Suction hand and card replacement robot

Abstract

To provide a suction hand and a card replacement robot which contribute to the automation of replacement of cards called Kanban attached to a parts box. [Solution] A suction hand 1 is attached to the tip of a robot arm 2 and is capable of inserting and removing cards 4 into and from a pocket 3 which is composed of a receiving surface 6 formed on the outer surface of a parts box 5, and a presser body 7 which is in a closed state with almost the entire body following the receiving surface 6 when no external force is applied and which can elastically deform to an open state moving away from the receiving surface 6 towards the tip end, and is equipped with a plate 8 which can be inserted into the pocket 3 in a closed state from the tip side of the presser body 7, and a suction pad 9 which can detachably adsorb the part of the card 4 stored in the pocket 3 which protrudes more than a predetermined dimension towards the tip end of the presser body 7.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a suction hand and a card replacement robot that can be used to replace cards that are attached to parts boxes as Kanban cards in a production site that employs a production management system known as the Kanban system. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, in factories and other workplaces that use a production management method known as the Kanban system, cards (slips) called Kanbans containing part information are attached to the parts bins that contain the parts. There are two types of Kanbans: in-process Kanbans and pick-up Kanbans. In the upstream process, parts are made according to the instructions on the in-process Kanban attached to the parts bin, and when the parts that are placed in the parts bin and stored in the parts storage area are picked up by the downstream process, the in-process Kanban on the parts bin is replaced with a pick-up Kanban, and the parts are sent to the downstream process together with that parts bin. Meanwhile, the in-process Kanban that is removed from the parts bin in the parts storage area is attached to a new parts bin, and in the upstream process, parts are made according to the instructions on the in-process Kanban, and this series of processes is repeated. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Conventionally, the task of replacing a production Kanban in a parts box with a pick-up Kanban has been done manually, and there is a need to reduce the workload.

[0004] The present invention has been made with the above in mind, and its purpose is to provide a suction hand and a card replacement robot that contributes to the automation of the replacement of cards called kanban that are attached to parts boxes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the suction hand of the present invention is an suction hand that is attached to the tip of a robot arm and that can insert and remove cards from a pocket consisting of a receiving surface formed on the outer surface of a parts box and a pressing body that is in a closed state in which almost the entire body fits along the receiving surface when no external force is applied and that can elastically deform into an open state in which it moves away from the receiving surface as it approaches the tip, and is equipped with a plate that can be inserted into the closed pocket from the tip side of the pressing body, and a suction pad that can detachably suck in the part of a card stored in the pocket that protrudes more than a predetermined distance toward the tip side of the pressing body (Claim 1).

[0006] The suction hand may have a plurality of suction pads (claim 2).

[0007] On the other hand, the card replacement robot of the present invention comprises a robot arm, a suction hand as described in claim 1 or 2 attached to the tip of the robot arm, and a control unit, and the control unit controls the robot arm and the suction hand to insert and remove the card into and from the pocket (claim 3). [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention provides a suction hand and a card replacement robot that contributes to the automation of the replacement of cards called Kanban that are attached to parts boxes.

[0009] In other words, the suction hand of the invention according to each claim of this application is equipped with a plate that can expand the pocket for storing cards and a suction pad that can hold cards detachably by suction, thereby automating the task of storing cards, such as kanban cards, in the pocket and removing cards from the pocket.

[0010] In the suction hand of the invention according to claim 2, by having multiple suction pads, the stability of holding the card using the suction pads is improved.

[0011] The card replacement robot according to the invention of claim 3 is equipped with a suction hand that can achieve the above-mentioned effect, and therefore can achieve the same effect as above. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A to 1D are a left side view, a front view, a bottom view, and a perspective view of a suction hand according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the state in which a card is suction-held. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a perspective view (photograph) of the card replacement robot equipped with the suction hand. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the card replacement robot just before inserting a card into a pocket. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the card replacement robot with a card inserted in a pocket, as seen from the side. [Figure 5] 10 is a perspective view of the card replacement robot seen from directly above with a card inserted in a pocket. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] The suction hand 1 shown in Figures 1(A) to (D) is a robot hand (end effector) attached to the tip of a robot arm 2 (see Figures 2 to 5, however, only a part of the robot arm 2 is shown in each drawing) and constitutes a card replacement robot that can insert and remove a card 4 (see also Figure 3, etc.) into a pocket 3 (see Figure 3).

[0015] In other words, the card replacement robot is a multi-joint robot (vertical multi-joint robot) with degrees of freedom similar to that of a human arm, and is equipped with a robot arm 2, a suction hand 1 attached to the tip of the robot arm 2 as an end effector, and a control unit not shown in the figure that drives and controls the robot arm 2 and the suction hand 1.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, pocket 3 is composed of a receiving surface 6 formed on the outer surface of parts box 5 (see also Figure 1), and a pressing body 7 that is elastically deformable so that when no external force is applied, almost the entire pocket 3 is in a closed state in which it conforms to receiving surface 6, and into an open state (see Figure 4) in which it moves away from receiving surface 6 towards its tip, and when external force is no longer applied to pocket 3 in its open state, it returns to its original closed state due to its own elastic restoring force.

