Sewing device

Abstract

To perform favorable sewing by avoiding collision of a sewing part.SOLUTION: A sewing device includes: a sewing part 52 for performing vertical movement of a sewing needle; a support frame 53 for supporting the sewing part; a first movement mechanism 54 for moving the sewing part along the support frame; a second movement mechanism 56 for moving an object C to be sewn along the direction crossing the first movement mechanism; a turning mechanism 55 for turning the sewing part around a vertical axis of the sewing needle; a sewing control part 941 for controlling so as to perform needle location sequentially based on sewing pattern data; and a turning control part 942 for turning the sewing part by the turning mechanism according to the relative movement direction of the sewing part with respect to the object to be sewn. In the case where, in a movement range of the sewing part by the first movement mechanism, the sewing part enters interference ranges W1, W2 that can interfere with the support frame by the turning of the sewing part, the turning control part restricts the turning operation by the turning mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sewing device. [Background technology]

[0002] A sewing machine is known that uses a support frame to move and position the sewing unit along the frame, and moves and positions the sewing material in a direction perpendicular to the support frame, thereby allowing the needle to drop at any position on a plane (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-024033 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A sewing machine that moves the sewing unit and the workpiece relatively as described above can cause the needle to drop at any position on the workpiece. In other words, sewing is performed while the needle moves relatively in all directions around the workpiece, 360°, as seen from the workpiece side. When sewing using the cooperation of a sewing needle and a hook, it is ideal to form a perfect stitch without twisting the upper thread. However, there is a risk that a hitch stitch, which causes twisting of the upper thread, may be formed in a certain angular range of the relative movement direction of the sewing needle. One possible solution to this problem is to support the sewing unit so that it can rotate around a vertical axis, and to rotate the sewing unit in a direction that avoids the angular range in which hitch stitches occur depending on the relative movement direction of the sewing unit. However, the rotating movement of the sewing unit carries the risk of collision with the support frame that supports the sewing unit.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to avoid collisions at the sewn portion and perform good sewing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a sewing device, a sewing unit that moves the sewing needle up and down; a support frame that supports the sewn portion; a first moving mechanism that moves the sewing unit along the support frame; a second moving mechanism that moves the sewing unit and the workpiece relatively in a direction that intersects with the moving direction of the first moving mechanism; a pivoting mechanism that pivots the sewing unit supported by the support frame around an axis along the vertical movement direction of the sewing needle; a sewing control unit that controls the first movement mechanism and the second movement mechanism based on sewing pattern data to perform needle drop operations at a plurality of needle drop positions on the sewing workpiece in order; a turning control unit that turns the sewing unit using the turning mechanism in accordance with a relative movement direction of the sewing unit with respect to the sewing workpiece; Equipped with The rotation control unit is characterized in that it restricts the rotation movement of the rotation mechanism when the sewing unit enters an interference range within the movement range of the sewing unit by the first moving mechanism, where the rotation of the sewing unit may cause interference with the support frame. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention makes it possible to avoid collisions at the sewn portion and perform good sewing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a sewing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a part of the sewing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of another part of the sewing system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a tray changer. [Figure 5] FIG. 5(A) is a perspective view of a tray for sewn items, FIG. 5(B) is a perspective view of a tray for unprocessed items, FIG. 5(C) is a perspective view of a lid, and FIG. 5(D) is a perspective view of a template. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a handling unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pickup device. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pickup device. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pickup device. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pickup device. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which one workpiece is picked up by two conveying devices in cooperation with each other; [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration around a nozzle common to the first unit and the second unit. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the right side of the pickup mechanism. [Figure 15] 15(A) to 15(C) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of a part of the configuration of the pickup mechanism, seen from the left side. [Figure 16] 16(A) to 16(C) are operation explanatory diagrams showing the relationship between the focal length of the camera and the operation of the pickup mechanism. [Figure 17] FIG. 17(A) is a plan view showing the part before pre-processing, and FIG. 17(B) is a plan view showing the part after pre-processing. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a partial front view of the right end portion of the work table on which the template is placed, as viewed from the front. [Figure 20] 10 is a flowchart showing the overall operation control from carrying in and out of trays to sewing in the sewing system. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the template, body fabric, parts, and lid stacked in this order from the bottom. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart showing specific operation control from unloading the template from the tray changer to loading it into the sewing device. [Figure 23] 10 is a flowchart showing specific operation control up to collection of the template from the sewing device to the tray changer. [Figure 24] 24(A) to 24(D) are operation explanatory diagrams showing in order the operation of the take-up control section for taking up the sewing material. [Figure 25] 25(A) to 25(C) are operation explanatory diagrams sequentially illustrating the operation of the placement control section for the sewing workpiece placement. [Figure 26] 10 is a flowchart showing specific operation control for conveying the sewing workpiece from a predetermined gripping position where the sewing workpiece is received to a placement target position by a plurality of conveying devices, and placing the sewing workpiece in a predetermined orientation. [Figure 27] 10 is a plan view of the sewing device showing a state in which the sewing unit interferes with the support frame due to rotation of the sewing unit. FIG. [Figure 28] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the sewing device showing the interference range. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the sewing device showing a range of pivot angles in which no interference occurs. [Figure 30] 6 is a flowchart showing specific operation control of the sewing device by the sewing control device. [Figure 31] FIG. 31(A) is a plan view of the sewing object in a state where deformation has occurred, and FIG. 31(B) is a plan view of the sewing object with a marking in a state where deformation has occurred. [Figure 32] Figure 32(A) is a plan view of a state in which the sewing object has a color or brightness similar to that of the background, and Figure 32(B) is a plan view of a state in which the sewing object with a marking has a color or brightness similar to that of the background. [Figure 33] Figure 33(A) is a plan view of the state where the colors or brightness of overlapping parts of the sewn objects are similar, and Figure 33(B) is a plan view of the state where the colors or brightness of overlapping parts of the sewn objects with markings are similar. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Overall configuration of sewing system] A sewing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the sewing system 100, and Figs. 2 and 3 are block diagrams showing the configuration of the sewing system 100. Fig. 2 shows a simplified diagram of a pre-processing unit 4 and a sewing device 5, which will be described later, and Fig. 3 shows a simplified diagram of a tray changer 2 and a handling unit 3, which will be described later.

[0010] 1 are defined as the front-rear, left-right, up-down, and down-up directions of the sewing system 100. Assuming that the sewing system 100 is installed on a horizontal plane, the left-right and front-rear directions are all horizontal and perpendicular to each other. The up-down direction is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0011] The sewing system 100 of this embodiment illustrates a case where a body fabric C1 is a main sewing object and a part C2 is a secondary sewing object and a secondary transport object to be sewn. Both the body fabric C1 and the part C2 are in a sheet form, and the part C2 is sewn to the body fabric C1. In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the body fabric C1 and the parts C2, they will be referred to as the sewing object C. Note that the sewing object of the sewing system 100 is not limited to the body fabric C1 and the parts C2, but can be any object that can be sewn.

[0012] The sewing system 100 mainly includes a tray changer 2, a handling unit 3, a pre-processing unit 4, and a sewing device 5. The tray changer 2 can store a plurality of trays, which will be described later, and can select some of the trays to be inserted or removed. The handling section 3 transfers the workpiece C from the trays to the pre-processing section 4, arranges the workpiece C on a template 12 (described later), and transfers the template 12 to the sewing device 5. The pre-processing section 4 performs pre-processing on the sewing workpiece C before sewing. The sewing device 5 sews the sewing object C held by the template 12 . These will be explained in order below.

[0013] [Tray changer] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the tray changer 2, and FIGS. 5(A) to 5(D) are perspective views showing the trays stored in the tray changer 2, which will be described later, individually. The tray changer 2 is located at the rear end of the sewing system 100, and a handling unit 3 is disposed in front of the tray changer 2.

[0014] The tray changer 2 includes a frame 21, a basket 22, and an elevating mechanism 23. The frame 21 assembled in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped supports a small rectangular parallelepiped basket 22 on the inside so that it can be raised and lowered. The basket 22 can store a plurality of lids 13, a plurality of templates 12, a plurality of trays T1, and a plurality of trays T2 arranged in order from top to bottom inside the basket 22. Hereinafter, these stored items will be referred to as "trays." The arrangement order of the lid 13, template 12, trays T1 and T2 can be changed.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 5(D), the template 12 is a plate for holding the sewing object C when the sewing device 5 performs sewing. Various templates 12 are prepared according to the sewing pattern, and openings 121 are formed through the plate surface along the multiple needle drop positions of the sewing pattern to be sewn. The template 12 also has a detachable structure for attaching to and detaching from a transport head 561 of the sewing device 5, which will be described later, and a positioning protrusion for placing the lid 13.

[0016] 5(C), the lid 13 is a plate that is placed on top of the template 12 and that holds from above the workpieces C1 and C2 that are placed on the template 12. Like the template 12, the lid 13 has openings 131 formed therethrough in the vertical direction that correspond to the needle drop positions of the sewing pattern. The lid 13 also has positioning holes formed therein into which positioning protrusions on the template 12 are inserted when the lid 13 is attached to the template 12.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 5(B), the tray T1 is a rectangular flat plate on which unprocessed body fabric C1 and parts C2 that have not been pre-processed or sewn are placed side by side (Fig. 5(B) shows part C2 as an example). The tray T1 may have outer walls that are raised along the outer edges of its four sides. As shown in Fig. 5(A), the tray T2 is placed with a sewn item (referred to as a finished product C3). The finished product C3 is, for example, a finished product obtained in a sewing process in which a pre-processed part C2 is sewn onto a body fabric C1. The tray T2 may also have raised outer walls along the outer edges of its four sides.

[0018] The basket 22 has convex portions that protrude from the inside of the left and right side walls in a mutually opposing manner over the entire length in the front-to-rear direction. These left and right convex portions form steps on which the left and right ends of trays stored in the basket 22 are placed, maintaining the trays horizontally. A plurality of such steps, each consisting of left and right convex strips, are formed vertically at regular intervals, making it possible to store multiple trays horizontally, lined up vertically. The template 12, lid 13, and trays T1 and T2 that make up the trays all have the same width in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. Furthermore, the thickness of each tray is set within a certain range so that it fits within the gap between the upper and lower steps. Therefore, trays of any type can be stored on steps of any height within the basket 22.

[0019] The frame 21 of the tray changer 2 is widely open on both the front and rear sides, and the basket 22 is also similarly open on both the front and rear sides. This allows any trays in the basket 22 to be supplied to each part of the sewing system 100 from the front side of the frame 21, and the trays to be returned to the basket 22 from the front side of the frame 21. In addition, new trays can be added to the basket 22 from the rear side of the frame body 21, and unnecessary trays can be collected from the rear side of the frame body 21.

[0020] The lifting mechanism 23 supports the basket 22 so that it can move up and down, and also provides it with a lifting motion. For example, the lifting mechanism 23 is made up of a slide rail that supports the basket 22 along the vertical direction and a drive device that serves as a drive source for a motor. The drive source of the lifting mechanism 23 can move and position the basket 22 at any desired height.

[0021] [Handling section] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the handling unit 3, and FIG. As shown in Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7, the handling unit 3 includes a work table 31, a movable head 32, a pair of inner guide rails 33, a pair of outer guide rails 34, a pair of towing heads 35, a lift mechanism 37, and multiple conveying devices 6. In FIG. 2, only one conveying device 6 is shown, and the rest are not shown.

[0022] The workbench 31 provides a space for placing trays and performing predetermined operations on the trays. Therefore, the upper part of the workbench 31 is large enough to place one tray. Specifically, the left-to-right width of the workbench 31 is sufficiently wider than the left-to-right width of the trays, and the front-to-back width is approximately twice or more the front-to-back width of the trays. A pair of inner guide rails 33 are provided at the top of the workbench 31, in the center in the left-right direction. Each inner guide rail 33 is parallel to the front-rear direction and is provided over almost the entire length of the workbench 31 in the front-rear direction. The pair of inner guide rails 33 are provided with a gap narrower than the left-to-right width of the trays. The left and right inner guide rails 33 can feed the trays in the front-rear direction by placing the left and right ends of the bottom surface of the trays on their respective upper end surfaces.

