Work system and work method

Abstract

To peel an object adhering to an end effector in a more effective manner.SOLUTION: A work system 1 includes: a multijoint robot 30 including a hand unit 31 comprising a plurality of holding members 31A; and a control device 40 which controls operation of the multijoint robot 30. Scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, 901 are disposed corresponding to the respective holding members 31A. The control device 40 causes the holding members 31A to carry out work execution operation in which work involving contact with a food item is conducted. The control device 40 causes the scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, 901 to carry out peeling operation in which the scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, 901 slide on the corresponding holding member 31A to peel the food item adhering to the holding member 31A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work system and a work method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, robots have been increasingly introduced into various fields, including not only the field of industrial product manufacturing, where robots have traditionally been used, but also fields such as food plating. Moreover, an example of technology relating to a robot that performs such plating is disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6645774 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In systems that use robots to perform certain tasks, such as the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the tasks are performed by bringing the end effector into contact with the target object. When the end effector is brought into contact with the target object, the target object may adhere to the end effector depending on the properties of the target object.

[0005] In contrast, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a pusher plate that moves along the gripping member (finger link), and the pusher plate is driven linearly along the finger link to release the object attached to the gripping member. However, it is believed that there is still room for improvement in conventional technologies, including the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, in terms of removing an object stuck to an end effector. Furthermore, such issues are not limited to cases where the work involves grasping and releasing, but are common to various tasks performed by robots.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to more efficiently separate an object that has adhered to an end effector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a work system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: A work system including a robot equipped with an end effector consisting of a plurality of components, and a control device that controls the operation of the robot, A plurality of peeling members are arranged corresponding to the plurality of component members, The control device a task execution operation that causes the component to perform a task involving contact with an object; a peeling operation of sliding the component corresponding to the peeling member against the peeling member to peel off the object adhering to the component; The method is characterized in that the robot is made to execute the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an object adhering to an end effector can be more efficiently detached. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of work systems 1 according to the present invention are arranged side by side. [Figure 2] 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a working system 1 according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram (front view) showing the configuration of a hand unit 31 in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram (perspective view) showing the configuration of a hand unit 31 in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the opening and closing of two gripping members 31A. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the peeling operation when scraper 201 and air cylinder 202 are used to peel off ingredients adhering to gripping member 31A. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control device 40. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device 40. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of each operation of the release operation performed by the articulated robot 30. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of each operation of the release operation performed by the articulated robot 30. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of each operation of the release operation performed by the articulated robot 30. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of each operation of the release operation performed by the articulated robot 30. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of each operation of the release operation performed by the articulated robot 30. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an ingredient plating process executed by the work system 1. [Figure 15] 10 is a schematic diagram (front view) showing the configuration of a hand unit 31 in a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a schematic diagram (perspective view) showing the configuration of a hand unit 31 in a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 17] 10 is a diagram showing the peeling operation when scraper 401, rod member 402, support part 450, and air cylinder 460 are used to peel off ingredients adhering to gripping member 31A. [Figure 18] 10 is a schematic diagram (perspective view) showing the configuration of a hand unit 31 in a third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 19] 10 is a schematic diagram (rear view) showing the configuration of a hand unit 31 in embodiment 3. FIG. [Figure 20] 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a peeling operation when scraper 801 and air cylinder 802 are used to peel off ingredients adhering to gripping member 31A in Modification 1. FIG. [Figure 21] 9A and 9B are diagrams showing a peeling operation when scraper 901 peels off ingredients adhering to gripping member 31A in Modification 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment 1] [composition] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing the overall configuration of a work system 1 according to the present invention, where Figure 1 is an oblique view showing multiple work systems 1 arranged side by side, and Figure 2 is an oblique view showing an enlarged view of the main parts of the work system 1. The working system 1 in this embodiment is intended to be a system for arranging ingredients. Therefore, the following description will be given by taking as an example a case in which the working system 1 grasps ingredients for a side dish or the like and arranges the grasped ingredients in a container for the side dish.

[0011] However, this is merely an example for the purpose of explanation and is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention. The present invention is applicable to any system that performs work using a robot end effector. For example, the present invention can be applied to a system that uses an end effector to contact a work object and perform work such as heating, stirring, cutting, or piercing the object. Also, for example, the present invention can be applied to a system in which the end effector is a sensor such as a thermometer that is inserted into the object. In this case, the objects to be worked on are not limited to food, and the system 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 applicable to all systems that perform work using the end effector of a robot.

[0012] 1 and 2, the operation system 1 includes an ingredient storage unit 10, a container supply unit 20, an articulated robot 30, a control device 40, and a shielding unit 50. Adjacent to the operation system 1 is installed a belt conveyor 2 that automatically transports containers of prepared foods.

[0013] The ingredient storage unit 10 has a storage space for storing ingredients such as prepared dishes to be served by the operation system 1. This storage space may be formed by the ingredient storage unit 10 itself, or may be formed by a general-purpose container such as a large tray or tub that can be placed in the ingredient storage unit 10. This storage space stores, for example, a paste salad (a salad containing viscous or sticky ingredients) such as potato salad, as well as prepared dishes such as soy pulp, dried daikon radish, pickled vegetables, hijiki seaweed, boiled beans, and buttered corn. In this embodiment, the ingredient storage unit 10 stores multiple servings (e.g., tens to hundreds of servings) of one type of ingredient. The multiple operation systems 1 then arrange the ingredients of any of the prepared dishes into the corresponding containers, thereby completing the task of serving the prepared dishes. The ingredient storage unit 10 can be replaced manually by an operator or automatically by the articulated robot 30.

[0014] In the operation system 1, the container supply unit 20 supplies containers of prepared food to a predetermined position (serving position P in FIG. 2) where ingredients are to be plated. The container supply unit 20 stores a plurality of containers of prepared food, and when the operation system 1 starts operating, it supplies the containers one by one to the serving position P. In addition, a weight sensor 21 that measures the weight of the prepared food container is installed at the serving position P, and when ingredients are plated at the serving position P, it measures the weight of the plated ingredients (i.e., the weight increased by the plating). The weight data measured at this time is output to the control device 40. Then, when the weight measurement is completed, the container of prepared food is carried out to the belt conveyor 2 by a push-out mechanism provided in the container supply unit 20.

[0015] In addition, a container detection sensor 22 is disposed near the position where the container supply unit 20 pushes out the container onto the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensor 22 is a sensor that detects containers being transported on the transport surface of the belt conveyor 2. The data of the container detection results measured at this time is output to the control device 40. The container supply unit 20 pushes out the container filled with ingredients onto the transport surface at a timing when the container detection sensor 22 has not detected other containers being transported on the transport surface (containers that have already been filled by other articulated robots 30). This makes it possible to prevent containers from colliding with each other on the transport surface. The reason why other containers are transported from upstream is that, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of work systems 1 are installed in this embodiment.

[0016] The articulated robot 30 is, for example, composed of a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, and is equipped with a hand unit 31 that can grasp the ingredients to be plated, and a robot arm 32 that moves the hand unit 31 to any position within its movable range. Furthermore, a weight sensor 30a that measures the weight of a grasped ingredient is installed at the joint that holds the hand unit 31 of the articulated robot 30, as an example of a means for acquiring the physical quantity of the ingredient grasped by the gripping member 31A of the hand unit 31. Furthermore, a force sensor 30b that measures a reaction force (including a force sense obtained by touching the surface) from the ingredient that the hand unit 31 has come into contact with is installed at the joint that holds the hand unit 31 of the articulated robot 30, as an example of a means for detecting that the hand unit 31 has come into contact with the ingredient. Data on the weight of the ingredient measured by the weight sensor 30a (i.e., the weight of the grasped ingredient) and data on the reaction force from the ingredient measured by the force sensor 30b (i.e., the detection result of contact with the ingredient) are output to the control device 40.

