Tool conveyance system

Abstract

To provide a tool conveyance system capable of improving work efficiency by shortening time required for work for conveying a tool to a conveyance destination.SOLUTION: When a tool is taken out a tool stand, a camera attached to a robot main body captures an image of the tool stand, a control unit of a robot determines the presence or absence of the tool and size of the tool based on a shape of the a pattern included in the image captured by the camera, and selects one pot from a plurality of pots based on the size of the tool.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tool transfer system that transfers a tool used in a machine tool to a destination. [Background technology]

[0002] As a type of machine tool for machining a workpiece, there is known a machine, such as a machining center, which performs various machining operations on the workpiece while changing the tools used. This type of machine tool is equipped with a tool storage device that stores a plurality of tools. The machining of the workpiece is performed while appropriately changing the tools between the machining section of the machine tool (a mechanical section that holds the tools and performs machining) and the tool storage device.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which, when storing tools in a rack-type tool magazine serving as a tool storage device, the tools are attached to a setup pot provided in the tool magazine, and a tool loader in the tool magazine transports the tool in the attached setup pot to a specified storage destination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-84775 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, since the worker manually attaches the tool to the setup pot, it takes time to attach the tool. In addition, when attaching the tool to the setup pot, the tool must be attached so as not to interfere with the tool already attached to the setup pot. In contrast, in Patent Document 1, the worker must measure the size of the tool and select a pot that does not interfere with the tool already attached, which causes a problem of reduced work efficiency.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a tool transport system that can reduce the burden on an operator and improve work efficiency when transporting tools to a destination that includes multiple pots. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a tool transport system for transporting a tool to a destination including a plurality of pots, the system comprising: a tool stand including a holding part for holding the tool and a pattern applied around the holding part; a robot including a robot body capable of removing the tool from the tool stand and transporting it to the destination; and a camera attached to the robot body; and a control unit for receiving images captured by the camera and controlling the operation of the robot body, wherein when removing the tool from the tool stand, the control unit outputs a command to the camera to capture an image of the tool stand and determines the size of the tool based on the shape of the pattern included in the image captured by the camera, and when transporting the tool whose size has been determined to the destination as a tool to be transported, the control unit selects one pot from the plurality of pots based on the size of the tool and outputs a command to the robot body to attach the tool to be transported to the selected pot.

[0008] According to the present invention, the robot transports the tools on the tool stand to the destination and attaches them to the pots at the destination, eliminating the need for the worker to transport the tools, reducing the burden on the worker, thereby shortening the worker's working time and improving work efficiency.

[0009] In addition, when attaching the tool to be transported to the destination pot, the size of the tool is determined based on the shape of the pattern contained in the image captured by the camera attached to the robot body, and one pot is selected from multiple pots based on the size of the tool, eliminating the need for an operator to select the pot to which the tool to be transported is to be attached, thereby reducing the operator's work time and improving work efficiency.

[0010] Preferably, the control unit determines, as the size of the tool, an area surrounded by a contour of the tool when the tool is viewed from a tool axial direction.

[0011] In this embodiment, the area enclosed by the contour of the tool, that is, the area of ​​the part of the tool with the largest outer diameter, can be determined as the size of the tool.

[0012] Preferably, the control unit determines the presence or absence of the tool based on a shape of the pattern included in the image captured by the camera.

[0013] In this embodiment, the presence or absence of a tool can be easily determined from the shape of the pattern captured by the camera.

[0014] Preferably, the control unit selects from among the plurality of pots a pot that will not cause the tool to be transported to interfere with other members depending on a size of the tool to be transported and a usage status of the plurality of pots.

[0015] In this embodiment, a pot that will not cause the tool to be transported to interfere with other members can be selected based on the size of the tool to be transported and the usage status of the multiple pots.

[0016] Preferably, the control unit pre-stores a pattern of the design when the tool is not present, and determines the size of the tool by comparing the shape of the imaged pattern with the pattern.

[0017] In this embodiment, the size of the tool can be determined by comparing the shape of the imaged pattern with a pre-stored pattern pattern for when the tool is not present.

[0018] Preferably, the control unit classifies the size of the tool into a plurality of ranks and determines which of the plurality of ranks the tool to be transported belongs to based on the shape of the imaged pattern.

[0019] In this embodiment, the size of the tool to be transported can be determined without precise measurement of the tool dimensions by ranking the tool according to the size of the tool based on the shape of the captured pattern. As a result, it is not necessary to use a high-performance camera, and the system can be configured with a general-purpose camera.

[0020] Preferably, the control unit selects from among the plurality of pots a pot that will not cause the tool to be transported to interfere with other members depending on the rank of the tool to be transported and usage status of the plurality of pots.

[0021] In this embodiment, a pot that will not cause the tool to be transported to interfere with other members can be easily selected from among the plurality of pots based on the rank of the tool to be transported and the usage status of the plurality of pots.

[0022] Preferably, the holding portion is a tool holding hole capable of receiving a shank portion of the tool, and the pattern is provided in a ring-shaped area surrounding the outer periphery of the tool holding hole.

[0023] In this embodiment, the tool can be held by inserting the shank of the tool into the tool holding hole. When an image is taken with a camera centered on the tool holding hole, the pattern on the outer periphery of the tool holding hole is hidden depending on the size of the tool, and the shape of the pattern changes depending on the size of the tool. Therefore, the size of the tool can be determined based on the shape of the pattern.

[0024] Preferably, the control unit is integrally attached to the robot body.

[0025] In this embodiment, the transportation of the tool to be transported can be completed by the robot alone, and the tool transportation system can be configured simply.

[0026] Preferably, the destination of the conveyance is a tool magazine that temporarily stores tools to be supplied to the machine tool. Furthermore, the tool magazine has a built-in rack for inserting and removing the tools from the tool magazine. In this aspect, the tools can be held in the rack of the tool magazine.

[0027] Preferably, the pot is formed in the rack and has a semicircular recessed opening. In this aspect, a tool can be suitably held by the semicircular recessed opening.

