Processing system

Abstract

To more appropriately support a processing device when the processing device is arranged at a position adjacent to a transport surface of a transport device.SOLUTION: A processing system 1 comprises an articulated robot 30 and a base 60. The articulated robot 30 is arranged on the base 60 at a position adjacent to the transport surface of a belt conveyor 2. The base 60 includes a main body portion 61 and a leg portion 62. The main body portion 61 supports the articulated robot 30 by being in contact with the ground, with the articulated robot 30 arranged thereon. The leg portion 62 extends toward a position spaced from the main body portion 61 and contacts the ground to support the main body portion 61.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing system and a base.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the introduction of robots has been promoted in various fields. In addition to the field of manufacturing industrial products where robots have been conventionally used, for example, the introduction of robots has also been promoted in fields such as food plating. An example of a technique related to a robot for performing such plating is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, when performing processing (for example, plating) with a processing device such as a robot, it is widely practiced to convey a processing object (for example, a container) with a conveying device such as a belt conveyor. In this case, the processing device is generally arranged at a position adjacent to the conveying surface of the conveying device. However, when such an arrangement is made, there is a risk that the base supporting the processing device will shake due to vibrations associated with the processing operation of the processing device or contact by an operator. Accordingly, various problems may occur, such as the base or the processing device coming into contact with the conveying device, the processing by the processing device failing, the processing object assuming an unintended posture on the conveying surface, the released object (for example, food) on the processing object falling onto the conveying surface, or the processing device or the conveying device tipping over. In particular, in the case of a configuration in which a part of the processing device (for example, a container for storing an article to be gripped) is moved in the width direction of the conveyance surface during the processing process, as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, such a problem becomes more prominent because the movement in the width direction acts on the base.

[0005] Moreover, such a problem is not limited to the case where the processing performed by the processing device is food plating. For example, it is common to all various processes performed by the processing device, typified by the manufacture of industrial products. As described above, in the conventional technology, when the processing device is arranged at a position adjacent to the conveyance surface of the conveyance device, there is still room for improvement in supporting the processing device.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to more appropriately support the processing device when the processing device is arranged at a position adjacent to the conveyance surface of the conveyance device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, a processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a processing system including a processing device and a base, wherein the processing device is arranged on the base at a position adjacent to the conveyance surface of the conveyance device, and the base has a main body portion that supports the processing device when the processing device is arranged, and legs that extend from the main body portion toward the conveyance surface side when the processing device is arranged. It is characterized by this.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when the processing device is arranged at a position adjacent to the conveyance surface of the conveyance device, the processing device can be more appropriately supported.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment] [Overall Configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of a processing system 1 according to the present invention. Here, the processing system 1 is assumed to apply the present invention to a system for plating food ingredients. Therefore, in the following description, a case where the processing system 1 grips ingredients such as side dishes and plates the gripped ingredients in a side dish container will be described as an example.

[0011] However, this is only an example for explanation and is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention. The present invention is applicable to all systems that perform various processes by a processing device typified by a robot. For example, it can be applied to systems that perform various processes such as a system that cooks by heating or cooling or a system that processes by cutting, grinding, etc. by a processing device. Also, in this case, the object of processing is not limited to food and containers, and for example, it can also be applied to a system that performs machining such as cutting on industrial products such as electronic devices. That is, the present invention is an invention applicable to all systems that execute processing by a processing device.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the processing system 1 includes a control device 10, a storage container 20, an articulated robot 30, a detection unit 40, a transfer mechanism 50, and a base 60. Among these, the control device 10, the articulated robot 30, the detection unit 40, and the transfer mechanism 50 are communicatively connected by wire or wirelessly and can communicate with each other. Also, the control device 10, the articulated robot 30, the detection unit 40, and the transfer mechanism 50 are arranged on the top surface of the base 60 and supported by the base 60.

[0013] In addition, adjacent to the processing system 1, a belt conveyor 2 for automatically transporting side dish containers from upstream to downstream is installed. The belt conveyor 2 has a transport surface for transporting the containers, and the containers are transported while being placed on this transport surface. In FIG. 1, as shown by the dashed arrow, the left side of the paper surface is the upstream of the transport in the belt conveyor 2, and the right side of the paper surface is the downstream of the transport in the belt conveyor 2. Note that the operation of supplying the container to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 further upstream of the processing system 1 may be performed manually or by a container supply device.

[0014] Also, in FIG. 1, only one set of a set including the storage container 20, the articulated robot 30, the detection unit 40, and the transfer mechanism 50 is shown, but it is not limited to this. In the present embodiment, a plurality of such sets are installed along the conveying direction of one belt conveyor 2, and it is assumed that a plurality of articulated robots 30 cooperate to perform operations.

[0015] The control device 10 is configured by an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and controls the entire processing system 1 by executing various programs. For example, the control device 10 controls an operation in which the articulated robot 30 grips ingredients from the storage container 20 and releases them into the salad container to serve the ingredients. More specifically, the control device 10 controls the driving of the articulated robot 30 to move the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 to a preset predetermined position at a predetermined route and a predetermined speed, and controls the driving of the actuator of the hand 31 to realize an operation of gripping and releasing the ingredients by the hand 31. In addition, for example, the control device 10 controls the operation of the transfer mechanism 50 based on the detection result of the detection unit 40.

[0016] The storage container 20 has a storage space for storing ingredients such as prepared foods to be packed in the processing system 1. The storage container 20 is realized by, for example, a general-purpose storage container such as a large vat or tray. And, in the storage space of the storage container 20, for example, prepared foods such as mashed salad (salad containing ingredients with viscosity or adhesiveness) like potato salad, okara, dried grated daikon radish, namasu, hijiki, boiled beans, buttered corn, etc. are stored. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a plurality of servings (for example, dozens of servings to hundreds of servings) of one type of ingredient are stored in this storage space. And, by a plurality of processing systems 1 packing any prepared food ingredient into the corresponding prepared food container, the packing work of the prepared food can be completed. The storage container 20 can be manually replaced by an operator or automatically replaced by the articulated robot 30.

[0017] The articulated robot 30 is composed of, for example, a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, etc., and includes a hand 31 capable of gripping the ingredient to be packed and a robot arm 32 for moving the hand 31 to an arbitrary position within the movable range. In addition, in the joint that holds the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30, as an example of means for acquiring the physical quantity of the ingredient gripped by the hand 31, a weight sensor 30A for measuring the weight of the gripped ingredient is installed. Also, in the joint that holds the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30, as an example of means for detecting that the hand 31 has come into contact with the ingredient, a force sensor 30B for measuring the reaction force from the contacted ingredient (including the sense of force obtained by contacting the surface) is installed. The data of the weight of the ingredient measured by the weight sensor 30A (that is, the weight of the gripped ingredient) and the data of the reaction force from the ingredient measured by the force sensor 30B (that is, the detection result of contact with the ingredient) are output to the control device 10.

[0018] Furthermore, the joint that holds the hand 31 is provided with an axis for rotating the hand 31 in the twisting direction with respect to the robotic arm 32. Therefore, when the hand 31 grips the ingredient, by changing the orientation of the hand 31, the opening and closing direction of the hand 31 can be adjusted. As a result, when the hand 31 reaches near the inner wall surface of the container, it becomes possible to change the orientation of the hand 31 so that the hand 31 opens and closes in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the storage space of the storage container 20, making it easier to grip the ingredient near the inner wall surface of the container.

[0019] The detection unit 40 includes a plurality of optical sensors that detect the container being conveyed by the belt conveyor 2. For example, the detection unit 40 includes a sensor that detects the position of the container being transported by the belt conveyor 2 and a sensor that detects the ingredient contained in the container. Data on the position of the container detected by these sensors and data on whether or not the ingredient is contained are output to the control device 10. The control device 10 controls the operation of the transfer mechanism 50 based on the detection results of these sensors included in the detection unit 40. Details of the positional relationship of these sensors included in the detection unit 40 and the operation control of the transfer mechanism 50 by the control device 10 based on the detection results will be described later.

