Container conveyance device

Abstract

To obtain a good imaging result of a bottle-like container while stably conveying the transparent or translucent bottle-like container in a sideways falling posture, and to reliably transfer the bottle-like container to another place in a desired posture by a pickup robot.SOLUTION: A trough-shaped guide means 25 is provided which presses against a traveling conveyor belt 24 on a conveyance path L1 in an area excluding an imaging area 101 of the conveying path L1 which a supply area 100 of a bottle-shaped container B, the imaging area 101, and a transfer area 102 are arranged in this order, so as to deform the conveyor belt 24, and guides the traveling of the conveyor belt 24 while forming a V-shaped recessed deformation part 24A for storing a bottle-shaped container B of a sideways falling posture in a width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container conveying device that captures images of transparent or translucent bottle-shaped containers being transported on a conveyor in a horizontal position with the bottle axis oriented in a fixed direction, and based on the image capture results, uses a pickup robot to follow and grasp the bottle-shaped container, change it to a desired position such as an upright position, and re-place it in another location. [Background technology]

[0002] In the container conveying device described above, when transporting bottle-shaped containers as workpieces to the operating area of ​​the pickup robot, it is important to separate individual bottle-shaped containers in the conveying direction and to prevent the containers from rolling between the imaging position and when they are picked up by the pickup robot.

[0003] Furthermore, if the bottle-shaped container is transparent or translucent, in order to stabilize the image capture, in other words, to maintain the quality of the image capture for detecting the posture and position, it is desirable to capture the image using backlight illumination from the rear side (shadow image capture) to emphasize the edges (contours) in order to grasp the shape.

[0004] As described above, various methods and devices are known for separating individual bottle-shaped containers in the conveying direction, such as a method in which multiple belt conveyors are arranged in parallel and run at different speeds.

[0005] To prevent the containers from rolling between the imaging position and the pick-up position by the pick-up robot, adhesive materials have been used on the conveyor belt's transport surface, or anti-rolling members such as bars or protrusions have been provided on the surface of the conveyor belt (see Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-042039 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-089235 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-144184 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, if the anti-rolling components installed on the conveyor belt are captured as shadows during imaging, the accuracy of the imaging will be significantly impaired, making it difficult to distinguish between the top and bottom of the bottle-shaped container (the side where the mouth where the cap is attached is considered to be the top in the axial direction of the bottle, and the bottom on the opposite side is considered to be the bottom in the axial direction of the bottle), which could cause the pickup robot to malfunction.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a container conveying device that can stably convey transparent or translucent bottle-shaped containers in a sideways position, can photograph the bottle-shaped containers under conditions that produce good imaging results, and can reliably transfer the bottle-shaped containers to another location in a desired position using a pickup robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the container transport device of the present invention has a conveyor belt made of a flexible sheet material that is stretched between a pair of pulleys on a drive side and a driven side and that circulates along a transport path for transporting bottle-shaped containers and a return transport path, and the conveyor device transports bottle-shaped containers that are in a sideways position with their bottle axes aligned along the running direction of the conveyor belt by placing them on a loading surface of the conveyor belt in a supply area located upstream on the transport path, and a camera that takes images of the bottle-shaped containers transported by the conveyor belt from above the transport path in an imaging area located on the transport path. and a robot that, based on the image capture results of the camera, picks up the bottle-shaped container in a transfer area located downstream of the imaging area on the conveying path and transfers it to another location in a desired posture, and the conveyor device is characterized in that it has a trough-shaped guide means that presses against the conveyor belt running on the conveying path in an area of ​​the conveying path excluding the imaging area, deforms the conveyor belt, and forms a V-shaped concave deformation portion in the width direction of the conveyor belt to accommodate bottle-shaped containers in a sideways posture, while guiding the running of the conveyor belt.

[0010] The container conveying device of the present invention having this configuration has a trough-shaped guide means disposed in the area of ​​the conveying path excluding the imaging area, i.e., from the bottle-shaped container supply area upstream of the conveying path to the imaging area, and from the imaging area to the transfer area downstream of the conveying path. This trough-shaped guide means forms a V-shaped deformed portion on the conveyor belt while the conveyor belt is running in the area where the trough-shaped guide means is disposed. By storing the bottle-shaped container in this deformed portion, the bottle-shaped container can be prevented from rolling across the width of the conveyor belt. In the imaging area where the V-shaped deformed portion is not formed, the conveyor belt running along the conveying path runs suspended between the trough-shaped guide means disposed upstream of the conveying path and the trough-shaped guide means disposed downstream of the conveying path, maintaining the shape of the V-shaped deformed portion. Therefore, when imaging bottle-shaped containers in the imaging area, it is possible to prevent the conveyor belt and anti-rolling components other than bottle-shaped containers from getting in the way.

