Binding system and binding program

Abstract

To provide a bundling apparatus that obtains information associated with bundling and makes it available for use.SOLUTION: A binding system 1D that binds a plurality of intersection points P with a binding body W by means of a binding device that moves with respect to a workpiece B in which a plurality of reinforcing bars S intersect to form the plurality of intersection points P, the binding system 1D comprising a control unit 77D, wherein with respect to one reinforcing bar Sx and another reinforcing bar Sy forming an intersection point Po, at least one other intersection point P at the one reinforcing bar Sx, which differs from the intersection point Po formed by the one reinforcing bar Sx and the other reinforcing bar Sy, and at least one other intersection point P at the other reinforcing bar Sy, which differs from the intersection point Po formed by the one reinforcing bar Sx and the other reinforcing bar Sy, are bound by the binding body W along a direction differing from the intersection point Po formed by the one reinforcing bar Sx and the other reinforcing bar Sy.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bundling system equipped with a bundling machine that binds reinforcing bars with wire, and a bundling processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] Steel bars are used in concrete structures to increase their strength, and are bound together with wire by a binding machine to prevent the steel bars from shifting from their designated positions when concrete is poured. At the intersection of crossed rebars, the wire can be tied along a diagonal direction to either rebar. For example, if one rebar running in the front-to-back direction intersects with the other rebar running in the left-to-right direction, the wire can be tied along the diagonal front left direction or along the diagonal front right direction.

[0003] In a conventional bundling system, multiple bundling machines are arranged in a row so that the bundling directions are alternately changed, and multiple intersections are simultaneously bundled (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Furthermore, in another conventional bundling system, a bundling machine is mounted on the head of a gantry-type moving device, and bundling is performed sequentially at a plurality of intersections of the workpiece (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-35052 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-219420 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In all of the above conventional bundling systems, wires are bundled in alternating directions at the intersections of rebars along one direction, but wires are bundled in the same direction at the intersections of rebars along the other direction. This left room for a reduction in the binding strength of the reinforcing bars.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bundling system and a bundling program that can perform high-strength bundling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the bundling system of the present invention comprises: A binding system for binding a workpiece in which a plurality of reinforcing bars intersect with a plurality of reinforcing bars to form a plurality of intersections, the binding system using a moving binding device to bind the plurality of intersections with binding bodies, For one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar that form the intersection, a control unit is provided that binds at least one other intersection different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar in the one reinforcing bar and at least one other intersection different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar in the other reinforcing bar with the binding body along a direction different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar.

[0008] The bundling processing program of the present invention also includes: A computer controls a binding system that binds a workpiece in which a plurality of reinforcing bars intersect with a plurality of reinforcing bars to form a plurality of intersections with a binding body using a moving binding device, For one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar that form the intersection, at least one other intersection different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar in the one reinforcing bar and at least one other intersection different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar in the other reinforcing bar are controlled to be bound by the binding body in a direction different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid multiple intersections of each reinforcing bar that makes up the work being bound by a binding body in only the same direction, thereby reducing the gaps between the reinforcing bars and achieving a strong binding. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device body of the binding system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic control configuration of the binding system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view of the binding device in a position when performing a binding operation. [Figure 4] 3 is a schematic view of a workpiece on a holder table of a workpiece holder seen from above. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an intersection where bundling is performed in a first bundling direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an intersection where bundling is performed in a second bundling direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the distinction between "intersections located at corners," "intersections located on outer edges," and other intersections. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the workpieces subjected to the bundling direction determination process according to condition (1). [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the workpieces subjected to the bundling direction determination process according to condition (2). [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a plan view of the workpieces subjected to the bundling direction determination process according to condition (3). [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the workpieces subjected to the process of determining the binding direction according to condition (4). [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view of the intersection of the workpieces determined according to condition (4) in the process of determining the binding direction. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the workpieces subjected to the process of determining the binding direction according to condition (5). [Figure 14] 4 is a plan view of the binding device of FIG. 3 as seen from one side of the pivot shaft. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a plan view in which part of the configuration of the device main body is omitted. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure when the bundling system executes bundling processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [Binding system configuration] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus main body 10C provided in a binding system 1D according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic control configuration of the binding system 1D. As shown in these figures, the binding system 1D binds a workpiece B, which is made up of multiple reinforcing bars S arranged in a lattice pattern, using wire W to form a binding body at the intersection P (see Figure 4) where the multiple reinforcing bars S intersect. Specifically, the binding system 1D includes a device main body 10C and a control device 7D.

[0013] The device main body 10C includes a workpiece holding unit 2, an overall photographing unit 3, a robot arm 4, an individual photographing unit 5, and a binding device 6C. Of these, the workpiece holding unit 2 is disposed inside a stand 11 of the device main body 10C, and the overall photographing unit 3, the robot arm 4, the individual photographing unit 5, and the binding device 6C are mounted on the stand 11. In the following description, the X, Y, and Z directions refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1. The X, Y, and Z directions are perpendicular to each other, the XY plane is a substantially horizontal plane, and the Z direction is a direction substantially along the vertical. For convenience, the X, Y, and Z directions are assumed to coincide with the directions of the robot coordinate system of the robot arm 4, which will be described later.

[0014] The mount 11 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the X direction, and includes four pillars 12 erected at the four corners in the X and Y directions, and four beams 13 that span the upper ends of the pillars 12 in the X and Y directions. Of the area inside the stand 11, approximately half on one side in the X direction (the right side in Figure 1) is the photography area E1 where photography is performed by the overall photography unit 3, and the half on the other side (the left side in Figure 1) is the binding area E2 where binding work is performed by the robot arm 4 and the binding device 6C.

[0015] <Work holding part> The workpiece holding unit 2 holds the workpiece B and moves the held workpiece B between the photography area E1 and the binding area E2. Specifically, the workpiece holding unit 2 includes a holding table 21 that holds the workpiece B, rails 22 that movably support the holding table 21, and a drive motor 23 that drives the rails 22. The holder 21 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate with four sides aligned along the X and Y directions. Support plates 211 that support a plurality of reinforcing bars S that constitute the workpiece B are erected on the four sides of the holder 21. The support plates 211 have a plurality of U-shaped grooves 211a that open upward, and the reinforcing bars S are inserted into the U-shaped grooves 211a. The multiple reinforcing bars S are arranged in a lattice pattern along the X and Y directions with their ends inserted into the U-shaped grooves 211a of the support plates 211. The rails 22 are laid along the X direction and guide the holder 21 in the X direction. In this embodiment, the rails 22 are laid so that the holder 21 (work B) can move at least between the photographing area E1 and the binding area E2. However, the rails 22 may be configured to extend to the outside of the platform 11 so that the work B can be moved to a work process before or after binding. The drive motor 23 is a drive source that moves the holder 21. The drive motor 23 moves the holder 21 to the photographing area E1 and the binding area E2 based on a drive command from the control device 7D.

[0016] <Overall Photography Department> The overall photographing unit 3 photographs the entire workpiece B in the photographing area E1. Specifically, the overall photographing unit 3 includes a first camera 31 arranged above the photographing area E1, and a moving mechanism 32 that movably supports the first camera 31. The first camera 31 is positioned facing downward and photographs the workpiece B held by the workpiece holder 2 from above in the photographing area E1 to acquire signal information including distance information from the rebar and image information of the workpiece. Specifically, the first camera 31 in this embodiment is a compound-eye (e.g., four-eye) stereo camera (RGB-D camera) that acquires image information in the XY plane as well as distance information in the depth direction (up and down direction), and outputs the information to the control device 7D. The first camera 31 is an example of a second information acquisition unit according to the present invention. Note that the sensor type of the first camera 31 is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire distance information (depth information) along with image information, and may be, for example, a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor. Furthermore, sensors such as a 3D laser scanner or LiDAR (light detection and ranging) may be used instead of a camera. The movement mechanism 32 includes a Y-direction slider 33 that extends along the Y direction. The Y-direction slider 33 is suspended on a beam 13 that extends along the X direction and is supported by the beam 13 so as to be movable in the X direction. A first camera 31 is suspended from the Y-direction slider 33 so as to be movable in the Y direction. The movement mechanism 32 drives a drive source (not shown) based on a control command from the control device 7D, and moves the first camera 31 to a predetermined position (XY coordinates). The moving mechanism 32 is used to photograph the entire workpiece B multiple times in order to obtain an image of the workpiece B with the desired resolution. Therefore, depending on the performance of the first camera 31 and the shape of the workpiece B, the moving mechanism 32 may include an X-direction slider that moves the Y-direction slider 33 in the X direction, or may move the first camera 31 in only one of the X and Y directions, or may not be provided at all. Furthermore, if the photographing range of the first camera 31 is such that the entire workpiece B or the support table 21 located in the photographing area E1 can be photographed in one go, the first camera 31 may be configured to be fixedly supported at a fixed point.