[0020] The transfer mechanism 50 is a mechanism that transfers an object (here, the container). The transfer mechanism 50 transfers the container conveyed by the belt conveyor 2 to the release position P2, which is the position where the ingredient is released. After that, when the attachment of the ingredient to the container is completed at the release position P2, the transfer mechanism 50 transfers the container from the release position P2 back to the transfer position P1. After that, the container with the ingredient attached is further conveyed downstream by the belt conveyor 2, and post-processing (for example, closing the lid of the container) is performed. In this way, by the transfer mechanism 50 performing the transfer, the ingredient can be released and attached at the release position P2 provided near the multi-joint robot 30 instead of at the transfer position P1 or the like on the transport surface of the belt conveyor 2. As a result, it is possible to prevent the released ingredient from falling onto the transport surface of the belt conveyor 2.

[0021] The base 60 functions as a pedestal that supports the storage container 20, the multi-joint robot 30, the detection unit 40, and the transfer mechanism 50. These components of the processing system 1 have a total weight of several hundred [kg], but the base 60 has a structure with sufficient rigidity to support them even when they are placed on the top surface. The above is the overall configuration of the processing system 1.

[0022] [Hardware Configuration of the Control Device 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 711, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 712, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 713, a bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a storage unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719.

[0023] The CPU 711 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 712 or a program loaded from the storage unit 717 to the RAM 713. The RAM 713 appropriately stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 711 to execute various processes.

[0024] The CPU 711, ROM 712, and RAM 713 are interconnected via the bus 714. The input unit 715, output unit 716, storage unit 717, communication unit 718, and drive 719 are connected to the bus 714.

[0025] The input unit 715 includes input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard, and accepts input of various information to the control device 10. Note that the input unit 715 may include a microphone and accept input of various information by voice input from an operator. The output unit 716 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs images and sounds. The storage unit 717 is composed of a hard disk, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various data managed by each server. The communication unit 718 controls communication with other devices via a network.

[0026] A removable medium 731 made of a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, semiconductor memory, etc. is appropriately mounted on the drive 719. The program read from the removable medium 731 by the drive 719 is installed in the storage unit 717 as necessary. Note that the above hardware configuration is the basic configuration of the control device 10, and it can be configured without some hardware, equipped with additional hardware, or the implementation form of the hardware can be changed.

[0027] [Functional Configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 10 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 10. As shown in FIG. 3, by executing a program for controlling the operation of the processing system 1, in the CPU 711 of the control device 10, a sensor information acquisition unit 151, a material state determination unit 152, a material quantity determination unit 153, a multi-joint robot control unit 154, a transfer mechanism control unit 155, and a recording control unit 156 function. Also, in the storage unit 717, a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172 are formed.

[0028] The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the processing system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores the position of the storage space of the storage container 20, the position of the area for arranging ingredients in the container of the prepared food, the relationship between the insertion amount of the hand 31 into the ingredient when gripping the ingredient and the weight of the gripped ingredient (data in the form of a function or a table, etc.), parameters for defining the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30, and the like. In the present embodiment, the insertion amount of the hand 31 into the ingredient serves as an index for estimating the weight (physical quantity) of the ingredient. That is, based on the relationship between the insertion amount of the hand 31 into the ingredient and the weight of the gripped ingredient, the actual weight (target gripping weight) of the gripped ingredient is estimated based on the insertion amount of the hand 31 into the ingredient.

[0029] The history DB 172 stores, as a history, the control-related parameters acquired when the processing system 1 operates, or the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients arranged by the processing system 1. The history DB 172 also stores an ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredients in the storage space of the storage container 20. Details of this ingredient state map will be described later together with the description of the recording control unit 156 that creates and updates the ingredient state map.

[0030] The sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires sensor information, which is information detected by various sensors installed in the processing system 1 and the detection unit 40. For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires, as sensor information, the data of the weight of the ingredient measured by the weight sensor 30A installed at the joint of the articulated robot 30, the data of the reaction force from the ingredient measured by the force sensor 30B, the data of the position of the container detected by the sensors included in the detection unit 40, and the data indicating whether or not the ingredient is arranged. These sensor information are appropriately used by each functional block of the control device 10.

[0031] The material state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the material based on the reaction force data from the material measured by the force sensor 30B. For example, the material state determination unit 152 recognizes the depth of the material in the storage space of the storage container 20 (the depth from the surface of the material in the storage space of the storage container 20 to the bottom surface of the storage space of the storage container 20) and the flatness of the surface (how rough the surface is) from the reaction force data from the material measured by the force sensor 30B. In the present embodiment, instead of a method of determining the state of the material by image analysis using a camera, a method of measuring the state of the material based on the reaction force using the force sensor 30B is used. Therefore, for example, the introduction cost and management cost of the camera can be reduced, and since it is not necessary to consider blind spots of the camera, etc., the arrangement of the positions of the multi-joint robot 30 and the storage space of the storage container 20 can be selected more flexibly. Further, since a camera is not used, it is not necessary to consider the influence of steam generated from the material and lighting on the photographing.

[0032] Further, when the material state determination unit 152 recognizes the depth of the material and the flatness of the surface, it determines whether or not these conform to the conditions for gripping the material (for example, whether or not the depth and flatness of the material are equal to or greater than a set threshold value). The flatness of the surface of the material can be defined based on, for example, the absolute value of the size of the unevenness on the surface, and can be defined so that the larger the value, the flatter the surface of the material. Further, it may be possible to determine the flatness for each part of the surface of the material. Further, the material state determination unit 152 determines whether or not the state of the material in the storage space of the storage container 20 allows a specified amount of the material to be gripped in a single gripping operation.

[0033] The material quantity determination unit 153 determines whether or not a specified amount of the material has been gripped based on the weight data of the material measured by the weight sensor 30A of the multi-joint robot 30.

[0034] The multi-joint robot control unit 154 controls the operation of the multi-joint robot 30 and causes the multi-joint robot 30 to execute a series of operations for plating ingredients according to the operation pattern defined in the processing system 1. For example, by controlling the multi-joint robot 30, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 performs a gripping operation of gripping an ingredient with the gripping member 31a, a gripping amount adjustment operation of releasing and re-gripping the ingredient on the spot when the gripped ingredient is not a specified amount, a removing operation of removing the ingredient attached to the gripping member 31a, a transfer operation of transferring the gripping member 31a holding the ingredient onto the container of the side dishes, a rotating operation of rotating the gripping member 31a with the vertical direction as the rotation axis during transfer, a releasing operation of releasing the ingredient held by the gripping member 31a onto the container, a shaping operation of shaping the surface of the released ingredient after plating, etc. to the multi-joint robot 30.

[0035] The transfer mechanism control unit 155 controls the operation of transferring the container by the transfer mechanism 50 (container transfer operation) based on the data of the position of the container detected by the sensor included in the detection unit 40 and the data on whether the ingredient has been plated.

[0036] The recording control unit 156 stores in the history DB 172 the parameters related to control acquired when the processing system 1 performs a gripping operation and the measurement data of the weight of the ingredient plated by the processing system 1. In addition, the recording control unit 156 creates and updates an ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredient in the storage space of the storage container 20, and also stores this ingredient state map in the history DB 172. More specifically, the recording control unit 156 detects the state of the ingredient in a plurality of regions divided on the horizontal plane of the storage space of the storage container 20 based on the measurement data of the weight and reaction force of the ingredient acquired when the processing system 1 performs a gripping operation, the determination result by the ingredient state determination unit 152 described later, and the measurement data of the weight of the ingredient plated by the processing system 1, and generates an ingredient state map by storing it associated with identification information for identifying each region (for example, the value of coordinates for controlling the multi-joint robot 30).