[0011] Furthermore, the conveyor belt is made of a light-transmitting material, and the imaging device has a backlight arranged so as to be able to irradiate light from the back side of the conveyance path in the imaging area.

[0012] The container conveying device of the present invention having this configuration can emphasize the edges (contours) of bottle-shaped containers by imaging using illumination from the rear side by a backlight (shadow imaging).

[0013] The trough-shaped guide means is characterized by having a mounting base arranged along the conveying path on the back side of the conveyor belt's conveying path, and a running guide member arranged on the mounting base in an area of ​​the conveying path excluding the imaging area, and having a recess formed on its upper surface that resembles the V-shaped concave deformation portion.

[0014] According to the container transport device of the present invention having this configuration, the traveling conveyor belt is pressed against the recessed portion of the traveling guide member, causing the belt to bend and be shaped, thereby forming a V-shaped recessed deformation portion.

[0015] The running guide member is characterized in that it consists of a pair of guide parts arranged on the mounting base at a position symmetrical to an imaginary line along the running direction corresponding to the bottom apex of the V-shaped concave deformation portion, and the upper surfaces of the pair of guide parts are inclined surfaces pointing toward each other, and are configured to form the recess using both inclined surfaces.

[0016] The pair of guide parts are arranged on the mounting base so as to be movable toward and away from each other at positions symmetrical with respect to an imaginary line along the running direction.

[0017] According to the container conveying device of the present invention, which is equipped with a pair of guide parts as the running guide member, the size of the recess can be adjusted according to the diameter dimensions of the bottle-shaped container to be conveyed, and therefore the size of the deformation portion formed on the conveyor belt can also be changed.

[0018] The travel guide member is disposed on the mounting base so as to be detachable and replaceable.

[0019] By configuring the running guide member to be replaceable in this manner, it is possible to use a running guide member with an appropriate recess size when transporting bottle-shaped containers, and change the size of the deformation portion formed on the conveyor belt. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] The container conveying device of the present invention can stably convey transparent or translucent bottle-shaped containers in a sideways position, while capturing images of the bottle-shaped containers under conditions that produce good imaging results, ensuring that a pickup robot can transfer the container to another location in the desired position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the overall configuration of a container transport device of the present invention, focusing on a conveyor device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing one mode of the container conveying device of FIG. 1 when conveying a bottle-shaped container. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing adjustment of the arrangement of a pair of guide parts constituting the travel guide member of the trough-shaped guide means in the container transport device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a replaceable travel guide member of the trough-shaped guide means in the container transport device of FIG. 1; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The container conveying device 1 of this embodiment has a conveyor device 2 that conveys bottle-shaped containers B in a horizontal position (regardless of the orientation of the mouth and bottom) with the bottle axis aligned along the running direction of the conveyor belt 24.

[0023] 1, the conveyor device 2 has a conveyor belt 24 that is stretched between a drive pulley 22 and a driven pulley 23, both connected to a motor 21 as a drive source, and that circulates along a conveying path L1 for conveying bottle-shaped containers B and a return conveying path L2. In this embodiment, the conveyor belt 24 is made of a flexible, light-transmitting sheet material.

[0024] The conveying path L1 is provided with, from the upstream side in the traveling direction, a supply area 100 where bottle-shaped containers B are placed with their axes aligned along the traveling direction of the conveyor belt 24, an imaging area 101 where images of the attitude of the bottle-shaped containers B being conveyed, more specifically the orientation of the mouths and bottoms of the bottle-shaped containers B, and a transfer area 102 where the bottle-shaped containers B that have been imaged are conveyed, picked up by a pick-up robot 401, and transferred to another location for the subsequent process. Note that the imaging area 101 is preferably long enough to accommodate one bottle-shaped container B to be imaged.

[0025] In the supply area 100 and the transfer area 102 provided before and after the imaging area 101, a trough-shaped guide means 25 is provided to push up and press the conveyor belt 24 running on the conveying path L1 from below, applying tension to the conveyor belt 24 to bend it, and forming a V-shaped concave deformation portion 24A in the width direction of the conveyor belt 24 (direction perpendicular to the running direction) to accommodate bottle-shaped containers B in a horizontal position, while guiding the running of the conveyor belt 24.

