Control device for the goods processing system

Abstract

It prints on desired locations on an item without using complex mechanisms. [Solution] A control device for controlling an article processing system comprising a printing device for printing on an article and a transfer device for moving the article while it is lifted relative to the fixed printing device, wherein the control device changes at least one of the height of the head of the transfer device and the printing timing of the printing device based on settings associated with the article.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for an article processing system.

Background Art

[0002] As an article processing system, the one shown in Patent Document 1 is known. In this article processing system, first, articles are sequentially conveyed by a conveyor and positioned by positioning means. Then, the positioned articles are adsorbed and held by a handling robot device and transferred onto a printing device. Thereafter, an identification symbol is printed on the side surface of a case by a printing head of the printing device. After the printing is completed, the articles adsorbed and held by the handling robot device again are transferred onto a pallet.

[0003] Four printing heads of the printing device are arranged at the four corners of a mounting table of the printing device, and each printing head is installed so as to be movable and adjustable in the thickness direction of a packing box by a moving mechanism such as a pulse motor, a ball screw, and a nut. Thus, a complicated mechanism is required depending on where to print on an article.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention prints on a desired location of an article without using a complicated mechanism.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention provides a control device for an article processing system comprising a printing device for printing on an article and a transfer device for moving the article while it is lifted relative to the fixed printing device, and the control device modifies at least one of the height of the head of the transfer device and the printing timing of the printing device based on settings associated with the article. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to print on a desired location on an article without using a complex mechanism.

[0008] The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description relating to this invention, which will be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of an item processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic front view showing the main parts of the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an example of control in the same embodiment. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of a control method for the article processing system of the same embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an example of the control corresponding to Figure 3. [Figure 6] This is an example of the control corresponding to Figure 3. [Figure 7] This is an example of the control corresponding to Figure 3. [Figure 8] This is an example of the control corresponding to Figure 3. [Figure 9] This is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the article processing system according to the first modified example. [Figure 10] This is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the article processing system according to the second modified example. [Figure 11]This is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the article processing system according to the third modified example. [Figure 12] This is a modified example of the control corresponding to Figure 3. [Figure 13] This is a modified example of the control corresponding to Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that all the following drawings are schematic representations, with some details omitted or exaggerated for clarity. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0011] The article processing system 10 according to this embodiment is as shown in Figure 1, for example, and processes articles (for example, case C). Case C may be made of cardboard or of a resin such as plastic. Case C contains, for example, a plurality of egg containers (not shown). The egg containers may be made of a resin such as plastic or of paper.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the item processing system 10 comprises a case packer 1, a case supply unit 2, a transfer device 3, a printing device 4, an inspection unit 5, a storage unit 6, an unloading unit 7, and a control device 8.

[0013] Case packer 1 is a device that stores egg containers in case C. Information about the eggs (or egg products) handled by case packer 1, such as the egg lot and egg size (S size, MS size, M size, etc.), and timing information of case C leaving case packer 1, is transmitted from case packer 1 to control device 8. Case packer 1 is located upstream of case supply unit 2.

[0014] The case supply unit 2 is constituted by, for example, a conveyor and conveys the cases C one by one. The case supply unit 2 has a positioning mechanism (not shown) that ejects the case C to a predetermined holding position held by the transfer device 3 and positions it. The positioning mechanism includes, for example, a guide rail provided on the conveying conveyor that moves the case C to one side of the conveying conveyor, and a stopper unit provided at the downstream end of the conveying conveyor that stops the case C.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the transfer device 3 lifts and transfers the case C supplied by the case supply unit 2. The transfer device 3 lifts and transfers the case C by gripping or adsorbing and holding the case C. The transfer device 3 includes a holding unit 31 that holds the case C, a head 32 provided with the holding unit 31, and a mechanism unit 33 such as an articulated robot or a two-axis or three-axis orthogonal robot that moves the head 32. The holding unit 31 is provided with a chuck mechanism for gripping the case C or an adsorption mechanism for adsorbing the case C.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the transfer device 3 moves the case C in a lifted state with respect to the fixed printing device 4. The transfer device 3 turns the side surface of the case C toward the printing device 4, holds and lifts the case C, and moves it from the direction shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 to the direction shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, from right to left on the paper surface, and prints on the side surface of the case C as shown in FIG. 3. In FIGS. 2 and 3, printing is performed at the central portion in the vertical (height) direction and the central portion in the left-right direction of the case C. The transfer device 3 moves the case C printed by the printing device 4 to the inspection unit 5. The transfer device 3 moves the case C inspected by the inspection unit 5 to the storage unit 6 or the carry-out unit 7. The transfer device 3 continuously moves the case C in a state of being held and lifted to the printing device 4, the inspection unit 5, and the storage unit 6 (or the carry-out unit 7).