[0028] Preferably, the pot is provided at the opening with an engagement portion for supporting a shank portion of the tool. In this aspect, the tool can be suitably held by the pot by supporting the shank portion with the engagement portion provided on the pot.

[0029] Preferably, the engagement portion engages with a V-groove provided in the flange of the shank portion. In this aspect, the engagement portion of the pot engages with the V-groove of the shank portion, thereby enabling the tool to be suitably held in the pot.

[0030] Preferably, the engagement portion engages with a key groove provided in the flange of the shank portion. In this aspect, the engagement portion of the pot engages with the key groove of the shank portion, thereby making it possible to suitably hold the tool in the pot. Effect of the Invention

[0031] As described above, according to the present invention, the robot transports the tool to the destination and determines the size of the tool to be transported, thereby reducing the burden on the worker and improving work efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a tool transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a top view of the tool stand of FIG. 1 as viewed vertically from above with respect to a horizontal plane. [Diagram 3] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a tool holding structure of the setup pot. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG. 3 as seen in the axial direction of the tool. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a robot. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of the robot during tool transport. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] [Overall configuration of tool transport system] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a tool transport system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tool transport system 10 is configured to be able to take out any one of a plurality of tools 8 held on a tool stand 16 and transport the taken out tool 8 to a setup pot 12. The tool transport system 10 includes the setup pot 12 as a transport destination, a tool stand 16 having a tool holding hole 36 (see FIG. 2) for holding the tool 8, and a robot 18 that takes out the tool 8 from the tool stand 16 and transports it to the setup pot 12. The tool transport system 10 can also take out the tool 8 attached to the setup pot 12 and transport it to the tool stand 16 or another location, but a description of how the tool 8 is taken out from the setup pot 12 will be omitted.

[0034] The setup pot 12 is built into a tool magazine 20 that stores a plurality of tools 8 used in a machine tool (not shown). The machine tool is a machine that can perform various types of machining on a workpiece by changing the tool 8 to be used, and is, for example, a machining center, a multitasking machine, a turning center, an NC lathe, etc. The tool magazine 20 stores the tools 8 to be supplied to the machine tool, and is configured to be able to store, for example, several tens or more of tools 8. A transfer loader (not shown) is provided in the tool magazine 20, and the transfer loader transfers the tools 8 between the setup pot 12 and a plurality of tool storage racks.

[0035] The setup pot 12 is configured to be able to temporarily store a plurality of tools 8 to be transferred between the tool magazine 20 and the tool stand 16. The setup pot 12 is usually housed inside the tool magazine 20, but when attaching a tool 8 to the tool stand 16, the setup pot 12 slides outward beyond the housing 35 and becomes exposed to the outside of the housing 35. This allows the tool 8 to be transferred between the setup pot 12 and the robot 18. This setup pot 12 corresponds to the "transport destination" in the claims. The structure of the setup pot 12 will be described later.

[0036] The robot 18 includes a robot body 22 capable of picking up the tool 8 from the tool stand 16 and transporting it to the setup pot 12, a camera 26 attached to the robot body 22, and a controller 28 that receives images captured by the camera 26 and controls the operation of the robot body 22.

[0037] The robot body 22 includes a robot arm 30 for picking up a tool 8 from the tool stand 16 and attaching it to the setup pot 12, and a tool gripping mechanism 32 attached to the tip of the robot arm 30. The robot may further include wheels 34 for movement. In this case, the robot 18 may be configured to be movable between the tool stand 16 and the tool magazine 20 (the setup pot 12) based on image information captured by a camera 26 at any time, for example.

[0038] The robot arm 30 is configured as a multi-joint mechanism and is configured to be able to move the tool gripping mechanism 32 to an arbitrary position. The tool gripping mechanism 32 is configured to be able to hand over the tool 8 by gripping the tool 8 and releasing the gripped tool 8. For example, when taking out the tool 8 from the tool stand 16, the tool gripping mechanism 32 is moved via the robot arm 30 to a position where the tool gripping mechanism 32 can grip the tool 8. Next, the tool 8 is taken out from the tool stand 16 by using the robot arm 30 while the tool gripping mechanism 32 is gripping the tool 8. When attaching the tool 8 to the setup pot 12, the tool 8 gripped by the tool gripping mechanism 32 is moved by the robot arm 30 to a pot 40 of the setup pot 12, which will be described later. Next, the tool gripping mechanism 32 releases the grip of the tool 8. These operations are performed based on commands from the controller 28. Note that the robot arm 30 and the tool gripping mechanism 32 are known technologies, and therefore detailed explanations of their structures and operations will be omitted.

[0039] The camera 26 is attached integrally to the tool gripping mechanism 32, and captures images in accordance with commands from a controller 28. The controller 28 is attached integrally to the robot body 22, and is, for example, built into the robot body 22. The control function of the controller 28 will be described later.

[0040] The tool rest 16 is made of a plate-like member having a predetermined thickness. A plurality of tool holding holes 36 (see FIG. 2) for holding tools 8 are formed in the tool rest 16. The tool holding holes 36 are holes deep enough to receive the shank portion 9 (see FIG. 3) of the tool 8, and a plurality of tool holding holes 36 are formed in the front-rear and left-right directions. The tool holding holes 36 are spaced equally apart in the front-rear direction and are also spaced equally apart in the left-right direction. The tool holding holes 36 correspond to the "holding portion" in the claims.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a top view of the tool rest 16 as viewed from above vertically with respect to the horizontal surface 14 of the tool rest 16. FIG. 2 shows a case in which five tool holding holes 36 are formed in the front-rear direction and four in the left-right direction, but this is one example and the number of tool holding holes 36 may be changed as appropriate. Each tool holding hole 36 is provided with a key 39 for making all the phases of the tools the same. This key 39 is provided to predefine the phase at the time of the tool rest 16 so that the tool 8 is in a predetermined phase when held in a pot 40 described later. The key 39 is configured to be engageable with a key groove 53 (see FIG. 3(B)) formed in a flange 9A of the tool 8 described later.