[0017] <Robot arm> The robot arm 4 is an example of a moving body according to the present invention, and is equipped with an individual photographing unit 5 and a binding device 6C, and moves the individual photographing unit 5 and the binding device 6C to desired positions in the binding area E2. The robot arm 4 of this embodiment includes a movement mechanism 46, a robot arm main body 40, and a controller 49.

[0018] The movement mechanism 46 moves the robot arm body 40. The movement mechanism 46 of this embodiment includes a Y-direction slider 461 that is hung on the beam 13 of the base 11. The Y-direction slider 461 moves the robot arm body 40 in the Y direction. However, the specific configuration of the moving mechanism 46 is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a mechanism for moving the robot arm body 40 in the X direction. Furthermore, if the operating range of the robot arm body 40 can cover the entire binding area E2 without relying on the moving mechanism 46, the moving mechanism 46 may not be provided.

[0019] The robot arm body 40 is a ceiling-suspended vertical articulated robot, and is installed facing downward on a Y-direction slider 461 suspended on the beam 13 in the binding area E2. Specifically, the robot arm body 40 includes a base 41, a plurality of arms 42, an end effector 43, and a plurality of joints 44. The robot arm body 40 is not limited to a vertical articulated robot, as long as it can move the individual photographing unit 5 and binding device 6C mounted thereon.

[0020] The arms 42 are connected in series with the base portion 41 as the base end. The base portion 41 is mounted on a Y-direction slider 461 of the movement mechanism 46 and is supported so as to be movable in the Y direction. The plurality of joints 44 rotatably connect the base 41, the plurality of arms 42, and the end effector 43. Each joint 44 is provided with a motor 441 that drives the arm 42 (or the end effector 43) connected to the tip side of the joint 44, and an encoder 442 that detects the position (speed) of the motor 441 and outputs the position (speed) to the controller 49. The end effector 43 is connected to the tips of the multiple arms 42. The end effector 43 is equipped with an individual photographing unit 5 and a binding device 6C. Note that the specific configuration is not particularly limited as long as the tip of the robot arm main body 40 is equipped with the individual photographing unit 5 and the binding device 6C. For example, the individual photographing unit 5 may be fixed to the joint unit 44 on the tip side, and the binding device 6C may be connected as an end effector via a tool changer.

[0021] Based on control commands from the control device 7D, the controller 49 controls the operation of each part of the robot arm 4. Specifically, the controller 49 operates each motor 441 and the moving mechanism 46, and outputs information acquired by each encoder 442 to the control device 7D. The controller 49 may locally control the operations of the individual photographing unit 5 and the binding device 6C mounted thereon based on a control command from the control device 7D.

[0022] <Individual Photography Department> The individual photographing unit 5 is mounted on the tip of the robot arm 4, and individually photographs the intersections P of the rebars S to be bundled in the binding area E2 with a higher resolution than that of the overall photographing unit 3. Specifically, the individual photographing unit 5 includes a second camera 51, an elevation motor 52, and a lighting unit 53. The second camera 51 is attached to the end effector 43 of the robot arm 4 facing the tip (downward) and captures an image of the intersection P of the rebar S to be bundled from above. The second camera 51 is provided so as to be movable toward the tip (up and down) relative to the end effector 43. The second camera 51 in this embodiment is, for example, an RGB camera, and acquires image information (color image) of the intersection P to be bundled and outputs it to the control device 7D. The second camera 51 is an example of a second information acquisition unit according to the present invention. Note that the type of sensor of the second camera 51 is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire an image of at least one intersection P (signal information of the intersection of the rebars including the image). The lifting motor 52 is a drive source that moves (lifts) the second camera 51 toward the tip (up and down) relative to the end effector 43. The lighting unit 53 is disposed slightly in front of the second camera 51 in the shooting direction and around the shooting range, and illuminates the object to be shot by the second camera 51. The lighting unit 53 of this embodiment has a plurality of light sources (projectors, not shown) that can illuminate the object to be shot by the second camera 51 from different angles. The lighting unit 53 may be configured to irradiate patterned light from a plurality of directions and to acquire three-dimensional information about the periphery of the intersection P in cooperation with the second camera 51.

[0023] <Binding machine> FIG. 3 is a side view of the binding device 6C in a position when performing a binding operation. The binding device 6C is mounted on the tip of the robot arm 4. The binding device 6C includes a rebar binding machine 61C that binds intersections P of the rebars S that make up the workpiece B with wire W, a slack forming unit 62C that pulls out the wire W from a reel 63C and forms slack in the wire W between the binding machine 61C and the reel 63C, and a control unit 64C that causes the rebar binding machine 61C to perform the binding operation and the slack forming unit 62C to form slack in the wire W in accordance with an operation command from the control device 7D.

[0024] The reinforcing bar binding machine 61C has an entrance section 611C through which two wires W are fed from outside the housing along the feed direction F shown in the figure, and the two wires W fed into the interior from the entrance section 611C are wound around the reinforcing bar S, and the two wires W wound around the reinforcing bar S are fed in the reverse feed direction R to be wrapped around the reinforcing bar S and cut, and then the wires W are twisted and the reinforcing bar S is bound with the wires W.

[0025] For this reason, the binding machine 61C is equipped with a wire feeding section that feeds the wire W, a wire guide 612C that guides the wire W, a curl guide 613C and a guide guide 614C that wind the wire W around the reinforcing bar S, a cutting section that cuts the wire W wound around the reinforcing bar S, and a binding section that twists the wire W wound around the reinforcing bar S.

[0026] The wire guide 612C is provided in front of the entrance 611C and guides the two wires W to enter along the feeding direction F into the entrance 611C.

[0027] The wire feeding unit is located inside the entrance portion 611C, and clamps two wires W between a pair of feed gears and feeds them in a feed direction F. The wire feeding unit is equipped with a feed motor 615C (see FIG. 2) that serves as a drive source. This feed motor 615C feeds the two wires W in the feed direction F by driving it in a forward rotation, and the wires W can be wound around the reinforcing bar S by the curl guide 613C and the induction guide 614C located at the end of the motor. In addition, the feed motor 615C feeds the two wires W in the reverse feed direction R by driving it in a reverse rotation, and the reinforcing bar S can be tightened by the wires W.

[0028] The cutting unit is located inside the entrance 611C, further back than the wire feed unit. The cutting unit has a movable blade and a fixed blade (not shown), and the movable blade shares a drive source with the binding unit. The movable blade can be moved toward the fixed blade by a torsion motor 616C (see Figure 2), which is the drive source for the binding unit, to cut the two wires. The drive source for the cutting unit may be provided separately and independently.

[0029] 3 is supported by an end effector 43 at the tip of the robot arm 4, and performs binding operations with the rotation axis Zr of the end effector 43 parallel to the Z direction (vertical up-down direction) described above. The binding device 6C is set so that the position where the wire W is bound to the rebar S is located on the axis of the rotation axis Zr, and during binding, the robot arm 4 positions the binding device 6C so that the intersection P of the rebar S is located on the axis of the rotation axis Zr.

