Gripper of picking apparatus and picking apparatus

Abstract

To provide a gripping part of a picking device and the picking device capable of taking out a workpiece at low cost.SOLUTION: A claw portion holder (104) having a plurality of storage chambers (131, 132, 133) for storing a plurality of claw portions (101, 102, 103), tactile sensors (121, 122, 123) fixed in the respective storage chambers (131, 132, 133), springs (111, 112, 113) having one ends (S1) connected to the tactile sensors (121, 122, 123), the claw portions (101, 102, 103) including: A support portion (161, 162, 163) extending in a first direction (X) and having one end (S2) connected to the other end (U1) of a spring (111, 112, 113), and a workpiece locking portion (151, 152, 153) formed in a second direction (Y) are provided, and the workpiece locking portions (151, 152, 153) are arranged in a comb shape with an interval (W) in a third direction (Z) different from the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gripper of a picking device and a picking device. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, parts supply at product assembly sites has often been done manually due to the challenges of recognizing and picking parts due to the wide variety of product types. Therefore, automatic screw dispensing would improve part supply errors and prevent incorrect part installation. While methods for automatic screw dispensing include dispensing with an automatic screw feeder or picking with an industrial robot, automatic screw feeders are the mainstream due to their stable dispensing performance. However, transporting screws from an automatic screw feeder to a desired location on an automated assembly line requires a dedicated gripper that is suited to each site and the workpiece being gripped. Furthermore, research is being conducted on devices that can handle a variety of workpieces, including screws, including not only gripper mechanisms but also workpiece flow mechanisms and the use of sensors.

[0003] For example, screws can be picked with a high probability even without detecting the position and orientation of the screws before picking. Also, a system is installed that detects the number of screws picked and controls the robot mechanism (see, for example, Patent Document 1). There is also a device that combines a hand with a scooping function to pick up a workpiece as a mechanism for holding the workpiece with a belt conveyor into which a workpiece holding part can be inserted (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-45771 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-105574 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of Patent Document 1, it is not possible to remove all screws remaining at the edge of a box that is piled up in bulk. Furthermore, in order to move the gripping part to the gripping point of the bulk screws, a machine vision system is required to take pictures with a camera, detect the gripping point, and transmit the coordinates to the robot controller, which poses the problem of making the device expensive.

[0006] In the case of Patent Document 2, the workpieces must be separated onto a belt conveyor in advance, and furthermore, a specially shaped belt conveyor must be used within the line so that the workpiece retaining part can scoop up the workpieces, which creates the problem of making the equipment expensive.

[0007] The present disclosure discloses a technique for solving the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a gripping unit of a picking device and a picking device that can pick up workpieces at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The gripping unit of the picking device of the present disclosure includes: A gripping unit of a picking device that picks out a workpiece from a box in which a plurality of workpieces are stored in a bulk state, The gripping portion is A plurality of claw portions each formed individually; a claw portion holder having a plurality of storage chambers for storing one ends of the plurality of claw portions, The storage chamber is a tactile sensor fixed in each of the storage chambers and individually detecting contact of another article with each of the claw portions; a spring having one end connected to the tactile sensor; The claw portion is a support portion extending in a first direction from the storage chamber and having one end connected to the other end of the spring; a workpiece locking portion formed in a second direction different from the first direction from the other end of the support portion, The workpiece engaging portions of the plurality of claw portions are arranged in a comb shape at intervals in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction. It is something. Further, the picking device of the present disclosure is In the picking device provided with the gripping unit of the picking device described above, an arm portion that drives the claw portion holder; a control unit for controlling the operation of the arm unit, The control unit controls the arm unit to drive the claw holding unit so that the workpiece locking unit scoops up the workpiece in the box, and controls the arm unit to drive the claw holding unit so that the workpiece passes between the workpiece locking units and shakes off the workpiece that is not locked on the upper surface of each of the workpiece locking units. It is something. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the gripping unit of the picking device and the picking device of the present disclosure, The workpiece can be removed at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a picking device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic perspective view, partially in section, showing the configuration of a gripping unit of the picking device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional front view showing the configuration of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a schematic cross-sectional top view showing the configuration of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is a schematic left side view, partially in section, of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] Fig. 6A is a schematic, partially sectional left side view for explaining the operation of the gripping portion shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6B is a schematic, partially sectional left side view for explaining the operation of the gripping portion shown in Fig. 2. [Figure 7]3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 8] 3 is a schematic perspective view, partly in section, showing a state in which a workpiece is locked by the gripping portion shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic perspective view, partially in section, showing the configuration of a gripping unit of a picking device according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic partial cross-sectional front view showing the configuration of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of hardware of a control unit according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a picking device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view, partly in section, showing the configuration of a gripping unit of the picking device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view, partly in section, showing the configuration of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic top view, partly in section, showing the configuration of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a schematic left side view, partly in section, of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6A is a schematic left side view, partly in section, for explaining the operation of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6B is a schematic left side view, partly in section, for explaining the operation of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view, partly in section, showing a state in which a workpiece is locked by the gripping unit shown in FIG. 2.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the picking device 10 includes a gripping unit 100, an arm unit 1, and a control unit 2. The gripping unit 100 is configured to remove (pick) a workpiece 3 from a box 4 in which multiple workpieces 3 are stored in a bulk state. The arm unit 1 drives a claw holding unit 104 (see FIG. 2) of the gripping unit 100, which will be described later. The control unit 2 exchanges data with the arm unit 1 and the gripping unit 100 and controls the driving of the arm unit 1. Through this control, the arm unit 1 moves the gripping unit 100 to a picking position and drives the gripping unit 100 to scoop up multiple workpieces 3 bulk stacked in the box 4.

