Device

Abstract

To provide a device that can accurately grip a tool, with a simple structure.SOLUTION: The device comprises a tool having a first fitting part, a gripping mechanism which has a plurality of finger parts having second fitting parts and an actuator for actuating the plurality of finger parts, and a moving mechanism that moves the gripping mechanism. At least either of the first fitting part and the second fitting part has a taper shape. The first fitting part and the second fitting parts fit to each other when the actuator actuates the plurality of finger parts so that the plurality of finger parts grip the tool.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known an apparatus that performs work using a tool (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such an apparatus includes, for example, a tool, a gripping mechanism (for example, an end effector) that grips the tool, and a movement mechanism (for example, a robot arm) that moves the gripping mechanism. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-158405 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described apparatus, it is necessary for the gripping mechanism to grip the tool with high precision. To achieve such high-precision gripping, conventional apparatuses have employed a multi-fingered, multi-degree-of-freedom hand as the gripping mechanism, and the hand wraps around the tool to grip it, thereby achieving a firm grip. Alternatively, the position of a marker attached to the tool is recognized by a sensor to determine the position between the hand and the gripping mechanism, thereby ensuring gripping precision.

[0005] However, a multi-fingered, multi-degree-of-freedom hand has a large number of parts, which can lead to increased costs for the device, and an increase in the number of parts can also increase the effort required to maintain quality and reliability.

[0006] Furthermore, the configuration using the markers and sensors may also increase the cost of the device, and there is also the drawback that the tools that can be handled by the device are limited to those to which markers can be attached.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device that can grip a tool with high precision using a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) In order to solve the above problem, an apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a gripping mechanism having a tool having a first fitting portion, a plurality of finger portions having a second fitting portion, and an actuator that drives the plurality of finger portions, and a moving mechanism that moves the gripping mechanism, wherein at least one of the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion has a tapered shape, and the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion fit together when the actuator drives the plurality of finger portions so that the plurality of finger portions grip the tool.

[0009] (2) Furthermore, aspect 2 of the present invention relates to the device of aspect 1, further comprising a mounting mechanism on which the tool is mounted, the mounting mechanism having a base, a contact portion that contacts the tool when the tool is mounted on the mounting mechanism, and an elastic connecting portion that elastically connects the base and the contact portion.

[0010] (3) Furthermore, aspect 3 of the present invention is an apparatus according to aspect 1 or 2, further comprising a mounting mechanism on which the tool is placed, wherein the tool has a third fitting portion, the mounting mechanism has a fourth fitting portion, at least one of the third fitting portion and the fourth fitting portion has a tapered shape, and the third fitting portion and the fourth fitting portion engage with each other when the moving mechanism moves the gripping mechanism so that the tool is placed on the mounting mechanism.

[0011] (4) Furthermore, in a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the device of any one of the first to third aspects, the first fitting portion has a concave shape, and the second fitting portion has a convex shape.

[0012] (5) Also, aspect 5 of the present invention is an apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the tool has a blade for cutting the object to be cut, and the blade extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the tool moves to cut the object to be cut.

[0013] (6) Also, in aspect 6 of the present invention, in the device of aspect 5, the tool has an auxiliary surface connected to one end of the blade, and the auxiliary surface extends in a plane that intersects with the direction in which the blade extends.

[0014] (7) Also, in a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the device of the fifth or sixth aspect, the tool has a guide portion that comes into contact with the object to be cut and guides the object to the blade. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] (1) to (7) According to the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, it is possible to provide a device that can accurately grip a tool with a simple structure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool and a gripping mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional tool. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a tool according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a tool 10, a gripping mechanism 20, and a movement mechanism 30. The gripping mechanism 20 according to this embodiment has a plurality of fingers 22 (two in the illustrated example). The apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an apparatus that performs work using the tool 10 by, for example, using the movement mechanism 30 to move the gripping mechanism 20 in a state in which the fingers 22 are gripping the tool 10. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the apparatus 1 according to this embodiment further includes a mounting mechanism 50 on which the tool 10 is mounted.

[0019] (direction definition) Hereinafter, the direction in which the two finger portions 22 are aligned will be referred to as the first direction X (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the first direction X intersects with the gravity direction Z. The gravity direction Z is a direction parallel to gravity and is also referred to as the vertical direction Z or the up-down direction Z. The first direction X may be a direction perpendicular to the gravity direction Z (i.e., a horizontal direction). A direction intersecting both the first direction X and the gravity direction Z will be referred to as the second direction Y. The second direction Y may be a direction perpendicular to the gravity direction Z (i.e., a horizontal direction). One direction in the first direction X will be referred to as the forward direction (near side) and represented by the +X direction. The direction opposite to the +X direction will be referred to as the rearward direction (rear side) and represented by the -X direction. One direction in the second direction Y will be referred to as the rightward direction and represented by the +Y direction. The direction opposite to the +Y direction will be referred to as the leftward direction and represented by the -Y direction. Moreover, the upward direction in the direction of gravity Z is simply referred to as "upward" and is indicated by the direction +Z. The downward direction in the direction of gravity Z is simply referred to as "downward" and is indicated by the direction -Z.

