Cover and processing device

Abstract

To provide a cover and the like capable of countering splash of an object when releasing the object with an end effector.SOLUTION: A cover covers at least a part of an edge of a container from an upper direction in a process where an object held with an end effector is allowed to drop in the container. The cover may have a shape covering a whole circumference of the edge of the container from the upper direction. In this case, an opening through which the object to be dropped in the container is capable of passing is formed, and an outer peripheral end of the opening is positioned at a position closer to an inside than an inner peripheral end of the edge and an outer peripheral of the cover is positioned at a position further toward the outside than an outer peripheral end of the edge.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cover and a processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a food filling machine that supplies food to containers using a drop-type gear feeder or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5891017 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when an object is placed in a container by releasing it into the container using an end effector of a robot, the object tends to splash around.

[0005] Therefore, in one aspect, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a cover or the like that can effectively deal with the scattering of an object when the object is released by an end effector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, A flat cover is provided that is positioned above the container and covers at least a portion of the edge of the container from above during the process of releasing the object held by the end effector and dropping it into the container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In one aspect, the present disclosure can effectively deal with problems such as scattering of an object when the object is released by an end effector. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control system of the processing apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a top view showing the trajectory of the tray transferred by the transfer mechanism. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of end effectors (a first end effector and a second end effector) attached to the distal end side of a robot mechanism. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a moving mechanism and a cover. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the moving mechanism and the cover. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the periphery of a rotation drive unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing how to attach and detach the cover. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the process of placing prepared food in a container. [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the process of placing prepared food in a container. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the process of placing prepared food in a container. [Figure 10] 10 is a view of the state shown in FIG. 9 as seen from the right (direction of line XX). [Figure 10A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example that corresponds to a narrow container. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are top views illustrating examples of other shapes of the cover portion. [Figure 11A] 10A and 10B are top views illustrating examples of other shapes of the cover portion. [Figure 11B] 10A and 10B are top views illustrating examples of other shapes of the cover portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following describes an example in which the target object is a prepared dish. However, in the cover and processing device of the present disclosure, the target object is any object and is not limited to food or food-related items. The configuration of the end effector is also any object and is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment. The shape of the container is also any object and is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the processing apparatus of this embodiment.

[0011] Processing device 100 is a device that places food on trays 90 serving as containers and places trays 90 containing the food on an operating conveyor device 200 (e.g., a belt conveyor device). As shown in Fig. 1, multiple processing devices 100 (including three or more) can be arranged adjacent to conveyor device 200 in the conveying direction of conveyor device 200. Note that only some of the components of processing device 100 on the right side of Fig. 1 are shown.

[0012] 1, processing device 100 includes a supply mechanism 10 that supplies trays 90 for placing food thereon, and a transfer mechanism 20 that transfers trays 90 supplied via supply mechanism 10. Processing device 100 also includes robot mechanisms 30A and 30B that load food from above onto trays 90 transferred by transfer mechanism 20.

[0013] A chute 11 capable of supplying trays 90 to the supply mechanism 10 can be attached to the processing device 100. A supply mechanism 10A (FIG. 3) that supplies trays 90 to the transfer mechanism 20 at a position different from that of the supply mechanism 10 can also be attached to the processing device 100. In this case, a chute 12 can be attached in addition to the chute 11. The chute 12 is connected to the supply mechanism 10A and supplies trays 90 toward the supply mechanism 10A.

[0014] Outriggers 60 with a plurality of casters 61 attached are provided at the bottom of the processing device 100, which maintain the stability of the processing device 100 while at the same time allowing the processing device 100 to be easily moved.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control system of the processing device.

[0016] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the processing device 100 includes a main control unit 50 that controls the overall operation of the processing device 100.

[0017] 2, the main control unit 50 controls the actuators provided in the supply mechanism 10 and the transfer mechanism 20. The main control unit 50 also controls the operation of the robot mechanism 30A via the robot control unit 53A and the operation of the robot mechanism 30B via the robot control unit 53B. Furthermore, the main control unit 50 controls the operation of the rotation drive unit 41 that constitutes the movement mechanism 40, which will be described later.