[0017] The printing device 4 prints on a case C containing multiple egg containers. The printing device 4 is fixed in a predetermined position. The printing device 4 is fixed within the movable range of the case C, which is lifted by the transfer device 3. The printing device 4 prints on the printable surface or printing area of ​​the case C, which is held and lifted by the transfer device 3. The printing device 4 can be configured using, for example, an inkjet printer.

[0018] The inspection unit 5 inspects the printing on case C by the printing device 4. The inspection unit 5 is located within the movable range of case C, which is lifted by the transfer device 3. The inspection unit 5 includes an imaging camera 51 that images the side of case C, and an image processing unit 52 that processes the image obtained by the imaging camera 51 to inspect the state or content of the printing. The inspection unit 5 can also inspect the overall condition of case C. The inspection unit 5 can also inspect the type of case C, distortion, damage, packaging condition, or seal condition. The inspection results from the inspection unit 5 are used in the sorting operation of the transfer device 3 to the storage unit 6 and the unloading unit 7.

[0019] Storage section 6 stores the inspected cases C. Storage section 6 consists of one or more pallets or racks. Storage section 6 is located within the range of motion of the cases C lifted by the transfer device 3. Storage section 6 stores cases C that have been determined to be good products as a result of inspection by inspection section 5. When the inspection section 5 inspects the type of case C, multiple storage sections 6 are provided according to the type of case C, and cases C corresponding to each storage section 6 are stored.

[0020] The unloading unit 7 unloads the inspected cases C. The unloading unit 7 consists of one or more pallets or racks. Part of the unloading unit 7 is located within the movable range of the cases C lifted by the transfer device 3. The unloading unit 7 unloads any cases C that have been determined to be good, defective, or sorted based on the inspection by the inspection unit 5.

[0021] The control device 8 controls the operation of the item processing system 10. The control device 8 is composed of a computer having a CPU, memory, input / output interface, AD converter, display device such as a display, input device, communication device, etc. Based on a program stored in memory, the control device 8 controls each part of the item processing system 10 in cooperation with the CPU and peripheral devices to perform sorting operations of case C in the item processing system 10. Rather than the control device 8 controlling the entire item processing system 10, control units may be provided corresponding to each part of the item processing system 10 to control each part.

[0022] The control device 8 of this embodiment, for example as shown in Figure 4 later, changes at least one of the height of the head 32 of the transfer device 3 relative to the printing device 4, and the printing timing of the printing device 4 relative to the case C lifted by the transfer device 3, based on the settings associated with the case C. The settings may be those held within the device itself or received via communication from an external source. The communication content may be information that identifies the case C, or it may be direct information such as height information. In addition to printing information such as the height of the head 32 and printing timing, the control device 8 may also change the speed at which the transfer device 3 crosses in front of the printing device 4, or change information related to the finished product such as character size, font, and design, based on the settings associated with the case C. Note that although the figure depicts the case C moving in a straight line from right to left on the paper, the movement path of the case C is not limited to this.

[0023] By changing the height of the head 32 of the transfer device 3, the printing position on case C can be adjusted vertically. Changing the height of the head 32 of the transfer device 3 changes the printing height relative to the target. For example, as shown in Figure 5, if you want to print on the upper side of case C, you control the transfer device 3 so that the head 32 passes lower than in Figure 3. Conversely, as shown in Figure 6, if you want to print on the lower side of case C, you control the transfer device 3 so that the head 32 passes higher than in Figure 3.

