Method for connecting linear objects, control device, and device for connecting linear objects

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for connecting a linear object to a housing, which allows the terminal attached to the tip of the linear object to be connected without causing the gripped linear object to buckle. [Solution] A method for connecting a linear object, consisting of a linear object body C and a terminal T attached to the tip of the linear object body, to a housing H by gripping the linear object body at a distance from the terminal with a hand 40 attached to the tip of a robot arm, the method comprising: a tip insertion step (B) in which the tip of the terminal is inserted into the housing; a linear object straightening step (C) in which the orientation of the linear object body between the terminal and the gripping position by the hand is aligned with the direction of connection to the housing; and a step (D) in which the hand is moved relative to the housing in the direction of connection to the housing to connect the terminal to the housing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for grasping and connecting linear objects with a robot hand, and more specifically, to a method for grasping a linear object consisting of a linear object body and a terminal attached to its tip with a robot hand, and inserting the terminal into a housing to connect them. [Background technology]

[0002] The process of connecting terminals and other connecting components attached to the ends of electrical wiring cables to their corresponding connected components is being automated using robots.

[0003] For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 describe a method in which the three-dimensional shape of the tip of an electric wire to which a connector is connected is measured with a stereo camera to obtain positional information of the connector, and the connector is grasped with a robot hand and attached to a housing.

[0004] For linear objects that do not have connecting members such as terminals at their ends, Patent Document 4 describes a method of three-dimensionally measuring the end of an electric wire and grasping it at a predetermined distance from the end using a robot hand. The grasped electric wire is in a bent state, and the position of the end is measured in three dimensions, and the end is moved along the central axis of the hole to insert it into the hole. Patent Document 5 also describes a method of three-dimensionally measuring a supplied tube of resin or the like and grasping it at a predetermined position using a robot hand. The grasped tube is in a curved state due to gravity, and the insertion of the tube into the hole is completed by gradually bringing the robot hand closer to the opening surface of the hole so as to conform to the shape of the curved tube.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 6 describes a linear object gripping system suitable for picking up one linear object from a large number of flexible linear objects. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-110881 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-112470 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-028107 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 2019 / 163671 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-024068 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-090089 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0007] In the methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, a connector is gripped by a robot hand and attached to a housing. However, depending on the shapes of the terminal and the housing, for example, when the entire terminal is housed and connected inside the housing, the connection cannot be completed while the terminal is being gripped, and it is necessary to connect the terminal to the housing while gripping the wire at a position away from the terminal. Also, when the shape of the terminal is complex and it is difficult to stably grip the terminal with the hand, or when the portion of the terminal protruding from the housing is small when the terminal is connected to the housing, it is necessary to connect the terminal to the housing while gripping the wire at a position away from the terminal even when it is difficult to connect to the housing while gripping the terminal.

[0008] As described in Patent Documents 4 to 5, in the method of three-dimensionally measuring the tip of a wire or a tube and gripping the gripping position at a predetermined distance from the tip with a robot hand, there is a problem that it takes time for three-dimensional measurement and calculation of the gripping position.

[0009] Furthermore, since the linear objects described in Patent Documents 4-5 do not have terminals or the like attached to their ends, it was possible to insert the linear object into the hole by grasping the middle of the linear object with a robot hand and moving the robot hand along the curved shape of the linear object. However, when a terminal is attached to the end of the cable, this method made it difficult to connect the cable because the resistance when trying to connect the terminal to the housing would cause the cable to buckle.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a method for connecting a linear object to a housing without buckling the linear object body, while the linear object body, which consists of a linear object body and a terminal attached to its tip, is gripped by a robot hand at a distance from the terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention provides a linear object connection method, comprising a linear object consisting of a linear object body and a terminal attached to the tip of the linear object body, and connecting the linear object body to a housing by grasping the linear object body at a distance from the terminal with a hand attached to the tip of a robot arm, the method comprising: a tip insertion step of inserting the tip of the terminal into the housing; a linear object straightening step of aligning the orientation of the linear object body between the terminal and the grasping position by the hand with the direction of connection to the housing; and a step of moving the hand relative to the housing in the direction of connection to the housing to connect the terminal to the housing.

[0012] This method allows the robot hand to grip the linear object at a distance from the terminal, and then insert the terminal into the housing to connect it without buckling the linear object.

[0013] Preferably, the linear object connection method includes a terminal orientation measurement step to obtain the orientation of the terminal, and the tip insertion step is a step of inserting the tip of the terminal into the housing based on the measured orientation of the terminal.

[0014] Alternatively, preferably, the above linear object connection method includes a step of adjusting the orientation of the terminal to match the connection direction to the housing using a terminal orientation adjustment mechanism before the tip insertion step. Here, the rotation state of the terminal refers to the rotation angle around the axis of the terminal, and the rotation state of the housing refers to the rotation angle around the axis of the housing. Matching the rotation state of the terminal to the rotation state of the housing means making the relationship between the rotation angles of the two the same as when the terminal T is inserted into the housing H.

[0015] Alternatively, preferably, the above-described linear object connection method includes a step of gripping the terminal in a predetermined position with another hand before the tip insertion step. Here, the position of the terminal refers to both the orientation and rotational state of the terminal.

[0016] Preferably, in any of the above linear object connection methods, the linear object straightening step is a step of aligning the orientation of the linear object body between the terminal and the gripping position by the hand with the connection direction to the housing, based on the length of the linear object in front of the hand. Here, the length of the linear object in front of the hand may be calculated by obtaining the three-dimensional shape of the linear object in front of the gripping position by the hand.

[0017] Preferably, any of the above linear object connection methods includes a rotation state acquisition step of acquiring the rotation state of the terminal and a rotation state adjustment step of matching the rotation state of the terminal to the rotation state of the housing.

[0018] The control device of the present invention comprises a linear object body and a terminal attached to the tip of the linear object body, and is a control device for connecting a linear object, which is grasped by a hand attached to the tip of a robot arm at a distance from the terminal, to a housing, by instructing the robot and / or a housing position control device that controls the position of the housing to insert the tip of the terminal into the housing, to align the orientation of the linear object body between the terminal and the grasping position by the hand with the direction of connection to the housing, and to connect the terminal to the housing.

