Box making device

Abstract

To provide a box making device capable of achieving both easiness of teaching and control accuracy, regarding control of a box making operation.SOLUTION: A positioning mechanism 10 of a box making device 100 includes a lower end guide part and a side edge guide part. In the positioning mechanism 10, a flat plate-shaped cardboard material 26 is supplied piece by piece, and a lower end edge part is arranged along the lower end guide part, and one end edge in the Y-axis direction is arranged along the side edge guide part. A robot which the box making device 100 includes performs, by an end effector, a development operation for developing the flat plate-shaped cardboard material 26, and a movement operation for moving a cardboard material 27 developed into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape to a preparation position for performing bottom folding by a bottom folding mechanism and / or folding fixation by a folding fixing mechanism 5, and the development operation and the movement operation are controlled on coordinate systems C1-C3 in which one or more origin positions of X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis are made to be different.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a box making device that uses cardboard material to make a cardboard box having a pair of front surfaces, a pair of side surfaces, and a bottom surface. [Background technology]

[0002] Cardboard boxes are generally manufactured by folding flat cardboard material into a hexahedral shape. It is known to use a robot equipped with a robot arm in a box-making device that manufactures cardboard boxes from cardboard material. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a random box-making device that includes a picking unit that adsorbs cardboard material and a folding unit that folds the bottom of the cardboard material that has been spread out into a three-dimensional shape by the picking unit to form a bottom.

[0003] The applicant has also previously proposed a box-making device that includes a robot having multiple arms connected to end effectors and a box holding device, in which an adsorption means attached to the first arm of the robot can detachably hold a box (Patent Document 2).

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a robot system that includes a hand that holds an article and a first contact portion against which a first bent portion of the article comes into contact during a folding process, the hand having a base that is connected to an arm, and a holding portion that is rotatable relative to the base and holds the article. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2015-505785 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-119411 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-010971 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Articulated robots equipped with robot arms, such as those described in these patent documents, have a high degree of freedom in motion (movement) and are capable of performing complex tasks, but the precision of their motion control makes it difficult to teach the robot, and the control accuracy of the box-making operation tends to decrease. The technologies in patent documents 1 to 3 leave room for improvement in terms of achieving both ease of teaching and control accuracy in controlling the box-making operation.

[0007] The present invention relates to the control of a box-making operation, and to providing a box-making device that can achieve both ease of teaching and high control accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a box making device that uses cardboard material to make a cardboard box having a pair of front surfaces, a pair of side surfaces, and a bottom surface. In one embodiment, the cardboard material preferably includes the front portion whose orientation remains the same when folded into a flat plate shape and the side portion whose orientation changes when unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape. In one embodiment, the box making device includes a robot having an arm connected to a suction means as an end effector; a positioning mechanism that positions the cardboard material folded into a flat shape so that it can be unfolded by the movement of the suction means; It is preferable that the container further includes a bottom folding mechanism and a folding and fixing mechanism for forming the bottom portion. In one embodiment, when the front-to-back direction in which the pair of front portions of the unfolded cardboard material face each other is defined as the X-axis direction, the left-to-right direction in which the pair of side portions face each other is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the up-down direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is defined as the Z-axis direction, It is preferable that the positioning mechanism comprises a lower end guide portion and a side edge guide portion, and that the flat cardboard material is supplied one sheet at a time so that the lower end edge portion is positioned along the lower end guide portion and the edge on one side in the Y-axis direction is positioned along the side edge guide portion. In one embodiment, the robot It is preferable that the end effector performs an unfolding operation to unfold the flat cardboard material, and a moving operation to move the cardboard material unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape to a preparation position for bottom folding by the bottom folding mechanism and / or folding and fixing by the folding and fixing mechanism. In one embodiment, the box making device preferably controls the unfolding operation and the moving operation in a coordinate system in which one or more of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis have different origin positions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the box making device of the present invention, it is possible to achieve both ease of teaching and high control accuracy with regard to control of the box making operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a preferred embodiment of a box making device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2(a) to 2(c) are perspective views for explaining how the cardboard material shown in FIG. 1 is assembled into a box shape. [Figure 3] 3(a) is a perspective view of the positioning mechanism shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the front side, and FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view of the positioning mechanism as seen from the rear side. [Figure 4] 4(a) and (b) are plan views of the first surface holding part shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the robot shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the left hand shown in FIG. 5 as viewed from the suction means side. [Figure 7] 7 is a plan view of the bottom folding mechanism shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 8] 8(a) and 8(b) are a schematic front view and a schematic side view for explaining the positioning process of the cardboard material by the positioning mechanism. [Figure 9] 9(a) and 9(b) are a schematic front view and a schematic side view for explaining the operation of the first surface holding part after the positioning step. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a schematic side view for explaining the retraction process (a) of retracting the front lower guide plate and the front upper guide plate shown in Figure 3, and the operation of the left hand and the first surface holding part after the retraction process (b). [Figure 11] 11(a) and 11(b) are schematic perspective views for explaining the unfolding process of unfolding the cardboard material into a rectangular tubular shape. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view for explaining each coordinate system in the deployment process and the movement process performed by the robot shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 13(a) and 13(b) are schematic front views showing the holding position of the left hand in the unfolding step shown in FIG. [Figure 14] 14(a) and 14(b) are schematic plan views showing the movement trajectory of the holding position of the left hand in the deployment process. [Figure 15] 15(a) and (b) are schematic plan views showing the holding position of the left hand in the first moving step. [Figure 16] 16(a) and 16(b) are schematic front views showing the holding position of the right hand in the first moving step shown in FIG. [Figure 17] 17(a) and 17(b) are schematic front views showing the holding position of the left hand in the second movement step shown in FIG. [Figure 18] 18(a) and 18(b) are schematic front views showing the holding position of the right hand in the second movement step shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A box making apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. One embodiment of the box making apparatus according to the present invention is shown in Figure 1. The box making apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1 includes a robot 3 having an arm 35, a positioning mechanism 10 that positions cardboard material 2, a bottom folding mechanism (not shown) for forming the bottom of the cardboard box, and a folding and fixing mechanism 5.

[0012] The box making device 100 of this embodiment makes cardboard boxes using cardboard material 2 made of paper, plastic, or the like. Figure 2 shows an example of the cardboard material 2 that is the work target of the box making device 100 of this embodiment. The cardboard material 2 shown in Figure 2 can be unfolded from a flat folded state (see Figure 2(a)) into a rectangular tubular shape (see Figure 2(b)), and from this rectangular tubular shape, a cardboard box 28 having a bottom portion 28u (see Figure 2(c)) can be formed. Hereinafter, the cardboard material 2 folded into a flat plate shape will also be referred to as a "flat cardboard plate 26," and the cardboard material 2 unfolded into a rectangular tube shape will also be referred to as a "tubular cardboard body 27."

[0013] The cardboard box 28 has a pair of front portions 23, 24, a pair of side portions 21, 22, and a bottom portion 28u. The pair of front portions 23, 24 face each other, and the pair of side portions 21, 22 face each other between the pair of front portions 23, 24, forming a peripheral wall portion (hereinafter also referred to as a "main body peripheral wall portion") surrounded on all four sides by the pair of front portions 23, 24 and the pair of side portions 21, 22. The front portions 23, 24 and the side portions 21, 22 are connected via fold lines extending in the height direction. The peripheral wall of the main body has a rectangular cylindrical shape with openings at the top and bottom, and the height direction of the peripheral wall of the main body coincides with the vertical direction Z. In the cardboard box 28, the width direction of the pair of front portions 23, 24 (hereinafter referred to as the "Y1 direction") is perpendicular to the width direction of the pair of side portions 21, 22 (hereinafter referred to as the "X1 direction").

[0014] In the cardboard box 28, front upper flap portions 23t, 24t are connected to the upper edge portions of the pair of front portions 23, 24 via fold lines extending in the Y1 direction, and front lower flap portions 23u, 24u are connected to the lower edge portions of the pair of front portions 23, 24 via fold lines extending in the Y1 direction (see FIG. 2(c)). In the cardboard box 28 shown in FIG. 2, the pair of front lower flap portions 23u, 24u have the same shape and size, but the shapes or sizes of the pair of front lower flap portions 23u, 24u may be different from each other. Similarly, the pair of front upper flap portions 23t, 24t may have the same shape and size, or may have different shapes or sizes from each other. In the cardboard box 28, upper side flap portions 21t, 22t are connected to the upper edge portions of the pair of side surface portions 21, 22 via fold lines extending in the X1 direction, and lower side flap portions 21u, 22u are connected to the lower edge portions of the pair of side surface portions 21, 22 via fold lines extending in the X1 direction (see FIG. 2(c)). In the cardboard box 28 shown in FIG. 2, the pair of lower side flap portions 21u, 22u have the same shape and size, but the shapes or sizes of the pair of lower side flap portions 21u, 22u may be different from each other. Similarly, the pair of upper side flap portions 21t, 22t may have the same shape and size, or may have different shapes or sizes from each other.