[0013] Next, the detailed configuration of gripper 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 2, gripper 100 includes a plurality of claws 101, 102, and 103, springs 111, 112, and 113, tactile sensors 121, 122, and 123, and claw holder 104. Claw holder 104 includes storage chambers 131, 132, and 133 that store ends U1 (see Fig. 5) of the plurality of claws 101, 102, and 103, respectively. Tactile sensors 121, 122, and 123 are fixed to storage chambers 131, 132, and 133, respectively, and individually detect when claws 101, 102, and 103 stored in storage chambers 131, 132, and 133 come into contact with an item other than gripper 100. The tactile sensors 121, 122, and 123 are connected to one end S1 of the springs 111, 112, and 113 (see FIG. 5), respectively.

[0014] The multiple claw portions 101, 102, and 103 are formed individually by bending. Claw portion 101 is formed from a support portion 161 and a workpiece locking portion 151, claw portion 102 is formed from a support portion 162 and a workpiece locking portion 152, and claw portion 103 is formed from a support portion 163 and a workpiece locking portion 153. Each support portion 161, 162, and 163 extends in the first direction X from each storage chamber 131, 132, and 133, and has one end U1 (see FIG. 5) connected to the other end S2 (see FIG. 5) of each spring 111, 112, and 113. Each storage chamber 131, 132, and 133 is formed to have a size that allows a predetermined distance G (see FIG. 5) to be separated from the inner wall of each storage chamber 131, 132, and 133 and the periphery of each support portion 161, 162, and 163.

[0015] Each workpiece retaining portion 151, 152, 153 is formed by bending from the other end U2 (see FIG. 5) of each support portion 161, 162, 163 in a second direction Y different from the first direction X. Furthermore, the multiple workpiece retaining portions 151, 152, 153 are arranged in a comb shape in a third direction Z different from the first direction X and the second direction Y, with a spacing W1 on the support portion 161, 162, 163 side (hereinafter, this position may be referred to as the "root side") and a spacing W2 on the opposite side from the support portion 161, 162, 163 side (hereinafter, this position may be referred to as the "tip side"). As shown in FIG. 4, the spacing W1 and W2 of each workpiece retaining portion 151, 152, 153 are formed to widen from the root side toward the tip side. Therefore, the narrowest side is spacing W1 and the widest side is spacing W2.

[0016] The arm unit 1 then drives the claw holder 104 so that the workpiece retaining units 151, 152, and 153 scoop up the workpiece 3 in the box 4, for example, by wrist movement. The arm unit 1 then drives the claw holder 104 so that the workpiece 3 passes between the base and tip ends of each of the workpiece retaining units 151, 152, and 153 and shakes off any workpiece 3 that is not caught on the upper surface from the base to the tip end of each of the workpiece retaining units 151, 152, and 153. Furthermore, when the control unit 2 detects an overload on the gripper 100 based on the detection data of the tactile sensors 121, 122, and 123, it stops the arm unit 1. This stops the drive of the claw holder 104.