[0037] In this case, the state of the ingredients refers to the remaining amount of the ingredients in each area, the depth of the ingredients determined by the ingredient state determination unit 152 described later, and the flatness. Also, when the storage space of the storage container 20 is newly replaced after the ingredients in the storage space of the storage container 20 are filled, a predetermined amount of ingredients (for example, an amount of ingredients sufficient for the storage space of the storage container 20) is stored in a predetermined state (for example, a state where the surface is flat), and the ingredient state map is updated accordingly.

[0038] [Configuration of Hand 31] Next, the details of the configuration of the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a installed on the hand 31 will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of the gripping member 31a installed at the tip of the hand 31. In FIG. 4, only one of the pair of gripping members 31a used is shown. As shown in FIG. 4, the gripping member 31a in the present embodiment is composed of a top plate portion, a main plate portion, a first side plate portion, and a second side plate portion. The top plate portion has a rectangular plane. Also, when the plane of the top plate portion is in a horizontal state, the main plate portion extends obliquely from one end in the longitudinal direction of this plane toward a position vertically below the other end in the longitudinal direction of this plane. Further, the first side plate portion and the second side plate portion extend vertically downward from both ends of the plane of the top plate portion when the plane of the top plate portion is in a horizontal state. In the following description, when these two gripping members 31a are described without distinction, they are simply referred to as "gripping member 31a".

[0039] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship among the storage space of the storage container 20, the hand 31, the gripping member 31a, the robot arm 32, and the ingredients when performing operations such as a gripping operation. In FIG. 5, the vertical direction is referred to as the Z direction, the first horizontal direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface) orthogonal to this Z direction is referred to as the Y direction, and the second horizontal direction orthogonal to each of these Z direction and Y direction is referred to as the X direction. That is, the Z direction, the Y direction, and the X direction are directions perpendicular to each other.

[0040] The hand 31 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 32. Further, the gripping member 31a is coupled to the hand 31 by a coupling member and thus supported by the hand 31. Then, the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a coupled thereto can move within a movable range in each of the X, Y, and Z directions according to the operation of the robot arm 32 controlled by the control device 10. Also, the hand 31 realizes a gripping operation by opening and closing a pair of gripping members 31a in the Y direction by an actuator (not shown). Also, the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a coupled thereto can rotate about the Z axis. With such a configuration, in the present embodiment, the position and orientation of the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a can be arbitrarily changed, whereby it is possible to appropriately execute operations such as a gripping operation and a releasing operation with various movements.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the opening and closing of the pair of gripping members 31a. The gripping members 31a shown in FIG. 4 are coupled to the hand 31 by coupling members such that their respective openings face each other. Also, the X, Y, and Z directions in FIG. 6 are the same as the respective directions defined in FIG. 5. The pair of gripping members 31a are in an open state by performing an opening operation along the opening and closing direction (Y direction) as shown in FIG. 6(a). Also, when performing a gripping operation, the pair of gripping members 31a are in a closed state by performing a closing operation along the opening and closing direction (Y direction) as shown in FIG. 6(b).

[0042] Then, when the pair of gripping members 31a are in a closed state and the gripping members 31a come into contact with each other, at least the inner surface of the closed tip and side plate portions forms a container shape for gripping the ingredients. In the case of such a shape of the gripping member 31a, by vertically inserting the tip of the gripping member 31a into the surface of ingredients such as chopped salad, closing the pair of gripping members 31a at a predetermined depth, and lifting the ingredients, a substantially constant amount of ingredients can be gripped and taken out from the storage space of the storage container 20. After the pair of gripping members 31a in the gripped state are transferred onto the vegetable container at the release position P2, the pair of gripping members 31a are opened, and the opening of the container shape is exposed, so that the ingredients taken out by gripping are released, and a substantially constant amount of ingredients can be ladled into the vegetable container.

[0043] [Configuration of Detection Unit 40] Next, the details of the configuration of the detection unit 40 will be described. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the detection unit 40. In FIG. 7, as in FIG. 1, the left side of the drawing is the upstream of the conveyance in the belt conveyor 2, and the right side of the drawing is the downstream of the conveyance in the belt conveyor 2.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, the detection unit 40 includes container detection sensors 41 and 42, a reflector arrangement unit 43, and an ingredient detection sensor 44. The container detection sensors 41 and 42 are sensors that detect the position of the container being conveyed by the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensors 41 and 42 are constituted by, for example, optical sensors. The container detection sensor 41 detects that the container being conveyed by the belt conveyor 2 is immediately before being conveyed to the transfer position P1. Further, the container detection sensor 42 detects that the container being conveyed by the belt conveyor 2 has been conveyed to the transfer position P1. The reflector arrangement unit 43 is a member in which reflectors that reflect the light projected by the container detection sensors 41 and 42 for detection are arranged on the surface facing the container detection sensors 41 and 42.

[0045] As shown in the figure, the detection unit 40 installs the reflector arrangement unit 43 at a predetermined position so as to straddle the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2. Then, the light projected by the container detection sensors 41 and 42 is reflected by the reflectors arranged in the reflector arrangement unit 43 and received by the container detection sensors 41 and 42. Thereby, the container detection sensors 41 and 42 can detect the position of the container. In the figure, the paths of these projected and received lights are respectively illustrated as optical paths L1 and L2.

[0046] In this embodiment, the reflector arrangement portion 43 is configured to be insertable into and removable from the opening of the main body of the detection unit 40, and the length in the width direction of the conveyance surface can be adjusted. As a result, the difference in the length in the width direction of the conveyance surface, which varies depending on the model of the belt conveyor 2, can be absorbed, and the reflector arrangement portion 43 can be installed at a predetermined position. Here, generally, due to its mechanism, the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2 undulates in the vertical direction and the like as it conveys the material. Therefore, in order to avoid this influence, it is preferable to install the reflector arrangement portion 43 at a predetermined position on the outer frame portion of the conveyance surface (that is, the portion that is not the conveyance surface). As a result, the reflector arrangement portion 43 is always fixed at an appropriate height to detect the container in which the ingredients are placed, without being affected by the vertical undulation on the conveyance surface.

[0047] Here, since the height of the container (here, the relative height with respect to the conveyance surface) is generally not very high, it is desirable to arrange the sensor and the reflector at appropriate positions within the range of several centimeters to several millimeters. In this regard, in this embodiment, by fixing the position of the reflector at a predetermined position by the reflector arrangement portion 43 in this way, the position of the conveyed container can be appropriately detected with an appropriate height corresponding to the height of the container as the detection target range. Note that as containers for side dishes and the like, containers having colors may be used, but transparent containers are also generally used. The container detection sensors 41 and 42 can detect both containers having colors and transparent containers as described above.

[0048] Also, the reflector is not a light receiver that detects receiving light, but is merely a reflector. Therefore, it is not necessary to electrically connect the reflector to other components. Accordingly, the reflector arrangement portion 43 and the reflector can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0049] With such a configuration, the container detection sensors 41 and 42 accurately detect the position of the container being conveyed by the belt conveyor 2. Also, the data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensors 41 and 42 is output to the control device 10. Then, the control device 10 can not only grasp the position of the container based on the data of the position of the container detected by the container detection sensors 41 and 42, but also grasp the conveyance speed of the container. That is, the conveyance speed can be calculated and grasped by dividing the distance between the container detection sensor 41 and the container detection sensor 42 by the difference between the time when the container detection sensor 41 detects the container and the time when the container detection sensor 42 detects the container. Thereby, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 of the control device 10 can control the transfer mechanism 50 at an appropriate timing considering the conveyance speed. For example, it is possible to execute an operation of transferring to the release position P2 at an appropriate timing without missing the moment when the container conveyed to the transfer position P1 is transferred.

