Hand device and article transfer device

Abstract

To provide a hand device capable of coping with holding of many kinds of articles.SOLUTION: A hand device 20 holds a plurality of articles 12 each having a first face 12a being a face including an engaged part 28 and a second face 12b being a face crossing the first face 12a. The hand device 20 has: a first movement body 31 provided on a base 30 and moving in a first direction x; and a plurality of grip parts 50 provided on the first movement body 31 and arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction x. Each grip part 50 has a first pressing part 51 moving in a third direction z crossing the first direction z and the second direction, and a second pressing part 53 moving in the third direction z and arranged at an interval between itself and the first pressing part 51. In each of the plurality of grip parts 50, the first pressing part 51 moved in the third direction z presses the second face 12b of the article 12, the second pressing part 53 presses the engaged part 28 of the article 12, and the article 12 is gripped by the first pressing part 51 and the second pressing part 53.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hand device for holding an article and an article transfer device provided with this hand device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, a hand device described in Patent Document 1 below is known.

[0003] In this hand device, a moving body that is movable with respect to a base moves forward toward an article, and a suction pad provided on the moving body sucks and lifts the side surface of the article. Then, the moving body moves backward in a direction opposite to the forward movement, and the article sucked by the suction pad is lifted onto a support portion fixed to the base, and the article is held on the support portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In such a hand device, the side surface of the article is sucked and held, but depending on articles with different dimensions and shapes, holding by suction may not be suitable.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such points, and an object thereof is to provide a hand device and an article transfer device that can cope with the holding of various types of articles.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The hand device of the present invention is a hand device for holding a plurality of articles having a first surface which is a surface including an engaged portion and a second surface which intersects the first surface, and is provided on a base and moves in a first direction A moving body, and a plurality of gripping portions provided on the moving body and arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, each of the gripping portions moving in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction A first pressing portion, and a second pressing portion that is disposed at an interval from the first pressing portion and moves in the third direction , a first pressing drive unit that moves the first pressing part, and a second pressing drive unit that moves the second pressing part With the base disposed on the second surface side of the article, the moving body that has moved in the first direction approaches or contacts the first surface of the plurality of articles, and in each of the plurality of gripping portions, by the first pressing drive unit The first pressing portion that has moved in the third direction presses the second surface of the article and moved in the third direction by the second pressing drive unit The second pressing portion presses the engaged portion of the article, and the article is gripped by the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the hand device of the present invention, it is possible to cope with holding of various types of articles.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 shows an article transfer system 10. The article transfer system 10 is a depalletizing system that takes out a predetermined number of articles 12 stacked on a pallet 11 one by one and transfers them to a predetermined transfer location.

[0012] The article transfer system 10 includes an article transfer device 15 that takes out and transfers the articles 12, an article supply unit 16 that supplies the articles 12 by the pallet 11, and an article transfer unit 17 that is a transfer location for transferring the articles 12 taken out by the article transfer device 15.

[0013] The article transfer device 15 includes a hand device 20 that can hold a plurality of articles 12 simultaneously, and a moving device 21 that moves this hand device 20. In the present embodiment, the moving device 21 is an articulated robot and includes a base 22 and a robot arm 23 rotatably provided on this base 22. The robot arm 23 has a plurality of rotatable shafts, and the hand device 20 is attached to the tip. Note that the moving device 21 is not limited to an articulated robot, and may be, for example, an orthogonal moving device composed of three orthogonal slide shafts.

[0014] In addition, the article supply unit 16 is supplied with a pallet 11 on which a plurality of articles 12 are stacked, and the articles 12 on the pallet 11 are positioned and arranged at predetermined positions. The article supply unit 16 uses a pallet conveyor that carries in a pallet (actual pallet) 11 on which a plurality of articles 12 are stacked and carries out a pallet (empty pallet) 11 from which the articles 12 have been taken out and which has become empty.