[0042] The leftmost column in Fig. 2 shows a state where there is no tool 8 in the tool holding hole 36. As shown in the leftmost column in Fig. 2, a pattern 58 is applied around each tool holding hole 36. The pattern 58 is drawn in the same pattern for each tool holding hole 36, for example, a checkered pattern. The checkered pattern may be a checkerboard pattern in which squares of two colors (black and white) are arranged alternately.

[0043] When the shank portion 9 of the tool 8 is inserted into the tool holding hole 36, the tool 8 is held in a state where it protrudes perpendicularly to the horizontal surface 14 of the tool holding hole 36. In this embodiment, each tool 8 is classified into a plurality of ranks according to its size. Specifically, each tool 8 is classified into three ranks, ranks "S", "L", and "XL", according to its size. The size of the tool 8 here corresponds to the area U surrounded by the contour R of the tool 8 when viewed from the axis CL direction (tool axis direction) of the tool 8. In other words, the size of the tool 8 corresponds to the area U of the part of the tool 8 with the largest outer shape. For example, when the blade portion 11 of the tool 8 is larger than the shank portion 9, the area of ​​the blade portion 11 is the size of the tool 8, and when the shank portion 9 is larger than the blade portion 11, the area of ​​the shank portion 9 is the size of the tool 8. In addition, if most of the blade portion 11 of the tool 8 is smaller than the shank portion 9 and only a portion is larger than the shank portion 9, the sum of the area of ​​the portion of the blade portion 11 and the area of ​​the shank portion 9 will be the size of the tool 8.

[0044] The second column from the left in Fig. 2 shows a state in which a tool 8S classified as rank "S" is inserted into a tool holding hole 36. Rank "S" corresponds to the smallest classification (category) of tools 8. As shown in Fig. 2, tools 8S of rank "S" are classified into sizes that allow the tools 8S to be inserted consecutively into tool holding holes 36 adjacent to each other in the front-to-rear direction.

[0045] The third column from the left in FIG. 2 shows a state in which a tool 8L classified as rank "L" is inserted into a tool holding hole 36. Rank "L" corresponds to a classification (category) of tools 8 that are larger than rank "S" and smaller than rank "XL". Specifically, the tools 8L of rank "L" are classified into a size such that the tools 8L cannot be inserted consecutively into tool holding holes 36 adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction in FIG. 2, taking into consideration interference between the tools 8. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the tools 8L of rank "L" are inserted one tool holding hole 36 apart in the front-rear direction.

[0046] The rightmost column in Fig. 2 shows a state in which a tool 8XL classified as rank "XL" is inserted into a tool holding hole 36. Rank "XL" corresponds to the largest classification (category) of tools 8. Specifically, when considering interference of the tool 8, the tool 8XL of rank "XL" is classified as a tool that cannot be inserted even into a tool holding hole 36 that is separated by one hole in the front-to-rear direction in Fig. 2. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 2, the tool 8XL of rank "XL" is inserted into a tool holding hole 36 that is separated by two holes in the front-to-rear direction.

[0047] [Structure of the setup pot] Next, the setup pot 12 built in the tool magazine 20 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the setup pot 12, FIG. 3(A) shows a perspective view of the setup pot 12, and FIG. 3(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line Z in FIG. 3(A), that is, a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the axis line CL of the flange 9A of the shank part 9. As shown in FIG. 3(A), the setup pot 12 includes a slide case 37 that can slide from the tool magazine 20 and move to the outside of the housing 35, and a rack 38 that is linked to the slide case 37 and holds the tools 8. The slide case 37 and the rack 38 are connected to the tool magazine 20 on the right side in FIG. 3(A). The rack 38 is formed with four pots 40A to 40D (when not distinguished, they are referred to as pots 40) for holding the tools 8. In detail, the rack 38 is formed with four pots 40A to 40D that have semicircular recessed openings aligned in a row. The pots 40 are formed at equal intervals, and the intervals are set to be approximately the same as the intervals in the front-rear direction of the tool holding holes 36 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3(A) shows, as one embodiment, a state in which the tools 8S of rank "S" are attached to each of the pots 40. As shown in FIG. 3(B), the pot 40A (pots 40B to 40D are also shown) has an arc portion 45 with a triangular cross section along the opening, and this arc portion 45 is engaged with a V-groove 47 provided in the flange 9A of the shank portion 9 of the tool 8S. As a result, the V-groove 47 is supported by the arc portion 45, and the tool 8S is held by the pot 40 so as not to fall. The arc portions 45 may be provided at multiple locations at intervals in a portion of the opening, rather than over the entire opening. If there are at least three or more arc portions 45, the posture of the tool 8 is stable.

[0048] 3(B), pot 40A (pots 40B to 40D are similarly provided with a key 51 at an opening, and this key 51 is engaged with a key groove 53 provided in a flange 9A of a shank portion 9 of a tool 8S. As a result, the key groove 53 is supported by the key 51, and the tool 8S is held in the pot 40 at a predetermined phase. In this specification, the above-mentioned arc portion 45 and key 51 correspond to the "engagement portion" in the claims.

[0049] Fig. 4 is a top view of the rack 38 of the setup pot 12 in Fig. 3 as viewed from above, i.e., as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the top surface 38P of the rack 38. The leftmost state in Fig. 4 (hereinafter, state A) shows a state in which no tool 8 is attached to each pot 40.

[0050] The second embodiment (embodiment B) from the left in Fig. 4 shows a state in which a tool 8S of rank "S" is attached to each pot 40. In the case of the tool 8S, even if the tool 8S is attached to each of the adjacent pots 40, the adjacent tools 8S do not interfere with each other. In this way, the tools 8S of rank "S" are classified into sizes of tools 8 that allow the tool 8S to be attached to adjacent pots 40.