[0024] By changing the printing timing of the printing device 4, the printing position on case C can be adjusted in the left-right direction. Changing the printing timing of the printing device 4 changes the starting position of printing relative to the target. For example, as shown in Figure 7, if you want to print on the left side of the side of case C, you control the printing device 4 so that printing starts at an earlier timing than in Figure 3. That is, the printing device 4 starts printing as soon as case C begins to pass in front of the printing device 4. Note that in this modified example in Figure 7, both the height of the head 32 and the printing timing are changed from those in Figure 3. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8, if you want to print on the right side of the side of case C, you control the printing device 4 so that printing starts at a later timing than in Figure 3. That is, the printing device 4 starts printing after case C has passed in front of the printing device 4 by a predetermined distance.

[0025] Next, the operation of the item processing system 10 will be explained using Figure 4.

[0026] The control device 8 refers to the settings of case C (step S1). One example of how to refer to the settings is that the control device 8 receives information about the eggs (egg containers) transmitted from the case packer 1. Specifically, the control device 8 tracks case C as it leaves the case packer 1 based on the timing information transmitted from the case packer 1. Then, when the tracked case C is lifted by the transfer device 3 and moved to the printing device 4, the control device 8 controls the height of the head 32 of the transfer device 3 and the printing timing of the printing device 4 based on the information about the eggs (egg containers) in the tracked case C. Note that it is also possible to have a system that does not track case C.

[0027] The control device 8 determines the height of the head 32 of the transfer device 3 based on the settings associated with case C (step S2). It also determines the printing timing of the printing device 4 based on these settings (step S3). The transfer device 3 holds and lifts case C, which has been transported to a predetermined holding position in the case supply unit 2. The transfer device 3 moves the held and lifted case C to the printing device 4 and prints on the printing area of ​​case C at the height of the head 32 of the transfer device 3 determined in step S2 and at the printing timing of the printing device 4 determined in step S3 (step S4). In other words, the transfer device 3 moves the print target surface or print target area of ​​case C to the printing device 4 and operates in coordination with the printing operation of the printing device 4 while holding case C. Since the printing device 4 does not have a moving mechanism for printing, the transfer device 3 moves the held and lifted case C relative to the printing device 4 and allows the printing device 4 to print on case C.

[0028] After this printing, the transfer device 3 moves the case C, which it has been holding and lifting, to the inspection unit 5. Then, with the case C still lifted, the transfer device 3 operates in coordination with the inspection operation of the inspection unit 5. The transfer device 3 moves the case C, which it has been holding and lifting, toward the inspection unit 5, and the inspection unit 5 inspects the case C (step S5).

[0029] Next, the transfer device 3 sorts the cases C based on the inspection results from the inspection unit 5 (step S6). The transfer device 3 transfers and stores the cases C that are judged to be good products based on the inspection results from the inspection unit 5 into the storage unit 6. The stacking of cases C in the storage unit 6 by the transfer device 3 is done so that the printing on the cases C is visible after stacking, for example, with the printing facing outwards. On the other hand, the transfer device 3 transfers and ships the cases C that are judged to be defective products or products that need to be sorted based on the inspection results from the inspection unit 5 into the shipping unit 7.

[0030] As described above, the control device 8 of the article processing system 10 in this embodiment controls the article processing system 10, which includes a printing device 4 that prints on the case C, and a transfer device 3 that moves the case C while it is lifted relative to the fixed printing device 4. Based on the settings associated with the case C, the control device 8 of the article processing system 10 changes at least one of the height of the head 32 of the transfer device 3 and the printing timing of the printing device 4. Therefore, printing can be done at the desired location on the case C without using a complex mechanism.

[0031] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0032] For example, the storage unit 6 in the above embodiment may have a configuration as shown in Figure 9, which includes a storage unit 6 for storing cases C that have been determined to be good products and a storage unit 6 for storing cases C that have been determined to be defective products or products that need to be sorted. In this case, the unloading unit 7 in the above embodiment can be omitted. The transfer device 3 then distributes and stores the cases C in each storage unit 6 based on the inspection results of the inspection unit 5.

[0033] Furthermore, although the case supply unit 2 and the discharge unit 7 are provided separately in the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the case supply unit 2 and the discharge unit 7 may be configured as a continuous transport unit 9. In this case, the transfer device 3 is provided in the middle of the transport unit 9, holds the cases C transported by the transport unit 9, and moves them to the printing device 4 and inspection unit 5 for printing and inspection. Then, as a result of the inspection, for example, cases C determined to be defective can be returned to the transport unit 9 and discharged. In this case, it is conceivable to provide a movable stopper in the transport unit 9 to stop the cases C in a predetermined holding position.