[0018] 2, various sensors S1, S2, ... provided in various parts of the processing device 100 are connected to the main control unit 50. Also connected to the main control unit 50 are an operation unit 55 (FIG. 1A) that accepts various operations on the processing device 100 and a display unit 56 (FIG. 1A) that displays the operating status of the processing device 100, etc.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a top view showing the trajectory of the tray transferred by the transfer mechanism.

[0020] 3, the transfer mechanism 20 can move the tray 90 on an arc 95 in a horizontal plane. The transfer mechanism 20 can transport the tray 90 to each of points P1, P2A, P2B, P3A, P3B, P4, and P5 on the arc 95 and stop the tray 90 there.

[0021] In the processing device 100 of this embodiment, for example, the transfer mechanism 20 grasps the tray 90 supplied from the supply mechanism 10 at point P1 and moves the tray 90 to point P2A or point P2B. Point P2A is within the range of movement of only the robot mechanism 30A, and point P2B is within the range of movement of only the robot mechanism 30B. Therefore, at point P2A, the robot mechanism 30A arranges the prepared food on the tray 90. At point P2B, the robot mechanism 30B arranges the prepared food on the tray 90. Furthermore, the transfer mechanism 20 moves the tray 90 on which the prepared food is arranged from point P2A or point P2B and releases it onto the operating conveyor device 200 at point P3A or point P3B.

[0022] The robot mechanism 30A and the robot mechanism 30B are mechanisms that operate as, for example, so-called articulated robots.

[0023] 4 is a perspective view illustrating end effectors (first end effector and second end effector) attached to the distal end sides of the robot mechanisms. The end effectors are attached to the distal end sides of the robot mechanism 30A and the robot mechanism 30B, respectively.

[0024] In the example of Fig. 4, the end effector includes a pair of hand units 31a and 31b that can open and close relative to each other, and a drive unit 32 equipped with a linear actuator that drives hand unit 31b. Hand units 31a and 31b each include a main plate 311 and a pair of side plates 312 attached to either side of main plate 311. As shown in Fig. 4, main plate 311 of hand unit 31a and main plate 311 of hand unit 31b are inclined in a direction such that their bottom ends approach each other. This configuration prevents the grasped prepared food from falling when hand units 31a and 31b are closed, and allows the prepared food to be released at a targeted position when hand units 31a and 31b are opened. The linear actuator of the drive unit 32 is controlled via the robot control unit 53A and the robot control unit 53B (FIG. 2), and the distance between the hand unit 31a and the hand unit 31b can be changed by driving the hand unit 31b with the drive unit 32. For example, by bringing the hand unit 31b closer to the hand unit 31a, a prepared food placed in a tray 97 (FIGS. 3 and 4) can be grasped by sandwiching it between the hand unit 31a and the hand unit 31b. In addition, by pulling the hand unit 31b away from the hand unit 31a, the grasped prepared food can be released. In this way, the prepared food is held and released by opening and closing the hand units 31a and 31b.

[0025] Next, the moving mechanism 40 and the cover 70 will be described.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the moving mechanism and the cover, FIG. 6 is a top view showing the moving mechanism and the cover, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the periphery of the rotation drive unit, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing how to attach and detach the cover.

[0027] 5 to 8, the movement mechanism 40 includes a rotation drive unit 41 equipped with a rotary actuator, and an arm unit 42 that is driven to rotate around a vertical axis 41a by the rotation drive unit 41. A cover 70 is attached to the tip of the arm unit 42.

[0028] The movement mechanism 40 also includes a pair of stoppers 43a and 43b attached to the rotation drive unit 41. Abutment portions 42a (FIG. 7) and 42b (FIG. 8) provided on the arm unit 42 come into contact with the stoppers 43a and 43b, respectively, thereby restricting the rotatable angle of the arm unit 42 (FIG. 6). Note that an incremental rotary table may also be used as the rotation drive unit 41. In this case, by resetting the angle detection value while the arm unit 42 is pressed against the stopper 43a or 43b, the angle of the arm unit 42 can be recognized by the main control unit 50.

[0029] 6, when the contact portion 42a contacts the stopper 43a, the cover 70 is positioned at a position corresponding to point P2A. When the contact portion 42b contacts the stopper 43b, the cover 70 is positioned at a position corresponding to point P2B.

[0030] The arm portion 42 has an L-shaped attachment portion 42A at its tip.