[0015] The bottom surface portion 28u closes the lower opening of the main body peripheral wall formed by the pair of front portions 23, 24 and the pair of side portions 21, 22. This bottom surface portion 28u is formed by a pair of front lower flap portions 23u, 24u and a pair of side lower flap portions 21u, 22u. Specifically, the pair of side lower flap portions 21u, 22u are folded toward the inside of the main body peripheral wall about a fold line extending in the X1 direction, and the pair of front lower flap portions 23u, 24u are folded toward the inside of the main body peripheral wall about a fold line extending in the Y1 direction so as to overlap the side lower flap portions 21u, 22u. As a result, the pair of front lower flap portions 23u, 24u are folded like a double door with their leading edges butted against each other, forming the bottom surface portion 28u that closes the lower portion of the main body peripheral wall. The pair of folded-in front lower flap portions 23u, 24u form the outer surface of the bottom surface portion 28u, and the side lower flap portions 21u, 22u are positioned more inward of the main body peripheral wall portion than the front lower flap portions 23u, 24u.

[0016] In the cardboard box 28 of this embodiment, the opening above the main body peripheral wall can be closed by a top surface formed by the pair of front upper flaps 23t, 24t and the pair of side upper flaps 21t, 22t. The top surface is formed by folding the pair of front upper flaps 23t, 24t and the pair of side upper flaps 21t, 22t together in the same manner as the above-described bottom surface 28u. The cardboard box 28 shown in FIG. 2(c) is in a state before the top surface is formed, and the upper opening of the main body peripheral wall is not closed.

[0017] The cardboard cylinder 27 is unfolded into a three-dimensional cylindrical shape, and the upper and lower openings of the main body peripheral wall are not blocked by the top and bottom surfaces (see FIG. 2(b)). In the cardboard cylinder 27, the front upper flaps 23t, 24t and the front lower flaps 23u, 24u are continuous in a plane defined by the front surfaces 23, 24, and the side upper flaps 22t, 22t and the side lower flaps 21u, 22u are continuous in a plane defined by the side surfaces 21, 22. In other words, the cardboard cylinder 27 forms a rectangular cylinder with the upper peripheral wall surrounded on all four sides by the front upper flaps 23t, 24t and the side upper flaps 22t, 22t, the main body peripheral wall, and the lower peripheral wall surrounded on all four sides by the front lower flaps 23u, 24u and the side lower flaps 21u, 22u aligned in the vertical direction.

[0018] The flat cardboard sheet 26 is folded into a flat plate by overlapping a front plate, in which one front portion 23 and one side portion 21 are continuous in the plane direction, with a back plate, in which the other front portion 24 and one side portion 22 are continuous in the plane direction (see FIG. 2(a)). The front plate and the back plate of the flat cardboard sheet 26 overlap in the thickness direction of the flat cardboard sheet 26.

[0019] While the orientation of the front portions 23, 24 of the cardboard material 2 remains the same between the state of the flat cardboard sheet 26 and the state of the cardboard cylinder 27, the orientation of the side portions 21, 22 changes. That is, in the flat cardboard sheet 26, the pair of front portions 23, 24 face each other in the X1 direction, and the pair of side portions 21, 22 also face each other in the X1 direction, but in the cardboard cylinder 27, the pair of front portions 23, 24 face each other in the X1 direction, and the pair of side portions 21, 22 face each other in the Y1 direction. In this way, the opposing orientations of the side portions 21, 22 are perpendicular to each other between the state of the flat cardboard sheet 26 and the state of the cardboard cylinder 27.

[0020] The box making device 100 has a Y-axis direction that coincides with the width direction of the positioning mechanism 10, a Z-axis direction that coincides with the height direction of the positioning mechanism 10, and an X-axis direction that coincides with the depth direction of the positioning mechanism 10 (see FIG. 1). The X-axis direction corresponds to the front-to-rear direction (X1 direction) in which a pair of front portions 23, 24 of a cardboard cylinder 27 arranged in the positioning mechanism 10 face each other. The Y-axis direction corresponds to the left-to-right direction (Y1 direction) in which a pair of side portions 21, 22 of the cardboard cylinder 27 face each other. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are perpendicular to each other. The Z-direction corresponds to the up-down direction (vertical direction) that is perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In the box making device 100 of this embodiment, the positioning mechanism 10 and the robot 3 face each other in the X-axis direction, and the robot 3 and the folding and fixing mechanism 5 are aligned in the Y-axis direction.

[0021] The positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment unfolds the flat cardboard sheet 26 and positions it so that it can form the cardboard cylinder 27. Figures 3(a) and (b) show the positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment. The positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment includes a bottom guide portion 11 and a side edge guide portion 12. The bottom guide portion 11 is arranged to extend in the Y-axis direction, and the side edge guide portion 12 is arranged to extend in the Z-axis direction on one side of the bottom guide portion 11 in the Y-axis direction. The positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment includes a side edge movement guide plate 13 on the other side of the bottom guide portion 11 in the Y-axis direction. The side edge guide portion 12 and the side edge movement guide plate 13 are arranged opposite each other in the Y-axis direction, with the bottom guide portion 11 sandwiched between them. The positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment includes a lower guide plate 14 and a rear-side moving guide plate 16, which are arranged to sandwich the lower end guide portion 11 in the X-axis direction. The lower guide plate 14 is located closer to the robot 3 (front side) than the rear-side moving guide plate 16 in the X-axis direction. The positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment is provided with an upper guide plate 15 in an area above the lower end guide portion 11.

[0022] In the cardboard positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment, flat cardboard sheets 26 are supplied one by one, and the lower edge of each flat cardboard sheet 26 is placed on the lower end guide portion 11 (see FIG. 8). The lower edge of each flat cardboard sheet 26 forms the lower edge of the front lower flap portions 23u, 24u and the side lower flap portions 21u, 22u.

[0023] The side edge moving guide plate 13 moves back and forth in the Y-axis direction, sandwiching the cardboard flat plate 26 between itself and the side edge guide portion 12 in the left-right direction, thereby positioning the cardboard flat plate 26 in the Y-axis direction. The rear-side movable guide plate 16 moves forward and backward in the X-axis direction to sandwich the cardboard flat plate 26 between itself and the lower guide plate 14 in the front-to-rear direction, thereby positioning the cardboard flat plate 26 in the X-axis direction. After the cardboard flat plate 26 has been positioned in the Y-axis and X-axis directions, the lower guide plate 14 retracts below the lower end of the cardboard flat plate 26. The upper guide plate 15 retracts above the upper end of the positioned cardboard flat plate 26. The operation of these guide plates 13, 14, 15, and 16 with respect to the positioning of the cardboard flat plate 26 will be described in detail later.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment is firmly supported by a portal support frame 40 including a pair of column frames 42 erected from a base portion 41 and an upper beam frame 43 connecting the upper ends of the pair of column frames 42. A band-shaped intermediate beam frame 44 is installed between the pair of column frames 42 at the middle portion in the height direction of the portal support frame 40, extending parallel to the upper beam frame 43. The upper beam frame 43 and the intermediate beam frame 44 are arranged to extend along the Y-axis direction. The lower end guide portion 11 constituting the positioning mechanism 10 is fixed to the upper surface of the intermediate beam frame 44, and is arranged to extend in the Y-axis direction.

[0025] The lower end guide 11 of this embodiment is formed by arranging multiple unit pieces 11a, each having a rectangular cross section, on the upper surface of the band-shaped intermediate beam frame 44, with their central axes aligned along the X-axis direction and spaced apart at a predetermined interval along the Y-axis direction, which is the extension direction of the intermediate beam frame 44. This configuration reduces the contact length with the lower edge of the placed cardboard flat plate 26 compared to when a flat plate-shaped member is used as the lower end guide, thereby reducing sliding resistance. This allows the cardboard flat plate 26 to slide more smoothly in the Y-axis direction. To further reduce sliding resistance, it is preferable to attach a low-friction resin material, such as MC nylon or polyethylene-based resin, to the upper surface of the unit pieces 11a, which contacts the cardboard flat plate 26. Examples of polyethylene-based resin plate or sheet members include commercially available products such as Supermu and Newlite manufactured by Sakushin Kogyo Co., Ltd. It is also preferable that the top-shaped unit member 11a is made of a low-friction resin material. Note that the bottom end guide may be a flat plate-shaped member with a low-friction resin material attached to its upper surface, or made of a low-friction resin material.

[0026] In this embodiment, the side edge guide 12 is made of a plate member made of a metal such as stainless steel or a synthetic resin, and has a flat side contact surface 12b. The side contact surface 12b has a rectangular cutout 12a formed in the rear side in the X-axis direction, so that the side contact surface 12b has a U-shape when viewed from the Y-axis direction. The side edge guide portion 12 of this embodiment is supported by one of the pillar frames 42 that make up the portal support frame 40 with the main surface of the side surface abutment surface portion 12b facing in the Y-axis direction, and the side surface abutment surface portion 12b is arranged and fixed along the Z-direction. Since the side edge guide portion 12 has a notch portion 12a located in the side edge portion of the area that overlaps with one of the pillar frames 42, a first surface holding portion 31, which will be described later, can be rotated around one of the pillar frames 42 via the notch portion 12a. In addition, the part of the side abutment surface portion 12b excluding the cutout portion 12a extends beyond the lower guide plate 14 outward in the X-axis direction (towards the robot 3), and serves as a contact surface that abuts against one of the side portions 21 of the cardboard cylinder 27. At the start of the positioning operation, the side edge guide portion 12 may be fixed at a predetermined position facing the side edge movement guide plate 13. For example, the side edge guide portion 12 may be retracted to another position before the start of the positioning operation, and then moved by a driving mechanism such as a cylinder so that it is fixed at the predetermined position at the start of the positioning operation.

