Gripping device and control method

Abstract

Detects when the grasped object falls off. [Solution] The gripping device 1 comprises a gripping unit 7 for gripping an object 200, a drive mechanism 6 that drives the gripping unit 7 in accordance with the rotational force of the motor 5, and a motor drive control device 2 that drives the motor 5. After the gripping unit 7 grips the object 200, the motor drive control device 2 performs a detachment determination process to determine whether or not the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7. The detachment determination process includes a reference data acquisition process to acquire reference data dT1, which is a reference current rise time; a first excitation process to excite the coil 51 so that the motor 5 rotates by a predetermined amount; a comparison data acquisition process after the first excitation process to acquire comparison data dT2, which is a current rise time to be compared; and a determination process to determine whether or not the object 200 has detached based on the comparison result between the reference data dT1 and the comparison data dT2.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0005] ,

[0007] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a gripping device and a control method.

Background Art

[0002] In a manufacturing site or the like, a gripping device such as an electric gripper that grips an object (work) such as a mechanical part or an electronic part is used. Generally, an electric gripper includes a gripping part that grips an object, a motor, and a drive mechanism that drives the gripping part in accordance with the rotational force of the motor.

[0003] In recent years, as an electric gripper employing a stepping motor, a sensorless type electric gripper that does not have a sensor such as an encoder for detecting the rotational speed of the stepping motor has been increasing (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in a sensorless type electric gripper, it is difficult to accurately detect the position of the rotor or the like, and thus it is not easy to detect the dropping of the gripped object.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to detect the dropping of a gripped object.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A gripping device according to a typical embodiment of the present invention comprises a motor having a coil, a gripping part for gripping an object, a drive mechanism for driving the gripping part in accordance with the rotational force of the motor, and a motor drive control device for driving the motor, wherein the motor drive control device has a drive circuit for driving the motor by switching the excitation state of the coil based on a drive control signal, and a control circuit for generating the drive control signal, wherein the control circuit has a drive control signal generation unit that generates the drive control signal so as to excite the coil until the current of the coil reaches a current reference value, and to stop the excitation of the coil when the current reaches the current reference value, and after the object is gripped by the gripping part, the excitation of the coil is started The device includes a detachment determination unit that measures the current rise time, which is the time it takes for the current to reach the current reference value, multiple times, and performs a detachment determination process to determine whether or not the object has detached from the gripping unit based on whether or not there has been a change in the current rise time, wherein the detachment determination process includes a reference data acquisition process to acquire reference data, which is the current rise time that serves as a reference; a first excitation process to excite the coil so that the motor rotates by a predetermined amount; a comparison data acquisition process after the first excitation process to acquire comparison data, which is the current rise time to be compared with the reference; and a determination process to determine whether or not the object has detached based on the comparison result between the reference data and the comparison data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The gripping device according to the present invention makes it possible to detect when a gripped object falls off. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram schematically shows the configuration of the gripping device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This diagram schematically shows the configuration of the motor and motor drive control device in the gripping device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3]This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control circuit in the gripping device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This figure shows the relationship between the rotor position and the current rise time in a stepping motor. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the processing content included in the detachment determination process according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the method for measuring current rise time. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow by the motor drive control device when gripping an object with the gripping device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8A] This is a flowchart showing the flow of the detachment determination process (step S5) according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8B] This is a flowchart showing the flow of the detachment determination process (step S5) according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] This is a timing chart showing an example of the operating state of the gripping device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control circuit in the gripping device according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 11] This is a diagram illustrating the processing content included in the elimination determination process according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a coil excitation method in the second excitation process (relocking process). [Figure 13A] This is a flowchart showing the flow of the detachment determination process (step S5) according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 13B] This is a flowchart showing the flow of the detachment determination process (step S5) according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 14] This is a timing chart showing an example of the operating state of the gripping device according to Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, specific examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the constituent elements common to each embodiment, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Note that the drawings are schematic, and it is necessary to note that the dimensional relationships between the elements, the ratios of the elements, etc. may be different from the actual ones. There may also be parts where the dimensional relationships and ratios between the drawings are different from each other.

[0011] ≪Embodiment 1≫ FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a gripping device 1 according to Embodiment 1.

[0012] In FIG. 1, as an example, a three-dimensional coordinate system (XYZ orthogonal coordinate system) composed of an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other is set, and the case where the gripping device 1 is arranged in the three-dimensional coordinate system is shown. Regarding the Y-axis, which is a coordinate axis perpendicular to the paper surface of the drawing, when a black dot is shown inside the circle of the coordinate axis, it indicates that the front side with respect to the paper surface is the positive direction. In FIG. 1, the X-axis direction is the direction in which the gripping portion 7 described later moves to grip or release the object 200.

[0013] The gripping device 1 is, for example, a device used to grip a workpiece such as a mechanical part or an electronic part as an object and transport it to a desired position for attachment. The gripping device 1 is a so-called electric gripper. Specifically, the gripping device 1 grips the object 200 between the finger portion 9_1 and the finger portion 9_2 described later.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the gripping device 1 includes a gripping portion 7, a drive mechanism 6, a motor 5, and a motor drive control device 2.

[0015] The gripping section 7 is a mechanism for gripping the object 200. The gripping section 7 is configured to operate using the rotational force of the motor 5 as its power source. The gripping section 7 has, for example, movable sections 8_1, 8_2 and finger sections 9_1, 9_2. The movable sections 8_1, 8_2 are connected to a drive mechanism 6, which will be described later, and are configured to move relative to each other in the X-axis direction by the drive mechanism 6. That is, movable section 8_1 and movable section 8_2 move in opposite directions to each other in the X-axis direction.

[0016] The finger portions 9_1 and 9_2 grip or release the object 200 as the movable portions 8_1 and 8_2 move. The finger portions 9_1 and 9_2 are positioned to protrude from the movable portions 8_1 and 8_2 on the positive side in the Z-axis direction. The finger portions 9_1 and 9_2 are formed, for example, in a plate shape. One end of finger portion 9_1 is fixed to the movable portion 8_1 by a retaining mechanism (e.g., a screw, etc.) not shown, and one end of finger portion 9_2 is fixed to the movable portion 8_2 by a retaining mechanism (e.g., a screw, etc.) not shown. As will be described in detail later, the finger portions 9_1 and 9_2 move in the X direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable portions 8_1 and 8_2 in the X direction, thereby gripping or releasing the object 200 at the other end of each finger portion 9_1 and 9_2.

[0017] In Figure 1, the center position P is defined as the reference position when the gripping device 1 grips the object 200.

[0018] Motor 5 is a power source for driving the gripping section 7. Motor 5 is, for example, a stepping motor. Motor 5 operates by receiving power from the motor drive control device 2, as will be described later. In this embodiment, as an example, motor 5 is assumed to be a two-phase stepping motor having A-phase and B-phase coils. The details of the configuration of motor 5 will be described later.

[0019] The drive mechanism 6 is a mechanism that drives the gripping part 7 by transmitting the rotational force of the motor 5 to the gripping part 7. The drive mechanism 6 is composed of a combination of mechanical parts (not shown), such as gears, worm gears, and cams. The drive mechanism 6 is connected between the output shaft of the motor 5 and the movable parts 8_1 and 8_2 of the gripping part 7. The drive mechanism 6 converts the rotational motion of the motor 5 into linear motion. That is, the drive mechanism 6 moves the movable parts 8_1 and 8_2 relative to each other in the X-axis direction according to the rotational force of the motor 5.

[0020] The drive mechanism 6 has a self-locking function that restricts the movement of the gripping part 7 when the motor 5 is de-energized. Specifically, when the motor 5 is de-energized, the drive mechanism 6 restricts the movement of the moving parts 8_1 and 8_2 from moving in a direction that would release the object 200 being gripped, i.e., from moving away from each other. For example, the drive mechanism 6 achieves its self-locking function by using a known anti-reversal mechanism with a worm gear.

[0021] As described above, the drive mechanism 6 converts the rotational motion transmitted from the motor 5 into linear motion that moves the movable parts 8_1 and 8_2 (finger parts 9_1 and 9_2) of the gripping part 7 connected to the drive mechanism 6 in the X-axis direction. For example, when the motor 5 rotates in a predetermined direction, the drive mechanism 6 moves the movable part 8_1 to the positive side of the X-axis direction and the movable part 8_2 to the negative side of the X-axis direction. That is, the movable parts 8_1 and 8_2 move toward each other towards the center position P. As a result, the distance between the movable parts 8_1 and 8_2 is narrowed, making it possible to grip the object 200 by sandwiching it between the finger part 9_1 fixed to the movable part 8_1 and the finger part 9_2 fixed to the movable part 8_2.