[0031] 5, 6, and 8, the cover 70 has a flat cover portion 71 and an engagement portion 75 extending from the cover portion 71. The outer periphery of the cover portion 71 is rectangular, and a rectangular opening 72 is formed in the center of the cover portion 71.

[0032] The tip of the engaging portion 75 (the upper end in FIG. 8) is shaped to be engageable with the mounting portion 42A of the arm portion 42, and as shown in FIG. 8, the cover 70 can be easily removed from the mounting portion 42A by lifting the cover 70 upward. This allows the cover 70 to be easily washed and kept clean. When attaching the cover 70, simply engaging the tip of the engaging portion 75 with the mounting portion 42A fixes the cover 70 at a predetermined angle to the arm portion 42.

[0033] Next, the process of placing the prepared food 80 on the tray 90 will be described.

[0034] 9 to 9B are diagrams that schematically show the process of serving prepared foods in containers, and FIG. 10 is a diagram of the state shown in FIG. 9 as seen from the right (direction of line XX).

[0035] Figure 9 shows the state in which hand units 31a and 31b attached to robot mechanism 30A grab the prepared food 80 and transport it to a position corresponding to point P2A, and then cover 70 is moved by moving mechanism 40 to a position corresponding to point P2A.

[0036] In the process of placing prepared food 80 on tray 90, first, under the control of main control unit 50, hand units 31a and 31b attached to robot mechanism 30A grasp prepared food 80 placed on tray 97 located below point P2A. When weight sensors included in sensors S1, S2, etc. detect that prepared food 80 has been grasped by robot mechanism 30A, main control unit 50, via robot control unit 53A (FIG. 2), causes robot mechanism 30A to lift hand units 31a and 31b from near tray 97 and transport the prepared food 80 to point P2A. At this time, due to the operation of rotation drive unit 41 under the control of main control unit 50, arm unit 42 and cover 70 are retracted to positions where they do not interfere with the operation of robot mechanism 30A. In this way, it is desirable to move cover 70 after hand units 31a and 31b have successfully held prepared food 80 and hand units 31a and 31b have moved to a predetermined height. Until the prepared food 80 is released from hand units 31a and 31b, cover 70 can be retracted to a location outside the range of movement of hand units 31a and 31b, that is, to a location that does not interfere with the operation of hand units 31a and 31b while the prepared food 80 is being held by hand units 31a and 31b.

[0037] Next, the main control unit 50 rotates the arm unit 42 via the rotation drive unit 41 so as to bring the cover 70 closer to the hand units 31a and 31b holding the prepared food 80, and moves the cover 70 to a position (first position) on the right side of FIG. 6 corresponding to point P2A. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the cover unit 71 of the cover 70 covers the entire edge 91 of the tray 90 from above. Also, at this time, the opening 72 is positioned above the tray 90 and does not overlap the edge 91 in the vertical direction.

[0038] Next, as shown in Figure 9A, when the drive unit 32 (Figure 4) moves the hand unit 31b to the right in Figure 9A under the control of the main control unit 50, the side dish 80 is released from between the hand units 31a and 31b and falls into the tray 90 through the opening 72.

[0039] When the prepared dish 80 is picked up by the robot mechanism 30B, the prepared dish 80 is transported to point P2B by the robot mechanism 30B. The cover 70 is also moved by the movement mechanism 40 to a position (second position) on the left side of FIG. 6 corresponding to point P2B, and the same process is carried out.

[0040] The tray 90 with the prepared food 80 placed therein is transported to a predetermined position for the next step. As shown in Fig. 9B, in this step, a sealant 92 is adhered to the edge 91, and the tray 90 is sealed by the sealant 92. Instead of the sealant 92, the tray 90 may be sealed by a lid (not shown) that is shaped to engage with the edge 91.

[0041] In this way, when the prepared food 80 is released from between the hand portions 31a and 31b and falls into the tray 90, the edge 91 of the tray 90 is covered from above by the cover portion 71 of the cover 70. This prevents the prepared food 80 from adhering to the edge 91 when it falls into the tray 90. Therefore, the sealing material 92 or the lid can be brought into close contact with the edge 91, allowing the tray 90 to be reliably sealed or closed.