[0017] In the first embodiment, as an example, in the initial state where the gripping unit 100 is attached to the arm unit 1 (the state shown in FIG. 1), the support units 161, 162, and 163 face in a first vertical direction X, and the workpiece locking units 151, 152, and 153 are positioned in a second direction Y that is perpendicular to the first vertical direction X. As described above, the third direction Z is different from the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0018] Next, the operation of the gripping unit 100 will be described. The gripping unit 100 needs to prevent the workpiece locking portions 151, 152, and 153 from coming into contact with an object other than the gripping unit 100, such as the workpiece 3 or a box 4 in which the workpieces 3 are stored in bulk, with excessive force and breaking. For this reason, when the workpiece locking portions 151, 152, and 153 come into contact with another object, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A , the springs 111, 112, and 113 contract via the support portions 161, 162, and 163. Then, the support portions 161, 162, and 163 retract into the storage chambers 131, 132, and 133. Accordingly, the workpiece locking portions 151, 152, and 153 are also pulled by the support portions 161, 162, and 163 and retract toward the storage chambers 131, 132, and 133. This prevents the workpiece locking portions 151, 152, 153 from coming into contact with other objects with excessive force.

[0019] At this time, the force of the contracted springs 111, 112, 113 is applied to the tactile sensors 121, 122, 123 and transmitted to the control unit 2, which detects that the workpiece retaining parts 151, 152, 153 are in contact with other objects. If the detected load is an overload, the control unit 2 controls the arm unit 1, which changes the position of the workpiece retaining parts 151, 152, 153 or stops driving them.

[0020] Furthermore, in order to adjust the degree to which support parts 161, 162, 163 move in and out of storage chambers 131, 132, 133, support parts 161, 162, 163 are formed so that a preset distance G is spaced between the inner walls of storage chambers 131, 132, 133 and support parts 161, 162, 163. Therefore, each claw part 101, 102, 103 is suspended in storage chambers 131, 132, 133. This distance G is set so that support parts 161, 162, 163 can move somewhat freely within storage chambers 131, 132, 133 by contracting springs 111, 112, 113, as shown in FIG. 6B .

[0021] As described above, when the workpiece locking portions 151, 152, 153 collide with other articles including the workpiece 3, the contraction of the springs 111, 112, 113 adjusts the movement of the claw portions 101, 102, 103 in and out of the storage chambers 131, 132, 133, making it less likely that the other articles will be damaged than if the claw portions 101, 102, 103 were directly fixed in the storage chambers 131, 132, 133. In particular, because the claw portions 101, 102, 103 are individually held by the claw portion holder 104, there is a degree of freedom in driving each of the claw portions 101, 102, 103, and the specific movement in and out and the load on other articles can be adjusted with even greater precision.

[0022] Next, a description will be given of the workpiece 3 that can be taken out by the gripping unit 100. As shown in Fig. 8, the workpiece 3 has various sizes, and may be, for example, a screw or a rivet, which has a head 31 and legs 32 connected to the head 31, and which is formed so that the maximum width H1 of the head 31 in the third direction Z is larger than the maximum width H2 of the legs 32 in the third direction Z.

[0023] Furthermore, in addition to the conditions described above, the workpiece 3 applicable to the present embodiment 1 can be configured such that the maximum width H2 of the leg portion 32 is smaller than the interval W2, and the maximum width H1 of the head portion 31 is larger than the interval W1, so that the head portion 31 of the workpiece 3 can be locked on the upper surface of any position from the base to the tip of the adjacent workpiece locking portions 151, 152, 153 of the gripping portion 100, and the workpiece 3 can be removed from the box 4. The type of workpiece 3 is not limited to one, and if the conditions are met, various types of workpieces 3 can be removed even when they are piled up in bulk.

[0024] Next, the operation of the picking device 10 of the first embodiment configured as described above will be described. First, the gripping unit 100 is attached to the tip of the arm unit 1 of the picking device 10. Then, the arm unit 1 of the picking device 10 moves the gripping unit 100 to the innermost side (the farthest position side) of the box 4 as seen from the picking device 10, and inserts the workpiece locking units 151, 152, and 153 into the box 4. Then, the workpiece locking units 151, 152, and 153 perform an operation to scoop up the workpiece 3 as shown in FIG. 7 in order to remove the workpiece 3 from the innermost side of the box 4 to the front.