[0020] The tool 10 is an implement used when the device 1 performs a task. As shown in Fig. 1, the tool 10 according to this embodiment has a tool body 11 and an auxiliary tool 12. In this embodiment, the tool 10 (tool body 11) is a cutter and has a blade 113a for cutting an object.

[0021] 2 is a diagram showing how a thin-cloth-like cutting object T is cut using the tool body 11 (tool 10) according to this embodiment. Specifically, in the illustrated example, the blade 113a is inserted into the cutting object T from below, and the tool body 11 is moved in a direction intersecting the cutting object T, thereby cutting the cutting object T with the blade 113a. Hereinafter, the direction in which the tool body 11 moves (advances) to cut the cutting object T may be referred to as the cutting direction. In the illustrated example, the cutting direction is to the right.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the tool body 11 according to this embodiment has a tool base 111, a holder portion 112, and a cutting portion 113. The tool base 111 has a rod-like shape (see also FIG. 1). The holder portion 112 is provided at one end of the tool base 111. The outer diameter of the holder portion 112 may be the same as the outer diameter of the tool base 111. The holder portion 112 holds the cutting portion 113. The holder portion 112 has an auxiliary surface 112a from which the cutting portion 113 extends.

[0023] The blade portion 113 includes a blade 113a, a blade base 113b, and an auxiliary blade 113c. The blade 113a and the auxiliary blade 113c each have a sharp shape that is sharp enough to cut the object T. The blade base 113b extends from the holder portion 112. The blade base 113b may be configured so that it cannot cut the object T. Hereinafter, the direction in which the blade base 113b (blade portion 113) extends from the holder portion 112 may be referred to as the extension direction.

[0024] The blade 113a is provided on the side edge of the blade base 113b. That is, the blade 113a is provided on the edge of the blade base 113b that faces in a direction intersecting the extension direction. The blade 113a extends in the extension direction. As a result, the blade 113a extends in a direction perpendicular to the cutting direction.

[0025] One end of the blade 113a is connected to the holder portion 112. Specifically, the base end of the blade 113a (the end on the holder portion 112 side in the extension direction) is connected to the auxiliary surface 112a. The auxiliary surface 112a extends in a plane that intersects with the direction in which the blade 113a extends (the extension direction). In other words, the blade 113a intersects with the auxiliary surface 112a. The auxiliary surface 112a may be a flat surface or a curved surface. The auxiliary surface 112a may be provided so as to surround the blade 113a (blade portion 113) when viewed from the extension direction. When viewed from the extension direction, the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 112a may be larger than the area of ​​the blade 113a (blade portion 113).

[0026] Auxiliary blade 113c is provided at the tip of blade base 113b (the end opposite holder part 112 in the extension direction). Auxiliary blade 113c may be configured to be able to cut object T. Auxiliary blade 113c may be used, for example, to make a cut in object T when blade part 113 is inserted into object T. One end of auxiliary blade 113c may be connected to the tip of blade 113a (the end opposite holder part 112 in the extension direction).

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the auxiliary tool 12 is attached to the tool body 11. As will be described in detail later, the auxiliary tool 12 acts to make it easier for the gripping mechanism 20 to grip the tool body 11 (tool 10). The gripping mechanism 20 according to this embodiment has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, excluding fitting portions 41 and 43, which will be described later. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the auxiliary tool 12 according to this embodiment has an attachment hole 12a and a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) first fitting portions 41. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the auxiliary tool 12 according to this embodiment has a third fitting portion 43.

[0028] The mounting hole 12a penetrates the auxiliary tool 12 (see FIG. 1). The shape of the mounting hole 12a corresponds to the outer shape of the tool body 11 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). As shown in FIG. 1, the tool body 11 is attached (fixed) to the auxiliary tool 12 in a state where it is inserted into the mounting hole 12a. The mounting hole 12a may be provided with a fixing mechanism (for example, a so-called set screw) that exerts a force to fix the tool body 11 to the mounting hole 12a.