[0017] Furthermore, the joint that holds the hand unit 31 has an axis that rotates the hand unit 31 in a torsional direction relative to the robot arm 32. Therefore, when the hand unit 31 grasps an ingredient, the direction in which the hand unit 31 opens and closes can be adjusted by changing the orientation of the hand unit 31. This makes it possible to change the orientation of the hand unit 31 so that the hand unit 31 opens and closes in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the ingredient accommodating section 10 when the hand unit 31 reaches the vicinity of the inner wall surface of the container, making it easier to grasp ingredients near the inner wall surface of the container.

[0018] The control device 40 is configured by an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and controls the entire work system 1 by executing various programs. For example, the control device 40 controls the operation of the container supply unit 20 to supply containers, and the operation of the articulated robot 30 to grasp ingredients from the ingredient storage unit 10 and release them into prepared food containers to arrange the ingredients. More specifically, for example, the control device 40 controls the drive of the robot arm 32 to move the hand unit 31 to a predetermined position along a predetermined route at a predetermined speed, and controls the drive of the actuator of the hand unit 31 to realize the operation of gripping and releasing ingredients with the gripping member 31A.

[0019] The shielding unit 50 is composed of a plate-like member that surrounds and encloses the area in the operation system 1 where the ingredient storage unit 10, the container supply unit 20, and the articulated robot 30 are installed. The plate-like member that constitutes the shielding unit 50 is made of a transparent material such as glass or resin, making it possible to visually check the operating status of the operation system 1 from the outside. In addition, an openable and closable door is installed on part of the side wall that constitutes the shielding unit 50. When replacing the ingredient storage unit 10, adding prepared food containers to the container supply unit 20, or performing maintenance on the operation system 1, a worker can open the door of the shielding unit 50 and perform the various tasks.

[0020] [Configuration of hand unit 31] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram (front view) showing the configuration of the hand unit 31. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram (perspective view) showing the configuration of the hand unit 31. The front, back, right side, and left side of the hand unit 31 are defined as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the hand unit 31 includes a gripping member 31A, a support portion 100, a scraping mechanism 200, and a driving mechanism 300.

[0021] The gripping members 31A are plate-like members used to grip ingredients. In this embodiment, two gripping members 31A form a pair and are arranged to face each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the gripping members 31A are formed of three plate-like members, namely, one main plate and two side plates, and are arranged so that their inner surfaces face each other. These two gripping members 31A are connected by two moving elements and a support unit 100 inside the drive mechanism 300. These two moving elements move the two gripping members 31A in a direction toward and away from each other, thereby opening and closing. In Figure 3, this moving direction is indicated by an arrow as the "opening and closing direction." Furthermore, the gripping member 31A is provided with a scraping mechanism 200 for removing ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31A.

[0022] The scraping mechanism 200 includes a scraper 201 and an air cylinder 202. The scraper 201 slides along the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A to remove ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31A. In FIG. 3, this sliding direction is indicated by an arrow as the "sliding direction." The scrapers 201 are arranged corresponding to each of the gripping members 31A. Therefore, in this embodiment, two scrapers 201 are arranged spaced apart, corresponding to each of the two gripping members 31A. 4, the scraper 201 is configured to cover the entire circumferential surface of the gripping member 31A so that it can slide over the entire circumferential surface of the gripping member 31A at the same time. That is, the scraper 201 is configured to be disposed along the entire periphery of the gripping member 31A in a cross section taken along the horizontal direction.

[0023] The air cylinder 202 is composed of a rod cover that serves as a housing and a rod housed inside the rod cover. Compressed air is supplied to the air cylinder 202 via a tube (not shown). With this configuration, the lot moves forward and backward along the longitudinal direction of the rod cover. A scraper 201 is connected to the tip of the rod, and the scraper 201 moves in conjunction with the forward and backward movement of the lot.

[0024] The drive mechanism 300 opens and closes the two gripping members 31A by linearly reciprocating a moving element connected to the support part 100. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the opening and closing of the two gripping members 31A. The drive mechanism 300 has two actuators corresponding to the two moving elements inside the housing, and these two actuators move the two moving elements in opposite directions. Accordingly, the two gripping members 31A connected to each moving element via the support part 100 open and close in the longitudinal direction (i.e., horizontal direction) of the drive mechanism 300.

[0025] Specifically, when each actuator moves each moving element in a direction approaching each other, as shown in Figure 5(a), the two gripping members 31A close, causing the edges of the main plates of the two gripping members 31A to abut against each other, and also causing the edges of the side plates of the two gripping members 31A to abut against each other, thereby forming a container shape, which allows the ingredients to be gripped. Furthermore, when each actuator moves each moving element in a direction away from each other, as shown in Figure 5(b), the two gripping members 31A open, causing the edges of the container shape to no longer abut and opening, thereby allowing the ingredients to be released. Each actuator is realized by, for example, an air cylinder or a combination of a motor and a rack-and-pinion mechanism.

[0026] In addition to performing such opening and closing operations, the hand unit 31 and the gripping member 31A can move arbitrarily in the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and a combination of these oblique directions, following the operation of the robot arm 32 connected to them. Furthermore, the hand unit 31 and the gripping member 31A connected thereto can also rotate around the vertical direction as a rotation axis, following the operation of the robot arm 32 connected thereto to rotate the joints in a twisting direction. With this configuration, the hand unit 31 and the gripping member 31A can be freely changed in position and orientation, and can appropriately perform operations such as gripping operations with various movements.

[0027] 6 is a diagram showing the peeling operation when peeling off ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31A using a scraper 201 and an air cylinder 202. Since the scraper 201 is connected to the tip of the rod, the scraper 201 moves as the rod moves back and forth. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the rod of the air cylinder 202 is retracted into the rod cover, causing the scraper 201 to move upward relative to the gripping member 31A. In contrast to this, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the rod of the air cylinder 202 protrudes from the rod cover, so that the scraper 201 is positioned relatively lower than the gripping member 31A.

[0028] As the scraper 201 moves back and forth, it slides over the entire circumferential surface of the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A, thereby simultaneously peeling off ingredients adhering to the entire circumferential surface of the gripping member 31A. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, if one gripping member 31A is formed of three plate-like members, namely, one main plate and two side plates, it can simultaneously peel off ingredients adhering not only to adjacent surfaces, such as the inner surface of the main plate and the inner surface of the side plate, but also to non-adjacent surfaces, such as the inner surface of the main plate and the outer surface of the main plate, and the outer surfaces of each side plate.

[0029] The plurality of gripping members 31A are gripping members made up of a plurality of plate-like members, and grip in a closed gripping space of a container shape by contacting edges. Therefore, if the peeling operation is performed when the container is closed, ingredients attached to the outer surface of the plate-shaped member will be peeled off and dropped, but ingredients attached to the inner surface of the container shape can be peeled off but cannot be dropped. If the ingredients are peeled off when the container is closed, they will accumulate at the tip of the container, and when the container is opened again, some of them may fall off, but other parts may remain attached to the tip of the container. Therefore, in this embodiment, the scraper 201 performs the peeling operation when the gripping members 31A are in the open state. This allows the peeled ingredients to fall from the open portions of the multiple gripping members 31A. In particular, in order to peel and drop and remove ingredients adhering to the inner surface of the container, it is preferable to perform the peeling operation when the container is in the open state. In this way, by performing the peeling operation when the container is in the open state, it is possible to efficiently peel off and remove adhesions even when the target is a gripping member that grips in a closed container-shaped gripping space, such as the gripping member 31A of this embodiment. In this case, the open state is sufficient as long as it is open enough to allow the ingredients peeled off by the scraper 201 to fall, and does not have to be as open as when performing the releasing operation. In other words, it does not have to be in the most open state within the movable range of the gripping member 31A.