[0051] The third embodiment (embodiment C) from the left in FIG. 4 shows a state in which a tool 8L of rank "L" is attached to a pot 40. In the case of the tool 8L, if the tool 8L is attached to adjacent pots 40, the tools 8L will interfere with each other, so the pots 40 need to be attached at least one pot apart. In other words, the tool 8L of rank "L" is classified into a range of sizes of tools 8 that require attachment with one pot 40 apart. Note that in FIG. 4, the tool 8L is attached to pot 40D, which is two pots 40 apart from pot 40A to which the tool 8L is attached, but for example, the tool 8L may be attached to pot 40C, which is one pot 40 apart from pot 40A.

[0052] The embodiment (embodiment D) shown on the far right of FIG. 4 shows a state in which a tool 8XL of rank "XL" is attached to a pot 40. With the tool 8XL, even if one pot 40 is placed between them, the tool 8XL interferes with the pot 40. Therefore, the tool 8XL of rank "XL" needs to be attached with two pots 40 placed between them. In other words, the tool 8XL of rank "XL" is classified into a range of sizes of tools 8 that needs to be attached with two pots 40 placed between them. In this embodiment, since four pots 40 are formed on the rack 38, in order to attach two tools 8XL to the setup pot 12, the tool 8XL needs to be attached to pots 40A and 40D.

[0053] Thus, the pot 40 needs to be attached with the size of the tool 8 taken into consideration. Up until now, the worker measured the dimensions of the largest part of the tool 8, selected a pot 40 that would not interfere with the tool 8 already attached to the setup pot 12, and attached the tool 8. As a result, the burden on the worker increased and the work efficiency decreased. In contrast, in this embodiment, the robot 18 is configured to determine the size of the tool 8, select a pot 40 that will not interfere with the tool 8 already attached to the setup pot 12, and attach the tool 8 to the selected pot 40. The tool 8 already attached to the setup pot 12 corresponds to the "other member" in the claims.

[0054] [About the robot's operation] The control function of the robot 18 constituting the tool transport system 10 will be described in detail below. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the robot 18. A controller 28 shown on the left side of Fig. 5 is actually built into the robot body 22. The controller 28 controls the operations of the robot body 22 and the camera 26 based on a control program stored in advance. The controller 28 corresponds to the "control unit" in the claims.

[0055] The controller 28 is a control device that comprehensively controls the robot body 22 and the camera 26, and includes a processor 42 and a memory 44. The processor 42 is a calculation device that includes a CPU that performs various calculation processes. The memory 44 is a storage device that stores various information, and includes, for example, a RAM, a ROM, and a HDD.

[0056] The processor 42 is provided with a control section corresponding to various control programs executed when the tool 8 is removed from the tool stand 16. Specifically, the processor 42 is functionally provided with various control sections including an imaging control section 46 that captures an image of a pattern 58 applied to the tool stand 16 with the camera 26, a tool discrimination control section 48 that determines the presence or absence of the tool 8 and the size of the tool 8 from the captured image data 54, a pot selection control section 50 that selects one of the pots 40 that does not interfere with the tool 8 already attached to the setup pot 12 when attaching the tool 8 whose size has been determined to the setup pot 12, and a tool attachment control section 52 that attaches the tool 8 to be transported to the selected pot 40. The processor 42 sequentially executes the various control sections to perform various calculation processes. In addition, the memory 44 stores image data 54 captured by the camera 26 at any time, and stores in advance a pattern pattern 56 used when determining the presence or absence of the tool 8 and the size of the tool 8.

[0057] The imaging control unit 46 is executed first when the robot 18 transports the tool 8 to the setup pot 12. The imaging control unit 46 outputs a command to the camera 26 to capture an image of the pattern 58 applied to the ring-shaped area surrounding the outer periphery of each tool holding hole 36 of the tool stand 16. In response to this, the robot body 22 moves to the tool stand 16 and captures an image of the pattern 58 applied to the outer periphery of the tool holding hole 36 of the tool stand 16 from a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane 14 of the tool stand 16. When capturing an image of the tool holding hole 36, the entire tool stand 16 may be captured, or the tool holding hole 36 may be captured in a row in the front-rear direction of FIG. 2, or each tool holding hole 36 may be captured once. Taking into consideration the resolution of the camera 26 and the like, any of the above may be adopted as long as the pattern 58 applied to each tool holding hole 36 can be identified. The pattern 58 captured by the camera 26 is accepted by the controller 28 and stored in the memory 44 as image data 54 as needed.

[0058] The tool discrimination control unit 48 determines whether or not the tool 8 is present based on the shape of the pattern 58 included in the image (image data 54) captured by the camera 26. Specifically, the tool discrimination control unit 48 determines whether or not the tool 8 is present and the size of the tool 8 by comparing the shape of the pattern 58 included in the captured image (image data 54) with a pattern pattern 56 previously stored in the memory 44. For example, the shape of the pattern 58 when the tool 8 is not present in the tool holding hole 36 is stored in advance as the pattern pattern 56. For example, when the tool 8 is not present in the tool holding hole 36, the shape of the pattern 58 captured around the tool holding hole 36 matches or approximately matches the pattern pattern 56 stored in the memory 44. At this time, the tool discrimination control unit 48 determines that the tool 8 is not present in the tool holding hole 36.

[0059] On the other hand, when the tool 8 is present in the imaged tool holding hole 36, the pattern 58 is hidden by an area U surrounded by the contour R of the tool 8, and the shape of the imaged pattern 58 differs from the pattern 56. In this case, the tool discrimination control unit 48 determines that the tool 8 is present in the tool holding hole 36.

[0060] Next, the tool discrimination control unit 48 discriminates the size of the tool 8, which corresponds to the area U surrounded by the contour R of the tool 8, based on the shape of the pattern 58. The size of the tool 8 corresponds to the area U surrounded by the contour R of the tool 8 when the tool 8 is viewed from the axial direction, but a high-performance camera is required to measure the area U from a captured image. In addition, the size of the tool 8 is only used to select a pot 40 that does not interfere with the tool 8 in the setup pot 12 when the tool 8 is transported to the setup pot 12, and an accurate determination of the area U is not required.