[0026] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the trough-shaped guide means 25 has a mounting base 202 with a top plate 201 arranged along the conveying path L1 on the back side of the conveying path L1 of the conveyor belt 24, and a running guide member 206 arranged on the mounting base 202 with a fixing member 203 such as a screw, and having a recess 204 on its upper surface that resembles the V-shaped recessed deformation portion 24A.

[0027] In this embodiment, the travel guide member 206 is composed of a pair of guide parts 207, 207 disposed on the top plate 201 of the mounting base 202 at positions symmetrical to an imaginary line along the travel direction, corresponding to the bottom apex 204A of the recess 204. The upper surfaces of the pair of guide parts 207, 207 are inclined surfaces pointing toward each other, and are configured to form the recess 204 using both inclined surfaces.

[0028] The imaging area 101, located on the conveying path L1, is equipped with a camera 301 that captures images of transparent or translucent bottle-shaped containers B being conveyed on the conveyor belt 24 from above the conveying path L1, and a backlight 302 that illuminates the bottle-shaped containers B in the imaging area 101 from the back side of the conveying path L1 through the conveyor belt 24.

[0029] The transfer area 102, which is located downstream of the imaging area 101 on the conveying path L1, has a control unit 400 that determines the position and posture of the bottle-shaped container B being conveyed to the transfer area 102 based on the imaging results of the camera 301, and a robot 401 is provided that picks up the bottle-shaped container B based on the judgment information of the control unit 400 and transfers it in the desired posture to another subsequent location, such as a conveyor that supplies the bottle container B in an upright position to the filling section of a filling device.

[0030] The travel guide member 206 in this embodiment can also adjust the size of the recess 204. As a method for doing so, as shown in Fig. 3, a pair of guide parts 207, 207 are arranged on the top plate 201 of the mounting base 202 at positions symmetrical with respect to an imaginary line along the travel direction of the conveyor belt 24, corresponding to the bottom apex 204A of the recess 204, and can be moved toward or away from each other to change the size of the recess 204 and the angle of the bottom apex 204A formed on the conveyor belt 24.

[0031] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, the travel guide member 206 itself may be detachably attached to and replaced with a new one on the mounting base 202. In addition to a pair of guide parts 207, 207 whose upper surfaces 207A, 207A pointing toward each other form an angle of 120 degrees, Fig. 4 also shows a pair of guide parts 207, 207 (upper right in the figure) whose upper surfaces 207A, 207A pointing toward each other form an angle of 150 degrees. Note that, if necessary for the imaging region 101, etc., a pair of guide parts 207, 207 (upper left in the figure) whose upper surfaces 207A, 207A form an angle of 180 degrees (they are not "pointing toward each other" because the upper surfaces are flat) may be replaceable parts.

[0032] Next, the operation of the container conveying device 1 configured as above will be described. The conveyor belt 24 starts running by turning on the motor 21, which is the drive source, and rotating the drive pulley 22 in the forward direction. The conveyor belt 24 runs with its back surface in sliding contact with the running guide members 206 arranged in the area of ​​the conveying path L1 excluding the imaging area 101, i.e., from the supply area 100 for bottle-shaped containers B on the upstream side of the conveying path L1 to the imaging area 101, and from the imaging area 101 to the transfer area 102 on the downstream side of the conveying path L1.

[0033] At this time, a V-shaped concave deformation portion 24A is formed on the conveyor belt 24 by traveling through the area where the traveling guide member 206 is arranged. Therefore, by storing the bottle-shaped container B in the deformation portion 24A in the supply area 100, the bottle-shaped container B can be prevented from rolling in the width direction of the conveyor belt 24.

[0034] Furthermore, in the imaging area 101, the conveyor belt 24 traveling along the conveying path L1, where the V-shaped deformed portion 24A is not formed, travels suspended between the trough-shaped guide means 25 arranged upstream of the imaging area and the trough-shaped guide means 25 arranged downstream. At this time, the shape of the V-shaped deformed portion 24A is maintained, even if some slack occurs. Therefore, even when imaging the bottle-shaped container B in the imaging area 101, the bottle-shaped container B can be prevented from rolling. Furthermore, components other than the conveyor belt 24 and the bottle-shaped container B can be prevented from entering the image, thereby enabling good imaging. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by using backlight 302 to illuminate the imaging area 101 from the rear side, an image can be obtained that emphasizes the edges of the bottle-shaped container B. The timing of imaging can be adjusted, for example, by installing a sensor upstream in the imaging area 101 to detect the transport of the bottle-shaped container.