[0027] The side edge movement guide plate 13 is made of a plate member made of metal such as stainless steel or synthetic resin, and is attached to the upper end portion of a support plate 13a with the main surface of the plate 13 facing the Y-axis direction. The support plate 13a is connected to a known first advancing / retreating mechanism 45 installed on the base portion 41 of the gate-shaped support frame 40 and stands upright. The support plate 13a standing upright from the first advancing / retreating mechanism 45 is positioned to the side (X-axis direction) of the lower end guide portion 11 in a plan view, and the side edge movement guide plate 13 is arranged to protrude above the lower end guide portion 11 from the support plate 13a in a plan view. This allows the side edge movement guide plate 13 to move forward and backward in the Y-axis direction by driving the first advancing / retreating mechanism 45 (see FIG. 3(b)) without interfering with the lower end guide portion 11 and the rear side movement guide plate 16, which can be advanced and retreated.

[0028] The side edge movement guide plate 13 in this embodiment has a shape in which the upper part is bent and extends obliquely in the Y-axis direction opposite the side edge guide portion 12 (outward in the Y-axis direction). This makes it possible to more smoothly guide the cardboard flat plate 26 when it is fed so that the lower edge of the cardboard flat plate 26 is placed on the lower end guide portion 11 at an appropriate position in the Y-axis direction.

[0029] The lower guide plate 14 is made of a plate member made of a metal such as stainless steel or a synthetic resin, and is provided with the main surface of the plate 14 facing the X-axis direction. The lower guide plate 14 is supported by a known second advancing / retreating mechanism 46 (FIG. 3(a)) installed on the base part 41 of the gate-shaped support frame 40, and is arranged on one side in the X-axis direction (the robot 3 side) across the lower end guide part 11 in a state in which it can advance and retreat in the Z direction (up and down direction). The lower guide plate 14 has a rectangular front shape that is elongated in the Y-axis direction, and is disposed on one side of the lower end guide section 11, with its inner surface aligned with the front end surfaces of the plurality of unit members 11a that make up the lower end guide section 11. In the process of positioning the flat cardboard board 26, the upper half of the lower guide plate 14 protrudes above the upper surfaces of the unit members 11a, for example, and the lower end of the flat cardboard board 26 is sandwiched between the lower guide plate 14 and the opposing rear-side moving guide plate 16, thereby enabling positioning of the flat cardboard board 26 in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, during the unfolding operation described below, the lower guide plate 14 is moved downward by the drive of a second advancing / retracting mechanism 46, which includes, for example, an air cylinder, so that the upper end of the plate 14 can be retracted to a position where it does not protrude from the upper surfaces of the unit members 11a (see FIG. 10).

[0030] The positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment includes a rotation drive unit 47 (see FIG. 3(a)) that is supported by one of the pillar frames 42 that make up the portal support frame 40 and fixed above the side edge guide unit 12. The rotation drive unit 47 includes a rotation rod 47a that extends parallel to the upper beam frame 43 along the Y-axis direction, and the rotation rod 47a extends from the one pillar frame 42 to an area above the lower end guide unit 11 in the Y-axis direction. The upper guide plate 15 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or a synthetic resin plate member, and is attached to the rotating rod 47a by being integrally joined thereto. The upper guide plate 15 has an L-shaped cross section when viewed from the Y-axis direction, and a horizontally elongated shape in the Y-axis direction when viewed from the X-axis direction. In the process of positioning the cardboard flat plate 26 described below, the upper guide plate 15 is positioned so that the surface of a contact surface 15a, which is one side of the L-shaped cross section, is flush with the inner surface of the lower guide plate 14 below. This contact surface 15a is brought into contact with the upper end of the cardboard flat plate 26, thereby enabling the upper end to be stably positioned. In the unfolding operation described below, the upper guide plate 15 can be rotated 90 degrees so that the contact surface 15a is parallel to the lower end guide portion 11, allowing the contact surface 15a to be retracted upward to a position where it does not interfere with the upper end of the cardboard flat plate 26 (see FIG. 10 ). Such rotation is performed by driving a rotation drive unit 47 that includes, for example, a rotary actuator.

[0031] The positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment is provided with a known third advancing and retreating mechanism 48 (see FIG. 3( b )) installed on the base portion 41 of the gate-shaped support frame 40 . The rear-side moving guide plate 16 is made of a plate member made of metal such as stainless steel or made of synthetic resin, and is arranged on the other side (rear side) in the X-axis direction, opposite the lower guide plate 14, across the lower end guide part 11. The rear-side moving guide plate 16 is supported by a third advancing / retracting mechanism 48, and is arranged in a state in which it can advance and retreat in the X-axis direction. The rear-side moving guide plate 16 has a rectangular front shape that is elongated in the Y-axis direction when viewed from the X-axis direction, and the lower edge of the plate 16 has rectangular cutouts at locations that correspond to the multiple unit members 11a that make up the lower-end guide section 11. In other words, the rear-side moving guide plate 16 has a comb-like shape. This allows the rear-side moving guide plate 16 to move forward and backward in the X-axis direction to a position close to the lower guide plate 14 below without interfering with the multiple unit members 11a of the lower-end guide section 11.

[0032] In this embodiment, the rear-side moving guide plate 16 has an upper portion that is bent in the direction opposite (to the rear side) the direction facing the lower guide plate 14, and the upper portion extends obliquely. This makes it possible to more smoothly guide the cardboard flat plate 26 when it is fed so that the lower edge of the cardboard flat plate 26 rests on the lower end guide portion 11.

[0033] The box making device 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a first surface holding unit 31 and a robot 3 for unfolding the cardboard flat plate 26 positioned by the positioning mechanism 10 and obtaining a cardboard cylindrical body 27. Figure 4 shows the first surface holding unit 31 of this embodiment. The first surface holding unit 31 of this embodiment includes a plate-shaped guide unit 31a that is spaced apart from and parallel to the front surface 24 on the rear side of the positioned cardboard flat plate 26, and a holding body unit 31b that moves back and forth in the X-axis direction from the plate-shaped guide unit 31a. The plate-shaped guide unit 31a and the holding body unit 31b are attached to the tip of a band-shaped rotating arm unit 31i. The rotating arm unit 31i of this embodiment is attached to one of the column frames 42 on the side of the side edge guide unit 12 of the gate-shaped support frame 40. The base end of the rotating arm unit 31i is integrally joined to a rotation drive mechanism 31j (see FIG. 3(b)) that includes, for example, a rotary actuator. As a result, the rotating arm portion 31i and the first surface holding portion 31 attached to its tip portion can be rotated 90 degrees around the central axis of the rotating drive mechanism 31j arranged parallel to the pillar frame 42, by driving the rotating drive mechanism 31j, from a state in which the rotating arm portion 31i is arranged along the X-axis direction to a position in which the plate-shaped guide portion 31a of the first surface holding portion 31 is arranged along the Y-axis direction.

[0034] The plate-shaped guide portion 31a of the first-surface holding portion 31 of this embodiment is a plate member made of metal such as stainless steel or synthetic resin, with a horizontally elongated rectangular front view, and has two circular openings 31c formed side by side in the horizontal direction, through which the holding body portion 31b passes. The plate-shaped guide portion 31a is supported by a plurality of spacer shafts 31d at the tip portion of the rotating arm portion 31i, and is attached so as to protrude inward and parallel to the rotating arm portion 31i at a distance from it. Two holding body portions 31b, which can be advanced and retreated by a driving portion 31e equipped with, for example, an air cylinder, are housed in the space between the rotating arm portion 31i and the plate-shaped guide portion 31a and can protrude from each circular opening 31c.

[0035] The holding body 31b constituting the first surface holding part 31 includes suction pads that can suction the front part 24 on the rear side of the cardboard flat plate 26 by the suction force of a suction device (not shown) connected to the holding body 31b. The suction pads can be made of a material that is preferably elastic, such as silicone, nylon, nitrile rubber, or fluororubber, and the diameter and number of pads can be designed as appropriate. The suction pads preferably have a bellows structure of two or more stages so that they can absorb the effects of misalignment or tilt with the cardboard flat plate 26, and preferably have a two-stage bellows structure so that they do not shift downward due to the effects of gravity.