[0061] Therefore, as a means for determining the size of the tool 8 even with a general-purpose camera 26, the tool discrimination control unit 48 divides the size of the tool 8 into multiple ranks and determines which of the multiple ranks the tool 8 falls into based on the shape of the captured pattern 58.

[0062] As described above, in this embodiment, the tools 8 are classified into three ranks, "S", "L" and "XL", depending on the size of the tools 8. For example, when a tool 8S of rank "S" is inserted into a tool holding hole 36, the shape of the pattern 58 around the tool holding hole 36 captured in the image becomes a shape shown second from the left in FIG. 2 (hereinafter, S-shape). Specifically, the S-shape is a shape in which the pattern 58 applied to the outer periphery of the tool holding hole 36 is partially or entirely hidden by the tool 8S, while the pattern 58 applied to the outer periphery of the tool holding hole 36 adjacent to the tool holding hole 36 is not hidden. When the shape of the captured pattern 58 corresponds to the S-shape, the tool discrimination control unit 48 discriminates the tool 8 as rank "S".

[0063] Furthermore, when a tool 8L of rank "L" is inserted into a tool holding hole 36, the shape of the pattern 58 around the tool holding hole 36 captured in the image becomes a shape as shown in the third from the left in FIG. 2 (hereinafter, L-shape). Specifically, the L-shape is a shape in which the pattern 58 applied to the outer periphery of the tool holding hole 36 is entirely hidden by the tool 8L, and a part of the pattern 58 applied to the outer periphery of the adjacent tool holding hole 36 is hidden by the tool 8L. When the shape of the captured pattern 58 corresponds to the L-shape, the tool discrimination control unit 48 discriminates the tool 8 as rank "L". Note that in the L-shape, the tool 8L does not hide up to the center C of the adjacent tool holding hole 36.

[0064] Furthermore, when a tool 8XL of rank "XL" is inserted into a tool holding hole 36, the shape of the pattern 58 around the tool holding hole 36 captured in the image will be as shown on the far right of FIG. 2 (hereinafter, XL shape). Specifically, the XL shape is a shape in which the pattern 58 on the tool holding hole 36 is entirely hidden by the tool 8XL, and the pattern 58 on the adjacent tool holding hole 36 is also approximately half hidden. When the shape of the captured pattern 58 corresponds to the XL shape, the tool discrimination control unit 48 discriminates the tool 8 as rank "XL". Note that in the XL shape, the center C of the adjacent tool holding hole 36 is also hidden by the tool 8XL.

[0065] When transporting the identified tool 8 (hereinafter, the tool 8X to be transported) to the setup pot 12, the pot selection control unit 50 selects from among the multiple pots 40 a pot 40 that will not interfere with the tool 8 already attached to the pot 40 of the setup pot 12, depending on the rank of the tool 8X to be transported and the usage status of the setup pot 12.

[0066] First, the pot selection control unit 50 acquires tool information on the tools 8 already attached to the setup pots 12. The tool information includes the presence or absence of the tools 8 in each pot 40, and the rank of the tools 8 attached to each pot 40. This tool information is stored in a memory (not shown) provided in the tool magazine 20. The tool information is acquired at any time, for example, via wireless communication or the like, from a control device (not shown) that manages the tool magazine 20. The tool information corresponds to the "usage status of multiple pots" in the claims.

[0067] Next, the pot selection control unit 50 selects a pot 40 (hereinafter, a mounting pot 40X) capable of mounting the transport target tool 8X identified by the tool discrimination control unit 48 from among the multiple pots 40, based on the acquired tool information and the rank of the transport target tool 8X. The mounting pot 40X corresponds to a pot 40 in which the transport target tool 8X does not interfere with the tool 8 already mounted in the setup pot 12. As described later, the mounting pot 40X can be any of the pots 40A to 40D depending on the rank of the tool 8 and the availability of the pot 40.

[0068] In this embodiment, when the tools 8 are attached to the setup pot 12, the tools 8 of the same rank are attached together. For example, the tools 8S of rank "S" are attached together first, and when the attachment of the tools 8S of rank "S" is completed, the tools 8L of rank "L" are attached together, and finally the tools 8XL of rank "XL" are attached together. Therefore, for example, when attaching the tools 8S of rank "S", the tools 8 already attached to the setup pot 12 are also basically the tools 8S of rank "S". The same applies to the tools 8L of rank "L" and the tools 8XL of rank "XL".

[0069] For example, when attaching a tool 8S of rank "S", if the determined transfer target tool 8X is rank "S" and there is an empty pot 40 in the setup pot 12, the pot selection control unit 50 determines that the transfer target tool 8X (8S) can be attached to the setup pot 12. In addition, the pot selection control unit 50 selects the empty pot 40 from among the multiple pots 40 as a pot 40 to which the transfer target tool 8X can be attached (hereinafter, the attachment pot 40X). In the case of a tool 8S of rank "S", even if the tool 8S is attached to an adjacent pot 40, the tools 8S do not interfere with each other. Therefore, if there is an empty pot 40 in the setup pot 12, the tool 8S in the empty pot 40 can be attached.

[0070] When attaching a tool 8 of rank "L", if the determined transport target tool 8X is rank "L" and there are three consecutive pots 40 available in the setup pot 12 (two if the pots 40A, 40D at the ends are included), the pot selection control unit 50 determines that the transport target tool 8X (8L) can be attached to the setup pot 12. In addition, if there are three consecutive pots 40 available, the pot selection control unit 50 selects the pot 40 located in the center as the attachment pot 40X, and if two pots 40 including the pot 40A (or 40D) at the end are available in succession, the pot selection control unit 50 selects the pot 40 located at the end as the attachment pot 40X.

[0071] When attaching a tool 8L of rank "L", even if a pot 40 of the setup pot 12 is vacant, if a tool 8L of the same rank "L" is attached to an adjacent pot 40, the tool 8L cannot be attached to that pot 40 because the tools 8L interfere with each other. On the other hand, if there are three vacant pots 40 in a row, the tool 8L will not interfere if the tool 8L is attached to the pot 40 located in the center. Similarly, if the pot 40A (or 40D) located at the end and the pot 40B (or 40C) adjacent to it are vacant, the tool 8L will not interfere if the tool 8L is attached to the pot 40A (or 40D) located at the end. Therefore, if there are three vacant pots 40 in a row, the pot 40 located in the center of the three pots 40 is selected as the attachment pot 40X. Also, if two pots 40 including the end pot 40A (or 40D) are vacant in a row, the end pot 40A (or 40D) is selected as the attachment pot 40X.

