Linear object supply device and linear object pick-up method

Abstract

To provide a linear object supply device for picking up one linear object from a bundle of fine and flexible linear objects which are easily deformed.SOLUTION: A linear object supply device 10 is used to pick up one linear object from a bundle of the linear objects and includes: a table 20 for placing the bundle; and a displacement sensor 60 which is disposed above the table and can scan in a width direction of the bundle at two or more positions in a longitudinal direction of the bundle placed on the table.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying a linear object to a robot hand or the like, and more particularly to an apparatus for supplying a bundle of thin and flexible linear objects to a robot hand or the like.

Background Art

[0002] In various operations targeting thin, flexible, and easily deformable linear objects, the automation of handling linear objects using robots has been carried out. For example, when performing processing such as terminal crimping, fastening of components such as connectors, soldering, welding, and connection on cables such as electric wires, optical fibers, and various thin-diameter tubes, the linear objects serving as workpieces are gripped by a robot hand and transferred and set to a target processing apparatus or inspection apparatus. At this time, when a large number of linear objects are supplied in a bundle, the robot hand first needs to grip one linear object from among the supplied large number of linear objects.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that measures the three-dimensional shape of a plurality of flexible linear objects with undefined shapes, determines whether one of them can be gripped by a robot hand without interfering with other linear objects, and then grips it.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes stacking workpieces such as steel pipes, scanning in the width direction along one end side of the stacked workpiece group with a laser position sensor, determining the coordinates of one end of the workpiece at the highest position, and pushing the one end to the other end side with a pushing member. The workpiece pushed to the other end side projects the other end from other workpiece groups and is grasped by a second robot, the second robot is lifted and pushed back to the one end side, the one end is projected from other workpiece groups and grasped by a first robot, and the first and second robots lift and transfer it. Patent Document 3 describes an apparatus that stacks long agricultural products such as asparagus and long onions in a tray, scans some sensor in the direction across the agricultural products, detects the position information of the one at the highest position, and adsorbs it with a suction device and moves it to a weighing machine.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Document

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, when the number of linear objects increases to, for example, several tens or several hundreds, there is a problem that the computational load for measuring the three-dimensional shape becomes heavy in the method described in Patent Document 1.

[0007] On the other hand, in the devices described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, since the sensor performs one scan to determine the position coordinates of one point on the workpiece and then presses with a pressing member or adsorbs with a suction device, the computational load is light. However, while Patent Document 2 assumes steel pipes and the like, and Patent Document 3 assumes agricultural products such as asparagus, for example, it is difficult to grip an electric wire used in a wire harness with a robot hand based only on the position information of one point. This is because the bending due to deformation becomes relatively large with respect to the diameter.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a linear object supply device that can lift one linear object with a robot hand with a light computational load and reliably lift it even when lifting one linear object from a bundle of linear objects that are thin, flexible, and easily deformed. Another object is to provide a method for picking up a linear object using such a linear object supply device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In response to the above problems, in the present invention, the laser displacement meter scans in the width direction of the bundle at two or more positions in the length direction of the bundle of linear objects.

[0010] Specifically, the linear material supply device of the present invention is a linear material supply device used to pick up one linear material from a bundle of linear materials, and includes a table for placing the bundle, and a displacement sensor disposed above the table and capable of scanning in the width direction of the bundle at two or more positions in the longitudinal direction of the bundle placed on the table.

[0011] The method for picking up a linear material of the present invention includes a placing step of placing a bundle of linear materials on a table, scanning a displacement sensor in the width direction of the bundle at two or more positions in the longitudinal direction of the bundle, selecting the linear material at the highest position in the scanned area as the selected linear material, calculating the position and orientation of the selected linear material in the scanned area, aligning the position and posture of a robot hand with the position and orientation of the selected linear material, gripping the selected linear material with the robot hand, and moving the robot hand to separate and extract the selected linear material from the bundle.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the linear material supply device or the method for picking up a linear material of the present invention, by scanning a bundle of linear materials placed on a table in the width direction with a laser displacement sensor at two or more positions in the longitudinal direction, the linear material at the highest position can be selected without increasing the calculation load, and the position and orientation of the selected linear material can be obtained. As a result, it becomes possible to grip one linear material with a robot hand from a bundle in which a large number of thin linear materials are densely packed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] The configuration of the linear material supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, the linear material supply device 10 of the present embodiment includes a table 20, a first pressing member 30 and a second pressing member 35, a first brush 50 and a second brush 55, and a laser displacement sensor 60. The linear material supply device 10 places a bundle of linear materials on the table 20 and supplies it to the robot hand 70 in a state where the linear materials can be picked up by the robot hand 70.