[0023] The upper ends of the pair of outer guide rails 34 are located at the top of the workbench 31, and are respectively disposed on the left and right outer sides of the pair of inner guide rails 33. The pair of outer guide rails 34 are also both parallel in the front-to-rear direction and are provided over the entire length of the workbench 31 in the front-to-rear direction. The pair of outer guide rails 34 are arranged at a distance in the left-right direction that is wider than the left-right width of the trays, etc. Therefore, the pair of outer guide rails 34 do not prevent the trays on the pair of inner guide rails 33 arranged inside them from moving in the front-rear direction. The upper end surfaces of the pair of outer guide rails 34 are one step higher than the pair of inner guide rails 33. The upper end surfaces of the pair of outer guide rails 34 are both structured to protrude inward in the left-right direction. Therefore, the left and right ends of the bottom surface of trays can be placed on the upper end surfaces of the left and right outer guide rails 34, and the trays can be fed in the front-rear direction.

[0024] A pair of outer guide rails 34 is provided with a separate traction head 35. Each traction head 35 is provided on the upper portion of the left and right outer guide rails 34 so as to be movable back and forth. Each pulling head 35 has a movable claw that engages the front end of a tray. Each pulling head 35 can engage the movable claw with the front end of a tray that has been positioned at the height of the upper surfaces of the outer guide rails 34 within the basket 22 by the lifting mechanism 23. In this engaged state, each pulling head 35 can pull out trays within the basket 22 onto the pair of outer guide rails 34. Also, the trays on the pair of outer guide rails 34 can be stored within the basket 22.

[0025] A lift mechanism 37 is disposed in the front half of the pair of outer guide rails 34. This lift mechanism 37 can lower trays placed on the pair of outer guide rails 34 onto the pair of inner guide rails 33. Specifically, the template 12 is placed on standby in the front half of the pair of inner guide rails 33. Then, the pulling heads 35 pull the lid 13 from the basket 22 to the front half of the pair of outer guide rails 34. Then, the lift mechanism 37 lowers the lid 13 on the pair of outer guide rails 34 onto the template 12 on the pair of inner guide rails 33, and the lid 13 is attached to the template 12.

[0026] The movable head 32 can reciprocate in the front-to-rear direction inside the pair of inner guide rails 33. The movable head 32 can transport trays on the pair of inner guide rails 33 in the front-to-rear direction from the basket 22 to the sewing device 5. The movable head 32 has a smooth upper surface, and has locking projections projecting upward from the front and rear ends of the upper surface so that it can be inserted into a tray or the like from below. The movable head 32 can be raised and lowered within a range slightly wider than the height of the locking protrusions. The movable head 32 can be lowered and raised to insert the locking protrusions into locking holes provided on the trays, thereby connecting them for transport.

[0027] The movable head 32 can be moved slightly rearward beyond the rear end of the work table 31. The locking projections at the rear end of the movable head 32 can be inserted into engagement holes provided at the front ends of the trays in the basket 22, allowing the trays to be taken in and out of the basket 22. The movable head 32 can move slightly forward of the front end of the work table 31. The locking projections at the front end of the movable head 32 can be inserted into engagement holes provided at the rear ends of the trays on the pair of inner guide rails 33, allowing the trays to be supplied to or retrieved from the sewing device 5.

[0028] The multiple conveying devices 6 are installed at the left and right ends of the upper surface of the work table 31 so as not to interfere with the forward and backward movement of trays on the work table 31. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which there are three conveying devices 6, but the number can be increased or decreased. Furthermore, each transport device 6 may be located outside the area where the template 12 passes, for example, at either the left or right end of the upper surface of the work table 31. Fig. 1 shows an example in which two transport devices 6 are located at the left end of the upper surface of the work table 31 and one at the right end, while Fig. 6 shows an example in which one transport device 6 is located at the left end of the upper surface of the work table 31 and two at the right end.

[0029] The transport device 6 has a robot arm 36 as a transfer mechanism, and a single pickup mechanism 60 as an end effector held at the tip of the robot arm 36. Each robot arm 36 is a horizontal articulated robot and has a base 361 fixed on the work table 31, two arms 362, and four joints. The robot arm 36 has a first arm 362 connected to a base 361 via a joint that rotates around a vertical axis, and a second arm 362 connected to the tip of the first arm 362 via a joint that rotates around a vertical axis. The tip of the second arm 362 holds the pickup mechanism 60 via a joint that can move up and down and a joint that can rotate around a vertical axis. As a result, the pickup mechanism 60 can be positioned at any position on a horizontal plane within the movable range of the robot arm 36, and furthermore, can be given the ability to rotate around a vertical axis and move up and down along the vertical direction.

[0030] The robot arm 36 may be any robot arm capable of positioning the pickup mechanism 60 at any position on a horizontal plane, rotating about a vertical axis, and raising and lowering the pickup mechanism 60 in the vertical direction. While the robot arm 36 has five degrees of freedom, a robot with more degrees of freedom may be used. Furthermore, the robot arm 36 is not limited to a horizontal articulated robot, and any other type of robot arm may be used.

[0031] [Pickup mechanism: overview] Figures 8 to 10 are perspective views of the pickup mechanism 60 seen from different directions, Figure 11 is a plan view, and Figure 12 is a perspective view showing a state in which two conveying devices 6 cooperate to pick up one piece of sewing material C. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration around the nozzles common to a first unit 80A and a second unit 80B, which will be described later, and FIG. 14 is a partial perspective view of the right side of the pickup mechanism 60. As shown in FIG. Furthermore, Figures 15(A) to 15(C) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of a portion of the configuration of the pickup mechanism 60 as viewed from the left side, and Figures 16(A) to 16(C) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of a portion of the configuration of the pickup mechanism 60 as viewed from the right side. 2 shows only the configuration of the first unit 80A, and omits the configuration of the second unit 80B, but the second unit 80B has the same configuration as the first unit 80A.

[0032] As described above, the pickup mechanism 60 can be rotated around a vertical axis by the robot arm 36, and therefore does not move up and down, but moves in the front-rear and left-right directions. Therefore, the components of the pickup mechanism 60 will be described assuming that the pickup mechanism 60 is stationary in the orientations shown in the front-rear and left-right directions in Figures 8 to 11 and 13 to 16.

[0033] The pickup mechanism 60 has a first unit 80A and a second unit 80B. Both the first unit 80A and the second unit 80B have a pickup section 70 that picks up the sewing material C, and a camera 61 and a lighting device 62 as an imaging device that captures the sewing material C in a state where it has been picked up by the pickup section 70. Furthermore, the pickup mechanism 60 includes a movable frame 63 that supports the first unit 80A, a frame body 64 that supports the movable frame 63 and the second unit 80B, a variable mechanism 65 that enables the movable frame 63 to move left and right relative to the frame body 64, and a distance sensor 66 that detects the distance to an opposing object or plane, such as a sewing workpiece C, that faces downward relative to the pickup mechanism 60.

[0034] In the frame 64, the first unit 80A is disposed on the left side, and the second unit 80B is disposed on the right side. The variable mechanism 65 has a slide guide that slidably supports the movable frame 63, and an electric slider that can arbitrarily control the amount of movement in the left-right direction. This allows the pickup mechanism 60 to move the first unit 80A away from the second unit 80B, thereby arbitrarily adjusting the distance between the first unit 80A and the second unit 80B.

[0035] First unit 80A is supported in a hanging manner on the left side of the lower surface of frame body 64 via variable mechanism 65. Second unit 80B is supported in a hanging manner on the right side of the lower surface of frame body 64 via spacer 641. Second unit 80B is adjusted by spacer 641 so that its height is equal to that of first unit 80A.

[0036] The distance sensor 66 is fixedly supported on the front end surface of a main body 72 (described later) of the pickup section 70 of the second unit 80B, which is fixed to the frame 64. The distance sensor 66 is a so-called two-dimensional laser displacement meter, and can detect the vertical distance to each point within a predetermined linear range extending in the left-right direction below the distance sensor 66. For example, when picking up the sewing work C, the distance to the sewing work C placed below the pickup mechanism 60 is detected, and the pickup mechanism 60 is controlled to position relative to the robot arm 36 at a height suitable for picking up the sewing work C.

[0037] [Pickup mechanism: Pickup section] The first unit 80A and the second unit 80B have the same overall configuration, so they are given the same reference numerals and overlapping descriptions will be omitted. Differences between the first unit 80A and the second unit 80B will be explained separately on a case-by-case basis.

[0038] The first unit 80A and the second unit 80B each have a pickup section 70 for picking up the workpiece C. The pickup section 70 has a suction nozzle 71 at the lower end thereof for sucking the sewing material C, and a main body section 72 as a support body for supporting the suction nozzle 71 so that the suction nozzle 71 can be raised and lowered. Furthermore, the pickup section 70 has a gripping member 73 that grips the sewing material C sucked by the suction nozzle 71 from below, a lifting air cylinder 74 that raises and lowers the gripping member 73, and a retraction air cylinder 75 that moves the gripping member 73 back and forth.

[0039] In the case of the first unit 80A, the main body 72 is fixedly supported by the bottom of the movable frame 63. In the case of the second unit 80B, the main body 72 is fixedly supported by the bottom of the spacer 641 of the frame 64.

[0040] The suction nozzle 71 has a circular opening formed in the bottom surface at the lower end on the side of the sewing workpiece C, and air is discharged downward from the circular opening. The suction nozzle 71 is connected to a fan, a pump, a positive pressure tank, or the like, and positive pressure air is supplied thereto. As a result, when air is blown out from the circular opening onto the sewing workpiece C, there is no escape route for the air on the central side of the circular opening, so the air is blown outward in the radial direction, creating a low-pressure area in the central part of the bottom surface of the suction nozzle 71. Therefore, when the suction nozzle 71 approaches the workpiece C to a certain extent, the workpiece C can be picked up in a non-contact suction state without contacting the bottom surface of the suction nozzle 71 with the workpiece C. In this embodiment, the suction nozzle 71 first presses the bottom surface of the suction nozzle 71 against the workpiece C and then pulls it up. In addition, although an example has been described in which air is ejected from the opening of the suction nozzle 71 in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface (towards the sewing material C), the direction in which air is ejected may be inclined radially outward from the circular opening.

[0041] The suction nozzle 71 is mounted on a support plate 711, which is supported by two rods 712 on a main body 72 serving as a support body so as to be movable up and down. As shown in Figures 15(A) to 15(C), each rod 712 is inserted through a coil spring 713 serving as a pressing member that presses the suction nozzle 71 downward. Furthermore, a flange 714 is provided at the upper end of each rod 712 to prevent it from coming off the main body 72. 15(A), when no external force is applied, the suction nozzle 71 is held at the lowest position in its movable range by the coil spring 713. When the gripping member 73, which will be described later, comes into contact with the suction nozzle 71 from below, the suction nozzle 71 is pushed up against the coil spring 713.

[0042] The gripping member 73 is a rectangular flat plate that is long in the front-rear direction, and is supported by a slide guide attached to an air cylinder 74 for lifting so as to be movable up and down. Furthermore, the lifting air cylinder 74 is supported by a slide guide provided alongside the retracting air cylinder 75 so as to be movable forward and backward in the front-rear direction.

[0043] When the gripping member 73 is not gripping the sewing workpiece C, it is retracted to an upper position behind the suction nozzle 71. 15(A), the gripping member 73 is lowered to a lower position by the lifting air cylinder 74 and moved forward by the retracting air cylinder 75. As a result, the upper surface of the front end of the gripping member 73 faces the lower end of the suction nozzle 71. 15(B), the gripping member 73 is raised to an upper position by the lifting air cylinder 74 and presses against the lower end of the suction nozzle 71. As a result, the sewing material C is gripped between the suction nozzle 71 and the gripping member 73, and the suction nozzle 71 is pushed up.

[0044] When the gripped sewing material C is to be released, the gripping members 73 are lowered to a lower position by the lifting air cylinder 74, as shown in Fig. 15(C). As a result, the gripping members 73 move downward away from the lower end of the suction nozzle 71, and the gripped sewing material C is released. Furthermore, as required, the gripping member 73 can be moved backward by the retracting air cylinder 75 and raised to the upper position by the lifting air cylinder 74, thereby returning the gripping member 73 to the retracted position.

