Hand device and article transfer device

Abstract

To provide a hand device capable of gripping articles stacked in a plurality of tiers.SOLUTION: A hand device 20 grips articles 12 stacked in a plurality of tiers such that an upper edge part 27 of a lower tier and a lower edge part 28 of an upper tier coincide in a stacking direction. The hand device 20 includes a lower support portion 63 and an upper pressing portion 66. The lower support portion 63 supports the lower edge portion 28 of the article 12 in a first tier. The upper pressing portion 66 presses the lower edge portion 28 of the article 12 in the second tier stacked on the article 12 in the first tier, from above in the stacking direction; and grips, together with the lower support portion 63, the lower edge portion 28 of the article 12 in the second tier and the upper edge portion 27 of the article 12 in the first tier, from both sides in the stacking direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hand device for gripping an article, and an article transfer device equipped with the hand device. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional hand device is known, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below. This hand device is installed on an XY-direction moving device and is capable of gripping a container by pinching the flange portion (edge ​​portion) of the container from above and below. The hand device is moved by the XY-direction moving device, and the containers are gripped one by one and transported sequentially to the target location, thereby performing a transport operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-71088 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Although such hand devices are capable of holding one article at a time, there are cases where a hand device capable of gripping multiple articles at once is required to further improve the efficiency of the transport operation.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a hand device and an article transfer device that can grip articles stacked in multiple layers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The hand device of the present invention has a bottom surface, side surfaces extending from the bottom surface, upper edges protruding outward from the upper sides of the side surfaces, and lower edges protruding outward from the lower sides of the side surfaces, and is a hand device for grasping articles stacked in multiple tiers in which the upper edges of the lower tier overlap in the stacking direction, and is equipped with a lower support part that supports the lower edges of the articles in the first tier, and an upper pressing part that presses the lower edges of the articles in the second tier stacked on the articles in the first tier from above in the stacking direction, and grasps the lower edges of the articles in the second tier and the upper edges of the articles in the first tier from both sides in the stacking direction with the lower support part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hand device and an article transfer device that can grip articles stacked in multiple layers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of an article transfer system including an article transfer device equipped with a hand device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B show an article handled by the hand device, in which FIG. 1A is a side view of the article, FIG. 1B is a plan view of the article, and FIG. 1C is an enlarged side view of a part of the article stacked. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the hand device and an object. [Figure 7] The figures show the gripping state of the hand device according to the number of layers of an item, where (a) is a side view when gripping a single layer of items, (b) is a side view when gripping a two-layered item, and (c) is a side view when gripping a three-layered item. [Figure 8]1A and 1B show the gripping states of the hand device according to the number of layers of articles, where (a) is an enlarged side view when gripping one layer of articles, and (b) is an enlarged side view when gripping two layers of articles. [Figure 9] 4A to 4D are explanatory views showing the operation of the hand device. [Figure 10] 10(a) to 10(d) are explanatory views showing the operation of the hand device following FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are explanatory views showing the operation of the hand device following FIG. 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a side view of a hand device for gripping four tiers of articles according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0010] The article transfer system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a palletizing system in which an article transfer device 14 removes articles 12 from a transfer source and stacks a plurality of articles 12 at a transfer destination.

[0011] The item transfer system 10 includes an item supply section 13 which is a source of supplying items 12, a destination of the items, such as a pallet 11 (which may be a cart, etc.), and an item transfer device 14 which grasps the items 12 supplied to the item supply section 13 and transfers them to the destination, such as the pallet 11, and stacks multiple items vertically (including approximately vertically) on the pallet 11 in a tiered state.

[0012] The item supply section 13 conveys items 12 in a single layer, or items 12 stacked in two or more layers on the upstream side. At the downstream end of the item supply section 13 in the conveying direction, a stopper 16 is provided to position and stop the conveyed items 12 at a predetermined stopping position. The stopper 16 is provided higher than the height of the items 12 stacked in the maximum number of layers expected (for example, three layers). In addition to the function of positioning and stopping the items 12, the stopper 16 may also have the function of correcting misalignment of the stacked items 12 in each layer by contact between the items 12 and the stopper 16.

[0013] The article transfer device 14 includes a hand device 20 that grips a single layer of articles 12 or multiple layers of articles 12, and a moving device 21 that moves the hand device 20. In this embodiment, the moving device 21 is an articulated robot that includes a base 22 and a robot arm 23 that is rotatably mounted on the base 22. The robot arm 23 has multiple rotatable shafts, and the hand device 20 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 23. Note that the transfer device 21 is not limited to an articulated robot, and may be, for example, an orthogonal moving device that moves the hand device 20 using three orthogonal slide axes.

[0014] Next, Figure 2 shows an item 12 to be handled by the hand device 20, where (a) is a side view of the item 12, (b) is a plan view of the item 12, and (c) is an enlarged side view of a portion of the items 12 stacked together.