[0036] At this time, the box making device 100 uses a push cylinder (not shown) installed on the base to move the rotation drive mechanism 31j and the rotating arm 31i and first-surface holder 31 connected thereto forward and backward in the X-axis direction. This increases the amount of movement of the holder main body 31b constituting the first-surface holder 31 in the X-axis direction, enabling the holder main body 31b to reliably contact the rear-side front face 24 of the cardboard flat plate 26. The first-surface holder 31 also includes a plate-shaped guide 31a arranged parallel to and spaced from the positioned rear-side front face 24, and a holder main body 31b, preferably a suction pad, that moves forward and backward in the X-axis direction from the plate-shaped guide 31a. This effectively prevents the elastic suction pad (holding main body 31b) with a bellows structure from collapsing and deforming downward due to the weight of the cardboard flat plate 26 held by the holder main body 31b.

[0037] The box making device 100 is equipped with a robot 3 that performs box making operations. The robot 3 can be a serial link robot, such as a SCARA robot or a vertically articulated robot, without any particular restrictions. Preferably, an articulated robot, such as a vertically articulated robot, can be used. The robot 3 provided in the box making device 100 of this embodiment is an articulated robot equipped with an arm 35 with six or seven axes (see FIG. 5). Articulated robots are easier to adjust than machines with mechanisms that repeat predetermined movements, and it is simple to move the end effector along a curved or nearly curved trajectory. This makes it easier to perform the deployment operation described below than robots that require a combination of multiple linear motion devices and rotation devices. Furthermore, articulated robots have joint drive units arranged sequentially from the installation position toward the arm's end effector, allowing for a smaller installation area for the device that performs box making operations. From the viewpoint of performing the unfolding operation and movement operation described below with greater precision, it is preferable that the robot 3 is a dual-arm robot having two arms 35, or is composed of multiple single-arm robots. When multiple single-arm robots are used, installing them on a wall or ceiling reduces floor space, making it easier to make the box making device 100 compact and to install it. An example of a dual-arm robot is NEXTAGE (registered trademark) manufactured by Kawada Robotics Co., Ltd.

[0038] The robot 3 of this embodiment is a dual-arm robot in which a humanoid upper body 3B is mounted on a hand-pushed cart 36 (see FIGS. 1 and 5). The upper body 3B of the robot 3 comprises a left arm and a right arm, and each of these arms (arms 35) has degrees of freedom such as arm rotation, elbow bending and extension, and rolling, pitching, and yawing of the hands L and R relative to the wrists. The robot 3 uses the space in front of the robot 3 as its working area, and performs work by moving the hands L and R with the left and right arms 35, 35, respectively. In other words, the working area includes the movable space of the left hand L and the movable space of the right hand L. The working area (space) of the end effector of the robot 3 can be represented by a three-dimensional coordinate system consisting of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and this coordinate system serves as the base for controlling the operation of the end effector. Such a coordinate system will hereinafter also be referred to as the "base coordinate system."

[0039] The robot 3 of this embodiment includes hands L and R equipped with suction means 32b as end effectors, an arm 35 to which the hands L and R are connected, a base 34 to which the left and right arms 35, 35 are connected, and a head 33 disposed on top of the base 34. The base 34 is supported by a support 34u erected on a carriage 36. The head 33 is equipped with two cameras on its front surface and recognizes coordinates (two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates) and orientation based on images (visual information) from the cameras. The robot 3 preferably captures images of known positions (e.g., specific parts of the positioning mechanism 10 or the folding and fixing mechanism 5) in the work area of ​​the robot 3 in the box making device 100 using the cameras, and then performs image processing to match the coordinates in the camera's field of view to the coordinates in the work area of ​​the robot 3. Image processing can include geometric processing based on the principle of triangulation. Cameras may be used around the robot 3 instead of those mounted on the head 33. Hands L and R are connected to the distal ends of the left and right arms 35, 35 as end effectors. In the robot 3 of this embodiment, the left and right hands L and R have the same configuration. The following description of the left hand L also applies to the right hand R.

[0040] FIG. 6 shows the left hand L of this embodiment. The left hand L has a rectangular shape and is supported by a connecting base 32c connected to a left arm 35 (not shown in FIG. 6) and a spacer shaft 32d. The left hand L also includes a plate-shaped guide 32a attached parallel to and spaced from the connecting base 32c, and a suction device 32b housed in the space between the plate-shaped guide 32a and the connecting base 32c. In this embodiment, the suction device 32b preferably includes a suction pad. The plate-shaped guide 32a has a circular opening 32e through which the suction device 32b passes. By driving a drive unit 32f equipped with, for example, an air cylinder, the suction device 32b can be protruded from the plate-shaped guide 32a through the circular opening 32e and brought into contact with a predetermined position on the front surface 23 of the front plate of the cardboard flat sheet 26. The left hand L is provided with two suction means 32b arranged diagonally on a substantially rectangular plate-shaped guide portion 32a. The suction means 32b hold the front portion 23 of the front plate of the cardboard plate 26 by the suction force of a suction device.

[0041] The right hand R is also equipped with suction means 32b, similar to the left hand L. The right hand R may be equipped with one suction means 32b instead of two. The suction means 32b of the right hand R holds the side surface portion 22 located on the side of the side edge movement guide plate 13 of the cardboard cylinder 27 by the suction force of the suction device. The positions (holding positions P1, P2) of the left hand L or the right hand R on the front portion 23 of the front flat plate of the cardboard flat plate 26 and on the side portion 22 of the cardboard cylindrical body 27 will be described later. Furthermore, the suction by the suction means 32b of the left and right hands L and R exerts a holding force by applying negative pressure, and loses the holding force by releasing the negative pressure, so that the front part 23 or the side part 22 can be held by detachable contact.

[0042] The bottom folding mechanism (not shown) included in the box making device 100 is located below the positioning mechanism 10 and near the introduction section of the folding and fixing mechanism 5. The bottom folding mechanism is a bottom folding unit that performs bottom folding on the unfolded cardboard cylinder 27 along the creases at the upper edges of the front lower flap portions 23u, 24u and the side lower flap portions 21u, 22u of the lower peripheral wall portion. The bottom folding mechanism of this embodiment includes a pair of side folding guides that fold the flap portions 21u, 22u along the upper edges (creases) of the pair of side lower flap portions 21u, 22u for the cardboard cylinder 27, and a pair of front folding guides that fold the flap portions 23u, 24u along the upper edges (creases) of the pair of front lower flap portions 23u, 24u. The side folding guides and the front folding guide have abutting portions formed of plates or rod-shaped members. In the bottom folding mechanism of this embodiment, when the cardboard cylinder 27 is placed in the preparation position for the bottom folding mechanism, the side folding guides move upward from their initial positions, and contact with the abutment portions of the guides slightly folds the side lower flap portions 21u, 22u into the cardboard cylinder 27. Thereafter, the front folding guides move upward from their initial positions, and while the abutment portions of the guides abut against the front lower flap portions 23u, 24u, folds the flap portions 23u, 24u until they contact the ends of the side lower flap portions 21u, 22u. The bottom folding mechanism may be a known one, such as one in which a plate-shaped or rod-shaped member is driven by an air cylinder, an electric cylinder, a rotary motor, etc. to fold the bottom, or one in which a guide plate is used to fold the bottom as the cardboard box is moved horizontally, or a combination thereof.

[0043] The folding and fixing mechanism 5 of the box making device 100 includes a stand 50, a pair of conveying support members 51, 51 arranged on the stand 50 and extending in the Y-axis direction, and a tape application unit 55. The pair of conveying support members 51, 51 are provided on a plurality of support columns 54 (see FIG. 1 ) arranged intermittently in the Y-axis direction on the stand 50. The pair of conveying support members 51, 51 are arranged at intervals in the X-axis direction, and an endless conveying belt 52 that rotates in the Y-axis direction is wound around the pair of conveying support members 51, 51. The conveying belt 52 is rotated by a drive unit (not shown) provided in the folding and fixing mechanism 5. The gap in the X-axis direction between the pair of conveying support members 51 is large enough to allow the conveying belt 52 to come into contact with the front portions 23, 24 of the bottom-folded cardboard cylinder 27 and to allow the cardboard cylinder 27 to pass between the pair of conveying support members 51, 51.

[0044] In the folding and fixing mechanism 5 of this embodiment, the upper surface of the stand 50 forms a transport path for the cardboard cylinder 27 between the pair of transport support parts 51, 51. This transport path extends in the Y-axis direction. The folding and fixing mechanism 5 of this embodiment is provided with a tape application unit 55 in the middle of the conveyance path. The tape application unit 55 is provided in a recess formed in the upper surface of the stand 50, and is provided with a tape holder 56 that rotatably holds the tape roll 25a, and a cutter (not shown) that cuts the tape 25 that is unwound from the tape roll 25a to a predetermined length.

[0045] When the bottom-folded cardboard cylindrical body 27 is introduced between a pair of conveyance support parts 51, 51, the folding and fixing mechanism 5 of this embodiment conveys the cardboard cylindrical body 27 by the conveyor belt 52. During this conveyance, the folding and fixing mechanism 5 attaches tape 25 to the outer surface of the bottom part (front lower flap parts 23u, 24u) formed by the bottom folding.