[0045] The flange 714, which moves up and down together with the suction nozzle 71, is provided with a latch mechanism 76 that prevents the suction nozzle 71 from descending from its raised position after being pushed up. The latch mechanism 76 has a regulating member 761 and a rotary air cylinder 762 that operates the regulating member 761. As shown in FIG. 15(A), the regulating member 761 is normally retracted so as not to interfere with the up and down movement of the suction nozzle 71. 15(B), when the suction nozzle 71 and the flange 714 are pushed up by the gripping member 73, the restricting member 761 is rotated by the rotary air cylinder 762. As a result, the rotating end of the restricting member 761 is inserted below the flange 714. As shown in FIG. 15(C), the inserted regulating member 761 can prevent the suction nozzle 71 from moving downwards through the flange 714 even when the gripping member 73 moves downwards to release the gripping state.

[0046] The latch mechanism 76 prevents the suction nozzle 71 from descending together with the gripping member 73 when the pickup unit 70 releases the sewing workpiece C. This prevents the suction nozzle 71 from being displaced due to vibration caused by the descent of the suction nozzle 71 accompanying the descent of the gripping member 73. As shown in FIG. 8, in the first unit 80A, the latch mechanism 76 is supported by the movable frame 63, and in the second unit 80B, the latch mechanism 76 is supported by the frame body 64.

[0047] The pickup section 70 also includes a correction nozzle 77 adjacent to the suction nozzle 71 for preventing the sagging of the suctioned sewing material C. As shown in FIG. 8, the correction nozzle 77 is disposed to the left of the suction nozzle 71 in the first unit 80A on the left side, and is disposed to the right of the suction nozzle 71 in the second unit 80B on the right side.

[0048] The correction nozzle 77 is provided on a support plate 711 and moves up and down together with the suction nozzle 71 . 14, the bottom surface of the correction nozzle 77 is set to be at the same height as the lower end of the suction nozzle 71. The correction nozzle 77 is provided with an outlet 771 near the bottom thereof, which blows out air in the opposite direction to the suction nozzle 71. The correction nozzle 77 is connected to a fan, a pump, a positive pressure tank, or the like, and positive pressure air is supplied thereto. As the sewing material C sucked by the suction nozzle 71 moves away from the suction nozzle 71, its outer edge bends downward due to its own weight (see the sewing material C shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 14). In this state, when air is blown out from the outlet 771 of the correction nozzle 77 provided next to the suction nozzle 71, the air jet from the correction nozzle 77 pulls the drooping outer edge of the sewing material C horizontally along the jet direction (see the sewing material C shown by the solid line in FIG. 14). The end and outer edge of the sewing material C are imaged from above by a camera 61, which will be described later, and the relative positions of the sewing material C and the suction nozzle 71 are detected. At this time, the correction nozzle 77 can maintain the sewing material C in its original shape in a plan view, making it possible to perform position detection with higher accuracy.

[0049] [Pickup mechanism: camera] 8 to 11, in the first unit 80A on the left side, the camera 61 is disposed above the lower ends of the suction nozzle 71 and the corrective nozzle 77 and to the left of these. In addition, in the second unit 80B on the right side, the camera 61 is disposed above the lower ends of the suction nozzle 71 and the corrective nozzle 77 and to the right of these. Similarly to the camera 61, the lighting device 62 is disposed above the lower ends of the suction nozzle 71 and the correction nozzle 77. The lighting device 62 may be disposed in any position so that the illumination light emitted downward is not blocked by the suction nozzle 71 and the correction nozzle 77, and may be disposed in a position other than the suction nozzle 71 side relative to the camera 61, for example, in front of the camera 61. In the first unit 80A, the camera 61 and the lighting device 62 are supported by a movable frame 63, and in the second unit 80B, the camera 61 and the lighting device 62 are supported by a frame body 64.

[0050] 8 to 12 and 14 indicates the imaging range of the camera 61. As shown in the figures, the camera 61 is positioned with its line of sight directed vertically downward, and can capture an image of a certain range around the suction range of the suction nozzle 71, including the range.

[0051] 16(A) to 16(C) are operation explanatory diagrams showing the relationship between the focal length f of the camera 61 and the operation of the pickup mechanism 60. When picking up the sewing material C, the pickup mechanism 60 brings the lower end of the suction nozzle 71 into contact with the sewing material C from above and sucks it, as shown in FIG. 16(A). Then, as shown in FIG. 16(B), the robot arm 36 raises the pickup mechanism 60 to a height where the lower end of the suction nozzle 71, which is at the lowest position in the movable range, is separated above the surface on which the sewing workpiece C is placed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 16(C), the retreated gripping member 73 moves downward, forward, and upward, thereby pushing up the suction nozzle 71 and gripping the sewing workpiece C. The camera 61 is disposed so that the height of the lower end of the suction nozzle 71, which is pushed up by the gripping action of the gripping member 73, coincides with the position at the focal distance f from the camera 61. This allows the camera 61 to clearly capture the gripped sewing workpiece C.

[0052] [Preprocessing section] The pre-processing section 4 performs predetermined processing and treatment on the sewing workpiece C before sewing. For example, the pre-processing section 4 performs the bending process shown in Fig. 17(B) on the part C2 shown in Fig. 17(A). This folding process includes a folding step of folding part C2 along a crease set at a predetermined position on part C2, and a crease fixing step of ironing the folded part C2 along the crease.

[0053] 1 and 2, the pre-processing unit 4 is disposed adjacent to the left side of the handling unit 3. The pre-processing unit 4 has a work table 41 with a horizontal and smooth upper surface, and one or more robot arms 42 equipped with end effectors suitable for the pre-processing to be performed (only one robot arm 42 is shown in FIG. 2). The height of the upper surface of the work table 41 is equal to that of the work table 31 of the handling section 3, but it is preferable that the difference in height is small. As long as the movable range of the robot arm 42 is sufficiently wide, each robot arm 42 may be placed anywhere outside the working surface of the work table 41. If the movable range of the robot arm 42 is not so wide, it is preferable to place it near the handling unit 3.

[0054] The robot arms 42 may be of any other type, such as horizontal articulated robots or vertical articulated robots. However, it is preferable that the robot has six or more degrees of freedom so that it can handle a wider variety of pre-processing. The number of robot arms 42 can be increased or decreased depending on the type of pre-processing. As described above, when bending part C2 as pre-processing, the configuration may include a robot arm 42 equipped with an end effector that performs the folding process and a robot arm 42 equipped with an end effector that performs the fixing process. The end effector for the folding process may be a gripping unit that can grip the end of part C2 and change the orientation of that end, or it may be configured to form the fold in cooperation with a jig. An end effector that performs the fixing process includes an iron.

[0055] The types of pre-treatment are merely examples, and the pre-treatment section 4 may be configured to perform any type of pre-treatment that can be applied to the sewing workpiece C.

[0056] [Sewing device] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a work table 51 (described later) of the sewing device 5, and FIG. 19 is a partial front view of the right end of the work table 51 on which the template 12 is placed, as seen from the front. The sewing device 5 is disposed adjacent to the front side of the handling section 3. The sewing device 5 receives the template 12 from the handling section 3 and performs sewing on the workpiece C held by the template 12.

[0057] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the sewing device 5 has a work table 51, a sewing unit 52, a support frame 53 that supports the sewing unit 52, a first moving mechanism 54 that transports the sewing unit 52 along the support frame 53, a turning mechanism 55 that rotates the sewing unit 52, a second moving mechanism 56 that transports the template 12, a shuttle mechanism 59, a third moving mechanism 57 that transports the shuttle mechanism 59, a shuttle turning mechanism 595 that rotates the shuttle mechanism 59, and a lift mechanism 58 for the template 12.

[0058] As shown in Figure 18, the workbench 51 has a rectangular top plate 511 whose top surface is long in the front-to-rear direction. The top surface of the top plate 511 is smooth and horizontal. A long pinhole 512 extending in the left-to-right direction is formed through the middle of the top plate 511 in the front-to-rear direction. Since the sewing unit 52 performs needle drop while moving left and right, the pinhole 512 is formed to have a length that reaches almost the entire length of the range of movement of the sewing unit 52 in the left and right direction. In addition, openings 513 are formed through the left and right ends of the rear of the top plate 511, through which a support portion of a lift mechanism 58 that lifts the template 12 upward appears and disappears.

[0059] Further, on both left and right ends of the upper surface of the top board 511, guides 514 and 515 for the template 12 are provided in the form of rails that are long in the front-rear direction. Each of the guides 514 and 515 has a flat, smooth upper surface, and the height of the upper surface thereof coincides with the height of the upper surfaces of the left and right inner guide rails 33 of the handling section 3.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 19, sliders 122 are provided on both left and right ends of the template 12 over the entire length in the front-rear direction as abutment members that protrude outward in the left-right direction (only the right slider 122 is shown). The slider 122 is made of a material with low friction and good slidability, and its bottom slides on the upper surfaces of the guides 514, 515, allowing the template 12 to move in the front-to-rear direction. The slider 122 is supported so that its bottom is higher than the overall bottom surface of the template 12. The height difference between the bottom of the slider 122 and the overall bottom surface of the template 12 is smaller than the vertical thickness of each of the guides 514, 515. Therefore, the template 12 is transported in the front-to-rear direction while being supported by the guides 514, 515 via the slider 122. At this time, the overall bottom surface of the template 12 is separated from the top plate 511 of the workbench 51 and maintained in a non-contact state. The template 12 may be configured to include rolling elements such as rollers instead of the sliding elements 122.

[0061] The outer edge of the rectangular top plate 511 is supported from below by a lower frame that serves as the base of the workbench 51, and the guides 514 and 515 are disposed directly above the points supported by the lower frame. As described above, top plate 511 has needle holes 512 and openings 513 formed in various parts. In addition, since shuttle mechanism 59, which will be described later, is disposed below top plate 511 and performs sewing in cooperation with sewing unit 52, it is difficult to make top plate 511 itself sufficiently thick. For this reason, when the template 12 is directly placed on the top plate 511 and transported, it is difficult to sufficiently reduce deformation and bending of the top plate 511. However, by providing guides 514, 515 above the support position of the lower frame on the top plate 511 and configuring each of the guides 514, 515 to support the template 12 from below, deformation and bending of the top plate 511 can be suppressed, and the template 12 can be transported with high precision to perform good sewing. In addition, the thickness of each guide 514, 515 can be ensured by the difference in height between the bottom of the sliding body 122 of the template 12 and the overall bottom surface of the template 12, and it is possible to ensure sufficient strength of each guide 514, 515 depending on the difference in height between the sliding body 122 and the bottom surface of the template 12.

[0062] It is also possible to omit the top plate 511 of the workbench 51 by supporting both left and right ends of the template 12 with guides 514, 515 and directly supporting the guides 514, 515 with the lower frame. In this case, the shuttle mechanism 59 can be positioned higher so as to be closer to the sewing unit 52, eliminating the need to provide a difference in height between the bottom of the slider 122 of the template 12 and the overall bottom surface of the template 12, and making it possible to reduce the overall thickness of the template 12.

[0063] Furthermore, although the workbench 51 has been exemplified as having only the guides 514, 515 that support the template 12 from below, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an upper guide may be further provided that applies an elastic pressing force to both the left and right ends of the lid 13 placed on the template 12 from above. This makes it possible to prevent the lid 13 from accidentally coming off the template 12.

[0064] The rear part of the top plate 511 of the work table 51 is a standby area for the template 12. In this standby area, the template 12 is transferred to and from the handling unit 3. That is, the template 12 in the standby area is coupled to and released by the movable head 32 of the handling unit 3 and by the transport head 561 of the second moving mechanism 56.

[0065] A lift mechanism 58 is also disposed in the standby area of ​​the top plate 511. The lift mechanism 58 has lifting bodies that appear and disappear through openings 513 on both the left and right sides of the top plate 511. The left and right lifting bodies are U-shaped when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, with their openings facing each other. These left and right lifting bodies can lift up a template 12 in the standby area of ​​the top plate 511 from below and allow the other template 12 to pass between their openings. This allows the template 12 before sewing and the template 12 after sewing to pass each other in the standby area of ​​the top plate 511, thereby enabling efficient replacement of the template 12 for the sewing device 5.