[0030] The curl guide 613C and the induction guide 614C are located at the tip end of the binding machine 61C (the lower end during binding operation), and are disposed on both sides of the above-mentioned rotation axis Zr. The curl guide 613C has its base end positioned at the end of the entrance 611C in the feed direction F, and a guide path is formed inside to curl the wire W as it moves from the base end to the tip end of the curl guide 613C.

[0031] The induction guide 614C is positioned opposite the curl guide 613C, and has a guide path formed inside that receives the wire W curled by the curl guide 613C from the tip end and guides the wire W to the base end while maintaining the curled state. The curl guide 613C and the induction guide 614C cooperate to deform the wire W into a loop and wind it around the reinforcing bar S.

[0032] The bundling unit has a locking member that captures the wire W wound around the reinforcing bar S between the base end of the guiding guide 614C and the base end of the curl guide 613C. The locking member is rotatably supported inside the bundling machine 61C about a rotation axis that is concentric with the aforementioned pivot axis Zr, and torque for rotational drive is applied to the locking member by the aforementioned torsion motor 616C. After the wire W is cut by the cutting unit, the locking member is rotationally driven by the torsion motor 616C, and can twist both ends of the wire W to bind the reinforcing bar S.

[0033] Two reels 63C for the wire W are rotatably supported side by side on one side of the bundling machine 61C in the direction along the rotation axis Zr (the upper side during bundling operation). The two reels 63C are rotatable around an axis extending perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 3 and are arranged side by side in the same direction.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, the slack forming portion 62C is disposed on one side of the binding machine 61C and the two reels 63C in the orthogonal direction Xw that is orthogonal to the rotation axis Zr. The slack forming section 62C has a first slack forming section 621C and a second slack forming section 622C that move past each other, and a slack forming motor 623C that serves as a drive source for these moving past each other.

[0035] The aforementioned feed direction F of the wire W is generally parallel to a plane parallel to the pivot axis Zr and the orthogonal direction Xw. Furthermore, the upstream side of the feed direction F of the wire W is slightly inclined upward in the plane of the paper in FIG. 3 with respect to the orthogonal direction Xw. The first slack forming portion 621C and the second slack forming portion 622C each hold a roller around which two wires W are wound.

[0036] The first slack forming unit 621C and the second slack forming unit 622C perform a passing operation generally along the feed direction F, thereby extending the path length of the wire W from the reel 63C to the inlet 611C of the binding machine 61C and pulling out the wire W from the reel 63C. Furthermore, the first slack forming unit 621C and the second slack forming unit 622C perform a returning operation after the passing operation, thereby imparting slack to the wire W by the amount pulled out from the reel 63C.

[0037] Incidentally, the two wires W are required to be fed into the inlet 611C of the binding machine 61C in a direction close to the feeding direction F, that is, at an incident angle close to the feeding direction F. The feeding direction F is a direction suitable for deforming the wire W into an appropriate loop shape by the curl guide 613C and the induction guide 614C located at the end of the feeding direction. In order to supply the wire W to the entrance 611C of the binding machine 61C along the feed direction F, the slack forming unit 62C is arranged so that the path from the downstream second slack forming unit 622C to the entrance 611C of the binding machine 61C follows the feed direction F. During passing operations, the second slack forming unit 622C moves away from the entrance 611C of the binding machine 61C along the feed direction F.

[0038] Therefore, the binding device 6C is disposed so that the slack forming portion 62C largely protrudes on one side (the right side of the paper in FIG. 3) in the direction Xw perpendicular to the binding machine 61C (swivel axis Zr). The second camera 51 and the lighting unit 53 of the individual photographing section 5 are disposed on the left side of the binding machine 61C of the binding device 6C in FIG.

[0039] <Control device> The control device 7D is a computer that comprehensively controls the binding system 1D. Specifically, the control device 7D includes an operation unit 72, a display unit 73, a storage unit 76D, and a control unit 77D. The operation unit 72 is an operation means by which the user performs various operations to operate the control device 7D, and includes, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard. The display unit 73 is configured with, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or other display, and displays various information based on a display signal from the control unit 77 D. The display unit 73 may be a touch panel that also serves as part of the operation unit 72, or may output audio.

[0040] The storage unit 76D is a memory configured from RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and stores various programs and data, and also functions as a work area for the control unit 77D. In addition, the memory unit 76D, which serves as a recording device, stores image data 762D captured by the first camera 31 and the second camera 51, map data 763D in which information about the work B is recorded, binding direction data 764D generated in the binding direction determination process described below, machine information data 766D indicating the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of the binding device 6C, and surrounding information data 767D indicating the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of obstacles around the robot arm 4 deployed in the coordinate system of the robot arm 4.

[0041] The control unit 77D is configured with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the operation of each unit of the control device 7D. Specifically, the control unit 77D operates each unit of the control device 7D based on the operation content of the operation unit 72, loads a program stored in advance in the storage unit 76D, and executes various processes in cooperation with the loaded program.

[0042] <Intersection information acquisition process> The control unit 77D acquires information about the intersections P at which the plurality of reinforcing bars S of the work B intersect, by executing the bundling processing program 761D described above. As described above, the control unit 77D controls the device main body 10C to bind the plurality of reinforcing bars S of the workpiece B at the intersection P where they intersect with the wire W as a binding body.

[0043] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of workpiece B held on support plate 211 of holder 21 of workpiece holder 2, viewed from above in the Z direction. Note that in this schematic diagram, the number of reinforcing bars S of workpiece B is shown to be fewer than in Fig. 1. Also, the multiple double circles in the figure are marks indicating the positions of intersections P, and do not represent objects that actually exist on workpiece B. Furthermore, because there are so many reinforcing bars S and intersections P in the figure, only some are labeled. The same applies to Figs. 7 to 11 and 15.

[0044] The workpiece B has a grid-like structure in which a plurality of rebars S arranged in the Y direction are placed on top of a plurality of rebars S arranged in the X direction. Note that the rebars S arranged in the X direction and the rebars S arranged in the Y direction may be reversed. Also, although the multiple rebars S arranged in each direction are illustrated as being arranged at uniform intervals, the intervals between the rebars S may be uneven. The lengths may also be uneven. Each position where the center lines of multiple reinforcing bars S aligned along the X direction and multiple reinforcing bars S aligned along the Y direction intersect when viewed from the Z direction is an intersection point P, and the binding system 1D can use each of these intersection points P as the binding target.

[0045] The control of the bundling operation by the control unit 77D requires information about the intersection points P for identifying the positions of the intersection points P where the reinforcing bars S of the work B intersect. Therefore, the control unit 77D executes an intersection information acquisition process for acquiring information about the intersections P for identifying the positions of all the intersections P of the work B. This intersection information acquisition process consists of a first acquisition process that acquires the position of each intersection P from image data 762D captured by the first camera 31 or the second camera 51, which function as an intersection information acquisition means, and a second acquisition process that acquires map data 763D from outside the binding system 1D.

[0046] The control unit 77D may be configured to be able to execute only one of the first acquisition process and the second acquisition process. For example, if the control unit 77D is configured to be able to execute only the first acquisition process, the storage unit 76D may be configured not to hold the map data 763D.

[0047] In the first acquisition process performed by the control unit 77D, when the image data 762D of the workpiece B on the support table 21 photographed by the first camera 31 or the second camera 51 is two-dimensional planar image data, the control unit 77D extracts the position of the outline of each rebar S in the image using well-known image processing, determines the center line passing through the center of each rebar S, identifies the position where the center lines of each rebar S intersect, and acquires these as the position of the intersection point P. Furthermore, height information of the intersection point P may be obtained by photographing the workpiece B on the support table 21 two or more times while changing the relative position between the first camera 31 or the second camera 51 and the workpiece B, and calculating the height of each position in the image using parallax. This provides three-dimensional position data of all intersection points P of the rebars S of the workpiece B, which can then be expanded into the coordinate system of the robot arm 4 to acquire information about the intersection points P for identifying their positions.