[0030] The gripping member 31A is configured to extend in a direction toward the ingredient (here, a diagonal direction facing vertically downward) when gripping or releasing the ingredient. The scraper 201 performs a peeling operation by sliding while moving relative to the gripping member 31A along a direction parallel to the direction toward the ingredient. This allows the peeled ingredient to fall in the direction toward the ingredient (i.e., in the direction where the ingredient is located). For example, by sliding before gripping, the peeled ingredients can be dropped into the container in which the ingredients are stored. Alternatively, by sliding after releasing, the peeled ingredients can be dropped into the container in which the ingredients are served. This allows the peeled ingredients to be used without waste and prevents the peeled ingredients from scattering in unintended locations.

[0031] Furthermore, the main body of the articulated robot 30 and the drive parts of the robot arm 32 are located at a distance from each of these containers. Therefore, it is advisable to limit the location where the peeling operation is performed to vertically above each of these containers. This prevents ingredients and their moisture that fall during the peeling operation from scattering on the main body of the articulated robot 30 and the drive parts of the robot arm 32. This makes it possible to prevent breakdowns in the main body of the articulated robot 30 and the drive parts of the robot arm 32 and reduce the frequency of cleaning.

[0032] Furthermore, the scraper 201 performs a peeling operation by moving back and forth upward and downward in this way, and the scraper 201 peels off ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31A both when moving upward and when moving downward. This allows the scraper 201 to approach from different directions and peel off the ingredients that have adhered. In this way, the air cylinder 202 advances and retreats, and the scraper 201 slides over the entire circumferential surface of the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A, thereby efficiently peeling off the ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31A.

[0033] Furthermore, although the timing before gripping and the timing after releasing are shown as examples of the timing for performing the peeling operation, it is not necessary to perform the peeling operation at these timings every time. For example, the hand unit 31 is provided with a weight sensor 30a that measures the weight of the ingredient gripped by the gripping member 31A. The weight of the ingredient attached to the gripping member 31A is measured before gripping and when releasing the ingredient. The difference between the current weight measured by the weight sensor 30a and the weight of the gripping member 31A itself is the weight of the attached ingredient. The peeling operation may be performed when the weight of the attached ingredient is equal to or greater than a certain value, and may not be performed when the weight is less than the certain value. This ensures that the peeling operation is performed when a large amount of ingredient is attached, and omits the peeling operation when it is not, thereby shortening the overall time required for gripping and releasing. In this embodiment, as an example for the purpose of explanation, it is assumed that the peeling operation is performed every time after the release.

[0034] Furthermore, the specific mechanism of the air cylinder 202 for achieving such a peeling operation is not particularly limited. For example, it may be a single-acting air cylinder that uses compressed air when protruding the rod from the rod cover and a spring when retracting the rod into the rod cover, or it may be a double-acting air cylinder that uses compressed air both when protruding the rod from the rod cover and when retracting the rod into the rod cover.

[0035] [Hardware configuration of the control device 40] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 40. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 40 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 memory unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719.

[0036] 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 . The RAM 713 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 711 to execute various processes.

[0037] The CPU 711, ROM 712, and RAM 713 are connected to one another via a bus 714. To the bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a storage unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719 are connected.

[0038] 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 40. Note that the input unit 715 may also include a microphone, and receive input of various information by voice input from the worker. The output unit 716 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs images and sounds. The storage unit 717 is configured with 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 the network.

[0039] Removable media 731, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately attached to the drive 719. A program read from the removable media 731 by the drive 719 is installed in the storage unit 717 as needed. The above hardware configuration is the basic configuration of the control device 40, and it is possible to configure the control device 40 without some of the hardware, to include additional hardware, or to change the implementation form of the hardware.

[0040] [Functional configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 40 will be described. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 40. As shown in FIG. 8, by executing a program for controlling the operation of the work system 1, a sensor information acquisition unit 151, an ingredient state determination unit 152, an ingredient amount determination unit 153, an articulated robot control unit 154, a container supply control unit 155, and a recording control unit 156 function in the CPU 711 of the control device 40. In addition, a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172 are formed in the storage unit 717.

[0041] The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the working system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores the position of the ingredient storage unit 10, the position of the containers of prepared food supplied from the container supply unit 20, the position of the area in the container where the ingredients are to be placed, the relationship between the insertion amount of the hand unit 31 into the ingredient when gripping the ingredient and the weight of the gripped ingredient (function or table-format data, etc.), parameters that define the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30, etc. In this embodiment, the relationship between the depth (insertion amount) to which the gripping members 31A are inserted into the ingredient and the weight of the ingredient to be gripped at that time is known in advance, depending on the ingredient and the type of gripping members 31A to be used. For example, the density of the ingredient to be gripped (a parameter representing the weight per unit depth) is measured in advance, and the gripped weight can be calculated (estimated) using a function whose element is the product of the ingredient density and the depth to which the gripping members 31A are inserted. This allows the weight of the ingredient to be estimated by a simple calculation.

[0042] The history DB 172 stores, as history, control parameters acquired when the operation system 1 operates or measurement data of the weight of ingredients served by the operation system 1. The history DB 172 also stores an ingredient status map that shows the status of ingredients in the ingredient storage section 10. Details of this ingredient status map will be described later together with an explanation of the recording control section 156 that creates and updates the ingredient status map.

[0043] The sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires sensor information, which is information detected by various sensors installed in the work system 1. For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires data on the weight of ingredients measured by weight sensor 30a installed in the joints of the articulated robot 30, data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by force sensor 30b, data on the weight of ingredients measured by weight sensor 21 of the container supply unit 20, and data on the detection result of containers measured by container detection sensor 22.

[0044] The ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the ingredients based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30 b. For example, the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the depth of the ingredients in the ingredient accommodating unit 10 (the depth from the surface of the ingredient in the ingredient accommodating unit 10 to the bottom surface of the ingredient accommodating unit 10) and the flatness of the surface (how rough the surface is) from the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30 b.

[0045] Furthermore, upon recognizing the depth and surface flatness of the ingredient, the ingredient state determination unit 152 determines whether these meet the conditions for gripping the ingredient (for example, whether the depth and flatness of the ingredient are equal to or greater than a set threshold value). The flatness of the ingredient's surface can be defined, for example, based on the absolute value of the magnitude of the unevenness on the surface, and can be defined so that the flatter the ingredient's surface, the greater the value. The flatness may also be determined for each portion of the ingredient's surface. The ingredient state determination unit 152 also determines whether the state of the ingredient in the ingredient storage unit 10 is such that a specified amount of ingredient can be gripped in one gripping operation.

[0046] The ingredient amount determination unit 153 determines whether or not a specified amount of ingredients has been grasped and whether or not a specified amount of ingredients has been placed in the prepared food container based on the data on the weight of the ingredients measured by the weight sensor 30a of the articulated robot 30 and the data on the weight of the ingredients measured by the weight sensor 21 of the container supply unit 20.

[0047] The articulated robot control unit 154 controls the operation of the articulated robot 30, and causes the articulated robot 30 to perform a series of operations for arranging ingredients in accordance with the operation patterns defined in the work system 1. For example, the articulated robot control unit 154 causes the articulated robot 30 to perform an operation of grasping ingredients with the hand unit 31 of the articulated robot 30 (grasping operation), an operation of transferring the grasped ingredients to a container for prepared food (transfer operation), an operation of releasing the grasped ingredients (releasing operation), an operation of peeling off ingredients attached to the grasping member 31A (peeling operation), and the like. Furthermore, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the timing at which compressed air is supplied to the air cylinder 202, thereby controlling the timing at which the scraper 201 peels off the ingredient adhering to the gripping member 31A.

