Arrangement constitution for reflection board

Abstract

To arrange a reflection board at a position where an object on a conveyance surface can be reliably detected.SOLUTION: A processing system 1 includes: a detection part 44 and a shielding structure 70 as an arrangement structure for a reflection board; the reflection board; and container detection sensors 41 and 42. The detection part 44 and the shielding structure 70 are installed in a position not affected a conveyance by a conveyance surface of a belt conveyor 2. The reflection board is supported by the detection part 44 and the shielding structure 70 so as to be positioned opposite the container detection sensors 41 and 42 and reflects light projected by the container detection sensors 41 and 42. The container detection sensors 41 and 42 detect an object projecting light onto the reflection board and being conveyed on the conveyance surface by receiving light reflected by the reflection board.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement configuration of a reflector.

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, the introduction of robots has also been promoted in, for example, the field of food plating. An example of a technique related to a robot that performs 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. Further, it is also widely practiced to detect the processing object with a sensor at this time. However, in such a configuration, there is a problem that it is difficult to arrange a reflector (reflector) that reflects the light projected by the sensor at an appropriate position in order to surely detect the processing object on the conveying surface. In particular, the height of the processing object (here, the relative height with respect to the conveying surface) is generally not very high. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange the reflector within a range of allowable errors of several centimeters to several millimeters, and it is not easy to arrange it at an appropriate position.

[0005] As described above, in the prior art, there is still room for improvement regarding the placement of the reflector for detecting the object at an appropriate position. Moreover, such a problem is not limited to the case where the process performed by the processing device is food plating. For example, it is common to all various processes performed by the processing device, such as represented by the manufacturing of industrial products.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to arrange a reflector at a position where the object on the conveying surface can be surely detected.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, the arrangement configuration of the reflector according to an embodiment of the present invention is a support portion installed at a position not affected by the conveyance by the conveying surface of the conveying device, a reflector that is arranged at a position facing the sensor by being supported by the support portion and reflects the light projected by the sensor, a sensor that projects light onto the reflector and receives the light reflected by the reflector to detect the object conveyed on the conveying surface, and is characterized by comprising the above.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a reflector can be arranged at a position where the object on the conveying surface can be surely detected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[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 the processing system 1 according to the present invention. Here, the processing system 1 is assumed to apply the present invention to a system for packing food ingredients. Therefore, in the following description, the case where the processing system 1 grips ingredients such as prepared vegetables and packs the gripped ingredients into a container for prepared vegetables will be described as an example.

[0011] However, this is merely an example for explanation and is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention. The present invention is applicable to the entire system that performs various processes by a processing device represented by a robot. For example, it can be applied to systems that perform various processes such as a cooking system that cooks by heating or cooling, or a processing system that processes by cutting, grinding, etc. Further, in this case, the object of the process 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 that can be applied to the entire system that executes the process 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. Further, 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 that automatically conveys the container of mixed vegetables from upstream to downstream is installed. The belt conveyor 2 has a conveying surface for conveying the container, and the container is conveyed while being placed on this conveying surface. In FIG. 1, as shown by the dashed arrow, the left side of the paper surface is the upstream of the conveyance in the belt conveyor 2, and the right side of the paper surface is the downstream of the conveyance in the belt conveyor 2. Note that the work of supplying the container to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 at a further upstream of the processing system 1 may be performed manually or by a container supply device.

[0014] In addition, in FIG. 1, only one set consisting of 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 these sets are installed along the conveyance direction of one belt conveyor 2, and it is assumed that a plurality of articulated robots 30 cooperate to perform work.

[0015] The control device 10 is constituted 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 a 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 salads to be served 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, mashed salads such as potato salad (salads containing sticky or adhesive ingredients), okara, shredded daikon radish, namasu, hijiki, boiled beans, butter corn, and other salads 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 serving any salad or other ingredients into the corresponding salad container, the salad serving work can be completed. The storage container 20 can be manually replaced by an operator or automatically replaced by the articulated robot 30.