[0015] In addition, the article transfer unit 17 has an article transferred thereto by the article transfer device 15. The article transfer unit 17 uses a station conveyor that receives the article 12 transferred by the article transfer device 15 and conveys it toward a predetermined conveyance location.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the article 12 is a rectangular box-shaped container in plan view that can store stored items inside. The article 12 has at least a container body 26 with an open upper surface side, and may further have a lid member that opens and closes the upper surface side of the container body 26. The container body 26 may be provided with an upper frame 27 at the upper end peripheral portion and a handle hole for hanging on the side surface. The article 12 may be, for example, a folding container that can be folded and made compact when not in use. In addition, the article 12 has an engaged portion 28 that allows a part of the handling device 20 to be engaged from below. The engaged portion 28 is composed of an upper frame 27 that protrudes laterally from the side surface of the article 12, an edge portion (for example, the upper edge portion) of a handle hole provided on the side surface, a rib, or the like. In the present embodiment, in the standing posture of the article 12, the side surface along the longitudinal direction in plan view is the first surface 12a that includes the engaged portion 28, and the upper surface side that intersects this first surface 12a is the second surface 12b. Further, although a protruding portion protrudes partially on the upper surface side of the article 12, the second surface 12b includes this protruding portion and the like.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the articles 12 stacked on the pallet 11 are stacked in a plurality of layers, for example, in a state where six articles 12 are arranged in two in the longitudinal direction and three in the short side direction in a plan view of the article 12 in one layer. The articles 12 stacked in a plurality of layers are stacked in a single row in the vertical direction. The articles 12 adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction of each layer may be in contact with each other or may be slightly separated from each other.

[0018] Such articles 12 may not be suitable for holding the side surface by suction because the side surface has an uneven shape or a foldable structure, and also because the upper surface side is open or there is a lid that is open upward, it may not be suitable for holding the upper surface side by suction. However, the hand device 20 of the present embodiment can also cope with holding such articles 12.

[0019] Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows a case where articles 12 having the same dimensions and shapes are stacked on the pallet 11. However, there may be a case where a variety of articles 12 having different dimensions and shapes are mixed on the pallet 11, or a case where articles 12 having different types are stacked on each pallet 11. When a variety of articles 12 are mixed on the pallet 11, they are stacked in the vertical direction for each same type. And the hand device 20 of the present embodiment can also cope with holding such a variety of articles 12.

[0020] Next, FIGS. 3 to 6 show the configuration of the hand device 20. The hand device 20 can hold a plurality of articles 12 arranged side by side at the same time, and in the present embodiment, can hold two articles 12 arranged side by side at the same time. The hand device 20 includes a base 30, a first moving body 31 which is a moving body movably provided on the lower surface side of the base 30, a pair of second moving bodies 32, and a third moving body 33.

[0021] The first moving body 31 and the third moving body 33 are movable in the first direction x which is the front-rear direction with respect to the base 30. The pair of second moving bodies 32 are movable in the first direction x integrally with the first moving body 31 and are also movable in the second direction y which is the left-right direction intersecting the first direction x. Here, the vertical direction which is the intersecting direction intersecting the first direction x and the second direction y is defined as the third direction z. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, with respect to the base 30, the first moving body 31 is disposed in the central region of the first direction x, the second moving body 32 is disposed on one end side of the first direction x, and the third moving body 33 is disposed on the other end side of the first direction x. Hereinafter, the movement of the first moving body 31 and the second moving body 32 toward the article 12 is referred to as forward movement and the direction is the forward direction, and the movement of the first moving body 31 and the second moving body 32 away from the article 12 is referred to as backward movement and the direction is the backward direction.

[0022] The base 30 includes a rectangular frame-shaped frame 37 having frame portions 35 disposed on both sides in the first direction x and a plurality of frame portions 36 provided along the first direction x between the frame portions 35 on both sides, and a connecting portion 38 provided on the frame 37. The center of the connecting portion 38 is attached to and supported by the support shaft 23a at the tip of the robot arm 23. On the lower surface side of each frame portion 36, a plurality of guide rails 39 for movably supporting the moving bodies 31, 32 are disposed along the first direction x.

[0023] Also, the first moving body 31 is divided into a plurality in the second direction y so that the articles 12 can be individually held. In the present embodiment, the first moving body 31 has a divided structure in which two are provided side by side in the second direction y, and can hold two articles 12 arranged side by side. The two first moving bodies 31 have substantially the same structure. Note that the first moving body 31 may have an integral structure instead of a divided structure.