[0029] 1, 3, and 4, the first fitting portion 41 is provided on a side surface of the auxiliary tool 12. In other words, the first fitting portion 41 is provided on a surface of the auxiliary tool 12 facing the second direction Y. Hereinafter, the first fitting portion 41 provided on the right side surface (+Y side surface) of the auxiliary tool 12 will be referred to as the right first fitting portion 41A, and the first fitting portion 41 provided on the left side surface (-Y side surface) of the auxiliary tool 12 will be referred to as the left first fitting portion 41B.

[0030] 3 and 4, the first fitting portion 41 according to this embodiment has a concave shape that is concave from the side surface of the assisting tool 12 toward the inside in the second direction Y (i.e., toward the finger portion 22). The first fitting portion 41 according to this embodiment also has a tapered shape in which the inner diameter decreases toward the inside in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the first fitting portion 41 according to this embodiment extends in the first direction X.

[0031] 3 and 4, the first fitting portion 41 according to this embodiment is surrounded by a gripped surface 411 and a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) tapered surfaces 412. Hereinafter, the four tapered surfaces 412 will be referred to as a first tapered surface 412a, a second tapered surface 412b, a third tapered surface 412c, and a fourth tapered surface 412d.

[0032] The gripped surface 411 is located at the inner end (tip) in the second direction Y of the first fitting portion 41. The gripped surface 411 faces outward in the second direction Y (i.e., toward the finger portion 22). The gripped surface 411 is a surface that is gripped by the finger portion 22 (gripping surface 421). The gripped surface 411 may be a flat surface or a curved surface.

[0033] The multiple tapered surfaces 412 are located on the periphery of the gripped surface 411 when viewed from the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the first tapered surface 412a is connected to the front edge (+X side edge) of the gripped surface 411. The fourth tapered surface 412d is connected to the rear edge (-X side edge) of the gripped surface 411. As shown in FIG. 4, the second tapered surface 412b is connected to the upper edge (+Z side edge) of the gripped surface 411. The third tapered surface 412c is connected to the lower edge (-Z side edge) of the gripped surface 411. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tapered surfaces 412a, 412b, 412c, and 412d are inclined with respect to the second direction Y so as to approach the gripped surface 411 as they extend inward in the second direction Y. Each tapered surface 412 may be a flat surface or a curved surface.

[0034] 4 and 5, the third fitting portion 43 is provided on the lower surface of the auxiliary tool 12. The third fitting portion 43 according to this embodiment has a convex shape that protrudes from the lower surface of the auxiliary tool 12. Furthermore, the third fitting portion 43 according to this embodiment has a tapered shape whose cross-sectional area decreases with increasing distance from the lower surface of the auxiliary tool 12.

[0035] The third fitting portion 43 has a tip surface 431 and a plurality of tapered surfaces 432. The plurality of tapered surfaces 432 are located on the periphery of the tip surface 431 when viewed from the protruding direction in which the tip surface 431 protrudes from the lower surface of the auxiliary tool 12. Each tapered surface 432 is connected to the edge of the tip surface 431. Each tapered surface 432 is inclined with respect to the protruding direction so as to approach the tip surface 431 as it moves away from the lower surface of the auxiliary tool 12. Each of the tip surface 431 and the tapered surface 432 may be a flat surface or a curved surface.

[0036] 5, the tip end surface 431 according to this embodiment is provided with an adsorption portion 60 for adsorbing the tool 10 (third fitting portion 43) to the mounting mechanism 50 (fourth fitting portion 44). Specifically, the adsorption portion 60 according to this embodiment is a magnet for magnetically adsorbing the tool 10 to the mounting mechanism 50.

[0037] 1, the gripping mechanism 20 grips the tool 10. The gripping mechanism 20 according to this embodiment includes a gripping base 21, a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) finger portions 22, and an actuator 23.

[0038] The grip base 21 is a part connected to the movement mechanism 30 .

[0039] The finger portions 22 extend forward from the grip base 21. The two finger portions 22 are arranged with a gap in between in the second direction Y. The two finger portions 22 are configured to be able to move toward and away from each other in the second direction Y. In other words, the two finger portions 22 are configured to be able to open and close in the second direction Y. Hereinafter, the finger portion 22 located on the right side (+Y side) will be referred to as the right finger portion 22A, and the finger portion 22 located on the left side (-Y side) will be referred to as the left finger portion 22B.

[0040] 3, each of the fingers 22A, 22B has a finger base 221 extending in the first direction X and a second fitting portion 42 provided at the front end of the finger base 221. Hereinafter, the second fitting portion 42 provided on the right finger 22A will be referred to as the right second fitting portion 42A, and the second fitting portion 42 provided on the left finger 22B will be referred to as the left second fitting portion 42B.