[0050] The ingredient detection sensor 44 is a sensor that detects the ingredients contained in the container. Similar to the container detection sensors 41 and 42, the ingredient detection sensor 44 is constituted by, for example, an optical sensor. The ingredient detection sensor 44 detects whether or not ingredients are contained in the container whose position has been detected by the container detection sensors 41 and 42. The light projected by the ingredient detection sensor 44 is projected vertically downward and reflected by either the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2, the top surface of the ingredients contained in the container, or the bottom surface of the container in which no ingredients are contained, and then received by the ingredient detection sensor 44. Thereby, the ingredient detection sensor 44 can detect whether or not ingredients are contained in the container. In the figure, the path of the light that is projected and received is illustrated as the optical path L3.

[0051] As described above, since the detection unit 40 is installed so as to straddle the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2, the material detection sensor 44 can be disposed at an appropriate height (for example, a height of about 15 [cm] from the conveyance surface) for detecting the material directly above the belt conveyor 2 in the vertical direction. That is, also for the material detection sensor 44, by being fixed at a predetermined position (here, the position relative to the height of the detection unit 40 and the container and the material), it is possible to accurately detect whether or not the material is loaded in the container. Data on whether or not the material detected by the material detection sensor 44 is loaded is output to the control device 10.

[0052] As described above, the detection unit 40 has a characteristic structure and is installed so as to straddle the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2, so that various sensors and reflectors can be disposed at optimal positions for detection.

[0053] [Configuration of Transfer Mechanism 50] Next, the details of the configuration of the transfer mechanism 50 will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in the present embodiment. In this FIG. 8, with the downstream direction of conveyance on the belt conveyor 2 being the lower side of the paper surface, the belt conveyor 2, the articulated robot 30, and the transfer mechanism 50 are shown.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 8, the transfer mechanism 50 includes an actuator 51, a slide member 52, a connecting portion 53, a first transfer member 531, a second transfer member 532, and a container mounting member 54. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the transfer position P1 is the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2, and the release position P2 is on the workbench provided on the side surface portion of the articulated robot 30.

[0055] The actuator 51 is disposed directly above the belt conveyor 2 and is an actuator that linearly moves in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2 (the left-right direction in the paper surface). The actuator 51 is realized by, for example, an electric cylinder (robotic cylinder) or an air cylinder.

[0056] The slide member 52 and the connecting portion 53 are connected to the driving portion of the actuator 51, and perform linear motion in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 2 (the left - right direction in the drawing plane) along with the linear motion of the actuator 51. The connecting portion 53 is further connected to the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532. Since the linear motion of the actuator 51 is transmitted to the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 as a result, the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 also perform the same linear motion as the actuator 51. Thus, the transfer mechanism 50 of the present embodiment can realize a drive mechanism with a relatively simple configuration.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a view looking down from directly above the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in the present embodiment. FIG. 9 shows the belt conveyor 2, the storage container 20, the articulated robot 30, the connecting portion 53, the first transfer member 531, the second transfer member 532, and the container placement member 54.

[0058] One end of the container placement member 54 is installed on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, and the other end is installed on the top surface of the workbench where the release position P2 exists. Thereby, the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and the top surface of the workbench are connected via the container placement member 54. Then, the transfer mechanism 50 transfers the container by sliding the container from the transfer position P1 on the conveying surface to the release position P2 on the top surface of the workbench using the linear motion of the actuator 51 in the horizontal direction. Also, by sliding the container in the reverse direction, the container is transferred from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1.

[0059] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9(a), when an empty container is conveyed to the transfer position P1, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 moves the transfer mechanism 50 and transfers the container from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2 while contacting the container with the end of the first transfer member 531 (the right - hand end in the drawing plane). Also, when the material is released by the articulated robot 30, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 transfers the container from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1 while contacting the container with the end of the second transfer member 532 (the left - hand end in the drawing plane).

[0060] In this way, by the transfer mechanism 50 performing transfer, the workpiece can be released and loaded at the release position P2 provided near the articulated robot 30, rather than at the transfer position P1 or the like on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the released workpiece from falling onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. In addition, after being gripped by the storage container 20, since loading can be performed at the nearby release position P2, the moving distance of the articulated robot 30 can be shortened, the processing time can be shortened, and scattering of the workpiece during movement can also be suppressed. Furthermore, since loading can be performed at the nearby release position P2, a more accurate movement can be realized compared to the case where the robot arm 32 is extended to perform loading at a distance, and appropriate loading can be realized.

[0061] In addition, since the transfer mechanism 50 performs transfer, the container may be conveyed and supplied from the upstream, and there is no need to arrange a container supply device or a stock of containers near the articulated robot 30. Therefore, not only can space be saved, but also the degree of freedom in the arrangement positions of the storage container 20 and the articulated robot 30 can be increased. Furthermore, since the container from which the workpiece has been released is transferred again onto the conveying surface of the same belt conveyor 2, for example, there is no need to prepare a plurality of belt conveyors such as a first belt conveyor for conveying the container before loading and a second belt conveyor for conveying the container after loading.

[0062] [Configuration of the base 60] Next, the details of the configuration of the base 60 will be described. Figs. 10 to 12 are diagrams showing the configuration of the base 60. Specifically, Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the configuration of the base 60 as viewed from the direction adjacent to the belt conveyor 2. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the configuration of the base 60 as viewed from the downstream direction of the belt conveyor 2. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the configuration of the base 60 as viewed from the direction opposite to the direction adjacent to the belt conveyor 2. In other words, Fig. 10 is analogous to a front view, Fig. 11 is analogous to a side view, and Fig. 12 is analogous to a rear view.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 10, the base 60 includes a main body portion 61, legs 62, and a support plate 63. The main body portion 61 includes main body side casters 611 and stoppers 612. Further, the legs 62 include leg side casters 621. Also shown in FIG. 10 are a storage container 20, an articulated robot 30, a detection unit 40, and a transfer mechanism 50. In the figure, two (i.e., two sets) of these articulated robots 30 etc. are arranged, but it is not limited to this, and only one set may be arranged, or three or more sets may be arranged. Furthermore, a belt conveyor 2 is also shown in FIG. 10. The belt conveyor 2 includes legs 2a and a connecting member 2b. For the sake of clarity of the configuration of the base 60, the belt conveyor 2 is shown by a broken line in a transparent state.

[0064] The base 60 functions as a pedestal for supporting the storage container 20, the articulated robot 30, the detection unit 40, and the transfer mechanism 50. These articulated robots 30 etc. have a total weight of several hundred [kg] (for example, more than 600 [kg]), but the base 60 has a structure with sufficient rigidity to support them even when they are placed on the top surface.

[0065] The main body portion 61 has these articulated robots 30 etc. arranged on its top surface and a plurality of main body side casters 611 on its bottom surface. When the main body side casters 611 contact the ground, the base 60 supports the articulated robot 30 etc. Also, due to these main body side casters 611, the base 60 can be moved by human force with the articulated robot 30 etc. arranged thereon. The main body side casters 611 only need to have a load-bearing capacity capable of supporting the weight of the base 60 with the articulated robot 30 etc. arranged thereon, and general-purpose casters can be used.

[0066] In addition, the main body 61 is provided with a plurality of stoppers 612 on its bottom surface. After the base 60 is moved to a predetermined position, the stopper 612 comes into contact with the ground and is fixed, so that the base 60 is installed at the predetermined position. In this embodiment, the predetermined position is a position adjacent to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. The stopper 612 may be realized by a configuration in which a metal member contacts and is fixed to the ground, but it is preferably realized by a caster having a stopper function. This is because if it is a caster having a stopper function, it is possible to prevent the floor material from being damaged when the base 60 is moved.

[0067] Note that there is no particular limitation on the number of the main body side casters 611 and the stoppers 612. Here, as an example, it is assumed that four of each are attached to the bottom surface of the main body 61.