[0042] Furthermore, the movement mechanism 40 is capable of moving the cover 70 in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the cover 70 can be selectively moved to a position corresponding to the robot mechanism 30A or robot mechanism 30B (point P2A or point P2B) that holds the prepared food 80. Note that the movement of the cover 70 may include movement not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction. For example, the movement mechanism 40 may be capable of moving the cover 70 to a plurality of positions at different heights.

[0043] The moving mechanism 40 may perform an operation to shake off the prepared food 80 adhering to the cover portion 71. For example, in the above process, if the falling prepared food 80 comes into contact with the cover portion 71, the prepared food 80 may not adhere to the edge 91 but may adhere to the cover portion 71. In such a case, for example, the arm portion 42 can be rotated back and forth in small increments via the rotation drive unit 41, thereby shaking off the prepared food 80 adhering to the cover portion 71 onto the food tray 97. The adhesion of the prepared food 80 to the cover portion 71 can be detected by a sensor (sensor included in sensors S1, S2, etc.) that measures the weight acting on the arm portion 42. In this way, since the food tray 97 is installed below the cover 70, waste of ingredients can be prevented. Note that by setting the movement range of the cover 70 so that it does not extend beyond the space above the food tray 97, the food tray 97 can always receive the prepared food 80 that falls from the cover portion 71.

[0044] In this embodiment, the outer peripheral edge of the opening 72 formed in the cover portion 71 is located inside the inner peripheral edge of the edge 91, and the outer peripheral edge of the cover portion 71 is located outside the outer peripheral edge of the edge 91. Therefore, the entire edge 91 (all around) can be covered from above by the cover portion 71. However, only a portion of the edge 91 may be covered from above by the cover portion 71. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , the prepared food 80 sandwiched between the hand portions 31a and 31b tends to protrude in the left-right direction of FIG. 10 . Therefore, the released prepared food 80 tends to spread in the left-right direction of FIG. 10 . On the other hand, the hand portions 31a and 31b prevent the released prepared food 80 from spreading in the left-right direction of FIG. 9 . Therefore, for example, the cover portion 71 may be shaped so that only the portion of the edge 91 corresponding to the left-right direction of FIG. 10 is covered from above.

[0045] Furthermore, the center of opening 72 may be positioned offset from the center of tray 90 when viewed from above, depending on the position where prepared food 80 is served and the direction in which released prepared food 80 tends to spread. Furthermore, the positions of hand units 31a and 31b when prepared food 80 is released and the position of opening 72 can be set arbitrarily depending on the position where prepared food 80 is served, the size of the container, the direction in which released prepared food 80 tends to spread, etc. For example, when handling a narrow container, prepared food may be served with the central axis of hand units 31a and 31b offset from the central axis of cover unit 71. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example corresponding to a narrow container. In the example shown in FIG. 10A, the width of the tray 90A (the width in the left-right direction in FIGS. 9A and 10A) is narrower than that of the tray 90. In this case, for example, on the left side of FIG. 10A, the edge 91A of the tray 90A is covered by the cover portion 71, but on the right side of FIG. 10A, the edge 91A of the tray 90A is exposed when viewed from above. However, as shown in FIG. 10A, when releasing the prepared food 80, the hand portion 31b restricts the position to which the prepared food 80 falls, thereby preventing the prepared food 80 from adhering to the edge 91A of the tray 90A on the right side of FIG. 10A. For example, as can be seen by comparing FIG. 9A and FIG. 10A, in FIG. 10A, the movement amount of the hand portion 31b when releasing the prepared food 80 is restricted, and the opening width of the hand portions 31a and 31b is set small. This prevents the prepared food 80 from scattering to the left by the handle 31b and from adhering to the edge 91A. In this way, one type of cover 70 can be used in common under different circumstances.

[0046] 11 to 11B are top views illustrating other shapes of the cover part. The shape of the cover part can be selected depending on the type of prepared food 80 and the shape of the container.

[0047] The cover portions 71A to 71C of the covers 70A to 70C shown in FIGS. 11 to 11B are all formed in a flat plate shape, similar to the cover portion 71. The cover portion 71A shown in FIG. 11 has a hexagonal opening 72A. By making the opening 72A hexagonal in shape, the corners of the opening 72A can be made more obtuse, making it less likely for the prepared food 80 to adhere to the corners. The cover portion 71B shown in FIG. 11A has a circular opening 72B, and the cover portion 71C shown in FIG. 11B also has a circular opening 72C. By making the opening 72B or 72C circular in shape, the corners of the opening are eliminated, making it possible to prevent the prepared food 80 from adhering to the cover portion 71B or 71C.