[0022] Furthermore, for example, when the motor 5 rotates in the opposite direction to a predetermined direction, the drive mechanism 6 moves the movable part 8_1 to the negative side in the X-axis direction and the movable part 8_2 to the positive side in the X-axis direction. That is, the movable parts 8_1 and 8_2 move away from each other from the center position P. As a result, the distance between the movable parts 8_1 and 8_2 increases, making it possible to release the object 200 that was being held between the finger part 9_1 fixed to the movable part 8_1 and the finger part 9_2 fixed to the movable part 8_2.

[0023] Furthermore, the gripping of the object 200 by the gripping portion 7 is not limited to the method of sandwiching the object 200 between the finger portions 9_1 and 9_2. For example, if the object 200 is annular, the object 200 may be gripped by inserting the finger portions 9_1 and 9_2 into the inner circumference of the annular object 200, respectively, and moving the finger portions 9_1 and 9_2 away from each other from the inner circumference to the outer circumference of the object 200.

[0024] The motor drive control device 2 is a device that drives the motor 5. The configuration of the motor 5 and the motor drive control device 2 will be explained below with reference to the diagrams.

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the motor 5 and motor drive control device 2 in the gripping device 1 according to the embodiment.

[0026] As described above, motor 5 is a two-phase stepping motor. As shown in Figure 2, motor 5 has, for example, a rotor 50, a coil 51a for phase A, a coil 51b for phase B, and a two-phase stator (not shown).

[0027] Coils 51a and 51b are elements that excite the stator (not shown), respectively. Coil 51a has a positive terminal AP and a negative terminal AN. Coil 51b has a positive terminal BP and a negative terminal BN. Terminals AP and AN of coil 51a and terminals BP and BN of coil 51b are connected to inverter circuits 40a and 40b, respectively, which constitute the drive circuit 4.

[0028] Coils 51a and 51b are driven by inverter circuits 40a and 40b. As a result, currents Ia and Ib with different phases flow through coils 51a and 51b. For example, currents Ia and Ib with a 90-degree phase difference flow through coils 51a and 51b.

[0029] In the following explanation, when coil 51a and coil 51b are not distinguished, they will simply be referred to as "coil 51".

[0030] The rotor 50 is equipped with a unipolar or multipolar magnetized permanent magnet such that the south pole 50s and north pole 50n alternately reverse direction along the circumferential direction. Figure 2 shows an example where the rotor 50 has two poles.

[0031] The stator (not shown) is positioned around the rotor 50, close to its outer circumference. The rotor 50 rotates due to the periodic switching of the phases of the currents Ia and Ib flowing through coils 51a and 51b, respectively. An output shaft (not shown) is connected to the rotor 50, and the output shaft is driven by the rotational force of the rotor 50. A drive mechanism 6 is connected to the output shaft.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the motor drive control device 2 communicates with, for example, a higher-level device 100. Based on the drive command signal Sc received from the higher-level device 100, the motor drive control device 2 controls the rotation and stopping of the motor 5 by controlling the energization state of the coils 51a and 51b of each phase of the motor 5, thereby controlling the operation of the entire gripping device 1. When the motor drive control device 2 drives the motor 5, as described above, the rotational force of the motor 5 is transmitted to the gripping unit 7 via the drive mechanism 6 connected to the output shaft of the motor 5. This controls the gripping and release of the object 200 by the gripping unit 7.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the motor drive control device 2 includes, for example, a control circuit 3 and a drive circuit 4.

[0034] Based on the drive command signal Sc transmitted from the host device 100, the control circuit 3 generates a drive control signal Sda for exciting the A-phase coil 51a of the motor 5 and a drive control signal Sdb for exciting the B-phase coil 51b of the motor 5, respectively, and supplies them to the drive circuit 4, thereby rotating the motor 5 to the target rotation position. In the following description, when the drive control signal Sda and the drive control signal Sdb are not distinguished, both the drive control signal Sda and the drive control signal Sdb will be referred to as "drive control signal Sd". Details of the control circuit 3 will be described later.

[0035] The drive circuit 4 is a circuit that drives the motor 5 by switching the excitation state of the coils 51a and 51b of the motor 5 based on the drive control signal Sd. The drive circuit 4 includes, for example, inverter circuits 40a and 40b, current detection circuits 41a and 41b, and a voltage detection circuit 42.

[0036] The inverter circuits 40a and 40b supply drive power to the motor 5 based on the drive control signals Sda and Sdb. The inverter circuits 40a and 40b are provided, for example, corresponding to each coil 51a and 51b to be driven. For example, as shown in Figure 2, an inverter circuit 40a is provided for driving the A-phase coil 51a and an inverter circuit 40b is provided for driving the B-phase coil 51b. The inverter circuits 40a and 40b are configured, for example, by H-bridge circuits.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, inverter circuit 40a is connected to the positive terminal AP and the negative terminal AN of the A-phase coil 51a. Inverter circuit 40b is connected to the positive terminal BP and the negative terminal BN of the B-phase coil 51b.

[0038] Inverter circuit 40a causes current Ia to flow through coil 51a by applying a voltage Va between terminals AP and AN based on the drive control signal Sda output from control circuit 3. Inverter circuit 40b causes current Ib to flow through coil 51b by applying a voltage Vb between terminals BP and BN based on the drive control signal Sdb output from control circuit 3.

[0039] For example, as shown in Figure 2, when the A-phase coil 51a is excited in the positive (+) direction, the inverter circuit 40a applies a voltage of "+Va" to terminal AP relative to terminal AN of the coil 51a, thereby causing a current Ia(+) to flow from terminal AP to terminal AN of the A-phase coil 51a. On the other hand, when the A-phase coil 51a is excited in the negative (-) direction, the inverter circuit 40a applies a voltage of "-Va" to terminal AP relative to terminal AN of the coil 51a, thereby causing a current Ia(-) to flow from terminal AN to terminal AP of the A-phase coil 51a. When the B-phase coil 51b is excited in the positive (+) direction, the inverter circuit 40b applies a voltage of "+Vb" to terminal BP relative to terminal BN of the coil 51b, thereby causing a current Ib(+) to flow from terminal BP to terminal BN of the B-phase coil 51b. When the B-phase coil 51b is excited in the negative direction (-), the inverter circuit 40b applies a voltage of "-Vb" to terminal BP relative to terminal BN of the coil 51b, thereby causing a current Ib(-) to flow from terminal BN to terminal BP of the B-phase coil 51b.

[0040] The current detection circuits 41a and 41b are circuits that detect the currents Ia and Ib flowing through the coils 51a and 51b. The current detection circuits 41a and 41b include, for example, shunt resistors. The shunt resistors are provided for each coil 51a and 51b and are connected in series with the inverter circuits 40a and 40b on the ground potential side or the power supply voltage side of the inverter circuits 40a and 40b. The current detection circuit 41a on the A-phase side outputs a current detection signal Sia representing the measured value of the A-phase current Ia from the voltage across the shunt resistor. The current detection circuit 41b on the B-phase side outputs a current detection signal Sib representing the measured value of the B-phase current Ib from the voltage across the shunt resistor.

[0041] The voltage detection circuit 42 is a circuit that detects the voltages of the coils 51a and 51b of the motor 5. For example, the voltage detection circuit 42 detects the voltages at the positive terminal AP and the negative terminal AN of the A-phase coil 51a, respectively, and converts them into voltages Vap and Van, respectively, that can be input to the control circuit 3, and outputs them. Similarly, the voltage detection circuit 42 detects the voltages at the positive terminal BP and the negative terminal BN of the B-phase coil 51b, respectively, and converts them into voltages Vbp and Vbn, respectively, that can be input to the control circuit 3, and outputs them. The voltage detection circuit 42 is composed of known circuits, such as a resistive voltage divider circuit. Note that the voltages Vap, Van, Vbp, and Vbn output from the voltage detection circuit 42 are sometimes collectively referred to as voltage Vbef.

[0042] The voltage detection circuit 42 may also have an analog-to-digital conversion circuit. For example, the voltage detection circuit 42 may convert the detected voltages Vap, Van, Vbp, and Vbn into digital signals and output them.

[0043] The control circuit 3 is a circuit that generates a drive control signal Sd to control the drive of the motor 5 based on a drive command signal Sc from the host device 100. Here, the drive command signal Sc includes information that indicates the target state of the motor 5. For example, the drive command signal Sc includes information that specifies the rotational speed of the motor 5, and information that specifies the target rotation angle (target rotation position) of the motor 5. The information that specifies the target rotation position may, for example, be information that specifies the number of drive steps (number of pulses) of the motor 5 corresponding to the amount of movement to the target rotation position (target amount of movement).

[0044] Control circuit 3 is a program processing unit that has components (hardware elements) such as a processor (CPU, Central Processing Unit), various memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), timers, counters, A / D conversion circuits, input / output I / F circuits, and clock generation circuits, with each component connected to the others via buses or dedicated lines. Control circuit 3 is, for example, a microcontroller (MCU, Micro Control Unit). Control circuit 3 has a rewritable non-volatile memory such as flash memory or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) as its memory. For example, the first value I1 and threshold dTth, which can be set as a current reference value Ith as described later, are rewritable to the above non-volatile memory.