[0066] The sewing unit 52 includes the sewing needle and all of the peripheral components of the sewing machine. For example, the sewing needle, the mechanism for moving the needle up and down, its drive source, the upper thread supply source, the thread tension device, the thread take-up lever, etc. are stored in the housing of the sewing unit 52. The sewing needle is supported exposed to the outside from the bottom of the housing with its tip pointing vertically downward. The upper thread supply source may not be provided inside the housing, and the upper thread may be supplied from outside.

[0067] Shuttle mechanism 59 is disposed below the above-mentioned top plate 511. Shuttle mechanism 59 includes a shuttle, a support mechanism for rotatably supporting the shuttle, a rotary drive source for the shuttle, a frame for supporting these, and the like. The shuttle is rotationally driven in synchronization with the up and down movement of the needle of the sewing unit 52. Specifically, the shuttle is rotationally driven at twice the speed of the up and down movement of the needle.

[0068] The sewing unit 52 is supported by a first moving mechanism 54 . The first moving mechanism 54 has a head 541 that supports the sewing unit 52 in a suspended manner via a turning mechanism 55, and a drive unit 542 that supports the head 541 so that the head 541 can be moved and positioned in the left-right direction. The first moving mechanism 54 is supported by a support frame 53 provided adjacent to the work table 51 .

[0069] The support frame 53 includes a first frame 531 and a second frame 532 that are erected on the installation surface of the sewing system 100 . The first frame 531 has two rectangular pillars 533, 534 extending in the vertical direction and a suspension member 535 connecting the upper ends of the pillars 533, 534, and is configured in a gate shape. The two pillars 533, 534 are both integrally connected to the left end of the workbench 51 and are arranged side by side in the front and rear. The second frame 532 is a rectangular pillar extending in the vertical direction, and is integrally connected to the right end of the workbench 51. The support pillars 533 of the first frame 531 and the second frame 532 are arranged at the same position in the front-to-back direction, and each fixedly supports the left and right ends of the drive unit 542 of the first moving mechanism 54 on its upper front side.

[0070] The third moving mechanism 57 has a head that supports the shuttle mechanism 59 via the shuttle turning mechanism 595, and a drive unit that supports the head so that the head can be moved and positioned in the left-right direction. The third movement mechanism 57 is supported by the support frame 53. The left and right ends of the drive unit of the third movement mechanism 57 are fixedly supported on the support columns 533 of the first frame 531 of the support frame 53 and on the lower front side of the second frame 532. The drive unit of the third moving mechanism 57 and the drive unit 542 of the first moving mechanism 54 both use a motor as a drive source whose movement amount and movement speed can be controlled. These drive sources are controlled synchronously so that the head 541 of the first moving mechanism 54 and the head of the third moving mechanism 57 maintain the same position in the left-right direction.

[0071] The second movement mechanism 56 has a transport head 561 that can connect and support the front end of the template 12, and a drive unit 562 that supports the transport head 561 so that the transport head 561 can be moved and positioned in the front-rear direction. The transport head 561 extends in the left-right direction on the top plate 511 of the work table 51. The drive unit 562 is disposed in the front-to-rear direction above the right end of the work table 51, and inputs movement motion in the front-to-rear direction from the right end of the transport head 561. The drive unit 562 of the second movement mechanism 56 also uses a motor, the movement amount and movement speed of which can be controlled, as its drive source.

[0072] The turning mechanism 55 can turn the sewing unit 52 at any angle around an axis along the vertical direction relative to the head 541 of the first moving mechanism 54. In this case, the turning mechanism 55 applies a turning motion around the sewing needle of the sewing unit 52. The shuttle rotating mechanism 595 can rotate the shuttle mechanism 59 at any angle around an axis extending in the vertical direction relative to the head of the third moving mechanism 57. In this case, the shuttle rotating mechanism 595 applies a rotating motion around an insertion portion of the shuttle of the shuttle mechanism 59, into which a sewing needle is inserted. The rotation mechanism 55 and the shuttle rotation mechanism 595 are both driven by motors whose movement amount and speed can be controlled. These drive sources are controlled synchronously so that the sewing unit 52 and the shuttle mechanism 59 maintain the same rotation angle.

[0073] Here, the significance of the turning operation by the turning mechanism 55 and the shuttle turning mechanism 595 will be explained. The first moving mechanism 54 can position the sewing needle of the sewing unit 52 at any position in the left-right direction. The third moving mechanism 57 can position the insertion portion of the shuttle into which the sewing needle is inserted at the same position in the left-right direction as the sewing needle of the sewing unit 52. The second moving mechanism 56 can position the transport head 561 and the template 12 at any position in the front-rear direction. Therefore, by cooperation of the first to third moving mechanisms 54, 56, 57, it is possible to position the needle and the inserted portion of the hook at any position on the horizontal plane relative to the template 12.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 3, the operation of the sewing device 5 is controlled by a sewing control device 94. The sewing control device 94 controls the first to third moving mechanisms 54, 56, 57 based on sewing pattern data in which all needle drop positions in a series of stitches to be performed on the sewing object held by the template 12 are set using two-dimensional coordinates, and performs the series of stitches. Meanwhile, the needle of the sewing unit 52 and the shuttle of the shuttle mechanism 59 rotate relative to each other about an axis extending in the vertical direction to perform sewing.

[0075] The orientation of the needle and the shuttle relative to the template 12 during sewing (hereinafter referred to as "orientation of the needle, etc. relative to the sewing direction") has an appropriate angle range determined from the viewpoint of sewing quality. Generally, a so-called perfect stitch, in which the needle thread on the needle side forms a knot with the bobbin thread on the shuttle side without twisting, is said to be a stitch with high sewing quality. In contrast, a so-called hitch stitch, in which the needle thread forms a knot with the bobbin thread while twisting, is said to be a stitch with low sewing quality.

[0076] The range of angles of the orientation of a sewing needle, etc. relative to the direction of sewing progress that can produce a perfect stitch, or the range of angles of the orientation of a sewing needle, etc. relative to the direction of sewing progress that can produce a hitch stitch, is generally constant depending on the type of sewing needle and hook, so these angle ranges can be determined in advance by measurement, etc. The sewing control device 94 acquires and stores in advance the appropriate value of the angle range of the orientation of the sewing needle etc. relative to the direction of sewing progress. During sewing, the sewing control device 94 can determine the next sewing direction relative to the template 12 by reading the next needle drop position from the above-mentioned sewing pattern data. Furthermore, the sewing control device 94 stores appropriate values ​​for the angle range of the orientation of the needle, etc. relative to the sewing progress direction, and controls the turning mechanism 55 and the shuttle turning mechanism 595 immediately before or during movement to the next needle drop position. In other words, the sewing unit 52 and the shuttle mechanism 59 are turned so that the orientation of the needle and shuttle is within an angle range in which a hitch stitch does not occur, and more preferably, within an angle range in which a perfect stitch can be formed. In this way, the turning mechanism 55 and the shuttle turning mechanism 595 turn the sewing unit 52 and the shuttle mechanism 59 to improve the stitching quality.

[0077] [Sewing system control system] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sewing system 100 includes a main control device 90, a transport control device 91, a pickup control device 92, a pre-processing control device 93, and a sewing control device 94 for controlling each component. Each of the control devices 90 to 94 is mainly configured with a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU, RAM, ROM, I / O, etc. Each of the control devices 90 to 94 may also be configured to include, in addition to these, for example, an FPGA, an ASIC, etc. Each of the control devices 90 to 94 also includes a storage area defined in an internal memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). This storage area section stores various programs and data for operating each control target, and also functions as a work area for executing processes.

[0078] The main control device 90 controls the overall operation of the sewing system 100 through a transport control device 91, a pickup control device 92, a pre-processing control device 93, and a sewing control device 94. The transport control device 91 controls the tray changer 2, the movable head 32 of the handling unit 3, the towing head 35, and the lift mechanism 37, and controls the operation of loading, unloading, and transporting trays. The pickup control device 92 controls the operation of each transport device 6 of the handling section 3, and transports and positions the sewing workpiece C. The pre-processing control device 93 controls the operation of the pre-processing unit 4 . The sewing control device 94 controls the operation of each part of the sewing device 5.

[0079] [Overall processing of the sewing system by the main control unit] 20 is a flowchart showing the overall operation control from carrying in and out of trays to sewing in the sewing system 100. The overall operation control of the sewing system 100 is executed by the CPU of the main control device 90 in accordance with a comprehensive operation control program. The main control device 90 inputs various commands and various data related to their execution to each of the other control devices 91 to 94 in turn, and causes a series of sewing processes to be carried out in cooperation with the tray changer 2, handling unit 3, pre-processing unit 4 and sewing device 5.

[0080] First, the main control device 90 (its CPU) transfers a predetermined template 12 stored in the basket 22 of the tray changer 2 to the handling unit 3 via the transfer control device 91 (step S1). Similarly, the main control device 90 controls the transport control device 91 to carry out the tray T1 on which the parts C2 to be sewn are prepared to the handling unit 3 (step S3).

[0081] Next, the main control device 90 controls each transport device 6 of the handling unit 3 via the pickup control device 92 to transport the parts C2 on the tray T1 to the pre-processing unit 4 (step S5). Then, the preprocessing control device 93 causes the preprocessing unit 4 to execute preprocessing on the part C2 (step S7). The tray T1 may be removed and the parts C2 may be transported to the pre-processing unit 4 before the template 12 is removed.

[0082] Next, the main control device 90 controls the transfer control device 91 to convey the tray T1 on which the body fabric C1 is prepared from the tray changer 2 to the handling section 3 (step S9). Then, the main control device 90 places the body fabric C1 at a predetermined position on the template 12 via the pickup control device 92 (step S11). Furthermore, main control device 90 places part C2, which has been preprocessed by preprocessing unit 4, at a predetermined position on template 12 via pickup control device 92 (step S13). Next, the main control device 90 controls the transfer control device 91 to transfer the lid 13 from the tray changer 2 to the handling unit 3 (step S15).

[0083] 21 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which, from the bottom up, the template 12, body fabric C1, part C2, and lid 13 are stacked. As shown in the figure, the body fabric C1 and part C2 are placed in a stacked state on the template 12, and the lid 13 placed on top of them presses down the body fabric C1 and part C2, making them ready for sewing. The main control device 90 controls the transfer control device 91 to transfer the template 12 on which the body fabric C1, parts C2, and lid 13 are loaded, as shown in FIG. 21, to the sewing device 5 (step S17). Furthermore, the main control device 90 inputs sewing commands and sewing pattern data, which are setting data for the commands, to the sewing control device 94, and causes the sewing control device 94 to execute sewing (step S19).

[0084] When the sewing is completed, the main control device 90 controls the transfer control device 91 to transfer the template 12 to the handling unit 3 (step S21). Then, the transfer control device 91 stores the lid 13 in the tray changer 2 (step S23). Furthermore, the main control device 90 controls the transport control device 91 to transport the tray T2 to the handling section 3, and controls the pickup control device 92 to place the sewn finished product C3 on the tray T2 and store the tray T2 in the tray changer 2 (step S25). Then, the main control device 90 stores the template 12 in the tray changer 2 through the transport control device 91 (step S27), and the series of sewing processes is completed. It is also possible to restart the processing of steps S3 to S27 and start a new sewing process without storing the template 12.

[0085] [Transport control device controls transport of templates to the sewing device] 22 is a flowchart showing specific operation control from when the template 12 is carried out from the tray changer 2 to when it is carried into the sewing device 5. The operation control for carrying out and carrying in the template 12 is executed by the CPU of the transfer control device 91 in accordance with an operation control program.

[0086] Based on instructions from the main control device 90, the transport control device 91 (its CPU) controls the lifting mechanism 23 of the tray changer 2 to align the step where a specific template 12 is stored in the basket 22 with the height of the inner guide rail 33 of the handling unit 3, and controls the movable head 32 to transport the template 12 to the working area on the inner guide rail 33 (step S31).