[0048] The cover portions 71A and 71B shown in FIGS. 11 and 11A have rectangular outer shapes like the cover portion 71, but the cover portion 71C shown in FIG. 11B has a circular outer shape.

[0049] The cover portions 71A to 71C of the covers 70A to 70C are all formed in a flat plate shape, similar to the cover portion 71. Forming the cover portions in a flat plate shape has the advantage that food ingredients are less likely to adhere to them than, for example, a funnel. For example, while a funnel is designed to come into contact with food ingredients such as prepared foods, the covers 70A to 70C of each embodiment can perform their desired function even if the prepared foods do not come into contact with them. At the same time, in terms of shape, when prepared foods come into contact with a funnel-shaped funnel, the prepared foods are more likely to adhere to the funnel than with a flat cover. Furthermore, forming the cover portions in a flat plate shape reduces the size of the cover portions, particularly the vertical size, which has the advantage of making it easier to avoid interference with the hand units 31a and 31b, the tray 90, and the like.

[0050] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the prepared food 80 is released from between the hand portions 31a and 31b and falls into the tray 90, the edge 91 of the tray 90 is covered from above by the cover portion 71 of the cover 70. This prevents the prepared food 80 from adhering to the edge 91 when it falls into the tray 90, and can also be used appropriately in cases where the tray 90 is sealed via the edge 91 by attaching a sealing material 92 or a lid to the edge 91, for example.

[0051] Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, it is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims. It is also possible to combine all or a plurality of the components of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 30A, 30B robot mechanism 31a, 31b Hand part 32 Drive unit 40 Moving mechanism 41 Rotation drive unit 42 Arm section 42A Mounting part 70, 70A, 70B, 70C Cover 71, 71A, 71B, 71C Cover 72, 72A, 72B, 72C opening 90, 90A Tray (container) 91, 91A Edge 100 Processing equipment

Claims

1. A flat cover that is positioned above the container and covers at least a portion of the edge of the container from above during the process of releasing an object held by the end effector and dropping it into the container.

2. The cover according to claim 1 , having a shape that covers the entire periphery of the edge of the container from above.

3. An opening is formed through which the object to be dropped into the container can pass, an outer peripheral edge of the opening is located inside of an inner peripheral edge of the rim, The cover according to claim 2 , wherein an outer peripheral edge of the cover is positioned outward from an outer peripheral edge of the rim.

4. The cover of claim 1 , wherein after said step, said container is sealed via said rim.

5. A processing device that performs processing on an object, a moving mechanism that moves a cover that covers at least a portion of the edge of the container from above during a step of releasing the object held by the end effector and dropping it into a container; The movement mechanism is capable of moving the cover in a horizontal direction.

6. A processing device that performs processing on an object, a moving mechanism that moves a cover that covers at least a portion of the edge of the container from above during a step of releasing the object held by the end effector and dropping it into a container; the moving mechanism selects a position corresponding to a first point within an operating range of the first end effector as the end effector, or a position corresponding to a second point within an operating range of the second end effector as the end effector, and places the cover thereon; a processing apparatus in which the steps using the first end effector or the second end effector are performed with a cover placed at the selected position.

7. A processing device that performs processing on an object, a moving mechanism that moves a cover that covers at least a portion of the edge of the container from above during a step of releasing the object held by the end effector and dropping it into a container; The moving mechanism moves the cover closer to the end effector holding the object before the process starts.

8. A processing device that performs processing on an object, a moving mechanism that moves a cover that covers at least a portion of the edge of the container from above during a step of releasing the object held by the end effector and dropping it into a container; The moving mechanism is a processing device that performs an operation of shaking off the object that has adhered to the cover by the process.

9. A processing device that performs processing on an object, a mounting portion to which a cover is attached, the cover covering at least a portion of the edge of the container from above, during a step of releasing the object held by the end effector and dropping it into the container; The processing device, wherein the cover is detachable from the mounting portion.

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