[0024] The first moving body 31 is provided with a first moving part 41 that can move in the first direction x along the guide rail 39. The first moving part 41 is provided in a flat plate shape arranged parallel to the lower surface side of the base 30, and a plurality of guide blocks 42 that slide in the first direction x along the guide rail 39 are attached to the upper surface side. The first moving part 41 is moved in the first direction x by a first palm cylinder 43 which is a moving body drive part attached between the first moving part 41 and the base 30. The first palm cylinder 43 can use a cylinder with a brake (lock) as a moving drive part with a stop mechanism that operates by air pressure and is fixed in a non-moving state against an external force at a predetermined stop position. The cylinder with a brake is, as an example, a device capable of applying a brake to a rod that extends or contracts from the cylinder body at all stroke positions by switching the exhaust and supply of air to the brake as a stop mechanism, specifically, the brake operates when the solenoid valve installed in the air flow path is switched to the exhaust side, and conversely, the brake is released when the solenoid valve is switched to the supply side.

[0025] The first moving body 31 is provided with a first palm 44 provided on the first moving part 41. The first palm 44 includes an outer palm 45 which is a moving member attached to the first moving part 41, and an inner palm 46 attached to the front surface side of the outer palm 45. The front surface sides of the palms 45 and 46 are surfaces facing the first surface 12a of the article 12, and are arranged in a direction intersecting the first direction x. The outer palm 45 is provided in a substantially square flat plate shape, and the upper part is fixed to the lower surface side of the first moving part 41 so as to be arranged substantially perpendicular to the lower surface of the first moving part 41. The inner palm 46 is provided in a flat plate shape having cutouts 47 and 48 vertically in the center of the width direction, and is attached to the outer palm 45 at a position separated from the front surface side of the outer palm 45.

[0026] A plurality of gripping parts 50 for gripping the article 12 are arranged side by side in the second direction y on the first moving body 31. That is, the gripping parts 50 are arranged on each of the two first moving bodies 31.

[0027] The holding part 50 includes a first pressing part 51 and a first pressing driving part 52 for moving the first pressing part 51 in the vertical direction, which is the third direction z, a second pressing part 53 and a second pressing driving part 54 for moving the second pressing part 53 in the vertical direction. Two sets of the first pressing part 51 and the first pressing driving part 52 are used and arranged at both positions in the left - right width direction of the palms 45, 46. One set of the second pressing part 53 and the second pressing driving part 54 is used and arranged at the central position in the left - right width direction of the palms 45, 46. The first pressing part 51 presses the second surface 12b of the article 12 downward, and the second pressing part 53 presses the engaged part 28 of the article 12 upward. The upper frame 27 of the article 12 is pressed and held from above and below by the first pressing part 51 and the second pressing part 53. When there is a lid member, the lid member may be pressed simultaneously with the upper frame 27 or instead of the upper frame 27.

[0028] The first pressing driving part 52 is arranged on the front - side surface of the outer palm 45 that faces the first surface 12a of the article 12, and is fixed in a state of being sandwiched between the outer palm 45 and the inner palm 46. The first pressing driving part 52 uses an air cylinder that operates by air pressure. The cylinder body is fixed between the palms 45, 46, and the first pressing part 51 is attached to the tip of a rod that protrudes upward from the cylinder body. The first pressing part 51 is provided wide in the width direction of the palms 45, 46, is arranged in the upper region of the inner palm 46 and is movable in the vertical direction, and the tip part protrudes forward from the front - side surface of the inner palm 46. The tip part of the first pressing part 51 is provided in a hook - like shape that protrudes downward.

[0029] The second pressing drive unit 54 is fixed to the front side of the outer palm 45. The second pressing drive unit 54 uses an air cylinder that operates by air pressure. The cylinder body is fixed to the front side of the outer palm 45, and the second pressing part 53 is attached to the tip of a rod protruding downward from the cylinder body. The second pressing part 53 is provided wide in the width direction of the palms 45 and 46, is arranged in the upper region of the inner palm 46 and is movable in the vertical direction, and the tip part protrudes forward from the front side of the inner palm 46. The second pressing part 53 is positioned below the first pressing part 51, is arranged with a vertical interval from the first pressing part 51, and can be lowered to a predetermined lowered position by entering the notch 47 of the inner palm 46 during descent.

[0030] The first pressing drive unit 52 and the second pressing drive unit 54 are configured such that the pressing forces are balanced in a state where the article 12 is gripped by the first pressing part 51 and the second pressing part 53, and can accommodate differences in the gripping positions of different types of articles 12. At least the second pressing drive unit 54 uses the above-described cylinder with a brake. Note that the above-described cylinder with a brake may also be used for the first pressing drive unit 52.