[0016] In this specification, the longitudinal direction of the table 20 means the longitudinal direction of the bundle of linear materials placed on the table, and the longitudinal direction of the bundle of linear materials means the longitudinal direction of the linear materials constituting the bundle. The width direction of the table 20 means the width direction of the bundle of linear materials placed on the table, and the width direction of the bundle of linear materials means the diameter direction of the linear materials constituting the bundle. Also, one end in the longitudinal direction of the table 20 (the left back in FIG. 1, the X direction) is the front end, the portion including the front end and its vicinity is the front end portion, the front end side is the front, the portion in the front is the front part, the other end (the front right in FIG. 1, the opposite direction of X) is the rear end, the portion including the rear end and its vicinity is the rear end portion, the rear end side is the rear, and the portion in the rear is the rear part. The same applies to the linear materials placed on the table, which are referred to as the front end, the front end portion, the front, the front part, the rear end, the rear end portion, the rear, and the rear part. The front end portion and the rear end portion are collectively referred to as the end portion. Also, when simply referring to the "longitudinal direction", it means the longitudinal direction of the table 20 and the bundle of linear materials placed on the table, or a direction parallel thereto (the ±X direction in FIG. 1), and when simply referring to the "width direction", it means the width direction of the table and the bundle of linear materials placed on the table, or a direction parallel thereto (the ±Y direction in FIG. 1).

[0017] Referring to FIG. 2, in addition to the first pressing member 30, the second pressing member 35, the first brush 50, the second brush 55, and the laser displacement sensor 60 illustrated in FIG. 1, the wire supply device 10 includes a control unit 11, a calculation unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The control unit 11 controls the entire wire supply device 10, the calculation unit 12 performs various calculations, and the communication unit 13 communicates with the robot communication unit 77 of the robot 74 that receives the supply of the wire from the wire supply device 10. On the other hand, the robot 74 that receives the supply of the wire from the wire supply device 10 includes, in addition to the robot hand 70 illustrated in FIG. 1, a robot control unit 75, a robot calculation unit 76, and a robot communication unit 77. The robot control unit 75 controls the entire robot 74 including the arm 78 and the robot hand 70, the robot calculation unit 76 performs various calculations such as trajectory calculation for causing the robot hand to reach the target position, and the robot communication unit 77 communicates with the communication unit 13 of the wire supply device 10.

[0018] The linear material handled by the linear material supply device 10 of this embodiment is a flexible thin wire. The diameter of the linear material is preferably 0.1 to 10.0 mm, more preferably 0.5 to 5.0 mm. Also, when brushing is performed as described later, a linear material with a somewhat soft surface is suitable for being supplied by the linear material supply device of this embodiment. Examples of the linear material include a metal wire, a metal wire coated with resin, a resin-made one, etc. For example, a coated electric wire used for wiring of electrical appliances or wire harnesses, various wires, cables, optical fibers, and a resin tube used for medical devices such as a catheter can be mentioned. The linear material supply device 10 of this embodiment is particularly suitable for handling a linear material that is easily deformed so as to get entangled when bundled or a linear material that is easily kinked. Being easily kinked means being easily deformed and difficult to return to its original state after deformation. The linear material may have an attachment member such as a terminal attached to one or both ends or end portions. As the attachment member, regardless of whether it is a male type or a female type, those called by names such as a plug, a jack, a contact pin, a receptacle, a housing, a pin terminal, a terminal, a terminal terminal, a crimp terminal, a metal terminal, a tab, a socket, a coupler, etc. are included. Also, the linear material may have a deformed portion with a different cross-sectional shape in a part thereof. Examples of the deformed portion include a portion where a resin-made fiber or tube is bent and a portion where the diameter is changed. The linear material supply device of this embodiment is particularly suitable for handling a linear material with an attachment member such as a terminal attached thereto or a linear material having a deformed portion. Further, it is particularly suitable for handling a linear material having an attachment member such as a terminal attached near both ends or a linear material having a deformed portion.

[0019] Hereinafter, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the linear material supply device 10 supplies a cable with terminals attached to both ends to the robot hand 70 so that the robot hand 70 can grip and lift the front end portion of the cable.

[0020] Table 20 is installed horizontally, and with reference to FIG. 3A, a bundle 95 of cables 90 is placed on its upper surface. Although FIG. 3A depicts a reduced number of cables 90, the number of cables 90 constituting the bundle 95 is typically several tens to several hundreds. The cable bundle 95 is placed on the table with its rear portion protruding from the rear end 21 of the table to form a hanging portion 96. For each cable 90 constituting the bundle 95, with reference to FIG. 3B, terminals 92 and 93 are respectively attached to the front end and the rear end of the cable main body 91. Providing the hanging portion 96 is effective in preventing interference between the terminals of adjacent cables when terminals are attached to the rear ends of the cables. Also, when the linear object is long, it is effective for miniaturizing the entire device.