[0048] The container supply control unit 155 controls the container supply unit 20 to supply, at a predetermined timing, containers of prepared food to be filled with ingredients in the operation system 1 to the filling position P. The container supply control unit 155 also controls the container supply unit 20 to carry out the prepared food containers filled with ingredients onto the belt conveyor 2.

[0049] The recording control unit 156 stores control parameters acquired when the working system 1 performs a gripping operation and measurement data of the weight of the ingredients arranged by the working system 1 in the history DB 172. The recording control unit 156 also creates and updates an ingredient status map showing the status of the ingredients in the ingredient accommodating unit 10, and stores this ingredient status map in the history DB 172. More specifically, the recording control unit 156 detects the status of the ingredients in each area of the ingredient accommodating unit 10 based on the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients and the reaction force of the ingredients acquired when the working system 1 performs a gripping operation, the determination results by the ingredient status determination unit 152 described below, and the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients arranged by the working system 1, and stores the detected status in association with identification information that identifies each area, thereby generating an ingredient status map. In this case, the status of the ingredients refers to the remaining amount of ingredients in each area, and the depth and flatness of the ingredients determined by the ingredient status determination unit 152 described below. In addition, if the ingredient storage section 10 is replaced with a new one after the ingredients in the ingredient storage section 10 have been arranged, the ingredient state map is updated assuming that a predetermined amount of ingredients (e.g., a sufficient amount of ingredients for the ingredient storage section 10) is stored in a predetermined state (e.g., with a flat surface).

[0050] Next, a series of operations, such as a gripping operation, a transfer operation, a release operation, and a peeling operation, which are performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the articulated robot control unit 154, will be described in more detail.

[0051] [Each action] 9 to 13 are schematic diagrams showing an example of each operation of the release operation by the articulated robot 30. 9 to 13 show the ingredient accommodating section 10 and the two gripping members 31A as viewed from the front. For clarity, cross sections of the ingredient accommodating section 10 and the two gripping members 31A are shown.

[0052] First, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the articulated robot control unit 154 positions the gripping member 31A vertically above the ingredient storage unit 10. Then, the articulated robot control unit 154 lowers the gripping member 31A in an open state. As shown in the figure, many ingredients ("stored ingredients" in the figure) are stored in the ingredient storage unit 10. In addition, the scraper 201 is located relatively above the gripping member 31A. This is the state shown in FIG. 6(a).

[0053] As shown in FIG. 9(b), the articulated robot control unit 154 continues to lower the gripping member 31A in the open state, and the gripping member 31A is inserted into the storage container material.

[0054] As shown in Figure 10(c), when the articulated robot control unit 154 inserts the gripping member 31A to the depth specified by the insertion amount data, it stops the descent of the gripping member 31A. Then, the gripping member 31A is closed to grip the container material. This completes the gripping operation.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 10(d), the articulated robot control section 154 raises the gripping member 31A while the gripping member 31A is holding the ingredient ("gripped ingredient" in the drawing).

[0056] 11(e), the articulated robot control unit 154 moves the gripping member 31A, while the gripping member 31A is holding the ingredient ("gripped ingredient" in the figure), to a position vertically above the container in which the ingredient will be placed. This achieves the transfer operation.

[0057] 11(f), the articulated robot control unit 154 lowers the gripping member 31A to near the bottom of the container in which the ingredient will be placed, while the gripping member 31A is still gripping the ingredient ("gripped ingredient" in the figure). The reason for lowering the gripping member 31A to near the bottom is that if the ingredient is released too far up vertically, the released ingredient may scatter outside the container.

[0058] 11(g), the articulated robot control unit 154 opens the gripping member 31A to release the ingredients into the container, thereby realizing the releasing operation. In this way, the ingredients are placed in the container by the releasing action, but some of the ingredients ("attached ingredients" in the drawing) remain attached to the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 12(h), in order to perform the peeling operation, the articulated robot control unit 154 raises the gripping member 31A to a position where it is separated from the releasing tool while maintaining the gripping member 31A in the open state.

[0060] 12(i), the articulated robot control unit 154 moves the scraper 201 downward relative to the gripping member 31A while maintaining the gripping member 31A in the open state. Accordingly, the attachment material is peeled off from the gripping member 31A by the scraper 201.

[0061] Here, the cross section of the scraper 201 is roughly triangular with the acute apex pointing downward, giving it a wedge-like shape. Therefore, the tip of the scraper 201 can easily penetrate into the adhesive material and peel off the adhesive material along the surface of the gripping member 31A. Also, because of its wedge-like shape, once peeled off, the adhesive material is peeled off in a curved shape, moving away from the surface of the gripping member 31A. Therefore, once peeled off, the adhesive material can be prevented from adhering again.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 13(j), the articulated robot control unit 154 moves the scraper 201 to the lowest position relative to the gripping member 31A while maintaining the gripping member 31A in an open state. This is the state shown in FIG. 6(b). As a result, the adhesive ingredient is peeled off up to the tip of the gripping member 31A. Furthermore, the peeled adhesive ingredient falls onto the surface of the release ingredient served in the container without re-adhering.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 13(k), the articulated robot control unit 154 raises the gripping member 31A while maintaining the gripping member 31A in an open state, and moves the scraper 201 to the highest position relative to the gripping member 31A. This is the state shown in FIG. 6(a). The peeled adhesive ingredient falls ("falling ingredient" in the figure) onto the surface of the release ingredient placed in the container, becoming part of the release ingredient. This achieves the peeling operation. Through the series of operations described above, the ingredients are placed in the container, and the peeling operation allows the adhering ingredients to be peeled off.

[0064] The effect of the peeling operation of this embodiment will be particularly described below. In the prior art, one peeling member is arranged for multiple gripping members, whereas in this embodiment, as described above, multiple scrapers 201 are arranged corresponding to each of the multiple gripping members 31A.

[0065] Therefore, the scraper 201 can be formed to have a shape that is more efficient for peeling depending on the shape of each gripping member 31A and the direction of movement during operation. Also, the scraper 201 can be disposed at an angle or position that is more efficient for peeling.

[0066] Furthermore, even if the orientation of each gripping member 31A during operation is changed, it is possible to deal with this appropriately by adjusting the attachment angle. Additionally, since the size of each scraper 201 can be reduced, the possibility of ingredients adhering to each scraper 201 can be reduced. That is, according to the working system 1, the object adhering to the hand unit 31 can be more efficiently removed.

[0067] Furthermore, even if one scraper 201 gets stuck and stops during peeling, at least the other scrapers 201 will not be affected and the other scrapers 201 will be able to perform the peeling operation. Additionally, it is possible to determine whether or not to perform the peeling operation for each gripping member 31A, eliminating the need to uniformly perform the peeling operation for all gripping members 31A, which makes it possible to suppress deterioration of each member and reduce power consumption.

[0068] [Auxiliary peeling action] In addition to the above-described peeling operation, an operation to assist the peeling operation (hereinafter referred to as an "auxiliary peeling operation") may also be performed. An example of the auxiliary peeling operation is the operation of moving the gripping member 31A. In this case, for example, the articulated robot control unit 154 moves the gripping member 31A together with the adhesive material, causing the peeled adhesive material or the adhesive material that is about to peel to fall onto the surface of the release material in the container. In this case, the movement means, for example, repeated up-and-down movement. Alternatively, for example, it means repeated left-and-right movement, or a combination of up-and-down movement and left-and-right movement.