[0019] The linear object connecting device of the present invention comprises the control device, the robot, and a three-dimensional measuring instrument that measures the three-dimensional shape of the linear object in front of the gripping position by the hand. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the linear object connection method of the present invention, the linear object body is gripped at a position away from the terminal, the tip of the terminal is inserted into the housing, and then the orientation of the linear object body between the terminal and the gripping position by the hand is aligned with the direction of connection to the housing, and the terminal is pushed into the housing. As a result, the terminal can be inserted into the housing and connected without buckling the linear object body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] This figure shows a system for implementing the linear object connection method of the embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows a first example of a linear object gripping system for gripping linear objects. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows the fourth hand and supply tray viewed from the front. [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows the first hand viewed from the front. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the second hand. A: Fingers open, B: Fingers closed. [Figure 6] This is a view of the third hand from the front. [Figure 7] This is a process flow diagram of the first example of a method for gripping linear objects. [Figure 8] A-G: These are diagrams illustrating a first example of a method for gripping linear objects. [Figure 9] This figure shows a second example of a linear object gripping system for gripping linear objects. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the structure of the first hand in Figure 9. A: Plan view of the hook member, B: Side view of the hook member, C: Plan view of the retaining member, D: Side view of the retaining member. [Figure 11]A-D: These diagrams illustrate the method of picking up linear objects using the first hand in Figure 9. [Figure 12] This is a process flow diagram of a second example of a method for gripping linear objects. [Figure 13] This figure shows a third example of a linear object gripping system for gripping linear objects. [Figure 14] Figure 13 shows the first hand viewed from the front. [Figure 15] This is a process flow diagram of a third example of a method for gripping linear objects. [Figure 16] A: A lateral view and B: A front view of the first and second hands of a fourth example of a linear object gripping system for gripping linear objects. [Figure 17] This figure shows a terminal connection system for connecting terminals to a housing in a linear object connection method according to one embodiment. [Figure 18] This is a process flow chart for terminal connection methods. [Figure 19] This diagram illustrates the orientation and rotation of the terminals and the orientation and rotation of the housing. [Figure 20] A-D: These diagrams illustrate how to align the orientation and rotation of the terminals and housing. [Figure 21] This diagram illustrates the process of measuring the length of the linear object body from the terminal to the gripping position during the terminal orientation measurement process. [Figure 22] This diagram shows a method for rotating a linear object around an axis. [Figure 23] A-B: These diagrams illustrate how the gripping position shifts from the tool center point due to the terminal rotation adjustment process. [Figure 24] A-D: These diagrams illustrate how to connect the terminals to the housing. [Figure 25] Figure 25A shows a fifth hand, which is an example of a terminal orientation adjustment mechanism. A: View from the terminal tip side, B: View from arrow X in Figure 25A, and C: View showing the terminal being gripped. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Figure 1 shows the overall system for implementing the linear object connection method of the embodiment. The linear object connection system 10 grips a linear object having a terminal at its end and connects the terminal of the gripped linear object to a housing. Below, first to fourth examples of systems and methods for gripping linear objects are described, followed by first to third embodiments of the linear object connection method for connecting the terminal of the gripped linear object to a housing.

[0023] In the following, "holding" refers to a state in which the linear object does not fall off the handle but can slide and move along its length relative to the handle, while "gripping" refers to a state in which the linear object does not fall off the handle and cannot slide and move along its length relative to the handle. Furthermore, "forward" refers to the direction toward the tip of the linear object S as viewed from the linear object body C, and "backward" refers to the opposite direction.

[0024] A first example of a linear object gripping system and method is described with reference to Figures 2-8.

[0025] Referring to Figure 2, the linear object gripping system 20 includes a supply tray 11 on which linear objects S are placed and supplied, a fourth hand 45 for picking up one linear object S from the many supplied to the supply tray, a first hand 25 located behind the fourth hand, a second hand 35 located in front of the fourth hand, and a third hand 40 attached to the tip of the arm of a multi-joint robot 17. The first hand 25, the second hand 35, and the fourth hand 45 are positioned above the supply tray 11 near the tip of the linear object S. The third hand 40 can be freely repositioned by operating the multi-joint robot 17. With this linear object gripping system 20, the third hand 40 grips the linear object body C of the linear object S, which has a terminal T at its tip, near the terminal T, at a predetermined distance from the terminal T.

[0026] The linear object S consists of a linear object body C and a terminal T attached to its tip. The linear object body C is a flexible and pliable thin wire. Examples of the linear object body C include wires, cables, electric wires, optical fibers, and resin tubes. The diameter of the linear object body C is preferably 0.1 to 5.0 mm, more preferably 0.3 to 2.0 mm. The linear object gripping system described herein is particularly suitable for handling such thin wires. The terminal T is connected to the housing by inserting its entirety into the housing, as will be described later. The terminal T is sometimes called a plug, jack, or contact pin. The terminal T may be attached to both ends of the linear object body. In that case, in this specification, the end of the linear object that is gripped is called the tip, and the opposite end is called the end.

[0027] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, many linear objects S are placed on the supply tray 11 and supplied at once, aligned in the longitudinal direction. The fourth hand 45 is positioned above the supply tray so as to be able to move up and down and can pick up one of the many linear objects S placed on the supply tray.

[0028] The structure of the fourth hand 45 is not particularly limited. The fourth hand shown in Figure 3 has a structure similar to that described in Patent Document 6. The fourth hand 45 has a groove 48 formed between the tips of a pair of fingers 46a and 46b into which one of the linear object bodies C fits, and a suction hole 49 that draws the linear object body C toward the groove 48 is connected to the bottom surface of the groove. Then, by rotating the finger 46b around the pivot axis 47, the linear object body C fitted in the groove 48 can be gripped and held between the pair of fingers 46a and 46b. The fourth hand 45 can lower toward the supply tray 11 with the fingers 46a and 46b open, draw in and grip the linear object body C of one linear object S, and then lift the gripped linear object S by rising again.

[0029] The supply tray 11 is configured in a U-shape in plan view (see Figure 1), allowing long linear objects S to be placed on it while minimizing the installation area. The majority of the supply tray is made up of a U-shaped groove in cross-section, and below the fourth hand 45, one wall (the left side in Figure 3) is removed, and a push member 15 is provided on the wallless side. In addition, the wall 12 remaining on one side of the supply tray 11 has a slit 13 in the part where the fourth hand descends so as not to interfere with the fourth hand 45. The push member 15 is plate-shaped and movable in the width direction of the supply tray 11, pushing the placed linear objects S towards the wall 12 and concentrating the linear objects against the wall. This ensures that the fourth hand 45 can reliably pick up the linear objects S even when the number of linear objects on the supply tray 11 is small. Furthermore, the slit 13 allows the fourth hand 45 to pick up the linear objects at the very end that have been pushed against the wall 12. Instead of the slit 13, protrusions may be provided on the front and back of the portion of the wall 12 where the fourth hand descends, so that the gripped portion of the linear object does not lie along the edge of the wall, thereby allowing all linear objects to be picked up without the fourth hand interfering with the wall 12. Preferably, the supply tray 11 is equipped with a stopper 14 that closes the front end. This is to prevent surrounding linear objects from moving and protruding from the front end of the supply tray 11 when the fourth hand 45 repeatedly picks up the linear objects S.