[0087] Next, based on instructions from the main control device 90, the transport control device 91 controls the lifting mechanism 23 of the tray changer 2 to align the step in the basket 22 where the specific tray T1 on which the part C2 is prepared is stored with the height of the outer guide rail 34 of the handling unit 3, and controls the pulling head 35 to pull out the tray T1 onto the outer guide rail 34 (step S33).

[0088] Thereafter, based on a command from the main control device 90, each transport device 6 transports the part C2 on the tray T1 to the pre-processing unit 4. The transport control device 91 enters a standby state while checking whether or not there is a notification from the pickup control device 92 that the transport of the part C2 has been completed (step S35). Then, upon receiving a notification that the part C2 has been carried out, the transfer control device 91 controls the traction head 35 to return the tray T1 to the basket 22 and store it therein (step S37).

[0089] Next, based on instructions from the main control device 90, the transport control device 91 controls the lifting mechanism 23 of the tray changer 2 to align the step in the basket 22 where the specific tray T1 on which the body fabric C1 is prepared is stored with the height of the outer guide rail 34 of the handling unit 3, and controls the pulling head 35 to pull out the tray T1 onto the outer guide rail 34 (step S39).

[0090] Thereafter, based on a command from the main control device 90, each conveying device 6 places the body fabric C1 on the tray T1 on the template 12. The conveying control device 91 enters a standby state while checking whether or not there is a notification from the pickup control device 92 that the placement of the body fabric C1 has been completed (step S41). Then, upon receiving a notification that the placement of the body fabric C1 has been completed, the transport control device 91 controls the traction head 35 to return and store the tray T1 inside the basket 22 (step S43).

[0091] Meanwhile, based on instructions from the main control device 90, the parts C2 sent to the pre-processing unit 4 are pre-processed and then placed by each transport device 6 at a predetermined target position on the body fabric C1 placed on the template 12. The transport control device 91 goes into a standby state while checking whether or not there is a notification from the pickup control device 92 that the placement of parts C2 has been completed (step S45). Then, upon receiving notification that placement of part C2 has been completed, the transport control device 91 controls the lifting mechanism 23 of the tray changer 2 to align the step where the specific lid 13 is stored in the basket 22 with the height of the outer guide rail 34 of the handling unit 3, and controls the pulling head 35 to pull out the lid 13 onto the outer guide rail 34 (step S47).Furthermore, it controls the lift mechanism 37 to lower the lid 13 onto the template 12 in the work area and attach it (step S49).

[0092] Thereafter, based on instructions from the main control device 90, the movable head 32 is controlled to transport the template 12 loaded with the body fabric C1, part C2 and lid 13 shown in FIG. 21 to the waiting area on the sewing device 5 side, and control of the delivery of the template 12 to the sewing device 5 is terminated (step S51).

[0093] [Template recovery control by transport control device] 23 is a flowchart showing specific operation control up to collection of the template 12 from the sewing device 5 to the tray changer 2. The operation control for carrying in and out the template 12 is executed by the CPU of the transfer control device 91 in accordance with an operation control program.

[0094] Based on instructions from the main control device 90, the transport control device 91 (its CPU) controls the movable head 32 to receive the completed sewing template 12 in the waiting area on the sewing device 5 side (step S61), and transports it to the working area on the inner guide rail 33 of the handling section 3 (step S63).

[0095] Then, based on a command from the main control device 90, the transfer control device 91 causes the lift mechanism 37 to pick up the lid 13 attached to the template 12 (step S65). Furthermore, it controls the lifting mechanism 23 of the tray changer 2 to align the step portion for storing the lid 13 in the basket 22 with the height of the outer guide rail 34 of the handling unit 3, and controls the traction head 35 to store the lid 13 in the step portion of the basket 22 (step S67).

[0096] Next, based on instructions from the main control device 90, the transport control device 91 controls the lifting mechanism 23 of the tray changer 2 to align the step portion storing the tray T2 on which the finished product C3 in the basket 22 is placed with the height of the outer guide rail 34 of the handling section 3, and controls the traction head 35 to pull out the tray T2 onto the outer guide rail 34 (step S69).

[0097] Thereafter, the finished product C3 on the template 12 is transported onto the tray T2 by each transport device 6 based on a command from the main control device 90. The transport control device 91 enters a standby state while checking whether or not there is a notification from the pickup control device 92 that the transport of the finished product C3 has been completed (step S71). Then, upon receiving a notification that the transport of the finished product C3 has been completed, the transport control device 91 controls the traction head 35 to return and store the tray T2 inside the basket 22 (step S73).

[0098] Next, based on instructions from the main control device 90, the transport control device 91 controls the lifting mechanism 23 of the tray changer 2 to align the specific step in the basket 22 that stores the template 12 with the height of the inner guide rail 33 of the handling unit 3, and controls the movable head 32 to store the template 12 in the specific step in the basket 22, thereby completing the transport control for recovering the template 12 (step S75).

[0099] [Pickup control device configuration] 2, the pickup control device 92 has a relative position acquisition unit 921, a positioning control unit 922, a pick-up control unit 923, and a placement control unit 924. These control units 921 to 924 are functional configurations that are realized by the CPU of the pickup control device 92 executing various programs, but these functional configurations may also be realized by hardware.

[0100] The relative position acquisition unit 921 obtains the relative position between the sewing workpiece C and the suction nozzle 71 of the pickup unit 70 from the image of the sewing workpiece C captured by the camera 61 . 11, the pickup mechanism 60 is disposed so that, in a plan view, the imaging range p of each of the two cameras 61 includes part of the outer shape of the tip (lower end) of each suction nozzle 71, which absorbs the sewing workpiece C. As a result, the lower end of the corresponding suction nozzle 71 is reflected in the image captured by each camera 61. The pickup control device 92 stores data on the relative positional relationship in a plan view between the camera 61 and the suction nozzle 71 located nearby. When picking up the sewing object C, the main control device 90 provides data on the shape and dimensions of the sewing object C, position data on characteristic points (for example, vertices of corners, centers of holes, etc.) that can be recognized from the outer shape of the sewing object C, and data indicating the relative positional relationship between the target gripping position for gripping (suctioning) the sewing object C and the characteristic points of the sewing object C. The relative position acquisition unit 921 extracts characteristic points of the sewing workpiece C from the image of the sewing workpiece C taken by the camera 61 before picking up, and can identify the target gripping position by the suction nozzle 71 from the characteristic points extracted based on the above-mentioned provided data. Furthermore, the relative position acquisition unit 921 can extract characteristic points of the workpiece C and the lower end of the suction nozzle 71 from the image of the workpiece C captured by the camera 61 after picking up (after suction by the suction nozzle 71, more preferably after gripping by the gripping member 73), and acquire the relative positional relationship between the characteristic points of the workpiece C and the lower end of the suction nozzle 71. This makes it possible to more accurately detect the actual gripping position of the suction nozzle 71 relative to the workpiece C. Even if the target gripping position is identified by capturing an image before picking up the sewing workpiece C and the sewing workpiece C is gripped, various factors may cause the sewing workpiece C to shift from the lower end of the suction nozzle 71. Therefore, by capturing an image after picking up the sewing workpiece C, the actual gripping position of the suction nozzle 71 can be detected with greater accuracy, allowing the sewing workpiece C to be positioned with greater accuracy thereafter.

[0101] The positioning control unit 922 controls the robot arm 36 to position and place the sewing workpiece C at the target placement position, taking into consideration the relative position obtained by the relative position obtaining unit 921 . Here, placing the sewing object C at the target placement position means, for example, (1) placing the sewing object C so that the reference point (which may be the characteristic point mentioned above) of the sewing object C matches the target point set on the surface on which the sewing object C is to be placed, and so that the sewing object C is oriented in the target direction. Or, (2) two or more reference points (which may be the characteristic points described above) are provided on the sewing object C. This indicates that the sewing object C is placed so that it coincides with the same number of target points set on the surface on which it is placed.

[0102] The robot arm 36 can accurately position the suction nozzle 71 of the pickup mechanism 60 within the reach of its tip. The relative position acquisition unit 921 can accurately determine the relative position between the characteristic points of the workpiece C and the actual gripping position of the suction nozzle 71. Therefore, the positioning control unit 922 can accurately position and place the workpiece C at the placement target position by positioning each suction nozzle 71 so that multiple characteristic points (or reference points, the same applies hereinafter) of the workpiece C match their respective target points.

[0103] When the workpiece C is picked up by the pickup mechanisms 60 of the two conveying devices 6, the pickup control section 923 first sucks one end and the other end of the workpiece C with the suction nozzle 71 of one pickup mechanism 60 and the suction nozzle 71 of the other pickup mechanism 60, respectively. Then, by operating one or both of the conveying devices 6, the one pickup mechanism 60 and the other pickup mechanism 60 move relatively closer to each other to loosen the workpiece C, and then controls each conveying device 6 so that the gripping members 73 grip the respective suction nozzles 71.

[0104] 24(A) to 24(D) are operation explanatory diagrams sequentially showing the operation of the take-up control section 923 for taking up the sewing material C. FIG. The pick-up control is performed by two transport devices 6, and the pickup mechanism 60 held by each transport device 6 is equipped with two suction nozzles 71 and two gripping members 73. 24(A) to 24(D), the robot arm 36 is not shown. Furthermore, the two suction nozzles 71 and two gripping members 73 held by each pickup mechanism 60 are oriented in an overlapping arrangement when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the paper surface (the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the sewing workpiece C), so only one suction nozzle 71 and one gripping member 73 are shown for each pickup mechanism 60.

[0105] In the pick-up control of the sewing workpiece C by the pick-up control unit 923, first, as shown in Figure 24 (A), the suction nozzle 71 of each pickup mechanism 60 descends toward the sewing workpiece C and adsorbs it in a pressed state relative to the target gripping position of each suction nozzle 71, and then the suction nozzle 71 of one of the pickup mechanisms 60 is raised and moved away from the placement surface of the sewing workpiece C. Although the suction nozzles 71 of the two pickup mechanisms 60 may be raised simultaneously, it is possible to stably pick up the sewing material C by having the suction nozzle 71 of one pickup mechanism 60 press and hold the other end of the sewing material C when the suction nozzle 71 of the other pickup mechanism 60 is raised.

[0106] 24(B), one of the pickup mechanisms 60 that has been lifted first is moved by the robot arm 36 toward the other pickup mechanism 60 to slacken the workpiece C. This allows the tension to be released even if tension is generated in the longitudinal direction of the workpiece C due to the lifting. Alternatively, the suction nozzle 71 of one pickup mechanism 60 and the suction nozzle 71 of the other pickup mechanism 60 may both be raised, and both pickup mechanisms 60 may be moved closer to each other.

[0107] Then, as shown in FIG. 24(C), with the tension on the sewing material C released, the gripping member 73 grips one end of the sewing material C with respect to the suction nozzle 71 of one of the pickup mechanisms 60. In the other pickup mechanism 60, the suction nozzle 71 is raised and the gripping member 73 grips the other end of the sewing workpiece C in a state where the sewing workpiece C is loose.

[0108] 24(D), one of the pickup mechanisms 60 is returned to the position it was in before it was moved closer to the other pickup mechanism 60. If the other pickup mechanism 60 has also been moved closer to the one of the pickup mechanisms 60, the other pickup mechanism 60 is also returned to the position it was in before it was moved closer to the other pickup mechanism 60. This eliminates slack in the sewing material C. Then, the workpiece C is transported to the target placement position by the cooperation of the two transport devices 6. At this time, the slack in the workpiece C has been eliminated, so the workpiece C can be transported to the target placement position without dragging the slack portion.

[0109] In the pick-up control of the sewing material C by the pick-up control unit 923, the sewing material C is loosened before being gripped by the gripping member 73, thereby eliminating the influence of tension on the sewing material C when gripping, thereby enabling proper gripping. Furthermore, if the gripping member 73 grips the sewing material C while the material C is under the influence of tension, there is a risk that the gripping position may shift due to the influence of the residual tension when the gripping state is released, but this shift can be suppressed.

[0110] When placing the sewing material C picked up by each pickup mechanism 60 at the target placement position, the placement control unit 924 controls each conveying device 6 so that, in each robot arm 36, one pickup mechanism 60 and the other pickup mechanism 60 move closer to each other to loosen the sewing material C, and then releases the gripping by each gripping member 73, and further controls each conveying device 6 so that the slack in the sewing material C is eliminated before placing the sewing material C at the target placement position.