[0069] Another example of an auxiliary peeling operation is an operation of suddenly stopping the gripping member 31A. In this case, the articulated robot control unit 154 once raises the gripping member 31A with the attachment ingredient attached thereto. Then, the articulated robot control unit 154 lowers the gripping member 31A with the attachment ingredient attached thereto. Furthermore, the descent is stopped, and the gripping member 31A with the ingredient attached thereto is stopped. In this case, the articulated robot control unit 154 does not simply stop the gripping member 31A, but rather stops it suddenly so that the change in speed before and after the stop is greater than a predetermined value when stopping the descent of the gripping member 31A, thereby causing the attachment ingredient to fall from the gripping member 31A. As a result, the downward inertial force of the gripping member 31A supported by the robot arm 32 is cancelled out when the robot arm 32 suddenly stops, while the downward inertial force of the attached ingredients is maintained, allowing the attached ingredients to fall efficiently.

[0070] Another example of the auxiliary peeling operation is the operation of opening and closing the gripping member 31A. In this case, the articulated robot control unit 154 opens and closes the gripping member 31A with the attachment material attached thereto, separately from the gripping operation and the release operation, to cause the attachment material to fall from the gripping member 31A.

[0071] Another example of the auxiliary peeling operation is to vibrate the gripping member 31A. In this case, the articulated robot control unit 154 vibrates the gripping member 31A with the attachment material attached thereto. This can be achieved by using an actuator to drive the robot arm 32 to move it up and down finely in the vertical direction.

[0072] By performing such an auxiliary peeling operation before or after the peeling operation, or in parallel with the peeling operation, it is possible to assist the peeled or peeled-off adhesive ingredients to fall onto the surface of the release ingredients in the container. In other words, the attached object can be peeled off more efficiently. As an auxiliary peeling operation, after performing a single peeling operation, the peeling operation may be performed multiple times. In this case, the scraper 201 is repeatedly moved upward and downward to perform the peeling operation multiple times in succession. This makes it possible to more reliably peel off the adhering ingredients even when the ingredients are particularly viscous or sticky.

[0073] [Overall operation] Next, the overall operation of the work system 1 will be described. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the ingredient plating process executed by the work system 1. The ingredient plating process is started, for example, when an operation to start the ingredient plating process is performed by the worker. When the ingredient presentation process is started, in step S11 of Figure 14, the articulated robot control unit 154 reads operation data (such as data on the operation pattern and data on the insertion amount of the hand unit 31) for executing a series of operations in the ingredient presentation process from the parameter memory unit 171, thereby preparing to grasp the ingredients.

[0074] In step S12, the articulated robot control section 154 transfers the hand unit 31 to the ingredient storage section 10 in accordance with the data of the operation pattern.

[0075] In step S13, the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the ingredients in the ingredient accommodating unit 10 by reading an ingredient state map showing the state of the ingredients in the ingredient accommodating unit 10 from the history DB 172. Thereafter, the ingredient state determination unit 152 continues to recognize the state of the ingredients based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30b, which is acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 151.

[0076] In step S14, the depth to which the gripping member 31A is to be inserted into the ingredient is determined based on the data of the operation pattern read in step S11 and the state of the ingredient in the ingredient-accommodating section 10 recognized in step S13. In step S15, the articulated robot control unit 154 inserts the gripping member 31A into the ingredient to the determined insertion depth. In step S16, the articulated robot control unit 154 closes the gripping members 31A to grip the ingredient.

[0077] In step S17, the ingredient amount determination unit 153 measures the weight (physical quantity) of the ingredient being held and determines whether a specified amount of ingredient is being held. If the specified amount of ingredient is being held, step S17 is determined as Yes, and processing proceeds to step S18. On the other hand, if the specified amount of ingredient is not being held, step S17 is determined as No, and processing is performed again from step S14. In this case, if the held ingredient exceeds the specified amount, the insertion depth is re-determined to be shallower in step S14 that is performed again. On the other hand, if the held ingredient is less than the specified amount, the insertion depth is re-determined to be deeper in step S14 that is performed again.

[0078] In step S18, the articulated robot control unit 154 moves the gripping member 31A to the position of the container where the ingredients are to be placed. In step S19, the articulated robot control unit 154 releases the gripping material gripped by the gripping member 31A in a predetermined area within the container (for example, the center of the container in the horizontal plane).

[0079] In step S20, the articulated robot control unit 154 raises the gripping member 31A while keeping it open. In step S21, the articulated robot control unit 154 causes the gripping member 31A to perform a peeling operation, peeling off the adhesive ingredient attached to the gripping member 31A and dropping it onto the surface of the release ingredient placed in the container. At this time, the articulated robot control unit 154 may perform an auxiliary peeling operation in parallel with the peeling operation, or before or after the peeling operation.

[0080] In step S22, the recording control unit 156 stores the control parameters acquired in the ingredient plating process and the measurement data (history data) of the weight of the plated ingredients in the history DB 172. The recording control unit 156 also updates an ingredient status map showing the status of the ingredients in the ingredient accommodating unit 10, and also stores this updated ingredient status map in the history DB 172. In this case, if the weight of the plated ingredients is either too much or too little, an alert may be output to the operator, for example.

[0081] In step S23, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether or not a condition for ending the ingredient plating process has been met. In this case, the condition for ending the ingredient plating process can be defined as when ingredients have been plated into the planned number of side dish containers, or when an operator has performed an operation to end the ingredient plating process, etc. If the conditions for terminating the ingredient plating process are not met, step S23 is judged as No and the process is repeated from step S12. On the other hand, if the conditions for terminating the ingredient plating process are met, step S23 is judged as Yes and the ingredient plating process is terminated.

[0082] As described above, the working system 1 according to this embodiment can more efficiently peel off an object adhering to the gripping member 31A of the hand unit 31. In addition, the working system 1 according to this embodiment has various effects as described above in the description of the function and action of the scraping mechanism 200 and the description of the peeling operation.

[0083] [Embodiment 2] Next, a description will be given of embodiment 2. The basic configuration of embodiment 2 is the same as the basic configuration of embodiment 1 described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Furthermore, basic operations such as gripping, transporting, and releasing operations are also the same as those of embodiment 1. Therefore, redundant explanations of these will be omitted. On the other hand, the configuration and function of the scraping mechanism 400 provided in the hand unit 31 of embodiment 2 differ from the configuration and function of the scraping mechanism 200 provided in the hand unit 31 of embodiment 1. Therefore, the configuration and function of the scraping mechanism 400 will be described in detail below.

[0084] [Configuration of hand unit 31] Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram (front view) showing the configuration of the hand unit 31. Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram (perspective view) showing the configuration of the hand unit 31. The front, back, right side, and left side of the hand unit 31 are defined as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 15. 15 and 16, the hand unit 31 includes a gripping member 31A, a support unit 100, a scraping mechanism 400, and a driving mechanism 300. The gripping member 31A, the support unit 100, and the driving mechanism 300 are the same as the components in the first embodiment that are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0085] The scraping mechanism 400 includes a scraper 401 and a rod member 402 . The scraper 401 slides along the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A to remove ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31A. In FIG. 3, this sliding direction is indicated by an arrow as the "sliding direction." The scrapers 401 are arranged corresponding to each of the gripping members 31A. Therefore, in this embodiment, two scrapers 401 are arranged apart from each other to correspond to each of the two gripping members 31A. 4, scraper 401 is configured to cover the entire circumferential surface of gripping member 31A so that scraper 401 can simultaneously slide over the entire circumferential surface of gripping member 31A. In other words, scraper 401 is configured to be disposed along the entire periphery of gripping member 31A in a cross section taken along the horizontal direction.