[0030] Referring to Figures 2 and 4, the first hand 25 is mounted above the supply tray 11 near the rear of the fourth hand 45 and is vertically movable. The first hand 25 has a pair of fingers 27, 27. Each finger is wedge-shaped when viewed from the front, and the spacing between the fingers 27, 27 is wide at the tip, narrows towards the base, and is narrowest at the tip 28. Above the tip 28, the spacing between the fingers widens slightly to form a holding portion 30. When the first hand 25 is lowered from above toward the linear object body C held by the fourth hand 45 with the fingers 27, 27 open, the linear object body C is guided toward the holding portion 30 between the wedge-shaped fingers 27, 27. It then stops upon contact with a stopper member 29 provided behind the fingers. By slightly closing the fingers at this point, the linear object body C can be held. Even when the linear object body C is held by the first hand 25, the linear object body can move in the longitudinal direction.

[0031] Referring to Figures 2 and 5, the second hand 35 is positioned above the supply tray 11 near the front of the fourth hand 45. The second hand 35 is equipped with a pair of substantially L-shaped fingers 36, 36, such that the L-shaped tips face each other when holding a linear object. The second hand 35 is movable horizontally, substantially perpendicular to the linear object S, so that the fingers 36, 36 can be opened vertically to approach the linear object S from the side. The second hand 35 is also movable along the length of the linear object S, allowing it to approach the linear object S from the front. If the tip of the linear object S is drooping, approaching from the side is preferable. A groove 37 shaped like a frustoconical cuboid is formed at the tip of the short side of the L-shape, forming a substantially frustoconical through-hole 38 with the front as the base when the two fingers are closed. The rear opening 38b of the through hole 38 corresponds to the top surface of a frustocone, and its diameter is larger than the diameter of the linear object body C and smaller than the diameter of the terminal T. The front opening 38a of the through hole 38 corresponds to the bottom surface of a frustocone, and its diameter is preferably larger than the diameter of the terminal T. With fingers 36, 36 open, the second hand 35 is brought from the side toward the linear object body held by the fourth hand 45, and the linear object body C is placed between fingers 36, 36 (Figure 5A). By closing fingers 36, 36 in this state, the linear object body C can be held (Figure 5B; however, the linear object S is not shown in Figure 5B). Even when the linear object body C is held by the second hand 35, the linear object body can move in the longitudinal direction. When the second hand 35 is moved forward, the terminal T comes into contact with fingers 36, 36, and when the second hand is moved further forward, the terminal T and the entire linear object S are pulled forward by the second hand. The groove 37 provided in the second hand should be shaped such that the terminal T contacts it when the second hand is moved forward from a state in which it is holding the linear object body C.

[0032] Referring to Figures 2 and 6, the third hand 40 is attached to the tip of the arm of the articulated robot 17. The structure of the third hand 40 is not particularly limited. The third hand shown in Figure 6 can grasp the linear object body C by closing a pair of fingers 41, 41. Preferably, the pair of fingers 41, 41 are relatively movable in the longitudinal direction. This makes it easier to rotate the terminal T around its axis in the terminal connection method described later.

[0033] Next, a first example of a linear object gripping method will be explained following the flow shown in Figure 7, with reference to Figures 2-6 and 8.

[0034] (S1: Pickup process) The fourth hand 45 is used to pick up one linear object S from a number of linear objects S placed on the supply tray 11 (Figure 8A). The fourth hand 45 descends toward the supply tray 11 with its fingers spread, sucks and grips the linear object body C of one linear object S, and then rises again to lift the gripped linear object S. If there are only a few linear objects S on the supply tray 11, the gathering member 15 pushes the linear objects toward the wall 12 to make them densely packed against the wall, and then the fourth hand is lowered.

[0035] (S2: 1st holding step) The first hand 25 is used to hold the linear object body C, which is grasped by the fourth hand 45, behind the fourth hand (Figure 8B). With its fingers 27, 27 open, the first hand 25 descends toward the linear object body C and holds the linear object body C. Because the first hand 25 is positioned near the fourth hand 45, the first hand can descend to a fixed position and hold the linear object body C without having to check the position of the linear object body C each time. The first hand 25 holds the linear object body C so that it can slide along its length, but it is preferable to keep the fingers closed enough so that the linear object body slides against the fingers 27, 27 and some resistance is applied, so that the linear object body C does not loosen in the sliding process (S5) described later.

[0036] (S3: 2nd holding step) The second hand 35 is used to hold the linear object body C, which is grasped by the fourth hand 45, in front of the fourth hand (Figure 8C). With its fingers 36, 36 open, the second hand 35 approaches the linear object body C from the side and holds it. Because the second hand 35 is positioned near the fourth hand 45, the second hand can approach and hold the linear object body C at a fixed position without having to check the position of the linear object body C each time.

[0037] (S4) Once the linear object S is held by the first hand 25 and the second hand 35, the grip of the fourth hand 45 is released (Figure 8D). Note that steps (S4) and (S3) in Figure 7 may be performed in any order. In this case, the first hand 25 holds the linear object body C (S2), the fourth hand 45 releases its grip on the linear object body (S4), and then the second hand 35 holds the linear object body (S3). In this case, the second hand 35 holds the object in front of the first hand.

[0038] (S5: Sliding process) Using the second hand 35, the linear object S is slid forward, pulling the terminal T along with it, until the terminal T reaches a predetermined position (Figure 8E). When the second hand 35 is moved forward from the position where it is holding the linear object body C, the terminal T comes into contact with the side surface of the through hole 38 formed by the fingers 36, 36. When the second hand 35 is moved further forward, i.e., towards the tip of the linear object, the terminal T and the entire linear object S are pulled forward by the second hand. In this way, the second hand moves the terminal T to a predetermined position. If the supply tray 11 is equipped with a stopper 14, the terminal T can always be moved to a predetermined position by setting the predetermined position of the terminal T in front of the stopper.