[0017] The multi-joint robot 30 is composed of, for example, a horizontal multi-joint robot or a vertical multi-joint robot, etc., and includes a hand 31 capable of gripping a workpiece to be mounted, and a robot arm 32 that moves the hand 31 to an arbitrary position within the movable range. In addition, at the joint that holds the hand 31 of the multi-joint robot 30, as an example of a means for acquiring the physical quantity of the workpiece gripped by the hand 31, a weight sensor 30A for measuring the weight of the gripped workpiece is installed. Also, at the joint that holds the hand 31 of the multi-joint robot 30, as an example of a means for detecting that the hand 31 has come into contact with the workpiece, a force sensor 30B for measuring the reaction force from the contacted workpiece (including the sense of force obtained by contacting the surface) is installed. The data of the weight of the workpiece measured by the weight sensor 30A (i.e., the weight of the gripped workpiece) and the data of the reaction force from the workpiece measured by the force sensor 30B (i.e., the detection result of contact with the workpiece) 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 robot arm 32. Therefore, when the hand 31 grips the workpiece, by changing the orientation of the hand 31, the direction in which the hand 31 opens and closes 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 accommodation space of the storage container 20, making it easier to grip the workpiece near the inner wall surface of the container.

[0019] The detection unit 40 includes a plurality of optical sensors that perform detection regarding the container being conveyed by the belt conveyor 2. For example, the detection unit 40 includes a sensor for detecting the position of the container being transported by the belt conveyor 2 and a sensor for detecting the workpiece mounted in the container. The data of the position of the container detected by these sensors and the data indicating whether or not the workpiece is mounted 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, a container). The transfer mechanism 50 transfers the container conveyed to the transfer position P1 by the belt conveyor 2 to the release position P2 where the ingredients are released. Then, when the filling of the ingredients into 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. Thereafter, the container filled with the ingredients is further conveyed downstream by the belt conveyor 2, and post-processing (for example, closing the lid of the container) will be performed. In this way, by the transfer mechanism 50 performing the transfer, the ingredients can be released and filled 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 ingredients from falling onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2.

[0021] The base 60 functions as a pedestal that supports the storage container 20, the articulated 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 arranged on the top surface. The above is the overall configuration of the processing system 1.

[0022] [Hardware Configuration of 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 into the RAM 713. In the RAM 713, data and the like necessary for the CPU 711 to execute various processes are also appropriately stored.

[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 an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard, and receives input of various information to the control device 10. Note that the input unit 715 may include a microphone and receive input of various information by voice input of 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 or a 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, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, etc., is appropriately mounted on the drive 719. A 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 is possible to have a configuration without some hardware, a configuration with additional hardware, or to change the implementation form of the hardware.

[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 ingredient state determination unit 152, an ingredient amount 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 plating ingredients in the container of the prepared vegetables, 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 defining the operation pattern of the multi-joint 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, from 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] In the history DB 172, parameters related to control acquired when the processing system 1 operates, or measurement data of the weight of the ingredients packed in the processing system 1 are stored as history. Also, in the history DB 172, an ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredients in the storage space of the storage container 20 is stored. 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 data on the weight of the ingredients measured by the weight sensor 30A installed at the joints of the multi-joint robot 30, data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B, data on the position of the container detected by the sensors included in the detection unit 40, and data on whether or not the ingredients are packed as sensor information. This sensor information is appropriately used by each functional block of the control device 10.

[0031] The ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the ingredients based on the data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B. For example, the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the depth of the ingredients in the storage space of the storage container 20 (the depth from the surface of the ingredients 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 data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B. In the present embodiment, instead of a method of determining the state of the ingredients by image analysis using a camera, a method of measuring the state of the ingredients 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 dead spots of the camera, etc., the arrangement of the multi-joint robot 30 and the position of the storage space of the storage container 20 can be selected more flexibly. Also, since a camera is not used, it is not necessary to consider the influence of steam generated from the ingredients and lighting on photography.

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

[0033] Based on the weight data of the ingredient measured by the weight sensor 30A of the articulated robot 30, the ingredient amount determination unit 153 determines whether or not a specified amount of the ingredient has been gripped.

[0034] The articulated robot control unit 154 controls the operation of the articulated robot 30, and causes the articulated robot 30 to execute a series of operations for plating the ingredient according to the operation pattern defined in the processing system 1. For example, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the articulated robot 30 to perform a gripping operation of gripping the ingredient by 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 adhering to the gripping member 31a, a transfer operation of transferring the gripping member 31a holding the ingredient onto the side dish container, a rotation operation of rotating the gripping member 31a around 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 articulated robot 30.