[0068] The leg 62 extends toward a position separated from the main body 61 and contacts the ground to support the main body 61. For example, as shown in the figure, the main body 61 is supported by contacting the ground in a space existing below the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. Thereby, the space vertically below the conveying surface can be effectively utilized, and the articulated robot 30 and the base 60 can be arranged closer to the belt conveyor 2.

[0069] A leg side caster 621 is provided at the tip of the leg 62, and support is realized by the leg side caster 621 contacting the ground. In this way, since the main body side caster 611 and the leg side caster 621 respectively realize support, it is possible to suppress the base 60 that supports the articulated robot 30 from shaking due to vibrations associated with the processing operation of the articulated robot 30 or contact by an operator, and the articulated robot 30 can be stably supported.

[0070] Note that the caster 621 on the leg side may be a caster with a stopper function or a caster without a stopper function. If it is a caster with a stopper function, it is possible to suppress movement in the horizontal direction. However, when an operator contacts it with excessive force, the caster with this stopper function may become the center of rotation (i.e., the fulcrum of the tipping moment), and there is a risk that the base 60 or the articulated robot 30 may tip over. Therefore, a caster without a stopper function is used. Even in this case, normal vibrations and the like can be suppressed. Also, when an operator contacts it with excessive force, since it will move horizontally, the caster without a stopper function will not become the center of rotation and cause the base 60 or the articulated robot 30 to tip over. That is, by making the caster 621 on the leg side a caster without a stopper function, tipping can be more reliably prevented.

[0071] The belt conveyor 2 is supported by a plurality of legs 2a. Also, the legs 2a are provided with connecting members 2b, which can enhance rigidity and maintain a constant distance between the legs 2a. When the legs 62 are installed at a position adjacent to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, they are configured in a shape that does not interfere with the connecting members 2b. Thereby, the articulated robot 30 and the base 60 can be arranged closer to the belt conveyor 2.

[0072] The support plate 63 prevents the articulated robot 30 and the base 60 from tipping over in the direction opposite to the legs 62. Since the entire support plate 63 cannot be observed in FIG. 10, the details of the support plate 63 will be described in FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 11, the base 60 is arranged at a position adjacent to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. In this case, the articulated robot 30 is arranged not at the center of the base 60 but at a position closer to the conveying surface. As a result, the articulated robot 30 protrudes to a position directly above the conveying surface in the vertical direction (i.e., a position protruding onto the conveying surface). Since this position directly above the conveying surface in the vertical direction is a space that is originally empty, by arranging the articulated robot 30 in this way, this space can be effectively utilized.

[0074] However, when such an arrangement is made, as shown in the figure, the center of gravity is not at the center of the base 60 but at a position closer to the conveying surface. Here, the resistance force against the tipping moment (i.e., the force to rotate and tip over) becomes stronger as the distance between the fulcrum and the center of gravity increases. That is, the farther the distance between the fulcrum and the center of gravity, the more difficult it is to tip over. In the case of a general base without the leg portion 62, if a tipping moment acts due to an operator colliding from the side opposite to the side adjacent to the conveying surface of the base (the left side in the drawing) (the right side in the drawing), the fulcrum becomes the third fulcrum. Since the distance between the center of gravity and the third fulcrum is short, the resistance force against the tipping moment is low, and it is easy to tip over.

[0075] On the other hand, the base 60 has the leg portion 62. Therefore, when a tipping moment acts in the same situation, the fulcrum becomes the first fulcrum. Since the distance between the center of gravity and the first fulcrum is long, the resistance force against the tipping moment becomes high, and it does not tip over easily. Also, since the distance between the center of gravity and the first fulcrum is long, it is more stable and can suppress and support the base 60 from swaying as described above.

[0076] Also, consider the case where a tipping moment acts when an operator collides from the side adjacent to the conveying surface of the base (the left side in the drawing). In the case of a general base without the leg portion 62, when this tipping moment acts, the fulcrum becomes the fourth fulcrum. Since the distance between the center of gravity and the fourth fulcrum is longer than the distance between the center of gravity and the third fulcrum, the resistance force against the tipping moment is relatively high, and it does not tip over easily. However, the risk of tipping still remains. On the other hand, the base 60 has a support plate 63. Therefore, when a tipping moment acts in the same situation, the fulcrum becomes the second fulcrum. Since the distance between the center of gravity and the second fulcrum is long, the resistance to the tipping moment becomes high, and it does not easily tip over.

[0077] Also, regarding the positional relationship with the belt conveyor 2, as shown in FIG. 10, the leg portion 62 has a shape that avoids the connecting member 2b. Therefore, the leg portion 62 does not interfere with the connecting member 2b. Further, the position of the leg-side caster 621 at the tip of the leg portion 62 is a position separated from the main body portion 61 rather than the central position in the conveying direction on the conveying surface. Thereby, the first fulcrum can be further separated, and the articulated robot 30 can be supported more stably. However, the side (left side of the drawing) that is not adjacent to the base 60 of the belt conveyor 2 may be used as a passage by the operator. Therefore, the position of the leg-side caster 621 at the tip of the leg portion 62 is set so as to be below the extension of the belt conveyor 2 so as not to hinder the movement of the operator. For example, the leg 2a of the belt conveyor 2 and the leg-side caster 621 are arranged so that they are almost in the same position.

[0078] Due to such a positional relationship with the belt conveyor 2, and also because the articulated robot 30 protrudes to the position where it projects onto the conveying surface, the articulated robot 30 and the base 60 can be arranged closer to the belt conveyor 2. This makes it easy to perform a process of moving in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the conveying surface. For example, since the distance that the transfer mechanism 50 transfers the container becomes short, it is possible to shorten the transfer time or miniaturize the transfer mechanism 50. Also, for example, even when the articulated robot 30 is a processing device that performs a process of moving in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the conveying surface, since the moving distance to the conveying surface becomes short, it is possible to shorten the processing time or miniaturize the articulated robot 30.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 12, the support plate 63 prevents the multi-joint robot 30 and the base 60 from tipping over in the direction opposite to the leg portion 62. The function of the support plate 63 is as described above with reference to FIG. 11. Also, the position where the support plate 63 is installed is used as a passage for the operator. In particular, as shown in the drawing, a space for placing the storage container 20 is provided on this side. Therefore, the operator works in the vicinity of the base 60 to replace the emptied storage container 20. Also, operations such as transporting the storage container 20 by a cart are performed. So as not to interfere with such operations of the operator, the support plate 63 is configured in a flat plate-like shape. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the base 60 from tipping over without interfering with the operations of the operator.

[0080] Note that the support plate 63 is not a caster such as the main body side caster 611 or the leg portion side caster 621, and there is a possibility that it may hinder movement when moving the base 60. Therefore, the support plate 63 may be configured to be detachable from the main body portion 61. Then, the support plate 63 may be removed during movement and attached after the installation is completed.

[0081] With the base 60 described above, the multi-joint robot 30 can be arranged at a position adjacent to the transport surface. And the arranged multi-joint robot 30 can be supported by the main body portion 61, and further, this main body portion 61 can be supported by the leg portion 62. In this case, since it extends toward a position separated from the main body portion 61 and contacts the ground, the main body portion 61 and the leg portion 62 become two separated fulcrums, and can support the base 60 and the multi-joint robot 30 arranged thereon. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the base 60 that supports the multi-joint robot 30 from swaying due to vibrations associated with the processing operation of the multi-joint robot 30 or contact by the operator, and the multi-joint robot 30 can be stably supported. This also prevents the base 60 or the articulated robot 30 from coming into contact with the belt conveyor 2, and does not cause problems such as failure of processing by the articulated robot 30, the object being placed in an unintended position on the conveying surface, or the object being released from the articulated robot dropping onto the conveying surface, as occurred in the conventional technology. It also prevents the articulated robot 30 and the base 60 from falling over. That is, according to the processing system 1, when the articulated robot 30 is disposed at a position adjacent to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, the articulated robot 30 can be supported more appropriately.