[0039] (S6: Gripping process) The articulated robot 17 is operated, and the third hand 40 is used to grasp the linear object body C at a predetermined distance from the terminal T, ensuring that the linear object body does not slip in the longitudinal direction (Figure 8F). Since the second hand 35 has slid the terminal T to the predetermined position, the third hand 40 can grasp the linear object body C at a predetermined distance from the terminal T by grasping it at a fixed position behind the second hand. If the length of the terminal T is known, the third hand 40 can grasp the linear object body C at a predetermined distance from the tip of the linear object. In other words, the third hand 40 can grasp the linear object body at a fixed distance from the tip of the linear object.

[0040] (S7) Once the linear object S is grasped by the third hand 40, the first hand 25 and the second hand 35 release their grip (Figure 8G). This completes the linear object grasping method of the first example.

[0041] In this first example of a linear object gripping method, the linear object S is picked up with the fourth hand 45, the linear object body C is held with the first hand 25, the tip of the linear object body is held and pulled forward with the second hand 35, and the linear object body is gripped with the third hand 40. For example, if the length of the terminal T is about 20 mm, the third hand 40 grips the linear object body C at a distance of 30 to 40 mm from the tip of the linear object S, i.e., 10 to 20 mm from the rear end of the terminal T. The structure and arrangement of each hand can be modified in various ways as long as this method can be implemented.

[0042] For example, the first hand 25 is not limited to being able to open and close its fingers 27 horizontally to move up and down and approach the linear object body C from above, but may also be able to open and close its fingers vertically to move horizontally and approach the linear object body C from the side. Also, the first hand 25 may be positioned near the front of the fourth hand 45, rather than behind it.

[0043] Furthermore, for example, the second hand 35 is not limited to being able to open and close its fingers 36, 36 vertically and move horizontally to approach the linear object body C from the side, but may also be able to open and close its fingers horizontally and move vertically to approach the linear object body C from above. If the first hand 25 is positioned in front of the fourth hand 45, the second hand is positioned even further in front of the first hand.

[0044] Next, a second example of a linear object gripping system and method will be described with reference to Figures 9-12.

[0045] Referring to Figure 9, the linear object gripping system 50 includes a supply tray 11 on which linear objects S are placed and supplied, a first hand 55, a second hand 35, and a third hand 40 attached to the tip of the arm of an articulated robot 17. The linear object gripping system 50 omits the fourth hand (45 in Figure 2) of the first embodiment, and instead uses a first hand 55 that is capable of picking up linear objects S from the supply tray 11 and holding the linear object body C so that it slides in the longitudinal direction. In addition, in order to pick up the linear object S with the first hand 55, the slit 13 of the supply tray 11 extends across the supply tray 11 and across the entire wall 12 and bottom surface.

[0046] The first hand 55 has a structure similar to the hand described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-199128 by the present applicant. Referring to Figure 10, the first hand 55 has a hook member 56 and a pressing member 58. The hook member 56 is a rod-shaped object with a rectangular cross-section and has a recess 57 with an entrance formed on the side near the tip. The size of the recess 57 is sufficient to fit one linear object body C, but not large enough to fit two linear object bodies C. The pressing member 58 is a rod-shaped object with a U-shaped groove 59 extending in one direction. The tip of the bottom surface portion 62 of the groove 59 extends longer than the side portion 60, forming a lid portion 63 at the tip.

[0047] The hook member 56 and the retaining member 58 are fitted together such that the hook member fits into the groove 59 with the opening of the recess 57 facing the bottom surface 62 of the retaining member. The hook member 56 and the retaining member 58 are slidable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction, and moving the retaining member toward the base end of the hook member opens the opening of the recess 57, while moving it toward the tip closes the opening of the recess 57.

[0048] Referring to Figure 11, the method for picking up a linear object S using the first hand 55 will be explained. The first hand 55 is positioned to the side of the supply tray 11, with the entrance of the recess 57 facing the linear object S on the supply tray (Figure 11A), and moves toward the wall 12 of the supply tray, inserting one linear object body C into the recess 57 (Figure 11B). The retaining member 58 is lowered relative to the hook member 56, so that the lid portion 63 closes the entrance of the recess 57, and the front end 61 of the side portion 60 presses the linear object body C downward, thereby gripping the linear object body C (Figure 11C). The entire first hand 55 is raised, and the pickup of one linear object S is completed (Figure 11D).

[0049] The second hand 35 and the third hand 40 constituting the linear object gripping system 50 are the same as those in the linear object gripping system 20 of the first example.

[0050] This second example of a linear object gripping method is shown in Figure 12 and is similar to the first example of a linear object gripping method (Figure 7). The differences from the first example are that the linear object S is gripped and picked up with the first hand 55 (step S1a), the pressing member 58 is raised slightly relative to the hook member 56 and the first hand 55 is used to re-hold the linear object body C so that it slides in the longitudinal direction (step S2a), and because there is no fourth hand, step S4 of the first example is omitted.

[0051] In the second example of the linear object gripping method, the linear object S is picked up with the first hand 55, the main body C of the linear object is held with the first hand 55, the tip of the main body of the linear object is held with the second hand 35 and pulled forward to move the terminal to a predetermined position, and the main body of the linear object is gripped with the third hand 40. The structure and arrangement of each hand can be modified in various ways as long as this method can be implemented.

[0052] Next, a third example of a linear object gripping system and method will be described with reference to Figures 13-15.

[0053] Referring to Figure 13, the linear object gripping system 70 includes a supply tray 11 on which linear objects S are placed and supplied, a fourth hand 45 for picking up one linear object S from the many linear objects S supplied to the supply tray, a second hand 35 located in front of the fourth hand, and a third hand 75 attached to the tip of the arm of the articulated robot 17. The linear object gripping system 70 omits the first hand (25 in Figure 2) of the first example, and instead, the third hand 75 holds the linear object body C of the linear object S picked up by the fourth hand 45, the second hand 35 holds the tip portion and pulls it forward, and then the third hand 75 re-gripping the linear object body C in place so that the held linear object body does not slip in the longitudinal direction. Since the second hand 35 moves the terminal T to a predetermined position, the third hand 75 can grip the linear object body C at a predetermined distance from the terminal by gripping it in place. In Figure 13, the third hand 75 is located in front of the fourth hand 45, but the third hand 75 may also be located behind the fourth hand 45.

[0054] The third hand 75 shown in Figure 14 is equipped with projections 78 on the inner side (the side facing the other fingers) of the tips of the fingers 77, 77. The third hand 75 can hold the linear object body C in a way that allows it to slide in the longitudinal direction without the linear object body falling out, even if the distance between the fingers 77, 77 that grip the linear object body is slightly wider than the diameter of the linear object body. Note that the projections 78 may be provided on only one of the fingers.

