Content removal device and content removal method

Abstract

To provide a content take-out device which can suppress increase in size of a device and increase in a work space, and which can take out a content efficiently by reducing an influence of size change of a content.SOLUTION: A content take-out device 1 includes: a plurality of adsorption units 4 whose number is smaller than the number of rows having an adsorption pad 42a or the number of arrangements of contents 100 by stage; a first actuator 2; a second actuator 3; and an inclined base 5. The content take-out device 1 takes out the content 100 in a container 110 by sequentially repeating transit to: a first state in which the first actuator 2 and the adsorption unit 4 are moved so that the adsorption unit 4 is arranged at an adsorption position at a first position, and the adsorption unit 4 adsorbs the content 100; a second state in which the adsorption unit 4 is moved so that the adsorption unit 4 is arranged at a retreat position; and a third state in which the first actuator 2 and the adsorption unit 4 are moved so that the adsorption unit 4 is arranged at an open position at a second position, and the adsorption unit 4 opens the content 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a content removal device that automatically removes contents packed in a container, and in particular to a content removal device and content removal method that efficiently removes contents from a container in which the contents are packed in multiple stages with three or more rows. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to reduce the workload of manually removing the contents of multiple products packed in containers such as cardboard boxes at logistics centers, etc., efforts are being made to automate part or all of the removal work. In particular, in the case of containers in which the contents are packed in multiple layers with three or more rows, removing the contents one by one takes time, so it is necessary to remove multiple contents at once by vacuum suction with suction cups, etc.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a tile suction device that can directly suck and remove tiles from a cardboard box in which tiles are stacked flat using a suction cup. The tile suction device has a protrusion on the underside of a suction box that communicates with a negative pressure source, which can advance and retreat to the bottom of the box, the inside of the protrusion communicates with the suction box, and a suction cup for suctioning tiles is provided on the underside of the protrusion.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes an article removal method in which each of a plurality of types of articles is supplied from a storage opening assigned to an upstream storage facility to an unloading opening assigned to each stage of a downstream unloading facility, and the desired type of article is unloaded from the unloading opening corresponding to the type of article of the unloading facility by the required number of articles. That is, an article storage box for the type of article that needs to be replenished from the unloading facility is unloaded from the storage opening corresponding to the type of article of the storage facility, and the unloaded article storage box is rotated approximately 90 degrees so that the top opening faces the front. The rotated article storage box is then replenished in an approximately horizontal direction to the destination opening of the unloading facility, and the stored articles are unloaded in an approximately horizontal direction from the article storage box that has been supplied to the unloading facility. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-19238 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-53319 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] If the container in which the contents are packed is rotated 90 degrees or otherwise changed significantly, the device becomes larger and the working space increases. For this reason, it is preferable to be able to work without changing the container's position significantly, with the top lid of the container open as much as possible. In addition, for containers in which the contents are packed in multiple tiers with three or more rows, it is efficient to prepare suction cups for the number of rows and take out multiple contents at once, but the position of the suction cups needs to be adjusted every time the size of the contents changes, making the switching work complicated. On the other hand, if the number of contents to be taken out at once is less than the number of rows, the load of adjusting the position of the suction cups can be reduced, but it becomes necessary to move the position of the suction cups and the contents as needed to take out the contents of all the rows.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an objective of providing a contents removal device and a contents removal method that can suppress the increase in size of the device and the increase in working space, particularly for containers in which the contents are packed in multiple tiers with three or more rows, and that can efficiently remove the contents while reducing the impact of changes in the size of the contents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The content removal device according to the present embodiment is a content removal device for removing contents from a container in which contents are packed in a number of stages with three or more rows, and includes a number of suction units each having a suction pad for suctioning each of the contents, the number of suction units being less than the number of contents arranged in each of the rows or stages, a first actuator for supporting the plurality of suction units and movable along a first direction to a suction position, a retracted position, or an open position, a second actuator for moving the first actuator along a second direction to a first position or a second position, and a tilting table on which the container is placed in an inclined state, the first actuator is disposed at the first position, the multiple suction units are disposed at the suction positions, and the suction units suction the contents in the container facing below; a second state in which the multiple suction units which have adsorbed the contents are disposed at the retracted positions which are farther from the bottom surface of the container than the suction positions; and a third state in which the first actuator is disposed at the second position, the multiple suction units are disposed at the release positions, and the contents adsorbed by the suction units are released to the outside of the container, thereby sequentially repeating transitions between these states, thereby removing the contents from the container to the outside.

[0009] In the content removal device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the first direction may be a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the tilt table on which the container is placed.

[0010] In addition, in another form of the content removal device according to the present embodiment, in the first state, the content positioned at the top of a row not facing the multiple suction units may, in the subsequent second state, be positioned in a row facing one of the multiple suction units and be adsorbed by one of the multiple suction units by sliding down due to the inclination of the tilting table to the position where the content below or the bottom surface was positioned in the previous first state.

[0011] In the content removal device according to another aspect of the present invention, the suction unit may be slidable relative to the first actuator in the first direction by at least an amount corresponding to a thickness of the content.

[0012] In addition, in a content removal device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the suction position may be the same as the suction position in the previous first state, or may be a position closer to the bottom surface along the first direction by an amount equivalent to the thickness of the contents than the suction position in the previous first state.

[0013] In addition, in a content removal device according to another embodiment of the present invention, if the remaining number of contents is less than the number of suction units before the first state is reached, the suction units may adsorb as much of the contents as they can, and then, after transitioning to the third state, terminate the removal operation without transitioning to the first state.

[0014] In addition, in another form of the content removal device of this embodiment, the device may further include an imaging unit that images the contents of the container, and detect or determine that the remaining number of the contents is less than the number of the suction units based on information from the imaging unit.

[0015] A method for removing contents according to the present embodiment is a method for removing contents from a container in which contents are packed in a plurality of tiers and three or more rows, and includes the steps of placing the container in an inclined state, placing a first actuator at a first position and placing a plurality of suction units, each having a suction pad for suctioning each of the contents, at suction positions, the number of suction units being less than the number of rows or the number of contents per tier, and setting the container to a first state in which the suction units suction the contents in the container facing below the suction units, setting the container to a second state in which the plurality of suction units that have suction pads for suctioning each of the contents are placed in retracted positions that are farther from the bottom surface of the container than the suction positions, and setting the container to a third state in which the first actuator is placed at the second position and the plurality of suction units are placed in an open position, and the contents suctioned by the suction units are released to the outside of the container, and the steps of setting the container to the first state, the second state, and the third state are repeated in sequence to remove the contents from the container to the outside of the container. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a content removal device and a content removal method that can suppress the increase in size of the device and the increase in working space, particularly for containers in which the contents are packed in multiple tiers with three or more rows, and that can efficiently remove the contents while reducing the impact of changes in the size of the contents. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating an example of a content removal device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a left side view illustrating an example of a content removal device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a container in which contents are packed. [Figure 4] 2 is a view showing the vicinity of the suction unit in FIG. 1, illustrating a method for removing the contents. FIG. [Diagram 5]2 is a view showing the vicinity of the suction unit in FIG. 1, illustrating a method for removing the contents. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a view showing the vicinity of the suction unit in FIG. 1, illustrating a method for removing the contents. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a content removal device according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining an example of the operation of the content removal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining an example of the operation of the content removal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining an example of the operation of the content removal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating an example of a content removal device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a left side view illustrating an example of a content removal device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] An example of the content removal device and content removal method of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, etc. However, the content removal device and content removal method of the present disclosure are not limited to the device and method according to the embodiment described below.

[0019] The figures shown below are schematic. Therefore, the size, shape, thickness of each layer in the cross-sectional view, etc. are appropriately exaggerated to facilitate understanding. In addition, hatching showing the cross section of the member is appropriately omitted in each figure. The numerical values ​​of the dimensions and material names of each member described in this specification are examples of embodiments, and are not limited to these and can be appropriately selected and used. In this specification, terms that specify the shape or geometric conditions, such as parallel, orthogonal, and vertical, are intended to include substantially the same state in addition to their strict meaning. In addition, for convenience of explanation, the terms "upper" or "lower" may be used in the description relative to the paper, but the up-down direction may be reversed, and the same applies to the left-right direction.