[0045] In this embodiment, the control circuit 3 is packaged as an IC (integrated circuit), for example, but is not limited to this. The control circuit 3 and the drive circuit 4 may also be packaged together.

[0046] The control circuit 3 has the function of controlling the operation of gripping the object 200 with the gripping part 7 and the operation of releasing the object 200 by switching the energization of the coils 51a and 51b of the motor 5. In addition, the control circuit 3 has the function of determining whether or not the object 200 has fallen out of the gripping part 7 after being gripped. A specific example of the configuration of the control circuit 3 to realize these functions will be explained below with reference to Figure 3.

[0047] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control circuit 3 in the gripping device 1 according to the embodiment.

[0048] The control circuit 3 includes a drive control signal generation unit 12, a step-out detection unit 17, a step-out determination unit 18, and a memory unit 25 as functional blocks for realizing the functions described above. These functional blocks are realized, for example, by the processor within the MCU described above executing various calculations according to the program stored in memory, and controlling peripheral circuits such as timers and counters, A / D conversion circuits, and input / output I / F circuits. Some or all of these functional blocks may be realized by dedicated hardware circuits (logic circuits, etc.). In addition to the above functions, the control circuit 3 may also have functional blocks for realizing other functions.

[0049] The memory unit 25 is a functional unit for storing data necessary for the overall control of the gripping device 1 by the control circuit 3. For example, the memory unit 25 stores a first value I1, which is information regarding the current reference value Ith that serves as the basis for switching the energization of the coil 51 of the motor 5; a step-out determination threshold Vth, which serves as the basis for detecting the occurrence of step-out in the motor 5; a threshold dTth, which serves as the basis for determining whether or not the object 200 has fallen off the gripping unit 7; a specified drive amount φ, which is specified in the first excitation process described later; and current rise times dT1, dT2, which will be described later. Details of this information will be described later.

[0050] The step-out detection unit 17 is a functional unit that detects step-out in the motor 5. The step-out detection unit 17 determines whether or not step-out has occurred in the motor 5 based on the step-out determination threshold Vth stored in the memory unit 25 and the back EMF voltage generated in the coils 51a and 51b of the motor 5. When the step-out detection unit 17 detects that the motor 5 has step-out, it outputs a step-out detection signal Sz.

[0051] Here, we will explain the method for measuring the back electromotive force of the coils 51a and 51b of the motor 5, which is used for determining the step-out condition by the step-out detection unit 17.

[0052] Generally, when a stepping motor is rotating, a back electromotive force is generated in the coils of the unexcited phase. For example, when a stepping motor is driven by a single-phase excitation system, during the A-phase excitation period when the A-phase coil 51a is excited, a back electromotive force is generated in the B-phase coil 51b, which is the unexcited phase. On the other hand, during the B-phase excitation period when the B-phase coil 51b is excited, a back electromotive force is generated in the A-phase coil 51a, which is the unexcited phase.

[0053] Therefore, during the period when the A-phase coil 51a is de-excited, the out-of-step detection unit 17 monitors the voltage between terminals AP and AN as the back electromotive force Vapn of coil 51a, based on the voltages Vap and Van detected by the voltage detection circuit 42. Similarly, during the period when the B-phase coil 51b is de-excited, the out-of-step detection unit 17 monitors the voltage between terminals BP and BN as the back electromotive force Vbpn of coil 51b, based on the voltages Vbp and Vbn detected by the voltage detection circuit 42.

[0054] Generally, in a stepping motor, the back electromotive force generated in the unexcited coil when a stepping motor loses step is smaller than the back electromotive force generated in the unexcited coil when the stepping motor is operating normally. Therefore, the stepping loss detection unit 17 compares the back electromotive force Vapn,Vbpn with the stepping loss determination threshold Vth stored in the memory unit 25. If the back electromotive force Vapn,Vbpn is smaller than the stepping loss determination threshold Vth, the stepping loss detection unit 17 determines that a stepping loss has occurred in the motor 5 and outputs a stepping loss detection signal Sz. If the back electromotive force Vapn,Vbpn is greater than or equal to the stepping loss determination threshold Vth, the control circuit 3 determines that the object 200 has been gripped by the gripping unit 7 if it detects a stepping loss in the motor 5 using the method described above after driving the motor 5 to grip the object 200 with the gripping unit 7.

[0055] The method for determining a step loss by the step loss detection unit 17 is not limited to the example described above, and other known methods can also be employed. For example, the rotational speed of the motor 5 may be monitored while the motor 5 is running, and it may be determined that a step loss has occurred when the rotational speed falls below a predetermined threshold.

[0056] The drive control signal generation unit 12 is a functional unit that generates drive control signals Sd(Sda,Sdb). Based on the drive command signal Sc, the drive control signal generation unit 12 generates drive control signals Sda,Sdb so as to switch between energizing and de-energizing the A-phase coil 51a and the B-phase coil 51b at predetermined timings based on a predetermined excitation method in order to move the rotor 50 of the motor 5 to a target rotation position (target displacement). Here, the predetermined excitation method is, for example, one of the following: a one-phase excitation method, a one-to-two-phase excitation method, a two-phase excitation method, and a microstepping method. Specifically, the drive control signal generation unit 12 generates a drive control signal Sd such that it energizes the coil 51 until the current in the coil 51 reaches a current reference value Ith, and stops energizing the coil 51 when the current in the coil 51 reaches the current reference value Ith.

[0057] When a drive command signal Sc instructing the gripping unit 7 to be driven is input, the drive control signal generation unit 12 generates drive control signals Sda and Sdb so that the gripping unit 7 grips the object 200.

[0058] Furthermore, in the detachment determination process performed after the object 200 is grasped by the gripping unit 7, the drive control signal generation unit 12 generates a drive control signal Sd to excite the coils 51a and 51b of each phase for a short time in response to instructions from the detachment determination unit 18. Here, the drive control signals Sda and Sdb are, for example, PWM signals. In this embodiment, one period of a PWM signal, that is, the period in which one PWM signal is generated, is also called the "PWM period".

[0059] The drive control signal generation unit 12 includes, for example, a drive command acquisition unit 13, a current reference value setting unit 14, a current measurement unit 15, and a signal output unit 16.

[0060] The drive command acquisition unit 13 is a functional unit that analyzes the information contained in the drive command signal Sc transmitted from the higher-level device 100 and the instructions from the detachment determination unit 18, and gives instructions to the signal output unit 16. For example, when a drive command signal Sc containing information instructing the gripping of the object 200 is input to the control circuit 3, the drive command acquisition unit 13 instructs the current reference value setting unit 14 and the signal output unit 16 to generate a drive control signal Sd so that the motor 5 rotates in a predetermined direction.

[0061] Furthermore, for example, when a drive command signal Sc containing information instructing the release of the object 200 is input to the control circuit 3, the drive command acquisition unit 13 instructs the current reference value setting unit 14 and the signal output unit 16 to generate a drive control signal Sd so as to rotate the motor 5 in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction.

[0062] Furthermore, when an instruction is received from the detachment determination unit 18, the drive command acquisition unit 13 instructs the signal output unit 16 to energize the coil 51 of the specified phase.

[0063] The current measurement unit 15 is a functional unit that calculates and outputs measured values ​​of the currents Ia and Ib of each phase based on the current detection signals Sia and Sib output from the current detection circuits 41a and 41b. For example, if the current detection signals Sia and Sib are analog signals, the current measurement unit 15 converts the voltage of the current detection signal Sia into a digital value and outputs it as the measured value of the current Ia of phase A. The current measurement unit 15 also converts the voltage of the current detection signal Sib into a digital value and outputs it as the measured value of the current Ib of phase B. For example, the current measurement unit 15 outputs the measured value of the current Ia of phase A and the measured value of the current Ib of phase B, respectively, for each PWM period.

[0064] Furthermore, if the current detection signals Sia and Sib output from the current detection circuits 41a and 41b are digital values, the current measurement unit 15 should output the digital values ​​of the current detection signals Sia and Sib as the measured values ​​of the currents Ia and Ib.

[0065] The current reference value setting unit 14 is a functional unit that sets the current reference value Ith, which serves as the reference for the current (currents Ia and Ib of each phase) supplied to the motor 5. For example, when the motor 5 is driven by a microstepping method, the current reference value Ith is changed in a stepwise manner at each PWM period so that the currents Ia and Ib of the coils 51a and 51b of the motor 5 become sinusoidal.

[0066] Furthermore, the current reference value setting unit 14 sets the current reference value Ith to the first value I1 when it receives an instruction from the drive command acquisition unit 13 to set the current reference value Ith to the first value I1 during the detachment determination process. The information of the first value I1 is stored, for example, in the storage unit 25.