[0055] The second hand 35 and the fourth hand 45 constituting the linear object gripping system 70 are the same as those in the linear object gripping system 20 of the first embodiment.

[0056] This third example of a linear object gripping method is shown in Figure 15 and is similar to the first example of a linear object gripping method (Figure 7). The difference from the first example is that the third hand 75 holds the linear object S (step 2b), and after the sliding step (S5), the third hand 75 closes its fingers 77, 77 to re-grip the linear object body C in place so that it does not slip in the longitudinal direction (step S6b), and then releases only the second hand 35 (step 7b).

[0057] Next, a fourth example of a linear object grasping system and method will be described. In this example, the linear object grasping system is modified by attaching the third and second hands from the third example to the end of the same arm of an articulated robot. The fourth hand is the same as in the third example.

[0058] Referring to Figure 16, the third hand 75 and the second hand 80 are mounted on the end of the same arm of the articulated robot 17. The third hand 75 is the same as the third hand in the third example. The fingers 82, 82 of the second hand 80 open and close in the same direction as the fingers 77, 77 of the third hand 75, and the lines dividing the distance between the fingers of both hands lie on the same plane. A first linear guide 72 is fixed to the base 76 of the third hand 75, extending in the longitudinal direction of the linear object held by the third hand when it holds the object. A second linear guide 73, extending perpendicular to the first linear guide 72, is fixed to a slider (not shown) of the first linear guide 72. Furthermore, the base 81 of the second hand 80 is fixed to a slider (not shown) of the second linear guide 73. As a result, the second hand 80 can move perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the third hand 75 to change its distance from the third hand, and can also move in the longitudinal direction of the third hand. Thus, the third hand 75 and the second hand 80 are configured to be integrally formed, with the distance between their holding positions for the linear object body being variable in the longitudinal direction of the linear object body.

[0059] This fourth example of the linear object gripping method is similar to the third example shown in Figure 15. In this case, the third hand 75 holds the linear object body at a tip further forward than the fourth hand (45 in Figure 13), and the second hand 80 holds the linear object body at a tip further forward than both the fourth hand and the third hand 75.

[0060] Next, a first embodiment of the linear object connection method of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 17 to 24.

[0061] In this embodiment, the linear object connection method involves connecting the terminal T of a linear object S grasped by a hand attached to the arm of a multi-joint robot 17 to a housing H. Below, we will describe the first example of the linear object grasping method described above, in which the terminal T of the linear object S grasped by the third hand 40 is connected to the housing H. The third hand 40 grasps the linear object body C at a predetermined distance from the terminal T.

[0062] Referring to Figure 17, the terminal connection system 90 for connecting terminal T to housing H includes a third hand 40 attached to the tip of the arm of the articulated robot 17, a stereo camera 92 for measuring the three-dimensional shape of the tip portion of the linear object S, a two-dimensional camera 94 for measuring the rotational state of terminal T, and a control device 96 for controlling the entire connection operation. Depending on the purpose, the stereo camera 92 measures the terminal T of the linear object S, the terminal T and its vicinity, or the portion of the linear object forward of the gripping position by the hand.

[0063] The housing H is connected to terminal T by inserting the entire terminal T into it. The housing H is installed in a predetermined position. Alternatively, the housing H may be installed in a manner that allows control of its position and orientation by a housing position control device (not shown). In Figure 17, the housing H has two rows of four connection holes. In this case, the terminal T is connected sequentially from the connection holes at the bottom end to prevent interference between the already connected terminal T and the linear body C and the third hand 40. For the sake of simplicity, the following description will assume that the housing H has one connection hole.

[0064] The stereo camera 92 is a three-dimensional measuring instrument. The stereo camera 92 images the tip of a linear object S grasped by the third hand 40 and measures its three-dimensional shape. Depending on the purpose, the imaging range may include the terminal T and its vicinity, or the portion of the linear object in front of the gripping position of the third hand 40. The type of three-dimensional measuring instrument is not particularly limited, and other types of instruments besides stereo cameras may be used. Stereo cameras are suitable for accurately measuring the three dimensions of objects at close range. On the other hand, in order to image the tip of a linear object S from close range, it is necessary to keep the distance from the tip of the linear object to the gripping position of the third hand 40 approximately constant in order to fit the tip of the linear object S into the field of view of the stereo camera.

[0065] The 2D camera 94 measures the rotational state of terminal T. Specifically, the 2D camera 94 aligns the central axis of terminal T with the optical axis, images terminal T from the front, and measures the rotation angle of terminal T around its axis. The 2D camera 94 is installed with its optical axis parallel to the direction of the central axis of the connection hole in the housing H.

[0066] The control device 96 controls the entire terminal connection operation and performs various calculations necessary for control. The control device may also control the linear object gripping operation in addition to the terminal connection operation. Furthermore, the control device 96 may be integrated with the control unit of the articulated robot 17.

[0067] Next, the linear object connection method of this embodiment will be explained following the flow shown in Figure 18, based on Figures 19 to 24. In the following description, the articulated robot 17 will simply be referred to as the robot.

[0068] First, referring to Figure 19, in order to insert terminal T into housing H, it is necessary to advance the terminal toward the housing while ensuring that the orientation and rotation of both are aligned.

[0069] The orientation of terminal T is such that the terminal's central axis A T The orientation is represented by the central axis A of the housing's connection hole. Similarly, the orientation of the housing H is represented by the central axis A of the housing's connection hole. H It is represented by the orientation of the axis A of the housing H.H The direction is the connection direction. The state where the direction of the terminal T and the direction of the housing H match means that the axis A T and the axis A H are in a straight line state.

[0070] On the other hand, the rotation state of the terminal T is the rotation angle θ T around the axis A of the terminal, and the rotation state of the housing H can be represented by the rotation angle θ T around the axis A of the housing. H The rotation angle θ H can be used to represent it. Since both the rotation angle θ T and θ H can be defined as the rotation angle 0 when the terminal T is in an arbitrary state, a reference can be taken such that θ T and θ H match when the terminal T is inserted into the housing H. For example, in FIG. 19, when the upper ends of the terminal and the housing are in the horizontal position on the left side toward the housing, the rotation angles θ T , θ H are set to 0 degrees. The state where the rotation state of the terminal and the rotation state of the housing match means that the rotation angles θ T and θ H are equal.