[0035] 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 or not the ingredient has been plated, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 controls the operation of transferring the container by the transfer mechanism 50 (container transfer operation).

[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 ingredients packed in the processing system 1. Further, the recording control unit 156 creates and updates an ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredients 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 is based on the measurement data of the weight and reaction force of the ingredients 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 ingredients packed in the processing system 1. The state of the ingredients in a plurality of regions divided on the horizontal plane of the storage space of the storage container 20 is detected and stored in association with identification information (for example, the value of coordinates for controlling the multi-joint robot 30) for identifying each region, thereby generating an ingredient state map.

[0037] In this case, the state of the ingredients refers to the remaining amount of the ingredients in each region, the depth and flatness of the ingredients determined by the ingredient state determination unit 152 described later. Also, when the storage space of the storage container 20 is newly replaced after the ingredients are packed in the storage space of the storage container 20, the ingredient state map is updated assuming that 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).

[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 this embodiment is composed of a top plate portion, a main plate portion, a first side plate portion, and a second side plate portion. The top plate portion has a rectangular plane. 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, when the plane of the top plate portion is in a horizontal state, the first side plate portion and the second side plate portion extend vertically downward from both ends of this plane respectively. In the following description, when explaining without distinguishing between each of these pair of gripping members 31a, it is simply referred to as "gripping member 31a".

[0039] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship among the accommodation space of the accommodation 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 arranged at the tip of the robot arm 32. Also, 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 direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction according to the operation of the robot arm 32 controlled by the control device 10. Further, the hand 31 realizes a gripping operation by opening and closing the 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 direction as the rotation axis. With such a configuration, in this embodiment, the position and orientation of the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a can be arbitrarily changed, and thereby it becomes 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 a pair of gripping members 31a. The gripping members 31a shown in FIG. 4 are coupled to the hand 31 by a coupling member 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. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the pair of gripping members 31a perform an opening operation along the opening and closing direction (Y direction) to be in an open state. Further, when performing a gripping operation, the pair of gripping members 31a perform a closing operation along the opening and closing direction (Y direction) as shown in FIG. 6(b) to be in a closed state.

[0042] Then, when the pair of gripping members 31a are in the closed state and the gripping members 31a come into contact with each other, at least the inner surface where the tip and the side plate portion are closed forms a container shape for gripping the ingredients. In the case of such a shape of the gripping member 31a, with respect to ingredients such as chopped salad, by vertically inserting the tip of the gripping member 31a from the surface, 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 accommodation space of the accommodation container 20. Also, after transferring the pair of gripping members 31a that have performed gripping onto the vegetable container at the release position P2, the pair of gripping members 31a are in the open state, 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 paper surface is the upstream of the conveyance in the belt conveyor 2, and the right side of the paper surface 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 a 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 just 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. In addition, the reflector arrangement part 43 is a member in which reflectors that reflect the light projected for detection by the container detection sensors 41 and 42 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 part 43 at a predetermined position so as to straddle the conveying 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 part 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 illustrated as optical paths L1 and L2, respectively.

[0046] In this embodiment, the reflector arrangement part 43 has a structure that can be inserted into and removed from the opening of the main body of the detection unit 40, and the length in the width direction of the conveying surface can be adjusted. Thereby, the difference in the length in the width direction of the conveying surface, which varies depending on the model of the belt conveyor 2, can be absorbed, and the reflector arrangement part 43 can be installed at a predetermined position. Here, generally, the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 undulates in the vertical direction and the like due to its mechanism during conveyance. Therefore, in order to avoid this influence, it is preferable to install the reflector arrangement part 43 at a predetermined position on the outer frame part of the conveying surface (that is, the part that is not the conveying surface). Thereby, the reflector arrangement part 43 is always fixed at an appropriate height to detect the container in which the ingredients are placed without being affected by the undulation in the vertical direction on the conveying 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 a range of several centimeters to several millimeters. In this regard, in the present embodiment, by fixing the position of the reflector to a predetermined position by the reflector arrangement portion 43 in this way, an appropriate height corresponding to the height of the container is set as the detection target range, and the position of the conveyed container can be appropriately detected. 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 in this way.