[0020] 1. First embodiment of the present disclosure A first embodiment of the content removal device of the present disclosure will be described. Here, for convenience of describing the content removal device 1, an XYZ coordinate system is provided. In the content removal device 1, the Y axis is provided along the horizontal direction, i.e., along the A2 direction in which the second actuator 3 moves the first actuator 2, and the Z axis is provided along the vertical direction. In addition, an X axis perpendicular to the Y axis and the Z axis is provided. The direction of the Y axis from the inclined platform 5 toward the mounting platform 6 is the +Y direction side, and the opposite direction is the -Y direction side. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the direction toward the back of the paper when looking at the +Y direction to the right is the +X direction side, the opposite direction is the -X direction side, the vertical upward direction is the +Z direction side, and the vertical downward direction is the -Z direction side.

[0021] The content removal device 1 is a device that automatically removes contents such as multiple products and parts packed in a container such as a cardboard box in a factory or a logistics center to a predetermined location outside the container for picking, sorting, and post-processing. The contents 100 may be products in the form of items stored in an assembled box, or intermediate products or parts before any post-processing is performed. The contents 100 may also be a material itself without packaging, such as a rectangular tile. The contents 100 of this embodiment are products in which snacks sealed in a bag are stored in a roughly rectangular box that is relatively thin compared to its length and width dimensions.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3(a), the contents 100 are arranged in three rows in the +Y direction, i.e., horizontally, and are packed in four tiers in the container 110. The number of contents 100 arranged in each tier is three, which is the same as the number of rows. In Fig. 3(a), the container 110 is prepared as a package 120 with a closed top lid, and the top lid is folded outward or removed to open the top surface, and then the package 120 is set on the tilt table 5 of the content removal device 1. Alternatively, the package 120 is once opened, transferred to another container 110 with an open top surface, and then set on the tilt table 5 of the content removal device 1.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the content removal device 1 includes a suction unit 4 including a first suction unit 41 having a suction pad 41a and a second suction unit 42 having a suction pad 42a. The content removal device 1 also includes a first actuator 2 that supports the suction unit 4 via a suction unit fixing frame 45. The first actuator 2 can move the suction unit 4 along the A1 direction inclined at an angle θ1 with respect to the Z axis. The content removal device 1 also includes a second actuator 3 that moves the suction unit 4 and the first actuator 2 that supports it along the A2 direction, and support frames 31 and 32 that support the suction unit 4 and the first actuator 2 as a cross beam from the floor at both ends. For ease of understanding, the container 110 is shown in cross section in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, and FIG. 11, and the support frame 31 is omitted in FIG. 2 and FIG. 12.

[0024] When the first actuator 2 is at position P1, which is the end of the moving area in the -Y direction, a tilted platform 5 is disposed below the suction unit 4, and a container 110 containing a plurality of contents 100 is placed in a tilted state on the upper surface of the placement surface 5p of the tilted platform 5. The tilt angle of the placement surface 5p of the tilted platform 5 with respect to the horizontal plane is θ2, and typically the value of θ2 is approximately the same as the value of θ1. Here, the second actuator 3 is driven so that the first actuator 2 is disposed at position P1, and the first actuator is driven so that the suction unit 4, which is configured to include the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42, is disposed at the suction position.

[0025] The suction position refers to a position where the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 can respectively suction the contents 100 facing therebelow, i.e., a position where the suction pads 41a and 42a come into contact with the facing contents 100 and can perform vacuum suction. The state where the suction unit 4 suctions the contents 100 in the container 110 disposed therebelow is referred to as a first state, and the position P1 is also referred to as a first position.

[0026] Moreover, in the first state, the first actuator 2 is driven to position the suction unit 4 at a retracted position farther from the container 110 than the suction position, and the content 100 adsorbed by the suction unit 4 is moved away from the content 100 below and from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110, which is referred to as a second state. The retracted position may be far enough away from the container 110 that the suction unit 4, the adsorbed content 100, etc. do not interfere with the container 110, etc., even if the first actuator 2 moves in parallel in the A2 direction from that position.

[0027] Furthermore, the first actuator 2 supporting the suction unit 4 that has adsorbed the contents 100 is disposed at position P2 above the mounting table 6, and the first actuator 2 is driven so that the suction unit 4 can be disposed at the open position. In addition, a state in which the suction unit 4 releases the adsorbed contents 100 onto the upper surface of the mounting table 6 that is outside the container 110 at this open position is referred to as a third state. The open position refers to a position in which the contents 100 can be placed on the mounting table 6 when the suction unit 4 releases the adsorbed contents 100, i.e., when the vacuum suction is stopped and the contents 100 are separated from the suction pads 41a and 42a and fall.

[0028] The content removal device 1 of this embodiment can simultaneously remove two contents 100 adsorbed by the adsorption units 4, the first adsorption unit 41 and the second adsorption unit 42, from the container 110 by sequentially transitioning from the first state to the second state and then to the third state described above. That is, the content removal device 1 can simultaneously move two contents 100 from inside the container 110 onto the mounting table 6 outside the container 110 by such state transitions. In addition, by repeatedly performing the transition from the first state to the third state, all of the contents 100 stored in the container 110 can be removed.

[0029] In the content removal device 1 of this embodiment, the contents stored in the container 110 are arranged in three rows along the Y axis, while the number of heads of the suction unit 4 is two, the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42, which is less than the number of rows of the contents 100. Therefore, compared with the case where the number of heads of the suction unit 4 is the same as the number of rows of the contents, the workload of changing the relative arrangement of the suction units 4 due to changes in the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the contents 100 can be reduced. In addition, as described later, since the container 110 is held by the tilted platform 5 in an inclined state, when the contents 100 are removed from the container 110 by the suction unit 4, the contents 100 that are arranged on the same level of the container 110 and are not adsorbed slide down to the position where the contents 100 were located before removal.

[0030] Therefore, the position of the first actuator 2 in the first state can be fixed at the first position, and even if the vertical and horizontal dimensions or the number of rows of the contents 100 are changed, the size of the device and the increase in the working space can be suppressed, and the program for moving the first actuator 2 can be simplified. Therefore, it is possible to provide a contents removal device that can efficiently remove the contents while reducing the effect of changes in the size of the contents. The configuration of the contents removal device 1 will be described in detail below.

[0031] [a] Configuration of the contents removal device [i] Adsorption unit The suction unit 4 is composed of a first suction unit 41 and a second suction unit 42, and an suction unit fixing frame 45 that supports them and is joined to the moving part of the first actuator. Taking the first suction unit 41 as an example, the suction pad 41a provided at the lower end of the suction unit 4 is a part that abuts against the surface of the contents 100, adsorbs the contents 100 using the suction force of the negative pressure generated by vacuum suction, and moves the contents 100 to a predetermined position as the first suction unit 41 moves. The suction unit 4 may be configured to hold the contents 100 with a claw or the like without adsorbing them, or to attract the contents 100 with a magnet if the contents 100 are made of metal. However, from the viewpoint of being able to transport the contents 100 stably regardless of the material of the contents 100 and making them less likely to be damaged, it is preferable that the suction unit 4 is a type that sucks the contents 100 by vacuum suction.

[0032] The suction pad 41a of the first suction unit 41 has a through hole formed in its center, and is connected to the solenoid valve 233 and the vacuum pump 221 shown in FIG. 7 via a tube. Also, a suction detection sensor 232 is provided to measure the pressure inside the suction pad 41a and the tube and output the presence or absence of suction. When the vacuum pump 221 is operating to generate negative pressure, when the solenoid valve 233 is on, negative pressure is generated inside the suction pad 41a, and the contents 100 in contact with it are sucked. When the solenoid valve 233 is off, negative pressure is not generated inside the suction pad 41a, or the negative pressure is broken, and the contents 100 in contact with it are released. That is, the contents 100 are not sucked.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4(a), the first suction unit 41 has a structure in which a suction pad 41a is attached to the lower end of a cylindrical cylinder 41b, and a guide shaft 41d is provided at the upper end. The guide shaft 41d is fixed to a suction unit fixing frame 45 that supports the first suction unit 41 so as to be slidable along the A1 direction. A biasing portion 41c such as a coil spring is provided between the suction unit fixing frame 45 of the guide shaft 41d and the cylinder 41b. Therefore, when the suction pad 41a is pushed upward in the A1 direction by the contents 100 or the like, the guide shaft 41d slides upward against the biasing portion 41c with respect to the suction unit fixing frame 45. When the suction pad 41a is no longer pushed upward, the guide shaft 41d and the suction pad 41a return to their original positions due to the restoring force of the biasing portion 41c.