[0046] In the box making device 100 of this embodiment, the bottom folding mechanism and the folding and fixing mechanism 5 are arranged so that their central positions in the X-axis direction coincide. Specifically, the central position between the pair of front folding guides of the bottom folding mechanism and the central position between the pair of conveying support parts 51, 51 of the folding and fixing mechanism 5 coincide in the X-axis direction.

[0047] Next, the box-making operation performed by the box-making device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The box making device 100 of this embodiment performs a positioning process in which the flat cardboard sheet 26 is positioned so that it can be unfolded by moving the suction means 32b of the hand; an unfolding process in which the flat cardboard sheet 26 is unfolded to form a cardboard cylinder 27; a moving process in which the cardboard cylinder 27 is moved to a preparation position for bottom folding using the bottom folding mechanism and a preparation position for folding and fixing using the folding and fixing mechanism; a bottom folding process; and a tape applying process.

[0048] In the positioning process, the positioning mechanism 10 performs a positioning operation to position the cardboard flat plate 26 so that its lower edge is aligned with the lower end guide portion 11 and its edge on one side in the Y-axis direction is aligned with the side edge guide portion 12. In the positioning step, first, the cardboard flat plates 26 are supplied one by one so that the lower edge of the cardboard flat plates 26 rests on the lower end guide portion 11. The cardboard flat plates 26 are arranged above the positioning mechanism 10 in a stacked state, and the cardboard flat plates 26 are supplied by dropping them one by one onto the positioning mechanism 10. There are no particular limitations on the supply method, and in this embodiment, the supply is performed by a robot (not shown). Alternatively, the supply may be performed by a supply device such as an air cylinder or an electric cylinder, or by free fall. The flat cardboard sheet 26 is supplied in an upright position in an area surrounded on all four sides by the side edge guide portion 12 and the side edge moving guide plate 13, which face each other in the Y-axis direction, and the lower guide plate 14 and the rear side moving guide plate 16, which face each other in the X-axis direction (see FIG. 8). In this area, the lower edge of the flat cardboard sheet 26 is placed on the lower end guide portion 11, with its upper end leaning against the contact surface 15a of the upper guide plate 15 (see FIG. 8(b)). This effectively prevents the supplied flat cardboard sheet 26 from tipping rearward and falling off.

[0049] When feeding the flat cardboard sheet 26, it is preferable to maintain a gap in the Y-axis direction between the side edge guide portion 12 and the side edge movement guide plate 13 that is wider than the width of the flat cardboard sheet 26, for example, by about 10 to 20 mm. Furthermore, it is preferable that the gap between the end of the flat cardboard sheet 26 on the side edge movement guide plate 13 side and the side edge movement guide plate 13 is equal to or larger than the gap between the end of the flat cardboard sheet 26 on the side edge guide portion 12 side and the side edge guide portion 12. The gap between the end of the flat cardboard sheet 26 on the side edge movement guide plate 13 side and the side edge movement guide plate 13 can be set appropriately depending on the size of the flat cardboard sheet 26, but is preferably 10 mm, and more preferably 5 mm.

[0050] In the positioning process, after the flat cardboard sheet 26 is fed into the positioning mechanism 10, as shown in FIG. 8( a), the side edge moving guide plate 13 is moved toward the side edge guide portion 12 in the Y-axis direction, sandwiching the flat cardboard sheet 26 between the side edge guide portion 12 and the flat cardboard sheet 26 in the left-right direction, thereby positioning the flat cardboard sheet 26 in the Y-axis direction. This positions one edge of the flat cardboard sheet 26 in the Y-axis direction along the side edge guide portion 12. When positioning the flat cardboard sheet 26 in the Y-axis direction, a clearance of about 1 mm, and more preferably about 0.5 mm, is provided between the side edge guide portion 12 and the side edge moving guide plate 13 relative to the width of the flat cardboard sheet 26. This prevents damage to the flat cardboard sheet 26 when positioning it in the Y-axis direction and makes it easier to align the flat cardboard sheet 26 in the X-axis direction.

[0051] Next, in the positioning process, with the contact surface 15a of the upper guide plate 15 positioned flush with the inner surface of the lower guide plate 14, the rear-side movable guide plate 16 is moved toward the lower guide plate 14 in the X-axis direction. Then, the cardboard flat plate 26 is positioned in the X-axis direction so that the lower end portion of the cardboard flat plate 26 is sandwiched between the lower guide plate 14 and the rear-side movable guide plate 16 in the front-to-rear direction. This positions the cardboard flat plate 26 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions so that it can be unfolded by the left hand L of the robot 3. In this embodiment, the cardboard flat plate 26 is positioned in the Y-axis direction, and then the cardboard flat plate 26 is positioned in the X-axis direction, but this is not limited to this, and the cardboard flat plate 26 may be positioned in the X-axis direction, and then the cardboard flat plate 26 may be positioned in the Y-axis direction.

[0052] In the box making device 100 of this embodiment, after the positioning step, the first surface holding unit 31 and the suction means 32b of the left hand L perform the spreading step. In the unfolding process, as shown in FIG. 9, the first-surface holding unit 31 contacts the front surface 24 on the rear side of the cardboard flat plate 26, thereby holding the cardboard flat plate 26 at the position determined in the positioning process (see FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b)). The first-surface holding unit 31 rotates the rotating arm 31i driven by the rotation drive mechanism 31j, so that the plate-shaped guide 31a is aligned along the Y-axis direction. At this time, the first-surface holding unit 31 is positioned parallel to the front surface 24 on the rear side of the cardboard flat plate 26, leaving a gap of preferably about 0.5 mm between the first-surface holding unit 31 and the front surface 24 (see FIG. 9(a)). Then, the holding body 31b, which had been housed in the gap between the rotating arm 31i and the plate-shaped guide 31a, protrudes from the plate-shaped guide 31a through the circular opening 31c and comes into contact with the front surface 24. Then, the front portion 24 on the rear side of the cardboard flat plate 26 is sucked by the suction force of the suction device, thereby holding the cardboard flat plate 26 (see FIG. 4(b)).

[0053] Next, after the cardboard flat plate 26 is held by the first surface holding portion 31, the lower guide plate 14 is retracted below the cardboard flat plate 26, and the upper guide plate 15 is retracted above the cardboard flat plate 26 (see FIG. 10(a)). This prevents interference between the guide plates 14, 15 and the cardboard flat plate 26 during the unfolding process, and also makes it possible to unfold the cardboard flat plate 26 using the suction means 32b of the left hand L.

[0054] Next, the suction means 32b of the left hand L contacts the front portion 23 of the front plate of the cardboard flat board 26 to hold the front portion 23 (see FIG. 10(b)), and then the left hand L is moved along an arc-shaped path in a plan view (see FIG. 11(a)). That is, while holding the rear-side front portion 24 with the first surface holding unit 31, the robot 3 moves the left arm 35 to hold the front portion 23 of the front plate with the left hand L, and then moves the left hand L along the arc-shaped path. This moves the front portion 23 of the front plate of the cardboard flat board 26 from its positioned position to a position where it is perpendicular to the pair of side portions 21, 22, and unfolds the cardboard flat board 26 into a three-dimensional rectangular cylindrical shape (see FIG. 11(b)). Here, the term "perpendicular" includes not only a right angle (90°) but also a substantially right angle, for example, approximately 90±5°. Through the above-described unfolding process, a cardboard tube 27 is formed from the cardboard flat plate 26 (see FIG. 11(b)).

[0055] The box making device 100 of this embodiment performs a moving process after the unfolding process. The moving process of this embodiment includes a first moving process of moving the cardboard cylinder 27 to a preparation position for the bottom folding mechanism, and a second moving process of pushing the bottom-folded cardboard material between the pair of conveying support parts 51, 51. In the first moving step of this embodiment, first, the side surface 22 of the cardboard cylinder 27 located on the opposite side from the side edge guide 12 is held by the suction means 32b of the right hand R. Next, the arms 35, 35 connected to the left hand L, which holds the front surface 23 of the front flat plate of the cardboard cylinder 27, and the right hand R, which holds the side surface 22, are moved to move the cardboard cylinder 27 to a preparation position for the bottom folding mechanism. In the box making device 100 of this embodiment, the bottom folding mechanism is located below the positioning mechanism 10, so the cardboard cylinder 27, with its side portion 21 abutting against the side edge guide portion 12, is moved downward as is (see Figure 12). The preparation position of the bottom folding mechanism is a supply position where the cardboard cylinder 27 is supplied to the bottom folding mechanism, and is set within the movement range of the side folding guides and the front folding guide in the Z-axis direction.

[0056] In the bottom folding mechanism, the side folding guide moves upward with respect to the cardboard cylinder 27 that has been moved to the preparation position in the first movement step, thereby folding in the pair of side lower flap portions 21u, 22u, and then the front folding guide moves upward, thereby folding in the pair of front lower flap portions 23u, 24u. This causes the cardboard cylinder 27 to be bottom folded. During the bottom folding, the robot 3 maintains a state in which the front portion 23 and the side portion 22 of the cardboard cylindrical body 27 located at the preparation position are held by the left and right hands L and R. After this bottom folding, the side folding guide and the front folding guide move downward to their initial positions.