[0071] In this specification, the direction and rotation state of the terminal T together are referred to as the "posture of the terminal", and the direction (connection direction) and rotation state of the housing H together are referred to as the "posture of the housing".

[0072] (S20: First terminal direction measurement step) In this step, the three-dimensional shape of the tip portion of the linear object is measured to calculate the direction and position of the terminal T, and if necessary, the length of the portion of the linear object S in front of the third hand 40 is calculated.

[0073] The control device 96 instructs the stereo camera 92 to image and perform three-dimensional measurement on the tip portion of the linear object S, and measures the three-dimensional shape of the portion from the tip of the terminal T to the gripping position G by the third hand 40. As will be described later, the length from the terminal T to the gripping position by the third hand 40 (L in FIG. 21 CIf the axis A is known, the stereo camera 92 only needs to image and perform 3D measurements of the terminal portion of the linear object S. The control device 96 receives the measurement results from the stereo camera 92 and determines the orientation of the terminal T, i.e., axis A T The orientation and position are calculated (Figures 20A and 21).

[0074] In Figure 21, the length L of terminal T T This is known. Also, in this embodiment, the third hand 40 grips the linear object body C at a predetermined distance from the terminal T, so the length L from the terminal T to the gripping position by the third hand 40 is known. C This is also known. Due to differences in gripping methods, etc., the length L from terminal T to the gripping position by the hand C If the length L is unknown, the control device 96 will determine this length L based on the three-dimensional shape of the linear object S acquired from the stereo camera. C or L T +L C Calculate the length L. T +L C However, this is the length in front of the third hand 40 of the linear object S.

[0075] This step (S20) involves imaging only terminal T to calculate its orientation and position, and imaging the portion in front of the gripping position G by the third hand 40 to obtain the length L from terminal T to the gripping position G by the third hand 40. C The process may be divided into two steps: one for calculating the orientation and position of the terminals and the other for calculating the length L. C The process of calculating can be performed in either order.

[0076] (S21: First terminal orientation adjustment process) The control device 96 controls the orientation of terminal T (A T The robot 17 is notified of the orientation of terminal T, and the orientation of housing H (A HThe robot 17 is instructed to make it parallel to the housing H. The robot 17 moves the third hand 40 to adjust the orientation of the terminal T so that it is parallel to the orientation of the housing H, i.e., the connection direction (Figure 20B). In reality, the robot 17 changes the posture of the third hand 40 that is gripping the linear object body C, but the length of the linear object S in front of the gripping position of the third hand 40 is constant, and the shape of the curve of the tip due to gravity hardly changes, so the orientation of the terminal T can be made almost parallel to the connection direction as intended.

[0077] (S22: Process for measuring the rotational state of the first terminal) The control device 96 instructs the robot 17 to orient terminal T directly toward the 2D camera 94. The 2D camera 94 is installed with its optical axis parallel to the orientation of the housing H, and the orientation of terminal T is also parallel to the optical axis of the 2D camera 94, so terminal T can be moved in parallel to orient it directly toward the 2D camera 94. The control device 96 instructs the 2D camera 94 to image terminal T, and the rotation state of terminal T (θ T ) is obtained (Figure 20C).

[0078] (S23: Terminal rotation adjustment process) The control device 96 receives the current rotation state of terminal T from the 2D camera 94, calculates the rotation angle to the required rotation state, notifies the robot 17, instructs the robot 17 to match the rotation state of terminal T to the rotation state of housing H, and the robot 17 operates the third hand 40 to adjust the rotation state of terminal T to match the rotation state of housing H (Figure 20D). At this time, referring to Figure 22, if the pair of fingers 41, 41 of the third hand 40 can move relative to each other in the longitudinal direction, the terminal T can be rotated to axis A without changing the posture of the third hand. TIt can be rotated. In practice, the third hand 40 rotates the linear body C at the gripping position of the third hand 40, but since the terminal T is fixed to the linear body C without any wobbling, the rotational state of the terminal T can be aligned with the housing H almost exactly as intended. Also, the length of the linear body S in front of the gripping position of the third hand 40 is constant, and the shape of the bend at the tip due to gravity hardly changes, so normally the orientation of the terminal T is maintained parallel to the connection direction. Note that if the shape of the terminal is cylindrical, or if it is not necessary to adjust the rotational state of the terminal when inserting the terminal into the housing, or if the rotational state of the terminal can be known in advance, the terminal rotational state measurement process, terminal rotational state adjustment process, and terminal rotational state confirmation process in S22-S23 and S26-S27 described later may be omitted as appropriate.

[0079] (S24: Second terminal orientation measurement process) The orientation and position of terminal T are measured using the same method as in step S20.

[0080] In the terminal rotation adjustment step (S23), when the linear object S is rotated by moving the pair of fingers 41, 41 of the third hand 40 relatively in the longitudinal direction, the gripping position is offset from the tool center point (TCP) of the hand. Referring to Figure 23, if the third hand 40 grips the linear object body C at TCP, the gripping position G coincides with TCP (Figure 23A). Subsequently, when one finger (the finger on the far side in Figure 23) 41b is moved towards the tip, and the linear object body C is rolled between both fingers, the gripping position G moves towards the tip beyond TCP. Therefore, in this step, the amount of deviation between the gripping position G and TCP is calculated. Note that if the rotation state of the terminal is adjusted by operating the joints of the robot 17 in step S23 and the fingers of the third hand 40 are not moved relatively in the longitudinal direction, the gripping position G does not move relative to TCP, so measurement of the deviation between the two is unnecessary.

[0081] This process (S24) may be divided into two steps: one to image only terminal T and calculate its orientation and position, and another to image only the area around the gripping position G by the third hand 40 and calculate the difference between the gripping position and TCP. In this case, the order in which the process of calculating the orientation and position of the terminal and the process of calculating the difference between the gripping position G and TCP are performed may vary.

[0082] (S25: Second terminal orientation adjustment process) In the same manner as in step S21, the orientation of terminal T is adjusted so that it is parallel to the orientation of housing H. As described in the explanation of step S23, normally, even if the rotation state of terminal T is adjusted, the orientation of terminal T is maintained parallel to the connection direction. Even when adjusting the orientation of terminal T, unlike the first terminal orientation adjustment step (S21), in this step, the orientation of the terminal can be made parallel to the connection direction by slightly changing the posture of the third hand 40 and making fine adjustments to it.

[0083] (S26: Process for measuring the rotational state of the second terminal) The rotation state of terminal T (θ) is determined using the same method as in step S22. T ) obtain.