[0067] The signal output unit 16 generates a PWM signal with a predetermined period in response to instructions from the drive command acquisition unit 13 and outputs it as a drive control signal Sd. Specifically, when the drive command acquisition unit 13 instructs the motor 5 to rotate in a predetermined direction or the opposite direction, the drive control signals Sda and Sdb are generated so that the excitation phase switches periodically (coils 51a and 51b commutate) based on a predetermined excitation method. Also, when the drive command acquisition unit 13 instructs the detachment determination process to excite coil 51, the drive control signals Sda and Sdb are generated so that the specified coil 51 is excited.

[0068] The signal output unit 16 compares the measured values ​​of currents Ia and Ib obtained by the current measurement unit 15 with the current reference value Ith set by the current reference value setting unit 14 for each PWM cycle. For example, during the A-phase excitation period, the signal output unit 16 starts comparing the measured value of current Ia with the current reference value Ith at the start of one PWM cycle. If the measured value of current Ia is lower than the current reference value Ith, the signal output unit 16 sets the drive control signal Sda to the first logic level (e.g., high level), and if the measured value of current Ia becomes equal to or greater than the current reference value Ith, the signal output unit 16 sets the drive control signal Sda to the second logic level (e.g., low level), which is the opposite of the first logic level. After that, the signal output unit 16 maintains the drive control signal Sda at the second logic level, regardless of the relative magnitudes of the measured value of current Ia and the current reference value Ith, until the end of that PWM cycle. Then, when one PWM cycle ends and the next PWM cycle begins, the signal output unit 16 starts comparing the measured value of current Ia with the current reference value Ith again to generate the drive control signal Sda (PWM signal) for the next cycle.

[0069] Similarly, during the B-phase excitation period, the signal output unit 16 generates a PWM signal as a drive control signal Sdb by comparing the measured value of current Ib with the current reference value Ith for each PWM period.

[0070] In this way, the signal output unit 16 generates PWM signals as drive control signals Sda and Sdb by repeatedly comparing the currents Ia and Ib of each phase with the current reference value Ith for each phase PWM period. The inverter circuit 40a, for example, energizes the coil 51a to be driven when the input drive control signal Sda is at a first logic level (e.g., high level), and regenerates the coil 51a without energizing it when the drive control signal Sda is at a second logic level (e.g., low level). Similarly, the inverter circuit 40b, for example, energizes the coil 51b to be driven when the input drive control signal Sdb is at a first logic level (e.g., high level), and regenerates the coil 51b without energizing it when the drive control signal Sdb is at a second logic level (e.g., low level). This allows the motor 5 to be driven while limiting the currents Ia and Ib of the motor 5 so that they do not exceed the current reference value Ith.

[0071] The detachment determination unit 18 is a functional unit that performs a detachment determination process to determine whether or not the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7. The detachment determination process uses the current rise time dT as a parameter for determining whether or not the object 200 has detached. The outline of the detachment determination process is described below.

[0072] Figure 4 shows the relationship between the rotor position and the current rise time dT in a stepping motor.

[0073] In Figure 4, the horizontal axis represents the electrical angle [deg] corresponding to the rotor position, and the vertical axis represents the current rise time dT.

[0074] Here, the current rise time dT refers to the time from when the excitation of the coil 51 is started until the currents Ia and Ib reach the current reference value Ith. For example, the period during which the drive control signals Sda and Sdb (PWM signals) generated by the comparison process between the measured values ​​of currents Ia and Ib and the current reference value Ith are at the first logic level (e.g., high level) corresponds to the current rise time dT.

[0075] Note that the current rise time dT shown on the vertical axis in Figure 4 is expressed as a relative value with the maximum value set to "1".

[0076] As shown in Figure 4, in a stepping motor, the current rise time dT changes depending on the rotor position (electrical angle). Therefore, if the rotor position does not change, the current rise time dT does not change. In other words, if the rotor position changes when the stepping motor is driven, the current rise time dT will also change.

[0077] Therefore, the motor drive control device 2 (control circuit 3) according to this embodiment performs a step-out determination process after gripping the object 200 with the gripping unit 7, thereby measuring the current rise time dT multiple times when the motor 5 is driven so that the rotor rotates a small amount, and determines whether or not the object 200 has fallen from the gripping unit 7 based on whether or not there is a change in the current rise time dT.

[0078] In this embodiment, the detachment determination unit 18 performs the detachment determination process at least once after the gripping unit 7 has gripped the object 200. Preferably, the detachment determination unit 18 repeatedly performs the detachment determination process after the gripping unit 7 has gripped the object 200. For example, the detachment determination unit 18 periodically performs the detachment determination process after the gripping unit 7 has gripped the object 200. For example, the detachment determination unit 18 starts executing the detachment determination process when the motor 5 is driven to grip the object 200 by the gripping unit 7 and the motor 5 has lost step.

[0079] In the detachment determination process, the detachment determination unit 18 measures the current rise time dT multiple times, which is the time from when the excitation of the coil 51 is started until the currents Ia and Ib reach the current reference value Ith. Based on whether or not there is a change in the measured current rise time, it determines whether or not the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7.

[0080] Specifically, the detachment determination unit 18 determines that the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit if the measured current rise time dTn has changed compared to the previously measured current rise time dT(n-1) (n is an integer of 2 or more). For example, the detachment determination unit 18 determines that the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7 if the difference between the measured current rise time dTn and the previously measured current rise time dT(n-1) exceeds the threshold dTth. The step-out determination process will be described in detail below.

[0081] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the processing content included in the elimination determination process according to Embodiment 1.

[0082] As shown in Figure 5, the detachment determination process includes a reference data acquisition process, a first excitation process, a comparison data acquisition process, and a determination process. The reference data acquisition process is the process of measuring and acquiring a reference current rise time dT1 (also referred to as "reference data dT1"). The first excitation process is the process of exciting the coil 51 so that the motor 5 rotates by a predetermined amount. The comparison data acquisition process is the process of measuring and acquiring a comparison current rise time dT2 (also referred to as "comparison data dT2") to be compared with the reference. The determination process is the process of determining whether or not the object 200 has detached based on the comparison result between the reference data dT1 and the comparison data dT2. In other words, the detachment determination process includes the reference data acquisition process, the first excitation process, the comparison data acquisition process, and the determination process as a set of processes.

[0083] As shown in Figure 5, the detachment determination process may include a threshold calculation process that calculates a threshold value that serves as the criterion for determining whether or not the object 200 has detached in the determination process. The threshold calculation process only needs to be performed before the determination process. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the threshold calculation process may be performed between the reference data acquisition process and the comparison data acquisition process, or between the comparison data acquisition process and the determination process. In this embodiment, as an example, the threshold calculation process is performed between the reference data acquisition process and the comparison data acquisition process. Also, in this embodiment, the detachment determination process is considered to be a set of processes consisting of the reference data acquisition process, the first excitation process, the comparison data acquisition process, the threshold calculation process, and the determination process.

[0084] As shown in Figure 3, the detachment determination unit 18 has a reference data acquisition unit 19, a comparison data acquisition unit 20, a threshold calculation unit 21, a determination unit 22, and a first excitation unit 23, which are functional units that perform reference data acquisition processing, comparison data acquisition processing, threshold calculation processing, determination processing, and first excitation processing, respectively.

[0085] The reference data acquisition unit 19 is a functional unit that performs reference data acquisition processing and acquires reference data dT1. The comparison data acquisition unit 20 is a functional unit that performs comparison data acquisition processing and acquires comparison data dT2.

[0086] The reference data acquisition unit 19 measures the current rise time dT for the currents Ia and Ib flowing through the coils 51a and 51b of each phase by exciting the coils 51a and 51b one phase at a time, and stores this as reference data dT1 in the storage unit 25. Similarly, the comparison data acquisition unit 20 measures the current rise time dT for the currents Ia and Ib flowing through the coils 51a and 51b of each phase by exciting the coils 51a and 51b one phase at a time, and stores this as comparison data dT2 in the storage unit 25.

[0087] The method for measuring the current rise time dT by the reference data acquisition unit 19 (reference data acquisition process) and the method for measuring the current rise time dT by the comparison data acquisition unit 20 (comparison data acquisition process) are identical. Therefore, the method for measuring the current rise time dT by the reference data acquisition unit 19 will be explained using Figure 6 as a representative example.

[0088] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the method for measuring the current rise time dT. In Figure 6, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents electric current.

[0089] In the reference data acquisition process, the reference data acquisition unit 19 first instructs the drive command acquisition unit 13 to energize a coil 51 of a predetermined phase in a predetermined direction for a predetermined period of time. At this time, it is preferable to energize the coil 51 to the extent that the rotor 50 does not move too much. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the reference data acquisition unit 19 sets the current reference value Ith to a first value I1 (+I1 or -I1) and instructs the drive command acquisition unit 13 to energize either coil 51a or 51b in a first direction (positive direction) or a second direction (negative direction) opposite to the first direction for one PWM period.