[0048] Also, the reflector is not a light receiver that detects reception of light, but simply 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. And the control device 10 can not only grasp the position of the container based on the data on 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 section 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 the 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 conveying 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 the 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 conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, the ingredient detection sensor 44 can be arranged at an appropriate height (for example, a height of about 15 [cm] from the conveying surface) suitable for detecting the ingredients above the belt conveyor 2 in the vertical direction. That is, also for the ingredient detection sensor 44, by being fixed at a predetermined position (here, the position relative to the height of the detection unit 40, the container, and the ingredients), it is possible to accurately detect whether or not the ingredients are contained in the container. The data on whether or not the ingredients detected by the ingredient detection sensor 44 are contained is output to the control device 10.

[0052] In this way, the detection unit 40 has a characteristic structure and is installed so as to straddle the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, so that various sensors and reflectors can be arranged at optimal positions for detection.

[0053] [Configuration of the 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 the 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 placement member 54. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the transfer position P1 is the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2, and the release position P2 is on the workbench provided on the side portion of the articulated robot 30.

[0055] The actuator 51 is disposed vertically 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 drawing plane). 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 linearly move 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 movement 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 movement 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 movement as the actuator 51. Thus, the transfer mechanism 50 of the present embodiment can realize a driving mechanism with a relatively simple configuration.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a view looking down vertically from 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. And 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 by utilizing 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 (the right end in the drawing) of the first transfer member 531. 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 (the left end in the drawing) of the second transfer member 532.

[0060] In this way, by the transfer mechanism 50 performing the transfer, the material can be released and packed at the release position P2 provided in the vicinity of the articulated robot 30 instead of 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 material from falling onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. Also, since packing can be performed at the nearby release position P2 after gripping with the storage container 20, it is possible to shorten the moving distance of the articulated robot 30, shorten the processing time, and suppress the scattering of the material accompanying the movement. Furthermore, since packing 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 and packing is performed at a distance, and appropriate packing can be realized.

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

[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 corresponds to a front view, Fig. 11 corresponds to a side view, and Fig. 12 corresponds to a rear view.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 10, the base 60 includes a main body portion 61, a leg portion 62, and a support plate 63. The main body portion 61 includes a main body side caster 611 and a stopper 612. Furthermore, the leg portion 62 includes a leg side caster 621. Fig. 10 also shows the storage container 20, the articulated robot 30, the detection unit 40, and the 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, Fig. 10 also shows the belt conveyor 2. The belt conveyor 2 includes a leg 2a and a connecting member 2b. In order to clarify 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 that supports the storage container 20, the articulated robot 30, the detection unit 40, and the transfer mechanism 50. These, such as the articulated robot 30, have a total weight of several hundred [kg] (for example, a weight exceeding 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 61 has these, such as the articulated robot 30, placed on its top surface and is provided with a plurality of main body side casters 611 on its bottom surface. When the main body side caster 611 contacts the ground, the base 60 supports the articulated robot 30 and the like. Also, due to the main body side caster 611, the base 60 can be moved by human force with the articulated robot 30 and the like placed thereon. The main body side caster 611 only needs to have a load-bearing capacity capable of supporting the weight of the base 60 with the articulated robot 30 and the like placed thereon, and general-purpose casters can be used.

[0066] Further, 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 contacts the ground and is fixed, so that the base 60 is installed at the predetermined position. In the present 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 the ground and is fixed, but it is preferably realized by a caster having a stopper function. This is because a caster with a stopper function can prevent damage to the floor material when moving the base 60.

[0067] Note that there is no particular limitation on the number of these main body side casters 611 and stoppers 612, but 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 portion 62 extends toward a position separated from the main body portion 61 and contacts the ground to support the main body portion 61. For example, as shown in the figure, the main body portion 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 caster 621 on the leg side is provided at the tip of the leg portion 62, and support is realized by the caster 621 on the leg side contacting the ground. In this way, since the caster 611 on the main body side and the caster 621 on the leg side each 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 operations of the articulated robot 30 or contact by an operator, etc., and the articulated robot 30 can be stably supported.