[0041] 3 and 4, the second fitting portion 42 according to this embodiment has a convex shape that protrudes inward in the second direction Y (i.e., toward the tool 10) from the finger base 221. The second fitting portion 42 according to this embodiment also has a tapered shape whose cross-sectional area decreases toward the inside in the second direction Y.

[0042] The second fitting portion 42 according to this embodiment has a gripping surface 421 and a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) tapered surfaces 422. Hereinafter, the four tapered surfaces 422 will be referred to as a first tapered surface 422a, a second tapered surface 422b, a third tapered surface 422c, and a fourth tapered surface 422d.

[0043] The gripping surface 421 is located at the inner end (tip) in the second direction Y of the second fitting portion 42. The gripping surface 421 faces inward in the second direction Y. It is a surface that grips the tool 10 (gripped surface 411). The gripping surface 421 may be a flat surface or a curved surface.

[0044] The multiple tapered surfaces 422 are located on the periphery of the gripping surface 421 when viewed from the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the first tapered surface 422a is connected to the front edge (+X side edge) of the gripping surface 421. The fourth tapered surface 422d is connected to the rear edge (-X side edge) of the gripping surface 421. As shown in FIG. 4, the second tapered surface 422b is connected to the upper edge (+Z side edge) of the gripping surface 421. The third tapered surface 422c is connected to the lower edge (-Z side edge) of the gripping surface 421. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tapered surfaces 422a, 422b, 422c, and 422d are inclined with respect to the second direction Y so as to approach the gripping surface 421 as they extend inward in the second direction Y. Each tapered surface 422 may be a flat surface or a curved surface.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1 , the actuator 23 is provided, for example, inside the gripping base 21. The actuator 23 is connected to the two finger portions 22 and drives the two finger portions 22. Specifically, the actuator 23 drives the two finger portions 22 to open and close (as described above). For example, the actuator 23 drives the two finger portions 22 so that the two finger portions 22 close and grip the tool 10. The actuator 23 may have, for example, a motor. The device 1 may include a control unit (such as a CPU) for operating the actuator 23.

[0046] The moving mechanism 30 is a mechanism for moving the gripping mechanism 20. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the moving mechanism 30 may be a robot arm. The gripping mechanism 20 may be attached as an end effector to the tip of the moving mechanism 30, which is a robot arm. However, the configuration of the moving mechanism 30 can be changed as appropriate as long as the gripping mechanism 20 can be moved. The device 1 may include a control unit for operating the moving mechanism 30. The actuator 23 and the moving mechanism 30 may be operated by the same control unit or by separate control units.

[0047] The mounting mechanism 50 is a mechanism on which the tool 10 is mounted (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting mechanism 50 according to this embodiment has a mounting base 51 (base), a contact portion 52, and an elastic connection portion 53. The contact portion 52 has the fourth fitting portion 44.

[0048] The mounting base 51 is a part (member) fixed to a floor surface, a workbench, etc. The mounting base 51 may be the floor surface, a workbench, etc.

[0049] The contact portion 52 is a portion (member) that comes into contact with the tool 10 when the tool 10 is placed on the placement mechanism 50. The lower surface of the contact portion 52 is connected to the placement base 51 via an elastic connection portion 53.

[0050] The elastic connection portion 53 elastically connects the mounting base 51 and the contact portion 52. This allows the contact portion 52 to be elastically displaceable three-dimensionally (i.e., in three directions: the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the gravity direction Z) with respect to the mounting base 51. The elastic connection portion 53 may be, for example, a spring. However, the configuration of the contact portion 52 can be changed as appropriate as long as the mounting base 51 and the contact portion 52 can be elastically connected.

[0051] The fourth fitting portion 44 is provided on the upper surface of the contact portion 52. The fourth fitting portion 44 according to this embodiment has a concave shape recessed from the upper surface of the contact portion 52. Furthermore, the fourth fitting portion 44 according to this embodiment has a tapered shape in which the inner diameter decreases with increasing distance from the upper surface of the contact portion 52.

[0052] The fourth fitting portion 44 has a bottom surface 441 and a plurality of tapered surfaces 442. The plurality of tapered surfaces 442 are located on the periphery of the bottom surface 441 when viewed from the recess direction in which the fourth fitting portion 44 is recessed from the upper surface of the contact portion 52. Each tapered surface 442 is connected to the edge of the bottom surface 441. Each tapered surface 442 is inclined with respect to the recess direction so as to approach the bottom surface 441 as it moves away from the upper surface of the contact portion 52. Each of the bottom surface 441 and the tapered surfaces 442 may be flat or curved.

[0053] Next, the operation of the device configured as above will be described.