[0086] Furthermore, the scraper 401 includes a first protruding portion 401a and a second protruding portion 401b. The first protruding portion 401a is a member that protrudes toward the front, and the first protruding portion 401a can engage with the support portion 450, which will be described later, by hooking onto the support portion 450. The second protrusion 401b prevents the scraper 401 from falling off the tip of the gripping member 31A during the peeling operation.

[0087] The rod member 402 is a rod-shaped member made of metal, and the tip of the rod member 402 is connected to the scraper 401. The rod member 402 is not a driving mechanism, but supports the scraper 401 and guides the scraper 401 so that it moves along the direction in which the gripping member 31A extends (here, a diagonal direction facing vertically downward).

[0088] In this embodiment, drive mechanism 300 is provided with insertion section 310 at the center of the front surface, vertically above drive mechanism 300. Insertion section 310 is composed of a cylindrical main body and a base that secures the main body. A rod of air cylinder 460 (described below) can be inserted into the cylindrical main body, and while inserted in the cylindrical main body, the rod can move back and forth in the vertical direction (i.e., move up and down).

[0089] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the peeling operation when scraper 401, rod member 402, support part 450, and air cylinder 460 are used to peel off ingredients adhering to gripping member 31A. The rod of the air cylinder 460 is inserted into the main body of the insertion portion 310 and can move back and forth in the vertical direction. The rod cover that serves as the housing is not shown in the drawings. The support part 450 is made of a leaf spring and is elastically deformable. The support part 450 is connected to the rod of the air cylinder 460 at approximately the center of the longitudinal direction of the leaf spring that constitutes the support part 450. The tip of the support part 450 is configured to maintain a shape folded back in an arc. This arc-shaped tip is hooked and fixed on the first protrusion 401a, engaging the scraper 401 and the support part 450.

[0090] With the above-described configuration, the rod of the air cylinder 460 moves back and forth in the vertical direction (that is, moves up and down), and the scraper 401 moves in accordance with the movement of the rod. 17(a), the rod of the air cylinder 460 is retracted into the rod cover, causing the scraper 401 to move upward relative to the gripping member 31A. In this case, the rod moves vertically, while the scraper 401, guided by the rod member 402, attempts to move in the diagonal direction along which the gripping member 31A extends. In this case, the support part 450 elastically deforms to follow the diagonal movement, thereby absorbing lateral changes, allowing the scraper 401 to move smoothly.

[0091] 17(b), the rod of the air cylinder 460 protrudes from the rod cover, so that the scraper 401 is positioned relatively lower than the gripping member 31A. In this case, too, the support part 450 elastically deforms to follow the diagonal movement and returns to its original shape, absorbing the lateral change, allowing the scraper 401 to move smoothly.

[0092] In this embodiment, the scraper 401 is supported by the support portion 450, which is a leaf spring, but there is a risk that the support portion 450 may elastically deform more than expected, causing the scraper 401 to come off and fall off the tip of the gripping member 31A. Therefore, by making the second protrusion 401b protrude diagonally upward from the scraper 401, it is possible to prevent the scraper 401 from coming off and falling off the tip of the gripping member 31A.

[0093] The configuration of this embodiment described above can also achieve the same peeling operation as in embodiment 1 and can provide the same effects as in embodiment 1. Furthermore, while embodiment 1 required two air cylinders 202, this embodiment can achieve the peeling operation with one air cylinder 460.

[0094] [Embodiment 3] Next, a description will be given of embodiment 3. The basic configuration of embodiment 3 is the same as the basic configuration of embodiment 1 and embodiment 2 described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Furthermore, basic operations such as gripping, transferring, and releasing operations are also the same as those of embodiment 1 and embodiment 2. Therefore, redundant explanations of these will be omitted. On the other hand, the configuration and function of the scraping mechanism 500 included in the hand unit 31 of embodiment 3 differ from the configuration and function of the scraping mechanism 200 of embodiment 1 and the scraping mechanism 400 of embodiment 2. Therefore, the configuration and function of the scraping mechanism 500 will be described in detail below.

[0095] [Configuration of hand unit 31] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram (perspective view) showing the configuration of the hand unit 31. The front, back, right side and left side of the hand unit 31 are defined as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 18, the hand unit 31 includes a gripping member 31A, a support unit 100, a scraping mechanism 500, and a driving mechanism 300. The gripping member 31A, the support unit 100, and the driving mechanism 300 are the same as the components in the first and second embodiments that are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0096] The scraping mechanism 500 operates to remove ingredients adhering to the surface of the gripping member 31A in response to the opening and closing movement of the gripping member 31A. In this embodiment, the scraping mechanism 500 includes scrapers 501 and 502 that slide along the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A. A portion (here, the upper end portion) of the scrapers 501 and 502 is connected via a connecting member 504 to a base point that does not move during the opening and closing movement of the gripping member 31A (here, the tip of a scraper support member 503 fixed to the drive mechanism 300). The portion (the upper end portion) of the scrapers 501 and 502 connected to the connecting member 504 is referred to as a connecting portion P1, and the base point that does not move during the opening and closing movement of the gripping member 31A (the tip of the scraper support member 503) is referred to as a connecting portion P2. The scrapers 501 and 502 are arranged corresponding to the respective gripping members 31A. Therefore, in this embodiment, two scrapers 501 and 502 are arranged apart from each other so as to correspond to the two gripping members 31A, respectively.

[0097] Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram (rear view) showing the configuration of the hand unit 31. Fig. 19(a) shows a state in which the gripping member 31A is in a closed state and the scraper 401 is positioned relatively downward. Fig. 19(b) shows a state in which the gripping member 31A is in an open state and the scraper 401 is positioned relatively downward.

[0098] The connecting member 504 is rotatably supported at connecting portions P1 and P2 relative to the scrapers 501 and 502 and the scraper support member 503. Therefore, the connecting member 504 maintains a constant distance between connecting portion P1 and connecting portion P2 while the gripping member 31A performs an opening or closing operation. In this embodiment, the gripping member 31A opens and closes horizontally. Therefore, when connecting portion P1 is located directly below connecting portion P2, the scrapers 501 and 502 are located at the lowest position relative to the gripping member 31A. As the gripping member 31A moves from this position in the opening or closing direction, the scrapers 501 and 502 move upward relative to the gripping member 31A. Therefore, when the gripping member 31A performs the opening and closing operations, the scrapers 501, 502 slide along the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A, and can peel off the ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31A.

[0099] The configuration of this embodiment described above can also achieve the same peeling operation as in Embodiments 1 and 2, and can provide the same effects as in Embodiments 1 and 2. Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 required two air cylinders 202 and Embodiment 3 required one air cylinder 460, this embodiment can achieve the peeling operation without requiring an air cylinder for the peeling operation.

[0100] [Variation 1] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the scrapers 201, 401 move upward or downward relative to the gripping member 31A by extending or retracting the air cylinders 202, 460. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the gripping member 31A may move upward or downward relative to the scrapers by extending or retracting the air cylinders.

[0101] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the peeling operation when scraper 801 and air cylinder 802 peel off ingredients adhering to gripping member 31A in this modified example. Unlike the first and second embodiments, a gripping member 31A is connected to each of the distal ends of the rods of the two air cylinders 802. Therefore, the gripping members 31A move as the rods move back and forth. This movement is a diagonal movement in the direction in which the gripping members 31A extend, and they move not only vertically (up and down) but also horizontally (left and right). Therefore, this movement causes the two gripping members to move closer to and away from each other. In other words, they open and close. Therefore, in this modified example, the drive mechanism 300 for opening and closing the two gripping members 31A is not required.