[0017] The parts box 5 is, for example, a plastic box (a rectangular, open-top container made of polyethylene or polypropylene, used to store parts) or a container, and is attached with a Kanban (card 4) containing part information and sent through multiple processes together with parts at a factory or other site that uses a production management system known as the Kanban system.

[0018] The retainer 7 is, for example, a plastic member having elasticity, and may be attached to the outer surface of the parts box 5 with a single touch by utilizing this elasticity, or may be integrated with the outer surface of the parts box 5 by heat caulking, melt bonding, etc. As such a retainer 7, for example, a card holder (Card Holder Type 97, etc.) manufactured by Sanko Corporation may be used.

[0019] 3, the presser body 7 in this example is frame-shaped, and has a tab 7a that protrudes upward from its upper edge, with the tab 7a extending further away from the receiving surface 6 as it moves upward. In the illustrated example, the tab 7a is provided so as to be continuous with only a portion of the upper edge of the presser body 7, but this is not limiting, and the tab 7a may be provided so as to be continuous over substantially the entire upper edge of the presser body 7, for example.

[0020] The card 4 is used as the above-mentioned Kanban and is made of paper or laminated paper, with predetermined information necessary for production management, etc. printed (displayed) on the front. The card 4 or the retainer 7 is configured so that the card 4 stored in the pocket 3 has a portion that protrudes from the tip (top) of the retainer 7 by a predetermined amount (for example, 10 mm) or more (see Figure 4).

[0021] For the pocket 3 and card 4 having the above configuration, the suction hand 1 of this example is equipped with a plate 8 that can be inserted into the closed pocket 3 from the tip (upper) end side of the pressing body 7, and a suction pad 9 that can detachably adsorb the portion of the card 4 stored in the pocket 3 that protrudes by more than a predetermined amount toward the tip side of the pressing body 7, as shown in Figures 1(A) to (D) and 3 to 5.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the suction hand 1 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a base 11 having a fixing portion 10 formed on its upper surface, which is fixed to the tip of a robot arm 2, and a hand body 13 having a protrusion 12 extending forward from the lower front surface of the base 11. A support plate 14 is fixed to the front surface of the protrusion 12 by appropriate means (e.g., screws), protruding to the left and right of the protrusion 12. A generally L-shaped plate 8 extending forward from the support plate 14 and then downward is connected to the center of the support plate 14 by appropriate means (e.g., screws). Suction pads 9 are provided on both the left and right sides of the support plate 14. As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, the front ends of the plate 8 and the suction pad 9 are positioned generally flush with each other, so that the back surface of the card 4 suction-held by the suction pad 9 fits snugly against the front surface of the plate 8.

[0023] The suction pad 9 is connected to a vacuum generator (vacuum pump, ejector, etc.) not shown in the figure, and changes between a suction capable state and a non-suction capable state as the vacuum generator is switched on and off.

[0024] To insert a card 4 into a pocket 3 using a card replacement robot having the above-described suction hand 1, first, the suction hand 1 of the card replacement robot is brought close to a card 4, for example, in a card placement area not shown, and the card 4 is suction-held by the two suction pads 9 on the left and right (at this stage, the state shown in FIGS. 1(A) to 1(D) is achieved). At this time, if the lower edge of the plate 8 is made to protrude slightly (for example, about 1 to 2 mm) downward from the lower edge of the card 4 suction-held by the suction pad 9, as shown in FIG. 1(C), this has the advantage that the card 4 can be easily protected by the plate 8 during the process of inserting the card 4 into the pocket 3, which will be described later. Such suction-holding can be achieved, for example, by uniforming the size of the cards 4 and controlling the control unit so that the suction pad 9 suctions a specific position that is a predetermined distance (for example, about 5 mm to 10 mm) below the upper edge of the card 4. The positioning of the suction pad 9 to face a specific position may be performed, for example, by using a camera (image capturing device) mounted on the card replacement robot, or by having the suction hand 1 perform a predetermined operation (trace a fixed movement) while ensuring that the card 4 is always placed in the same state in the card placement area.

[0025] To insert the card 4 held by suction on the two suction pads 9 into the pocket 3, the robot arm 2 is moved so as to bring the card 4 closer to the pocket 3, and the plate 8 is inserted into the pocket 3 from the tip (upper) end of the retainer 7, as shown in Figures 3 to 5. During this insertion, as shown in Figure 3, the front panel 8a of the plate 8 and the card 4 are slightly tilted from the vertical (a backward tilt in which the upper part is positioned further back), and the lower edge of the front panel 8a of the plate 8 is lowered to the space between the upper end of the tab 7a and the receiving surface 6, thereby smoothly inserting the front panel 8a and the card 4 into the pocket 3, which changes the pocket 3 from a closed state to an open state.