[0082] [Overall operation] Next, the overall operation of the processing system 1 will be described. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the ingredient plating process executed by the processing system 1. The ingredient plating process is started, for example, when an operation for starting the ingredient plating process is performed by an operator.

[0083] When the ingredient plating process is started, in step S11, the articulated robot control unit 154 prepares to grasp the ingredients by reading operation data (such as data on the movement pattern and data on the insertion amount of the hand 31) for executing a series of operations in the ingredient plating process from the parameter memory unit 171.

[0084] In step S12, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the accommodation space of the accommodation container 20 in accordance with the data of the operation pattern.

[0085] In step S13, the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the ingredients in the storage space of the storage container 20 by reading an ingredient state map showing the state of the ingredients in the storage space of the storage container 20 from the history DB 172. The ingredient state determination unit 152 continues to recognize the state of the ingredients based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 151.

[0086] In step S14, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 determines the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient based on the operation pattern data read in step S11 and the state of the ingredient in the storage space of the storage container 20 recognized in step S13. In step S15, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 inserts the gripping member 31a into the ingredient up to the determined insertion depth. In this case, for example, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 can calculate the insertion amount from the control parameters (such as the rotation angle of the joints) of the multi-joint robot 30, or calculate the insertion amount from the elapsed time since the insertion was started after detecting the surface of the ingredient in step S12. In step S16, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 closes the gripping member 31a to grip the ingredient.

[0087] In step S17, the ingredient amount determination unit 153 measures the weight (physical quantity) of the gripped ingredient and determines whether or not the specified amount of ingredient is gripped. Gripping the specified amount of ingredient means, for example, that the weight of the gripped ingredient is within a predetermined error (within ±15% etc.) with respect to the target weight. However, considering the case where the ingredient adheres to the gripping member 31a and is not released, it may be set such that the error when the gripped weight is more than the specified amount is larger than the error when it is less.

[0088] If it is determined in step S17 that the specified amount of ingredient is gripped, the process proceeds to step S18. In this case, if necessary, the process may proceed to step S18 after performing the operation of removing the adhering ingredient. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S17 that the specified amount of ingredient is not gripped, the process is performed again from step S14. In this case, if the gripped ingredient exceeds the specified amount, in step S14 that is performed again, the insertion depth is re-determined to be shallower. On the other hand, if the gripped ingredient is less than the specified amount, in step S14 that is performed again, the insertion depth is re-determined to be deeper.

[0089] In the process of repeating steps S14 to S17, even if the gripping member 31a is inserted deeper into the ingredient than the previous time, if the specified amount of the ingredient cannot be gripped (if the depth of the ingredient at the planned gripping position is shallower than the insertion depth required to take the specified amount), etc., it is also possible to control the total amount of the ingredient gripped in multiple times to be the specified amount by gripping the ingredient from a plurality of locations on the surface of the ingredient. In this case, for example, it is possible to control the total depth (total insertion amount) of inserting the gripping member 31a at a plurality of locations on the surface of the ingredient to be the same as the depth of inserting the gripping member 31a into the ingredient when gripping the specified amount of the ingredient at one time. Further, for example, when performing gripping after the second time, the gripped ingredient is once released to the next planned gripping position, and the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient up to the depth of insertion when gripping the specified amount of the ingredient at one time with respect to the surface of the ingredient where the released ingredient exists, and it is also possible to control to grip the specified amount of the ingredient again at one time.

[0090] In step S18, based on the detection results of the container detection sensors 41 and 42, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether a container is detected at the transfer position P1. If a container is detected, it is determined as Yes in step S18, and the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if no container is detected, it is determined as No in step S18, and the determination in step S18 is repeated.

[0091] In step S19, based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 44, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether the container already has an ingredient loaded. Specifically, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 sets a threshold value for the height of the ingredient from the transport surface assuming that the ingredient has already been loaded. Then, based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 44, when a height exceeding this threshold value is continuously detected for a certain period of time, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines that the ingredient has already been loaded. In addition, for example, even if a certain height portion of an empty container (e.g., the peripheral edge of the container) exceeds this threshold value, it will only be for a short time and less than a certain period. Therefore, for this empty container, it is possible to prevent misjudgment that the ingredients have already been loaded. In this case, the length of this certain period can be appropriately set within a range shorter than the time from when the container detection sensors 41 and 42 detect the container until the container is conveyed and passes the transfer position P1.

[0092] If the ingredients have already been loaded, it is determined as Yes in step S19, and the process returns to step S18 to perform the determination in step S18 again. When it is determined as Yes in step S19 in this way, the container with the ingredients loaded passes between the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 of the transfer mechanism 50 and is directly conveyed downstream of the belt conveyor 2. On the other hand, if the ingredients have not been loaded, it is determined as No in step S19, and the process proceeds to step S20. Regarding the reason for making this determination, as described above, when a plurality of articulated robots 30 are arranged for one belt conveyor 2 and these plurality of articulated robots 30 are working in cooperation, there is a possibility that a container with ingredients already loaded by an upstream articulated robot 30 may be conveyed.

[0093] In step S20, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 50 to transfer the container from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2.

[0094] In step S21, the articulated robot control unit 154 executes the release of the container at the release position P2.

[0095] In step S22, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether it is the timing when the container filled with ingredients can be transferred to the transfer position P1. The reason for making this determination is that if the container is transferred to the transfer position P1 simply on the condition that the release by the articulated robot 30 has ended, there is a possibility that it will collide with other containers (other empty containers or containers that the other articulated robot 30 has already filled with ingredients) transported to the transfer position P1. Therefore, based on the detection results of the container detection sensors 41 and 42, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines that it is the timing when the container can be transferred to the transfer position P1 on the condition that it has been confirmed that no other containers are being transported to the transfer position P1 and that it is not just before being transported to the transfer position P1. This can prevent the occurrence of a situation where the containers collide with each other.

[0096] If it is not determined that it is the timing when the container can be transferred to the transfer position P1, it is determined as No in step S22, and the process repeats the determination in step S22. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is the timing when the container can be transferred to the transfer position P1, it is determined as Yes in step S22, and the process proceeds to step S23.

[0097] In step S23, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 50 to transfer the container from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1. When the container (here, the container filled with ingredients) is transferred to the transfer position P1, it is placed on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 again and conveyed downstream of the belt conveyor 2.

[0098] In step S24, the recording control unit 156 stores the control-related parameters obtained in the ingredient filling process and the measurement data (history data) of the weight of the filled ingredients in the history DB172. In addition, the recording control unit 156 updates the ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredients in the storage space of the storage container 20, and also stores this updated ingredient state map in the history DB172. In this case, if there is an excess or deficiency in the weight of the filled ingredients, an alert may be output to the operator, etc.

[0099] In step S25, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 determines whether or not it meets the condition for ending the ingredient loading process. In this case, as the condition for ending the ingredient loading process, it can be defined that ingredients have been loaded into a planned number of vegetable containers, or an operation to end the ingredient loading process has been performed by an operator, etc. If it does not meet the condition for ending the ingredient loading process, it is determined as No in step S25, and the process is performed again from step S12. On the other hand, if it meets the condition for ending the ingredient loading process, it is determined as Yes in step S25, and the ingredient loading process ends.

[0100] As described above, the processing system 1 according to the present embodiment continues to support the multi-joint robot 30 etc. by the base 60 in parallel with each of the above-described processes. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the base 60 that supports the multi-joint robot 30 from shaking due to vibrations associated with the processing operation of the multi-joint robot 30 or contact by an operator, etc., and the multi-joint robot 30 can be stably supported. That is, according to the processing system 1, when the multi-joint robot 30 is arranged at a position adjacent to the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2, the multi-joint robot 30 can be supported more appropriately.