[0034] The configuration and operation related to the first suction unit 41 are also common to the second suction unit 42. That is, the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 is also connected to the solenoid valve 243 and the vacuum pump 221. In addition, a suction detection sensor 242 is provided to output the presence or absence of suction of the suction pad 42a. The second suction unit 42 is structured such that the suction pad 42a is attached to the lower end of a cylindrical cylinder 42b, and a guide shaft 42d is provided at the upper end, and the guide shaft 41d is fixed to the suction unit fixing frame 45 so as to be slidable along the A1 direction. In addition, a biasing portion 42c such as a coil spring is provided between the suction unit fixing frame 45 of the guide shaft 42d and the cylinder 42b.

[0035] In this embodiment, the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 each have one suction pad 41a and 42a, but the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 may each have two or more suction pads. The suction position or suction location for the content 100, the number of suction pads, the material or size of the suction pad, etc. may be changed arbitrarily depending on the size, mass, and surface adsorptiveness of the content 100.

[0036] [ii] First actuator As described above, the first actuator 2 is a part that supports the suction unit 4 via the suction unit fixing frame 45 and is capable of translating the suction unit 4 along the A1 direction inclined at an angle θ1 with respect to the Z axis. The first actuator 2 typically transmits power driven by a servo motor or a stepping motor to a ball screw via gears or a belt, and the moving part is movable along a linear guide arranged in the A1 direction. As a result, the suction unit fixing frame 45 joined to this moving part can slide by a desired movement amount.

[0037] As described above, the value of θ1, which is the angle of inclination of the first actuator 2 with respect to the Z axis, is approximately the same as the value of θ2, which is the angle of inclination with respect to the horizontal plane of the placement surface 5p of the tilt table 5. As a result, the A1 direction, which is the movement direction of the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 by the first actuator 2, approximately coincides with the normal direction of the upper surface of the contents 100. In other words, the A1 direction is approximately perpendicular to the placement surface 5p of the container 110 of the tilt table 5. This is, for example, a state in which the difference between θ1 and θ2 is within 10 degrees, preferably within 5 degrees. In this case, the suction pads 41a and 42a can be uniformly abutted against the upper surface of the contents 100, and a desired suction force can be generated. However, the value of θ1 and the value of θ2 do not have to be approximately the same.

[0038] 7, the control unit 200 transmits to the driver 211 an instruction signal relating to the amount of movement and the speed of movement of the suction unit 4 supported by the first actuator 2. In response to this, the driver 211 transmits to the servo motor 213 an electric signal relating to the amount of rotation and the speed of rotation of the servo motor 213, which correspond to the amount of movement and the speed of movement. In response to this, the servo motor 213 rotates, and the suction unit 4 supported by the first actuator 2 moves to a predetermined position at a predetermined speed. The control unit 200 instructs the first actuator 2 to drive and the suction unit 4 sequentially according to a program, and also occasionally according to the signal states of the suction detection sensors 232, 242 related to the suction unit 4, which will be described later.

[0039] [iii] Second Actuator The second actuator 3 functions as a cross beam that supports the first actuator 2, and is also capable of translating the first actuator 2 along the A2 direction parallel to the Y axis. Like the first actuator 2, the second actuator 3 may also transmit power driven by a servo motor or a stepping motor to a ball screw via gears or a belt. The moving part is movable along a linear guide arranged in the A2 direction, and the first actuator 2 connected to the moving part can slide by a desired amount. The A2 direction in which the first actuator 2 moves does not have to be the Y axis, i.e., the horizontal direction, and may be a direction inclined relative to the horizontal direction.

[0040] 7, the control unit 200 transmits to the driver 212 an instruction signal relating to the amount of movement and the speed of movement of the first actuator 2 supported by the second actuator 3. In response to this, the driver 212 transmits to the servo motor 214 an electric signal relating to the amount of rotation and the speed of rotation of the servo motor 214, which correspond to the amount of movement and the speed of movement. In response to this, the servo motor 214 rotates, and the first actuator 2 supported by the second actuator 3 moves to a predetermined position at a predetermined speed. The control unit 200 sequentially instructs the second actuator 3 to drive and the first actuator 2 to move according to a program, and also whenever necessary according to the signal states of the suction detection sensors 232, 242 related to the suction unit 4.

[0041] The first actuator 2 is programmed to repeatedly move between a first position, which is typically the end closest to the -Y direction along the A2 direction, and a second position, which is the end closest to the +Y direction, by the second actuator 3. However, the first actuator 2 may be programmed to stop at a position other than these. The first position is a position at which the first actuator 2 is disposed so that the suction unit 4 can take an adsorption position where it descends to adsorb the contents 100 and a retracted position where it ascends to lift up the adsorbed contents 100.

[0042] On the other hand, the second position is a position where the first actuator 2 is arranged to take an open position where the suction unit 4 can descend and release the contents 100 above the mounting table 6. In the second position, the suction unit 4 may stop vacuum suction while maintaining the posture, release the contents 100, and drop them onto the upper surface of the mounting table 6. Alternatively, as described later, the suction unit 4 may be rotated so that the axis, which is the longitudinal direction of the suction unit 4, is aligned vertically, and the contents 100 may be released after the lower surface of the contents 100 and the upper surface of the mounting table 6 are positioned approximately parallel to each other. The latter method can suppress the impact when the contents 100 drop onto the upper surface of the mounting table 6, and the contents 100 can be stably arranged on the mounting table 6.

[0043] [iv] Inclined platform As described above, the tilt table 5 is a table on which the container 110 and the contents 100 are tilted, with its mounting surface 5p inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The tilt table 5 may be configured to be continuous with other parts of the contents removal device 1, or may be an independent part separated from the other parts. Since the mounting surface 5p of the tilt table 5 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, when the contents 100 are removed from the container 110 by the suction unit 4, the contents 100 that are placed on the same level of the container 110 and have not been adsorbed can slide down to the position where the contents 100 were located before being removed.

[0044] In other words, suppose that in the first state, there is a content 100 arranged in the top row that does not face either the first suction unit 41 or the second suction unit 42 of the suction unit 4. In the subsequent second state, the content 100 slides down due to the inclination of the tilt table 5 to the position where the content 100 below and the content 100 separated from the bottom surface 110a were arranged in the previous first state. As a result, in the subsequent first state, the content 100 is arranged in a row facing either the first suction unit 41 or the second suction unit 42 of the suction unit 4 and is adsorbed by either of them.

[0045] When the inclination angle of the placement surface 5p of the inclined platform 5 that satisfies the above is θ2, θ2 can be determined as follows. When the mass of the contents 100 is m and the gravitational acceleration is g, the normal force N that the contents 100 receive from the placement surface 5p is N=mgcosθ2, and the force F1 that the contents 100 receive downward on the slope due to gravity is F1=mgsinθ2. In addition, when the static friction coefficient between the upper and lower contents 100 is μ1, the maximum friction force F0 that the contents 100 receive from the lower contents 100 when tilted is F0=μ1N=μ1mgcosθ2. Therefore, in order for the contents 100 to naturally slide down the placement surface 5p, it is necessary that F1>F0, that is, tanθ2>μ1.

[0046] In addition, it is preferable that the contents 100, whose lower side is the bottom surface 110a of the container 110, naturally slide down the inclined bottom surface 110a. For this reason, when the static friction coefficient between the contents 100 and the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 is μ2, in addition to tan θ2>μ1, it is also necessary that tan θ2>μ2. On the other hand, the container 110 itself is placed on the placement surface 5p of the tilt table 5, but it is preferable to take measures so that the container 110 does not naturally slide down the placement surface 5p. In other words, the static friction coefficient between the two may be set to an appropriate value for stopping the container 110, or a protrusion that suppresses the container 110 from sliding may be provided at the lower end of the placement surface 5p of the tilt table 5.