[0070] Note that the caster 621 on the leg side may be a caster having a stopper function, or may be a caster not having a stopper function. If it is a caster having a stopper function, it is possible to suppress movement in the horizontal direction. However, when an operator contacts with excessive force, there is a risk that the caster having this stopper function becomes the rotation center (i.e., the fulcrum of the tipping moment) and the base 60 or the articulated robot 30 may tip over. Therefore, a caster not having a stopper function is used. Even in this case, normal vibrations and the like can be suppressed. Also, when an operator contacts with excessive force, since it will move horizontally, the caster not having a stopper function will not become the rotation center and cause the base 60 or the articulated robot 30 to tip over. That is, by using the caster 621 on the leg side as a caster not having a stopper function, tipping can be more reliably prevented.

[0071] The belt conveyor 2 is supported by a plurality of legs 2a. Further, the legs 2a are provided with a connecting member 2b, which can enhance rigidity and maintain a constant distance between the legs 2a. The leg portion 62 is configured in a shape that does not interfere with the connecting member 2b when installed at a position adjacent to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. 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 a direction opposite to the leg portion 62. Since the entire support plate 63 cannot be observed in FIG. 10, the details of the support plate 63 will be described with reference to 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. Thereby, the articulated robot 30 protrudes in a state above the vertical position of the conveying surface (i.e., a position protruding onto the conveying surface). Since the position above the vertical of this conveying surface is a space that originally has nothing, by arranging the articulated robot 30 in this way, this space can be effectively utilized.

[0074] However, in such an arrangement, 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 to the tipping moment (i.e., the force to rotate and tip over) (i.e., the force that resists tipping) 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 opposite side (the right side in the drawing) of the side adjacent to the conveying surface of the base (the left 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 to the tipping moment is low, and it is easy to tip over.

[0075] On the other hand, the base 60 has legs 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 to the tipping moment is high, and it does not easily tip over. 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 conveyance surface of the base (the left side in the drawing). If, in the case of a general base without the legs 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 that between the center of gravity and the third fulcrum, the resistance to the tipping moment is relatively high and it does not easily tip over. 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 is 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 legs 62 are shaped to avoid the connecting member 2b. Therefore, the legs 62 do not interfere with the connecting member 2b. Further, the position of the leg-side caster 621 at the tip of the legs 62 is a position separated from the main body 61 rather than the central position in the conveyance direction on the conveyance surface. Thereby, the first fulcrum can be further separated, and the multi-joint robot 30 can be supported more stably. However, the side of the base 60 that is not adjacent to the belt conveyor 2 (the left side of the drawing) may be used by the operator as a passage. Therefore, so as not to impede the movement of the operator, the position of the leg-side caster 621 at the tip of the legs 62 is made to fit below the extension of the belt conveyor 2. 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 the fact that the articulated robot 30 projects to the position where it extends onto the conveying surface, the articulated robot 30 and the base 60 can be arranged closer to the belt conveyor 2. This facilitates performing 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 shorter, it is possible to shorten the transfer time or miniaturize the transfer mechanism 50. Also, for example, even if 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 shorter, 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 articulated 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 also used as a passage by the operator. In particular, as shown in the figure, 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 with a cart are performed. So as not to obstruct 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 obstructing 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] The base 60 described above allows the multi-joint robot 30 to be placed at a position adjacent to the conveying surface. The placed multi-joint robot 30 can be supported by the main body 61, and the main body 61 can be further supported by the legs 62. In this case, since the main body 61 extends toward a position away from the main body 61 and contacts the ground, the main body 61 and the legs 62 become two fulcrums that are spaced apart from each other, and can support the base 60 and the multi-joint robot 30 placed thereon. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the base 60 supporting the multi-joint robot 30 from shaking due to vibrations caused by the processing operation of the multi-joint robot 30 or contact by a worker, and the like, 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 multi-joint robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the accommodation space of the accommodation container 20 according to the data of the operation pattern.

[0085] In step S13, the ingredient state determination unit 152 reads an ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredients in the accommodation space of the accommodation container 20 from the history DB 172, thereby recognizing the state of the ingredients in the accommodation space of the accommodation container 20. The ingredient state determination unit 152 then continues to recognize the state of the ingredients based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B, which is acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 151.