[0054] In an apparatus that performs work using a tool, it is necessary for the gripping mechanism to grip the tool with high precision. To achieve such high-precision gripping, conventional apparatuses have employed a multi-fingered, multi-degree-of-freedom hand as the gripping mechanism, and the hand wraps around the tool to grip it, thereby achieving a firm grip. Alternatively, the position of a marker attached to the tool is recognized by a sensor to determine the position between the hand and the gripping mechanism, thereby ensuring gripping precision. However, these conventional configurations have had issues such as increased device costs and insufficient gripping precision.

[0055] To solve this problem, in the device 1 according to this embodiment, the tool 10 and the fingers 22 are provided with tapered fitting portions 41, 42, respectively (see FIGS. 1, 3, and 4). The first fitting portion 41 and the second fitting portion 42 fit together when the actuator 23 drives the two fingers 22 so that the two fingers 22 grip the tool 10. That is, the right-side first fitting portion 41A and the right-side second fitting portion 42A fit together, and the left-side first fitting portion 41B and the left-side second fitting portion 42B fit together. This will be described in detail below.

[0056] For example, consider a case where, when the finger portion 22 attempts to grip the tool 10, the gripping surface 421 of the finger portion 22 is shifted forward (toward the +X side) relative to the gripped surface 411 of the tool 10 (see also FIG. 3 ). In this state, when the finger portion 22 is closed, the first tapered surfaces 412a, 422a provided on the fitting portions 41, 42 slide against each other. At this time, due to a resistance acting between the first tapered surfaces 412a, 422a, the finger portion 22 and the tool 10 move relatively in the first direction X toward a position where the gripped surface 411 and the gripping surface 421 come into contact with each other (hereinafter referred to as the gripping position). In other words, the first tapered surfaces 412a, 422a slide against each other, thereby guiding the relative position between the finger portion 22 and the tool 10 to the gripping position.

[0057] Similarly, when the gripping surface 421 is shifted backward (toward the -X side) with respect to the gripped surface 411, the fourth tapered surfaces 412d, 422d slide against each other, thereby guiding the relative position between the finger portion 22 and the tool 10 to the gripping position. Furthermore, when the gripping surface 421 is shifted against the gripped surface 411 in the gravity direction Z, the second tapered surfaces 412b, 422b or the third tapered surfaces 412c, 422c slide against each other, thereby guiding the relative position between the finger portion 22 and the tool 10 to the gripping position (see also FIG. 4).

[0058] This allows the finger portion 22 to grip the tool 10 with high precision using the simple mechanical structure of the fitting portions 41 and 42, without requiring recognition processing using a sensor or the like.

[0059] In addition, in the gripping position (i.e., a state in which the fitting portions 41 and 42 are fitted to each other), the gripped surface 411 and the gripping surface 421 may be in surface contact. Similarly, in the gripping position, the tapered surfaces 412 and 422 may be in surface contact with each other. That is, the first tapered surfaces 412a and 422a may be in surface contact with each other, the second tapered surfaces 412b and 422b may be in surface contact with each other, the third tapered surfaces 412c and 422c may be in surface contact with each other, and the fourth tapered surfaces 412d and 422d may be in surface contact with each other. This configuration can suppress misalignment between the finger portions 22 and the tool 10 when the finger portions 22 grip the tool 10. That is, the stability of gripping the tool 10 by the finger portions 22 can be improved.

[0060] The device 1 according to this embodiment further includes a mounting mechanism 50 on which the tool 10 is mounted (see FIG. 5). This allows the moving mechanism 30 to move the gripping mechanism 20 gripping the tool 10 to the vicinity of the mounting mechanism 50, and then the actuator 23 opens the fingers 22 to release the grip on the tool 10, thereby allowing the tool 10 to be mounted on the mounting mechanism 50. Therefore, for example, when the tool 10 is not in use, the tool 10 can be stored in the mounting mechanism 50.

[0061] Further, the tool 10 and the mounting mechanism 50 are provided with tapered fitting portions 43, 44, respectively. The third fitting portion 43 and the fourth fitting portion 44 fit together when the moving mechanism 30 moves the gripping mechanism 20 so that the tool 10 is mounted on the mounting mechanism 50. This will be described in detail below.