[0025] The mechanism by which the workpieces 3 are removed is as follows: in a box 4 in which the workpieces 3 are stored in a bulk state, the legs 32 of the workpiece 3 pass between the workpiece locking portions 151, 152, and 153 of the gripping unit 100, and the head 31 of the workpiece 3 is caught on the upper surfaces of the workpiece locking portions 151, 152, and 153, thereby locking the workpiece 3. When the workpiece 3 is locked, the head 31 of the workpiece 3 is necessarily on the upper side, as shown in FIG. 8 . Therefore, the orientation of the workpiece 3 can be determined solely by the scooping action of the gripping unit 100. In other words, when the head 31 of the workpiece 3 is on the lower side, the gripping unit 100 will not scoop up the workpiece 3. Since the orientation of the workpiece 3 can be determined and removed in this way, this is effective for a wide variety of workpieces 3, such as screws or rivets.

[0026] After the gripping unit 100 has scooped up the workpiece 3, the arm unit 1 drives the gripping unit 100 so that it does not pass between the workpiece retaining units 151, 152, 153 and is not retained on the upper surfaces of the workpiece retaining units 151, 152, 153, and so on, for example, the workpieces 3 resting on the workpiece retaining units 151, 152, 153 are knocked off and the unretained workpieces 3 are removed, resulting in the state shown in Figure 8.

[0027] In this way, it is possible to pass between the workpiece retaining portions 151, 152, 153 and remove only the workpieces 3 that are caught and locked on the upper surfaces of the workpiece retaining portions 151, 152, 153, that is, the workpieces 3 that are aligned with the head portion 31 facing upward. Also, it is possible to remove multiple workpieces 3 with a single action of scooping up the workpieces 3 in the box 4 with the gripping portion 100. Furthermore, by scooping up from the back side of the box 4 like a rake, it is possible to remove the workpieces 3 from the box 4 where the workpieces 3 are stored in a bulk state without leaving any behind.

[0028] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the workpiece 3 that is caught and locked on the upper surface of the workpiece locking portions 151, 152, 153 is removed by passing between the workpiece locking portions 151, 152, 153, so that the workpiece 3 can be removed without being damaged, compared to when the workpiece 3 is removed by gripping it. Furthermore, when removing the workpiece 3, the workpieces 3 are prevented from rubbing against each other, compared to when multiple workpieces 3 are gripped at the same time, so that the workpieces 3 can be prevented from being damaged. Therefore, the workpiece 3 can be removed with fewer restrictions on the type and material of the workpiece 3.

[0029] The picking device of the comparative example required a 3D camera that could acquire 3D information about the workpiece, and a control unit that acquired and controlled the 3D information about the workpiece to be picked using projected light and the 3D camera. Therefore, it was necessary to detect the coordinates to be picked from the 3D image data of the workpiece using image processing software. The coordinates to be picked were converted into coordinates for the arm unit, and the arm unit was driven. In this comparative example, it was difficult to detect the coordinates, especially when picking workpieces from the corners of a box, and it was common for the workpiece to be missed.

[0030] Thus, in the case of the picking device of the comparative example, the cost of the entire picking device is high, for example, due to the cost of the 3D camera and the cost of data processing for acquiring and controlling the 3D information of the workpieces imaged by the 3D camera. In contrast, according to the first embodiment, workpieces 3 piled in bulk in the box 4 can be picked up without using a 3D camera that acquires the 3D information of the workpieces 3, so that the workpieces 3 can be picked up at a reduced cost.

[0031] In addition, in the comparative example, it was necessary to process complex information such as three-dimensional information, and it was necessary to stop the picking device itself before picking. In contrast, according to the first embodiment, complex information such as three-dimensional information is not used, so it is possible to reduce the frequency at which the picking device itself is stopped when picking, and it is possible to pick up the workpiece 3 efficiently.