[0047] Also, when the contents 100 placed on the tilt table 5 are viewed from the direction along the X-axis, the distance from the end of the lower side of the inclined surface of the contents 100 along the inclined surface to the center of gravity is wc, and the distance from the placement surface 5p along the direction perpendicular to the inclined surface to the center of gravity of the contents 100 is hc. At this time, in order to prevent the contents 100 from rotating relative to the placement surface 5p, it is preferable that the dimensions of the contents 100 satisfy wc / hc≧tan θ2. In other words, it is preferable to set the value of θ2 of the tilt table 5 within the above-mentioned range according to the dimensions of wc and hc of the contents 100. By setting such a value, a moment that rotates the contents 100 is not generated, and the contents 100 can be prevented from rotating relative to the placement surface 5p. In addition, when it can be assumed that the density of the contents 100 is approximately uniform, it is preferable that the width of the contents 100 placed on the inclined table 5 when viewed from a direction along the X-axis be wp and the height be hp, and that wp / hp≧tan θ2 be satisfied.

[0048] In the content removal device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the inclination is formed such that the height of the inclination table 5 increases from the inclination table 5 toward the mounting table 6. In other words, the inclination table 5 is arranged in a direction that makes it easy to visually check the contents of the container 110 toward the outside of the operating range of the first actuator 2. By arranging the inclination table 5 in this way, the worker can easily visually check the state of the contents 100 in the container 110 from the outside without entering the dangerous operating range of the first actuator 2, improving workability. However, as in another embodiment described later, the inclination may be formed such that the height of the inclination table 5 decreases from the inclination table 5 toward the mounting table 6.

[0049] [v] Mounting stand The mounting table 6 is not a constituent element of the content removal device 1, and may not be provided. In the present embodiment, the content 100 removed from the container 110 is stacked on the mounting table 6 outside the container 110, but how to handle the content 100 removed from the container 110 can be determined arbitrarily depending on the content of the subsequent process. This also makes it possible to determine whether the second position of the first actuator 2 and the opening position of the suction unit 4 are fixed positions each time or are changed little by little.

[0050] For example, when it is only necessary to randomly stack the contents 100 on the upper surface of the mounting table 6, or when a belt conveyor is provided instead of the mounting table 6, the second position and the release position may be fixed each time. On the other hand, when the contents 100 are stacked in a somewhat regular number of rows and stages, as in the case of the contents 100 in the container 110, the operation programs of the first actuator 2 and the second actuator 3 may be created so as to change the second position and the release position little by little.

[0051] [vi] Rotation unit The axis of the suction unit 4 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Here, in order to properly place the contents 100 to be sucked by the suction unit 4 on the placement table 6 having a substantially horizontal upper surface, the contents removal device 1 may include a rotation unit 46 that rotates the suction unit 4 so that the axis of the suction unit 4 is aligned with the vertical direction.

[0052] As shown in the dashed line portion of FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, the rotation unit 46 receives an electric signal from the rotation drive unit 224 and rotates the suction unit 4 by an angle R1 so that the axis of the suction unit 4 is aligned vertically from the inclined state. This can suppress the impact when the contents 100 falls onto the upper surface of the mounting table 6, and the contents 100 can be placed in a stable position on the mounting table 6. The control unit 200 issues an instruction to the rotation drive unit 224. However, when the contents removal device 1 is in the first state, the suction unit 4 is rotated in the opposite direction by the angle R1 so that the axis of the suction unit 4 returns to the original inclined state. Note that the rotation unit 46 may have a structure in which the suction unit fixing frame 45 that fixes the suction unit 4 to the first actuator 2 rotates by the angle R1 around the X-axis, or may have a structure in which the inclination of the axis of the suction unit 4 is displaced by a combination of a link mechanism and linear motion.

[0053] [vii] Photography Department The content removal device 1 may further include a photographing unit 250 for detecting the number of contents 100 remaining in the container 110. The photographing unit 250 is composed of a lens, an aperture, a shutter, and an image pickup element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), similar to the configuration of a normal digital camera or digital video recorder. Reflected light from a subject enters through a lens and hits each of the image pickup elements arranged in a matrix of vertical and horizontal rows and columns, and the image pickup elements convert the received light intensity into digital data of a still image or a video with 256 gradations of black and white or 256 gradations of luminance values ​​of three colors, RGB. The data is then output to an image processing unit 251 connected to the photographing unit 250.

[0054] The image processing unit 251 is an information processing device including a CPU or MPU for performing various calculations, judgments, instructions, etc., an input / output unit for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the control unit 200 and the photographing unit 250, and a memory for storing image data and the like from the photographing unit 250. For example, the image processing unit 251 receives image data from the photographing unit 250 in which each pixel position is associated with the luminance value of the pixel, and identifies the shape, quantity, and position of the contents 100 in the container 110 by known image processing techniques such as binarization processing and edge detection.

[0055] As a result, for example, the number of remaining contents 100 in the container 110 is assumed to be less than the number of heads of the suction unit 4. In this embodiment, the suction unit 4 has two heads, the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42, so that the number of remaining contents is assumed to be one, which is less than the number of heads of the suction unit 4. The control unit 200, which has received this information from the image processing unit 251, controls the suction unit 4 so that only the suction pad 41a of the first suction unit 41 facing the contents 100 on the lower side of the placement surface 5p is in the suction state at the suction position of the next first state. On the other hand, the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 can be controlled to be in the open state or to transition to the second state or later by ignoring the suction failure signal from the suction detection sensor 242.

[0056] The photographing unit 250 may not only view the contents 100 in the container 110 in plan view, but also have a function of a depth sensor that measures the distance from the lens surface of the photographing unit 250 to the target contents 100. This makes it easy to fine-tune the suction position in the first state along the first direction, which will be described later.

[0057] [viii] Control section etc. The control unit 200 is an information processing device including a CPU or MPU for performing various calculations, judgments, instructions, etc., an input / output unit for transmitting and receiving signals to and from each unit, and a ROM, RAM, rewritable non-volatile memory, etc. for storing various control programs and data such as parameters. As the control program, for example, the control unit 200 may check the signal states from an image processing unit 251, drivers 211 and 212 for the first and second actuators 2 and 3, and suction detection sensors 232 and 242 for the suction unit 4. Then, it may instruct each unit to appropriately execute transitions to the first state, the second state, and the third state.

[0058] Furthermore, the content removal device 1 may be equipped with an operation unit 225 so that an operator can select to switch the program for removing the content 100 when the type of the content 100 is changed, and may be equipped with a display unit 226 for displaying various statuses.

[0059] [b] Method of removing contents using a contents removal device Next, a method for removing the contents 100 from the container 110 by the above-mentioned contents removal device 1 will be described mainly with reference to the explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6 and the flow charts of FIGS.

[0060] First, as shown in Fig. 1, a container 110 containing a plurality of contents 100 with its top lid open is placed on the placement surface 5p of the inclined platform 5. The container 110 is a package 120 with its top lid closed, with the top folded outward or removed, as shown in Fig. 3(a). In addition, a placement platform 6 for accumulating the removed contents 100 is set in a predetermined position. After that, the operator starts the content removal device 1 by pressing a start button or the like.

[0061] The content removal device 1 executes a program installed in the control unit 200, and drives the second actuator 3 to move the first actuator 2 to position P1, i.e., the first position (step S301 in FIG. 8). Specifically, the control unit 200 transmits a signal to the driver 212 to instruct the second actuator 3 to move to the first position, and the driver 212 transmits a corresponding instruction signal to rotate the servo motor 214. As a result, the ball screw provided in the second actuator 3 rotates, and the first actuator 2 moves to the first position.