[0090] The drive command acquisition unit 13 reads a first value I1 from the storage unit 25 in response to an instruction from the reference data acquisition unit 19, sets it as the current reference value Ith, and energizes the specified coil 51. Here, it is preferable to set the first value I1 to a size that does not cause the rotor 50 to move too much and that allows for accurate measurement of the current rise time dT.

[0091] The reference data acquisition unit 19 measures the time from when the coil 51 is excited until the current flowing through the coil 51 reaches a current reference value Ith (=I1) during one PWM cycle. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the reference data acquisition unit 19 measures the time dTap from the time t1 when the excitation of the A-phase coil 51a is started until the time t2 when the current Ia(+) flowing through the A-phase coil 51a reaches a current reference value Ith (=+I1), and uses this as the measured value of the current rise time. Alternatively, the reference data acquisition unit 19 may measure the period during which the PWM signals, which are the drive control signals Sda and Sdb, are at a high level and acquire this as the measured value of the current rise time.

[0092] As shown in Figure 6, the reference data acquisition unit 19 may measure the current rise times dTap, dTan, dTbp, and dTbn when the coils 51a and 51b are excited in the first direction (positive direction) and the second direction (negative direction), respectively, and store them in the storage unit 25 as reference data dT1.

[0093] For example, current rise time dTap is the current rise time for the current Ia(+) that flows when the A-phase coil 51a is excited in the first direction (positive direction). Current rise time dTan is the current rise time for the current Ia(-) that flows when the A-phase coil 51a is excited in the second direction (negative direction). Current rise time dTbp is the current rise time for the current Ib(+) that flows when the B-phase coil 51b is excited in the first direction (positive direction). Current rise time dTbn is the current rise time for the current Ib(-) that flows when the B-phase coil 51b is excited in the second direction (negative direction).

[0094] In the following explanation, the measured current rise time dTap may be referred to as "first measured value dTap," the measured current rise time dTan as "second measured value dTan," the measured current rise time dTbp as "third measured value dTbp," and the measured current rise time dTbn as "fourth measured value dTbn."

[0095] As shown in Figure 6, the reference data acquisition unit 19 measures the current rise time while switching between the coils 51a and 51b to be excited and the excitation direction. For example, the reference data acquisition unit 19 first excites the A-phase coil 51a in the positive direction to acquire the first measurement value dTap, then excites the B-phase coil 51b in the positive direction to acquire the third measurement value dTbp, then excites the A-phase coil 51a in the negative direction to acquire the second measurement value dTan, and finally excites the B-phase coil 51b in the negative direction to acquire the fourth measurement value dTbn. The reference data acquisition unit 19 then stores the acquired first measurement value dTap, second measurement value dTan, third measurement value dTbp, and fourth measurement value dTbn as reference data (current rise time) dT1 in the storage unit 25.

[0096] The comparison data acquisition unit 20 measures the current rise time dT using the same method as the reference data acquisition process. Specifically, the comparison data acquisition unit 20 first energizes the A-phase coil 51a in the positive direction to acquire the first measurement value dTap, then energizes the B-phase coil 51b in the positive direction to acquire the third measurement value dTbp, then energizes the A-phase coil 51a in the negative direction to acquire the second measurement value dTan, and finally energizes the B-phase coil 51b in the negative direction to acquire the fourth measurement value dTbn. The comparison data acquisition unit 20 then stores the acquired first measurement value dTap, second measurement value dTan, third measurement value dTbp, and fourth measurement value dTbn as comparison data (current rise time) dT2 in the storage unit 25.

[0097] Furthermore, the order in which the first measurement value dTap, second measurement value dTan, third measurement value dTbp, and fourth measurement value dTbn are acquired in the reference data acquisition process and the comparison data acquisition process is not limited to the example above and is arbitrary.

[0098] Furthermore, in the reference data acquisition process and the comparison data acquisition process, the number of times the first measurement value dTap, second measurement value dTan, third measurement value dTbp, and fourth measurement value dTbn are acquired (measured) is not limited to once, but may be two or more times. For example, the reference data acquisition unit 19 may measure the first measurement value dTap, second measurement value dTan, third measurement value dTbp, and fourth measurement value dTbn twice, and store the first measurement value dTap, second measurement value dTan, third measurement value dTbp, and fourth measurement value dTbn acquired in the second measurement as reference data dT1 in the storage unit 25, rather than the first measurement value dTap, second measurement value dTan, third measurement value dTbp, and fourth measurement value dTbn acquired in the first measurement. This makes it possible to acquire appropriate reference data dT1 even if an appropriate current rise time dT cannot be obtained in the first measurement in the unstable state immediately after gripping the object 200.

[0099] The threshold calculation unit 21 is a functional unit that performs threshold calculation processing. The threshold calculation unit 21 calculates the threshold dTth based on the reference data dT1. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the threshold calculation unit 21 selects the maximum value dTmax and the minimum value dTmin from the first measurement value dTap, the second measurement value dTan, the third measurement value dTbp, and the fourth measurement value dTbn included in the reference data dT1. Then, the threshold calculation unit 21 determines the threshold dTth based on half the difference between the maximum value dTmax and the minimum value dTmin (=(dTmax-dTmin) / 2) and stores it in the storage unit 25. For example, the threshold dTth may be half the difference between the maximum value dTmax and the minimum value dTmin (=(dTmax-dTmin) / 2).

[0100] The determination unit 22 is a functional unit that performs a determination process. Based on the reference data dT1, comparison data dT2, and threshold dTth, the determination unit 22 determines whether or not the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7. For example, the determination unit 22 calculates the difference ΔdT (for example, |dT2 - dT1|) between the reference data dT1 and the comparison data dT2, and determines whether or not the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7 based on the comparison result of the difference ΔdT and the threshold dTth.

[0101] For example, the determination unit 22 calculates the difference between the reference data dT1 and the comparison data dT2 for each of the first measured value dTap, second measured value dTan, third measured value dTbp, and fourth measured value dTbn. That is, the determination unit 22 calculates the difference ΔdTap between the first measured value dTap included in the reference data dT1 and the first measured value dTap included in the comparison data dT2. The determination unit 22 calculates the difference ΔdTan between the second measured value dTan included in the reference data dT1 and the second measured value dTan included in the comparison data dT2. The determination unit 22 calculates the difference ΔdTbp between the third measured value dTbp included in the reference data dT1 and the third measured value Tbp included in the comparison data dT2. The determination unit 22 calculates the difference ΔdTbn between the fourth measured value dTbn included in the reference data dT1 and the fourth measured value dTbn included in the comparison data dT2.

[0102] Next, the determination unit 22 compares the calculated difference with the threshold dTth and determines whether the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold. For example, the determination unit 22 compares the differences ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, and ΔdTbn with the threshold dTth and determines whether the differences ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, and ΔdTbn are greater than or equal to the threshold dTth.

[0103] The determination unit 22 determines that the object 200 has fallen from the gripping unit 7 if, in the determination process, at least two of the differences ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, and ΔdTbn exceed the threshold dTth.

[0104] More preferably, the determination unit 22 determines that the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7 when it consecutively detects that at least two of the differences ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, and ΔdTbn exceed the threshold dTth during the determination process.

[0105] For example, the determination unit 22 counts the number of differences ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, and ΔdTbn that are greater than or equal to the threshold dTth, and stores the count value CNTa in the storage unit 25.

[0106] Next, the determination unit 22 determines whether the count value CNTa is m (where m is an integer greater than or equal to 1). The value of "m" is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, m=2. If the count value CNTa is m (=2) or greater, the determination unit 22 increments the count value CNTb (+1) and stores it in the storage unit 25. If the count value CNTa is less than m (=2), the determination unit 22 clears the count value CNTb stored in the storage unit 25.

[0107] Next, the determination unit 22 determines whether the count value CNTb is greater than or equal to k (where k is an integer greater than or equal to 1). The value of "k" is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, k=2. The determination unit 22 determines that the object 200 has fallen from the gripping unit 7 if the count value CNTb is greater than or equal to k (=2). On the other hand, if the count value CNTb is less than k (=2), the determination unit 22 may determine that the gripping unit 7 is gripping the object 200.

[0108] Thus, the determination unit 22 determines that the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7 when it detects that m of the differences ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, and ΔdTbn exceed the threshold dTth for k consecutive times.

[0109] The detachment determination unit 18 may also transmit the result of the determination process to the higher-level device 100. For example, the detachment determination unit 18 may output a determination signal So of a first logic level (e.g., high level) when the object 200 is being held by the gripping unit 7, and output a determination signal So of a second logic level (e.g., low level) when the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7 (is not being held).

[0110] The comparison data acquisition process performed by the comparison data acquisition unit 20 described above is executed after the first excitation process performed by the first excitation unit 23.