[0015] Item 12 is a container for storing contents, such as a plastic food box capable of storing workpieces. Item 12 has a bottom surface 25 and side surfaces 26, which are peripheral surfaces rising from the periphery of bottom surface 25, and an open top surface so that workpieces can be stored in the internal space surrounded by bottom surface 25 and side surfaces 26. Bottom surface 25 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and side surfaces 26 have a pair of first side surfaces 26a, which are upright sides rising from a pair of long sides of bottom surface 25, and a pair of second side surfaces 26b, which are upright sides rising from a pair of short sides of bottom surface 25.

[0016] The items 12 are inclined so that the upper side of the side surface 26 of each item 12 protrudes outward relative to the lower side, and the opening dimensions of the top surface of each item 12 are larger than the outer peripheral dimensions of the lower side of each item 12, so that the lower side of the upper item 12 fits into the opening of the top surface of the lower item 12, allowing the items 12 to be stacked in multiple tiers.

[0017] An upper edge 27 that protrudes outward from the periphery of the article 12 is provided around the entire periphery at the upper end, which is the upper side of the side surface 26 of the article 12, and a lower edge 28 that protrudes outward from the periphery of the article 12 from a position lower on the side surface 26 than the upper edge 27 and above the bottom surface 25 is provided around the entire periphery. The upper edge 27 and the lower edge 28 are provided approximately parallel to the surface of the bottom surface 25, and on the first side surface 26a, which is the long side of the article 12, the upper edge 27 and the lower edge 28 have a protruding dimension such that their outer edges are positioned at the same position, but on the second side surface 26b, which is the short side of the article 12, the outer edge of the upper edge 27 protrudes outward from the outer edge of the lower edge 28.

[0018] As a result, when the articles 12 are stacked by spigot fitting, the bottom of the upper article 12 fits into the top opening of the lower article 12, and the lower edge 28 of the upper article 12 comes into contact with the upper edge 27 of the lower article 12, resulting in an overlapping state. In this state, the upper edge 27 of the lower article 12 and the lower edge 28 of the upper article 12 overlap without creating a step on the first side surface 26a, which is the long side of the articles 12. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2(c), the upper edge 27 of the lower article 12 and the lower edge 28 of the upper article 12 overlap with a step on the second side surface 26b, which is the short side of the articles 12.

[0019] Next, the hand device 20 is shown in FIGS.

[0020] The hand device 20 includes a base member 30 (upper side in FIG. 3) and three movable bodies movably mounted on the underside of the base member 30: a first movable body 31 (first palm member 44 on the left side in FIG. 3), a second movable body 32 (second palm member 60 in the center in FIG. 3), and a third movable body 33 (third palm member 76 on the right side in FIG. 3). The first movable body 31 and the third movable body 33 are movable in a first direction x parallel to the base member 30, and are capable of gripping a first side surface 26a, which is the long side of the article 12. The second movable body 32 is movable in a second direction y perpendicular to the first direction x and parallel to the base member 30, and is capable of gripping a second side surface 26b, which is the short side of the article 12. In other words, the item 12 is grasped by narrowing the space surrounded by the first moving body 31, the second moving body 32, and the third moving body 33, and the item 12 is released by widening this space.

[0021] The base member 30 includes a frame 35 and an attachment portion 36 provided on the frame 35. The frame 35 has a pair of frame portions 37 arranged on both sides in the second direction y and a connecting portion 38 (see FIG. 5) connecting both ends of the frame portions 37 on both sides, and is formed in the shape of a quadrangular (rectangular) frame with its longer side extending in the first direction x. The attachment portion 36 is rotatably attached to an attachment shaft 23a at the tip of the robot arm 23, with a reference point P (see FIG. 5) that is the center of the base member 30 in a plan view as a reference point.

[0022] Guide rails 39, 40 are arranged on the undersides of the pair of frame portions 37 at both end regions in the first direction x, excluding the central region, to support the first moving body 31 and the third moving body 33 so that they can move in the first direction x, respectively.

[0023] A pair of intermediate frame portions 41 are attached along the second direction y to the central region in the first direction x of the underside of the pair of frame portions 37. One end side of the pair of intermediate frame portions 41 protrudes more to the side of the frame 35 than the other end side. A guide rail 42 is arranged on the underside of one end side of the pair of intermediate frame portions 41 to support the second movable body 32 movably in the second direction y.

[0024] The first moving body 31 has a first palm member 44, which is one of a pair of gripping palms that grips the first side surface 26a, which is the long side of the item 12, between it and the third moving body 33 (third palm member 76). The first palm member 44 is formed in a flat plate shape that extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the underside of the base member 30, and has an inner surface 44a that grips the item 12 on the inner side facing the reference point P. The first palm member 44 is provided with a lower support portion 47, a first pressing mechanism 48, and a second pressing mechanism 49.

[0025] The lower support portion 47 is provided at the lower end of the inner surface 44a of the first palm member 44, protruding from the inner surface 44a toward the reference point P, and is capable of engaging with the lower surface side of the upper edge portion 27 of the item 12 to support it.

[0026] The first pressing mechanism 48 includes a first upper pressing part 50 and a first pressing cylinder 51, which is a first pressing drive part that moves the first upper pressing part 50 in the up and down direction. The first pressing cylinder 51 is attached to the outer surface side opposite the inner surface 44a of the first palm member 44, and the first upper pressing part 50 is attached to the tip of a rod that moves back and forth downward.