[0062] At this time, the photographing unit 250 photographs the container 110 placed on the tilt table 5 and the contents 100 contained therein. Then, from that data, the image processing unit 251 identifies the number of contents 100 remaining in the container 110. As a result, it is possible to determine whether or not the contents 100 inside the container 110 have run out (step S302). If there are no contents 100 in the container 110, the process proceeds to process F in FIG. 9, and the contents removal device 1 ends the removal operation.

[0063] On the other hand, if the contents 100 are present in the container 110, the first actuator 2 is driven to move the suction unit 4 to the suction position (step S303). Specifically, the control unit 200 transmits a signal to the driver 211 to instruct the suction unit 4 to move to the suction position, and the driver 211 transmits a corresponding instruction signal to rotate the servo motor 213. As a result, the ball screw provided in the first actuator 2 rotates, and the suction unit 4 moves to the suction position.

[0064] Thereafter, the control unit 200 transmits a signal to turn on the solenoid valves 233 and 243. As a result, a negative pressure is generated inside the suction pads 41a and 42a of the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 constituting the suction unit 4 by the action of the vacuum pump 221 driven by the power supply from the power supply unit 222. That is, the necessary suction units 4 are put into an adsorption state (step S304). This state is the first state of the content removal device 1.

[0065] The suction position in the initial first state is as shown in Fig. 4(a). The suction unit 4 is disposed at a position where the distance from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 to the lower ends of the suction pads 41a and 42a in the A1 direction, i.e., the first direction, is h1. In this embodiment, the contents 100 are stacked in up to four layers in the container 110, so the value of h1 is four times the thickness of the contents 100. The suction position may be changed as appropriate according to the thickness of the contents 100, for example, by allowing the operator to select the program or parameters of the contents removal device 1 for each type.

[0066] Furthermore, if the photographing section 250 has a depth sensor function, the distance to the top surface of the contents 100 in the topmost stage of the container 110 may be measured to calculate the suction position. Alternatively, a reflection detection type photoelectric sensor having a light projecting section and a light receiving section may be provided near the bottom end of the suction unit 4, and the photoelectric sensor may output a signal when the distance from the bottom end to the top surface of the contents 100 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. In this way, the suction position can be specified more accurately.

[0067] In the first state, the control unit 200 checks whether the suction detection sensors 232 and 242 are turned on (step S305). When both of the suction pads 41a and 42a are suctioning the contents 100, both of the suction detection sensors 232 and 242 are turned on. In this case, the first actuator 2 moves the suction unit 4 suctioning the contents 100 to the retreat position (step S306). This state is the second state of the contents removal device 1. Specifically, the control unit 200 transmits a signal to the driver 211 to instruct the suction unit 4 to move to the retreat position, and the driver 211 transmits a corresponding instruction signal to rotate the servo motor 213. As a result, the ball screw provided in the first actuator 2 rotates, and the suction unit 4 moves to the retreat position.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 4(b), the retracted position is a position where the suction unit 4 that has adsorbed the contents 100 is separated from the contents 100 below the suction position. The suction unit 4 is disposed at a position where the distance from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 to the lower ends of the suction pads 41a and 42a in the A1 direction, i.e., along the first direction, is h11, and the value of h11 is greater than the value of h1. By moving the suction unit 4 from the suction position to the retracted position, it is possible to prevent the suction unit 4 and the contents 100 that it adsorbs from interfering with the container 110, etc., when the first actuator 2 moves to transition to the third state thereafter.

[0069] At this time, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the other contents 100 that were stacked in the same step as the contents 100 that the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 picked up are moved to the location of the contents 100 picked up by the first suction unit 41. That is, the other contents 100 that were adjacent to the contents 100 picked up by the second suction unit 42 on the upper side of the incline slide down against the frictional force with the contents 100 below. As a result, the second actuator 3 only needs to move the suction unit 4 to the same first position every time it picks up the contents 100, regardless of the number of rows of the contents 100 in the container 110. Therefore, the program for the second actuator 3 to move the first actuator 2 can be simplified, and the increase in the number of programs for each type can be suppressed.

[0070] After the first actuator 2 moves the suction unit 4 that has adsorbed the contents 100 to the retracted position, the second actuator 3 moves the first actuator 2 to position P2, i.e., the second position (step S307). Specifically, the control unit 200 transmits a signal to the driver 212 to instruct the second actuator 3 to move to the second position, and the driver 212 transmits a corresponding instruction signal to rotate the servo motor 214. As a result, the ball screw of the second actuator 3 rotates, and the first actuator 2 moves to the second position. As a result, the contents 100 adsorbed to the suction unit 4 supported by the first actuator 2 is held above the mounting table 6.

[0071] Thereafter, the process proceeds as shown in the flow chart of Fig. 9 as process A, and the first actuator 2 moves the suction unit 4 suctioning the contents 100 to the release position (step S321 in Fig. 9). When viewed along the first direction, the release position may be the same as or different from the suction position or the retreat position described above. Usually, the release position is determined to be a height at which the contents 100 are appropriately dropped onto the mounting table 6 below when the suction unit 4 releases the suction of the contents 100.

[0072] Next, the control unit 200 transmits a signal to turn off the solenoid valves 233 and 243. This cancels the negative pressure inside the suction pads 41a and 42a of the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42. That is, the negative pressure returns to normal pressure, and the suction unit 4 is in an open state (step S322). In some cases, a small amount of air may be blown out from the tips of the suction pads 41a and 42a to break the vacuum. This state is the third state of the content removal device 1. Furthermore, in the third state, the control unit 200 checks whether the suction detection sensors 232 and 242 are turned off (step S323). When both the suction pads 41a and 42a release the contents 100 and the contents 100 are detached from the suction pads 41a and 42a, both the suction detection sensors 232 and 242 are turned off.

[0073] Before turning off the solenoid valves 233 and 243 and opening the suction unit 4, as described above, the rotation unit 46 may be rotated to change the axis of the suction unit 4 from an inclined state to a vertical direction, thereby rotating the suction unit 4. By inserting this step, it is possible to suppress the impact of the contents 100 dropping onto the upper surface of the mounting table 6, and it is possible to place the contents 100 in a stable position on the mounting table 6.

[0074] As a result of the above, among the contents 100 stored in the container 110, a plurality of contents 100 (two contents 100 in this embodiment) that are first adsorbed by the adsorption unit 4 are removed to the placement table 6, which is outside the container 110. Thereafter, unless an end operation is performed by the operator on the operation unit 225 (step S324), the contents removal device 1 repeatedly performs process D, i.e., the operation from step S301. That is, the contents removal device 1 thereafter repeatedly performs a series of operations from the first state to the third state, and continues the operation until all of the contents 100 stored in the container 110 are removed to the outside of the container 110.

[0075] In the second cycle of the operation of the content removal device 1, similarly to the first cycle, first, the second actuator 3 is driven to move the first actuator 2 to the first position (step S301). Next, based on information from the photographing section 250, etc., it is determined whether the content 100 inside the container 110 has been exhausted (step S302). After that, the first actuator 2 is driven to move the suction unit 4 to the suction position (step S303), and the content removal device 1 transitions to the first state by being in the suction state (step S304).

[0076] The suction position at this time is as shown in FIG. 4(c), and the suction unit 4 is disposed at a position where the distance along the first direction from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 to the lower end of the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 is h2, which is shorter than h1 by the thickness of the contents 100. If the distance along the first direction from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 to the lower end of the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 is h1, the same as in the first state of the first time, the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 and the contents 100 are separated, and the contents 100 cannot be suctioned. However, in this case, the suction pad 41a of the first suction unit 41 is pushed further upward in the first direction by the thickness of the contents 100 from the position where it abuts against the contents 100 below.

[0077] Therefore, each of the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 is slidable along the first direction relative to the suction unit fixing frame 45 and the first actuator 2 at least by h0, which is the thickness of the contents 100. As a result, even if there is a step between adjacent contents 100 as shown in Fig. 4(c), the suction unit 4 responds by the first suction unit 41 sliding obliquely upward relative to the second suction unit 42. Therefore, both contents 100 can be reliably suctioned by the suction pads 41a and 42a.