[0072] When attaching a tool 8 of rank "XL", the pot selection control unit 50 determines that the tool 8XL can be attached to the setup pot 12 if the determined tool 8 is rank "XL" and all the pots 40 are empty or if three pots 40 including the end pot 40A (or 40D) are consecutively empty. Also, if all the pots 40 are empty, the pot selection control unit 50 selects, for example, the end pot 40A (or 40D) as the attachment pot 40X. Also, if three pots 40 including the end pot 40A (or 40D) are consecutively empty, the pot selection control unit 50 selects the end pot 40A (or 40D) as the attachment pot 40X.

[0073] When attaching a tool 8XL of rank "XL", even if the adjacent pot 40 is empty, if a tool 8XL of rank "XL" is attached to the pot 40 between the adjacent pots 40, the tool 8XL cannot be attached because of interference. On the other hand, if all the pots 40 are empty, the tool 8XL can be attached to any of the pots 40. In this case, in order to attach as many tools 8XL as possible (two in this embodiment) to the setup pot 12, the pot 40A (or 40D) located at the end is selected as the attachment pot 40X. Also, if three pots 40 including the pot 40A (or 40D) located at the end are consecutively empty, the tool 8XL will not interfere if it is attached to the pot 40A (or 40D) at the end. In this case, the pot 40A (or 40D) located at the end is selected as the attachment pot 40X.

[0074] When the pot selection control unit 50 selects the mounting pot 40X to which the determined transport target tool 8X can be attached, the tool attachment control unit 52 outputs a command to the robot body 22 to attach the transport target tool 8X to the selected mounting pot 40X. In response to the command, the robot body 22 moves the determined transport target tool 8X to the setup pot 12 after removing it from the tool stand 16, and attaches the transport target tool 8X to the selected installation pot 40X. Since the setup pot 12 is built in the tool magazine 20, the setup pot 12 slides out of the tool magazine 20 and moves to the outside of the housing 35 during tool transport, and the tool 8 can be transferred between the setup pot 12 and the robot 18. For example, the setup pot 12 is configured to move to the outside of the housing 35 when the robot 18 arrives in front of the tool magazine 20. Alternatively, the setup pot 12 is configured to move to the outside of the housing 35 by a command from the robot 18 via wireless. Alternatively, the setup pot 12 can be moved to the outside of the housing 35 by an operator during tool transport.

[0075] Furthermore, the controller 28 has a function for determining whether or not a tool 8 is present and whether or not the pot 40 to which the tool 8 can be attached has been determined for all of the tool holding holes 36. If the above determination has not been completed for all of the tool holding holes 36, the controller 28 performs the above determination for the tool holding holes 36 for which determination has not been completed. Furthermore, when the controller 28 has completed determination for all of the tool holding holes 36, it outputs a tool transport impossible message to a display monitor that can be confirmed by the operator, and ends the tool transport operation.

[0076] Next, a procedure for tool transfer performed by the controller 28 of the robot 18 when the tool 8 on the tool stand 16 is attached to the setup pot 12 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 6. This flowchart is executed during tool transfer, for example, for each rank of the tool 8 to be attached.

[0077] 6 is started, first, the imaging control unit 46 moves the robot body 22 to the tool stand 16, and captures an image of the shape of the pattern 58 applied to the tool holding hole 36 with the camera 26, and temporarily stores the image data 54 in the memory 44 (step S1). Next, the tool discrimination control unit 48 compares the shape of the pattern 58 captured around the target tool holding hole 36 with a pre-stored pattern of the pattern 58 when the tool 8 is not present (step S2). Next, the tool discrimination control unit 48 determines whether or not the tool 8 is present in the target tool holding hole 36 based on the difference between the shape of the captured pattern 58 and the pattern of the pattern 58 when the tool 8 is not present (step S3).

[0078] If the above step S3 is negative (NO) and it is determined that the tool 8 is not present, the controller 28 determines whether the determination has been completed for all the tool holding holes 36 (step S8). If the determination in the above step S8 is negative (NO), the controller 28 returns to step S2 and executes the flow from step S2 onwards for another tool holding hole 36 (for example, a tool holding hole 36 adjacent to the previously imaged tool holding hole 36). If the determination in the above step S8 is positive (YES), that is, if the determination has been completed for all the tool holding holes 36, the controller 28 outputs a tool transport impossible message to a display monitor that can be confirmed by the operator (step S9), and ends the tool transport operation.

[0079] If step S3 is affirmative (YES) and it is determined that the tool 8 is present, the tool discrimination control unit 48 discriminates a rank according to the size of the tool 8 based on the shape of the imaged pattern 58 (step S4).

[0080] Next, the pot selection control unit 50 acquires tool information regarding the usage status of the setup pot 12 to which the tool 8 is to be transported (step S5), and determines whether there is an attachment pot 40X in which the transport target tool 8X whose rank has been determined can be attached, by referring to the tool information of the setup pot 12 (step S6).

[0081] If the above step S6 is negative (NO), i.e., if it is determined that there is no vacant pot 40 in which the determined tool 8 can be attached to the setup pot 12, the controller 28 determines whether the determination has been completed for all tool holding holes 36 (step S8). If the above determination in step S8 is negative (NO), the process returns to step S2, and the flow from step S2 onwards is executed for another tool holding hole 36. If the above determination in step S8 is positive (YES), i.e., if the determination has been completed for all tool holding holes 36, the controller 28 outputs a tool transport impossible message to a display monitor that can be confirmed by the operator (step S9), and ends the tool transport operation.

