2). The gripping control unit (172) adjusts the distance between the pair of gripping units (12) to a designated distance (Ds) designated by designation information transmitted from the host system (3). After the gripping control unit (172) adjusts the distance between the pair of gripping units (12) to the designated distance (Ds), the transport system (100) moves the device main body (10) closer to the transport target (2) until the gripping units (12) and the gripped units (21) assume a predetermined positional relationship.

[0167] According to this aspect, before the conveying device (1) grips the object (2) to be conveyed, the distance between the pair of gripping parts (12) can be adjusted to an appropriate distance depending on the object (2) to be conveyed.

[0168] In the transport system (100) of the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the gripping control section (172) adjusts the distance between the pair of gripping sections (12) to be narrower than the specified distance (Ds) after the gripping section (12) and the gripped section (21) have attained a predetermined positional relationship.

[0169] According to this aspect, the gripping portion (12) and the gripped portion (21) can be positioned closer than the predetermined positional relationship.

[0170] In the transfer system (100) of the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the transfer device (1) further includes first motors (M1L, M1R). The transfer system (100) controls the movement of the device body (10) by controlling the current flowing through the first motors (M1L, M1R) so that the rotation speed of the first motors (M1L, M1R) is constant.

[0171] According to this embodiment, the device body (10) can be moved at a constant speed without stopping.

[0172] In the transfer system (100) of the tenth aspect, in the second or third aspect, the grasped part (21) has a cylindrical grasped member (210). The guide part (14) comes into contact with the grasped member (210) when the device body (10) moves toward the transfer target (2).

[0173] According to this embodiment, the trajectory of the device body (10) can be stabilized when the device body (10) moves closer to the object (2) to be conveyed.

[0174] In the transfer system (100) of the eleventh aspect, in the fourth or fifth aspect, the gripping unit (12) has a cylindrical gripping member (121a). The guide unit (14) comes into contact with the gripping member (121a) when the device body (10) moves toward the transfer target (2).

[0175] According to this embodiment, the trajectory of the device body (10) can be stabilized when the device body (10) moves toward the object (2) to be conveyed.

[0176] In the transport system (100) of the 12th aspect, in any of the first to 11th aspects, the second connector (23) is attached to the main body (20) of the transport object (2) in a state in which at least a portion of the second connector (23) is movable on a plane intersecting the direction in which the first connector (13) is connected.

[0177] According to this embodiment, even if the first connector (13) is misaligned with respect to the second connector (23), at least a portion of the second connector (23) moves along a plane intersecting the front-to-rear direction, thereby enabling the first connector (13) to be normally connected to the second connector (23).

[0178] The conveying system (100) of the thirteenth aspect is any one of the first to twelfth aspects, and further includes an attachment portion (25) that attaches the second connector (23) to the main body (20) of the object to be conveyed (2) in a state in which the second connector (23) can be tilted with respect to a plane that intersects with the direction in which the first connector (13) is connected.

[0179] According to this embodiment, even if the first connector (13) is tilted relative to the second connector (23), the second connector (23) is tilted relative to a plane that intersects the front-to-rear direction approximately perpendicularly, so that the first connector (13) can be connected to the second connector (23) normally.

[0180] In the transfer system (100) of the fourteenth aspect, in the thirteenth aspect, the attachment part (25) has a swinging part (251) including a spring (Sp1).

[0181] According to this embodiment, even if the first connector (13) is tilted relative to the second connector (23), the second connector (23) is tilted relative to a plane that intersects the front-to-rear direction approximately perpendicularly, so that the first connector (13) can be connected to the second connector (23) normally.

[0182] In the conveying system (100) of the 15th aspect, in the 14th aspect, the mounting portion (25) has a first oscillating portion (251) which is an oscillating portion (251), and a second oscillating portion (252) which includes a spring (Sp2) and is connected to the first oscillating portion (251).

[0183] According to this embodiment, even if the first connector (13) is tilted relative to the second connector (23), the second connector (23) is tilted relative to a plane that intersects the front-to-rear direction approximately perpendicularly, so that the first connector (13) can be more reliably connected to the second connector (23) normally.

[0184] The transport system (100) of a sixteenth aspect is any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, further including a restricting unit (4) that restricts movement of the transport object (2). The first connector (13) is connected to the second connector (23) in a state in which the movement of the transport object (2) is restricted by the restricting unit (4).

[0185] According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the object to be conveyed (2) moves and the first connector (13) becomes unable to connect to the second connector (23).

[0186] In the transport system (100) of the 17th aspect, in any of the first to sixteenth aspects, the second connector (23) has a connection pin (238) that electrically connects to the first conductive part (8) included in the first connector (13), and a guide pin (234) that is inserted into an insertion hole (132) provided in the first connector (13) and determines the position of the second connector (23) relative to the first connector (13).

[0187] According to this embodiment, the first connector (13) can be reliably connected to the second connector (23).

[0188] In the conveying system (100) of the 18th aspect, in the 17th aspect, the guide pin (234) determines the position of the second connector (23) relative to the first connector (13) before the connection pin (238) is electrically connected to the first conductive part (8) by moving the device body (10) closer to the conveying object (2).

[0189] According to this embodiment, the connection pin (238) can be reliably connected to the first conductive part (8).

[0190] The transport device (1) of the nineteenth aspect is used in the transport system (100) of any one of the first to eighteenth aspects.

[0191] According to this aspect, when the conveying device (1) and the object (2) to be conveyed are mechanically connected, the conveying device (1) and the object (2) to be conveyed can also be electrically connected.

[0192] The transfer object (2) of the twentieth aspect is used in the transfer system (100) of any one of the first to eighteenth aspects.

[0193] According to this aspect, when the conveying device (1) and the object (2) to be conveyed are mechanically connected, the conveying device (1) and the object (2) to be conveyed can also be electrically connected.