[0027] The first upper pressing portion 50 is provided in a plate shape, and its tip side protrudes from the inner surface 44a through an opening 52 provided in the first palm member 44, and is moved up and down within the opening 52 by the operation of the first pressing cylinder 51. A first pressing member 53 made of an elastic material such as rubber or urethane is attached to the underside of the tip side of the first upper pressing portion 50.

[0028] The opening 52 of the first palm member 44 is open up to the lower end of the first palm member 44, but may be in the form of a hole that is provided above the lower end of the first palm member 44. When the opening 52 is in the form of a hole, the lower support portion 47 can be provided over a wide range in the width direction of the first palm member 44 to support the item 12.

[0029] The second pressing mechanism 49 includes a second upper pressing portion 54 and a second pressing cylinder 55, which is a second pressing drive portion that moves the second upper pressing portion 54 up and down. The second pressing cylinder 55 is attached to the outer surface opposite the inner surface 44a of the first palm member 44, and the second upper pressing portion 54 is attached to the tip of a rod that moves upward and backward. The second upper pressing portion 54 is plate-shaped, and its tip side protrudes inward from the inner surface 44a through an opening 56 provided in the inner region of the first palm member 44. The second upper pressing portion 54 is moved up and down within the opening 56 by the operation of the second pressing cylinder 55. A second pressing member 57 made of an elastic material such as rubber or urethane is attached to the underside of the tip side of the second upper pressing portion 54.

[0030] The first pressing mechanism 48 and the second pressing mechanism 49 are arranged at positions offset in the width direction (second direction y) of the first palm member 44. The first pressing cylinder 51 and the second pressing cylinder 55 may be operated individually depending on the timing of use of the first upper pressing unit 50 and the second upper pressing unit 54, but since there is no problem in operating the second upper pressing unit 54 when the number of layers of the articles 12 is one or two and the cylinder operating circuit is simplified, they may be operated simultaneously regardless of the number of layers of the articles 12.

[0031] A movable member 45 is attached to the outer surface opposite the inner surface 44a on the upper end side of the first palm member 44, and a slide member 46 is attached to this movable member 45 so that it can slide along a pair of guide rails 39.

[0032] The movable member 45 is connected to the tip of a rod that moves back and forth from a first cylinder 58, which is a first drive unit attached to one frame portion 37 of the base member 30. Then, by the operation of the rod of the first cylinder 58, a slide member 46 installed on the movable member 45 moves along the guide rail 39, and the first palm member 44 can move back and forth in a first direction x, moving forward to approach the reference point P and backward to move away from the reference point P. Note that a brake-equipped cylinder is used for the first cylinder 58, and the brake is applied to hold the rod at a stopping position after moving it back and forth.

[0033] The second movable body 32 has a second palm member 60 that grips the second side surface 26b, which is the short side of the item 12. The second palm member 60 is formed in a flat plate shape that extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the underside of the base member 30, and has an inner surface 60a that grips the item 12 on the inner side facing the reference point P. The second palm member 60 has a configuration similar to the lower support portion 47, first pressing mechanism 48, second pressing mechanism 49, etc. that the first palm member 44 has.

[0034] The lower support portion 63 is provided at the lower end of the inner surface 60a of the second palm member 60, protruding from the inner surface 60a toward the reference point P, and is capable of engaging with and supporting the lower surface of the upper edge portion 27 of the item 12.

[0035] The first pressing mechanism 64 includes a first upper pressing part 66 and a first pressing cylinder 67, which is a first pressing drive part that moves the first upper pressing part 66 in the up and down direction. The first pressing cylinder 67 is attached to the outer surface side opposite the inner surface 60a of the second palm member 60, and the first upper pressing part 66 is attached to the tip of a rod that moves back and forth downward.

[0036] The first upper pressing portion 66 is provided in a plate shape, and its tip side protrudes from the inside from the inner surface 60a through an opening 68 provided in the second palm member 60, and is moved up and down within the opening 68 by the operation of the first pressing cylinder 67. A first pressing member 69 made of an elastic body such as rubber or urethane is attached to the underside of the tip side of the first upper pressing portion 66.

[0037] The opening 68 of the second palm member 60 is open up to the lower end of the second palm member 60, but may also be in the form of a hole that is provided above the lower end of the second palm member 60. When the opening 68 is in the form of a hole, the lower support portion 63 can be provided over a wide range in the width direction of the first palm member 44 to support the item 12.

[0038] The second pressing mechanism 65 includes a second upper pressing unit 70 and a second pressing cylinder 71, which is a pressing drive unit that moves the second upper pressing unit 70 up and down. The second pressing cylinder 71 is attached to the outer surface opposite the inner surface 60a of the second palm member 60, and the second upper pressing unit 70 is attached to the tip of a rod that moves upward and backward. The second upper pressing unit 70 is plate-shaped, and its tip protrudes inward from the inner surface 60a through an opening 72 provided in the inner region of the second palm member 60. It is moved up and down within the opening 72 by the operation of the second pressing cylinder 71. A second pressing member 73 made of an elastic material such as rubber or urethane is attached to the underside of the tip side of the second upper pressing unit 70.