[0035] The image of the bottle-shaped container B with its edges emphasized is sent to the control unit 400 of the robot 401 provided in the transfer area 102 located downstream of the conveyance path L1. The control unit 400 of the robot 401 determines the state and position of the bottle-shaped container B being conveyed on the conveyor belt 24 from the external shape indicated by the edges of the image. The robot 401 then drives the pickup arm to grasp the bottle-shaped container B being conveyed and controls it to transfer it to a subsequent predetermined position in the desired orientation. Note that the orientation of the bottle-shaped container B can be determined from the image by using known technology that detects the orientation and orientation of an object from image data.

[0036] After traveling through the transfer area 102, the conveyor belt 24 goes around the drive pulley 22 and travels along the return transport path L2 to return upstream.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0038] For example, the number of conveyor belts 24 of the conveyor device 2 is not limited to one, and a plurality of conveyor belts 24 may be arranged in parallel.

[0039] In addition, in order to make the edges of the transparent or translucent bottle-shaped container B stand out more, a black board may be placed between the backlight 302 and the conveyor belt 24 to surround the shooting position of the bottle-shaped container B, thereby cutting off the light from the backlight 302 that wraps around the sides of the bottle-shaped container B (a technique for using black when photographing objects). [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Container transport device 2 Conveyor device 21 Motor 22 Drive pulley 23 Driven pulley 24 Conveyor Belt 24A Deformation section 25 Trough-shaped guide means 100 supply area 101 Imaging area 102 Transfer area 201 Top plate 202 Mounting stand 203 Fixing member 204 recess 204A bottom top 206 Travel guide member 207 Guide Parts 207A Top 300 cameras 301 Backlight 400 control section 401 Robot B. Bottle-shaped container L1 transport route L2 Return transport route

Claims

1. a conveyor device having a conveyor belt made of a flexible sheet material stretched between a pair of pulleys on a drive side and a driven side, which circulates along a conveying path for conveying bottle-shaped containers and a return conveying path, and which conveys bottle-shaped containers in a sideways position with the bottle axes aligned along the running direction of the conveyor belt by placing them on the placing surface of the conveyor belt in a supply area located upstream on the conveying path; an imaging device having a camera that captures images of transparent or translucent bottle-shaped containers transported by the conveyor belt from above the transport path in an imaging area disposed on the transport path; and a robot that picks up the bottle-shaped container in a transfer area located downstream of the imaging area on the conveying path based on the imaging result of the camera, and transfers the bottle-shaped container to another location in a desired attitude, The conveyor device is A container conveying device characterized by having a trough-shaped guide means that presses against the conveyor belt running along the conveying path in an area of ​​the conveying path excluding the imaging area, deforming the conveyor belt and forming a V-shaped concave deformation portion that can accommodate bottle-shaped containers in a horizontal position in the width direction of the conveyor belt, while guiding the conveyor belt.

2. 2. The container transport device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt is made of a light-transmitting material, and the imaging device has a backlight arranged so as to be able to irradiate light from the back side of the transport path in the imaging area.

3. The container conveying device described in claim 1, characterized in that the trough-shaped guide means includes a mounting base arranged along the conveying path on the back side of the conveying path of the conveyor belt, and a running guide member arranged on the mounting base in an area of ​​the conveying path excluding the imaging area, and having a recess formed on its upper surface that resembles the V-shaped concave deformation portion.

4. The container conveying device described in claim 3, characterized in that the running guide member consists of a pair of guide parts arranged on the mounting base at a position symmetrical to an imaginary line along the running direction corresponding to the bottom apex of the V-shaped concave deformation portion, and the upper surfaces of the pair of guide parts are inclined surfaces pointing toward each other, and the recess is formed using both inclined surfaces.

5. 5. The container transport device according to claim 4, wherein the pair of guide parts are arranged on the mounting base so as to be movable toward and away from each other at positions symmetrical to an imaginary line along the traveling direction.

6. 6. The container conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the travel guide member is arranged so as to be replaceable in accordance with the shape of the bottle-shaped container.

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