[0031] An article detection unit 55 for detecting that the distance between the front side of the first moving body 31, that is, the front side of the inner palm 46 and the first surface 12a of the article 12 has reached a preset distance is disposed on the first moving body 31. The article detection unit 55 is arranged facing the notch 48 on the lower side of the inner palm 46, projects detection light 55a through the notch 48 toward the first surface 12a of the article 12, and receives the reflected light to measure the distance to the article 12, and a sensor or the like is used. The article detection unit 55 detects the article 12 at a position slightly in front of or approaching the position where the front surface of the inner palm 46 contacts the side surface of the article 12.

[0032] Also, a pair of left and right second moving bodies 32 are arranged in front of the front side of the inner palm 46, and are opened and closed in the second direction y so as to approach and separate from each other with respect to the center of the hand device 20 in the second direction y. The second moving bodies 32 are respectively attached to the first moving parts 41 of the first moving bodies 31, and move in the first direction x integrally with the first moving bodies 31. A plurality of guide rails 60 are provided on the lower surface of the first moving part 41 along the second direction y.

[0033] The second moving body 32 includes a second moving part 61 that is movable in the second direction y along a plurality of guide rails 60 provided on the first moving part 41. A plurality of guide blocks 62 that move in the second direction y along the guide rails 60 are attached to the second moving part 61. The second moving part 61 moves in the second direction y by a second palm cylinder 63 that is a second moving body drive part attached between the second moving part 61 and the first moving part 41. The second palm cylinder 63 uses the above-described cylinder with a brake.

[0034] The second moving body 32 includes a second palm 64 provided on the second moving part 61. The second palm 64 is provided in a flat plate shape, the upper side is fixed to the second moving part 61, and it protrudes downward from the second moving part 61. The second palm 64 is arranged such that the surface of the second palm 64 intersects the second direction y and intersects the front side of the palms 45 and 46 of the first moving body 31. And a pair of left and right second palms 64 facing each other sandwich and hold two articles 12 from the left and right directions. Friction members such as friction sheets for holding the article 12 are attached to the opposing surfaces of the second palms 64.

[0035] On a pair of left and right second palms 64, an article detection unit 65 for detecting the upper surface position of the article 12 is attached when the hand device 20 moves downward from above the article 12 to a take-out position for holding the article 12. The article detection unit 65 transmits and receives detection light 65a between the pair of left and right second palms 64, and a photoelectric switch that detects the article 12 when the optical axis of the detection light 65a is blocked by the article 12 is used. The article detection unit 65 is arranged at two positions with different heights in the vertical direction, and may be used to decelerate when the upper sensor is blocked from light and stop when the lower sensor is blocked from light, or at least one of them may be used according to the type of height of the article 12 to be processed.

[0036] Further, the third moving body 33 includes a third moving part 70 that is movable in the first direction x along the guide rail 39 of the base 30. A plurality of guide blocks 71 that slide in the first direction x along the guide rail 39 are attached to the third moving part 70. The third moving part 70 moves in the first direction x by a fork cylinder 72 that is a third moving body drive part attached between the third moving part 70 and the base 30.

[0037] The third moving body 33 includes a plurality of forks 73 that are support parts capable of supporting the article 12, and a lifting cylinder 74 that is a lifting drive part that supports the forks 73 so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the third moving part 70. The fork 73 is formed in a substantially L shape, arranged at a predetermined interval in the second direction y, the base end part is attached to a lifting part 75 that is lifted by the lifting cylinder 74, and the tip side protrudes substantially horizontally toward the lower region of the first moving body 31.

[0038] In the lifting cylinder 74, the cylinder main body is attached to the third moving part 70, and the lifting part 75 is attached to the tip of a rod protruding downward from the cylinder main body. The lifting cylinder 74 uses the above-described cylinder with a brake. The lifting cylinder 74 has a guide structure that guides the lifting part 75 so as to be movable up and down with respect to the third moving part 70.

[0039] On the third moving body 33, an article detection unit 76 for detecting the article 12 is disposed on the upper surface side of the horizontal portion of the fork 73. As the article detection unit 76, an optoelectronic sensor or the like that projects detection light 76a toward the tip direction of the fork 73 and receives the reflected light to detect the article 12 is used. When the article detection unit 76 detects the article 12, the raising of the lifting cylinder 74 is stopped and the brake is actuated to fix the position of the cylinder rod.