[0026] Then, when the front panel portion 8a of the plate 8 reaches the bottom of the pocket 3, the suction hand 1 is brought closer to the receiving surface 6 so that the slightly reclined front panel portion 8a and the card 4 are raised, and when the card 4 is aligned with the receiving surface 6, the suction pad 9 is released from suction and the plate 8 is moved to remove it from the pocket 3. This allows the suction hand 1 to withdraw from the pocket 3 while leaving the card 4 in the pocket 3. Each of these operations of the card replacement robot may be performed using a camera or an appropriate sensor (such as a pressure sensor), or may be performed by tracing a predetermined movement, and the same applies to other operations described below.

[0027] To remove the card 4 from the pocket 3, the robot arm 2 is moved so that the suction pad 9 approaches the specific position on the card 4. Since there is no need to insert the plate 8 into the pocket 3 at this time, there is no need to lay the front panel 8a of the plate 8 down. Instead, the suction pad 9 is brought close to the specific position on the card 4 with the front panel 8a kept upright, and the specific position is held by suction with the suction pad 9. Then, the suction hand 1 is moved upward so that the card 4 is removed from the pocket 3.

[0028] 2, if an outward flange 5a is provided continuously with the upper edge of the parts box 5, and a protruding portion 6a is formed above the receiving surface 6 that protrudes outward from the receiving surface 6, there is a risk that the suction hand 1 will interfere with the protruding portion 6a if it is moved directly upward when leaving the card 4 in the pocket 3 and retracting the suction hand 1 from the pocket 3, or when using the suction hand 1 to remove the card 4 from the pocket 3. Therefore, in such a case, the suction hand 1 should be moved diagonally upward (toward the front and above) relative to the pocket 3 to avoid interference.

[0029] The card 4 taken out of the pocket 3 by the suction hand 1 may be placed in any card storage area (not shown), or may be placed in another pocket 3.

[0030] The suction hand 1 of this example configured as described above and the card replacement robot equipped with it are equipped with a plate 8 that can expand the pocket 3 for storing the card 4, and a suction pad 9 that can hold the card 4 detachably by suction, thereby automating the tasks of storing a card 4, such as a Kanban, in the pocket 3 and removing the card 4 from the pocket 3.

[0031] Furthermore, the suction hand 1 has a plurality of suction pads 9 (two in this example), which improves the stability of holding the card 4 using the suction pads 9.

[0032] Furthermore, in this example, the receiving surface 6 has a portion that protrudes from the pressing body 7 by a predetermined amount or more toward the tip (upper) end of the pressing body 7, and the suction pad 9 adsorbs the portion of the card 4 stored in the pocket 3 that protrudes from the pressing body 7 by a predetermined amount or more toward the tip end of the pressing body 7 and whose back side is supported by the receiving surface 6, making it easier to ensure that the suction pad 9 adsorbs and holds the card 4.

[0033] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the following modifications can be made:

[0034] In the above embodiment, two suction pads 9 are provided on the left and right sides, but three or more may be provided, or if the card 4 has high shape retention, only one suction pad 9 may be provided.

[0035] The suction hand 1 and card replacement robot in this example can be used, for example, in the process of replacing the kanban circulated by a parts manufacturer with a kanban (shipping kanban) for the destination at the time of shipment, but they can also be used for other purposes, and the configuration of the pockets 3 and cards 4 to which they are applied can be changed in various ways.

[0036] It goes without saying that the modifications given in this specification may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1 Suction hand 2. Robotic Arm 3 pockets 4 Cards 5 parts box 5a Outward flange 6 Receiving surface 6a Protruding part 7 Presser foot 7a Knob 8 plates 8a Front plate part 9 suction pads 10 Fixed part 11 Base 12 Protrusion 13 Hand body 14 Support plate

Claims

1. A suction hand is attached to the tip of a robot arm and is capable of inserting and removing a card into and from a pocket which is composed of a receiving surface formed on the outer surface of a parts box, and a pressing body which is elastically deformable so that the entire body is in a closed state along the receiving surface when no external force is applied, and is in an open state so that the tip side is separated from the receiving surface, The suction hand is provided with a plate that can be inserted into the pocket in a closed state from the tip side of the pressing body, and a suction pad that can detachably suck the part of the card stored in the pocket that protrudes by more than a predetermined dimension toward the tip side of the pressing body.

2. 2. The suction hand according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of suction pads.

3. A card replacement robot comprising a robot arm, a suction hand according to claim 1 or 2 attached to the tip of the robot arm, and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the robot arm and the suction hand to insert and remove the card into and from the pocket.

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