[0039] The first pressing mechanism 64 and the second pressing mechanism 65 are arranged at positions offset in the width direction (first direction x) of the second palm member 60. Furthermore, the first pressing cylinder 67 and the second pressing cylinder 71 may be operated individually depending on the timing of use of the first upper pressing unit 66 and the second upper pressing unit 70, but since there is no problem in operating the second upper pressing unit 70 when the number of layers of the articles 12 is one or two, and the cylinder operating circuit is simplified, they may be operated simultaneously regardless of the number of layers of the articles 12.

[0040] A movable member 61 is attached to the upper end side of the second palm member 60 on the outer surface opposite the inner surface 60a, and a sliding member 62 is attached to this movable member 61 so that it can slide along a pair of guide rails 42.

[0041] The moving member 61 has a second cylinder 74, which is a second driving unit, attached to one intermediate frame portion 41 of the base member 30, and the tip of the rod that advances and retreats from this second cylinder 74 is connected to the moving member 61 of the second palm member 60. Then, by the extension and retraction movement of the rod of the second cylinder 74, the slide member 62 installed on the moving member 61 moves along the guide rail 42, allowing the second palm member 60 to move back and forth in the second direction y, moving forward toward the reference point P and backward away from the reference point P. Note that the second cylinder 74 is a cylinder with a brake, and is configured to apply the brake and hold the rod at a stopping position after moving it back and forth.

[0042] Here, the first moving body 31 and the second moving body 32 are arranged such that the lower support portion 47 of the first palm member 44, the first upper pressing portion 50 of the first pressing mechanism 48, the second upper pressing portion 54 of the second pressing mechanism 49, the lower support portion 63 of the second palm member 60, the first upper pressing portion 66 of the first pressing mechanism 64, and the second upper pressing portion 70 of the second pressing mechanism 65 are at the same height, making it possible to grasp the same item 12 with the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60.

[0043] The first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60 are arranged in a roughly L-shape in plan view (as shown in FIG. 6). The first upper pressing portion 50 of the first pressing mechanism 48 of the first palm member 44 is arranged at a position farther away from the second palm member 60 in the second direction y than the second pressing mechanism 49. Furthermore, the first upper pressing portion 66 of the first pressing mechanism 64 of the second palm member 60 is arranged at a position farther away from the first palm member 44 in the first direction x than the second pressing mechanism 65. As a result, even in a configuration in which the first pressing mechanism 48, 64 and the second pressing mechanism 49, 65 are arranged to overlap in the vertical direction, and the first upper pressing portion 50, 66 and the second upper pressing portion 54, 70 are arranged to be offset laterally, the first upper pressing portion 50 of the first palm member 44 grips the item 12 near the center of the first side surface 26a, which is the long side, and the first upper pressing portion 66 of the second palm member 60 grips the item 12 near the center of the second side surface 26b, which is the short side, making it possible to support the first or second tier of items 12 in a stable position, and if the number of tiers of items 12 is three, the second upper pressing portion 54 and the second upper pressing portion 70 can prevent the side of the item 12 opposite the gripped portion from descending due to the weight of the third tier of items 12.

[0044] 3, the third movable body 33 has a third palm member 76 that grips the first side surface 26a of the article 12 between itself and the first palm member 44. The third palm member 76 is formed in a flat plate shape and has an inner surface 76a that grips the article 12 on the inner side facing the reference point P.

[0045] A hook 77 protrudes from the inner surface 76a at the lower end of the inner surface 76a of the third palm member 76 and engages with the underside of the upper edge 27 of the item 12 to enable support. The hook 77 of the third palm member 76 is located at the same height as the lower support portion 47 of the first palm member 44 and the lower support portion 63 of the second palm member 60, enabling it to support the upper edge 27 of the same item 12 in cooperation with the lower support portion 47 of the first palm member 44 and the lower support portion 63 of the second palm member 60.

[0046] The upper end side of the third palm member 76 is connected to a swing shaft 78 that is parallel to the second direction y. The swing shaft 78 is attached to a moving member 79, and a sliding member 80 that is slidable in the first direction x along a pair of guide rails 40 (see FIG. 3) is attached to the moving member 79.

[0047] A pop-up cylinder 81 is attached to one end of the moving member 79 as a pop-up drive unit, and one end of a link 82 is rotatably connected to the tip of a rod that advances and retreats from this pop-up cylinder 81, and the other end of this link 82 is fixed to the swing shaft 78. By the operation of the pop-up cylinder 81, the third palm member 76 can swing about the swing shaft 78 between a gripping position where it is positioned approximately perpendicular to the underside of the base member 30 and can grip the item 12, and a pop-up position rotated approximately 90° outward and upward from this gripping position.