[0111] 25(A) to 25(C) are operation explanatory diagrams sequentially illustrating the operation of the placement control section 924 for controlling the placement of the sewing workpiece C. FIG. The placement control is also performed by the two transport devices 6. In this case, the robot arm 36 is not shown in Figures 25(A) to 25(C), and only one of the two suction nozzles 71 and two gripping members 73 held by each pickup mechanism 60 is shown.

[0112] 25A, in the placement control of the workpiece C by the placement control unit 924, first, each robot arm 36 positions each suction nozzle 71 of each pickup mechanism 60 at a target position for positioning the workpiece C at the target placement position. Note that each target position here refers to a position where each suction nozzle 71 is positioned so that multiple feature points of the workpiece C match each target point. 25(B), the pickup mechanisms 60 move relatively closer to each other. This figure illustrates an example in which both pickup mechanisms 60 move in directions approaching each other, but only one pickup mechanism 60 may move toward the other pickup mechanism 60. This causes slack in the sewing material C. The relative approaching movement of each pickup mechanism 60 may be such that the slack portion of the sewing material C comes into contact with the placement surface. Then, while maintaining the suction state of each suction nozzle 71, the gripping state of each gripping member 73 is released.

[0113] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 25(C), the pickup mechanisms 60 are returned to the positions they were in before they were brought close to each other, and the suction nozzles 71 are lowered until they reach the placement surface. This removes any looseness from the sewing work C. Then, the suction state of each suction nozzle 71 is released, and the sewing work C is thereby placed at the placement target position.

[0114] In the positioning control of the sewing workpiece C by the positioning control unit 924, the sewing workpiece C is loosened before being released from the gripping member 73, thereby eliminating the influence of tension on the sewing workpiece C when the gripping member 73 is released. Then, the suction nozzles 71 are released from their gripping state, and are moved to the target gripping position to release the suction state, so that the sewing workpiece C can be placed at the placement target position with high accuracy.

[0115] Although the above-described pick-up control by the pick-up control unit 923 and the placement control by the placement control unit 924 are performed by two robot arms 36 holding the pick-up mechanisms 60, the number of robot arms 36 holding the pick-up mechanisms 60 may be three or more. In this case, the pick-up control or placement control may be performed between the robot arm 36 holding the pick-up mechanism 60 gripping one end of the sewing workpiece C and the robot arm 36 holding the pick-up mechanism 60 gripping the other end. 7, in the case of a large sewing item such as body fabric C1, transportation and placement are performed using three or more robot arms 36. In this case, the pick-up control or placement control is performed between one robot arm 36 that grips the left end of the body fabric C1 with a pickup mechanism 60 and two robot arms 36 that grip the right end of the body fabric C1 with their pickup mechanisms 60.

[0116] [Pickup control device controls operations from picking up the sewing material to placing it] 26 is a flowchart showing specific operation control (hereinafter referred to as transport and placement control) of transporting and placing the sewing work C from a predetermined gripping position where the sewing work C is received to a placement target position by the plurality of transport devices 6. This transport and placement control is operation control for the two transport devices 6 shown in the flowchart, and is executed by the CPU of the pickup control device 92 in accordance with an operation control program. This transport and placement control is performed, for example, by the main control device 90 in steps S5, S11, S13, and S25 in the flowchart of FIG. 20, in each case from picking up to placing the body fabric C1, parts C2, or finished product C3.

[0117] The transport arrangement control is suitable for the case where one piece of sewing material C is transported by two transport devices 6. In addition, this transport arrangement control is applied, for example, to the case where the sewing material C (part C2) shown by the solid line in Fig. 7 is transported by two transport devices 6 arranged on the right side. In the conveyance arrangement control, the pickup mechanisms 60 of each conveying device 6 grip, for example, one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the sewing material C. In this case, the two pickup mechanisms 60 are arranged with their front surfaces facing each other, or their rear surfaces facing each other, or their front surfaces facing each other. Each pickup mechanism 60 has two suction nozzles 71, and grips the vicinity of both corners at one end or the other end of the sewing work C with the respective suction nozzles 71. Therefore, the pickup mechanism 60 adjusts the distance between the two pickup sections 70 by the variable mechanism 65 so that the pickup mechanism 60 can grip the vicinity of both corners at one end or the other end of the sewing work C. The adjustment operation by the variable mechanism 65 may be performed in advance before the start of the transport and placement control, or may be performed after the start of the transport and placement control but before gripping.

[0118] Based on instructions from the main control unit 90, the pickup control unit 92 (CPU) controls each conveying device 6 to move each pickup mechanism 60 to above the target gripping position individually determined within the outline of the sewing workpiece C for the two suction nozzles 71 of each pickup mechanism 60 (step S81). At this time, data such as the coordinates of the location where the sewing workpiece C to be picked up is placed, the target gripping position within the outline of the sewing workpiece C, and the relative positional relationship between the target gripping position and characteristic points recognizable from the outline of the sewing workpiece C (e.g., vertices of corners, centers of holes, etc.) are provided in advance from the main control unit 90 to the pickup control unit 92.

[0119] The pickup control device 92 causes the two cameras 61 of the pickup mechanism 60 of each transport device 6 to capture an image of the area around the target gripping position of the workpiece C from above (step S83). The sewing material C may not be placed at the predetermined position with high accuracy, especially when it is placed on the tray T1 by hand. Therefore, the pickup control device 92 captures an image of the area around the target gripping position of the sewing material C using the camera 61, extracts characteristic points such as corners from the captured image, and identifies the target gripping position from the characteristic points.

[0120] From this point onwards, steps S85 to S93 are taken up under the control of the take-up control unit 923 described above.

[0121] The pick-up control unit 923 controls each robot arm 36 to lower the suction nozzle 71 of each pickup mechanism 60 toward the specified target gripping position to a height where it will come into pressure contact with the specified target gripping position (step S85). As described above, the suction nozzle 71 is elastically supported via the coil spring 713, so the pickup mechanism 60 is lowered to a predetermined height where the coil spring 713 is compressed and a certain pressure force is generated. The suction nozzle 71 is also set to a state in which it can perform suction by ejecting air.

[0122] Then, the suction nozzle 71 of the pickup mechanism 60 of one of the transport devices 6 is raised (step S87: see FIG. 24(A)). Furthermore, the pickup mechanism 60 of one of the transport devices 6 is moved toward the pickup mechanism 60 of the other transport device 6 (step S89: see FIG. 24(B)). Then, the suction nozzle 71 of the pickup mechanism 60 of one of the conveying devices 6 grips the sewing workpiece C with the gripping member 73 (step S91: see FIG. 24(C)). After the gripping operation of the gripping member 73, the pick-up control unit 923 activates the rotary air cylinder 762 of the latch mechanism 76 to hold the suction nozzle 71, which has been pushed up by the regulating member 761, so as not to descend.

[0123] Next, the suction nozzle 71 of the pickup mechanism 60 of the other transport device 6 is raised (step S87). At this time, since the sewing material C has already become loose, the operation of moving the pickup mechanism 60 of the other conveying device 6 toward the pickup mechanism 60 of the one conveying device 6 may be omitted (step S89). Then, the suction nozzle 71 of the pickup mechanism 60 of the other conveying device 6 grips the sewing workpiece C with the gripping member 73 (step S91: see FIG. 24(C)). In the case of the pickup mechanism 60 of the other transport device 6, the suction nozzle 71 pushed up by the latch mechanism 76 is also held so as not to fall.

[0124] As described above, the processing from steps S87 to S91 may be performed by delaying the operation of one transport device 6 relative to the other transport device 6, or may be performed simultaneously for the two transport devices 6 in parallel.

[0125] Next, for each of the transport devices 6, the pickup mechanisms 60 are returned to the positions they were in before the sewing workpiece C was loosened (step S93: see FIG. 24(D)).

[0126] Next, the camera 61 of each pickup mechanism 60 captures an image of the area including the suction nozzle 71 and the characteristic points of the sucked sewing workpiece C (step S95). At this time, the pickup control device 92 controls the correction nozzle 77 to an air ejection state. This allows the outer edge of the sewing workpiece C held by the suction nozzle 71 and the gripping member 73 to extend horizontally even if it has drooped due to its own weight. Therefore, the characteristic points and the position of the outer edge of the sewing workpiece C can be detected with high accuracy from the captured image, and the relative positional relationship between the sewing workpiece C and the suction nozzle 71 can be determined with high accuracy.

[0127] Furthermore, as mentioned above, when the gripping member 73 grips the sewing material C with the lower end of the suction nozzle 71, the height of the lower end of the suction nozzle 71 coincides with the focal position of the camera 61, so that the gripped sewing material C and the lower end of the suction nozzle 71 can be imaged more clearly.

[0128] From the images captured by each camera 61 at this time, the relative position acquisition unit 921 extracts the characteristic points of the sewing workpiece C and the lower end of the suction nozzle 71, and acquires the relative positional relationship between the characteristic points of the sewing workpiece C and the lower end of the suction nozzle 71.

[0129] Next, the pickup control device 92 controls each robot arm 36 to raise each pickup mechanism 60 to a predetermined conveying height (step S97). This conveying height is, for example, a height at which the pickup mechanism 60 and the gripped sewing workpiece C do not come into contact with other components within the movable range of the robot arm 36.

[0130] Furthermore, the pickup control device 92 controls each robot arm 36 to transport each pickup mechanism 60 to the target placement position of the sewing workpiece C (step S99). At this time, the positioning control section 922 controls each robot arm 36 to position each suction nozzle 71 at the target position where it should be positioned so that each feature point of the sewing workpiece C coincides with each target point. In step S95, the relative position acquisition unit 921 acquires the relative positional relationship between each characteristic point of the sewing workpiece C and the lower end of each suction nozzle 71. Therefore, the positioning control unit 922 can calculate the target position at which each suction nozzle 71 should be positioned, based on the position of each target point with which each characteristic point of the sewing workpiece C is to be matched and the relative positional relationship between each characteristic point of the sewing workpiece C and the lower end of each suction nozzle 71. Therefore, by positioning each suction nozzle 71 at the target position, the sewing workpiece C can be placed at the target placement position.

[0131] Steps S99 to S109, including step S99, are placement control steps performed by the placement control unit 924 described above.

[0132] Each transport device 6 is in the state shown in FIG. 25(A). The placement control section 924 controls the robot arm 36 of one of the transport devices 6 to move the pickup mechanism 60 toward the other pickup mechanism 60 (step S101: see FIG. 25(B)). As a result, the sewing material C becomes loose. At the same time, the robot arm 36 of the other transport device 6 may be controlled to move the pickup mechanism 60 closer to the one pickup mechanism 60 side. Then, the suction nozzles 71 of the pickup mechanisms 60 of both transport devices 6 are released from the gripping state of the gripping members 73 (step S103).

[0133] Next, for each conveying device 6, each pickup mechanism 60 is returned to the position before the sewing workpiece C was loosened (step S105: see FIG. 25(C)). As a result, each suction nozzle 71 of each pickup mechanism 60 is returned to the target position where each suction nozzle 71 should be positioned. Then, the suction nozzles 71 of the pickup mechanisms 60 of both conveying devices 6 are lowered toward the surface on which the sewing workpiece C is placed (step S107). After the suction nozzles 71 are lowered to a height at which the lower end portions thereof come into contact with the surface on which the sewing workpiece C is placed, the suction state of the suction nozzles 71 is released (step S109). As a result, the sewing workpiece C is accurately placed at the target placement position.

[0134] Then, for each conveying device 6, the pickup mechanism 60 is raised to a predetermined height, and the rotary air cylinder 762 of the latch mechanism 76 is controlled to rotate the regulating member 761, releasing the regulated state and lowering the suction nozzle 71. Furthermore, the pickup control device 92 causes the camera 61 of each transport device 6 to take an image of the placed sewing workpiece C (step S111), and ends the transport and placement control.