[0194] A component mounting system (200) of a 21st aspect includes a component mounter (6) that mounts a component (E1) on a board (E2), and a component supply device (7) that supplies the component (E1) to the component mounter (6). The component supply device (7) is a transport target (2) used in the transport system (100) of any of the first to eighteenth aspects, and is transported to the component mounter (6) by the transport device (1) used in the transport system (100) of any of the first to eighteenth aspects.

[0195] According to this embodiment, when the conveying device (1) and the component supply device (7), which is the object to be conveyed (2), are mechanically connected, the conveying device (1) and the component supply device (7) can also be electrically connected.

[0196] The control method of the 22nd aspect is a control method for controlling a conveyance device 1. The control method includes a gripping step of gripping a gripped portion 21 of an object to be conveyed 2, and a connecting step of connecting a first connector 13 of the conveyance device 1, which supplies power to the object to be conveyed 2, to a second connector 23 of the object to be conveyed 2 by moving a device body 10 of the conveyance device 1 so as to approach the object to be conveyed 2.

[0197] A program according to a 23rd aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the control method according to the 22nd aspect.

[0198] The second to eighteenth aspects are not essential components of the transfer system (100) and can be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0199] 1. Conveyor device 2. Transport target 3. Upper system 4. Regulatory Department 6. Component Mounting Machine 7 Parts supply device 8 First conductive part 10. Device body 12 Gripping part 13 First connector 14 Guide section 20 Main Unit 21 Grasped part 23 Second Connector 25 Mounting part 251 First swinging part 252 Second swinging part 100 Transport System 132 Insertion hole 172 Grasping control section 200 Component Mounting System 210 Grasped member 234 Guide pin 238 connecting pins 121a gripping member Ds Specified interval E1 Parts E2 board M1L 1st motor M1R First motor Sp1 Spring Sp2 Spring

Claims

1. Controlling the movement of the main body of the conveying device; The conveying device is A gripping part attached to the device body and configured to grip a gripped part of a transport target; A first connector that supplies power to the transport object, The first connector is connected to the second connector of the transport target by moving the device body so as to approach the transport target. Conveying system.

2. The conveying device further includes a guide portion mechanically connected to the gripping portion, The guide portion comes into contact with the gripped portion when the device body moves toward the transport target. The transport system according to claim 1 .

3. The guide portion guides the gripped portion until the gripping portion and the gripped portion are in a predetermined positional relationship. The transport system according to claim 2 .

4. The transport target further includes a guide portion mechanically connected to the gripped portion, The guide portion comes into contact with the grip portion when the device body moves toward the transport target. The transport system according to claim 1 .

5. The guide portion guides the gripping portion until the gripping portion and the gripped portion are in a predetermined positional relationship. The transport system according to claim 4 .

6. The first connector is connected to the second connector before the gripping portion grips the gripped portion. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. Further comprising a gripping control unit, The transport device includes a pair of gripping parts that include the gripping part and grip a pair of the gripped parts of the transport target, The grip control unit adjusts the distance between the pair of grippers to a designated distance designated by designation information transmitted from a host system, the gripping control unit adjusts the interval between the pair of gripping parts to the specified interval, and then moves the device body so as to approach the transport target until the gripping part and the gripped part are in the predetermined positional relationship; The transport system according to claim 3 or 5.

8. the gripping control unit adjusts the distance between the pair of gripping parts so as to be narrower than the designated distance after the gripping part and the gripped part have reached the predetermined positional relationship. The transport system according to claim 7.

9. The conveying device further includes a motor. a current flowing through the motor is controlled so as to keep the number of rotations of the motor constant, thereby controlling the movement of the device body; The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

10. The gripped portion has a cylindrical gripped member, The guide portion comes into contact with the member to be gripped when the device body moves toward the transport target. The transport system according to claim 2 or 3.

11. The gripping portion has a cylindrical gripping member, The guide portion comes into contact with the gripping member when the device body moves toward the transport target. The transport system according to claim 4 or 5.

12. The second connector is attached to the main body of the transport target in a state in which at least a portion of the second connector is movable on a plane intersecting a direction in which the first connector is connected. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

13. The second connector is further provided with an attachment portion that attaches the second connector to the main body of the transport target in a state in which the second connector can be tilted with respect to a plane that intersects with a direction in which the first connector is connected. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

14. The mounting portion has a swinging portion including a spring. The transport system of claim 13.

15. The mounting portion has a first swinging portion which is the swinging portion, and a second swinging portion which includes a spring and is connected to the first swinging portion.

15. The transport system of claim 14.

16. A restricting unit that restricts movement of the transport object is further provided. The first connector is connected to the second connector in a state in which movement of the transport object is restricted by the restricting portion. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

17. The second connector is a connection pin electrically connected to a conductive portion included in the first connector; a guide pin that is inserted into an insertion hole provided in the first connector and determines a position of the second connector relative to the first connector. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

18. the guide pin defines a position of the second connector relative to the first connector before the connection pin is electrically connected to the conductive portion by moving the device body so as to approach the transport target.

20. The transport system of claim 17.

19. A conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, Conveying device.

20. A conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, Subject to transport.

21. A component mounter that mounts components onto a board; a component supplying device that supplies the components to the component mounting machine, The component supply device is the transport target used in the transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and is transported to the component mounter by the transport device used in the transport system. Component mounting system.

22. A control method for controlling a conveying device, comprising: A gripping step of gripping a gripped portion of the transport target; a connecting step of connecting a first connector of the transport device, which supplies power to the transport target, to a second connector of the transport target by moving a main body of the transport device so as to approach the transport target, Control methods.

23. A method for causing one or more processors to execute the control method according to claim 22. program.

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