[0048] Furthermore, if the image data 762D of the first camera 31 or the second camera 51 is image data that includes three-dimensional position information, information regarding the intersection P is obtained to identify the position of the intersection P by expanding the position information indicated by the image data into the coordinate system of the robot arm 4.

[0049] The second acquisition process performed by the control unit 77D is a process in which the control unit 7D is equipped with a communication device (not shown) that communicates with the outside of the binding system 1D, and requests and acquires map data 763D from another external information processing terminal via a communication network or the like. Alternatively, the control device 7D may be provided with a reading device (not shown) that reads a storage medium that stores the map data 763D, and the map data 763D may be acquired by reading from the storage medium.

[0050] The map data 763D records design information of the work B, and includes basic dimensions and three-dimensional position information of each reinforcing bar S, as well as three-dimensional position information of each intersection P. Therefore, the control unit 77D that executes the second acquisition process acquires information about the intersection P for identifying the position of the intersection P by expanding the three-dimensional position information of each intersection P obtained from the map data 763D into the coordinate system of the robot arm 4.

[0051] <Determining the bundling direction> The control unit 77D executes the bundling processing program 761D described above, thereby executing the process of determining the bundling direction for the intersection P of the reinforcing bars S of the work B. The process of determining the binding direction for each intersection P of work B is performed for all intersections P of work B based on the intersections P for identifying the positions of all intersections P of work B acquired by the intersection information acquisition process. Hereinafter, a method for the control unit 77D to determine the bundling direction of the reinforcing bars S of the workpiece B with respect to the intersections P will be described.

[0052] Here, the "binding direction" with respect to the intersection P of the work B will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan views showing two types of bundling directions with respect to the intersection P. When viewed from above in the Z direction, the wire W bundled at the intersection P between the X-direction rebar S and the Y-direction rebar S is in one of two directions, inclined at approximately 45 degrees with respect to both the X and Y directions, as shown in FIG. 5 or as shown in FIG. 6. Here, the bundling direction along the diagonally upward right direction on the paper surface of FIG. 5 is referred to as the first direction, and the bundling direction along the diagonally upward left direction on the paper surface of FIG. 6 is referred to as the second direction. In the bundling direction determination process, the control unit 77D determines the "bundling direction" for all intersections P of the work B to be either the first direction or the second direction. The "binding direction" here refers to the direction in which the wire W is aligned after binding when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the planar workpiece B.

[0053] The binding device 6C of the binding system 1D is designed to use two wires W for binding in one binding operation, and the two wires W shown in Figures 5 and 6 show the state after one binding operation. The same applies to the subsequent figures. After bundling, both ends of each wire W are twisted to form wound portions, but the wound portions are not shown in FIG. 5 and subsequent figures.

[0054] In the bundling direction determination process, the control unit 77D determines the bundling direction of each intersection P in accordance with each of the following bundling direction conditions (1) to (5). [Condition (1)] For each of all intersections P of the work B, for one reinforcing bar S and the other reinforcing bar S that form the intersection P, at least one other intersection P different from the intersection P formed by one reinforcing bar S and the other reinforcing bar S in one reinforcing bar S and at least one other intersection P different from the intersection P formed by one reinforcing bar S and the other reinforcing bar S in the other reinforcing bar S are tied together with wire W along a direction different from the intersection P formed by one reinforcing bar S and the other reinforcing bar S. [Condition (2)] Assuming condition (1), of all the intersection points P within the working area for the workpiece B, for the intersection point P located at the corner of the working area, the direction in which the wire W is bound is set to be as close to parallel as possible to the straight line connecting the intersection point P and the center of the working area. [Condition (3)] Subject to condition (2), of all intersections P within the working area for the workpiece B, for at least one of the two intersections P adjacent to the intersection P located at the corner of the working area, the binding direction of the wire W is set to be the same as the direction of the intersection P located at the corner of the working area. [Condition (4)] Subject to condition (2), of all intersection points P within the working area for work B, for the intersection point P located on the outer edge of the working area, the binding direction of the wire W is set to be as close to parallel as possible to the straight line connecting the intersection point P and the center of the working area of work B. [Condition (5)] Assuming that condition (1) is met, the wire W is bound to each of all intersections P of the workpiece B in a direction different from that of all other adjacent intersections P.

[0055] Here, when determining the binding direction of each intersection P in accordance with the binding direction conditions (1) to (5), the control unit 77D needs to identify "intersection P located at the corner" and "intersection P located at the outer edge" within the working area. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram in which "A" is written for "intersection points P located at corners," "B" is written for "intersection points P located on the outer edge," and "C" is written for other intersection points P.

[0056] First, the "working area" in the binding direction conditions (2) to (4) refers to the narrower of either the outer edge of the range of motion (the range within which the binding device 6C can move) of the binding device 6C set when the robot arm 4 holding the binding device 6C in the binding system 1D performs binding work on the work B, or the outer edge of the area in which all intersection points P of the work B exist. It may be assumed that the movable range of the binding device 6C and the area where all the intersection points P of the work B exist are both rectangular. 4, the present embodiment illustrates a case where the inside of the four support plates 211 of the holder 21 is a rectangular movable range, which coincides with the rectangular area in which all intersection points P of the workpiece B exist. In this case, the inside of the four support plates 211 of the holder 21 is a rectangular "working area."

[0057] Within the above-mentioned working area, as shown in Figure 7, the control unit 77D identifies, among all intersections P within the working area, an intersection P that has two other adjacent intersections P, such as the intersection P marked with "A" within the area Ra surrounded by a dotted line, as an "intersection P located at the corner of the working area." In addition, the control unit 77D identifies an intersection P that has three or fewer adjacent intersections P, such as the intersection P marked with "B" in the area Rb surrounded by the dotted line in Figure 7, as an "intersection P located on the outer edge of the work area." Then, the control unit 77D identifies an intersection P with four adjacent intersections P, such as the intersection P marked with "C" in the area Rc surrounded by the dotted line in Figure 7, as an intersection P other than "an intersection P located at the corner of the work area" and "an intersection P located on the outer edge of the work area."

[0058] The above-mentioned "adjacent intersections P" refers to adjacent intersections P via reinforcing bars S. In other words, it refers to adjacent intersections P in the X or Y direction, and does not include adjacent intersections P in a direction diagonal to either the X or Y direction. Furthermore, when we say "an intersection P located on the outer edge of the work area," we mean an intersection with three or fewer other adjacent intersections P, so it also includes "an intersection P located at the corner of the work area" with two other adjacent intersections P.

[0059] The above-mentioned condition (1) will be explained with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, one reinforcing bar S and the other reinforcing bar S that form an intersection P are designated as Sx and Sy, respectively, and the intersection P between these is designated as Po. This condition (1) requires that the bundling direction of the wire W is such that at least one of the intersection points P other than the intersection point Po in one reinforcing bar Sx is in a direction different from the intersection point Po, and that at least one of the intersection points P other than the intersection point Po in the other reinforcing bar Sy is in a direction different from the intersection point Po. Since the bundling direction of the wire W can only be either the first direction or the second direction as mentioned above, "different bundling directions" means that one intersection point P is in the first direction and the other intersection point P is in the second direction.

[0060] Condition (1) requires that when bundling is performed at the intersection Po along the second direction, the reinforcing bar Sx is bundled with the wire W along the first direction at any other intersection P other than the intersection Po. Similarly, the reinforcing bar Sy is also bundled with the wire W along the first direction at any other intersection P other than the intersection Po. Then, the same requirement is applied to all intersection points P of work B as to intersection point Po. In this embodiment, the condition (1) is exemplified as a case where all intersections P of the work B are required to be the same as the intersection Po, but is not limited to this. For example, the condition (1) may be such that only one intersection P or some intersections P of the work B are required to be the same as the intersection Po.