[0101] [Modification Example 1] In the above-described present embodiment, the leg portion 62 is welded or integrally formed with the main body portion 61 and has been used without being removed. However, it is not limited to this, and the leg portion 62 may be formed as a separate body from the main body portion 61 and be detachable from the main body portion 61.

[0102] In this case, for example, the separately formed leg portion 62 may be attached by fixing it to the left and right side wall surfaces of the main body portion 61 with fastening components such as bolts and nuts. Note that the left and right side wall surfaces of the main body portion 61 in this case refer to the left and right side wall surfaces when the surface adjacent to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 of the base 60 is taken as the front. Note that the fixing method is not limited to the fastening of the fastening components. For example, holes of the same diameter may be formed in the attachment portion of the side wall surface of the main body portion 61 and the attachment portion of the leg portion 62, and a rod-shaped pin member may be inserted thereinto for fixing.

[0103] Since the leg portion 62 protrudes from the main body portion 61, there is a side that it becomes difficult to handle when the base 60 moves in the state where the leg portion 62 is attached. However, as in this modification example, by removing it during movement, it becomes easier to handle. Also, since the size is reduced, even if the door width or the like is narrow when there is a door or an elevator in the movement path, it can be carried in. Further, by attaching it when installing adjacent to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment are exhibited. Also, depending on the positional relationship with the connecting member 2b, it is also possible to attach the leg portion 62 so as to extend from a high position of the main body portion 61 and straddle the connecting member 2b.

[0104] [Modification Example 2] In the above-described embodiment, the detection unit 40 forms the optical paths L1 and L2 between the container detection sensors 41 and 42 by arranging the reflectors in the reflector arrangement unit 43. However, it is not limited to this, and the reflectors may be arranged at other positions. For example, the reflectors may be arranged in a shielding structure for shielding each component of the processing system 1 such as the articulated robot 30 and the detection unit 40 from the outside.

[0105] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a shielding structure 70 that shields each component of the processing system 1. The shielding structure 70 is composed of a plate-like member that surrounds the periphery of the area where each component is installed in order to shield each component of the processing system 1 from the outside. Further, in this modification, the belt conveyor 2 is also shielded by the shielding structure 70. By shielding with the shielding structure 70 in this way, it is possible to prevent the materials scattered due to the operation of the processing system 1 from soiling the outside and foreign matter from the outside from mixing into the materials.

[0106] In this case, the plate-like member constituting the shielding structure 70 is preferably composed of a transparent material such as glass or a resin such as acrylic, so that the operating status of the processing system 1 can be visually recognized from the outside. Further, an openable and closable door may be installed on a part of the side wall formed by the shielding structure 70. By doing so, when replacing the storage space of the storage container 20 or performing maintenance on the processing system 1, etc., the operator can approach each component by opening the door of the shielding structure 70 and perform these various operations.

[0107] In this modification, as shown in the figure, a wall surface reflector 45 is attached to the inner wall of such a shielding structure 70. As a method of attaching the wall surface reflector 45, for example, it is conceivable to attach it with a so-called double-sided tape or by adhesion with an adhesive. By attaching the wall surface reflector 45 at a position where the light projected by the container detection sensors 41 and 42 can be appropriately reflected, the optical paths L1 and L2 can be formed between the container detection sensors 41 and 42. Thereby, similar to the above-described embodiment, the container on the conveyance surface can be appropriately detected. Further, the detection unit 40 only needs to arrange the material detection sensor 44 directly above the conveyance surface in the vertical direction, and the detection unit 40 can have a simpler shape. Furthermore, when attaching using a double-sided tape or the like, the wall surface reflector 45 can be reattached, so that fine position adjustment or the like to a position where appropriate reflection can be achieved can be easily performed.

[0108] [Modification 3] In the above-described embodiment, since the articulated robot 30 performs loading in the vicinity of the container, it is possible to achieve more accurate movement and appropriate loading compared to the case where the robot arm 32 is extended to perform loading at a distance. Therefore, the articulated robot 30 may use this more accurate movement to perform operations such as shaping the ingredients released into the container after releasing them, or releasing the ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31a after release without leaving them in the container.

[0109] In this case, as an operation for shaping the released ingredients, for example, an operation of reshaping the ingredients once released into a more stable shape by gripping them again from the container and then releasing them again into the container can be considered. Additionally, for example, an operation of shaping them into a mountain shape by closing the gripping member 31a while ascending from the state of being released into the container can be considered. Additionally, for example, an operation of shaping the ingredients by pushing the ingredients released at the tip of the gripping member 31a to firmly bond the ingredients together and prevent the released ingredients from collapsing can be considered.

[0110] Also, as an operation for releasing the ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31a after release without leaving them in the container, for example, an operation of vibrating the gripping member 31a to drop the ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31a can be considered. Also, an operation of descending from directly above the container vertically and then suddenly stopping at that time to drop the ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31a by inertial force can be considered.

[0111] When performing loading on the conveying surface of a belt conveyor as in general technology, it is difficult to perform such operations. However, in the above-described embodiment, since the articulated robot 30 operates on the stationary container in the vicinity of the container, it becomes possible to further perform these complex operations as exemplified.

[0112] [Modification Example 4] In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that a pair of gripping members 31a (i.e., two gripping members 31a) are used, but it is not limited thereto. For example, three or more gripping members 31a may be used. And a configuration may be adopted in which a gripping operation is performed by bringing the openings of the respective gripping members 31a closer to each other, and a releasing operation is performed by moving the openings of the respective gripping members 31a farther apart from each other. In this case, for example, if three gripping members 31a are used, when viewed from directly above vertically, the tips of the three gripping members 31a with a central angle of 120° each are moved closer to or farther from the center. Even in this way, each of the above-described operations can be executed.

[0113] [Configuration Example] As described above, the processing system 1 in the present embodiment includes an articulated robot 30 and a base 60. The articulated robot 30 is disposed on the base 60 at a position adjacent to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. The base 60 includes a main body portion 61 and leg portions 62. The main body portion 61 is where the articulated robot 30 is disposed and supports the articulated robot 30 by contacting the ground. The leg portions 62 extend toward a position separated from the main body portion 61 and contact the ground to support the main body portion 61. Thereby, the articulated robot 30 can be disposed at a position adjacent to the conveying surface. And the disposed articulated robot 30 can be supported by the main body portion 61, and further, this main body portion 61 can be supported by the leg portions 62. In this case, since the leg portions 62 extend toward a position separated from the main body portion 61 and contact the ground, the main body portion 61 and the leg portions 62 become two separated fulcrums, and can support the base 60 and the articulated robot 30 disposed thereon. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the base 60 that supports the articulated robot 30 from swaying due to vibrations associated with the processing operation of the articulated robot 30 or contact by an operator, etc., and the articulated robot 30 can be stably supported. Moreover, this can prevent the base 60 or the articulated robot 30 from coming into contact with the belt conveyor 2, and problems such as the failure of the processing by the articulated robot 30 as in the prior art, the object to be processed taking an unintended posture on the conveying surface, and the released object to be processed falling onto the conveying surface do not occur. Also, the articulated robot 30 and the base 60 can be prevented from tipping over. That is, according to the processing system 1, when the articulated robot 30 is arranged at a position adjacent to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately supported.

[0114] The tip of the leg portion 62 supports the main body portion 61 by contacting the ground in the space existing vertically below the conveying surface. Thereby, the space below the conveying surface can be effectively utilized, and the articulated robot 30 and the base 60 can be arranged closer to the belt conveyor 2.

[0115] The position where the leg portion 62 contacts the ground is a position separated from the main body portion 61 by at least a position farther from the central position in the conveying direction on the conveying surface. Thereby, the two fulcrums can be separated more, and the articulated robot 30 can be supported more stably.