[0021] The linear object supply device 10 is provided with a first pressing member 30 at the front and a second pressing member 35 at the rear, distributed in the longitudinal direction. The structures of the first pressing member 30 and the second pressing member 35 are the same. Note that the linear object supply device may be further provided with other pressing members behind the second pressing member. When the linear object is long or has a strong kink, it is preferable to provide a plurality of pressing members. By providing a plurality of pressing members, even if there is a bias in the thickness and density of the bundle, the bundle can be pressed against the table by any one of the pressing members, so that the shape of the bundle can be made more difficult to collapse. Here, pressing the bundle with the pressing member means pressing the bundle against the table with the pressing member to suppress the movement of the bundle. Depending on the properties of the linear object, if the selected linear object is simply gripped and pulled out of the bundle without pressing the bundle with the pressing member, other linear objects may be dragged. By pressing the bundle with a plurality of pressing members and pulling out the selected linear object from the bundle while sequentially releasing the pressing members, when picking up one linear object from the bundle of linear objects placed on the table, other linear objects are not dragged by the picked-up linear object, and the collapse of the bundle shape can be suppressed. The width of the pressing member can be arbitrarily designed with respect to the length of the linear object. The linear object supply device 10 is suitable for linear objects with a length of about 100 mm to 3 m. When handling a linear object of this length, the width of the pressing member is about 3.0 mm to 300 mm, more preferably 5.0 mm to 100 mm.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 4, the first pressing member 30 is a rod-shaped or plate-shaped member, and rotates around a shaft 31 on the side of the table 20 to draw an arc in a plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 4 indicate the state where the first pressing member is raised, and the dashed lines indicate the state where the first pressing member is lowered. When the first pressing member 30 is lowered, it can press the entire width direction of the bundle 95 on the table 20 from above, and when it is raised, it releases the pressing of the bundle 95 and opens the bundle. Further, when the first pressing member 30 is raised, it is in a position retracted laterally from above the table 20 so as not to overlap the table in plan view, and as will be described later, it can move longitudinally through the side of the first pressing member in a state where the first brush 50 is lowered.

[0023] The first pressing member 30 only needs to be in a shape that can press and release the bundle 95. For example, a plurality of rod-shaped or plate-shaped members may be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the table, and these plurality of rod-shaped or plate-shaped members may be integrated and rotate around the shaft 31 as a fulcrum.

[0024] The first pressing member 30 is composed of an elastic portion 33 made of an elastic material on the surface in contact with the bundle so as to press all the cables 90 included in the bundle 95, and a rigid portion 32 made of a rigid material on the opposite side. The elastic portion is preferably of a thickness and material that can absorb the unevenness in the height direction of the bundle and hold the entire bundle in a state with little slippage even if the bundle of linear objects is biased. For the elastic portion, for example, an EPDM sponge with a thickness of about 10 mm can be used.

[0025] Note that the first pressing member 30 and the second pressing member 35 can perform their functions as long as they retract from above the table when raised and can press the entire width direction of the bundle on the table when lowered. Therefore, the surface on which the pressing member rotates does not have to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. However, as the angle formed by the surface and the longitudinal direction deviates from a right angle, it is necessary to lengthen the pressing member. Therefore, the angle is preferably in the range of right angle ± 30 degrees, and more preferably a right angle.

[0026] As another form, a clamp cylinder can also be used for the first pressing member and the second pressing member. Referring to FIG. 5, the clamp cylinder 41 includes a clamp arm 43 extending horizontally from the tip of the rod 42. The pressing member 40 is connected to the lower side of the clamp arm 43 via a support member 44. When the pressing member 40 retracts the clamp cylinder and descends toward the table in a state of crossing above the table 20 (the dashed line on the left side of FIG. 5), it can press the entire width direction of the bundle 95 on the table 20 from above. When the pressing member 40 extends the clamp cylinder (the solid line in FIG. 5), it releases the pressing of the bundle 95 and releases the pressing. When using a clamp cylinder, since the vector of the force for pressing the bundle of linear objects acts perpendicular to the table, the bundle can be pressed more uniformly.

[0027] In a state where the pressing member 40 extends the clamp cylinder 41, it can move away from the table and rise, rotate in an arc in the horizontal plane, and retract laterally from above the table 20 so as not to overlap the table in plan view (the dashed line on the right side of FIG. 5). When the pressing member 40 is in the retracted position, the first brush 50 can move longitudinally through the side of the pressing member 40 in a lowered state.

[0028] The pressing member 40 may be composed of a plurality of rod-shaped or plate-shaped members, and they may be integrated and move up and down by the expansion and contraction of the clamp cylinder 41, which is the same as in the case of the above-described spring-up type first pressing member 30. Also, similar to the case of the first pressing member 30, the surface of the pressing member 40 that abuts against the bundle may be made of an elastic material and the opposite side may be made of a rigid material so that all the cables included in the bundle 95 can be pressed.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 6A, the first brush 50 is horizontally arranged across the upper side of the table 20. The first brush includes a plurality of teeth 52 protruding downward from a cylinder 51 extending in the width direction and aligned in a single row in the width direction. Note that the first brush may have a plurality of rows of teeth arranged in the width direction. The gap (Y-axis direction) between adjacent teeth of the first brush is preferably sized to accommodate about 1 to 2 target linear objects. For example, when the diameter of the linear object is about 0.5 mm to 5 mm, the gap between the teeth of the first brush is preferably about 1.0 mm to 10 mm. The depth (Z-axis direction) of the gap between adjacent teeth of the first brush is preferably sized to accommodate about 1.5 to 3 target linear objects. When the diameter of the linear object is about 0.5 mm to 5 mm, the depth of the gap between the teeth of the first brush is preferably about 0.8 mm to 15 mm.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 6B, the first brush 50 is arranged to be movable in the vertical and longitudinal directions with the teeth 52 facing downward (opposite to the Z direction) above the table 20. At the upper end position of the vertical movement of the first brush, the tip of the tooth 52 is above the bundle 95, and at the lower end position, the tip of the tooth 52 is inserted into the bundle 95 and does not touch the table. By lowering the first brush and inserting it into the bundle 95 and moving it in the longitudinal direction, the bundle 95 placed on the table 20 can be combed and the cable 90 can be loosened. Regarding the longitudinal movement of the first brush, it is preferable that the first brush can move across the entire longitudinal direction of the table.