[0078] As described above, the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 each have the biasing portion 41c and 42c near the suction unit fixing frame 45. When an external force pushing up from below acts on the first suction unit 41 or the second suction unit 42, it slides against the biasing portion 41c or 42c. This maintains the force of the suction pads 41a and 42a pressing the contents, and ensures that the contents 100 in contact with them are reliably adsorbed.

[0079] In this way, the change of the suction position according to the number of cycles of the take-out operation can be set as a program or parameter of the contents take-out device 1 for each type, as described above. Alternatively, the suction position may be determined or corrected by detecting the output of the depth sensor or photoelectric sensor each time. On the other hand, when the thickness of the contents 100 is relatively thin and the number of layers is small, the sliding range of each of the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 along the first direction can be set to the total thickness of the contents 100 stacked in the container 110. In this case, the suction position is fixed to a state where only one layer of the contents 100 is stacked regardless of the number of cycles, and when there are two or more layers, the first suction unit 41 or the second suction unit 42 slides appropriately to reliably suction the contents 100 regardless of the number of layers.

[0080] The suction unit 4 that has thus adsorbed the contents 100 moves to the retreat position as shown in Fig. 4(d) (steps S304-306) and transitions to the second state, and then the second actuator 3 moves the first actuator 2 to the second position (step S307). After that, the first actuator 2 moves the suction unit 4 to the release position, releases the suction unit 4, and transitions to the third state (steps S321-323).

[0081] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4(d) and FIG. 4(e), after the transition to the second state, another content 100 that was stacked on the same level as the content 100 that the second suction unit 42 has adsorbed moves to the location of the content 100 that the second suction unit 42 has adsorbed. That is, the other content 100 that was adjacent to the content 100 that the second suction unit 42 has adsorbed on the upper side of the incline slides down against the frictional force with the content 100 below. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4(f), in the third cycle of the operation of the content removal device 1, the suction unit 4 is disposed at a position where the distance in the first direction from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 to the lower end of the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 is h2, which is the same as the suction position in the second cycle. However, in this case, the suction pad 41a of the first suction unit 41 and the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 are at the same position in the first direction, and no step is generated.

[0082] Thereafter, by repeating the operations from the fourth cycle to the sixth cycle, the content removal device 1 can remove all the contents 100 from the container 110 onto the mounting table 6. FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing the second state of the fourth cycle. The suction unit 4 adsorbs the contents 100 without creating a step between the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42. As the suction position in the first state of the fourth cycle, the suction unit 4 is disposed at a position where the distance in the first direction from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 to the lower end of the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 is h3, which is shorter than h2 by the thickness of the contents 100.

[0083] Moreover, Figure 5(b) is a diagram showing the inside of the container 110 after the transition to the second state in the fourth cycle, and except for the number of tiers, the arrangement of the contents 100 in the top tier is the same as that in the container 110 after the transition to the second state in the first cycle shown in Figure 4(b).

[0084] 5(c) is a diagram showing the first state of the fifth cycle, which also has the same positional relationship as the suction unit 4 in the first state of the second cycle, except for the difference in the suction position. In the first state of the fifth cycle, the suction unit 4 is disposed at a position where the distance in the first direction from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 to the lower end of the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 is h0, which is shorter than h3 by the thickness of the contents 100. In other words, the distance in the first direction from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 to the lower end of the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 is the thickness of the contents 100 itself.

[0085] FIG. 5(d) is a diagram showing the inside of the container 110 after transition to the second state in the fifth cycle, and FIG. 5(e) is a diagram showing the inside of the container 110 in a state in which the contents 100 have slid down the bottom surface 110a of the container 110. Then, as shown in FIG. 5(f), in the first state in the sixth cycle, the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 each suction the contents 100. Then, by transitioning to the third state, all of the contents 100 in the container 110 are taken out. In the contents removal device 1, in step S301, the second actuator 3 moves the first actuator 2 to the first position (step S301) to prepare for the next seventh cycle of work, but the photographing unit 250 and the like detect that the container 110 is empty (step S302). Then, the process moves to process F, and the contents removal device 1 ends the removal operation.

[0086] As a result, the suction position in this embodiment is the same as the suction position in the previous first state, or is closer to the bottom surface 110a in the first direction by the thickness of the contents 100 than the suction position in the previous first state. Specifically, the suction position in the first state of each cycle is indicated by the distance in the first direction from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 to the lower end of the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42. At this time, the distance is h1 in the first cycle, h2 in the second cycle, and h2 in the third cycle. It is h3 in the fourth cycle, h0 in the fifth cycle, and h0 in the sixth cycle.

[0087] On the other hand, in the first state, if either of the suction detection sensors 232 and 242 is off (step S305), process B in FIG. 10 is performed. That is, the image processing unit 251 or the control unit 200 judges whether or not the remaining number of contents 100 is less than the number of suction units from information from the photographing unit 250, etc. (step S341). Here, if the remaining number of contents 100 is less than the number of suction units, the process proceeds to process E. That is, the processes from step S306 onwards are executed, and after the transition to the second state and the third state, the contents 100 in the container 110 should be gone in the next cycle, so the contents removal device 1 goes through process F in step S302 and ends the removal operation.

[0088] In this way, the situation where the remaining number of contents 100 is not 0 but is less than the number of suction units can occur in a manner different from the above-mentioned manner in which the contents 100 are arranged in three rows in the +Y direction, i.e., horizontally, and packed in four layers in the container 110. For example, the contents 100 are arranged in three rows in the +Y direction in the container 110 and packed in three layers. In this case, the situation in the second state in the fourth cycle is shown in FIG. 6(a). At this time, after the transition to the second state, the remaining number of contents 100 becomes one, and as shown in FIG. 6(b), it slides downward on the bottom surface 110a of the container 110. When the suction unit 4 adsorbs this in the first state in the fifth cycle, naturally, only the first suction unit 41 can adsorb the contents 100, and the second suction unit 42 does not have any contents 100 to be adsorbed.

[0089] Here, the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 cannot adequately suction the bottom surface 110a of the container 110, such as cardboard, which has a rough surface and small gaps, and although the suction detection sensor 232 turns on, the suction detection sensor 242 remains off. Fig. 6(d) is a diagram showing the second state in this case. Also, if the suction pad 42a adequately suctions the bottom surface 110a of the container 110, the container 110 can be fixed to the tilt table 5 so that the container 110 does not lift upward, thereby creating a state similar to the above.

[0090] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6(e), a through hole 51 communicating with the outside may be provided in the container 110 below the suction pad 42a of the second suction unit 42 and in the inside of the tilt table 5 further below. In this case, it is possible to prevent the suction pad 42a from forcibly lifting the container 110 and deforming or damaging the container 110. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6(f), a concave-convex sheet 130 having a large surface roughness or a wavy surface may be laid on the upper surface of the bottom surface 110a of the container 110. This prevents the suction pad 42a from adsorbing the concave-convex sheet 130, and the second suction unit 42 is smoothly separated from the container 110.

[0091] As another method, when the suction units 4 are arranged as shown in Fig. 6(c), if it is detected or determined based on information from the photographing section 250 or the like that the remaining number of contents 100 is less than the number of suction units, the following may be performed. That is, the control section 200 may control so that only the solenoid valve 233 on the suction pad 41a side is turned on and the solenoid valve 243 on the suction pad 42a side is turned off. In this way, in step S305, checking the state of the suction detection sensor 242 is omitted, and the subsequent processing may be carried out depending on whether the suction detection sensor 232 is on or not.

[0092] On the other hand, if either of the suction detection sensors 232 and 242 is off even though the remaining number of contents 100 is equal to or greater than the number of suction units, there is a possibility that a simple suction error has occurred due to an inappropriate suction position. Therefore, in this case, the first actuator 2 may shift the suction position of the suction unit 4 downward by a predetermined amount (step S342). However, as described above, this measure does not have to be taken if a program for sequentially shifting the suction position downward is prepared in the first actuator 2 in advance. After that, the solenoid valve 233 or 243 of the suction unit whose suction detection sensor was off is turned on again, and it is confirmed whether the corresponding suction detection sensor is turned on (step S344).