[0111] The first excitation unit 23 is a functional unit that performs the first excitation process. The first excitation process is the process of exciting the coil 51 so that the motor 5 rotates by a predetermined amount. As described above, in the determination process, whether or not the object 200 has fallen off is determined based on the difference between the reference data and the comparison data. Therefore, if the change in the position of the rotor 50 from the time the reference data dT1 is acquired to the time the comparison data dT2 is acquired is small, it may not be possible to detect that the object 200 has fallen off. To this end, the first excitation unit 23 instructs the drive control signal generation unit 12 to excite the coil 51 so that the motor 5 rotates by a predetermined amount before the comparison data acquisition process.

[0112] Here, the predetermined amount is the amount corresponding to an electrical angle of 90 degrees. In this embodiment, as an example, the amount of drive for one step, which is the drive unit of the stepping motor, is assumed to be the amount corresponding to an electrical angle of 90 degrees. That is, before the comparison data acquisition process, the first excitation unit 23 instructs the drive control signal generation unit 12 to generate a drive control signal Sd that drives the motor 5 by one step (electrical angle of 90 degrees) in the direction that the gripping unit 7 grips the object 200. At this time, if the gripping unit 7 is gripping the object 200, the comparison data will not change significantly with respect to the reference data. On the other hand, if the object 200 has fallen from the gripping unit 7, the electrical angle changes by 90 degrees when the motor 5 is driven by one step, so the comparison data will change significantly with respect to the reference data. This makes it possible to detect the detachment of the object 200 more reliably.

[0113] Next, we will explain the process flow when the gripping device 1 grips the object 200.

[0114] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow by the motor drive control device 2 when gripping an object 200 with the gripping device 1 according to the embodiment.

[0115] After the gripping device 1 is activated, if a drive command signal Sc containing information instructing the device to grip the object 200 is input to the motor drive control device 2, the motor drive control device 2 starts driving the motor 5 for gripping the object 200.

[0116] First, the motor drive control device 2 drives the motor 5 (rotor 50) to rotate in a predetermined direction (step S1). Specifically, the drive control signal generation unit 12 generates a drive control signal Sd to switch between energizing and de-energizing the A-phase coil 51a and the B-phase coil 51b at timings based on a predetermined excitation method, thereby moving the finger portions 9_1 and 9_2 of the gripping portion 7 toward the center position P.

[0117] The motor drive control device 2 starts the process of determining whether the motor 5 has lost steps when the motor 5 starts to drive (step S2). Specifically, the step-out detection unit 17 starts the process of determining whether or not the motor has lost steps.

[0118] The step-out detection unit 17 determines whether or not step-out has occurred in the motor 5 using the method described above (step S3). If step-out has not been detected (step S3: NO), the motor drive control device 2 continues to rotate the motor 5 in a predetermined direction (step S1).

[0119] On the other hand, if a step loss is detected (step S3: YES), the motor drive control device 2 determines that the object 200 has been gripped by the gripping unit 7 (step S4). As a result, the motor drive control device 2 stops the rotation of the motor 5. At this time, the self-locking function of the drive mechanism 6 allows the gripping state of the object 200 to be maintained. Alternatively, after a step loss is detected, the motor drive control device 2 may generate drive control signals Sda and Sdb to rotate the motor 5 by one step. This fixes the rotor 50 of the motor 5 in addition to the self-locking function of the drive mechanism 6 (rotor lock function), making it possible to further stabilize the gripping state of the object 200 by the gripping unit 7.

[0120] Next, the motor drive control device 2 starts the detachment determination process (step S5).

[0121] Figures 8A and 8B are flowcharts showing the flow of the detachment determination process (step S5) according to Embodiment 1.

[0122] First, in the elimination determination process, the reference data acquisition unit 19 instructs the drive control signal generation unit 12 to set the current reference value Ith to a first value I1, and the current reference value setting unit 14 sets the current reference value Ith to a first value I1 in accordance with the instruction from the drive control signal generation unit 12 (step S51).

[0123] Next, the reference data acquisition unit 19 acquires reference data dT1 (step S52). Specifically, the reference data acquisition unit 19 instructs the drive control signal generation unit 12 to excite the coils 51a and 51b one phase at a time using the method described above, measures the current rise time dT for the currents Ia and Ib flowing through the coils 51a and 51b of each phase, and stores the reference data dT1 in the storage unit 25.

[0124] Next, the threshold calculation unit 21 calculates the threshold dTth using the method described above and stores it in the storage unit 25 (step S53).

[0125] Next, the first excitation unit 23 energizes the coil 51 so that the motor 5 rotates by a predetermined amount (step S54). Specifically, the first excitation unit 23 instructs the drive control signal generation unit 12 to drive the motor 5 by one step in the direction that the gripping unit 7 grips the object 200, and the drive control signal generation unit 12 generates a drive control signal Sd in response to that instruction, thereby energizing the coil 51.

[0126] Next, the comparison data acquisition unit 20 acquires the comparison data dT2 (step S55). Specifically, the comparison data acquisition unit 20 instructs the drive control signal generation unit 12 to energize the coils 51a and 51b one phase at a time using the method described above, measures the current rise time dT for the currents Ia and Ib flowing through the coils 51a and 51b of each phase, and stores the comparison data dT2 in the storage unit 25.

[0127] Next, the determination unit 22 calculates the difference ΔdT between the reference data dT1 and the comparison data dT2 (step S56). Specifically, the determination unit 22 calculates the differences ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, and ΔdTbn for each of the first measured value dTap, second measured value dTan, third measured value dTbp, and fourth measured value dTbn using the method described above.

[0128] Next, the determination unit 22 compares the difference ΔdT calculated in step S55 with the threshold dTth calculated in step S53 (step S57). Specifically, the determination unit 22 determines whether the differences ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, and ΔdTbn are greater than or equal to the threshold dTth.

[0129] Next, the determination unit 22 counts the number of differences ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, and ΔdTbn that are greater than or equal to the threshold dTth, based on the comparison result from step S56, and stores the count value CNTa in the storage unit 25 (step S58).

[0130] Next, the determination unit 22 determines whether the count value CNT is m (=2) or greater (step S59). If the count value CNTa is m or greater (step S59: YES), the determination unit 22 increments the count value CNTb (step S60). On the other hand, if the count value CNTa is less than m (step S59: NO), the determination unit 22 clears the count value CNTb (step S61).

[0131] Next, the determination unit 22 determines whether the count value CNTb is k (=2) or greater (step S62). If the count value CNTb is k or greater (step S62: YES), the determination unit 22 determines that the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7 (released state) (step S63). On the other hand, if the count value CNTb is less than k (step S62: NO), the determination unit 22 may determine that the object 200 has not detached from the gripping unit 7 (gripped state). With this, the detachment determination process (step S5) is completed.

[0132] After step S5, the motor drive control device 2 determines whether the object 200 has been detached by the detachment determination process (step S6). If the detachment of the object 200 is not detected (step S6: NO), the motor drive control device 2 performs the detachment determination process again (step S5). On the other hand, if the detachment of the object 200 is detected (step S6: YES), the motor drive control device 2 (determination unit 22) outputs a determination signal So to notify the higher-level device 100 that the object 200 has been detached from the gripping unit 7 (step S7).

[0133] Figure 9 is a timing chart showing an example of the operating state of the gripping device 1 according to Embodiment 1.

[0134] In Figure 9, the horizontal axis represents time. From the top to the bottom of Figure 9, the current Ia of the A-phase coil 51a, the current Ib of the B-phase coil 51b, and the gripping state of the object 200 by the gripping part 7 are shown, respectively.

[0135] As shown in Figure 9, at time t0, the gripping unit 7 is gripping the object 200 (gripping state). Subsequently, the motor drive control device 2 periodically performs a detachment determination process using the method described above.

[0136] For example, at time t1, the first elimination determination process is started. As shown in Figure 9, first, the motor drive control device 2 executes a reference data acquisition process during the period from time t1 to time t4 and acquires reference data dT1. Figure 9 shows a case in the reference data acquisition process of the first elimination determination process where the first current rise time dT is measured during the period from time t1 to time t2, and the second current rise time dT is measured during the period from time t3 to time t4. For example, the motor drive control device 2 stores the second current rise time dT measured during the period from time t3 to time t4 as reference data dT1 in the storage unit 25. After time t4, the motor drive control device 2 executes a threshold calculation process using the reference data dT1 acquired immediately before and calculates the threshold dTth.

[0137] At time t5, the motor drive control device 2 performs the first excitation process. For example, during the period from time t5 to time t6, the motor drive control device 2 energizes the A-phase coil 51a in the negative direction and the B-phase coil 51b in the positive direction, thereby driving the motor 5 by one step.

[0138] Next, the motor drive control device 2 measures the current rise time dT by performing a comparison data acquisition process during the period from time t6 to time t7, and stores it in the storage unit 25 as comparison data dT2. After time t7, the motor drive control device 2 performs a determination process using the reference data dT1 and comparison data dT2 acquired immediately beforehand, according to the method described above.