[0102] On the other hand, two scrapers 801 are arranged corresponding to the two gripping members 31A. However, the two scrapers 801 are fixed at adjacent positions by a support portion 850. In this case, the two scrapers 801 may be configured so that parts of them are connected to each other. In this modified example, the support portion 850, the two scrapers 801, and the rod cover of the air cylinder 802 are all fixed, and the relative positional relationship between them does not change. The peeling operation is performed with the configuration of this modified example.

[0103] Specifically, as shown in Figure 20(a), when the rod of the air cylinder 802 is retracted into the rod cover, the gripping members 31A move downward relative to the scraper 801. In this case, the two gripping members 31A are in a closed state, and can grip the ingredient. 20(b), when the rod of the air cylinder 802 protrudes from the rod cover, the gripping members 31A are positioned above the scraper 801. In this case, the two gripping members 31A are in an open state, and the ingredients can be released.

[0104] As the scraper 801 moves back and forth, it slides over the entire circumferential surface of the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A, thereby simultaneously peeling off ingredients adhering to the entire circumferential surface of the gripping member 31A. The configuration of this modified example described above can also achieve the same peeling operation as in the above-described embodiments, and can achieve the same effects as in the above-described embodiments.

[0105] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, air cylinders 202 and 460 were required to move the two scrapers, but in the present embodiment, there is no need to move two scrapers, and therefore there is no need to provide air cylinders for moving the two scrapers. Also, as described above, in this modified example, there is no need for drive mechanism 300 for opening and closing two gripping members 31A.

[0106] [Variation 2] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the members for performing the peeling operation are moved by an air cylinder. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the peeling operation may be performed in conjunction with the opening and closing of the two gripping members 31A.

[0107] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the peeling operation when scraper 901 peels off ingredients adhering to gripping member 31A in this modified example. Unlike the first and second embodiments, an air cylinder for moving the scraper 901 is not provided.

[0108] In this modification, two scrapers 901 are also disposed corresponding to the two gripping members 31A. However, the two scrapers 901 are configured so that they are partially connected. In this modification, a support portion 950 is disposed in the center of the two gripping members 31A. The support portion 950 is composed of two extension portions extending vertically downward. A gap is provided in the center of these two extension portions, and the shaft portions of the bolts supporting the two scrapers 901 are inserted into this gap and fixed with nuts to prevent them from falling off. Therefore, the two scrapers 901 can move freely in the vertical direction through this gap, but are supported in a state where they cannot move left and right. Furthermore, the tips of the two extension portions are connected in a curved manner to prevent the two scrapers 901 from falling vertically downward. In this modification, the support portion 950 is fixed and does not move. As in the other embodiments, the two gripping members 31A are connected to a drive mechanism 300 via a support portion 100, and are capable of opening and closing. The peeling operation is performed with the configuration of this modified example.

[0109] Specifically, as shown in Figure 21(a), when the two gripping members 31A close, a force acts on the scraper 901, pushing it up along the slope from the inner surface of the gripping member 31A. As described above, the scraper 901 installed on each gripping member 31A is supported in a state where it can move freely in the vertical direction but cannot move in the left-right direction. Therefore, when the scraper 901 receives a force pushing it up along the slope from the inner surface of the gripping member 31A, it moves vertically upward.

[0110] 21(b), when the two gripping members 31A open, a force acts on the scraper 901, pushing it down along the slope from the outer surface of the gripping member 31A. As described above, the scraper 901 attached to each gripping member 31A is supported in a state in which it can move freely in the vertical direction but cannot move left or right. Therefore, when the scraper 901 receives a force pushing it down along the slope from the outer surface of the gripping member 31A, it moves vertically downward. When the two gripping members 31A are not moving in the opening / closing direction, the scraper 901 is stopped at a vertical position determined by the distance between the two gripping members 31A and the shape of the scraper 901.

[0111] As the scraper 901 moves back and forth, it slides over the entire circumferential surface of the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A, thereby simultaneously peeling off ingredients adhering to the entire circumferential surface of the gripping member 31A. The configuration of this modified example described above can also achieve the same peeling operation as in the above-described embodiments, and can achieve the same effects as in the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, air cylinders 202 and 460 were required to move the two scrapers, but in the present embodiment, the two scrapers move in accordance with the operation of the gripping member 31A, so there is no need to place air cylinders to move the two scrapers.

[0112] In the configuration shown in Figure 21, when the gripping member 31A grips an ingredient, the scraper 901 moves below the gripping member 31A and begins gripping the ingredient, and as the gripping member 31A closes, the scraper 901 moves above the gripping member 31A. Therefore, in the process of gripping the ingredients, the scraper 901 peels off the ingredients adhering to the outer surface of the gripping member 31A, and also peels off the gripped ingredients from the inner surface inside the gripping member 31A. Therefore, unnecessary ingredients are prevented from adhering to the outer surface of the gripping member 31A, and when the gripping member 31A releases the ingredients, the ingredients are less likely to adhere to the inner surface of the gripping member 31A.

[0113] Furthermore, in this modification, as described above, the scraper 901 is not completely fixed and can move freely in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the gripping member 31A moves vertically upward or downward and stops, an inertial force acts on the scraper 901, causing the scraper 901 to move vertically relative to the gripping member 31A. This also causes the scraper 901 to slide over the entire circumferential surface of the inner and outer surfaces of the gripping member 31A, thereby substantially achieving a peeling operation.

[0114] [Variation 3] In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the gripping members 31A have the same shape. Specifically, the gripping members 31A are two gripping members 31A each consisting of one main plate and two side plates. When the two gripping members 31A are closed, the side plates come into contact with each other to form a container shape, thereby gripping ingredients. The gripping member 31A is not limited to this and may have other shapes. For example, the gripping member 31A may have a shape consisting of one main plate and one side plate. Alternatively, the gripping member 31A may have a shape consisting of one main plate (i.e., a simple plate member). Alternatively, the gripping member 31A may be a rod-like (finger-like) member instead of a plate-like member.

[0115] In either shape, it is desirable that the scraper cover the entire peripheral surface of the gripping member 31A and slide over the entire peripheral surface during the peeling operation to peel off the adhesive material. However, this is not limited to this, and the scraper may cover only a portion of the peripheral surface and slide over a portion of the peripheral surface during the peeling operation to peel off the adhesive material. This increases the degree of freedom in the configuration of the gripping member 31A and the scraper. In either case, the number of gripping members 31A is not limited, and for example, an object may be gripped by three or more gripping members 31A. Furthermore, as described above, the present invention is not limited to systems in which a robot performs grasping, but is an invention that can be applied to any system in which a work is performed by an end effector of a robot.

[0116] [Configuration example] As described above, the working system 1 in this embodiment includes the articulated robot 30 equipped with the hand unit 31 made up of a plurality of gripping members 31A, and the control device 40 that controls the operation of the articulated robot 30. A plurality of scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, 901 are arranged corresponding to the plurality of gripping members 31A, respectively. The control device 40 causes the plurality of gripping members 31A to perform a task performing operation that causes the gripping members 31A to perform a task that involves contact with an ingredient. The control device 40 causes the scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, 901 to perform a peeling operation of sliding the gripping members 31A corresponding to the scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, 901 to peel off the ingredients adhering to the gripping members 31A.

[0117] In this way, while the prior art is configured such that one peeling member is arranged for multiple gripping members, the work system 1 is configured such that multiple scrapers 201, 401, 801, 901 are arranged corresponding to multiple gripping members 31A, respectively. Therefore, the scrapers 201, 401, 801, and 901 can be formed to have a shape that is more efficient for peeling depending on the shape of each gripping member 31A and the direction of movement during operation. Also, the scrapers 201, 401, 801, and 901 can be arranged at an angle and position that is more efficient for peeling.