[0057] After the bottom folding mechanism has completed the bottom folding, a second movement process is performed. In this embodiment, the second movement process involves moving the cardboard cylinder 27 to the introduction position of the folding and fixing mechanism 5 by moving the left and right hands L and R. Then, the left hand L releases its hold on the cardboard cylinder 27, and the cardboard cylinder 27, which is located at the introduction position, is pushed toward the pair of conveying support members 51, 51 in the Y-axis direction by the right hand R, which is holding the side surface portion 22. At this time, the suction force of the left hand L is released, and the left hand L is moved toward the robot 3. The pushed, bottom-folded cardboard cylinder 27 is introduced into the folding and fixing mechanism 5, where a bottom surface portion 28u is formed on the cardboard cylinder 27, and tape 25 is attached to the bottom surface portion 28u. In this manner, a cardboard box 28 having a bottom surface portion 28u is obtained.

[0058] In the box making device 100 of this embodiment, the unfolding process and the moving process are carried out by a robot 3 equipped with left and right hands L and R. In the robot 3 of this embodiment, the unfolding operation in the unfolding process, the movement operation in the first movement process (hereinafter also referred to as the "first movement operation"), and the movement operation in the second movement process (hereinafter also referred to as the "second movement operation") are controlled in coordinate systems in which the origin positions of one or more of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are different. In this embodiment, the unfolding operation by the left hand L is performed in a first coordinate system C1, the first movement operation by the left hand L and the right hand R is performed in a second coordinate system C2, and the second movement operation by the left hand L and the right hand R is performed in a third coordinate system C3. These coordinate systems C1 to C3 are coordinate systems in which the origin positions are different in the base coordinate system (see FIG. 12). That is, the first to third coordinate systems C1 to C3 share the same X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis as the base coordinate system, but the coordinate positions of the origin positions are different. The origin positions of the first to third coordinate systems C1 to C3 are set based on the position of any one of the positioning mechanism 10, bottom folding mechanism, and folding and fixing mechanism 5 in the box making device 100, and / or based on the position of the cardboard material (cardboard flat plate 26 or cardboard cylinder 27) arranged in any one of the positioning mechanism 10, bottom folding mechanism, and folding and fixing mechanism 5.

[0059] The first coordinate system C1 of this embodiment is based on the position of the positioning mechanism 10 after positioning. Specifically, the origin of the X axis of the first coordinate system C1 is the tip position of the suction means 32b of the first surface holder 31 after positioning in the X axis direction, the origin of the Y axis is the position of the surface of the side edge guide 12 facing the side surface 21 of the cardboard cylinder 27 in the Y axis direction, and the origin of the Z axis is the position of the upper edge of the bottom end guide 11 in the Z axis direction (see FIG. 12 ). The origin of the X axis of the first coordinate system C1 is the position of the surface of the back plate of the positioned cardboard flat sheet 26. The origin of the Y axis of the first coordinate system C1 is the position of the side edge of the positioned cardboard flat sheet 26 on the side edge guide 12 side and the position of the side surface 21 on the side edge guide 12 side of the cardboard cylinder 27 during the unfolding process. Furthermore, the origin position of the Z axis of the first coordinate system C1 is the position of the bottom edge of the positioned cardboard flat plate 26 and the position of the bottom edge of the cardboard cylinder 27 in the unfolding process.

[0060] In the second coordinate system C2 of this embodiment, the origin position of the X axis is based on the folding and fixing mechanism 5, and the origin positions of the Y axis and Z axis are based on the position of the positioning mechanism 10 after positioning. Specifically, the origin position of the X axis of the second coordinate system C2 is the center position between the pair of conveyance support units 51, 51 in the X axis direction (see FIG. 12). The origin positions of the Y axis and Z axis in the second coordinate system C2 are the same as those in the first coordinate system C1.

[0061] In the third coordinate system C3 of this embodiment, the origin positions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are based on the folding and fixing mechanism 5. Specifically, in the third coordinate system C3, the origin position of the Y-axis is the introduction position between the pair of conveyance support units 51, 51 in the Y-axis direction, i.e., the conveyance start position of the conveyance path, and the origin position of the Z-axis is the position of the top surface of the stand 50 in the Z-axis direction (see FIG. 12). Furthermore, the origin position of the X-axis in the third coordinate system C3 is the same as that of the second coordinate system C2.

[0062] The switching of the first to third coordinate systems C1 to C3 is synchronized with the switching of the positioning process, the unfolding process, the first movement process, and the second movement process. The coordinate system is switched to the coordinate system for the next process in response to a completion signal for each of the positioning process, the unfolding process, the first movement process, and the second movement process. For example, the switching from the first coordinate system C1 to the second coordinate system C2 occurs when the unfolding process by the robot 3 is completed. The switching from the second coordinate system C2 to the third coordinate system C3 occurs when the bottom folding mechanism completes the bottom folding of the cardboard cylinder 27 that was moved to the preparation position in the first movement process. The switching from the third coordinate system C3 to the first coordinate system C1 occurs when the operation in the second movement process, in which the left hand L releases its hold and the right hand R holding the side surface portion 22 pushes the cardboard cylinder 27, which is located at the introduction position, toward the pair of conveyance support members 51, 51 in the Y-axis direction, is completed.

[0063] In this embodiment, the left and right hands L and R, which are end effectors of the robot 3, have their unfolding operation (unfolding step) controlled by a first coordinate system C1, their first movement operation (first movement step) controlled by a second coordinate system C2, and their second movement operation (second movement step) controlled by a third coordinate system C3. The origin positions of the first to third coordinate systems C1 to C3 correspond to the arrangement and shape (flat cardboard sheet 26 and cylindrical cardboard body 27) of the cardboard material 2 in the positioning mechanism 10, bottom folding mechanism, and folding and fixing mechanism 5, respectively. This makes it easy to simplify the operation of each step performed by the end effectors of the robot 3 and facilitates control that takes into account the arrangement of the cardboard material 2 in the next step. This makes it easy to associate the operation of each step with the coordinate positions of the end effectors (hands L and R) in each coordinate system C1 to C3, making it easy for even an inexperienced instructor to teach the robot box-making operation. Furthermore, by using the positions of the positioning mechanism 10, the bottom folding mechanism, or the folding and fixing mechanism 5 as references for the first to third coordinate systems C1 to C3, it is possible to improve the accuracy of movement of the cardboard material 2 between these mechanisms. For example, it is possible to improve the accuracy of introducing the cardboard cylinder 27 from the positioning mechanism 10 to the bottom folding mechanism and the folding and fixing mechanism 5. In this way, the box making device 100 of this embodiment can achieve both ease of teaching and high control accuracy regarding the control of the box making operation.

[0064] From the viewpoint of further simplifying the control of the end effector, it is preferable that the first coordinate system C1 and the second coordinate system C2 have the same origin position for one or two of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. In this embodiment, the first coordinate system C1 and the second coordinate system C2 have the same origin position for the Y-axis and Z-axis. This makes it possible to further simplify the control of the movement of the end effector (left and right hands L, R) along the Y-axis and Z-axis from the unfolding process to the first movement process. From the same viewpoint as above, it is preferable that the second coordinate system C2 and the third coordinate system C3 have the same origin position for one or two of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. In this embodiment, the second coordinate system C2 and the third coordinate system C3 have the same origin position for the X-axis. This can further simplify the movement control of the X-axis of the end effector (left hand L) from the first movement process to the second movement process.

[0065] The box making device 100 may control the unfolding and moving operations in a coordinate system in which the positive and negative signs of one or more of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are inverted. That is, control may be performed using a coordinate system in which the origin position is changed and the plus / minus direction of any of the X, Y, and Z axes is changed. For example, for each movement, such as when the end effector approaches an object, the definition of the direction may differ depending on the instructor, such as whether it is a plus direction or a minus direction. By reversing the plus / minus direction, it becomes easier to provide instruction tailored to each instructor. The inversion of positive and negative signs is preferably performed at the timing of switching between the first to third coordinate systems C1 to C3.

[0066] Controlling the deployment and movement operations using coordinate systems C1-C3 with different origin positions is preferably applied to dual-arm robots or cases where multiple end effectors connected to two or more robot arms coordinate to perform a box-making operation. Common methods for controlling two or more end effectors include having the multiple end effectors start simultaneously at a specific timing and perform a predetermined operation, using one end effector as a reference and having the other end effector follow it, or using a dedicated controller to simultaneously control two end effectors. These methods require more training effort than when using a single end effector. In contrast, the robot 3 of this embodiment performs the deployment and first movement operations using one end effector (the end effector of the left hand L) and the second movement operation using another end effector (the end effector of the right hand R). In this case, by controlling using the coordinate systems C1 to C3 with different origin positions, it becomes easier to teach one end effector, and it is also possible to easily teach cooperative movements by two end effectors. As in the robot 3 of this embodiment, another end effector (right hand R) may perform a second movement movement in addition to a first movement movement. Furthermore, the robot 3 may be a dual-arm robot as in this embodiment, or may be composed of multiple single-arm robots.