[0061] The above-mentioned condition (2) will be explained with reference to Figures 9 and 12. This condition (2) is based on the premise that the condition (1) is established. Here, as shown in the figure, of all the intersection points P within the working area U for the workpiece B, the intersection point located at the corner of the working area U is designated as Pc. The control unit 77D can identify the working area U according to the definition described above and can determine the center C of the working area U. The center C of the working area U can be determined from the center of gravity (centroid) of the working area U, for example. Furthermore, the control unit can identify all of the intersection points P located at the corners of the work area U according to the definition in Fig. 7. In the example in Fig. 9, the intersection points P where the reinforcing bars S1 and S2 located at both ends of the work area U in the Y direction intersect with the reinforcing bars S3 and S4 located at both ends of the work area U in the X direction are the four intersection points Pc located at the corners of the work area U. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, a straight line Lc passing through the center C and each of the intersection points Pc located at the corners can be identified. 12, the intersection angle between the wire W facing in the first direction and the straight line Lc at the intersection point Pc located at the corner and the intersection angle between the wire W facing in the second direction and the straight line Lc at the same intersection point Pc are calculated, and the direction with the smaller intersection angle is determined to be the "direction closer to being parallel" to the straight line Lc and is determined as the bundling direction at the intersection point Pc. Note that in both cases, it is assumed that the line of sight is from the Z direction. In the above case, the crossing angle between the wire W and the straight line Lc can be an acute crossing angle or an obtuse crossing angle, but the acute crossing angle will be used for comparison. Depending on the shape of the working area, the intersection angle between the wire W facing in the first direction and the straight line Lc may be equal to the intersection angle between the wire W facing in the second direction and the straight line Lc. In such a case, the control unit 77D may select either the first direction or the second direction for the intersection point Pc. In this case, the control unit 77D may determine in advance whether to decide on the "first direction" or the "second direction."

[0062] The above-mentioned condition (3) will be explained with reference to Fig. 10. This condition (3) is based on the premise that the condition (2) is established. As shown in the figure, the intersection Pc located at the corner of the work area U is adjacent to the intersection Pn on one side. At the intersection Pn adjacent to the four intersections Pc located at the corners of the work area U, the wire W is required to be bound in the same direction as the intersection Pc. Therefore, in the case of Figure 10, at the intersection Pn next to the intersection Pc located in the upper left corner of the figure, the wire W performs bundling along the second direction, at the intersection Pn next to the intersection Pc located in the upper right corner of the figure, the wire W performs bundling along the first direction, at the intersection Pn next to the intersection Pc located in the lower left corner of the figure, the wire W performs bundling along the first direction, and at the intersection Pn next to the intersection Pc located in the lower right corner of the figure, the wire W performs bundling along the second direction. The intersection Pc located at the corner of the work area U has two adjacent intersections P, and both of these intersections P may be bound in the same direction as the intersection Pc located at the corner.

[0063] The above-mentioned condition (4) will be explained with reference to Figures 11 and 12. This condition (4) is based on the premise that the condition (2) is established. The control unit 77D can identify the center C of the work area U and all of the intersection points P located on the outer edge of the work area U in accordance with the definition described above, and can therefore identify a straight line Lc passing through the center C and each of the intersection points P located on the outer edge, as shown in Figure 11. 12, the intersection angle between the wire W facing in the first direction and the straight line Lc at the intersection point P located on the outer edge and the intersection angle between the wire W facing in the second direction and the straight line Lc at the same intersection point P are calculated, and the direction with the smaller intersection angle between the first direction and the second direction is determined to be the "direction closer to being parallel" to the straight line Lc and is determined as the bundling direction at the intersection point P. Note that in both cases, it is assumed that the line of sight is from the Z direction.

[0064] In the above case, the crossing angle between the wire W and the straight line Lc can be an acute crossing angle or an obtuse crossing angle, but the acute crossing angle will be used for comparison. Furthermore, the crossing angle between the wire W facing the first direction and the straight line Lc and the crossing angle between the wire W facing the second direction and the straight line Lc may both be equal. For example, a wire W that passes through the center C of the work area U and performs bundling at an intersection P located on the outer edge of a rebar S that is parallel to the X direction, or a wire W that passes through the center C of the work area U and performs bundling at an intersection P located on the outer edge of a rebar S that is parallel to the Y direction, has the same crossing angle in the first direction as the crossing angle in the second direction. In such a case, the control unit 77D may select either the first direction or the second direction for the intersection point P. In this case, the control unit 77D may determine in advance whether to decide on the "first direction" or the "second direction."

[0065] The above-mentioned condition (5) will be explained with reference to Fig. 13. This condition (5) is based on the premise that the condition (1) is established. This condition (5) specifies that the wire W is bound to each of all intersections P of the work B in a direction different from that of all other adjacent intersections P, so that the wire W bound to each intersection P is arranged in a so-called staggered configuration, as shown in Figure 13, in which the first direction and the second direction are alternately arranged for all rows of intersections lined up in the X direction, and the first direction and the second direction are alternately arranged for all rows of intersections lined up in the Y direction.

[0066] Regarding the bundling direction of each intersection P that satisfies condition (5), there are two cases: the case shown in the example of Figure 13, and the case where the bundling direction of the wire W is reversed between the first direction and the second direction for all intersections P in Figure 13. Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit 77D predetermines a condition for selecting either the pattern of FIG. 13 or a pattern that is the reverse of that of FIG. 13 for each intersection P of the workpiece B. For example, it is preferable to define a condition such that the bundling direction of the wire W is the first direction (or the second direction) at an intersection P located at a specific position on the work B (for example, an intersection P located at a specific corner). This allows the control unit 77D to uniquely determine the direction in which the wire W is bound for all intersections P with respect to the workpiece B. In this embodiment, the condition (5) is exemplified as a case where it is required that the direction in which the wire W is bound for all intersections P of the workpiece B is different from that of all other adjacent intersections P, but is not limited to this. For example, the condition (5) may be such that it is required that the direction in which the wire W is bound for only one intersection P or some intersections P of the workpiece B is different from that of all other adjacent intersections P.

[0067] The binding system 1D may be configured so that the user can select some or all of the above-mentioned conditions (1) to (5) from, for example, the operation unit 72. In this case, the control unit 77D determines the direction in which the wire W is bound for all intersections P with respect to the workpiece B based on any of the conditions (1) to (5) selected by the user. Furthermore, in the binding system 1D, the control unit 77D may be configured to determine the direction in which the wire W is bound for all intersections P with respect to the workpiece B based on only one of the conditions (1) to (5).

[0068] Here, the usefulness of the bundling direction of the wire W relative to the intersection point P of the workpiece B based on each of the conditions (1) to (5) will be described. In the case of condition (1), if the control unit 77D determines the binding direction of the wire W at each intersection P so as to satisfy this condition, all of the intersections P of the rebars S that make up the workpiece B will not be bound in the same direction. If all of the intersections on a rebar S are bound to other rebars S in the same binding direction, they will receive stress in the same direction from each intersection P, which can easily cause gaps between the rebars S and reduce the binding strength. However, if the binding direction for each intersection P of the workpiece B is determined according to condition (1), it is possible to avoid a reduction in binding strength and achieve strong binding to the workpiece B.

[0069] In the case of condition (5), when the control unit 77D determines the bundling direction of the wire W at each intersection P so as to satisfy this condition, bundling is performed alternately in the first direction and the second direction at multiple intersections P on a single reinforcing bar S. This distributes the direction of stress at each intersection P lined up along the reinforcing bar S, further reducing the gaps between the reinforcing bars S and enabling stronger bundling to the workpiece B more effectively.

[0070] The cases of conditions (2) to (4) will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 in addition to the above-mentioned FIGS. 14 is a plan view of the binding device 6C of FIG. 3 as seen from one side of the rotation axis Zr (for example, from above in the binding operation), and FIG. 15 is a plan view of the device main body 10C with some of the configuration omitted.