[0048] The moving member 79 of the third palm member 76 is connected to the moving member 45 of the first palm member 44 via a linkage mechanism 83. The linkage mechanism 83 comprises timing pulleys 84 rotatably attached to the connecting portions 38 at both ends of the frame 35, and a timing belt 85 wound around these timing pulleys 84. The moving member 45 of the first palm member 44 is connected to the outward path of the timing belt 85, and the moving member 79 of the third palm member 76 is connected to the return path of the timing belt 85. As a result, the moving force of the first palm member 44 due to the operation of the first cylinder 58 is transmitted to the third palm member 76 via the timing belt 85, and the moving direction is reversed. Then, due to the extension and contraction of the rod of the first cylinder 58, the slide member 80 installed on the moving member 79 moves along the guide rail 40, allowing the third palm member 76 to move back and forth in the first direction X, and opening and closing operations are performed around the first palm member 44 and the reference point P.

[0049] 7 shows the gripping state (operations of the lower support portion 63, the first upper pressing portion 66, and the second upper pressing portion 70) of the hand device 20 according to the number of layers of the article 12. While the second moving body 32 is shown in FIG. 7 for explanation, the same applies to the first moving body 31, which is not shown.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7( a ), when the hand device 20 grasps one layer of articles 12 , the upper edge 27 of the articles 12 is grasped between the lower support portion 63 and the first upper pressing portion 66 .

[0051] As shown in Figure 7(b), when the hand device 20 grasps two layers of articles 12, the upper edge 27 of the first layer of articles 12 from the bottom and the lower edge 28 of the second layer of articles 12 are grasped together between the lower support portion 63 and the first upper pressing portion 66.

[0052] As shown in Figure 7(c), when the hand device 20 grasps three tiers of articles 12, the upper edge 27 of the first tier of articles 12 and the lower edge 28 of the second tier of articles 12 are grasped together between the lower support portion 63 and the first upper pressing portion 66, and the second upper pressing portion 70 presses the upper edge 27 of the third tier of articles 12 from above, thereby grasping the three tiers of articles 12 between the lower support portion 63 and the second upper pressing portion 70.

[0053] In other words, the lower support portion 63 supports the bottommost layer of the multi-tiered items 12, and the upper pressing portion 66 presses the upper edge 27 of the lower item 12 and the lower edge 28 of the upper item 12, where the multi-tiered items 12 are stacked one on top of the other, thereby holding the multi-tiered items 12 on the hand device 20.

[0054] Figure 8 also shows an enlarged view of the gripping state, and Figure 8(a) shows the case where the article 12 gripped by the hand device 20 in Figure 7(a) is one level, and the lower support portion 63 and the first upper pressing portion 66 grip the upper edge portion 27 of the article 12 from the top and bottom.

[0055] 8(b) shows a case in which two tiers of articles 12 are grasped by the hand device 20 in FIG. 7(a), and on the second side surface 26b, which is the short side of the articles 12, the outer edge of the upper edge 27 of the article 12 in the first tier from the bottom is positioned outside the outer edge of the lower edge 28 of the article 12 in the second tier, so that the outer edge of the upper edge 27 protrudes beyond the lower edge 28, resulting in a step and overlap. The first pressing member 69 of the first upper pressing portion 66 elastically deforms in response to this step, and the first pressing member 69 of the first upper pressing portion 66 comes into contact with and grasps both the upper edge 27 of the article 12 in the first tier and the lower edge 28 of the article 12 in the second tier.

[0056] Next, the operation of the hand device 20 will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11. In each of Figures 9(a) to (d), 10(a) to (d), and 11(a) to (b), a front view of the hand device 20 is shown on the right side, and a side view of the hand device 20 is shown on the left side, with some figures on the right and left that are not used in the description being omitted.

[0057] As shown in Figure 9(a), articles 12 are supplied to the article supply section 13. The articles 12 are transported to the article supply section 13 in a state where they are stacked, for example, in three layers on the upstream side. The stacked articles 12 (hereinafter referred to as stacked articles 12) are transported with the second side surface 26b, which is one of the short sides, at the front, and come into contact with the stopper 16 and stop at a predetermined stopping position.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 9(b), the hand device 20 descends from above the stacked goods 12 on the goods supply unit 13 to a pick-up position where it grasps the stacked goods 12. At this time, the first palm member 44, the second palm member 60, and the third palm member 76 have each been moved to a retracted position away from the reference point P, and are positioned around the stacked goods 12 by descending to the pick-up position. The lower support portion 47 of the first palm member 44, the lower support portion 63 of the second palm member 60, and the hook 77 of the third palm member 76 are positioned below the upper edge 27 of the first-lowest goods 12. The first upper pressing portions 50, 66 of the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60 are moved upward by the first pressing cylinders 51, 67 and are positioned above the lower edge 28 of the second-lower goods 12. The second upper pressing portions 54, 70 of the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60 are moved upward by the second pressing cylinders 55, 71 and positioned above the upper edge portion 27 of the item 12 in the third tier.

[0059] As shown in Figure 9(c), the operation of the first cylinder 58 causes the first palm member 44 and the third palm member 76 to close around the reference point P to clamp the stacked goods 12, and center the stacked goods 12 so that the center of the short side of the stacked goods 12 coincides with the reference point P of the hand device 20. At this time, the stacked goods 12 are centered by clamping the upper edge 27 of the goods 12 on each tier between the inner surface 44a of the first palm member 44 and the inner surface 76a of the third palm member 76.