[0093] If the above-mentioned process turns on both the suction detection sensors 232 and 242, the process proceeds to process E, and the processes from step S306 onward are executed. Conversely, if the above-mentioned process turns off either the suction detection sensors 232 and 242, this indicates a malfunction of the device, and the device is stopped (step S345), for example, by displaying a message to that effect on the display unit 226. After recovery (step S346), the process continues to process E.

[0094] In the third state, if either of the suction detection sensors 232 and 242 remains on even after the suction unit 4 is in the open state (step S323), the following may occur. That is, the contents 100 may actually remain attached to the suction pad 41a or 42a of the suction unit 4, or the contents 100 may have been released and dropped onto the placement table 6, but an erroneous output may have been generated due to a malfunction of the suction detection sensor. In this case, the opening operation of the suction unit 4 and the output confirmation of the suction detection sensors 232 and 242 are repeated a predetermined number of times, and if a normal result is obtained, the process proceeds to step S324. On the other hand, if the abnormality is not resolved, this is a malfunction of the device, and the device is stopped, for example, by displaying a message to that effect on the display unit 226 (step S326). After recovery (step S327), the process proceeds to step S323.

[0095] In the above description, the content removal device 1 stops its operation after removing all the contents 100 from the container 110. Therefore, in order to continue the work, the worker needs to prepare another container 110 containing the contents 100, place it on the tilt table 5, and then start the content removal device 1 again. However, a second tilt table 5 on which the container 110 is placed may be disposed adjacent to the first tilt table 5 on which the container 110 being worked on is placed in advance along the X-axis direction. The first tilt table 5 and the second tilt table 5 are both placed on a movable table that can move parallel to the X-axis direction.

[0096] In this case, after the removal of the contents from the container 110 under operation is completed, the movable platform slides along the X-axis direction, and the second tilt platform 5 is placed in the place where the original first tilt platform 5 was placed. This allows the content removal device 1 to immediately continue the removal of the contents 100 from the next container 110 without waiting for the operator to replace the container 110. Furthermore, the first tilt platform 5 is located outside the working space of the first actuator 2 and the suction unit 4 of the content removal device 1. Therefore, the container 110 can be easily replaced even during the operation of the content removal device 1, and the content removal operation can be continuously performed without stopping the operation of the content removal device 1.

[0097] As described above, the content removal device 1 of this embodiment removes the contents 100 from the container 110 in which the contents 100 are packed in a plurality of stages with three or more rows. The content removal device 1 includes, for example, a first suction unit 41 and a second suction unit 42 as a plurality of suction units 4 having suction pads 41a and 42a for suctioning the contents 100, the number of which is less than the number of rows. The content removal device 1 also includes a first actuator 2 that supports the plurality of suction units 4 and can move the suction units 4 to a suction position, a retreat position, or an open position along a first direction, and a second actuator 3 that can move the first actuator 2 to a first position or a second position along a second direction. The content removal device 1 also includes a tilt table 5 on which the container 110 is placed in a tilted state.

[0098] The contents removal device 1 of this embodiment can be sequentially transitioned to the following first state, second state, and third state. In the first state, the first actuator 2 is disposed at the first position, and the second actuator 3 moves the first actuator 2, and the first actuator 2 moves the multiple suction units 4 so that the first actuator 2 is disposed at the first position and the multiple suction units 4 can be disposed at the suction position. Then, the suction units 4 adsorb the contents 100 in the container 110 facing the lower side thereof. In the second state, the first actuator 2 moves the suction units 4 so that the multiple suction units 4 that have adsorbed the contents 100 are disposed at a retracted position that is farther away from the bottom surface 110a of the container 110 than the suction position. In the third state, the first actuator 2 is disposed at the second position, and the second actuator 3 moves the first actuator 2, and the first actuator 2 moves the multiple suction units 4 so that the first actuator 2 is disposed at the second position and the multiple suction units 4 can be disposed at the release position. Then, the contents 100 adsorbed by the suction units 4 are released to the outside of the container 110.

[0099] The content removal device 1 can remove the content 100 in the container 110 to the outside of the container 110 by repeating the above transitions.

[0100] The content removal device 1 of this embodiment is configured so that the number of heads of the suction unit 4 is less than the number of rows of the contents stored in the container 110. Specifically, the number of heads is two, the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42, while the contents are in three rows. Even if the number of rows of the contents is changed to four rows or five rows, the number of heads of the suction unit 4 of the content removal device 1 can be changed without changing. Therefore, the workload of changing the relative arrangement of the suction units 4 due to the change in the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the contents 100 can be reduced. To achieve this, the container 110 is held by the tilt table 5 in an inclined state. As a result, when the contents 100 are removed from the container 110 by the suction unit 4, the contents 100 that are arranged on the same level of the container 110 and are not adsorbed slide down to the position where the contents 100 were located before removal.

[0101] Therefore, the position of the first actuator 2 in the first state can be fixed at the same position every time as the first position. Therefore, even if the vertical and horizontal dimensions or the number of rows of the contents 100 are changed, the size of the device and the increase in the working space can be suppressed, and the program for moving the first actuator 2 can be simplified. Therefore, it is possible to provide a contents removal device that can efficiently remove the contents while reducing the effect of changes in the size of the contents.

[0102] 2. Second embodiment of the present disclosure Next, a second embodiment of the content removal device of the present disclosure will be described. In the content removal device 1a of the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11, the inclination of the mounting surface 5q of the inclined platform 5b is formed in a direction that becomes lower from the inclined platform 5b toward the mounting platform 6. The inclination of the inclined platform 5b in this manner is different from the content removal device 1 of the first embodiment. In addition, the degree to which the axis of the suction unit 4 supported by the first actuator 2a is inclined with respect to the vertical direction is opposite to that of the axis of the suction unit 4 of the content removal device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0103] That is, the inclination angle of the axis of the suction unit 4 of the content removal device 1 of the first embodiment with respect to the vertical direction is θ1, and the inclination angle of the axis of the suction unit 4 of the content removal device 1a of the second embodiment with respect to the vertical direction is θ3. In this case, θ1 when viewed from the +X direction side is the angle that the axis makes counterclockwise with respect to the +Z direction, while θ3 is the angle that the axis makes clockwise with respect to the +Z direction. However, the configuration and operation of the content removal device 1a of the second embodiment other than the above are the same as those of the content removal device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0104] 11, the first direction is the A3 direction, which is the axial direction of the suction unit 4, instead of the A1 direction in the first embodiment, and positions P3 and P4 are respectively substituted for positions P1 and P2 indicating the first and second positions in the first embodiment. The inclination angle of the tilt table 5 is θ4 instead of θ2 in the first embodiment, and the rotation angle of the rotation unit 46 is R2 instead of R1 in the first embodiment. In addition, all of the above-mentioned explanations regarding the configuration and operation of the content removal device 1 of the first embodiment are also applicable to the content removal device 1a of the second embodiment.

[0105] In this embodiment, the inclination of the placement surface 5q of the inclined platform 5b is formed in a direction that becomes lower from the inclined platform 5b toward the placement platform 6. In other words, the inclined platform 5b is arranged in a direction that makes it easier to visually confirm the contents of the container 110 toward the operating range of the first actuator 2a. By arranging the inclined platform 5b in this way, the first position, which is the end of the first actuator 2a on the -Y direction side when the suction unit 4 takes the suction position, can be set as far as possible on the +Y direction side. This makes it possible to narrow the distance between the first position and the second position, thereby further reducing the size of the content removal device 1a. In addition, even if the number of rows of the containers 110 increases, the upper area of ​​the placement surface 5p of the containers 110 placed on the inclined platform 5b can be arranged to protrude outside, that is, on the -Y direction side, regardless of the content removal device 1a. Therefore, in this respect, the device can be made smaller and the size of the containers 110 that can be handled can be expanded.

[0106] 3. Third embodiment of the present disclosure Next, a third embodiment of the content removal device of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 12 is a left side view corresponding to FIG. 2 for explaining the content removal device 1b of the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the suction unit 4a of the content removal device 1b includes a third suction unit 43 and a fourth suction unit 44 in addition to the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42. That is, the suction unit 4a is different from the content removal device 1 of the first embodiment in that the number of heads constituting the suction unit 4a is four. Also, the heads of the suction unit 4a are not arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction, but are arranged in two rows and two columns. This is to accommodate a container in which the contents 100 are arranged in rows and columns.