[0040] Further, the article transfer device 15 includes a control unit that controls the article transfer device 15. The control unit includes an axis control unit that controls each axis motor that drives each axis of the transfer device 21, and a hand control unit that inputs detection signals from article detection units 55, 65, 76, etc. of the hand device 20 and controls each cylinder 43, 63, 72, 74 and each pressing drive unit 52, 54, etc.

[0041] Next, an article removal method using the hand device 20 of the article transfer device 15 under the control of the control unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

[0042] When a pallet 11 on which the articles 12 are stacked is supplied to the article supply unit 16, the article transfer device 15 starts the operation of removing the articles 12 on the pallet 11. The article transfer device 15 executes a removal operation of simultaneously removing two articles 12 arranged in order from the uppermost stage among the articles 12 stacked on the pallet 11.

[0043] FIG. 7(a) shows step 1 of the article removal method. The article transfer device 15 controls the transfer device 21 to move the hand device 20 based on the information on the type and loading status of the articles 12 for each pallet 11 acquired in advance by a program executed by the control unit.

[0044] The moving device 21 places the base 30 of the hand device 20 on the second surface 12b side of the article 12, and after moving the hand device 20 to the upper region of the take-out position of two aligned articles 12 to be taken out, the hand device 20 is lowered, and the descent of the hand device 20 is stopped at the position where the article detection unit 65 of the hand device 20 detects the upper side of the article 12. The stop position of this hand device 20 becomes the take-out position of the article 12.

[0045] Note that the position of the article 12 may be specified from the imaging information obtained by imaging the actual loading situation of the article 12, and the hand device 20 may be moved to the take-out position of the article 12 to be taken out, or the hand device 20 may be moved to the take-out position of the article 12 to be taken out according to the detection signal from the sensor that detects the actual article 12.

[0046] When the hand device 20 is moved to the take-out position, the first moving body 31 and the second moving body 32 are integrally retracted with respect to the base 30, the first pressing portion 51 of the first moving body 31 is moved upward, the second pressing portion 53 is moved downward, the pair of left and right second palms 64 of the second moving body 32 are moved away from each other, and they are each at the origin position. Further, the fork 73 is at the origin position where it is retracted and moved upward with respect to the base 30.

[0047] At the take-out position of the hand device 20, each first palm 44 of the first moving body 31 is disposed opposite to the first surface 12a of two aligned articles 12 with a distance therebetween, and the second palms 64 of the pair of left and right second moving bodies 32 are disposed opposite to the left and right sides of two aligned articles 12 with a distance therebetween. In each first palm 44, the front side of the inner palm 46 faces the first surface 12a of the article 12, the first pressing portion 51 protruding from the front side of the inner palm 46 is located above the second surface 12b which is the upper surface side of the article 12, and the second pressing portion 53 is located below the engaged portion 28 of the article 12.

[0048] Next, FIG. 7(b) shows Step 2 of the article removal method. By the operation of the first palm cylinder 43, the first moving body 31 moves forward with respect to the base 30. During the forward movement of the first moving body 31, when the article detection unit 55 detects that the distance to the first surface 12a of the article 12 has reached a preset distance, the first palm cylinder 43 is stopped to stop the forward movement of the first moving body 31, and the first moving body 31 is fixed at the stop position by the stop of the first palm cylinder 43 and the operation of the brake. At this time, the second moving body 32 also moves forward integrally with the first moving body 31.

[0049] At the stop position of the first moving body 31, the front side of the inner palm 46 approaches or contacts the first surface 12a of the article 12, the first pressing portion 51 is disposed opposite the upper side of the second surface 12b of the article 12, and the second pressing portion 53 is disposed opposite the lower side of the engaged portion 28 of the article 12.

[0050] Since two first moving bodies 31 are provided corresponding to every two aligned articles 12, even when the positions of the first surfaces 12a of the two aligned articles 12 are different, they move to positions corresponding to the difference in the positions of the first surfaces 12a of the two aligned articles 12, and are arranged at appropriate positions where each article 12 can be gripped by the first pressing portion 51 and the second pressing portion 53 of each first moving body 31.

[0051] Next, FIG. 7(c) shows Step 3 of the article removal method. By the operation of the second palm cylinder 63, the second palms 64 of the pair of left and right second moving bodies 32 move closer to each other, and the two aligned articles 12 are sandwiched and held by the pair of left and right second palms 64. In the state where the two aligned articles 12 are sandwiched and held by the pair of left and right second palms 64, one of the second palm cylinders 63 has moved to the extended end, and air supply continues to the other second palm cylinder 63. Thereby, since the pressing force of the other second palm 64 toward one second palm 64 is maintained, the interval between the pair of left and right second palms 64 is prevented from widening, and the two aligned articles 12 are stably held.