[0060] As shown in Figure 9(d), after centering the stacked items 12, the first palm member 44 and the third palm member 76 are slightly opened, and the stacked items 12 are temporarily released from their grip so that a gap is created between the stacked items 12 and the first palm member 44 and the third palm member 76.

[0061] As shown in Figure 10(a), the operation of the second cylinder 74 causes the second palm member 60 to close and advance toward the reference point P, clamping the stacked items 12 between the stopper 16 and the second palm member 60 and correcting any misalignment of the stacked items 12. At this time, the stopper 16 and the inner surface 60a of the second palm member 60 clamp the upper edge 27 of the items 12 on each tier to position them. When the second palm member 60 is in the closed position, the second cylinder 74 applies a brake to hold it in place.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 10(b), with the second palm member 60 closed, the first cylinder 58 operates to close the first palm member 44 and the third palm member 76 around the reference point P. In this state, the stacked goods 12 are clamped from all sides between the first palm member 44, the second palm member 60, the third palm member 76, and the stopper 16, and the stacked goods 12 are centered and grasped so that the center of the stacked goods 12 coincides with the reference point P of the hand device 20. With the first palm member 44 and the third palm member 76 in the closed position, the first cylinder 58 applies a brake to hold the goods in place.

[0063] When the stacked items 12 are sandwiched between the first palm member 44, the second palm member 60, the third palm member 76, and the stopper 16, the lower support portion 47 of the first palm member 44, the lower support portion 63 of the second palm member 60, and the hook 77 of the third palm member 76 are positioned facing the underside of the upper edge 27 of the first tier of items 12, the first upper pressing portions 50, 66 of the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60 are positioned facing the upper side of the lower edge 28 of the second tier of items 12 (this also includes the upper side of the upper edge 27 of the first tier of items 12 due to the step on the second side surface 26b, which is the short side of the items 12), and the second upper pressing portions 54, 70 of the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60 are positioned facing the upper side of the upper edge 27 of the third tier of items 12.

[0064] As shown in Figure 10(c), the operation of the first pressing cylinders 51, 67 of the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60 causes the first upper pressing portions 50, 66 to descend, and the pressing members 53, 69 of the first upper pressing portions 50, 66 abut against the lower edge portion 28 of the second tier of items 12 and the upper edge portion 27 of the first tier of items 12, pressing them downward.

[0065] By the operation of the second pressing cylinders 55, 71 of the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60, the second upper pressing portions 54, 70 descend and come into contact with the upper edge portion 27 of the item 12 on the third tier, pressing it downward.

[0066] As shown in Figure 10(d), the hand device 20 holding the stacked goods 12 is raised. As the hand device 20 rises, the weight of the stacked goods 12 and the downward pressure from each of the first upper pressing portions 50, 66 and each of the second upper pressing portions 54, 70 cause only the hand device 20 to rise without the stacked goods 12 rising, and when the lower support portion 47 of the first palm member 44, the lower support portion 63 of the second palm member 60, and the hook 77 of the third palm member 76 engage with the underside of the upper edge portion 27 of the first tier of goods 12, the stacked goods 12 rise together with the hand device 20 and move upward away from the goods supply unit 13.

[0067] As the first upper pressing portions 50, 66 and second upper pressing portions 54, 70 of the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60 continue to press downward, the upper edge 27 of the first tier of items 12 and the lower edge 28 of the second tier of items 12 are gripped between the lower support portions 47, 63 and the first upper pressing portions 50, 66, and three tiers of items 12 are gripped between the lower support portions 47, 63 and the second upper pressing portions 54, 70. On the second side surface 26b, which is the short side of the articles 12, the upper edge 27 of the first tier of articles 12 and the lower edge 28 of the second tier of articles 12 overlap with a step, and the first pressing member 69 of the first upper pressing portion 66 elastically deforms in response to the step, and the first pressing member 69 of the first upper pressing portion 66 contacts and grips both the upper edge 27 of the first tier of articles 12 and the lower edge 28 of the second tier of articles 12.

[0068] As the stacked goods 12 are raised by the hand device 20, the opposite side of one side of the second side surface 26b of the stacked goods 12 held by the second palm member 60 comes off the stopper 16, but because the second cylinder 74 applies a brake to maintain the position of the second palm member 60, the second palm member 60 does not move and the holding state of the stacked goods 12 by the second palm member 60 is maintained.

[0069] As shown in Figure 11(a), if the destination of the stacked goods 12 is on goods 12 that have already been transferred and stacked (hereinafter referred to as "stacked goods 12") and there is also a stacked goods 12 next to it, the third palm member 76 is flipped up to a flip-up position on the outside and above by the flip-up cylinder 81 before the hand device 20 moves to the destination. Note that if there is no stacked goods 12 next to the destination, the third palm member 76 does not need to be flipped up.

[0070] By bouncing up the third palm member 76, the third palm member 76 comes off from the opposite side of the first side surface 26a of the stacked item 12 that is being gripped by the first palm member 44, but because the first cylinder 58 applies the brake to maintain the position of the first palm member 44, the first palm member 44 does not move and the gripping state of the stacked item 12 by the first palm member 44 is maintained.