[0032] According to the gripping unit of the picking device of the first embodiment configured as described above, A gripping unit of a picking device that picks out a workpiece from a box in which a plurality of workpieces are stored in a bulk state, The gripping portion is A plurality of claw portions each formed individually; a claw portion holder having a plurality of storage chambers for storing one ends of the plurality of claw portions, The storage chamber is a tactile sensor fixed in each of the storage chambers and individually detecting contact of another article with each of the claw portions; a spring having one end connected to the tactile sensor; The claw portion is a support portion extending in a first direction from the storage chamber and having one end connected to the other end of the spring; a workpiece locking portion formed in a second direction different from the first direction from the other end of the support portion, The workpiece engaging portions of the plurality of claw portions are arranged in a comb shape at intervals in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction. So, Larger parts of the workpieces pass between the workpiece retaining parts and are hooked onto the top surfaces of the workpiece retaining parts to retain the workpieces, making it possible to remove multiple workpieces at once and enabling low-cost workpiece removal. Furthermore, because the support parts of the claws are supported by springs, the workpiece retaining parts are prevented from damaging the box or other components such as the workpieces. Furthermore, workpieces can be removed from the box simply by scooping them up with the workpiece retaining parts.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the gripping unit of the picking device of the first embodiment configured as described above, The intervals between the workpiece retaining portions are formed so as to become wider from the support portion side toward the opposite side. So, Any workpiece can be removed regardless of type as long as it is within the distance between the workpiece retaining parts. Also, because each workpiece retaining part is shaped like a rake, the workpiece can be scooped up from the back of the box with the workpiece retaining part, preventing any workpieces from being left behind inside the box.

[0034] Furthermore, according to the gripping unit of the picking device of the first embodiment configured as described above, Each of the storage chambers is formed to a size such that a predetermined distance is provided between the inner wall of the storage chamber and the periphery of each of the support portions. So, The degree of freedom of the support part can be ensured by the contraction of the spring.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the picking device of the first embodiment configured as described above, In the picking device provided with the gripping unit of the picking device described above, an arm portion that drives the claw portion holder; a control unit for controlling the operation of the arm unit, The control unit controls the arm unit to drive the claw holding unit so that the workpiece locking unit scoops up the workpiece in the box, and controls the arm unit to drive the claw holding unit so that the workpiece passes between the workpiece locking units and shakes off the workpiece that is not locked on the upper surface of each of the workpiece locking units. So, The smaller parts of the workpiece pass between the workpiece retaining parts, and the larger parts of the workpiece hook onto the upper surfaces of the workpiece retaining parts to retain the workpiece, so the workpiece can be removed with a uniform posture by simply scooping it up.At the same time, after scooping up the target workpiece, any workpieces that are not retained and are on the workpiece retaining parts are brushed off, so that only the target workpieces with uniform postures can be removed in the same posture.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the picking device of the first embodiment configured as described above, The control unit detects an overload of the gripping unit based on the detection data of the tactile sensor and controls the arm unit to stop driving the claw holding unit. So, This prevents the gripping portion from coming into excessive contact with other objects.

[0037] Embodiment 2 Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view, partly in section, showing the configuration of the gripping unit of a picking device according to embodiment 2. Fig. 10 is a schematic front view, partly in section, showing the configuration of the gripping unit shown in Fig. 9. In the figure, the same parts as those in embodiment 1 above are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted. Except for gripping unit 100, embodiment 2 is configured in the same way as embodiment 1 above.

[0038] In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, an example was shown in which the spacings W1, W2 in the third direction Z between the workpiece retaining portions 151, 152, 153 adjacent to each other in the third direction Z are formed so as to become wider from the base side toward the tip side. However, in this embodiment 2, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, a case will be described in which the spacings W in the third direction Z between the workpiece retaining portions 151, 152, 153 adjacent to each other in the third direction Z are formed to be the same size from the base side to the tip side.

[0039] According to the picking device of the second embodiment configured in this manner, the interval W in the third direction Z between adjacent workpiece locking portions 151, 152, 153 is formed to be the same at any point from the base side to the tip side, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. Therefore, as long as the workpiece 3 has a portion smaller than the interval W and a portion larger than the interval W, it can be picked up from a box 4 of multiple workpieces 3 stacked in bulk, regardless of the type of workpiece 3, as in the first embodiment described above.

[0040] In each of the above embodiments, an example is shown in which three claw portions 101, 102, and 103 are provided, but this is not limited to this, and multiple, two, or four or more claw portions can also be formed in the same manner as in each of the above embodiments.

[0041] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, examples are shown for the spacing between the workpiece retaining portions 151, 152, and 153, but it is also possible to form the spacing so that it can be changed, and the spacing between the workpiece retaining portions 151, 152, and 153 may be formed so that it can be changed depending on the size of the workpiece 3.

[0042] An example of the hardware of the control unit 2 is configured with a processor 200 and a storage device 201, as shown in FIG. 11. Although the storage device is not shown, it includes a volatile storage device such as a random access memory and a non-volatile auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory. Alternatively, an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk may be provided instead of the flash memory. The processor 200 executes a program input from the storage device 201. In this case, the program is input to the processor 200 from the auxiliary storage device via the volatile storage device. The processor 200 may output data such as calculation results to the volatile storage device of the storage device 201, or may store the data in the auxiliary storage device via the volatile storage device.