[0067] From the viewpoint of performing the box-making operation more efficiently, it is preferable that the bottom folding mechanism and the folding and fixing mechanism 5 are disposed below the lower end guide portion 11 of the positioning mechanism 10 (see FIG. 1). In this case, it is preferable that the cardboard cylinder 27 that has completed the first movement step is separated in the Z-axis direction from the cardboard cylinder 27 that has completed the unfolding step by at least the height of the cardboard cylinder 27. This configuration is preferable in that the first movement step is performed smoothly, especially when the robot 3 is a vertical articulated robot, because it has a wide vertical movement range and a high movement speed in the same direction. After the unfolding step, the lower edge of the cardboard cylinder 27 is located at the origin position of the Z axis of the second coordinate system C2 (see FIG. 12). After the first movement step, the lower edge of the cardboard cylinder 27 is located at the origin position of the Z axis of the third coordinate system C3 (see FIG. 12).

[0068] In the robot 3 of this embodiment, the movement of the hand L is controlled while maintaining a state in which the planar direction along the Z-axis and Y-axis is parallel to the plate-shaped guide portion 31a. That is, the unfolding process and the movement process are performed in a state in which the main surface of the plate-shaped guide portion 31a and the front portion 23 of the cardboard flat plate 26 and the cardboard cylinder 27 are parallel to the Z-axis and Y-axis. From the viewpoint of facilitating the box-making operation for cardboard materials 2 of different sizes, it is preferable that the robot 3 calculates an offset amount according to the dimensions of the cardboard flat plate 26, and controls the unfolding operation and the moving operation based on the offset amount. Such a configuration will be described using the configurations in Figs. 13 to 15 as examples.

[0069] 13(a) and (b) show the holding position P1 of the left hand L when performing the unfolding operation on the cardboard flat board 26. The holding position P1 shown in FIG. 13 is the center position of the connection base end of the left hand L with respect to the left arm 35. In FIG. 13, the lower end of the front flat board of the cardboard flat board 26 on the side edge guide part 12 side is the origin position of the Y axis and Z axis of the first coordinate system C1. In addition, the cardboard material 2a shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 is larger in size than the cardboard material 2b shown in FIGS. 13 to 15.

[0070] 13(a) shows the front plate of the cardboard flat plate 26 of the cardboard material 2a, so a description of the back plate is omitted, but the description of each part of the front plate also applies to each part of the corresponding back plate. In the cardboard material 2a shown in FIG. 13(a), an upper front small flap portion 23t1 is connected to the upper edge of the upper front flap portion 23t via a fold line extending in the Y-axis direction, and a lower front small flap portion 23u1 is connected to the lower edge of the lower front flap portion 23u via a fold line extending in the Y-axis direction. In the Z-axis direction, the upper end of the upper front small flap portion 23t1 coincides with the upper end of the upper side surface flap portion 21t, and the lower end of the lower front small flap portion 23u1 coincides with the lower end of the lower side surface flap portion 21u. In the Y-axis direction, the front upper small flap portion 23t1 is provided at a distance from the side upper flap portion 21t, and the front lower small flap portion 23u1 is provided at a distance from the side lower flap portion 21u.

[0071] In this embodiment, the left hand L sets a predetermined position on the front portion 23 of the front plate as a holding position P1 and holds the front portion 23. In this embodiment, the holding position P1 is set at a position that is a predetermined distance D1 from the upper edge of the front portion 23 in the Z-axis direction and a predetermined distance D2 from the side edge of the front portion 23 on the side edge guide portion 12 side (hereinafter simply referred to as the "reference side edge") in the Y-axis direction. That is, the coordinate positions of the Y-axis and Z-axis of the holding position P1 in the first coordinate system C1 can be calculated by the following equations. Y-axis coordinate position of holding position P1 = width W1 of side portion 21 + spacing D2 Z-axis coordinate position of holding position P1 = upper edge height H1 of front portion 23 - distance D1 The upper edge height H1 of the front surface portion 23 is the height from the lower end of the positioned cardboard flat plate 26 in the Z-axis direction to the upper edge of the front surface portion 23 (see FIG. 13).

[0072] As described above, when the predetermined position based on the intersection E1 of the upper edge of the front portion 23 and the reference side edge is set as the holding position P1, this is preferable because the holding position P1 becomes a predetermined position that reflects the dimensions of the side portion 21 and the front portion 23. This makes it possible to set the holding position P1 for each flat cardboard plate 26 at a common predetermined position even if the sizes (dimensions) of the cardboard materials 2 are different.

[0073] The holding position P1, which is based on the intersection point E1, has a common distance from the intersection point E1 between cardboard sheets of different sizes, but its coordinate position in the first coordinate system C1 is different. The coordinate position of the holding position P1 in the first coordinate system C1 is controlled based on an offset amount corresponding to the dimensions of the cardboard sheet. Specifically, the maximum size of the cardboard sheet 26 that the box making device 100 can make into a box is used as a reference, and an offset amount corresponding to the dimensions of the cardboard sheet is calculated to determine the actual holding position P1 of the cardboard sheet 26. In this case, the position shifted by the offset amounts in the Y and Z axes from the holding position P1max for the cardboard sheet 26 of the maximum size is set to the actual holding position P1. The offset amount can be calculated, for example, using the following formula:

[0074] Y-axis offset F Y = Maximum width W1max of side surface portion 21 - Width W1 of side surface portion 21 Z-axis offset F Z = Upper edge height H1 of the front portion 23 - Maximum upper edge height H1max of the front portion 23 In this case, as the width W1 of the side surface 21 of the flat cardboard board 26 becomes smaller relative to the maximum size of the flat cardboard board 26, the Y-axis coordinate position of the holding position P1 shifts toward the positive side (toward the side edge guide portion 12). Also, as the upper edge height H1 of the front surface 23 of the flat cardboard board 26 becomes smaller relative to the maximum size of the flat cardboard board 26, the Z-axis coordinate position of the holding position P1 shifts toward the negative side (downward). In this way, even if the size of the cardboard material 2 is changed, the unfolding operation can be performed stably based on the offset amount.

[0075] Once the holding position P1 of the left hand L is determined according to the size of the cardboard material 2, the holding position P1 moves along the Y-axis and X-axis to unfold the cardboard flat plate 26. The cardboard flat plate 26 is unfolded by the movement of the left hand L, which holds the front portion 23 of the front plate. In this unfolding process, the left hand L preferably moves along a quarter-circular arc from the holding position P1 of the positioned cardboard flat plate 26 (see FIG. 14(a)), or moves linearly from the holding position P1 via one to three intermediate positions (shown by white circles in FIG. 14(b)) (see FIG. 14(b)). This makes it easier to perform calculation processing of the unfolding operation of the left hand L.

[0076] 15(a) and 15(b) show the holding position P1 of the left hand L on the X axis when performing the first movement operation on the cardboard cylinder 27. Since the first movement operation is controlled by the second coordinate system C2, the origin position of the X axis is a position based on the folding and fixing mechanism 5. In other words, the center position between the pair of conveying support parts 51, 51 is the origin position of the X axis. Therefore, from the viewpoint of further simplifying the movement control of the left hand L in the movement process, it is preferable to make the center position of the width W1 of the side surface portion 21 of the cardboard cylinder 27 correspond to the origin position of the X axis of the second coordinate system C2 (see FIG. 15). The center position of the width W1 of the side surface portion 21 can be determined by half the value of the width W1 of the side surface portion 21 (hereinafter also referred to as the "half width HW1").

[0077] The holding position P1 of the left hand L in the second coordinate system C2 is offset in the X-axis and Z-axis directions according to the dimensions of the cardboard material 2, and the holding position P1 in the second coordinate system C2 is shifted in the X-axis and Z-axis directions based on the offset amounts. In this case, too, the actual holding position P1 is the position shifted by the offset amounts in the X-axis and Z-axis directions from the holding position P1max for the maximum-sized cardboard cylindrical body 27. The offset amounts can be calculated, for example, using the following formula: X-axis offset F X = Maximum half width HW1max of the side portion 21 - Half width HW1 of the side portion 21 Z-axis offset F Z= Upper edge height H1 of the front portion 23 - Maximum upper edge height H1max of the front portion 23

[0078] 16(a) and (b) show the holding position P2 of the right hand R when performing the first movement operation with respect to the cardboard cylinder 27. The holding position P2 shown in Fig. 16 is the center position of the connection base end of the right hand R with respect to the right arm 35. In Fig. 16, the bottom end of the cardboard cylinder 27 is the origin position of the Z axis of the second coordinate system C2, and the position of the side surface portion 21 (the side surface portion on the side of the side edge guide portion 12) is the origin position of the Y axis.

[0079] The holding position P2 of the right hand R in the second coordinate system C2 is offset in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions according to the dimensions of the cardboard material 2, and the holding position P2 in the second coordinate system C2 is shifted in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions based on the offset amounts. In this case, too, the actual holding position P2 is the position shifted by the offset amounts in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions from the holding position P2max for the maximum-sized cardboard cylindrical body 27. The offset amounts can be calculated, for example, using the following formula: Y-axis offset F Y = Maximum width W3max of the front portion 23 - Width W3 of the front portion 23 Z-axis offset F Z = Lower edge height H4 of the front portion 23 - Maximum lower edge height H4max of the front portion 23 The lower edge height H4 of the front face portion 23 is the height from the lower end of the cardboard tube body 27 to the lower edge of the front face portion 23 immediately after unfolding in the Z-axis direction (see FIG. 16).