[0118] Furthermore, even if the orientation of each gripping member 31A during operation is changed, it is possible to deal with this appropriately by adjusting the attachment angle. In addition, since the size of each scraper 201, 401, 801, 901 can be reduced, the possibility of ingredients adhering to each scraper 201, 401, 801, 901 can also be reduced. That is, according to the working system 1, the object adhering to the hand unit 31 can be more efficiently removed.

[0119] Furthermore, even if one scraper 201, 401, 801, 901 gets stuck and stops during peeling, at least the other scrapers 201, 401, 801, 901 will not be affected, and the other scrapers 201, 401, 801, 901 will be able to perform the peeling operation. Additionally, it is possible to determine whether or not to perform the peeling operation for each gripping member 31A, eliminating the need to uniformly perform the peeling operation for all gripping members 31A, which makes it possible to suppress deterioration of each member and reduce power consumption.

[0120] The scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, and 901 perform the peeling operation by sliding on the multiple surfaces of the multiple gripping members 31A simultaneously. This allows the ingredients that have adhered to each of the multiple surfaces to be peeled off.

[0121] The multiple surfaces are multiple surfaces of plate-like members that constitute the multiple gripping members 31A. The scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, and 901 perform a scraping action on multiple adjacent surfaces. This allows ingredients that have adhered to each of a plurality of adjacent plate-like surfaces (for example, long and short sides, or main and side plates) to be peeled off.

[0122] The multiple surfaces are multiple surfaces of plate-like members that constitute the multiple gripping members 31A. The scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, and 901 perform a scraping action on multiple non-adjacent surfaces. This allows ingredients that have adhered to each of a plurality of non-adjacent plate-like surfaces (for example, the outer and inner surfaces, or the side surfaces) to be peeled off.

[0123] The plurality of gripping members 31A are gripping members 31A that perform a task by bringing at least a portion of each into contact with each other. The scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, and 901 perform the peeling operation while at least a portion of each of the plurality of gripping members 31A is not in contact for the work execution operation. This allows the adhering ingredients to be efficiently peeled off in an open state where the plurality of gripping members 31A are not in contact with each other.

[0124] The gripping member 31A is configured to extend in a direction toward the ingredient when performing a task. The scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, and 901 perform a peeling operation by sliding while moving relatively to the gripping member 31A along a direction parallel to the direction toward the ingredient. This allows the peeled ingredients to fall in the direction toward the ingredients.

[0125] The plurality of gripping members 31A are gripping members that grip and release ingredients. The scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, 901 perform a peeling operation so that the peeled ingredients fall into a container that contains the ingredients to be gripped by the multiple gripping members 31A, or into a container into which the ingredients gripped by the multiple gripping members 31A will be released. This allows the peeled ingredients to be used without waste, and eliminates the need to prepare a dedicated place for dropping the peeled ingredients.

[0126] The scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, and 901 perform a peeling operation by reciprocating in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. The scrapers 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, 901 slide over the plurality of gripping members 31A both when moving in the first direction and when moving in the second direction, thereby peeling off ingredients adhering to the plurality of gripping members 31A. This allows you to approach from different directions and efficiently peel off any ingredients that have stuck to the surface.

[0127] The above-described embodiment and modifications are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments that realize the functions of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the present invention has been described as being applied to a gripping system for serving prepared foods, but the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping various objects. For example, the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping highly viscous or adhesive materials such as kneaded mortar, concrete, plaster, and clay. The present invention is suitable for gripping objects with a viscosity of at least medium (5000 mPa s) at working temperature or room temperature. Furthermore, the examples described in the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate to implement the present invention. The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. In other words, the functional configuration in Fig. 8 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient for the work system 1 to be provided with a function that can execute the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Fig. 8. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

[0128] When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs that make up the software are installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0129] The storage medium for storing the program may be a removable medium distributed separately from the device itself, or may be a storage medium pre-installed in the device itself. Removable media may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. Optical disks may be, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), or Blu-ray Discs (registered trademarks). Magneto-optical disks may be, for example, MDs (Mini-Disks). Flash memories may be, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories or SD cards. Storage media pre-installed in the device itself may be, for example, a ROM or hard disk on which the program is stored.

[0130] In this specification, the steps describing the program to be recorded on the recording medium include not only processes that are performed in chronological order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed in chronological order but are performed in parallel or individually. In addition, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall device that is made up of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

[0131] The above-described embodiment shows an example of application of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention can be modified in various ways, such as by omission or substitution, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and various embodiments other than the above-described embodiment can be adopted. The various embodiments and modifications that the present invention can adopt are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1 Working system, 2 Belt conveyor, 10 Ingredient storage section, 10A Storage space, 20 Container supply section, 21, 30a Weight sensor, 22 Container detection sensor, 30 Articulated robot, 30b Force sensor, 31 Hand unit, 31A Grasping member, 32 Robot arm, 40 Control device, 50 Shielding section, 100, 450, 850, 950 Support section, 200, 400, 500, 800, 900 Scraper mechanism, 201, 401, 501, 502, 801, 901 Scraper, 202, 460, 802 Air cylinder, 300 Drive mechanism, 310 Insertion section, 401a First protrusion, 401b Second protrusion, 402 Rod-shaped member, 151 Sensor information acquisition section, 152 Ingredient state determination section, 153 Ingredient amount determination unit, 154 articulated robot control unit, 155 container supply control unit, 156 recording control unit, 171 parameter storage unit, 172 history database (history DB), 711 CPU, 712 ROM, 713 RAM, 714 bus, 715 input unit, 716 output unit, 717 storage unit, 718 communication unit, 719 drive, 731 removable media

Claims

1. A work system including a robot equipped with an end effector consisting of a plurality of components, and a control device that controls the operation of the robot, A plurality of peeling members are arranged corresponding to the plurality of component members, The control device a task execution operation that causes the component to perform a task involving contact with an object; a peeling operation of sliding the component corresponding to the peeling member against the peeling member to peel off the object adhering to the component; The work system is characterized by causing the robot to execute the above.

2. the peeling member performs the peeling operation on a plurality of surfaces of the component member by sliding the plurality of surfaces simultaneously; The work system according to claim 1 .

3. the plurality of surfaces are a plurality of surfaces of a plate-like member that constitutes the component member, The peeling member performs the peeling operation on a plurality of adjacent surfaces.

3. The work system according to claim 2.

4. the plurality of surfaces are a plurality of surfaces of a plate-like member that constitutes the component member, The peeling member performs the peeling operation on a plurality of non-adjacent surfaces.

3. The work system according to claim 2.

5. The plurality of components are components that perform the work by abutting at least a portion of each of them, the peeling member performs the peeling operation in a state where the plurality of component members are not in contact with at least the respective portions for the work execution operation.

3. The work system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The component member is configured to extend in a direction toward the object when performing the task execution operation, the peeling member performs the peeling operation by sliding while moving relative to the component member along a direction parallel to a direction toward the object; 3. The work system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The component is a gripping member that grips and releases the object, The peeling member performs the peeling operation so that the peeled object falls into a container that contains the object to be gripped by the component member, or into a container into which the object gripped by the component member is to be released.

3. The work system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The peeling member is The peeling operation is performed by reciprocating in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, The object adhering to the component is peeled off by sliding the component both when moving in the first direction and when moving in the second direction.

3. The work system according to claim 1 or 2.

9. A working method performed by a working system including a robot equipped with an end effector consisting of a plurality of component members and a control device that controls the operation of the robot, comprising: A plurality of peeling members are arranged corresponding to the plurality of component members, The control device a task execution step of causing the component member to perform a task involving contact with an object; a peeling step of sliding the component corresponding to the peeling member over the peeling member to peel off the object adhering to the component; A work method characterized by causing the robot to execute the above.

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