[0034] Furthermore, although the above embodiment had a storage section 6, as shown in Figure 11, the storage section 6 may be replaced with an unloading section 7. In this case, the item processing system 10 can be configured to have two or more unloading sections 7. For example, it could be configured to have a good product unloading section 71 for unloading cases C determined to be good products, a defective product unloading section 72 for unloading cases C determined to be defective products, and a sorting-determined product unloading section 73 for unloading cases C determined to be sorting-determined products. The defective product unloading section 72 and the sorting-determined product unloading section 73 may also be used as a common unloading section 7.

[0035] Furthermore, the sorting method for Case C may be based on factors other than the inspection results by Inspection Unit 5. For example, Case C may be sorted based on the printed information on Case C or the lot number of the egg container.

[0036] The holding part 31 that holds case C is not limited to having a suction mechanism, but may also have a chuck mechanism for gripping case C, or both.

[0037] The settings associated with Case C are not limited to those that receive signals from Case Packer 1, but may also be those that receive signals from other inspection devices or control devices 8. Furthermore, settings associated with Case C may be pre-configured, for example, based on the number of items processed or processing time, without the Case Packer 1 or other devices transmitting signals.

[0038] The control device 8 may control a transfer device that moves the case C in a lifted position relative to the fixed inspection unit 5, and may change at least one of the height of the transfer device 3 and the inspection timing of the inspection unit 5 based on the settings associated with the case C.

[0039] The operation of the item processing system 10 may be as shown in Figure 12. Figure 12 shows that printing is performed on multiple printing areas with a single lifting motion, printing on different sides of case C. The control device 8 determines the height of the head 32 of the transfer device 3 and the printing timing of the printing device 4 based on the settings associated with case C. The transfer device 3 moves the case C, which it is holding and lifting, from right to left on the paper with side C1 facing the printing device 4, and prints on side C1. After that, the transfer device 3 rotates case C 90 degrees in plan view, so that side C2, which is different from side C1, faces the printing device 4, moves the case C, which it is holding and lifting, from right to left on the paper, and prints on side C2. The printing height on side C1 and the printing height on side C2 may be different from each other as shown in the figure, or they may be the same. Inspection after printing may be performed for each print or all at once later. For printing on side C2, as will be described later, case C may be moved from left to right on the paper, in which case the inspection unit 5 may be placed on the right side of the paper of the printing device 4.

[0040] The operation of the item processing system 10 may be as shown in Figure 13. Figure 13 shows printing on multiple printing areas with a single lifting motion, printing on the same side of case C. The control device 8 determines the height of the head 32 of the transfer device 3 and the printing timing of the printing device 4 based on the settings associated with case C. The transfer device 3 faces side C1 toward the printing device 4, holds and lifts case C, moves it from right to left on the paper, and prints on side C1. After that, the transfer device 3 moves case C vertically, facing a different printing area on side C1 toward the printing device 4, holds and lifts case C, moves it from left to right on the paper, and prints on side C1. The first and second printing areas may be offset from each other horizontally as shown in the figure, or they may be aligned vertically. Inspection after printing may be performed after each print or all at once later. The inspection unit 5 may be placed on the right side of the paper of the printing device 4. For the second print, after the first print is completed, case C may be returned to the right side of the paper, and then case C may be moved from right to left on the paper.

[0041] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not limiting. The present invention is defined by the claims, not the scope described above, and all modifications in the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended. [Industrial applicability]

[0042] This invention can be used in a control device for an article processing system. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 10…Inventory Processing System 1…Case Packer 2…Case supply unit 3…Transfer device 31...Holding part 32... Head part 33... Mechanism section 4…Printing device 5…Inspection Department 51…Imaging camera 52…Image Processing Unit 6...Storage section 7…Loading section 71…Good product unloading section 72…Defective product removal section 73... Sorting and Determination Section 8...Control device 9…Conveyor Unit C...Case

Claims

[Claim 1] A control device for controlling an article processing system comprising a printing device for printing on an article and a transfer device for moving the article while it is lifted relative to the fixed printing device, A control device for an article processing system, which changes at least one of the height of the head of the transfer device and the printing timing of the printing device based on settings associated with the article.

Images