[0080] 17(a) and (b) show the holding position P1 of the left hand L when performing the second movement operation on the cardboard cylinder 27. Since the second movement operation is controlled by the third coordinate system C3, the origin position of the Z axis is a position based on the folding and fixing mechanism 5. In other words, the position of the top surface of the stand 50 is the origin position of the Z axis. Therefore, from the perspective of further simplifying the movement control of the left hand L in the second movement step, it is preferable to make the position of the lower edge of the front part 23 of the cardboard cylinder 27 correspond to the origin position of the Z axis of the third coordinate system C3 (see FIG. 17).

[0081] The holding position P1 of the left hand L in the third coordinate system C3 is offset in the X-axis and Z-axis directions according to the dimensions of the cardboard material 2, and the holding position P1 in the third coordinate system C3 is shifted in the X-axis and Y-axis directions based on the offset amounts. In this case, too, the actual holding position P1 is the position shifted by the offset amounts in the X-axis and Z-axis directions from the holding position P1max for the maximum-sized cardboard cylindrical body 27. The offset amounts can be calculated, for example, using the following formula: X-axis offset F X = Maximum half width HW1max of the side portion 21 - Half width HW1 of the side portion 21 Z-axis offset F Z = Height H5 of the front part 23 - Maximum height H5max of the front part 23 The height H5 of the front surface portion 23 is the height between the upper edge and the lower edge of the front surface portion 23 in the Z-axis direction (see FIG. 17).

[0082] 18(a) and (b) show the holding position P2 of the right hand R when performing the second movement operation on the cardboard cylinder 27. The origin position of the Y axis of the third coordinate system C3 is the introduction position between the pair of conveyance support parts 51, 51, so the holding position P2 of the right hand R in the Y axis direction is The position on the Y axis is offset according to the dimensions of the cardboard material 2, and the holding position P2 in the third coordinate system C3 is shifted in the Y axis direction based on the offset amount. In this case, too, the actual holding position P2 is the position shifted by the offset amount on the Y axis from the holding position P2max for the maximum sized cardboard cylindrical body 27. The offset amount can be calculated, for example, using the following formula. Y-axis offset F Y = Maximum width W5max of the front portion 23 - Width W5 of the front portion 23

[0083] By performing the unfolding and moving operations at holding positions P1 and P2 according to the actual dimensions of the cardboard material 2 using the offset described above, the accuracy of movement of the cardboard material 2 can be improved, and accurate box making based on the offset amount becomes possible, thereby improving the accuracy of the finished box making of the cardboard material 2.

[0084] The device 100 for the cardboard material 2 may capture an image of the cardboard material 2, calculate the dimensions of the cardboard material 2 by image processing, and control the unfolding process and the moving process with an offset amount according to the dimensions (size). In this case, the cardboard material 2, such as the cardboard flat plate 26, may be captured by a camera provided on the robot 3. For example, the robot 3 may capture an image of the front plate of the positioned cardboard flat plate 26, and calculate the dimensions of each part of the cardboard flat plate 26 by measuring the length using image processing. Furthermore, information such as the dimensions of the cardboard material 2 (hereinafter referred to as "dimensional information") may be attached to the cardboard material 2, and the robot 3 may read the information to acquire the dimensional information of the cardboard material 2. The dimensional information may be an identification number attached to the cardboard material 2 and associated with the dimensions, or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark).

[0085] Although the present invention has been described above based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the cardboard box 28 in the above-described embodiment has a bottom 28u formed by a pair of lower front flap portions 23u, 24u and a pair of lower side flap portions 21u, 22u, but the cardboard box 28 is not limited to this form and may be a caramel type, a bottom-assembled type known as an American lock or hell bottom, or a one-touch bottom, etc. Depending on the form of the cardboard box, the box making device 100 may not use a bottom folding mechanism. Furthermore, although the robot 3 in the above-described embodiment is a vertical articulated robot, the robot 3 may also be a SCARA robot. In order to perform the box-making operation more efficiently in such a configuration, it is preferable that the bottom folding mechanism and the folding and fixing mechanism 5 are positioned offset to one side in the Y-axis direction from the lower end guide portion 11 of the positioning mechanism 10. Furthermore, it is preferable that the second coordinate system C2 and the third coordinate system C3 have the same origin position of the Z-axis and different origin positions of the Y-axis. Furthermore, in the Y-axis direction, the cardboard cylinder 27 that has completed the first movement step is preferably spaced apart from the cardboard cylinder 27 that has completed the unfolding step by at least the width (front portions 23, 24) of the cardboard cylinder 27. This configuration is preferable, particularly when the robot 3 is a SCARA robot, because it has a wide horizontal movement range and a high horizontal movement speed, thereby enabling the first movement step to be performed more smoothly. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 100 Box making equipment 2, 2a, 2b Cardboard material 21,22 Side part 21t, 22t Upper side flap 21u, 22u Lower side flap 23,24 Front 23t, 24t Front upper flap 23u, 24u Front lower flap 23t1 Front upper small flap 23u1 Front lower small flap 25 Tape 25a Tape roll 26 Cardboard Flat Plate 27 Cardboard cylinder 28 Cardboard Box 28u bottom part 31 First surface holding part 31a Plate-shaped guide part 31b Holding body part 31c Circular opening 31d Spacer shaft 31e Drive unit 31i Rotating arm 31i Arm part 31j Rotation drive mechanism 32a Plate-shaped guide part 32b Adsorption means 32c Joint base part 32d spacer shaft 32e circular opening 32f Drive unit 3. Robot 3B Upper body 33 Head 34 Base 34u post 35 Arm 36 Cart 10 Positioning mechanism 11 Lower end guide 11a Top-shaped unit member 12 Side edge guide 12a Notch 12b Side contact surface part 13 Side edge movement guide plate 13a Support plate 14 Lower guide plate 15 Upper guide plate 15a Contact surface part 16 Rear moving guide plate 40 Gate-type support frame 41 Base 42 Pillar Frame 43 Upper beam frame 44 Intermediate beam frame 45 1st advancement / retraction mechanism 46 2nd advancement / retraction mechanism 47 Rotation drive unit 47a Rotating rod 48 Third advancement / retraction mechanism 5 Folding fixing mechanism 50 Mounting stand 51 Transport support section 52 Conveyor belt 54 Pillar section 55 Tape attachment section 56 Tape holder XX axis, X axis direction YY axis, Y axis ZZ axis, Z axis direction

Claims

1. A box making device that uses cardboard material to make a cardboard box having a pair of front surfaces, a pair of side surfaces, and a bottom surface, The cardboard material includes the front portion whose orientation remains the same and the side portion whose orientation changes between a state where the cardboard material is folded into a flat plate shape and a state where the cardboard material is unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape, a robot having an arm connected to a suction means as an end effector; a positioning mechanism that positions the cardboard material folded into a flat shape so that it can be unfolded by the movement of the suction means; A bottom folding mechanism and a folding and fixing mechanism are provided for forming the bottom portion, When the front-to-rear direction in which the pair of front portions of the unfolded cardboard material face each other is defined as the X-axis direction, the left-to-right direction in which the pair of side portions face each other is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the up-down direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is defined as the Z-axis direction, the positioning mechanism includes a bottom guide portion and a side edge guide portion, and the flat cardboard material is supplied one by one, and the bottom edge portion is positioned along the bottom guide portion and the edge on one side in the Y-axis direction is positioned along the side edge guide portion; The robot The end effector performs an unfolding operation to unfold the flat cardboard material, and a moving operation to move the cardboard material unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape to a preparation position for bottom folding by the bottom folding mechanism and / or folding and fixing by the folding and fixing mechanism, The box making device controls the unfolding operation and the moving operation in a coordinate system in which the origin positions of one or more of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are different.

2. The box making device according to claim 1 , wherein the robot controls the unfolding operation and the moving operation based on an offset amount according to the dimensions of the flat-plate-shaped cardboard material.

3. The box making device according to claim 2 , wherein the offset amount is based on the maximum dimension of the flat cardboard material that can be made into a box by the box making device.

4. The moving operation includes a first moving operation of moving the cardboard material unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape to a preparation position of the bottom folding mechanism, and a second moving operation of pushing the bottom-folded cardboard material between a pair of conveying support parts that the folding and fixing mechanism includes, The robot is a dual-arm robot or is composed of multiple single-arm robots, 4. The box making device according to claim 1, wherein the unfolding operation and the first movement operation are performed by one of the end effectors, and the second movement operation is performed by another of the end effectors.

5. The box making device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bottom folding mechanism and the folding and fixing mechanism are disposed below the lower end guide portion of the positioning mechanism.

6. The box making device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the unfolding operation and the moving operation are controlled in a coordinate system in which the plus and minus signs of one or more of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are inverted.

Images