[0084] (S27: Terminal rotation status confirmation process) In step S26, the rotation state of terminal T obtained is checked to see if it matches the rotation state of housing H. If the rotation states of terminal T and housing H match, the process proceeds to step S30, and terminal T is connected to housing H. If, for any reason, the rotation state of the terminal does not match the rotation state of the housing, the process returns to step S23 and the adjustment of the terminal's rotation state is redone. Note that even when returning to step S23 and redoing the adjustment of the terminal's rotation state, unlike when the process is performed immediately following the first terminal rotation state measurement step (S22), the rotation state of the housing H can be matched by slightly changing the position of the third hand 40 and fine-tuning the rotation angle of terminal T.

[0085] Through the above steps, the orientation of terminal T is made parallel to the orientation (connection direction) of housing H, and the rotational state of terminal T is made to match the rotational state of housing H. Next, terminal T is connected to housing H. The connection of terminal T to housing H is carried out by a tip insertion step of inserting the tip of the terminal into the housing, a linear object straightening step of aligning the orientation of the linear object body C between the terminal and the gripping position G by the third hand 40 with the connection direction to the housing, and a step of moving the third hand 40 in the connection direction to push the entire terminal into the connection hole of the housing.

[0086] (S30: Tip insertion process) The control device 96 instructs the robot 17 to control axis A of terminal T. T and axis A of housing H H Align them (Figure 24A). From that state, advance the third hand 40 parallel to the connection direction to insert the tip of the terminal T into the housing H (Figure 24B). When straightening the linear object with the third hand in the linear object straightening process of S31 described later, insert the tip of the terminal T into the housing H to the extent that the terminal T does not fall out of the housing H. How far the tip of the terminal T is inserted into the housing H depends on the installation position of the latch on the housing, but preferably the length L of the terminal T is such that T Approximately one-quarter of it is placed in the housing. In this embodiment, the length of terminal T is approximately 20 mm, and in the tip insertion process, the tip of the terminal is inserted approximately 5 mm. At this stage, the linear body C located in front of the third hand 40 is in a bent state.

[0087] (S31: Linear object straightening process) With the tip of terminal T inserted into housing H, the control device 96 instructs the robot 17 to slightly lift the third hand 40 so that the orientation of the linear object body C between terminal T and the gripping position of the third hand matches the direction of connection to housing H (Figure 24C). Length L from terminal T to the gripping position of the third hand 40. C This is known or measured in step S20 when the third hand 40 grips the linear object body C. Therefore, the gripping position G is at a distance L from the rear end of the terminal T in the connection direction. CIf moved to this position, terminal T and the linear body C behind it will be aligned in the direction of connection and become straight.

[0088] (S32: Pushing process) The control device 96 instructs the robot 17 to advance the third hand 40 along the connection direction, pushing the entire terminal T into the housing H and connecting the terminal (Figure 24D).

[0089] In this embodiment, the orientation of the linear body C between the terminal T and the gripping position by the third hand is kept aligned with the connection direction to the housing H, and the linear body C behind the terminal T is pushed straight in the connection direction by the third hand 40, making it less likely for the linear body C to buckle when the terminal is pushed in. Preferably, the third hand 40 should grip the linear body C at a position close to the terminal T, provided that the third hand 40 remains outside the housing H when the connection of the terminal T to the housing H is completed. How small the distance between the terminal T and the gripping position by the third hand must be to prevent the linear body C from buckling mainly depends on the bending modulus of the linear body C. Furthermore, according to the aforementioned linear object gripping method, particularly the first or second example thereof, while the terminal T portion is held by the second hand 35, the rear of the second hand is gripped by the third hand 40 attached to the tip of the robot arm 17. This allows the linear object body C to be gripped at a position sufficiently close to the terminal so that it does not buckle when connected to the housing H.

[0090] In the method described above, the tip insertion process (S30), linear object straightening process (S31), and pushing process (S32) were performed by moving the third hand 40 without moving the housing H. However, these processes can also be performed by moving the third hand and the housing H relative to each other. For example, these processes may be performed by moving the housing H using a housing position control device (not shown). The housing position control device moves the housing to adjust its position and orientation according to the instructions of the control device 96. Alternatively, the control device 96 may instruct both the robot 17 and the housing position control device to move both the third hand and the housing to perform these processes. Preferably, these processes are performed by moving the third hand 40.

[0091] This completes the connection of terminal T to housing H, and thus the linear object connection method of this embodiment is completed.

[0092] Next, a second embodiment of the linear object connection method will be described.

[0093] This embodiment includes a step to align the orientation of the terminal T and the housing H before the tip insertion step (S30 in Figure 18) of the first embodiment, that is, the orientation and rotation state of the terminal T to the connection direction A to the housing H. H The system also includes a terminal orientation adjustment step to match the rotational state of the housing.

[0094] (Terminal posture adjustment process) The terminal T is gripped by the fifth hand (terminal orientation adjustment mechanism) 100 shown in Figure 25. The fifth hand 100 has a first finger 101 and a second finger 102 that grip the terminal T. The tip of the first finger 101 is bent in an L-shape toward the second finger 102, forming a guide portion 104 that rises perpendicularly from the gripping surface 103. With the terminal T gripped by the first finger 101 and the second finger 102, the guiding member 105 pushes the terminal T from the base ends of both fingers 101 and 102 toward the guide portion 104. As a result, the outer circumference of the terminal T is defined by the gripping surface 103 of the first finger 101, the guide portion 104, the second finger 102, and the guiding member 105, fixing its orientation and rotation relative to the fifth hand 100. In this state, by adjusting the orientation of the fifth hand 100, the orientation of the terminal T can be made to match the orientation of the housing.

[0095] Furthermore, with the orientation and rotational state of terminal T relative to the fifth hand 100 fixed, the housing H may be moved using a housing position control device, or both the housing and the fifth hand may be moved, to make the orientation of terminal T match the orientation of the housing.

[0096] In the next tip insertion step (S30), the axis A of terminal T T Connection direction A H With the terminals aligned, the fifth hand 100 and the third hand 40 are advanced parallel to the connection direction to insert the tip of the terminal T into the housing H. Furthermore, either before or after the linear object straightening process (S31), the fifth hand 100 releases the terminal T and retracts, and in the pushing process (S32), the third hand 40 pushes the terminal T into the housing H. As in the first embodiment, the housing H may be moved by the housing position control device, or both the housing and the fifth hand may be moved to perform the tip insertion process (S30), the linear object straightening process (S31), and the pushing process (S32).