[0071] As described above, the binding device 6C is structured such that the slack forming section 62C is positioned on one side of the perpendicular direction Xw, which is the alignment direction of the curl guide 613C and the guide guide 614C, relative to the rebar binding machine 61C, in order to deform the wire W into an appropriate loop shape using the curl guide 613C and the guide guide 614C. As shown in FIG. 14, the binding device 6C protrudes most greatly around the pivot axis Zr toward one side of the orthogonal direction Xw, which is the slack forming portion 62C side. When bundling the wire W in a predetermined bundling direction, the robot arm main body 40 rotates the bundling device 6C about the rotation axis Zr. In this case, if there is a portion around the rotation axis Zr that protrudes to one side of the orthogonal direction Xw, there is a concern that the bundling device 6C may come into contact with an object standing in the Z direction around the bundling device 6C or an object located higher than the workpiece B in the Z direction. 15, in the device main body 10C, there is a particular concern that each support 12 of the stand 11 may come into contact with the binding device 6C. Although the device main body 10C only has one support 12 at each of the four corners, if the overall weight of the device main body 10C increases, more support columns 12 may be provided along each beam 13. Furthermore, depending on the installation environment of the device main body 10C, obstacles other than the support poles may occur.

[0072] Therefore, when binding the workpiece B with the wire W, it is preferable that the protruding portions of the binding device 6C, particularly the slack forming portion 62C, do not protrude outside the working area U. 11, the silhouette of the binding device 6C in a plan view is depicted by a two-dot chain line when the pivot axis Zr, which is the binding position of the binding device 6C, is positioned relative to the multiple intersections P. In the silhouette of the binding device 6C in a plan view, the end that forms a semicircle in the longitudinal direction is the end on the individual photographing unit 5 side in the orthogonal direction Xw, and the end that forms a rectangle in the longitudinal direction is the end on the slack forming unit 62C side.

[0073] For example, as shown in Figure 11, when conditions (2) to (4) are satisfied, at intersection P, which is a corner within the working area U, a binding direction that intersects with the outer edge of the working area U is selected, so that the binding operation can be performed with the slack forming part 62C, which is the most protruding part of the binding device 6C, facing the inside of the working area U, thereby reducing the possibility of contact between obstacles around the working area U and the slack forming part 62C, which is the most protruding part of the binding device 6C. If a direction that does not satisfy conditions (2) to (4) is selected at the corner intersection P, for example, if the first direction is selected at the corner intersection P at the upper left of the paper in Figure 11, the slack forming portion 62C will protrude to the left or upper side of the paper in Figure 11 toward the outside of the work area U, creating the possibility of contact with obstacles around the work area U. If conditions (2) to (4) are met, it is possible to eliminate the selection of a binding direction that may unavoidably cause the slack forming portion 62C to protrude outside the working area U, thereby reducing the possibility of contact between the slack forming portion 62C and an obstacle.

[0074] Furthermore, in the case of condition (3), the bundling operation is also performed at the intersection P next to the corner intersection P in the same direction as the corner intersection P. If the bundling direction is not selected appropriately for the intersection P near the corner, there is a possibility that the slack forming portion 62C will protrude outward outside the working area U, just like the corner, so in the case of condition (3), it is possible to reduce the possibility of contact between the slack forming portion 62C and an obstacle. Furthermore, since the binding operation for the intersection P adjacent to the corner intersection P is performed in the same direction as the corner intersection P, the frequency of the pivoting operation of the binding device 6C can be reduced, and the binding operation can be speeded up.

[0075] Furthermore, in the case of condition (4), the binding direction at intersection P located on the outer edge including the corner is selected to be close to parallel to the straight line connecting the center C of the working area U and intersection P, so that the binding operation can be performed with the slack forming part 62C, which is the most protruding part of the binding device 6C, facing the inside of the working area U, thereby reducing the possibility of contact between obstacles outside the working area U and slack forming part 62C. In particular, among the intersection points P located on the outer edge, the closer to the corners, the more likely it is that the binding direction will be such that the slack forming portion 62C will unavoidably protrude outside the working area U; however, if condition (4) is met, this possibility can be reduced, and the possibility of contact between the slack forming portion 62C and an obstacle can be reduced.

[0076] If the binding directions of all intersections P of the workpiece B are determined according to condition (1) alone, the number of combinations will be extremely large, so it is preferable to determine the conditions for narrowing down the options in advance. The narrowing down conditions include, for example, the ratio of the number of intersections P in the first direction to the number of intersections P in the second direction in each reinforcing bar S, the lower limit of the number of intersections P in the first direction or the lower limit of the number of intersections P in the second direction in each reinforcing bar S, the ratio of the number of intersections P in the first direction to the number of intersections P in the second direction in all intersections P in work B, the degree of dispersion of intersections P in the first direction and intersections P in the second direction in the arrangement of all intersections P in work B (for example, dividing the area in which all intersections P of work B exist into multiple areas and making the number of intersections P in the first direction and the number of intersections P in the second direction in each divided area closer to equality), etc. Furthermore, for intersection points P for which the binding direction cannot be determined even when taking into consideration condition (1) and the narrowing down conditions, it is more preferable to decide in advance whether to make all of them the first direction, all of them the second direction, or to make the ratio of the first direction to the second direction more equal.

[0077] Furthermore, when determining the binding directions of all intersections P of workpiece B according to condition (2) alone, the number of combinations becomes extremely large, so it is preferable to determine the conditions for narrowing down the options in advance. For example, in the work area U, for the intersections P other than the intersections P located at the respective corners, the binding direction may be set to the same as the intersection P located at the nearest corner. In addition, the same narrowing condition as the condition (1) may be added. Furthermore, for intersection points P for which the binding direction cannot be determined even when taking into consideration condition (2) and the narrowing down conditions, it is more preferable to decide in advance whether to make all of them the first direction, all of them the second direction, or to make the ratio of the first direction to the second direction more equal.

[0078] Furthermore, when determining the binding directions of all intersections P of workpiece B according to condition (3) alone, the number of combinations becomes extremely large, so it is preferable to determine the conditions for narrowing down the options in advance. For example, in the work area U, the intersections P other than the intersections P located at each corner and the intersections P adjacent to them may be set to have the same binding direction as the intersection P located at the nearest corner. In addition, the same narrowing condition as condition (1) may be added. Furthermore, for intersection points P whose binding direction cannot be determined even when taking into consideration condition (3) and the narrowing down conditions, it is more preferable to decide in advance whether to make all of them the first direction, all of them the second direction, or to make the ratio of the first direction to the second direction more equal.

[0079] Furthermore, when determining the binding directions of all intersections P of workpiece B according to condition (4) alone, the number of combinations becomes extremely large, so it is preferable to determine the conditions for narrowing down the combinations in advance. For example, within the work area U, for intersections P other than those located at the corners and those located on the outer edge, the binding direction may be set to the same as that of the intersection P located at the nearest corner or the intersection P located on the outer edge. In addition, the same narrowing condition as condition (1) may be added. Furthermore, for intersection points P for which the binding direction cannot be determined even when taking into consideration condition (4) and the narrowing down conditions, it is more preferable to decide in advance whether to make all of them the first direction, all of them the second direction, or to make the ratio of the first direction to the second direction more equal.

[0080] Furthermore, when determining the binding direction of all intersections P of work B according to condition (5) alone, there are only two possible combinations, so as mentioned above, it is sufficient to predetermine whether a specific intersection P will be in the first direction or the second direction.

[0081] <Bundling system operation> Next, the operation of the binding system 1D will be described. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the procedure when the bundling system 1D executes the bundling process. The CPU of the control unit 77D of the control device 7D executes the following bundling process in accordance with the bundling process program 761D.

[0082] By executing the bundling processing program 761D, the control unit 77D executes an intersection information acquisition process, and executes a process for acquiring information about the intersection P where the multiple reinforcing bars S of the work B intersect. In this case, the control unit 77D determines whether or not the user has selected to use the map data 763D via the operation unit 72, for example (step S201).