[0052] Next, Fig. 8(a) shows Step 4 of the article removal method. At each gripping portion 50 of the first moving body 31, the first pressing portion 51 is moved downward by the first pressing drive portion 52, and the first pressing portion 51 is brought into contact with the second surface 12b of the article 12 and pressed downward. The first pressing drive portion 52 is an air cylinder that operates by air pressure. When the pressing force for pressing the second surface 12b of the article 12 downward by the first pressing portion 51 reaches a predetermined pressing force set in advance, air is released by a pressure reducing valve, so that the second surface 12b of the article 12 is pressed with the predetermined pressing force.

[0053] Next, Fig. 8(b) shows Step 5 of the article removal method. At each gripping portion 50 of the first moving body 31, the second pressing portion 53 is moved upward by the second pressing drive portion 54, and the second pressing portion 53 is brought into contact with the engaged portion 28 of the article 12 and pressed upward. The second pressing drive portion 54 is an air cylinder that operates by air pressure. When the pressing force for pressing the engaged portion 28 of the article 12 upward by the second pressing portion 53 reaches a predetermined pressing force set in advance, air is released by a pressure reducing valve, so that the engaged portion 28 of the article 12 is pressed with the predetermined pressing force.

[0054] Then, the upper frame 27 of the article 12 is pressed and gripped from above and below by the first pressing portion 51 and the second pressing portion 53, respectively. Since the first pressing portion 51 and the second pressing portion 53 are configured to press the upper frame 27 of the article 12 from above and below, respectively, and the pressing forces are balanced in the gripped state, depending on the type of the article 12, the height position of the second surface 12b and the height position of the engaged portion 28 may be different, or even if the width between the second surface 12b and the engaged portion 28 is different, it is possible to cope with the gripping of these various types of articles 12, and even when the types of two juxtaposed articles 12 are different, they can be gripped respectively. For example, as shown in the example of FIG. 10, when the heights of the second surfaces 12b of two juxtaposed articles 12 are different, at each of the gripping portions 50, the first pressing portion 51 and the second pressing portion 53 grip the respective articles 12 from above and below with a predetermined pressing force at different height positions, and the pressing forces are balanced in the gripped state. In the case of the example of FIG. 10, based on the information on the type of the article 12 and the loading situation acquired in advance, the upper article detection portion 65 among the upper and lower two article detection portions 65 is used to detect the height position of the second surface 12b of the article 12.

[0055] When the article 12 is gripped by the first pressing portion 51 and the second pressing portion 53, the operations of the first pressing drive portion 52 and the second pressing drive portion 54 stop. At least the second pressing drive portion 54 uses a cylinder with a brake, and when the balance of the pressing states of the first pressing portion 51 and the second pressing portion 53 in the state of gripping the article 12 is disrupted, the brake is actuated to fix the second pressing portion 53 at the stop position. The first pressing drive portion 52 may use a cylinder with a brake, but even when a cylinder with a brake is not used, the gripping of the article 12 by the first pressing portion 51 and the second pressing portion 53 can be maintained by maintaining the pressing force of the first pressing portion 51.

[0056] Also, the timing at which the gripping of the article 12 is completed by the operations of the first pressing drive unit 52 and the second pressing drive unit 54 is within a predetermined time set in advance from the start of the descent of the first pressing unit 51. This predetermined time is the time during which the first pressing unit 51 and the second pressing unit 53 can grip different types of articles 12 at the gripped position from the start of movement. When gripping a plurality of articles 12, when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of movement, the plurality of articles 12 are simultaneously in a gripped state.

[0057] Subsequently, FIG. 8(c) shows step 6 of the article removal method. The moving device 21 moves the hand device 20 upward to simultaneously lift two aligned articles 12. At the same time, the lifting cylinder 74 lowers the fork 73.

[0058] When the hand device 20 is moved upward, a part of the mass of the article 12 is applied to the gripping portion 50 of the first palm 44, and the article 12 is lifted in a cantilever state. Therefore, due to the action of the pendulum, a force in the backward direction may be applied to the first palm 44. At this time, since the first palm 44 is fixed by the first palm cylinder 43, the first palm 44 does not move relative to the base 30, and it is possible to prevent the article 12 from being displaced or the article 12 from falling off the gripping portion 50 of the first palm 44.