[0139] In the example shown in Figure 9, since the gripping state of the object 200 is maintained at time t7, the motor drive control device 2 starts the second detachment determination process. For example, the motor drive control device 2 performs a reference data acquisition process during the period from time t7 to time t8 and stores the reference data dT1 in the storage unit 25. After time t8, the motor drive control device 2 performs a threshold calculation process using the reference data dT1 acquired immediately before and calculates the threshold dTth.

[0140] At time t9, the motor drive control device 2 performs the first excitation process. For example, during the period from time t9 to time t10, the motor drive control device 2 energizes the A-phase coil 51a in the negative direction and the B-phase coil 51b in the positive direction, thereby driving the motor 5 by one step.

[0141] Next, the motor drive control device 2 performs a comparison data acquisition process during the period from time t10 to time t11, measures the current rise time dT, and stores it in the storage unit 25 as comparison data dT2. After time t11, the motor drive control device 2 uses the reference data dT1 and comparison data dT2 acquired immediately before to perform a determination process using the method described above. In the example shown in Figure 9, since the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7 at time t11, the motor drive control device 2 detects that the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7. As a result, from time t11 onward, the motor drive control device 2 stops executing the periodic detachment determination process.

[0142] As described above, the gripping device 1 according to Embodiment 1 drives the gripping unit 7 by generating a drive control signal Sd to excite the coils 51a and 51b of the motor 5 until the currents Ia and Ib of the coils 51a and 51b reach a current reference value Ith, and then stopping the excitation of the coils 51a and 51b when the currents Ia and Ib reach the current reference value Ith, thereby gripping the object 200. After the object 200 is gripped by the gripping unit 7, the motor drive control device 2 performs a detachment determination process. In the detachment determination process, the motor drive control device 2 measures the current rise time dT multiple times and determines whether the object 200 has detached from the gripping unit 7 based on whether or not there is a change in the current rise times dT1 and dT2.

[0143] As described above, a change in the position of the rotor 50 manifests as a change in the current rise time dT (see Figure 4). Therefore, when the object 200 is gripped by the gripping part 7, the position of the rotor 50 does not change even when the motor is driven, and the current rise time dT also does not change. On the other hand, if the object 200 falls out of the gripping part 7, driving the motor 5 changes the position of the rotor 50, and the current rise time dT also changes. Therefore, with the gripping device 1, since the change in the current rise time dT is detected after the object 200 is gripped by the gripping part 7, it is possible to appropriately detect when the object 200 falls out of the gripping part 7.

[0144] In particular, the gripping device 1 according to Embodiment 1 acquires comparison data after a first excitation process in which the coil 51 is excited so that the motor 5 rotates by a predetermined amount. As a result, as described above, when the object 200 falls off, the amount of change in the position of the rotor 50 from the time of acquisition of the reference data to the time of acquisition of the comparison data can be increased, making it possible to reliably detect the fall off the object 200.

[0145] Furthermore, in the gripping device 1, the amount of drive of the motor 5 in the first excitation process corresponds to an electrical angle of 90 degrees. This makes it possible to increase the difference between the reference data dT1 and the comparison data dT2 (difference in current rise time dT) based on the discrepancy between the position of the rotor 50 when acquiring the reference data dT1 and the position of the rotor 50 when acquiring the comparison data dT2, when the object 200 has fallen off (see Figure 4), thus making it possible to detect the detachment of the object 200 more reliably.

[0146] Furthermore, in the gripping device 1, the amount of drive of the motor 5 in the first excitation process corresponds to an amount equivalent to one step, which is the drive unit of a stepping motor. This makes it easier to control the drive of the motor 5 in the first excitation process.

[0147] <Embodiment 2> Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control circuit 3A in the gripping device 1A according to Embodiment 2.

[0148] The gripping device 1A according to Embodiment 2 differs from the gripping device 1 according to Embodiment 1 in that, after measuring the current rise time dT, it performs a second excitation process in which the coil 51 of the motor 5 is excited for a predetermined period of time in the direction of gripping the object 200, but is otherwise the same as the gripping device 1 according to Embodiment 1.

[0149] Conventional electric grippers use a self-locking function to maintain grip on a workpiece after it has been gripped, in order to reduce motor heat generation and power consumption. While this self-locking function is active, the grip can be maintained even if the current supply to the motor is stopped. On the other hand, if current is briefly supplied to the motor coil while the self-locking function is active, the grip provided by the self-locking function may loosen.

[0150] Therefore, in order to prevent loosening of the grip due to the self-locking function, the gripping device 1A according to Embodiment 2 performs a second excitation process (also referred to as "re-locking process") in which, after measuring the current rise time dT, the coil 51 of the motor 5 is excited for a predetermined period of time in the direction of gripping the object 200.

[0151] Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, in the control circuit 3A of the motor drive control device 2A according to Embodiment 2, the detachment determination unit 18A further includes a second excitation unit 24. The second excitation unit 24 is a functional unit for performing a second excitation process (relocking process) in which the coil 51 of the motor 5 is excited for a predetermined period of time in the direction of gripping the object 200. The second excitation unit 24 performs the relocking process after measuring the current rise time dT.

[0152] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the processing content included in the detachment determination process according to Embodiment 2.

[0153] The second excitation unit 24 performs a relock process as a second excitation process after at least one of the reference data acquisition process and the comparison data acquisition process. Preferably, as shown in Figure 11, the second excitation unit 24 performs the relock process after the reference data acquisition process and after the comparison data acquisition process.

[0154] Figure 12 shows an example of a method for exciting coil 51 during the relock process.

[0155] In Figure 12, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents current. From the top to the bottom of Figure 12, the waveforms of the current Ia in the A-phase coil 51a and the waveform of the current Ib in the B-phase coil 51b are shown side by side.

[0156] Figure 12 shows the temporal changes in the current Ia of the A-phase coil 51a and the current Ib of the B-phase coil 51b before and after comparative data processing.

[0157] First, let's assume that the object 200 is gripped by the gripping unit 7 at time t0. At this time, the gripping state of the object 200 is maintained by the self-locking function, but to assist the self-locking function, the control circuit 3A may supply a small current I0 to the A-phase coil 51a and the B-phase coil 51b by two-phase excitation.

[0158] At time t1, the first excitation unit 23 in the control circuit 3A performs the first excitation process. For example, the first excitation unit 23 first instructs the drive control signal generation unit 12 to flow a current greater than the current I0 in the same direction (positive direction) through the A-phase coil 51a and the B-phase coil 51b during the period from time t1 to time t2. After that, the first excitation unit 23 instructs the drive control signal generation unit 12 to drive the motor 5 for one step. The drive control signal generation unit 12 generates a drive control signal Sd during the period from time t2 to time t3 to energize the A-phase coil 51a to the negative side and the B-phase coil 51b to the positive side.

[0159] At time t3, the comparison data acquisition unit 20 starts the comparison data acquisition process. At time t4, when the comparison data acquisition process is completed, the second excitation unit 24 starts the second excitation process (relocking process). Specifically, the second excitation unit 24 excites the coil 51 in the direction that the gripping unit 7 grips the object 200 by two-phase excitation during the period from time t4 to time t5 (for example, about 10ms). For example, the second excitation unit 24 instructs the drive control signal generation unit 12 to set the current reference value Ith to the second value I2, and the current reference value setting unit 14 sets the current reference value Ith to the second value I2 in response to the instruction from the drive control signal generation unit 12. Then, as shown in Figure 12, the drive control signal generation unit 12 generates a drive control signal Sd so that the A-phase coil 51a and the B-phase coil 51b flow a current of the second value I2 in the same direction (positive direction).

[0160] Here, the second value I2 is greater than the current I0. For example, it is preferable that the second value I2 is the same magnitude as the current when the gripping part 7 is moved to grip the object 200. Information on the second value I2 is stored in advance in the storage unit 25.

[0161] Figures 13A and 13B are flowcharts showing the flow of the detachment determination process (step S5) according to Embodiment 2.

[0162] As shown in Figures 13A and 13B, the flow of the detachment determination process according to Embodiment 2 differs from the flow of the detachment determination process according to Embodiment 1 (see Figures 8A and 8B) in that a relock process as a second excitation process is executed after the reference data acquisition process (step S52) and the comparison data acquisition process (step S55), but is otherwise identical to the flow of the detachment determination process according to Embodiment 1.

[0163] In other words, after the reference data acquisition unit 19 acquires the reference data dT1 in step S52, the second excitation unit 24 performs the second excitation process (relock process) using the method described above (step S71). Also, after the comparison data acquisition unit 20 acquires the comparison data dT2 in step S55, the second excitation unit 24 performs the second excitation process (relock process) using the method described above (step S72).