[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 data of the operation pattern read in step S11 and the state of the ingredient in the accommodation space of the accommodation container 20 recognized in step S13. In step S15, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 inserts the gripping member 31a into the ingredient 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 surface of the ingredient was detected in step S12 and the insertion was started. 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 a specified amount of the ingredient is gripped. Gripping a specified amount of the ingredient means, for example, that the weight of the gripped ingredient is within a predetermined error (within ±15% or the like) 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 that the error when the gripped weight is greater than the specified amount is larger than the error when it is smaller.

[0088] When a specified amount of the material is being held, it is determined as Yes in step S17, and 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 attached material. On the other hand, when the specified amount of the material is not being held, it is determined as No in step S17, and the process is performed again from step S14. In this case, if the held gripping material 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 held gripping material is less than the specified amount, in step S14 that is performed again, the insertion depth is re-determined to be deeper.

[0089] Note that in the process of repeating steps S14 to S17, even if the gripping member 31a is inserted deeper into the material than the previous time, if the specified amount of the material cannot be gripped (when the depth of the material at the planned gripping position is shallower than the insertion depth required to take the specified amount), etc., it is also possible to control so that the total amount of the material gripped in multiple times becomes the specified amount by gripping the material from a plurality of locations on the surface of the material. In this case, for example, it is possible to control so that the total of the insertion depths (total of the insertion amounts) of the gripping member 31a inserted at a plurality of locations on the surface of the material is the same as the insertion depth when gripping the specified amount of the material at one time. Also, for example, when performing the gripping for the second and subsequent times, the already gripped material is once released to the next planned gripping position, and the gripping member 31a is inserted into the material up to the insertion depth when gripping the specified amount of the material at one time with respect to the surface of the material where the released material exists, and it is also possible to control so as to grip the specified amount of the material 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 or not a container is detected at the transfer position P1. When a container is detected, it is determined as Yes in step S18, and the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, when a container is not detected, it is determined as No in step S18, and the determination in step S18 is repeated.

[0091] In step S19, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether the container already contains ingredients based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 44. Specifically, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 sets a threshold value for the height of the ingredients from the transport surface assuming that the ingredients are already contained. 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 ingredients are already contained. Note that, for example, even if a certain height portion (e.g., the peripheral portion of the container) of an empty container exceeds this threshold value, it will be for a short time and less than a certain period of time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the empty container from being erroneously determined to already contain ingredients. In this case, the length of this certain period of time 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 transported and passes through the transfer position P1.

[0092] If the ingredients are already contained, 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 containing the ingredients passes between the first transfer member 531 and the second transfer member 532 of the transfer mechanism 50 and is directly transported downstream of the belt conveyor 2. On the other hand, if the ingredients are not contained, it is determined as No in step S19, and the process proceeds to step S20. The reason for making this determination is that, 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 already filled with ingredients by an upstream articulated robot 30 may be transported.

[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 at which the container filled with ingredients can be transferred to the transfer position P1 after the release. 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 of collision with other containers (other empty containers or containers that the 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 at which 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 at which 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 at which 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 again on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and conveyed downstream of the belt conveyor 2.

[0098] In step S24, the recording control unit 156 stores in the history DB172 the parameters related to control obtained in the ingredient loading process and the measurement data (history data) of the weight of the loaded ingredients. Further, 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 loaded ingredients, an alert may be output to the operator or the like.

[0099] In step S25, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether or not it meets the conditions for ending the ingredient loading process. In this case, as the conditions for ending the ingredient loading process, it can be defined that ingredients have been loaded into a planned number of side dish containers, or an operation to end the ingredient loading process has been performed by the operator, etc. If it is determined in step S25 that the conditions for ending the ingredient loading process are not met, the process is determined to be No and is performed again from step S12. On the other hand, if the conditions for ending the ingredient loading process are met, it is determined to be 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 articulated 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 articulated robot 30 from shaking due to vibrations associated with the processing operation of the articulated robot 30 or contact by the operator, etc., and the articulated robot 30 can be stably supported. That is, according to the processing system 1, when the articulated robot 30 is arranged at a position adjacent to the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2, the articulated robot 30 can be supported more appropriately.