[0059] Also, a part of the mass of the article 12 is applied to the second pressing portion 53 that supports the engaged portion 28 of the article 12 from below. However, since the second pressing portion 53 can be fixed by the second pressing drive unit 54, the second pressing portion 53 does not descend relative to the first palm 44, and it is possible to prevent the article 12 from being displaced or the article 12 from falling off the gripping portion 50 of the first palm 44.

[0060] Subsequently, FIG. 9(a) shows step 7 of the article removal method. The fork cylinder 72 moves the fork 73 forward to place the fork 73 below the article 12 lifted by the hand device 20.

[0061] Next, Fig. 9(b) shows Step 8 of the article removal method. The lifting cylinder 74 moves the fork 73 upward. When the article detection unit 76 provided on the fork 73 detects the article 12, the lifting cylinder 74 is stopped to stop the upward movement of the fork 73, and the lifting cylinder 74 fixes the fork 73 at the stop position.

[0062] In this way, the hand device 20 can hold two articles 12 side by side at the same time, even if the articles 12 are of different types such as dimensions and shapes.

[0063] Then, the hand device 20 holding the article 12 is moved to the article transfer unit 17 by the moving device 21, and the article 12 is transferred from the hand device 20 to the station conveyor. The transfer of the article 12 is performed by moving the fork 73 backward after lowering it on the station conveyor, moving the first pressing part 51 upward and moving the second pressing part 53 downward to release the gripping of the article 12, moving the pair of left and right second palms 64 away from each other to release the clamping of the two articles 12 side by side, and moving the first moving body 31 backward to separate the hand device 20 from the article 12 and transfer the article 12 onto the station conveyor.

[0064] As described above, according to the hand device 20 of the present embodiment, articles 12 of different types such as dimensions and shapes can be held.

[0065] That is, in a state where the first moving body 31 is close to or in contact with the first surface 12a of the article 12, the first pressing part 51 presses the second surface 12b of the article 12 and the second pressing part 53 presses the engaged part 28 of the article 12, and the first pressing part 51 and the second pressing part 53 grip the article 12, so that articles 12 of different types such as dimensions and shapes can be held.

[0066] Moreover, a plurality of articles 12 can be gripped at the same time, and articles 12 of different types such as dimensions and shapes can be held at the same time.

[0067] Furthermore, the first palm cylinder 43 that moves the first moving body 31 can be fixed in a non-moving state against an external force when the first moving body 31 is in a state of being close to or in contact with the first surface 12a of the article 12. Therefore, when the article 12 is lifted by the hand device 20, it is possible to prevent the first moving body 31 from moving relative to the base 30 and the position of the article 12 from shifting or dropping off.

[0068] Also, since the first pressing drive unit 52 and the second pressing drive unit 54 are arranged on the front surface side of the outer palm 45 of the first moving body 31, the first pressing unit 51 and the second pressing unit 53 can be arranged in front of the outer palm 45. There is no need to provide grooves, holes, or the like in the outer palm 45 for the first pressing unit 51 and the second pressing unit 53 to protrude forward, improving the manufacturability of the outer palm 45 and ensuring the strength of the outer palm 45.

[0069] In addition, the first pressing unit 51 and the second pressing unit 53 press the article 12 from above and below, respectively, and are configured such that the pressing forces are balanced in the gripped state. Therefore, regardless of the type of the article 12, even if the height position of the second surface 12b or the height position of the engaged portion 28 varies, or even if the width between the second surface 12b and the engaged portion 28 varies, it is possible to handle these various types of articles 12, and it is also possible to simultaneously grip multiple articles 12 even if they are of different types.

[0070] In addition, with the base 30 arranged based on the position of the second surface 12b of the relatively protruding article 12 detected by the article detection unit 65, at each of the plurality of gripping portions 50, the first pressing unit 51 and the second pressing unit 53 are positioned sandwiching the second surface 12b and the engaged portion 28 of each article 12, and the first pressing unit 51 and the second pressing unit 53 that have moved for a predetermined time from the start of movement are in a state of simultaneously gripping the plurality of articles 12. Therefore, it is possible to handle various types of articles 12, and it is also possible to simultaneously grip multiple articles 12 even if they are of different types.