[0071] By flipping up the third palm member 76, the stacked goods 12 are supported only by the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60, but the upper edge 27 of the first tier of goods 12 and the lower edge 28 of the second tier of goods 12 are gripped together between the lower support members 47, 63 and the first upper pressing members 50, 66 on the two perpendicular sides of the stacked goods 12, the first side 26a and the second side 26b, and in the case of three tiers, the second upper pressing members 54, 70 press down from above to grip the three tiers of stacked goods 12 between the lower support members 47, 63, thereby maintaining the gripped state of the stacked goods 12 and preventing the stacked goods 12 from falling off the hand device 20.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 11(b), the hand device 20 descends toward the destination of the stacked goods 12, and moves the lower part of the gripped first-tier goods 12 to a position where it fits into the top opening of the loaded goods 12. Then, the first pressing cylinders 51, 67 and second pressing cylinders 55, 71 of the first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60 operate to raise the first upper pressing portions 50, 66 and the second upper pressing portions 54, 70, releasing the grip. The first palm member 44 and the second palm member 60 are then opened away from the reference point P, and the lower support portions 47, 63 are removed from the upper edge 27 of the first tier of goods 12. This allows the stacked goods 12 to be stacked on the loaded goods 12.

[0073] In this way, in the hand device 20, the upper edge 27 of the first tier of articles 12 and the lower edge 28 of the second tier of articles 12 are gripped together between the lower support parts 47, 63 and the first upper pressing parts 50, 66, so that stacked articles 12 can be gripped stably and reliably, and the stroke of the first pressing cylinders 51, 67 that move the first upper pressing parts 50, 66 is short, which contributes to the miniaturization of the hand device 20. For example, if a mechanism is used in which the upper pressing parts can move up and down by the distance of each tier to press down the upper edge 27 of each tier from above to accommodate multiple tiers, a stroke is required for the upper pressing parts to move up and down, but this prevents the vertical dimension from becoming excessively large compared to such a hand configuration.

[0074] When the upper edge 27 of the first tier of items 12 and the lower edge 27 of the second tier of items 12 overlap with a step, the pressing member 69 of the first upper pressing portion 66 elastically deforms in response to the step, and the pressing member 69 of the first upper pressing portion 66 contacts and grips both the upper edge 27 of the first tier of items 12 and the lower edge 28 of the second tier of items 12, thereby enabling the first tier of items 12 and the second tier of items 12 to be gripped more stably.

[0075] When articles 12 are stacked on top of articles 12 in the second tier (three or more tiers), the topmost article 12 is pressed from above by the second upper pressing portions 54, 70 and the stacked articles 12 are gripped between the second upper pressing portions 54, 70 and the lower support portions 47, 63, so that the stacked articles 12 can be stably and reliably gripped even if the number of tiers of the stacked articles 12 increases to two or more. In addition, the second upper pressing portions 54, 70 can also press the upper edge 27 of the third tier article 12 and the lower edge 28 of the fourth tier article 12 in the same relationship as the first and second tier articles 12, and an increase in the number of tiers can be accommodated by adding additional second pressing mechanisms 49, 65.

[0076] When the number of stacked articles 12 is two or more, it is possible to use a pair of lower support portions 47, 63 and first upper pressing portions 50, 66 to grip multiple layers of stacked articles 12 according to the number of layers, but this would complicate the structure. Even when the number of layers of stacked articles 12 is two or more, the stacked articles 12 can be gripped and the structure can be simplified by pressing the topmost article 12 from above with the second upper pressing portions 54, 70.

[0077] The first moving body 31 and the second moving body 32, which are arranged perpendicular to each other, are equipped with lower support portions 47, 63, first upper pressing portions 50, 66, and second upper pressing portions 54, 70, so that the stacked items 12 can be grasped and transported using only the first moving body 31 and the second moving body 32.

[0078] Even when gripping two or more stacked articles 12, the hand device 20 does not need to include the second upper pressing portions 54, 70 as long as it is provided with at least the lower support portions 47, 63 and the first upper pressing portions 50, 66.

[0079] 12 (FIG. 12 shows the second moving body 32, but the first moving body 31, not shown, has a similar configuration), for articles 12 stacked up to the fourth tier, the upper edge 27 of the article 12 in the third tier and the lower edge 28 of the article 12 in the fourth tier may be pressed by the second upper pressing portions 54, 70. Furthermore, by providing a third pressing mechanism on the first moving body 31 and the second moving body 32 so that the third upper pressing portion is positioned above the second upper pressing portions 54, 70, the third upper pressing portion of the third pressing mechanism can press the upper edge 27 of the article 12 stacked in the fifth tier, and press the lower edge 28 of the article 12 stacked in the sixth tier and the upper edge 27 of the article 12 stacked in the fifth tier. In this way, the pressing mechanisms can be added according to the number of stages, such as the third, fourth, ..., Nth, and one pressing mechanism can accommodate two articles 12, thereby simplifying the mechanical structure.

[0080] It should be noted that the first cylinder 58 and the second cylinder 74 may be electric cylinders that are electrically operated other than air cylinders, and the drive system members may be changed to any members depending on the purpose.