[0031] Also, the first brush 50 is preferably rotatable about an axis 53 parallel to the width direction as a fulcrum to change the angle formed with the table 20. The angle formed between the first brush and the table is preferably variable within a range of 90 degrees ± 30 degrees. By tilting the first brush forward or backward with respect to the traveling direction, when the first brush combs the bundle 95, the first brush can move more smoothly. Also, the load on the cable by the brush can be reduced.

[0032] Also, referring to FIG. 6C, the first brush 50 is preferably movable rearward beyond the rear end 21 of the table 20. At the rear of the table, it is movable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and the longitudinal direction of the table (X-axis direction) with the teeth 52 facing the table side. Thereby, the first brush can comb the hanging part 96 of the bundle 95.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 7A and B, the second brush 55 is disposed substantially horizontally below the rear end 21 of the table 20. The second brush includes a plurality of teeth 57 that project in a direction away from the table toward the hanging part 96 from a body 56 extending in the width direction and are aligned in a single row in the width direction. Note that the second brush may have a plurality of rows of teeth arranged in the width direction. Also, the second brush may be disposed inclined in the width direction from the horizontal, but if there is no particular merit in inclining it, it is preferably disposed horizontally in the width direction. The gap (Y-axis direction) between adjacent teeth and the depth of the tooth gap (Z-axis direction) of the second brush can be designed in the same manner as the first brush.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 7B, the second brush is disposed movably in the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction of the table. Thereby, by protruding the second brush rearward and inserting it into the hanging part 96 of the bundle 95 and moving it in the vertical direction, the hanging part 96 can be combed and the cable 90 of the hanging part can be loosened.

[0035] Also, the second brush 55 is preferably rotatable about an axis 58 parallel to the width direction as a fulcrum so that the angle from the horizontal can be changed such that the direction of the teeth 57 inclines from the horizontal. The angle formed by the second brush with the horizontal is preferably variable in the range of 0 degrees ± 30 degrees. By slightly inclining the angle of the second brush from the horizontal, when the second brush combs the hanging part 96, the second brush can move more smoothly.

[0036] Also, by the second brush 55 supporting the hanging portion 96 until immediately before the robot hand 70 extracts one cable 90 from the bundle 95, it is possible to further reduce the likelihood that the terminals 93 at the rear ends of the cable to be extracted and the adjacent cables will catch on each other and the terminals will be damaged. Since the second brush 55 is on the table side of the hanging portion, it does not interfere with the cable that the robot hand is about to extract.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 8, the laser displacement sensor 60 is provided above the front end portion of the table 20 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction and the width direction. When the robot hand 70 grips a portion other than the front end portion of the cable, the laser displacement sensor 60 is provided above the portion to be gripped by the robot hand.

[0038] As the displacement sensor, any sensor that can measure the height of the bundle of cables placed on the table may be used. For example, optical sensors such as lasers, infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, and LEDs can be used. In this embodiment, a laser displacement sensor is used. The laser displacement sensor irradiates the laser beam 61 onto the bundle 95 of cables on the table, receives the reflected light, and measures the distance to the point where the laser beam is reflected. By the laser displacement sensor scanning in the width direction at two or more positions in the longitudinal direction of the bundle 95, the cable 90 at the highest position within the scanned region can be selected, and its position coordinates and orientation can be obtained.

[0039] Returning to FIG. 1, the robot hand 70 receives supply from the linear object supply device 10 of this embodiment, grips the front end portion of one cable 90, and picks it up from the bundle 95. By gripping the front end portion, even when a terminal or the like is attached to the front end or the front end portion of the linear object, it is possible to suppress the shape of the bundle from collapsing when the robot hand extracts one linear object from the bundle. Also, it is possible to further reduce damage to the terminals and the like. The robot hand is preferably attached to a multi-joint robot. Also, the robot hand preferably grips the cable by pinching it with fingers. This is because it can grip more securely compared to gripping by suction, and the gripped cable is less likely to fall off.

[0040] Next, a method for picking up a linear object using the linear object supply device 10 of the present embodiment will be described along the flow of FIG. 9.

[0041] (Placement step) Raise the first pressing member 30 and the second pressing member 35, and place the bundle 95 of the cables 90 on the table 20 with the first brush 50 and the laser displacement sensor 60 retracted to the side of the table. At this time, the bundle 95 of the cables is placed on the table so that the rear part thereof protrudes from the rear end 21 of the table to form a hanging part 96 (FIG. 3A). In the present embodiment, since the robot hand grips the front end portion of the cable, the longitudinal direction of the cable is placed with the side gripped by the robot hand facing forward according to the subsequent process.