[0083] When the use of the map data 763D is selected, the control unit 77D reads the map data 763D from the storage unit 76D (step S203). At this time, if the map data 763D is not prepared in the storage unit 76D, the control unit 77D acquires the map data 763D by external communication or by reading from a recording medium.

[0084] On the other hand, if the use of map data 763D is not selected, the control unit 77D photographs the entire work B on the holding table 21 of the work holding unit 2 arranged in the photographing area E1 of the stand 11 using the first camera 31 of the overall photographing unit 3 (step S205).

[0085] When the map data 763D is read or the workpiece B is photographed by the first camera 31, the control unit 77D obtains three-dimensional position data of all intersections P of the reinforcing bars S of the workpiece B from the map data 763D or image data 762D, and expands this data into the coordinate system of the robot arm 4. This makes it possible to identify the positions of all intersections P (step S207). Therefore, the control unit 77D functions as an intersection specifying means.

[0086] Next, the control unit 77D drives the drive motor 23 of the workpiece holder 2 to move the holder 21 and the workpiece B to the bundling area E2 (step S209).

[0087] Next, the control unit 77D determines the binding direction for all intersections P within the work B or the working area U based on the determined binding direction determination condition (any of the above-mentioned conditions (1) to (5)). In this case, the narrowing down conditions described above may also be taken into consideration for each of the conditions (1) to (5) (step S211). When the control unit 77D determines the bundling directions for all intersections P in the work B or the working area U, it generates and records bundling direction data 764D in the storage unit 76D. This bundling direction data 764D may be used without performing the processing of step S211 when performing a bundling operation on another work B with the same design conditions.

[0088] Then, the control unit 77D controls the robot arm 4 to position the second camera 51 at a photographing position of the intersection P where binding will be performed first, and drives the lifting motor 52 to move the second camera 51 closer to the intersection P (step S213). The order of binding for each intersection P is determined according to predetermined operating conditions and the like.

[0089] Next, the control unit 77D causes the second camera 51 to photograph the intersection P (step S215). The second camera 51 captures an image closer to the intersection P than the first camera 31, and therefore is able to determine the position of the intersection P with higher accuracy based on the image data 762D.

[0090] Therefore, the control unit 77D recalculates the position of the intersection P based on the image data 762D from the second camera 51 (step S217), and positions the binding position of the binding device 6C closer to the newly obtained position of the intersection P (step S219). At this time, the control unit 77D determines the orientation of the binding device 6C around the axis along the Z direction in accordance with the binding direction determined for the intersection P in step S211.

[0091] Then, the control unit 77D operates the binding device 6C to bind the intersection P with the wire W (step S221). Thereafter, the control unit 77D again controls the robot arm 4 to position the second camera 51 at the shooting position of the intersection P, and drives the lifting motor 52 to move the second camera 51 closer to the intersection P (step S223), and performs shooting (step S225).

[0092] Then, the control unit 77D determines whether or not the bundling is performed in the bundling direction determined in step S211 based on the image data 762D obtained by this photograph (step S227). As a result, if the bundling direction is not the one determined in step S211, an error is notified (step S229), and the bundling operation is terminated. The method of notifying the occurrence of an error may be to prepare and activate a dedicated notification device such as a notification lamp or buzzer, or to display the notification on the display unit 73. Furthermore, if the control device 7D is equipped with a device for communicating with the outside, notification may be sent to the outside via communication.

[0093] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S227 that the binding has been performed in the binding direction determined in step S211, the control unit 77D determines whether the intersection P at which the binding has been performed is the last intersection P based on the information about the intersection P for identifying the position of the intersection P obtained in step S207 (step S231). As a result, if the intersection P at which bundling has been performed is not the last intersection P, the control unit 77D identifies the next intersection P at which bundling will be performed (step S233), and repeats the processes from step S213 to step S233. On the other hand, if the intersection P where bundling was performed is the last intersection P, the control unit 77D ends the bundling process for the work B.

[0094] As shown in step S229, an example of processing has been given in which an error is reported and the bundling operation is terminated if the bundling direction is not as determined, but it is also possible to report the occurrence of an error, record the error content, proceed to step S231, and continue the bundling operation for the subsequent intersection P.

[0095] <Technical Effects of the Embodiments of the Invention> The control device 7D of the above-mentioned binding system 1D is equipped with a control unit 77D that binds at least one other intersection P different from the intersection P formed by one reinforcing bar S and the other reinforcing bar S in one reinforcing bar S and at least one other intersection P different from the intersection P formed by one reinforcing bar S and the other reinforcing bar S in the other reinforcing bar S with wire W along a direction different from the intersection P formed by the one reinforcing bar S and the other reinforcing bar S. This reduces the gaps between the reinforcing bars S that make up the work B, making it possible to bind the work B firmly.

[0096] Furthermore, the control unit 77D binds the wire W at the intersection P located at the corner of all the intersections P within the working area U for the workpiece B along a direction nearly parallel to the straight line Lc connecting the intersection P and the center C of the working area U. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of contact between the slack forming part 62C, which is a protruding part of the binding device 6C, and an obstacle outside the working area U during the binding operation at the intersection P located at the corner.

[0097] Furthermore, the control unit 77D binds at least one of the intersections P adjacent to an intersection P located at a corner of the working area U with the wire W in the same direction as the intersection P located at the corner, among the multiple intersections P within the working area U for the workpiece B. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of contact between the slack forming part 62C, which is a protruding part of the binding device 6C, and an obstacle outside the working area U during the binding operation of the intersection P adjacent to the intersection P located at the corner. Furthermore, this reduces the frequency of the pivoting operation of the binding device 6C, making it possible to speed up the binding operation.

[0098] Furthermore, the control unit 77D binds the intersection P located on the outer edge of the working area U with the wire W in a direction more nearly parallel to the line Lc connecting the intersection P and the center of the working area U. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility of contact between the slack forming part 62C, which is a protruding part of the binding device 6C, and an obstacle outside the working area U during the binding operation of the intersection P located on the outer edge.

[0099] Furthermore, the control unit 77D binds each of all intersections P of the workpiece B with wire W in a direction different from that of all other adjacent intersections P. This distributes the direction of stress at each intersection P aligned along the reinforcing bars S, further reducing the gaps between the reinforcing bars S and enabling more effective and stronger binding of the workpiece B.

[0100] In addition, the binding system 1D is provided with a second camera 51, which is installed next to the binding device 6C and serves as an intersection information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the intersection P. Therefore, during the binding operation, it is possible to determine whether the binding direction of the bound wire W is appropriate, and to detect the occurrence of improper binding.

[0101] Furthermore, the control unit 77D of the control device 7D executes the binding processing program 761D to realize the function of controlling the binding of the wire W along a predetermined binding direction relative to the intersection P of the work B. Therefore, this function can be obtained from an existing binding system without adding new hardware resources, thereby reducing the development burden of hardware resources and the manufacturing costs of the system.

[0102] <Use of aircraft information data and surrounding information data> The memory unit 76D of the control device 7D of the binding system 1D stores machine information data 766D indicating the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of the binding device 6C and surrounding information data 767D indicating the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of obstacles around the robot arm 4. The control unit 77D may use these data 766D and 767D to determine whether the "binding direction" determined for each intersection P of the work B is acceptable.

[0103] In other words, since the machine information data 766D includes three-dimensional position data of the entire machine surface of the binding device 6C, it is possible to obtain each position on the surface of the binding device 6C when the binding device 6C is supported by the end effector 43 of the robot arm 4. During the binding operation of the binding device 6C, when the binding device 6C is rotated around the rotation axis Zr in accordance with the determination of the "binding direction," the possibility of interference between the binding device 6C and the obstacle can be determined based on each position on the surface of the binding device 6C and the surrounding information data 767D that indicates the three-dimensional position of the entire surface of the obstacle around the robot arm 4. Therefore, when the control unit 77D determines the "binding direction," it determines the possibility of interference between the binding device 6C and an obstacle, and if there is a possibility of interference, the control unit 77D may perform a process to notify the user of the possibility of interference via the display unit 73, etc., or a process to automatically change the current determination of the "binding direction."