[0062] For example, consider a case where the tip surface 431 of the tool 10 is horizontally misaligned with respect to the bottom surface 441 of the mounting mechanism 50 when the tool 10 is to be mounted on the mounting mechanism 50. In this state, when the moving mechanism 30 moves the gripping mechanism 20 downward, the tapered surfaces 432, 442 provided on the fitting portions 43, 44 slide against each other. At this time, due to a resistance force acting between the tapered surfaces 432, 442, the contact portion 52 and the tool 10 move relatively toward a position where the tip surface 431 and the bottom surface 441 come into contact with each other via the suction portion 60 (hereinafter referred to as the mounting position). In other words, the tapered surfaces 432, 442 slide against each other, thereby guiding the relative position between the contact portion 52 and the tool 10 to the mounting position. Particularly in this embodiment, since the contact portion 52 is connected to the mounting base 51 via the elastic connecting portion 53, the contact portion 52 is elastically displaced in response to the resistance force. This realizes the above-described relative movement. After the relative position between the contact portion 52 and the tool 10 is guided to the placement position, the actuator 23 opens the finger portions 22 to release the grip of the tool 10, thereby placing the tool 10 at the placement position. In this manner, in this embodiment, the relative position between the contact portion 52 and the tool 10 is guided to the placement position, so that the tool 10 can be easily placed on the placement mechanism 50 without performing recognition processing using a sensor or the like.

[0063] Here, the fitting portions 43, 44, when fitted together, also serve to prevent the tool 10 placed on the mounting mechanism 50 from falling off from the mounting mechanism 50. In addition, in this embodiment, the suction portion 60 for adsorbing the tool 10 (third fitting portion 43) to the mounting mechanism 50 (fourth fitting portion 44) is provided on the tip surface 431, so that such falling off can be more reliably prevented.

[0064] When the tool 10 placed on the placement mechanism 50 is to be used again, the tool 10 can be picked up from the placement mechanism 50 by gripping the tool 10 again with the fingers 22 and then moving the gripping mechanism 20 upward with the movement mechanism 30. When the force with which the movement mechanism 30 tries to pick up (move away) the tool 10 from the placement mechanism 50 exceeds the suction force of the suction part 60, the tool 10 will move away from the placement mechanism 50.

[0065] Note that the fitting portions 43, 44 may not be provided on the tool 10 and the mounting mechanism 50 in cases where the suction force of the suction portion 60 is strong enough to hold the tool 10 on the mounting mechanism 50 even without the fitting portions 43, 44. Even in this case, the tool 10 can be mounted on the mounting mechanism 50 even if the mounting mechanism 50 and the tool 10 are misaligned due to the elastic displacement of the contact portion 52 and the suction force of the suction portion 60, etc.

[0066] Furthermore, in the tool 10 (cutter) according to this embodiment, the blade 113a extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction (cutting direction) in which the tool 10 moves to cut the cutting object T (see FIG. 2). This reduces the difficulty of positioning the tool 10 using the movement mechanism 30 when cutting the cutting object T using the tool 10. This will be explained in detail below.

[0067] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how a thin-cloth object T is cut using a conventional tool 10′ (tool body 11′). As shown in FIG. 6, the tool body 11′ has a tool base 111′, a holder portion 112′, and a blade portion 113′. The blade portion 113′ has a blade 113a′ and a blade base 113b′. In the conventional tool 10′, the blade 113a′ is provided at the tip of the blade base 113b′. Furthermore, the direction in which the blade 113a′ extends is not perpendicular to the cutting direction (the direction in which the object T extends).

[0068] In order to cut the object T using such a tool 10', the blade portion 113' must be in contact with the object T at all times during cutting. Therefore, when the tool 10' is operated by a moving mechanism such as a robot arm, it is necessary to continuously position the tool 10' in a direction perpendicular to the object T so that the blade portion 113' remains in contact with the object T. However, the direction in which the blade 113a' extends is not perpendicular to the cutting direction. For this reason, the position of the tool 10' where the blade portion 113' comes into contact with the object T in the direction perpendicular to the cutting direction is limited to a narrow range. Therefore, such positioning can be difficult.

[0069] To address this issue, in the tool 10 according to this embodiment, the blade 113a extends in a direction perpendicular to the cutting direction (see FIG. 2). This allows the range of positions of the tool 10 at which the blade 113a and the object T come into contact in the direction perpendicular to the cutting direction to be wider than in the past. This reduces the difficulty of positioning the tool 10 in the direction perpendicular to the object T. In particular, in the tool 10 according to this embodiment, an auxiliary surface 112a that intersects with the extension direction of the blade 113a is provided at one end of the blade 113a. In other words, the blade 113a extends to the auxiliary surface 112a. This allows the object T and the tool 10 to be positioned in the direction perpendicular to the cutting direction simply by moving the tool 10 so that the auxiliary surface 112a is pressed against the object T. Then, the object T can be cut by controlling the position of the tool 10 in the cutting direction while the auxiliary surface 112a is pressed against the object T. The peripheral edge of the auxiliary surface 112a may be chamfered to prevent damage to the cutting object T. The device 1 may also have a detection means for detecting that the auxiliary surface 112a has come into contact with the cutting object T.