[0135] The pickup control device 92 extracts each feature point of the sewing workpiece C from the captured image at this time and determines the degree of coincidence with the position of the corresponding target point. The pickup control device 92 may record the determination result regarding the placement of the sewing workpiece C or may output it to an external device. Also, a display device for displaying the determination result may be provided. Furthermore, the latch mechanism 76 of each transport device 6 may be released after the image capture in step S111 is performed.

[0136] [Operation control of pre-processing section by pre-processing control device] The operation of the preprocessing unit 4 is controlled by a CPU of a preprocessing control device 93 in accordance with an operation control program.

[0137] The part C2 as the sewing object is placed at a predetermined position on the work table 41 of the pre-processing section 4 by the conveying device 6 of the handling section 3. For ease of explanation, it is assumed here that one end of the part C2 placed on the workbench 41 faces forward and the other end faces backward.

[0138] The pre-processing control device 93 controls one of the robot arms 42 to have an end effector that performs the folding process pick up one end of part C2. The end effector that performs the folding process may be a pickup mechanism 60 or the like that is suitable for picking up one end of part C2. The pre-processing control device 93 controls the robot arm 42 to lift the part C2 to a height where the other end of the part C2 hangs down and slightly touches the work surface of the work table 41 while maintaining one end of the part C2 in a horizontal position. The robot arm 42 then moves the part C2 diagonally downward and rearward. As a result, the other end of the part C2 is folded forward. The workpiece C then continues to move diagonally downward and rearward until the one end of the part C2 approaches the work surface of the work table 41, thereby folding the one end of the part C2. Furthermore, the pre-processing control device 93 controls the other robot arm 42 to form a crease with an iron in a portion of the front end of the part C2 that avoids the portion gripped by the end effector of the one robot arm 42. Next, the gripping state by the end effector of one robot arm 42 is released, and the remaining portion of the front end of part C2 is also folded by the iron of the other robot arm 42. Next, the pre-processing control device 93 controls one of the robot arms 42 to place the part C2, for which pre-processing for crease formation has been completed, in a fixed position (e.g., the original position) on the work table 41, notifies the main control device 90 of the completion of pre-processing, and terminates the operation control of the pre-processing unit 4.

[0139] The end effector for forming the fold is not limited to the above configuration, and may have any configuration that is capable of forming a fold in the part C2. For example, a fork with two extensions may be used. One end of part C2 can be inserted between the two extensions of the fork and then turned 180° around the axis along the extensions to fold back one end of part C2.

[0140] [Configuration of sewing control device] 3, the sewing control device 94 has a sewing control unit 941 and a turning control unit 942. These control units 941 and 942 are functional configurations that are realized by the CPU of the sewing control device 94 executing various programs, but these functional configurations may also be realized by hardware.

[0141] The sewing control unit 941 controls the first to third moving mechanisms 54, 56, 57 based on the sewing pattern data so that the needles drop at the plurality of needle drop positions on the sewing workpiece C in order. The sewing pattern data is data in which the position coordinates of a plurality of needle drop positions along a two-dimensional pattern to be formed on the sewing workpiece C are recorded in order, and is provided from the main control device 90 to the sewing control device 94. The sewing control unit 941 calculates the amount of left-right movement of the needle and the shuttle by the first and third movement mechanisms 54, 57 and the amount of front-to-rear movement of the template 12 by the second movement mechanism 56, based on the difference between the two-dimensional coordinates of the read next needle position and the two-dimensional coordinates of the current needle position. Then, the sewing control unit 941 controls the first and third movement mechanisms 54, 57 so that the needle and the shuttle move by the calculated amount of left-to-right movement. Similarly, the sewing control unit 941 controls the second movement mechanism 56 so that the template 12 moves by the calculated amount of front-to-rear movement.

[0142] As described above, the turning control unit 942 controls the turning mechanism 55 and the shuttle turning mechanism 595 to keep the orientation of the sewing needle, etc., within an appropriate angle range relative to the sewing progress direction, thereby avoiding hitch stitches and enabling the formation of perfect stitches. For this reason, the turning control unit 942 reads the two-dimensional coordinates of the needle drop position for each stitch from the sewing pattern data, and calculates the relative moving direction of the needle and the shuttle with respect to the sewing workpiece C from the difference from the current needle drop position. Then, the turning control unit 942 turns the needle and the shuttle by the turning mechanism 55 and the shuttle turning mechanism 595 so that the needle and the shuttle are oriented in a direction within an appropriate angle range (an angle range that can avoid a hitch stitch, more preferably an angle range that can form a perfect stitch) with respect to the relative moving direction of the needle and the shuttle.

[0143] The sewing unit 52 is supported by the support frame 53 via the first moving mechanism 54. The sewing unit 52 is rotated around a vertical axis by the rotating mechanism 55. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 27, if the sewing unit 52 is rotated near the first frame 531 and the second frame 532 of the support frame 53, there is a risk of interference such as collision or contact with the first frame 531 or the second frame 532.

[0144] For this reason, as shown in Figure 28, the rotation control unit 942 is configured to divide in advance the entire range of horizontal movement of the sewing unit 52 by the first moving mechanism 54 into a first interference range W1, a second interference range W2, and a non-interference range W3, and to store the range of horizontal coordinate values ​​of the needle drop positions belonging to each range as control data. Here, the first interference range W1 is a range in which the sewn portion 52 may interfere with the first frame 531 when it rotates. The second interference range W2 is a range in which the sewn portion 52 may interfere with the second frame 532 when it rotates. The non-interference range W3 is a range in which the sewing unit 52 does not interfere with either the first frame 531 or the second frame 532 no matter in what direction it turns. It is preferable that both the first interference range W1 and the second interference range W2 be set to be wider with some margin.

[0145] Then, if the left-right coordinate value indicated by the next needle drop position read from the sewing pattern data falls within the non-interference range W3, the rotation control unit 942 performs a rotation operation in accordance with the principle so that the needle and the shuttle are within an appropriate angle range with respect to the relative direction of travel of the needle and the shuttle. In addition, the rotation control unit 942 restricts the rotation of the needle and the shuttle when the left-right coordinate value indicated by the next needle drop position read from the sewing pattern data belongs to the first interference range W1 or the second interference range W2. In this case, the turning operation is preferably restricted by, for example, directing the sewn portion 52 in a predetermined direction so that it does not interfere with the first frame 531 or the second frame 532, as shown in FIG.

[0146] Also, as shown in Figure 29, even if the sewing portion 52 is within the first interference range W1 or the second interference range W2, it may not interfere with the first frame 531 or the second frame 532 as long as it is within a portion of the rotation angle range R shown in the figure. Therefore, the rotation control unit 942 may make a determination to regulate rotation not only based on whether the left-right coordinate value indicated by the next needle drop position read from the sewing pattern data belongs to the first interference range W1 or the second interference range W2, but also by taking into account the angle range of the rotational movement of the sewing needle and the shuttle. That is, when the next needle drop position falls within the first interference range W1 or the second interference range W2, it is further determined whether or not the entire angle range for the pivoting operation to set the needle and the shuttle in the appropriate orientation based on the relative moving directions of the needle and the shuttle is within the pivot angle range R. If even a part of the angle range for the pivoting operation falls outside the pivot angle range R, it may be determined that this is an angle range in which interference may occur, and the aforementioned restriction of the pivoting operation may be carried out.

[0147] [Operation control of sewing device by sewing control device] 30 is a flowchart showing a specific operation control of the sewing device 5 by the sewing control device 94. This sewing operation control is executed by the CPU of the sewing control device 94 in accordance with an operation control program.

[0148] The sewing control unit 941 of the sewing control device 94 controls the second moving mechanism 56 to hold the template 12 prepared in the standby area by the transport head 561 (step S121). Next, the sewing control unit 941 drives the drive sources of the sewing unit 52 and the shuttle mechanism 59 to start the sewing operation (step S123). The sewing control unit 941 reads the coordinates of the next needle drop position from the sewing pattern data (step S125), calculates the relative movement direction of the needle and the shuttle relative to the sewing workpiece C (template 12) based on the difference from the current position coordinates, and identifies the appropriate orientation of the needle and the shuttle based on this (step S127).

[0149] Next, the turning control section 942 determines whether or not the next needle drop point satisfies the turning restriction condition (step S129). The turning restriction condition is satisfied when the next needle drop position in the left-right direction belongs to the first interference range W1 or the second interference range W2 in FIG. 28 (hereinafter referred to as the "first condition"). Furthermore, when the rotation angle of the sewing unit 52 is also taken into consideration as a rotation restriction condition, in addition to satisfying the first condition, the rotation angle range from the current orientation of the needle and the hook to the appropriate orientation determined in step S127 must be at least partially outside the rotation angle range R shown in Figure 29 (referred to as the "second condition").

[0150] When the rotation restriction condition is satisfied, the rotation control unit 942 restricts rotation by fixing the needle and the shuttle in a predetermined orientation, as shown in Fig. 28. At the same time, the sewing control unit 941 moves the needle, the shuttle, and the template 12 to the next needle drop position (step S131). Furthermore, if the rotation restriction condition is not satisfied, the rotation control unit 942 rotates the needle and the shuttle to the appropriate orientation. At the same time, the sewing control unit 941 moves the needle, the shuttle, and the template 12 to the next needle drop position (step S133).

[0151] Furthermore, the sewing control unit 941 determines whether or not the needle drop has been completed up to the final stitch based on the sewing pattern data (step S135). If the final stitch has not been reached, the process returns to step S125 to read the next needle drop position. When the final stitch is reached, the sewing unit 52 and the shuttle mechanism 59 are stopped to terminate the sewing operation (step S137). Then, the sewing control unit 941 controls the second moving mechanism 56 to transport the template 12 to the standby area (step S139), and ends the sewing operation control.

[0152] If a new template 12 for the next sewing operation is already prepared in the standby area, the sewing control device 94 controls the lift mechanism 58 to move the new template 12 in the standby area upward, and then passes the template 12 for which sewing has been completed underneath it, thereby replacing the template 12.

[0153] [Technical Effects of the Embodiments of the Invention] The sewing system 100 includes a tray changer 2 that stores a plurality of trays T1, T2 on which templates 12 and sewing objects C are placed, and that can select and remove some of the trays, and a handling unit 3 that transfers the sewing objects C from the tray T1 to the pre-processing unit 4, positions the sewing objects C on the templates 12, and transports the templates 12 to the sewing device 5. Therefore, the workpieces C can be supplied to the sewing process in accordance with the storage capacity of the tray changer 2, and efficient sewing can be repeatedly performed.

[0154] In addition, the tray changer 2 also stores the lid 13 of the template 12 and makes the lid 13 removable and retractable, so that sewing can be performed with the lid 13 holding the workpiece C on the template 12, making it possible to efficiently perform a wide variety of sewing operations.

[0155] In addition, the handling unit 3 transfers the template 12 on which the sewing material C is placed to the sewing device 5, so all processes from preparing the template 12 and the sewing material C to completing sewing can be carried out continuously, making it possible to repeatedly perform continuous and efficient sewing.

[0156] In addition, the pickup control device 92, which controls the conveying device 6 of the handling section 3, is equipped with a relative position acquisition section 921 that determines the relative position between the workpiece C and the suction nozzle 71 of the pickup section 70 from the image of the workpiece C captured by the camera 61, and a positioning control section 922 that controls the robot arm 36 to position the workpiece C at the target placement position, taking into account the determined relative position. Therefore, even if the sewing workpiece C is misaligned with respect to the suction nozzle 71 before the image is captured, the relative position between the sewing workpiece C and the suction nozzle 71 can be determined. Therefore, if the suction nozzle 71 is accurately positioned at the target position on the placement surface on which the sewing workpiece C is to be placed, the sewing workpiece C can also be placed at the target placement position with high accuracy. As a result, high-quality sewing can also be performed.

[0157] In addition, the pickup section 70 of the conveying device 6 has the focal position of the camera 61 set at the height of the lower end of the suction nozzle 71, so that the sewing material C sucked by the suction nozzle 71 and the lower end of the suction nozzle 71 can be clearly imaged, making it possible to accurately detect their relative positions. In particular, the focal position of the camera 61 is set to the height of the lower end of the suction nozzle 71 pushed up by the gripping member 73, so that the workpiece C being gripped by the lower end of the suction nozzle 71 and the lower end of the suction nozzle 71 can be clearly imaged, making it possible to accurately detect the relative positions in the gripping state.