[0097] The linear connection method of this embodiment is useful when there is little play (allowance) when inserting the tip of the terminal T into the housing H, and when it is necessary to adjust the orientation and rotation of the terminal with particular precision.

[0098] The shape and structure of the fifth hand 100 are not limited to those shown in Figure 25; a chuck mechanism other than a robot hand may be used, as long as it can determine the orientation of terminal T with high precision.

[0099] Furthermore, since the orientation of terminal T can be corrected by gripping it with the fifth hand 100, if the position and orientation of terminal T are determined to the extent that it can be gripped by the fifth hand 100, some steps S20 to S27 can be omitted. For example, the steps from the second terminal orientation measurement step (S24) to the terminal rotation state confirmation step (S27) can be omitted, the first terminal orientation adjustment step (S21) can be omitted depending on the result of the first terminal orientation measurement step (S20), and the first terminal rotation state adjustment step (S23) can be omitted depending on the result of the first terminal rotation state measurement step (S22).

[0100] Next, a third embodiment of the linear object connection method will be described.

[0101] This embodiment can be applied when a linear object S is supplied to a fixed position. For example, in a device that attaches a terminal T to the end of a cable (linear object body C) by crimping it, the position and orientation of the terminal T on the processed linear object S are fixed. By grasping the terminal T in this state with a sixth hand attached to the end of an arm of a robot other than the arm of the robot 17, the orientation of the terminal T relative to the hand is precisely determined. Furthermore, in this state, the linear object body C can be grasped at a predetermined distance from the terminal T with a third hand 40 attached to the end of the arm of the robot 17, without having to use the linear object grasping method described above.

[0102] In this embodiment, steps S20 to S27 in Figure 18 are unnecessary, and steps S30 to S32 can be carried out in the same manner as in the second embodiment described above.

[0103] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of its technical concept.

[0104] For example, the procedure for connecting the terminals in each of the above embodiments can be modified in various ways, as long as it is possible to connect terminal T to housing H.

[0105] Furthermore, in the terminal connection methods of each of the above embodiments, a terminal connection confirmation step may be provided simultaneously with or after the pushing step (S32). In the terminal connection confirmation step, various sensors are used to confirm whether or not the terminal T is connected to the housing H. For example, a force sensor provided on the third hand or housing H may be used to detect the force applied during the terminal pushing step, or after the terminal pushing step, a linear object S may be moved relative to the housing with a predetermined force in the opposite direction to the connection direction to confirm that the terminal does not come loose. Alternatively, a distance sensor or a visual sensor may be used to confirm whether the terminal has been pushed into the housing by a predetermined distance during the terminal pushing step.

[0106] Furthermore, in addition to connecting linear objects, the present invention can also be used by inserting terminals into predetermined holes and performing various processes on the tips of the terminals, similar to the linear object connection method of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0107] 10 Linear object connection system 11 Supply Tray 12 walls 13 Wall slits 14 Stopper 15. Joining members 17. Multi-joint robots 20 Linear object gripping system 25 First Hand 26 base 27 fingers 28. The tip 29 Fastening member 30 Holding part 35. Second hand 36 fingers 37 Groove 38 Through holes 38a Front opening of through hole 38b Rear opening of through hole 40 Third Hand 41, 41a, 41b fingers 45 Fourth Hand 46a, 46b fingers 47 Rotation axis 48 Groove 49 Suction hole 50 Linear object gripping system 55 First Hand 56 Hook member 57 Recess 58 Retaining member 59 Groove 60 Side part 61 Front end of the side section 62 Bottom part 63 Lid 70 Linear object gripping system 72. First Linear Guide 73. Second Linear Guide 75 Third Hand 76 Base 77 fingers 78 Protrusion 80 Second Hand 81 Base 82 fingers 83 Groove 90-terminal connection system 92 Stereo Camera (3D Measuring Instrument) 94 2D cameras 96 Control device 100 5th Hand 101 1st finger 102 2nd finger 103 Gripping surface 104 Guide section 105 Guide member A H The central axis (connection direction) of the housing's connection hole A T Terminal's central axis C Linear object body G Grip position H Housing L C Length from terminal to gripping position L T Terminal length S linear object T terminal θ H Rotation angle around the housing axis θ T Rotation angle around the terminal axis

Claims

1. A method for connecting a linear object, which consists of a linear object body and a terminal attached to the tip of the linear object body, to a housing by grasping the linear object body with a hand attached to the tip of a robot arm at a distance from the terminal, A tip insertion step in which the tip of the terminal is inserted into the housing, A linear object straightening step, which involves aligning the orientation of the linear object body between the terminal and the gripping position by the hand with the direction of connection to the housing, The steps include: moving the hand relative to the housing in the direction of connection to the housing to connect the terminal to the housing; A method for connecting linear objects.

2. The system includes a terminal orientation measurement step for obtaining the orientation of the aforementioned terminals, The aforementioned tip insertion step is a step of inserting the tip of the terminal into the housing based on the measured orientation of the terminal. The method for connecting linear objects according to claim 1.

3. Prior to the aforementioned tip insertion step, the process includes a step of using a terminal orientation adjustment mechanism to align the orientation of the terminal with the connection direction to the housing. The method for connecting linear objects according to claim 1.

4. Prior to the aforementioned tip insertion step, the process includes a step of gripping the terminal in a predetermined position with another hand. The method for connecting linear objects according to claim 1.

5. The linear object straightening step is a step of aligning the orientation of the linear object body between the terminal and the gripping position by the hand with the connection direction to the housing, based on the length of the linear object in front of the hand. The method for connecting linear objects according to claim 1.

6. The length of the linear object in front of the hand is calculated by obtaining the three-dimensional shape of the linear object in front of the gripping position by the hand. The method for connecting linear objects according to claim 5.

7. A rotation state acquisition step for acquiring the rotation state of the terminal, A rotation state adjustment step to match the rotation state of the terminal to the rotation state of the housing, A method for connecting linear objects according to claim 1, comprising:

8. A control device comprising a linear body and a terminal attached to the tip of the linear body, for connecting a linear body, which is grasped by a hand attached to the tip of a robot arm at a distance from the terminal, to a housing, The robot and / or the housing position control device that controls the position of the housing are instructed to insert the tip of the terminal into the housing, to align the orientation of the linear object body between the terminal and the gripping position by the hand with the direction of connection to the housing, and to connect the terminal to the housing. Control device.

9. The control device described in claim 8, the robot, and a three-dimensional measuring instrument for measuring the three-dimensional shape of the linear object in front of the gripping position by the hand, A device for connecting linear objects.

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