[0116] The articulated robot 30 performs a process in which at least a part of the articulated robot 30 moves in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the conveying surface. Thereby, even for an articulated robot 30 in which the movement in the direction intersecting the conveying direction acts on the base 60, it can be stably supported. Also, as described above, since the processing system 1 can arrange the articulated robot 30 and the base 60 closer to the belt conveyor 2, the movement range of the robot arm 32 and the transfer mechanism 50 that perform such processing can be shortened, and they can also be miniaturized.

[0117] The leg portion 62 is formed as a separate body from the main body portion 61 and is detachable from the main body portion 61. Accordingly, after the base 60, the articulated robot 30, and the belt conveyor 2 are arranged at predetermined positions, the legs 62 can be attached. Therefore, the operation of arranging these at predetermined positions is not hindered by the legs 62. Also, even if there are members or the like for supporting the belt conveyor 2 in the space below the conveyance surface, this can be avoided. It can be done.

[0118] The legs 62 are constituted by casters that can rotate about the vertical direction as the rotation axis while being in contact with the ground. Accordingly, even if an operator contacts with excessive force, the tip of the leg 62 will move horizontally, and the tip of the leg 62 will not become the rotation center (i.e., the fulcrum of the tipping moment) and cause the base 60 or the articulated robot 30 to tip over. That is, tipping can be more reliably prevented.

[0119] When the articulated robot 30 is arranged on the base 60, the center of gravity of the articulated robot 30 is closer to the conveyance surface than the center of the base 60. Accordingly, even in an arrangement where it is easier to tip over toward the conveyance surface side, tipping can be appropriately prevented.

[0120] <Supplementary Note> By the way, as a conventional problem, there has been a problem that it is difficult to arrange a reflector at an appropriate position in order to appropriately detect an object (for example, a container) on the conveyance surface. In particular, since the height of the object (here, a container) (here, the relative height with respect to the conveyance surface) is generally not very high, it is desired to arrange the sensor and the reflector at appropriate positions within a range of several centimeters to several millimeters.

[0121] Therefore, as a problem, it is possible to provide an arrangement configuration capable of appropriately detecting an object on the conveyance surface. For example, this problem can be solved by the following configuration. That is, an arrangement configuration capable of appropriately detecting an object on the conveyance surface can be provided.

[0122] [Supplementary Note 1] An arrangement configuration of a reflector disposed opposite to a sensor, a support portion installed at a position not affected by the conveyance by the conveyance surface, a reflector supported by the support portion and reflecting the light projected by the sensor, a sensor that projects light onto the reflector and receives the light reflected by the reflector, characterized in that it comprises the above.

[0123] [Appendix 2] The support portion is a first member extending from a structure adjacent to the conveyance surface and straddling the conveyance surface, and a second member located at the tip of the first member and supporting the reflector, characterized in that it comprises the above according to the arrangement configuration of the reflector described in Appendix 1.

[0124] [Appendix 3] The second member supports the reflector by being installed at an outer end of the conveyance surface of the conveyance device. characterized in that it is the arrangement configuration of the reflector described in Appendix 2.

[0125] [Appendix 4] The first member is formed to be stretchable according to the width direction of the conveyance surface. characterized in that it is the arrangement configuration of the reflector according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3.

[0126] [Appendix 5] The support portion is a plate-like member surrounding the periphery of the region including the conveyance surface. characterized in that it is the arrangement configuration of the reflector described in Appendix 1.

[0127] Note that the above-described embodiments and modifications are examples of the embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments for realizing the functions of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiments and modifications, the case where the present invention is applied to a processing system for plating side dishes has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping various objects. For example, the present invention can be applied to a system for gripping materials with high viscosity or adhesiveness, such as kneaded mortar, concrete, plaster, clay, etc. The present invention is suitable when gripping an object having a viscosity of medium viscosity or higher (5000 mPa·s) or higher at the working temperature or room temperature. In addition, it is possible to implement the present invention by appropriately combining the examples described in the above-described embodiments. The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configuration of FIG. 3 is merely illustrative and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient that the processing system 1 is provided with a function capable of executing the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the functional blocks used to realize this function are not particularly limited to the example of FIG. 3. Also, one functional block may be configured by hardware alone, by software alone, or by a combination thereof.

[0128] When the series of processes are executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed in a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware. Also, the computer may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, for example, a general-purpose personal computer.

[0129] The storage medium for storing the program is composed of a removable medium distributed separately from the device body, or a storage medium pre-installed in the device body, etc. The removable medium is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory, etc. The optical disk is composed of, for example, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), etc. The magneto-optical disk is composed of an MD (Mini-Disk), etc. The flash memory is composed of, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD card. Also, the storage medium pre-installed in the device body is composed of, for example, a ROM or a hard disk in which the program is stored, etc.

[0130] In addition, in this specification, the steps of describing the program recorded on the recording medium include not only the processes performed in chronological order according to that order, but also the processes that can be executed in parallel or individually even if they are not necessarily processed in chronological order. Also, in this specification, the term "system" shall mean the overall device composed of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

[0131] The above embodiments show an example to which the present invention is applied and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. That is, the present invention can be variously modified such as omission or substitution without departing from the gist of the present invention, and it is possible to adopt various embodiments other than the above embodiments. Various embodiments and their modifications that the present invention can adopt are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0132] 1 Processing system, 2 Belt conveyor, 2a Leg, 2b Connecting member, 10 Control device, 20 Storage container, 30 Multi-joint robot, 30A Weight sensor, 30B Force sensor, 31 Hand, 31a Gripping member, 32 Robot arm, 40 Detection unit, 41, 42 Container detection sensor, 43 Reflector arrangement part, 44 Material detection sensor, 45 Wall reflector, 50 Transfer mechanism, 51 Actuator, 52 Slide member, 53 Connecting part, 531 First transfer member, 532 Second transfer member, 54 Container mounting member, 60 Base, 61 Main body part, 611 Main body side caster, 612 Stopper, 62 Leg part, 621 Leg part side caster, 63 Support plate, 70 Shielding structure, 151 Sensor information acquisition part, 152 Material state determination part, 153 Material quantity determination part, 154 Multi-joint robot control part, 155 Transfer mechanism control part, 156 Recording control part, 171 Parameter storage part, 172 History database (History DB), 711 CPU, 712 ROM, 713 RAM, 714 Bus, 715 Input part, 716 Output part, 717 Storage part, 718 Communication part, 719 Drive, 731 Removable media, L1, L2, L3 Optical path

Claims

1. A processing system comprising a processing device and a base, wherein the processing device is disposed on the base at a position adjacent to a conveyance surface of a conveyance device, and the base comprises a main body portion on which the processing device is disposed and which supports the processing device by contacting the ground, and legs that extend toward a position spaced apart from the main body portion and contact the ground to support the main body portion. A processing system characterized by the above.

2. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the legs support the main body portion by contacting the ground in a space vertically below the conveyance surface.

3. The position where the legs contact the ground is a position spaced apart from the main body portion by at least more than a central position in the conveyance direction on the conveyance surface. The processing system according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processing device performs a process in which at least a part of the processing device moves in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the conveyance surface.

5. The processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the legs are formed as a separate body from the main body portion and are detachable from the main body portion.

6. The processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a tip of the leg is configured by a caster that is rotatable about a vertical axis in a state of contacting the ground.

7. When the processing device is disposed on the base, a center of gravity of the processing device is closer to the conveyance surface than a center of the base. The processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

8. A base, when the processing device is disposed on the base at a position adjacent to a conveyance surface of a conveyance device, comprises a main body portion on which the processing device is disposed and which supports the processing device by contacting the ground, and legs that extend toward a position spaced apart from the main body portion and contact the ground to support the main body portion. A base characterized by comprising the above. ​ ​ ​ ​

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