[0042] In the present embodiment, the reason for placing the bundle 95 so as to form the hanging part 96 is that when terminals are attached to the rear end of the cable 90, if the entire cable is on the table 20, when the robot hand 70 pulls out one cable from the bundle 95, the terminals of adjacent cables may be caught and the terminals may be damaged. Therefore, when no terminal is attached to the rear end of the cable, the entire bundle 95 may be placed on the table 20 without providing the hanging part. Further, by placing the bundle 95 so as to form the hanging part 96, the entire linear object supply device can be miniaturized, which is effective when the working space is limited.

[0043] (Pressing step) Lower the second pressing member 35 to press the bundle 95 against the table 20. Since the next brushing step starts with the first pressing member 30 raised, the first pressing member may remain raised. When the linear object supply device 10 has three or more pressing members, at least one pressing member other than the first pressing member is lowered, preferably the second pressing member adjacent to the rear of the first pressing member is lowered, and more preferably all pressing members other than the first pressing member are lowered. This pressing step is performed by the control unit 11 controlling the pressing members 30 and 35.

[0044] Note that the pressing member should preferably be kept in the lowered state, except when it is necessary to release the pressing of the bundle 95 in the raised state, not limited to the pressing-in process.

[0045] (First brushing process) The first brushing process by the first brush 50 consists of three stages. FIGS. 10 and 11 show an example of the movement of the first brush. In FIGS. 10 and 11, the first brush moves in alphabetical order from a to w. This first brushing process is carried out by the control unit 11 controlling the first brush 50 and the pressing members 30 and 35.

[0046] First, as the first stage, with the first pressing member 30 raised and not pressing the bundle 95, and the second pressing member 35 lowered and pressing the bundle 95, the region extending on both sides of the first pressing member 30 in the longitudinal direction, that is, the region where the bundle between the front end of the bundle 95 and the second pressing member is open, is combed with the first brush 50. However, the first brush is prevented from touching the portion of the terminal 92 attached to the front end of the cable 90, and only the cable body 91 is combed. This is to prevent damage to the terminal 92. When combing the bundle, the first brush may be tilted forward or backward with respect to the combing direction. Also, in the process, with the first brush inserted into the bundle, a small reciprocating movement may be added in the width direction to perform a loosening operation on the cable.

[0047] A specific example of the movement of the first brush 50 is as follows with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10C. The first brush is returned from the lateral retracted position above the table 20 (a), lowered at a position in front of the second pressing member 35, and inserted into the bundle 95 (b). The first brush is moved forward to comb the bundle (c), raised and once removed from the bundle (d). The first brush is moved immediately in front of the second pressing member (e), lowered and inserted into the bundle, and in this state, reciprocated slightly in the width direction to loosen the cable 90 (f). The first brush is raised (g), moved to the front end of the bundle (h), lowered and inserted into the bundle (i), moved backward to comb the bundle (j), and the first brush is raised (k). The first brush is returned slightly forward (l), lowered and inserted into the bundle (m), and moved further backward than the immediately preceding combed position j to comb the bundle (n).

[0048] Next, as the second step, the first pressing member 30 is lowered to hold down the bundle 95, the second pressing member 35 is raised to release the holding of the bundle 95, and in the region extending on both sides of the second pressing member in the longitudinal direction, that is, in the region where the bundle between the first pressing member and the rear end of the table is open, the first brush is moved in the longitudinal direction to comb the bundle 95. Also, in the process, an operation of loosening the cable 90 by reciprocating slightly in the width direction with the first brush inserted into the bundle may be added.

[0049] An example of the specific movement of the first brush 50 is as follows with reference to FIG. 11D. From the position n when the first step is completed, the first brush is moved backward to comb the bundle (o), and the first brush is raised (p). The first brush is returned slightly forward (q), lowered and inserted into the bundle (r), moved further backward than the immediately preceding combed position o to comb the bundle (s), and the first brush is raised (t).

[0050] When there are three or more pressing members, for the portion behind the second pressing member 35, the pressing members can be sequentially raised and lowered to comb the bundle with the first brush. Specifically, the following processing is performed on the pressing member behind the second pressing member. Select the pressing member one position behind the pressing member that was in the raised state when the bundle was last combed as the selected pressing member. If the selected pressing member is not the one located at the rearmost position, raise the selected pressing member and lower the pressing members adjacent to the front and rear of the selected pressing member, and use the first brush to comb the area where the bundle between the pressing members adjacent to the front and rear is open. If the selected pressing member is the one located at the rearmost position, raise the selected pressing member and lower the pressing member adjacent to the front of the selected pressing member, and use the first brush to comb the area where the bundle between the pressing member adjacent to the front and the rear end of the table is open. Repeat this while sequentially shifting the selected pressing member one by one backward. Thereby, the entire portion of the bundle on the table can be combed with the first brush.

[0051] The brushing from the first stage to the second stage may be performed in order from the front as described above, but it is not limited to this. Generally, the brushing may be performed as follows. First, select one of the plurality of pressing members as the first selected pressing member, release the pressing of the bundle by the first selected pressing member, and while pressing the bundle with one or more pressing members other than the first selected pressing member, comb the bundle in the area extending across both sides in the longitudinal direction with the first selected pressing member in between. If there is an area where the bundle is open outside this area, it may also be combed with the first brush. Next, select one of the pressing members other than the first selected pressing member as the second selected pressing member, release the pressing of the bundle by the second selected pressing member, and while pressing the bundle with one or more pressing members other than the second selected pressing member, comb the bundle in the area extending across both sides in the longitudinal direction with the second selected pressing member in between. If there is an area where the bundle is open outside this area, it may also be combed with the first brush. Similarly, select the pressing member and comb the bundle thereafter. At this time, the order of selecting the pressing member as the selected pressing member may be in any order.