[0070] Although the tool 10 is described as a cutter in the above example, the type of tool 10 can be changed as appropriate. The device 1 may include multiple tools 10 with different shapes. For example, the shapes (and uses) of the tool bodies 11 of the multiple tools 10 may be different from one another. Multiple auxiliary tools 12 may be provided in one-to-one correspondence with the multiple tool bodies 11. The shapes of the mounting holes 12a of the multiple auxiliary tools 12 may differ depending on the outer shapes of the corresponding tool bodies 11. Meanwhile, the shape of the first fitting portion 41 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary tool 12 may be common to the multiple auxiliary tools 12. This configuration allows a single gripping mechanism 20 to grip multiple tools 10 (tool bodies 11) with different shapes, without the need to replace the finger portions 22, for example. The shape of the third fitting portion 43 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary tool 12 may be common to the multiple auxiliary tools 12.

[0071] As described above, the device 1 according to this embodiment includes the tool 10 having the first fitting portion 41, the gripping mechanism 20 having the two fingers 22 each having the second fitting portion 42 and the actuator 23 that drives the two fingers 22, and the movement mechanism 30 that moves the gripping mechanism 20, wherein the first fitting portion 41 and the second fitting portion 42 each have a tapered shape, and the first fitting portion 41 and the second fitting portion 42 fit together when the actuator 23 drives the two fingers 22 so that the two fingers 22 grip the tool 10. This configuration makes it possible to provide a device that can grip the tool 10 with high precision using a simple structure.

[0072] The apparatus 1 according to this embodiment further includes a mounting mechanism 50 on which the tool 10 is mounted, and the mounting mechanism 50 has a mounting base 51 (base), a contact portion 52 that contacts the tool 10 when the tool 10 is mounted on the mounting mechanism 50, and an elastic connecting portion 53 that elastically connects the mounting base 51 and the contact portion 52. This configuration makes it easier to mount the tool 10 on the mounting mechanism 50.

[0073] Moreover, the tool 10 has a third fitting portion 43, and the mounting mechanism 50 has a fourth fitting portion 44, each of the third fitting portion 43 and the fourth fitting portion 44 having a tapered shape, and the third fitting portion 43 and the fourth fitting portion 44 fit together when the moving mechanism 30 moves the gripping mechanism 20 so that the tool 10 is mounted on the mounting mechanism 50. This configuration makes it easier to mount the tool 10 on the mounting mechanism 50.

[0074] The tool 10 also has a blade 113a for cutting the cutting object T, and the blade 113a extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction (cutting direction) in which the tool 10 moves to cut the cutting object T. This configuration can reduce the difficulty of positioning the tool 10 in the direction perpendicular to the cutting direction.

[0075] The tool 10 also has an auxiliary surface 112a connected to one end of the blade 113a, and the auxiliary surface 112a extends in a plane intersecting the direction in which the blade 113a extends. This configuration further reduces the difficulty of positioning the tool 10 in the direction perpendicular to the cutting direction. More specifically, by moving the tool 10 so that the auxiliary surface 112a is pressed against the object T, it is possible to easily position the object T and the tool 10 in the direction perpendicular to the cutting direction (pressing direction).

[0076] The technical scope of 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.

[0077] 7 is a diagram showing a tool 10A according to a modified example of the present invention. The configuration of the tool 10A according to this modified example is basically the same as the configuration of the tool 10 according to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted, and only the differences will be described.

[0078] A tool 10A (tool body 11A) according to this modification has a blade portion 113A that is different from the blade portion 113 in the above embodiment. The blade portion 113A according to this modification has a guide portion 113d in addition to a blade 113a and a blade base 113b.

[0079] The guide portion 113d has an inclined surface 114 connected to the tip of the blade 113a. The inclined surface 114 is located forward in the cutting direction (to the right in the figure) when viewed from the blade 113a. The inclined surface 114 is inclined with respect to the cutting direction so that it approaches the blade 113a in the extension direction (described above) as it approaches the blade 113a in the cutting direction. The inclined surface 114 comes into contact with the object T to be cut as the tool 10 moves in the cutting direction. Then, due to the resistance force that the inclined surface 114 exerts on the object T to be cut, the object T is guided by the blade 113a in the extension direction.

[0080] As described above, the tool 10A according to this modification has the guide portion 113d that comes into contact with the cutting object T and guides the cutting object T to the blade 113a. This configuration can further reduce the difficulty of positioning the tool 10A in the extension direction of the blade 113a.