[0043] While the present disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to application to a particular embodiment, but may be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless variations not exemplified are conceivable within the scope of the technology disclosed in this specification, including, for example, cases where at least one component is modified, added, or omitted, and cases where at least one component is extracted and combined with components of another embodiment.

[0044] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0045] (Appendix 1) A gripping unit of a picking device that picks out a workpiece from a box in which a plurality of workpieces are stored in a bulk state, The gripping portion is A plurality of claw portions each formed individually; a claw portion holder having a plurality of storage chambers for storing one ends of the plurality of claw portions, The storage chamber is a tactile sensor fixed in each of the storage chambers and individually detecting contact of another article with each of the claw portions; a spring having one end connected to the tactile sensor; The claw portion is a support portion extending in a first direction from the storage chamber and having one end connected to the other end of the spring; a workpiece locking portion formed in a second direction different from the first direction from the other end of the support portion, The workpiece engaging portions of the multiple claw portions are arranged in a comb shape at intervals in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction in a gripping portion of a picking device. (Appendix 2) A gripping portion of a picking device described in Appendix 1, wherein the spacing between each of the workpiece retaining portions is formed to become wider from the support portion side toward the opposite side. (Appendix 3) A gripping portion of a picking device described in Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein each storage chamber is formed to a size that allows a predetermined distance to be set between the inner wall of each storage chamber and the periphery of each support portion. (Appendix 4) A picking device including a gripper of the picking device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3, an arm portion that drives the claw portion holder; a control unit for controlling the operation of the arm unit, The control unit controls the arm unit to drive the claw holding unit so that the work retaining unit scoops up the work within the box, and also controls the arm unit to drive the claw holding unit so that the work passes between each of the work retaining units and shakes off the work that is not retained on the top surface of each of the work retaining units. (Appendix 5) The picking device described in Appendix 4, wherein the control unit detects an overload of the gripping unit based on detection data from the tactile sensor and controls the arm unit to stop driving the claw holding unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 arm unit, 10 picking device, 100 gripping unit, 101 claw unit, 102 claw portion, 103 claw portion, 104 claw portion holding portion, 111 spring, 112 spring, 113 spring, 121 tactile sensor, 122 tactile sensor, 123 tactile sensor, 131 storage chamber, 132 storage chamber, 133 storage chamber, 151 workpiece retaining portion, 152 workpiece locking portion, 153 workpiece locking portion, 161 support portion, 162 support portion, 163 support part, 2 control part, 3 work part, 31 head part, 32 leg part, 4 box, W spacing, W1 spacing, W2 spacing, X 1st direction, Y 2nd direction, Z 3rd direction.

Claims

1. A gripping unit of a picking device that picks out a workpiece from a box in which a plurality of workpieces are stored in a bulk state, The gripping portion is A plurality of claw portions each formed individually; a claw portion holder having a plurality of storage chambers for storing one ends of the plurality of claw portions, The storage chamber is a touch sensor fixed in each of the storage chambers and individually detecting contact of another article with each of the claw portions; a spring having one end connected to the tactile sensor; The claw portion is a support portion extending in a first direction from the storage chamber and having one end connected to the other end of the spring; a workpiece locking portion formed in a second direction different from the first direction from the other end of the support portion, The workpiece engaging portions of the plurality of claw portions are arranged in a comb shape at intervals in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction in a gripping portion of a picking device.

2. The gripping unit of the picking device according to claim 1 , wherein the intervals between the workpiece locking portions are formed so as to become wider from the support portion side toward the opposite side.

3. The gripping portion of the picking device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each of the storage chambers is formed to a size that allows a predetermined distance to be left between the inner wall of each of the storage chambers and the periphery of each of the support portions.

4. 3. A picking device comprising the gripper of claim 1 or 2, an arm portion that drives the claw portion holder; a control unit that controls the operation of the arm unit, The control unit controls the arm unit to drive the claw holding unit so that the work retaining unit scoops up the work within the box, and also controls the arm unit to drive the claw holding unit so that the work passes between each of the work retaining units and shakes off the work that is not retained on the top surface of each of the work retaining units.

5. The picking device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit detects an overload of the gripper based on the detection data of the tactile sensor and controls the arm unit to stop driving the claw holder.

Images