[0052] In addition, in this embodiment, from the first stage to the second stage, the foremost first pressing member is selected as the first selected pressing member, and the second pressing member located in front of the first pressing member is selected as the second selected pressing member. Thereafter, the selected pressing members are sequentially shifted one by one backward. Preferably, brushing is performed in this order from the front.

[0053] Next, as the third stage, the second pressing member 35 is lowered to comb the hanging portion 96. However, the second brush is prevented from touching the portion of the terminal 93 attached to the rear end of the cable 90, and only the main body portion 91 of the cable is combed. This is to prevent damage to the terminal 93. Also, in the process, with the first brush inserted into the bundle, it may be reciprocated slightly in the width direction to loosen the cable.

[0054] An example of the specific movement of the first brush 50 is as follows with reference to FIG. 11E. From the position t where the second stage is completed, the first brush is moved backward beyond the rear end 21 of the table, tilted substantially horizontally (u), inserted into the hanging portion of the bundle (v), and lowered to comb the hanging portion (w).

[0055] The first brushing process may be repeated two or more times. Also, depending on the properties of the cable, for example, when the deformation of the cable is not so large or the cable is not easily kinked, only the first stage may be performed, or only the first and second stages may be performed. Also, when there is no hanging portion 96 and the entire bundle 95 is placed on the table 20, the third stage is of course unnecessary.

[0056] (Second Brushing Process) The second brushing process is a process of combing the hanging part 96 with the second brush 55. However, the second brush is prevented from touching the part of the terminal 93 attached to the rear end of the cable 90, and only the main body part 91 of the cable is combed. This is to prevent damage to the terminal 93. Also, in the process, with the second brush inserted into the hanging part 96, it may be reciprocated slightly in the width direction to loosen the cable 90. This second brushing process is carried out by the control unit 11 controlling the second brush 55.

[0057] A specific example of the movement of the second brush 55 is as follows with reference to FIG. 12. The second brush retracts forward from a position in front of the hanging part (a), is inserted into the hanging part (b), and is lowered to comb the hanging part from bottom to top (c). After the second brushing process is completed, it is preferable to keep the second brush inserted into the hanging part until just before it is removed by the robot hand 70. This is because a state with less entanglement between cables can be maintained.

[0058] The second brushing process is particularly effective in preventing damage to the terminal during cable extraction when a terminal 93 is attached to the rear end of the cable 90, the cable is greatly deformed, or the cable is prone to having kinks. When no terminal is attached to the rear end of the cable 90, or when the cable deformation is not so large or the cable is not prone to having kinks, the second brushing process may be omitted. Also, when there is no hanging part 96 and the entire bundle 95 is placed on the table 20, the second brushing process is naturally unnecessary.

[0059] (Laser measurement process) Referring to FIG. 13, with the first pressing member 30 and the second pressing member 35 lowered, at the front end of the bundle 95, the laser displacement sensor 60 is scanned in the width direction of the bundle at two or more positions in the longitudinal direction. Then, based on the measurement results, one linear object located at the highest position in the scanned area is selected as the selected cable 90S, and the position and orientation of the selected cable are calculated. In other words, the peak position, which is the highest position in each scan, is obtained, and from the plurality of peak values obtained in multiple scans, the selected cable 90S located at the highest position is selected, and the position and orientation of the selected cable are calculated. The selected cable 90S is gripped by the robot hand 70 in the next process. This laser measurement process is performed by the control unit 11 controlling the laser displacement sensor 60, and based on the measurement results of the laser displacement sensor, the calculation unit 12 selects the selected cable and calculates its position and orientation.

[0060] The specific processing procedure is as follows, for example. First, at one position in the longitudinal direction, the laser is scanned in the width direction (arrow P), and the linear object located at the highest position on the scan line is selected as the selected cable 90S, and its position p is obtained as the peak position with respect to the scan P. Next, the laser is scanned in the width direction before and after the first scan line (P) (arrows Q, R), and the highest peak positions q and r are obtained on each scan line. From the three peak positions p, q, and r, the orientation at the position p of the selected cable 90S is calculated. The scans are preferably performed at intervals of 1 mm to 10 mm, more preferably 2 mm to 5 mm, in the longitudinal direction. The scans are performed not at the terminal 92 at the front end of the cable 90 but at a position close to the terminal 92 of the cable body 91, preferably at a position 10 mm to 150 mm, more preferably 40 mm to 80 mm, from the front end terminal of the cable. This is because when pulling out the selected cable 90S from the bundle 95, gripping the portion closer to the front end makes it less likely for the terminal to get caught on other cables and easier to pull out.