[0081] Although detailed illustration is omitted, the gripping mechanism 20 may have three fingers 22. In this case, the three fingers 22 may be configured to open and close radially around the tool 10. That is, the three fingers 22 may grip the tool 10 so as to surround it from three directions. Three second fitting portions 42 may be provided corresponding to the three fingers 22. Furthermore, three first fitting portions 41 corresponding to the three second fitting portions 42 may be provided on the tool 10. Note that the gripping mechanism 20 may have four or more fingers 22.

[0082] Furthermore, in the above-described example, the first fitting portion 41 has a concave shape and the second fitting portion 42 has a convex shape. However, the first fitting portion 41 may have a convex shape and the second fitting portion 42 may have a concave shape. That is, it is sufficient that one of the first fitting portion 41 and the second fitting portion 42 has a convex shape and the other has a concave shape. However, in a device 1 in which the finger portion 22 (first fitting portion 41) is expected to grip an object other than the tool 10, a configuration in which the first fitting portion 41 has a convex shape is preferable. Similarly, the third fitting portion 43 may have a concave shape and the fourth fitting portion 44 has a convex shape. That is, it is sufficient that one of the third fitting portion 43 and the fourth fitting portion 44 has a convex shape and the other has a concave shape.

[0083] Furthermore, although both the fitting portions 41 and 42 have tapered shapes in the above-described example, one of the fitting portions 41 and 42 may not have a tapered shape (see also FIGS. 3 and 4). That is, it is sufficient that at least one of the first fitting portion 41 and the second fitting portion 42 has a tapered shape. For example, the second fitting portion 42 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. That is, the tapered surface 422 inclined with respect to the second direction Y may be replaced with a parallel surface (not shown) parallel to the second direction Y. Even with this configuration, the peripheral edge of the gripping surface 421 slides against the tapered surface 412 of the first fitting portion 41, thereby guiding the relative position between the finger portion 22 and the tool 10 to the gripping position, as in the above-described embodiment. Similarly, one of the fitting portions 43 and 44 may not have a tapered shape. That is, it is sufficient that at least one of the third fitting portion 43 and the fourth fitting portion 44 has a tapered shape.

[0084] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 1 etc., when the gripping mechanism 20 grips the tool 10, the tool 10 (tool body 11) is tilted with respect to the direction of gravity Z and the horizontal direction, but the orientation of the tool 10 is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate.

[0085] Furthermore, although the suction unit 60 is a magnet in the above example, the type of suction unit 60 can be changed as appropriate as long as it can adsorb the tool 10 to the mounting mechanism 50. For example, a mechanism (such as an air chuck) that uses air pressure to adsorb the tool 10 to the mounting mechanism 50 may be used as the suction unit 60. Furthermore, the suction unit 60 may be provided at a location other than the tip surface 431. Note that the device 1 does not necessarily have to be equipped with the suction unit 60.

[0086] In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described embodiments and variations may be combined as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1...Device 10...Tool 20...Gripping mechanism 22...Finger portion 23...Actuator 30...Moving mechanism 41...First fitting portion 42...Second fitting portion 43...Third fitting portion 44...Fourth fitting portion 50...Placement mechanism 51...Placement base (base portion) 52...Contact portion 53...Elastic connection portion 113a...Blade 113d...Guide portion 112a...Auxiliary surface T...Cutting object

Claims

1. a tool having a first fitting portion; a gripping mechanism including a plurality of fingers having a second fitting portion and an actuator that drives the plurality of fingers; a moving mechanism that moves the gripping mechanism, At least one of the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion has a tapered shape, the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion fit together when the actuator drives the plurality of fingers so that the plurality of fingers grip the tool. Device.

2. Further provided is a mounting mechanism on which the tool is mounted, the mounting mechanism includes a base, a contact portion that contacts the tool when the tool is mounted on the mounting mechanism, and an elastic connecting portion that elastically connects the base and the contact portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 1.

3. Further provided is a mounting mechanism on which the tool is mounted, the tool has a third fitting portion; the mounting mechanism has a fourth fitting portion, At least one of the third fitting portion and the fourth fitting portion has a tapered shape, the third fitting portion and the fourth fitting portion fit together when the moving mechanism moves the gripping mechanism so that the tool is placed on the placement mechanism.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the first fitting portion has a concave shape, The second fitting portion has a convex shape.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The tool has a blade for cutting an object to be cut, The blade extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the tool moves to cut the cutting object.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. the tool has an auxiliary surface connected to one end of the blade; The auxiliary surface extends in a plane intersecting the direction in which the blade extends.

6. The apparatus of claim 5.

7. The tool has a guide portion that comes into contact with the object to be cut and guides the object to the blade.

6. The apparatus of claim 5.

Images