[0082] If step S6 is answered in the affirmative (YES), i.e., if it is determined that there is a mounting pot 40X in which the identified transport target tool 8X can be mounted, the tool mounting control unit 52 outputs an instruction to the robot body 22 to mount the transport target tool 8X in the mounting pot 40X of the setup pot 12 (step S7). In response to this instruction, the robot body 22 operates to take out the identified transport target tool 8X from the tool holding hole 36 of the tool stand 16, transport the transport target tool 8X toward the setup pot 12, and mount the transport target tool 8X in the mounting pot 40X in which it can be mounted. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S8, where the above-mentioned control is repeatedly executed for all tool holding holes 36.

[0083] [Effects] As described above, in this embodiment, the robot 18 performs the tasks of picking up the tool 8X to be transported from the tool stand 16 and transporting it to the destination, the setup pot 12, and attaching the tool 8X to be transported to the setup pot 12, thereby reducing the working time of the worker and improving work efficiency.

[0084] In addition, in this embodiment, when attaching the tool 8X to be transported to the setup pot 12, the presence or absence of the tool 8 and the size of the tool 8 are determined from the shape of the pattern 58 included in the image captured by the camera 26 attached to the robot body 22, and an attachment pot 40X that does not interfere with the tool 8 already attached to the setup pot 12 is selected based on the size of the tool 8, eliminating the need for an operator to select an attachment pot 40X to which the tool 8X to be transported can be attached. This further reduces the operator's working time and improves work efficiency.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pattern of the pattern 58 when the tool 8 is not present is stored in advance in the memory 44 as image data 54, and the shape of the captured pattern 58 is compared with the pattern of the pattern 58, making it possible to easily determine the presence or absence of the tool 8 and the size of the tool 8.

[0086] In addition, in this embodiment, the size of the tool 8 is determined based on the area U surrounded by the contour R of the tool 8, and the size of the tool 8 is determined from the part of the tool 8 with the largest outer diameter. In particular, in this embodiment, the tool 8 is classified into a plurality of ranks according to its size based on the shape of the pattern 58, so that the size of the tool 8 can be determined without strictly measuring the dimensions of the tool 8. As a result, it is not necessary to use a high-performance camera, and the tool transportation system 10 can be configured with a general-purpose camera 26. In addition, based on the determined rank of the transportation target tool 8X, the mounting pot 40X that does not interfere with the tool 8 already attached to the setup pot 12 can be easily selected.

[0087] In addition, in this embodiment, the pattern 58 is applied to a ring-shaped area surrounding the outer periphery of the tool holding hole 36, so that when the tool holding hole 36 is imaged by the camera 26, the shape of the pattern 58 changes depending on the presence or absence of the tool 8 and the size of the tool 8. The presence or absence of the tool 8 and the size of the tool 8 can be easily determined from the shape of the pattern 58.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the controller 28 is attached integrally to the robot body 22, the tool 8 can be transported by the robot body 22 alone, and the tool transport system 10 can be configured simply.

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the robot 18 transports the tools 8 from the setup pot 12 built into the tool magazine 20, which stores the tools 8 to be supplied to the machine tool, and which is used to insert and remove the tools 8 from the tool magazine 20, eliminating the need for a worker to transport the tools 8 to the setup pot 12.

[0090] In this embodiment, a rack 38 for inserting and removing the tools 8 is built into the tool magazine 20, which is the transport destination, so that the tools 8 can be held using the rack 38.

[0091] In this embodiment, the rack 38 is formed with a pot 40 having a semicircular recessed opening, so that the tool 8 can be suitably held by the opening of the pot 40. Furthermore, the arc portion 45 of the pot 40 is engaged with the V-groove 47 formed in the flange 9A of the shank portion 9, and the key 51 of the pot 40 is engaged with the key groove 53 formed in the flange 9A, so that the tool 8 is supported by the engagement mechanism provided between the pot 40 and the shank portion 9. As a result, the tool 8 can be suitably held by the pot 40.

[0092] [Variations] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0093] For example, in the above embodiment, the tool 8 is transported to the pot 40 of the setup pot 12 built in the tool magazine 20 as the transport destination, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this form. For example, the various tools 8 stored in the tool magazine 20 may be held by the pots 40, and the robot 18 may transport the tool 8 directly to each pot 40. Alternatively, for example, a tool setup station having a plurality of pots 40 may be provided separately from the tool magazine 20, for example, in front of the machine tool, and the tool 8 may be transported to the tool setup station. In this way, as long as the configuration includes a plurality of pots 40 and the tool 8 can be attached to the pot 40, the transport destination is not limited to the setup pot 12.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the tools 8 are transported for each common rank, but the ranks of the tools 8 to be attached to the setup pot 12 may be mixed. For example, the rank of the tool 8 that can be attached to the vacant pot 40 is determined according to the pot 40 to which the tool 8 is already attached in the setup pot 12 and the rank of the tool 8. Therefore, the rank of the tool 8 that can be attached to the vacant pot 40 is created in advance as a map for each usage status of the tool 8 in the setup pot 12 and stored in the memory 44. When the pot selection control unit 50 determines the rank of the transport target tool 8X, it refers to the map according to the usage status of the tool 8 in the setup pot 12 to determine whether the transport target tool 8X can be attached and selects the attachment pot 40X that can be attached. By using the map as described above, even if the setup pot 12 contains tools 8 of different ranks, it is possible to select an attachment pot 40X that does not interfere with the transport target tool 8X.

[0095] In addition, in this embodiment, tools 8 of the same rank are inserted in the front-to-back direction in the tool rest 16 shown in Figure 2, but tools 8 of different ranks may be inserted in the front-to-back direction as long as the tools 8 do not interfere with each other.

[0096] In addition, in this embodiment, images are first taken of all of the tool holding holes 36 and the control operations from step S2 in Figure 6 onwards are executed, but the control operations shown in the flowchart in Figure 6 may be executed each time an image of one tool holding hole 36 is imaged.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the controller 28 for controlling the robot body 22 is integrally attached to the robot body 22, but the controller 28 may be separated from the robot body 22 and commands from the controller 28 may be transmitted to the robot body 22 via wireless communication or the like. For example, a control device that is built into the tool magazine 20 and manages the tools 8 in the tool magazine 20 may have the functions of the controller 28. Alternatively, a control device that manages the entire tool transport system 10 may have the functions of the controller 28.