[0107] For example, in the package 121 shown in FIG. 3(b), the contents 100 are stacked in four tiers in the container 111, with three tiers in the Y-axis direction and two tiers in the X-axis direction. The number of contents 100 arranged per tier is six. Therefore, the number of heads of the suction unit 4a of the content removal device 1b of this embodiment is four in total, which is less than the number of contents 100 arranged per tier of the container 111. The configuration of the content removal device 1b is equivalent to providing the configuration of the suction unit 4 duplicated along the X-direction side of the content removal device 1 of the first embodiment, so the operation related to removal of the contents 100 is basically the same as that of the content removal device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0108] For example, in the first state, the first suction unit 41, the second suction unit 42, the third suction unit 43, and the fourth suction unit 44 constituting the suction unit 4a respectively suction the opposing lower contents 100 with the suction pads 41a, 42a, 43a, and 44a. In addition, depending on the removal cycle, the positions of the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42 in the first state may be the same along the first direction, or the first suction unit 41 may be pushed upward along the first direction by the thickness of the contents 100 more than the second suction unit 42. In this respect, the positional relationship between the third suction unit 43 and the fourth suction unit 44 is the same as the positional relationship between the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 42. In addition, the number of contents that can be removed from the first state to the third state in one cycle increases from two in the first embodiment to four.

[0109] In the content removal device 1b of this embodiment, the suction units 4a are arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions, with an arrangement along the X-axis direction in addition to an arrangement along the Y-axis direction. The number of heads of the suction unit 4a is smaller than the number of contents 100 arranged per row of the container 111. Since the content removal device 1b has such a configuration, it can handle not only containers in which the contents are arranged only vertically, but also containers in which the contents are arranged vertically and horizontally, and the removal speed can be increased by increasing the number of contents taken per cycle. Even if the number of rows of contents changes to four or five rows, the removal speed can be increased without changing the number of heads of the suction unit 4a of the content removal device 1b. Therefore, the workload of changing the relative arrangement of the suction units 4 due to the change in the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the contents 100 can be reduced while maintaining a high removal speed.

[0110] In the content removal device 1b of this embodiment, the number of suction units arranged along the X-axis direction may be increased as appropriate according to the number of rows of contents in the container. In either case, the number of suction units arranged along the Y-axis direction can be made smaller than the number of rows of containers, improving the operability of switching and the like. Also, instead of increasing the number of suction units arranged along the X-axis direction as in this embodiment, the tilt table 5 may be configured to move along the X-axis direction as appropriate in the same configuration as in the first embodiment.

[0111] In this case, as described above, this can be realized by more finely moving the movable platform in parallel along the X-axis direction in an operation in which the second tilt platform 5 on which the container 111 is placed is adjacently arranged along the X-axis direction, separate from the first tilt platform 5 on which the container 111 being worked is placed in advance. For example, in a container 111 as shown in FIG. 3(b), first, the removal operation is repeated from the first state to the third state for one row of contents 100 along the Y-axis on the +X-direction side, and removal is completed. Next, the movable platform is moved along the +X direction by the width of the contents 100. Thereafter, the above removal operation is repeated again, and removal of one row of contents 100 along the Y-axis on the -X-direction side of the container 111 is also completed. By such an operation, it is possible to widely accommodate various arrangements of contents in the container without significantly changing the configuration of the contents removal device 1.

[0112] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments and modified examples can be implemented in whole or in part in combination to the extent that they are not inconsistent with each other, and such combinations are naturally included in the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1, 1a, 2b Contents removal device 2, 2a First actuator 3 Second Actuator 4, 4a Adsorption unit 5, 5a, 5b ramp 5p, 5q mounting surface 6. Placement table 31, 32 Support frame 41 First suction unit 41a Suction pad 41b Cylinder 41c Force section 41d Guide shaft 42 Second suction unit 42a Suction pad 42b Cylinder 42c Force section 42d Guide shaft 43 Third suction unit 43a Suction pad 44 4th suction unit 44a Suction pad 45 Suction unit fixing frame 46 Rotating Unit 51 Through hole 100 Contents 110, 111 Container 110a Bottom 120, 121 Packaging 130 Textured Sheet 200 Control section 211, 212 Driver 213, 214 Servo motor 221 Vacuum Pump 222 Power supply section 223 Storage section 224 Rotation drive unit 225 Operation section 226 Display section 232, 242 Adsorption detection sensor 233, 243 Solenoid valve 250 Photography Department 251 Image Processing Unit

Claims

1. A content removal device for removing contents from a container in which the contents are packed in a plurality of stages with three or more rows, a plurality of suction units each having a suction pad for suctioning the contents, the number of suction units being less than the number of the contents arranged in each of the rows or stages; a first actuator supporting the plurality of suction units and capable of translation along a first direction to a suction position, a retreat position, or an open position; a second actuator capable of moving the first actuator to a first position or a second position along a second direction; A tilt table on which the container is placed in a tilted state, a first state in which the first actuator is disposed at the first position, the plurality of suction units are disposed at the suction positions, and the suction units suction the contents in the containers facing thereunder; a second state in which the plurality of suction units that have suctioned the contents are disposed at the retracted position that is farther away from the bottom surface of the container than the suction positions; and a third state in which the first actuator is disposed at the second position, the plurality of suction units are disposed at the open position, and the content adsorbed by the suction units is released to the outside of the container; and a third state in which the first actuator is disposed at the second position, the plurality of suction units are disposed at the open position, and the content adsorbed by the suction units is released to the outside of the container. The first direction is a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the tilt table on which the container is placed, In the first state, the first storage unit is disposed at the top of a row that does not face the plurality of suction units. In the subsequent second state, the contents slide down due to the inclination of the inclined platform to a position where the contents separated from the contents below or the bottom surface were placed in the previous first state, so that in the subsequent first state, the contents are placed in a row facing any one of the plurality of suction units and are suctioned by any one of the suction units; The suction unit is slidable relative to the first actuator along the first direction by at least an amount corresponding to a thickness of the content.

2. The content removal device according to claim 1, wherein the suction position is the same as the suction position in the previous first state, or is a position closer to the bottom surface along the first direction by an amount equal to the thickness of the contents than the suction position in the previous first state.

3. 3. The content removal device according to claim 1, wherein if the remaining number of the contents is less than the number of the suction units before the first state is reached, the suction units adsorb as much of the contents as they can, and then, after transitioning to the third state, terminate the removal operation without transitioning to the first state.

4. Further, a photographing unit is provided for photographing the contents of the container, The content removal device according to claim 3 , wherein the information from the photographing section detects or determines that the remaining number of the content is less than the number of the suction units.

5. A method for removing contents from a container in which the contents are packed in a plurality of stages with three or more rows, comprising the steps of: placing the container on a tilted platform in an inclined state; placing a first actuator at a first position, and placing a number of suction units, each having a suction pad for suctioning the contents, less than the number of contents arranged in each of the rows or stages, at suction positions, to bring the suction units into a first state in which they suction the contents in the containers facing them below; a step of moving the plurality of suction units that have suctioned the contents in a second state in parallel along a first direction to a retreat position that is farther away from the bottom surface of the container than the suction position; a step of moving the first actuator in parallel to a second position along a second direction and moving the plurality of suction units in parallel to an open position along the first direction to set the container in a third state in which the contents adsorbed by the suction units are released to the outside of the container, by sequentially repeating the step of setting the container in the first state, the step of setting the container in the second state, and the step of setting the container in the third state, the contents within the container are taken out to the outside of the container, The first direction is a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the tilt table on which the container is placed, In the first state, the contents arranged in the top row not facing the plurality of suction units slide down due to the inclination of the tilt table to a position where the contents separated from the contents below or the bottom surface were arranged in the previous first state in the subsequent second state, and are arranged in a row facing any one of the plurality of suction units and are adsorbed by any one of the contents in the next first state. The method for removing contents, wherein the suction unit is slidable relative to the first actuator along the first direction by at least an amount corresponding to a thickness of the contents.

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