[0101] [Modification Example 1] In the above-described embodiment, the leg portion 62 is welded or integrally formed with the main body portion 61 and has been used without being removed. However, the leg portion 62 is not limited to this, and may be formed separately 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 an aspect that it becomes difficult to handle during the movement of the base 60 when the leg portion 62 is attached. However, as in this modified 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 can be obtained. 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] [Modified Example 2] In the above-described embodiment, the detection unit 40 forms the optical paths L1 and L2 with the container detection sensors 41 and 42 by arranging reflectors in the reflector arrangement unit 43. However, the reflectors are not limited to this, and may be arranged at other positions. For example, 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 wall surface reflector 45 and 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 attached 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 after releasing them into the container, 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 into a more stable shape by gripping the once-released ingredients again from the container and then releasing them into the container again can be considered. Additionally, for example, an operation of shaping into a mountain shape by raising the gripping member 31a while closing it from the state of being released into the container can be considered. Additionally, for example, an operation of shaping to firmly bond the ingredients together by pushing the ingredients released at the tip of the gripping member 31a to 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 in the vertical direction and 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 the gripping operation is performed by bringing the openings of the respective gripping members 31a closer to each other, and the releasing operation is performed by moving the openings of the respective gripping members 31a farther apart. 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 conveyance 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 conveyance 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 serve as 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 shaking 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. In addition, 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 processed object taking an unintended posture on the conveying surface, and the released object 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 the central position in the conveying direction on the conveying surface. Thereby, the two fulcrums can be further separated, 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 ranges of the robot arm 32 and the transfer mechanism 50 that perform such processing can be shortened, and these can 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 existing 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. As a result, 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. As a result, even in an arrangement that is more likely 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 so 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, a problem is 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 by comprising the above.

[0123] [Appendix 2] The support portion extends from a structure adjacent to the conveyance surface and straddles the conveyance surface, a first member, is located at the tip of the first member and supports the reflector, a second member, characterized by comprising the above, the arrangement configuration of the reflector according to Appendix 1.

[0124] [Appendix 3] The second member is installed at an outer end of the conveyance surface of the conveyance device to support the reflector, characterized by the above, the arrangement configuration of the reflector according to Appendix 2.

[0125] [Appendix 4] The first member is formed to be stretchable according to the width direction of the conveyance surface, characterized by the above, 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 by the above, the arrangement configuration of the reflector according to Appendix 1.

[0127] Note that the above-described embodiments and modified examples are examples of 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 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 main body, or a storage medium pre-installed in the device main 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 main body is composed of, for example, a ROM or a hard disk in which the program is stored, etc.

[0130] Note that 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 are 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 entire 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 and substitution without departing from the gist of the present invention, and various embodiments other than the above embodiments can be adopted. The various embodiments and their modifications that the present invention can adopt are included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0132] 1 Processing system, 2 Belt conveyor, 2a Legs, 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 support portion is installed at a position where it is not affected by the conveyance of the conveying surface of the conveying device; a reflector that is supported by the support portion and disposed at a position facing the sensor, and that reflects light projected by the sensor; the sensor detects an object being conveyed on the conveying surface by projecting light onto the reflecting plate and receiving the light reflected by the reflecting plate; A reflector arrangement comprising:

2. The support portion is a first member extending from a structure adjacent to the transport surface in a direction intersecting the transport surface and spanning the transport surface; a second member provided at the extended tip of the first member and supporting the reflector; The reflector arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. The second member is placed on an end portion of the conveying device that is located outside the conveying surface of the conveying device, and is supported by the end portion.

3. The reflector arrangement according to claim 2.

4. a sensor different from the sensor, a sensor that is disposed on a structural portion of the first member that straddles the transport surface and detects a state of the object by projecting light from vertically above the transport surface toward vertically below the transport surface; The reflector arrangement of claim 2 further comprising:

5. The first member is formed to be expandable and contractable in a width direction of the conveying surface.

5. The reflector arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the reflector is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the reflector.

6. The support portion is a plate-like member that surrounds a region including the conveying surface.

2. The reflector arrangement according to claim 1 .

7. a processing device for processing the object or a structure for supporting the processing device is fixed to the support unit, and the transport device is not fixed to the support unit; 7. The arrangement of reflectors according to claim 1, 2 or 3.

Images