[0061] The scanning by the laser displacement sensor 60 does not need to be performed over the entire width of the bundle 95. When the number of linear objects included in the bundle is large, for example, it may be sufficient to scan only a part of the width direction of the bundle. If there are too many candidate cables to be selected, the calculation becomes difficult. Therefore, it is better to end the scanning in the width direction when the desired displacement can be measured rather than scanning the entire width direction of the table. For example, in the present embodiment, the laser displacement sensor is scanned from the right end side of the table (the upper side in FIG. 13), and when a peak of height can be detected as a mountain, the scanning area of one time is ended, that is, the scanning is ended when one peak can be measured. This scanning can be performed three times. Also, when the bundle 95 of cables can be sufficiently loosened in the brushing process, the ends of the bundle are often aligned one by one without the cables overlapping each other. Utilizing this fact, when the height of the detected peak from the table is approximately equal to the diameter of the cable, it may be determined that there are no other cables around the cable, and the cable that gave the peak may be selected as the selected cable 90S and the scanning may be ended.

[0062] The measurement by the laser displacement sensor 60 is performed at the front end portion of the bundle 95, while the process of combing the hanging portion 96 with the second brush is performed at the rear end portion of the bundle. Therefore, this laser measurement process may be carried out in parallel with the second brushing process.

[0063] The method of obtaining the position and orientation of the cable at the highest position by scanning the laser displacement sensor 60 is excellent in terms of light calculation load compared to, for example, the method described in Patent Document 1 when the number of cables 90 included in the bundle 95 is large.

[0064] (Cable gripping process) The position and orientation of the robot hand 70 are adjusted to the position and orientation of the front end portion of the selected cable, and the selected cable is gripped by the robot hand. The gripping position is a portion near the terminal 92 of the cable main body 91 scanned by the laser displacement sensor 60.

[0065] In this cable gripping process, the arithmetic unit 12 calculates the coordinates and orientation of the gripping position on the selected cable 90S, and the communication unit 13 transmits them to the robot communication unit 77. Based on the target position and orientation received by the robot communication unit 77, the robot arithmetic unit 76 calculates the joint variables necessary for the movement and gripping of the robot hand 70, and the robot control unit 75 moves the arm 78 and the robot hand 70.

[0066] When the robot hand 70 grips the cable with two fingers, referring to Fig. 14, for the position (x c , y c , z c ) of the gripping point C on the selected cable to be gripped, and the orientation of the selected cable at the gripping point C (vector c = (a c , b c , c c ))), the inclination in the width direction of the pair of fingers 71, 72 of the robot hand (vector g = (a g , b g , c g )) is adjusted to the orientation of the selected cable at the gripping point C, and the robot hand is moved to the forward position. The forward position is the position where the robot hand 70 starts to move straight forward with the gripping center G towards the gripping point C. Then, the robot hand is advanced from the forward position towards the gripping point C, and the fingers 71, 72 are closed while aligning the position (x g , y g , z g ) of the gripping center G with the position of the gripping point C.

[0067] In order to grip one cable 90 from the bundle 95 in which thin, flexible, and easily deformable cables 90 are densely packed, it is necessary to form the tips of the fingers 71, 72 of the robot hand 70 to be thin and approach and grip the cable with the fingers 71, 72 slightly open. Therefore, it is difficult to grip the selected cable with the robot hand only by aligning the positions of the selected cable and the robot hand, and gripping becomes possible by aligning both the position and the orientation.

[0068] (Cable extraction process) The selected cable 90S held by the robot hand 70 is removed from the bundle 95. This cable removal process is carried out by the control unit 11 controlling the pressing members 30 and 35. Each time the pressing members are raised and lowered, the communication unit 13 transmits the next movement target of the robot hand 70 to the robot communication unit 77, and the process is carried out while receiving the completion of the movement of the robot hand from the robot communication unit 77.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 15, with the first pressing member 30 lowered, starting from the state where the robot hand 70 holds the selected cable (FIG. 15A), the robot hand is moved to lift the front end of the held selected cable 90S (FIG. 15B). The target position and posture of the robot hand 70 when the front end of the selected cable is lifted are transmitted from the communication unit 13 of the linear material supply device 10 to the robot communication unit 77. Based on the target position and posture received by the robot communication unit 77, the robot arithmetic unit 76 calculates the joint variables necessary for the movement and gripping of the robot hand 70, and the robot control unit 75 moves the arm 78 and the robot hand 70. When the robot hand reaches the target in FIG. 15B, a movement completion report is transmitted from the robot communication unit 77 to the communication unit 13 of the linear material supply device. When the control unit 11 confirms the movement completion report, it raises the first pressing member 30 and proceeds to the next process.

[0070] Similarly, the movement target position and posture of the robot hand 70 with the first pressing member 30 lowered and the second pressing member 35 raised are transmitted from the linear material supply device to the robot. When the linear material supply device receives the movement completion report from the robot, it proceeds to the next process. In this way, while raising the pressing members 30 and 35 in order from the front, the robot hand is moved to separate the selected cable 90S from the portion placed on the table 20 of the bundle 95 (FIGS. 15C, D).