[0164] Furthermore, if the current rise time (dTap, dTan, dTbp, and dTbn) is measured multiple times (multiple sets) during the reference data acquisition process or the comparison data acquisition process, a second excitation process (relocking process) may be performed after each measurement. For example, the detachment determination unit 18A may, in the reference data acquisition process, perform the first measurement to obtain the first measured value dTap, the second measured value dTan, the third measured value dTbp, and the fourth measured value dTbn, then perform the second excitation process, and then perform the second measurement to obtain the first measured value dTap, the second measured value dTan, the third measured value dTbp, and the fourth measured value dTbn.

[0165] Figure 14 is a timing chart showing an example of the operating state of the gripping device 1A according to Embodiment 2.

[0166] In Figure 14, the horizontal axis represents time. From top to bottom in Figure 14, the current Ia of the A-phase coil 51a, the current Ib of the B-phase coil 51b, and the gripping state of the object 200 by the gripping part 7 are shown in order.

[0167] As shown in Figure 14, at time t0, the gripping unit 7 is gripping the object 200 (gripping state). Subsequently, the motor drive control device 2A periodically performs the detachment determination process using the method described above.

[0168] Specifically, at time t1, the first dropout determination process begins. As shown in Figure 14, first, the motor drive control device 2A executes a reference data acquisition process during the period from time t1 to time t4 and acquires reference data dT1. Figure 14 shows the case where the second excitation process (relock process) is executed during the reference data acquisition process performed during the period from time t1 to time t4. That is, the first current rise time dT is measured during the period from time t1 to time t2, the second excitation process (relock process) is performed during the period from time t2 to time t3, and the second current rise time dT is measured during the period from time t3 to time t4.

[0169] Between time t4 and time t5, the motor drive control device 2A performs a second excitation process using the method described above. This increases the gripping force of the gripping unit 7 on the object 200. Subsequently, between time t6 and time t7, the motor drive control device 2A performs a first excitation process using the method described above, and between time t7 and time t8, it performs a comparison data acquisition process.

[0170] Then, during the period from time t8 to time t9, the motor drive control device 2A performs a second excitation process using the method described above. This increases the gripping force of the gripping unit 7 on the object 200. Subsequently, at time t10, the second detachment determination process is started.

[0171] As described above, the gripping device 1A according to Embodiment 2 performs a second excitation process (relocking process) in which, after measuring the current rise time dT, the coils 51a and 51b of the motor 5 are excited for a predetermined period of time in the direction of gripping the object 200. According to this, as described above, even if the gripping by the self-locking function loosens due to a short current being passed through the coils 51a and 51b of the motor 5 for the measurement of the current rise time dT, the second excitation process (re-locking process) can generate torque in the direction of gripping the object 200. This makes it possible to prevent the object 200 from falling off, even if the gripping by the self-locking function loosens due to the detachment determination process.

[0172] <<Extension of the Embodiment>> Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence.

[0173] For example, in the above embodiment, a method for detecting whether or not there is a change in the current rise time in the dropout determination process is provided as an example of determining whether or not the difference between the measured current rise time dT2 and the current rise time dT1 measured before it exceeds a threshold, but the method is not limited to this. For example, the presence or absence of a change in the current rise time may be detected by determining whether or not the quotient (ratio) between the measured current rise time dT2 and the current rise time dT1 measured before it exceeds a threshold.

[0174] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned reference data acquisition process and comparison data acquisition process, the first measurement value dTap, the second measurement value dTan, the third measurement value dTbp, and the fourth measurement value dTbn may be measured multiple times, and the average value of multiple measurements for each of the first measurement value dTap, the second measurement value dTan, the third measurement value dTbp, and the fourth measurement value dTbn may be calculated and used as the reference data dT1 and comparison data dT2.

[0175] In the above embodiment, the number of phases of the motor 5 (stepping motor) is not limited to two. Furthermore, the motor 5 is not limited to a stepping motor, but may be, for example, a brushless DC motor.

[0176] Furthermore, the flowchart described above is merely an example illustrating the operation and is not limited to it. In other words, the steps shown in each diagram of the flowchart are specific examples and are not limited to this flow. For example, the order of some processes may be changed, other processes may be inserted between each process, or some processes may be performed in parallel. [Explanation of symbols]

[0177] 1,1A…Gripping device, 2,2A…Motor drive control device, 3,3A…Control circuit, 4…Drive circuit, 5…Motor (stepping motor), 6…Drive mechanism, 7…Gripping part, 8_1,8_2…Moving part, 9_1,9_2…Finger part, 12…Drive control signal generation unit, 13…Drive command acquisition unit, 14…Current reference value setting unit, 15…Current measurement unit, 16…Signal output unit, 17…Step-out detection unit, 18,18A…Dropout determination unit, 19…Reference data acquisition unit, 20…Comparison data acquisition unit, 21…Threshold calculation unit, 22…Determination unit, 23…First excitation unit, 24…Second excitation unit, 25…Storage unit, 40a,40b…Inverter circuit, 41a,41b…Current detection circuit, 42…Voltage detection circuit, 50…Rotor, 50s…S pole, 50n ...N pole, 51a, 51b... coil, 100... higher-level device, 200... target object, CNTa, CNTb... count value, dTth... threshold, dT1... reference data (current rise time), dT2... comparison data (current rise time), dTap... first measurement value, dTan... second measurement value, dTbp... third measurement value, dTbn... fourth measurement value, ΔdT, ΔdTap, ΔdTan, ΔdTbp, ΔdTbn... difference, Ia, Ib... current, Ith... current reference value, I1... first value, Sc... drive command signal, Sd, Sda, Sdb... drive control signal, Sia, Sib... current detection signal, So... judgment signal, Vap, Van, Vbp, Vbn, Vbef... voltage, Vth... step-out judgment threshold, 100... higher-level device.

Claims

1. A motor having a coil, A gripping part for grasping an object, A drive mechanism that drives the gripping portion in accordance with the rotational force of the motor, The motor includes a motor drive control device that drives the motor, The motor drive control device includes a drive circuit that drives the motor by switching the excitation state of the coil based on a drive control signal, and a control circuit that generates the drive control signal. The aforementioned control circuit is A drive control signal generation unit generates a drive control signal that energizes the coil until the current in the coil reaches a current reference value, and stops the excitation of the coil when the current reaches the current reference value. The system includes a detachment determination unit that, after gripping the object with the gripping unit, measures the current rise time multiple times, which is the time from when the excitation of the coil is started until the current reaches the current reference value, and performs a detachment determination process to determine whether or not the object has detached from the gripping unit based on whether or not there is a change in the current rise time, The aforementioned elimination determination process is as follows: A reference data acquisition process that acquires reference data, which is the current rise time that serves as the standard, A first excitation process in which the coil is excited so that the motor rotates by a predetermined amount, After the first excitation process, a comparison data acquisition process is performed to acquire comparison data, which is the current rise time to be compared with the reference, The process includes determining whether or not the object has fallen off based on the comparison result between the reference data and the comparison data. gripping device.

2. In the gripping device according to claim 1, The predetermined amount is an amount corresponding to an electrical angle of 90 degrees. gripping device.

3. In the gripping device according to claim 2, The motor is a stepping motor, The predetermined amount corresponds to one step, which is the drive unit of the stepping motor. gripping device.

4. In the gripping device according to claim 1, The detachment determination process further includes a second excitation process in which, after measuring the current rise time, the coil is excited for a predetermined period of time in the direction of gripping the object. gripping device.

5. In the gripping device according to claim 1, The detachment determination unit repeatedly executes the detachment determination process after the object has been grasped by the gripping unit. gripping device.

6. In the gripping device according to claim 1, The detachment determination unit determines that the object has detached from the gripping unit if, in the determination process, the difference between the current rise time of the comparison data and the current rise time of the reference data exceeds a threshold. gripping device.

7. In the gripping device according to claim 1, The motor further includes a step-out detection unit for detecting step-out, The detachment determination unit starts executing the detachment determination process when the motor is driven to grip the object by the gripping unit and the step-out detection unit detects that the motor has lost step. gripping device.

8. A control method for a gripping device comprising a motor having a coil, a gripping part for gripping an object, a drive mechanism for driving the gripping part in accordance with the rotational force of the motor, and a motor drive control device for driving the motor, The first step is to drive the motor so that the gripping part grips the object, The second step includes, after gripping the object with the gripping part, measuring the current rise time multiple times, which is the time from when the excitation of the coil is started until the current in the coil reaches a current reference value, and determining whether or not the object has fallen from the gripping part based on whether or not there is a change in the current rise time, The second step described above is: A third step involves acquiring reference data, which is the current rise time that serves as the standard. A fourth step in which the coil is energized so that the motor rotates by a predetermined amount, A fifth step is to obtain comparison data, which is the current rise time to be compared with the standard, after the fourth step, The sixth step includes determining whether or not the object has fallen off based on the comparison result between the reference data and the comparison data. Control method.

Images