[0081] The hand device 20 can be used for palletizing, which stacks stacked articles 12 at the destination, and can also be used for depalletizing, which removes a predetermined number of articles 12 stacked at the source and transports them to the destination.

[0082] Although the embodiment of the present invention and its modified examples have been described above, various combinations of configurations, partial omissions, substitutions and modifications are also possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 12 Goods 14 Article transfer device 20 Hand Device 21 Mobile Devices 25 bottom 26 Side 27 Upper edge 28 Lower edge 30 Base member 44 First palm member, which is a palm member 47 Lower support part 50 First upper pressing portion which is the upper pressing portion 53 First pressing member 54 Second upper pressing part 60 Second palm member which is a palm member 63 Lower support part 66 First upper pressing portion which is an upper pressing portion 69 First pressing member which is a pressing member 70 Second upper pressing portion

Claims

1. A hand device for gripping articles having a bottom surface, side surfaces extending upright from the bottom surface, upper edges protruding outward from upper portions of the side surfaces, and lower edges protruding outward from lower portions of the side surfaces, wherein the upper edges of a lower layer and the lower edges of an upper layer overlap in the stacking direction when the articles are stacked in multiple layers, a lower support portion that supports the lower edge portion of the article in the first tier; an upper pressing portion that presses the lower edge portion of the second layer of articles stacked on the first layer of articles from above in the stacking direction, and grips the lower edge portion of the second layer of articles and the upper edge portion of the first layer of articles with the lower support portion from both sides in the stacking direction; A hand device comprising:

2. A hand device for gripping an article having a bottom surface, a side surface extending from the bottom surface, an upper edge portion protruding outward from an upper side of the side surface, and a lower edge portion protruding outward from a lower side of the side surface and having an outer edge positioned more inward than the upper edge portion, wherein the upper edge portion of a lower layer and the lower edge portion of an upper layer overlap in the stacking direction when the article is stacked in multiple layers, a lower support portion that supports the lower edge portion of the article in the first tier; an upper pressing unit having a pressing member that presses the lower edge portion of the second layer of articles stacked on the first layer of articles from above in the stacking direction, and that grips, with the lower support unit, the lower edge portion of the second layer of articles and the outer edge portion of the upper edge portion of the first layer of articles that protrudes outward from the lower edge portion of the second layer of articles, from both sides in the stacking direction; The pressing member contacts the lower edge of the article on the second tier and the upper edge of the article on the first tier. A hand device characterized by:

3. A base member; a palm member attached to the base member, facing the side of the article, and extending in the stacking direction; The palm member has the lower support portion and the upper pressing portion located above the lower support portion in the stacking direction.

2. The hand device according to claim 1.

4. A hand device for gripping articles having a bottom surface, side surfaces extending upright from the bottom surface, upper edges protruding outward from upper portions of the side surfaces, and lower edges protruding outward from lower portions of the side surfaces, wherein the upper edges of a lower layer and the lower edges of an upper layer overlap in the stacking direction when the articles are stacked in multiple layers, a lower support portion that supports the lower edge portion of the article in the first tier; a first upper pressing portion that presses the lower edge portion of the second layer of articles stacked on the first layer of articles from above in the stacking direction, and that grips the lower edge portion of the second layer of articles and the upper edge portion of the first layer of articles from both sides in the stacking direction with the lower support portion; a second upper pressing portion that presses the third-tiered article from above in the stacking direction when the third-tiered article is stacked on the second-tiered article; A hand device comprising:

5. When there is a fourth layer of the article stacked on the third layer of the article, the second upper pressing portion presses the lower edge portion of the fourth layer of the article that overlaps the upper edge portion of the third layer of the article from above in the stacking direction.

5. The hand device according to claim 4.

6. A base member; a palm member attached to the base member, facing a side surface of the article, and extending in the stacking direction; The palm member has the lower support portion on a lower end side, the first upper pressing portion at a position above the lower support portion in the stacking direction, and the second upper pressing portion at a position above the first upper pressing portion in the stacking direction.

5. The hand device according to claim 4.

7. The palm member has a first palm member facing a first side surface of the article and a second palm member facing a second side surface perpendicular to the first side surface, The second upper pressing portions of the first palm member and the second palm member are installed on the first palm member and the second palm member so as to be closer to each other than the first upper pressing portions of the first palm member and the second palm member.

7. The hand device according to claim 6.

8. A hand device for gripping articles having a bottom surface, side surfaces extending upright from the bottom surface, upper edges protruding outward from upper portions of the side surfaces, and lower edges protruding outward from lower portions of the side surfaces, wherein the upper edges of a lower layer and the lower edges of an upper layer overlap in the stacking direction when the articles are stacked in multiple layers, a lower support portion that supports the lower edge portion of the article on the lowest level; an upper pressing portion that presses the lower edge portion of the upper article toward the lower support portion, among the articles stacked one on top of the other, to press the lower edge portion of the upper article and the upper edge portion of the lower article toward the lower support portion; A hand device comprising:

9. A hand device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a moving device that moves the hand device; An article transfer device comprising:

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