[0071] What is important in the movement path of the robot hand 70 is to lift it upward away from the bundle so as not to pull the selected cable 90S in the longitudinal direction of the bundle 95. For example, at the initial stage of lifting the selected cable (Figs. 15B and C), it is more effective to lift it while gradually tilting the robot hand and pulling it upward obliquely backward. This prevents the shape of the bundle 95 from collapsing, and even if there are fine protrusions at the terminals at the front end of the cable, it can prevent the terminals 92 at the front ends of the other cables adjacent to the selected cable from getting caught and the terminals from being damaged. Also, since it becomes difficult to apply tension between the selected cable and the pressing member when lifting the selected cable, the cable is less likely to be damaged. In the above process, the second brush 55 maintains the state of being inserted into the hanging portion 96.

[0072] Move the robot hand 70 backward beyond the rear end 21 of the table 20, pull out the second brush 55 from the hanging portion 96 (Fig. 16E), and pull out the selected cable from the bundle so that the rear end of the selected cable 90S moves downward away from the rear end (lower end) of the hanging portion (Fig. 16F). This enables the robot hand to pull out the selected cable without the terminals 93 at the rear ends of the other cables adjacent to the selected cable getting caught and the terminals being damaged, even if there are fine protrusions at the terminals 93 attached to the rear end of the cable.

[0073] As described above, one cable 90 could be picked up from the cable bundle 95 by the robot hand 70. Thereafter, the process from the second brushing step to the cable extraction step is repeated to sequentially pick up the cables 90.

[0074] Note that the operations of the first brush 50, the second brush 55, the robot hand 70, etc. described in each step are not limited to this, and may be appropriately changed according to the properties of the cable 90, etc.

[0075] The cable 90 picked up by the robot hand 70 is transferred to the subsequent process. Referring to FIG. 17, an example of the subsequent process is as follows. The cable 90 grasped by the robot hand 70 is transferred to the measurement stage 80. At the measurement stage, the tip of the cable is illuminated, and the 3D measuring instrument 81 measures the bend of the tip of the cable 90, the rotational direction of the terminal 92 around the core of the cable, etc. The robot hand transfers the cable whose measurement has been completed to the inspection device 82, adjusts the orientation of the cable tip based on the measurement result, and inserts the tip of the cable into the insertion port 83 of the inspection device. To insert the tip of the cable into the insertion port, for example, the methods described in JP-A-2020-112470 and JP-A-2021-024068 by the applicant of the present application can be used. The robot hand delivers the cable whose inspection has been completed to the linear object storage device 84, and the linear object storage device stores the cable in a predetermined container 85 according to the above inspection result.

[0076] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea.

[0077] According to the above embodiment, by scanning two or more positions in the longitudinal direction of the bundle of linear objects placed on the table in the width direction with a laser displacement sensor, the position and orientation of the linear object that is at the highest position and is easy to grip with a robot hand can be obtained without an excessive calculation load, so other processes can be appropriately changed or omitted. For example, when the degree of entanglement of the cables is small depending on the properties of the cables, brushing is unnecessary, and the pressing-in process, the first brushing and the second brushing processes can be omitted. When handling only such cables, the first brush 50 and the second brush 55 can also be omitted from the linear object supply device 10. Similarly, depending on the scanning results of the laser displacement sensor, the brushing process can be omitted. Further, when taking up one cable from the bundle 95 depending on the properties of the cable and no other linear object is dragged by the taken-up linear object, the cable extraction process can be performed with all the pressing members raised. Also, when no other linear object is dragged by the taken-up linear object, the central part instead of the end part of the linear object may be gripped by the robot hand 70 and taken up.

Explanation of Signs

[0078] 10 Linear object supply device 11 Control unit 12 Arithmetic unit 13 Communication unit 20 Table 21 Rear end of the table 30 First pressing member 31 Shaft 32 Rigid part 33 Elastic part 35 Second pressing member 40 Pressing member 41 Clamping cylinder 42 Rod 43 Clamping arm 44 Support member 50 First brush 51 Barrel 52 Teeth 53 Shaft 55 Second brush 56 Barrel 57 teeth 58 shaft 60 laser displacement sensor 61 laser light 70 robot hand 71, 72 fingers 74 robot 75 robot control unit 76 robot arithmetic unit 77 robot communication unit 78 arm 80 measurement stage 81 3D measuring instrument 82 inspection device 83 insertion port 84 linear object storage device 85 container 90 cable (linear object) 90S selected cable 91 cable body part 92 cable front end terminal 93 cable rear end terminal 95 cable bundle 96 hanging part

Claims

1. A linear material supply device used for picking up one linear material from a bundle of linear materials, comprising: a table for placing the bundle; a displacement sensor disposed above the table and capable of scanning in the width direction of the bundle at two or more positions in the longitudinal direction of the bundle placed on the table; A linear material supply device having the above.

2. A placing step of placing a bundle of linear materials on a table; scanning a displacement sensor in the width direction of the bundle at two or more positions in the longitudinal direction of the bundle, selecting the linear material at the highest position in the scanned area as the selected linear material, and calculating the position and orientation of the selected linear material in the scanned area; a step of gripping the selected linear material with the robot hand by aligning the position and orientation of the robot hand with the position and orientation of the selected linear material; a step of moving the robot hand to separate and extract the selected linear material from the bundle; A linear material picking method having the above.

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