[0104] <Other matters in this embodiment> The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the embodiments, a component integrally formed from a single member may be replaced with a component divided into multiple members that are connected or fixed to each other. Furthermore, a component formed by connecting multiple members may be replaced with a component integrally formed from a single member. In addition, the details shown in the embodiments may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0105] For example, the control unit 77D performs processing to determine the binding direction for each intersection P of the workpiece B, but in addition to determining the binding direction, it may also determine in which direction the slack forming portion 62C, which is a protruding portion of the binding device 6C, faces relative to the pivot axis Zr. In this case, it is preferable to determine that the slack forming portion 62C, which is a protruding portion of the binding device 6C, faces toward the inside of the working area U (the side opposite to the outer edge of the working area U) relative to the pivot axis Zr.

[0106] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when explaining the conditions (1) to (5) under which the control unit 77D determines the binding direction, an example was given in which the working area U is a rectangular area with no missing parts, but even if the working area U has any other shape, the binding direction can still be effectively determined. For example, even if the working area U has a rectangular shape with missing parts in each part, by identifying the "intersection P located at the corner" and the "intersection P located on the outer edge" according to the definition shown in Figure 7, the binding direction of each intersection P can be determined according to each of the conditions (1) to (5). Furthermore, if there is a missing part such as a hole inside the work area U, the area around the hole is also recognized as the outer edge of the work area U, and the binding direction of each intersection point P can be determined according to each of the conditions (1) to (5).

[0107] Furthermore, it is also possible to determine in which direction the slack forming portion 62C, which is the protruding portion of the binding device 6C, faces relative to the pivot axis Zr for the irregular working area U described above. For example, in the case of a working area U that has a missing part such as a hole, the slack forming portion 62C can be determined to face the opposite side of the outer edge of the working area U around the hole, where the intersection point P is closest to the pivot axis Zr.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case has been exemplified where the outer edge of the range of motion of the binding device 6C, which is set when the robot arm 4 performs the binding work on the work B, coincides with the outer edge of the area in which all of the intersection points P of the work B exist, but these do not have to coincide. For example, if the area in which all of the intersection points P of the work B exist is larger than the range of motion of the binding device 6C, the area in which all of the intersection points P of the work B exist may be divided into multiple areas, and the robot arm 4 and the work B may be moved hypothetically to perform the binding operation for each of the divided areas.

[0109] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the bundling system 1D has been exemplified in which the control unit 77D performs the process of determining the bundling direction of the wire W with respect to each intersection P of the workpiece B, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 77D may not make a judgment as to whether to determine the bundling direction of the wire W for each intersection P of the work B, but may use bundling direction data created by the user determining the bundling direction for each intersection P of the work B via the operation unit 72 so as to satisfy one of the bundling direction conditions (1) to (5) described above, and the control unit 77D may perform the bundling operation in accordance with the bundling direction data. Alternatively, the control unit 77D may obtain bundling direction data, in which the bundling direction has been determined so as to satisfy one of the bundling direction conditions (1) to (5) described above for each intersection P of the work B, from outside the bundling system 1D via communication or the like, and the control unit 77D may perform the bundling operation in accordance with the bundling direction data. In addition, a recording medium reading device may read a recording medium on which binding direction data is recorded, in which the binding direction is determined for each intersection P of the work B so as to satisfy one of the above-mentioned binding direction conditions (1) to (5) by an information processing terminal or the like not included in the binding system 1D, and the control unit 77D may perform the binding operation in accordance with the binding direction data.

[0110] Furthermore, the binding system 1D may be configured to acquire information about the intersections P that identify each intersection P of the workpiece B from only the map data 763D. In that case, the first camera 31 and the second camera 51 are not essential to the binding system 1D. However, since the second camera 51 allows the binding device 6C to be positioned with respect to the intersection P with higher accuracy, a configuration may be adopted in which only the first camera 31 is omitted and the second camera 51 is provided. When the first camera 31 is omitted from the configuration of the binding system 1D, the movement mechanism 32 for moving the work B between the photographing area E1 and the binding area E2 can also be eliminated.

[0111] In addition, in the binding system 1D of this embodiment, a binding device 6C that binds reinforcing bars S with two wires W is exemplified, but this is not limited to this, and a binding device that binds reinforcing bars S with one or three or more wires W may also be used.

[0112] Furthermore, in the binding system 1D, a configuration in which the binding device 6C and the individual photographing unit 5 are moved by the robot arm 4 is exemplified, but this is not limiting. For example, the binding device 6C and the individual photographing unit 5 may be mounted on the head of a gantry-type moving device in the XY directions, and the binding device 6C and the individual photographing unit 5 may be made movable up and down from the head along the Z direction and rotatable around an axis along the Z direction. Alternatively, the binding device 6C and the individual photographing unit 5 may be mounted on a self-propelled moving device that moves relative to the workpieces B held in a lattice pattern.

[0113] Furthermore, the bundling system 1D of this embodiment is a stationary bundling system that is placed or fixedly installed in an indoor work space. Therefore, unlike outdoor work bundling systems, bundling work can be performed without being affected by weather or the outdoor environment. Furthermore, since there is no need for equipment that is waterproof, dustproof, high-temperature, low-temperature, etc., to withstand harsh outdoor environments, it can be equipped with equipment that performs precision work indoors, and precise bundling work can be performed on the work B. However, it is also possible to eliminate these advantages and configure a bundling system for outdoor use that has the features of this embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1D bundling system 31 First camera (intersection information acquisition means) 51 Second camera (intersection information acquisition means) 6C Binding device 7D Control Device 72 Control section 76D Storage section 761D Bundling Processing Program 77D Control Unit P intersection S rebar B Work W Wire (Bundle)

Claims

1. A binding system for binding a workpiece in which a plurality of reinforcing bars intersect with a plurality of reinforcing bars to form a plurality of intersections, using a moving binding device to bind the plurality of intersections with binding bodies, A binding system having a control unit that binds at least one other intersection different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar in the one reinforcing bar and at least one other intersection different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar in the other reinforcing bar with the binding body along a direction different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar.

2. The control unit When the intersection having two adjacent intersections is defined as an intersection located at a corner of the work area among all the intersections within the work area in which the binding device can move, For the intersection located at the corner, the binding body is bound along a direction that is closer to being parallel to the line connecting the intersection and the center of the work area. The bundling system of claim 1 .

3. The control unit Among the plurality of intersections in the working area for the workpiece, at least one of two intersections adjacent to the intersection located at a corner of the working area is bound with the binding body along the same direction as the intersection located at the corner of the working area. The bundling system of claim 2 .

4. The control unit When the intersections located on the outer edge of the work area are those that have three or less adjacent intersections among the plurality of intersections within the work area, For the intersections located on the outer edges of the work area, the binder is used to bind the work in a direction closer to being parallel to a line connecting the intersections and the center of the work area. The bundling system of claim 2 .

5. The control unit The binding body binds the intersection in a direction different from all other adjacent intersections. The bundling system of claim 1 .

6. a binding device that binds the intersections with the binding bodies; an intersection information acquisition means provided in addition to the binding device and acquiring information about the intersections; The bundling system of claim 1 .

7. A computer controls a binding system that binds a workpiece in which a plurality of reinforcing bars intersect with a plurality of reinforcing bars to form a plurality of intersections with a binding body using a moving binding device, A bundling processing program that realizes the function of controlling the bundling of at least one other intersection different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar in the one reinforcing bar and at least one other intersection different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar in the other reinforcing bar with the bundling body along a direction different from the intersection formed by the one reinforcing bar and the other reinforcing bar.

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