[0158] In addition, the pickup mechanism 60 of the conveying device 6 has a first unit 80A and a second unit 80B each having a pickup section 70 and a camera 61, and further includes a variable mechanism 65 for changing the distance between the first unit 80A and the second unit 80B. Therefore, the sewing workpiece C can be sucked and held by the two suction nozzles 71, the distance between which can be changed, and sewing workpieces C of various sizes can be held well.

[0159] In addition, the conveying device 6 is controlled by the pick-up control unit 923 so that one and the other pick-up mechanisms 60 held by the two robot arms 36 suck and hold one end and the other end of the sewn material C with the suction nozzles 71, respectively, and then the one and the other pick-up mechanisms 60 move in directions that bring them closer to each other to loosen the sewn material C before it is gripped by the gripping members 73. This prevents the sewing material C from being gripped under tension and prevents the sewing material C from shifting relative to the suction nozzle 71 until the sewing material C is completely positioned, making it possible to accurately position the sewing material C at the target position. Furthermore, since the tension can be canceled by the slack of the sewing material C, it is possible to ensure a sufficient gripping allowance for the gripping members 73.

[0160] In addition, the conveying device 6 is controlled by the placement control unit 924 to move each pickup mechanism 60 in each robot arm 36 in the approaching direction to loosen the sewing material C, then release the grip of each gripping member 73, and further to eliminate the slack in the sewing material C before placing the sewing material C at the target placement position using each suction nozzle 71. This prevents the sewing material C from being released while tension is applied to the sewing material C, causing the sewing material C to shift relative to the suction nozzle 71, and makes it possible to accurately position the sewing material C at the target placement position.

[0161] In addition, the sewing device 5 of the sewing system 100 is controlled by the rotation control unit 942 to restrict the rotation movement of the sewing unit 52 by the rotation mechanism 55 when the sewing unit 52 enters the interference ranges W1 and W2 within the movement range of the sewing unit 52 by the first moving mechanism 54, where the rotation of the sewing unit 52 may cause interference with the support frame. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the sewn portion 52 from interfering with the support frame 53 due to its rotation.

[0162] In addition, the rotation control unit 942 can also be configured to regulate the rotation operation of the rotation mechanism 55, taking into account the possibility that part of the angle range of the rotation operation of the sewing unit 52 may fall within an angle range in which the sewing unit 52 may interfere with the support frame 53. In this case, it is possible to widen the range of relative movement of the sewing needle and the hook relative to the workpiece C in which the pivoting operation for optimizing the stitching is performed, and it becomes possible to perform proper sewing over a wider range while minimizing interference between the sewing section 52 and the support frame 53.

[0163] Furthermore, when the sewing unit 52 falls within the interference ranges W1 and W2, the turning control unit 942 controls the sewing unit 52 to face in a predetermined direction. This makes it possible to simplify the calculations for operating and controlling the turning mechanism 55 of the sewing unit 52, and to perform stable operation control.

[0164] In addition, since the second moving mechanism 56 moves the sewing material C in a direction perpendicular to the first moving mechanism 54, sewing can be easily performed using sewing pattern data based on a Cartesian coordinate system, making it possible to achieve good sewing.

[0165] [Other examples of conveying devices and conveying methods] The conveying device 6 captures an image of the sewing workpiece C with the camera 61 to pick up and place the sewing workpiece C, and acquires the relative positional relationship between the sewing workpiece C and the suction nozzle 71. In this case, it is essential to accurately detect the outer edge of the sewing workpiece C. However, the sewing object C may be deformed as shown in FIG. 31(A). Alternatively, the sewing object C may have a color or brightness similar to that of the background as shown in FIG. 32(A). Furthermore, the overlapping portions of the sewing object C may have a similar color or brightness as shown in FIG. 33(A). Due to the above factors, or other factors, it may be difficult to detect the outer edge of the sewing object C from the captured image. In such cases, it may be difficult to accurately detect the relative positional relationship between the sewing object C and the suction nozzle 71, which may make it difficult to accurately position the sewing object at the target position.

[0166] To solve the above problems, it is preferable to attach a marking M that reflects specific invisible light or emits light when irradiated with specific invisible light, as shown in Figures 31(B), 32(B), and 33(B). The specific invisible light refers to light rays that fall outside the wavelength range of 360 to 830 nm, which is the wavelength band of so-called visible light. The marking M is made of a material that reflects or emits light when irradiated with the above invisible light. It is preferable that the marking M can be removed after sewing is completed. For example, it is more preferable that the marking M is made of a material that can be washed off with a specific solvent or water. Examples of materials that meet these conditions include the paint MLCB-10 manufactured by Shinroihi Co., Ltd. and Super Lumi Marker (trademark) manufactured by Mizuho Chemical Co., Ltd. These are water-soluble and removable, and are normally invisible but emit light when irradiated with ultraviolet light.

[0167] It is preferable that the marking M can identify a characteristic point of the sewing object C from its shape and arrangement. For example, if the characteristic point of the sewing object C is the vertex of a corner of the outer edge, the marking M should have a part with the same shape as the corner and be arranged at a certain distance from the outer edge including the corner. Alternatively, the marking M may be attached so as to occupy the corner itself of the sewing object C. Furthermore, it is preferable that the marking M be a shape that indicates a certain direction, such as an L-shape or a wedge-shape, avoiding shapes that have poor directionality, such as polygons or circles.

[0168] When the conveying device 6 picks up the sewing workpiece C bearing the marking M, conveys it, and places it at the target placement position, it is preferable that the lighting device 62 be configured to have a light source such as a black light that emits invisible light suitable for emitting the marking M, for example, ultraviolet light. Furthermore, it is preferable that the camera 61 captures an image via a filter that can transmit only light in the wavelength band emitted from the marking M when irradiated with invisible light.

[0169] The positioning control unit 922 of the pickup control device 92 controls the conveying device 6 to perform an operation to place the sewn object through an irradiation process in which the lighting device 62 irradiates the conveyed object with specific invisible light, an imaging process in which the camera 61 images the sewn object C with the marking M emitting light by reflecting the specific invisible light or by irradiating the specific invisible light, a detection process in which the marking M is detected from the captured image and characteristic points of the sewn object C are identified, and a positioning process in which the suction nozzle 71 sucks the sewn object C based on the identified characteristic points, and then the relative positional relationship between the characteristic points and the suction nozzle 71 is obtained, and the suction nozzle 71 is positioned to place the sewn object C at the target placement position.

[0170] As a result, even when it is difficult to detect the outer edge or characteristic points of the sewing object C by imaging, for example, when the color or brightness of the sewing object C is similar to that of the surrounding area, when the sewing object C overlaps with another sewing object, or when the sewing object C is deformed, the marking M makes it possible to easily detect the characteristic points. Therefore, by accurately detecting the characteristic points of the sewing object C, it becomes possible to accurately place the sewing object C at the target placement position.

[0171] Furthermore, if the marking M is made of ink, paint or material that can be washed off with a solvent or water, it can be removed after the sewing workpiece C is placed at the target placement position.

[0172] Furthermore, by the conveying device 6 irradiating the above-mentioned invisible light using the lighting device 62, even when it is difficult to detect the outer edge or characteristic points of the sewn material C by imaging, such as when the color or brightness of the sewn material C is similar to that of the surrounding area, when the sewn material C overlaps with another sewn material C, or when the sewn material C is deformed, it is possible to suck the suction nozzle 71 at the appropriate position and accurately place the sewn material C at the target placement position. Furthermore, by configuring the camera 61 to be able to transmit exclusively the wavelength band light emitted from the marking M when irradiated with invisible light, the camera 61 mainly captures the image of the marking M, making it possible to accurately detect the characteristic points of the sewing material C while minimizing the influence of the surrounding environment.

[0173] [others] The details shown in the above embodiment of the invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the sewing device 5 moves the sewing section 52 and the shuttle mechanism 59 left and right and the template 12 forward and backward, allowing the needle to drop at any position on a plane relative to the workpiece C, but is not limited to this. For example, the sewing section 52 and the shuttle mechanism 59 may be configured to be movable in both the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0174] In addition, in the sewing system 100, a conveyance control device 91, a pickup control device 92, a pre-processing control device 93, and a sewing control device 94 share the responsibility of controlling each part of the sewing system 100. The main control device 90 is configured to comprehensively control each of the control devices 91 to 94. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the number of control devices may be increased to further subdivide the objects to be controlled, or fewer control devices may be used to control more objects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0175] 2 tray changer 21 Frame 22 Basket 23 Lifting mechanism 3 Handling section 31 Workbench 32 Movable Head 33 Inner guide rail 34 Outer guide rail 35 towing head 36 Robot Arm 361 Base 362 Arm 37 Lift mechanism 4 Pretreatment section 41 Workbench 42 Robot Arm 5 Sewing device 51 Workbench 511 Top plate 512 Needle hole 513 Opening 514,515 Guides 52 Sewing section 53 Support Frame 531 First Frame 532 Second Frame 533,534 pillars 535 Suspension material 54 First movement mechanism 541 head 542 Drive unit 55 Swivel mechanism 56 Second movement mechanism 561 Transfer head 562 Drive unit 57 Third movement mechanism 58 Lift mechanism 59 Hook mechanism 595 Rotating mechanism of the hook 6. Conveyor equipment 60 Pickup mechanism 61 Camera (imaging device) 62 Lighting equipment 63 Movable frame 64 Frame 641 Spacer 65 Variable Mechanism 66 Distance Sensor 70 Pickup Section 71 Suction nozzle 711 Support plate 712 Rod 713 Coil spring 714 flange 72 Main body (support) 73 Gripping member 74 Lifting air cylinder 75 Retract air cylinder 76 Latch mechanism 761 Regulatory components 762 Rotary Air Cylinder 77 Corrective nozzle 771 Discharge port 80A First Unit 80B Second Unit 90 Main control unit 91 Transport control device 92 Pickup control device 921 Relative position acquisition unit 922 Positioning control section 923 Pick-up control section 924 Placement control unit 93 Pretreatment control device 94 Sewing control device 941 Sewing control unit 942 Turning control section 12 Templates 121 Opening 122 Sliding body 13 Lid 131 Opening 100 Sewing System C Object to be sewn (object to be transported) C1 Body fabric (item to be sewn, item to be transported) C2 Parts (sewing material, transported material) C3 Finished products (sewn items, transported items) M marking R Turning angle range T1, T2 tray W1 First interference range W2 Second interference range W3 Non-interference range f focal length p Image capture area

Claims

1. a sewing unit that moves the sewing needle up and down; a support frame that supports the sewn portion; a first moving mechanism that moves the sewing unit along the support frame; a second moving mechanism that moves the sewing unit and the workpiece relatively in a direction that intersects with the moving direction of the first moving mechanism; a pivoting mechanism that pivots the sewing unit supported by the support frame around an axis along the vertical movement direction of the sewing needle; a sewing control unit that controls the first movement mechanism and the second movement mechanism based on sewing pattern data to perform needle drop operations at a plurality of needle drop positions on the sewing workpiece in order; a turning control unit that turns the sewing unit using the turning mechanism in accordance with a relative movement direction of the sewing unit with respect to the sewing workpiece; Equipped with The sewing device is characterized in that the rotation control unit restricts the rotation operation of the rotation mechanism when the sewing unit enters an interference range within the movement range of the sewing unit by the first moving mechanism, where the rotation of the sewing unit may cause interference with the support frame.

2. The turning control unit is Within the movement range of the sewing unit by the first movement mechanism, the sewing unit enters an interference range where it may interfere with the support frame due to the rotation of the sewing unit, When a part of the angle range of the pivoting movement of the sewing unit, which is performed in accordance with the relative movement direction of the sewing unit with respect to the sewing workpiece, is within an angle range in which the sewing unit may interfere with the support frame, 2. The sewing device according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting operation of the pivoting mechanism is restricted.

3. The sewing device according to claim 1 , wherein the second moving mechanism moves the sewing unit and the workpiece relatively in a direction perpendicular to the first moving mechanism.

4. The sewing device according to claim 1 , wherein the turning control section turns the sewing section in a predetermined direction when the sewing section is within the interference range.

Images