[0098] In addition, in the above embodiment, four pots 40 are formed on the rack 38 of the setup pot 12, but the number of pots 40 is not limited to four. For example, three pots 40 may be formed, or five or more pots 40 may be formed.

[0099] In addition, in the above embodiment, the memory 44 stores the pattern 58 when the tool 8 is not present as the pattern of the pattern 58, but the shape of the pattern 58 for each rank of the tool 8 can also be stored as a pattern of the pattern 58, and the rank of the tool 8 can be classified by comparing the patterns of the pattern 58 for each rank.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the pattern 58 is drawn in a checkered pattern, but is not necessarily limited to a checkered pattern. The shape of the pattern 58 may be any shape that allows the presence or absence of the tool 8 and the size of the tool 8 to be determined.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the tools 8 are classified into three ranks, "S", "L", and "XL", according to their size, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the tools 8 may be classified into two or four or more ranks according to their size.

[0102] In the above embodiment, only the tool 8 is attached to the setup pot 12, but a tool attached to the spindle of a machine tool, such as a touch probe for measuring a workpiece, may also be attached. In this case, the tool is also ranked in advance in the same way as the tool 8, so that the equipment can be regarded as the tool 8 and a mounting pot 40X that does not interfere with the tool 8 and the equipment can be selected. In this case, the tool 8 and the equipment already attached to the pot 40 correspond to "other members" in the claims.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the interval between adjacent tool holding holes 36 in the tool placement table 16 is set to be approximately the same as the interval between the pots 40 of the setup pot 12, and the patterns 58 on the outer periphery of each tool holding hole 36 are formed to be adjacent to each other, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the interval between adjacent tool holding holes 36 may be set to be sufficiently long, and the patterns 58 on each tool holding hole 36 may not be adjacent to each other. In this case, for example, the pattern 58 is applied over a wide area, and even if the tool 8XL is a tool 8XL with a rank of "XL", the rank of the tool 8 can be determined by capturing an image of the pattern 58. This makes it possible to determine the rank of the tool 8, and to select a mounting pot 40X that can be mounted on the setup pot 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 8:Tools 8X: Tools to be transported 9: Shank section 9A: Flange 10: Tool transport system 12: Setup pot (destination) 16: Tool stand 18:Robot 20: Tool magazine 22: Robot body 26: Camera 28: Controller (control unit) 36: Tool holding hole (holding part) 40: Multiple Pots 40X: Mounting pot (pot that does not interfere with other parts) 45: Arc section (engagement section) 47:V groove 51: Key (engagement part) 53: Key groove 58: Pattern

Claims

1. A tool transport system that transports a tool to a destination including a plurality of pots, A tool stand including a holding portion for holding the tool and a pattern applied around the periphery of the holding portion; a robot including a robot body capable of removing the tool from the tool stand and transporting the tool to the destination, and a camera attached to the robot body; a control unit that receives an image captured by the camera and controls an operation of the robot body, When the tool is removed from the tool stand, the control unit outputs a command to the camera to capture an image of the tool stand, and determines a size of the tool based on a shape of the pattern included in the image captured by the camera. When the control unit transports the tool whose size has been determined as a transport target tool to the transport destination, the control unit selects one pot from the plurality of pots based on the size of the tool, and outputs a command to the robot body to attach the transport target tool to the selected pot. A tool transport system comprising:

2. 2. The tool transport system according to claim 1, The control unit determines, as the size of the tool, an area surrounded by a contour of the tool when the tool is viewed from a tool axial direction. A tool transport system comprising:

3. 2. The tool transport system according to claim 1, The control unit determines the presence or absence of the tool based on a shape of the pattern included in the image captured by the camera. A tool transport system comprising:

4. 2. The tool transport system according to claim 1, The control unit selects a pot from among the plurality of pots, which prevents the tool to be transported from interfering with other members, according to a size of the tool to be transported and a usage status of the plurality of pots. A tool transport system comprising:

5. The tool transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The control unit prestores a pattern of a pattern to be used when the tool is not present, The size of the tool is determined by comparing the shape of the imaged pattern with the pattern of the pattern. A tool transport system comprising:

6. 6. The tool transport system according to claim 5, The control unit classifies the size of the tool into a plurality of ranks, and determines which of the plurality of ranks the tool to be transported belongs to based on the shape of the captured pattern. A tool transport system comprising:

7. 7. The tool transport system according to claim 6, The control unit selects a pot from among the plurality of pots, which prevents the tool to be transported from interfering with other members, according to the rank of the tool to be transported and a usage status of the plurality of pots. A tool transport system comprising:

8. 2. The tool transport system according to claim 1, the holding portion is a tool holding hole capable of receiving a shank portion of the tool, The pattern is formed in a ring-shaped area surrounding the outer periphery of the tool holding hole. A tool transport system comprising:

9. 2. The tool transport system according to claim 1, The control unit is integrally attached to the robot body. A tool transport system comprising:

10. 2. The tool transport system according to claim 1, The destination is a tool magazine that temporarily stores tools to be supplied to a machine tool. A tool transport system comprising:

11. The tool transport system according to claim 10, The tool magazine has a built-in rack for inserting and removing tools from the tool magazine. A tool transport system comprising:

12. The tool transport system according to claim 11, The rack is provided with a pot having a semicircular recessed opening. A tool transport system comprising:

13. 13. The tool transport system according to claim 12, The pot has an engagement portion at the opening for supporting the shank portion of the tool. A tool transport system comprising:

14. 14. The tool transport system according to claim 13, The engaging portion engages with a V-groove provided in a flange of the shank portion. A tool transport system comprising:

15. 14. The tool transport system according to claim 13, The engaging portion engages with a key groove provided in a flange of the shank portion. A tool transport system comprising:

Images