[0071] Even in the case of the article 12 where the first surface 12a includes the engaged portion 28 on the upper surface side and the side surface is the second surface 12b, it is possible to hold the article 12 by changing the orientation of the hand device 20 by 90°.

[0072] Further, the cylinder with a brake used for each cylinder may be any device that can stop and fix the rod, and an appropriate configuration can be selected as appropriate.

[0073] Also, the hand device 20 is not limited to holding two aligned articles 12, and may hold three or more aligned articles 12. In this case, the hand device 20 may be provided with three or more gripping portions 50.

[0074] Also, the hand device 20 may include one gripping portion 50 and hold one article 12. Even in this case, it can cope with holding various types of articles 12.

[0075] Also, the hand device 20 can also be used for palletizing, which takes out a plurality of aligned articles 12 on a station conveyor or the like and transfers them to a pallet 11 which is the transfer destination. Therefore, the hand device 20 can be used for various operations for the purpose of taking out the article 12 regardless of the purpose of transfer operations including palletizing and depalletizing.

[0076] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention and their modifications have been described, but various combinations of configurations, partial omissions, replacements, and changes are also possible.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0077] 12 Article 12a First Surface 12b Second Surface 15 Article Transfer Device 20 Hand Device 21 Moving Device 28 Engaged Portion 30 Base 31 First Movable Body which is a Movable Body 41 First moving part 50 Holding part 51 First pressing part 52 First pressing driving part 53 Second pressing part 54 Second pressing driving part 64 The second palm which is the palm x First direction y Second direction z Third direction

Claims

1. A hand device for holding a plurality of articles having a first surface that is a surface including an engaged portion and a second surface that intersects the first surface, comprising: a moving body provided on a base and moving in a first direction; a plurality of gripping portions provided on the moving body and arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction; each of the gripping portions includes a first pressing portion that moves in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, a second pressing portion that is arranged at an interval from the first pressing portion and moves in the third direction, a first pressing driving portion that moves the first pressing portion, and a second pressing driving portion that moves the second pressing portion; with the base disposed on the second surface side of the article, the moving body that has moved in the first direction approaches or contacts the first surface of the plurality of articles, and in each of the plurality of gripping portions, the first pressing portion that has moved in the third direction by the first pressing driving portion presses the second surface of the article and the second pressing portion that has moved in the third direction by the second pressing driving portion presses the engaged portion of the article, and the article is gripped by the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion A hand device characterized by the above.

2. The first pressing driving portion and the second pressing driving portion move the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion so that the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion press the article with a predetermined pressing force respectively, The first pressing driving portion and the second pressing driving portion are such that the pressing forces are balanced in a state where the article is gripped by the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion The hand device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The first pressing driving portion and the second pressing driving portion are such that when the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion moved by the first pressing driving portion and the second pressing driving portion respectively reach a preset predetermined pressing force, the article is pressed with the predetermined pressing force The hand device according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. With the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion positioned sandwiching the second surface and the engaged portion of the article, the article is gripped by the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion that have moved for a predetermined time from the start of movement by the first pressing driving portion and the second pressing driving portion The hand device according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. Comprising a pair of palms that sandwich and hold a plurality of the articles from the second direction The moving body has a plurality of first moving parts arranged side by side in the second direction and each having the gripping part, and moving in the first direction. When the second direction is the left - right direction, the palm is installed on the first moving part located on the left side and is positioned at the left end, and is installed on the first moving part located on the right side and is positioned at the right end. The hand device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that.

6. A hand device for holding an article having a first surface which is a surface including an engaged portion and a second surface which intersects the first surface, comprising: A moving body provided on the base and moving in the first direction; A gripping part provided on the moving body; The gripping part has a first pressing part moving in an intersecting direction intersecting the first direction, a second pressing part arranged with a space between the first pressing part and moving in the intersecting direction, a first pressing drive part for moving the first pressing part, and a second pressing drive part for moving the second pressing part. With the base disposed on the second - surface side of the article, the moving body moving in the first direction approaches or contacts the first surface of the article. In the gripping part, the first pressing part moved in the intersecting direction by the first pressing drive part and the second pressing drive part presses the second surface of the article, and the second pressing part presses the engaged portion of the article, and the article is gripped by the first pressing part and the second pressing part. A hand device, characterized in that.

7. A hand device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, And a moving device for moving the hand device. An article transfer device, characterized by comprising.

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