Handling device and control method

Abstract

To provide a loading / unloading apparatus capable of loading / unloading an article with efficiency.SOLUTION: A loading / unloading apparatus in an embodiment comprises a first hold unit, a second hold unit, a moving mechanism and a control unit. The first hold unit holds an upper surface of an article. The second hold unit moves in a first direction intersecting with a holding surface the first hold unit holds the article and holds a side surface of the article. The moving mechanism moves the first hold unit and the second hold unit together. The control unit controls to execute any one of a first action to hold the article using the first and second hold units and a second action to hold the article using the first hold unit, based on a loading state of the article.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a handling device and a control method.

Background Art

[0002] As a handling device that takes out articles one by one from a placement part such as a table on which a plurality of articles are placed, a configuration is known in which the article is held and taken out by adsorbing any one of the side surfaces and the upper surface of the article.

[0003] However, depending on the method of placing the articles, it may be difficult to hold the side surfaces of the articles.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a handling device capable of efficiently handling articles.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the handling device according to the embodiment includes a first holding part, a second holding part, a moving mechanism, and a control part. The first holding part holds the upper surface of the article. The second holding part moves in a first direction intersecting the holding surface on which the first holding part holds the article, and holds the side surface of the article. The moving mechanism moves both the first holding part and the second holding part. The control part controls to execute either a first operation of holding the article using the first holding part and the second holding part or a second operation of holding the article using the first holding part based on the loading state of the article.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are schematic or conceptual, and the relationship between the thickness and width of each part, the ratio of the sizes between parts, etc. are not necessarily the same as those in reality. Also, even when representing the same part, the dimensions and ratios may be represented differently in the drawings. In addition, in the present specification and each figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those already described, and detailed descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a handling device A according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the handling device A according to the embodiment includes a housing main body 1, a holding mechanism 2, a moving mechanism 3, a conveying unit 4, a first detection unit 5, a second detection unit 6, and a third detection unit 7. The holding mechanism 2 includes a first holding unit 8 and a second holding unit 9. The moving mechanism 3 includes a driving unit 11a and a driving unit 11b.

[0010] Here, for the sake of explanation, the X direction (front-rear direction), the Y direction (left-right direction), and the Z direction (up-down direction) are used. The Z direction is a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the handling device A is placed. The X direction is perpendicular to the Z direction and is a direction substantially perpendicular to the holding surface where the second holding unit 9 holds the side surface of the article B. The Y direction is a direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction. The X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction are mutually orthogonal.

[0011] The first holding unit 8 holds the upper surface of the article B (the surface facing the surface on which the article B is placed). The second holding unit 9 holds the side surface of the article B (the surface that intersects the upper surface and is closest to the holding mechanism 2 along the X direction from the article B). By holding the article B with both the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9, the article B can be held more stably. Or, by holding the article B only with the first holding unit 8, even when there is another article B in front of the article B (the direction in which the holding mechanism 2 moves away from the article B along the X direction), the article B to be conveyed can be held and unloaded without the second holding unit 9 interfering with the other article B.

[0012] The moving mechanism 3 moves both the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9. For example, the moving mechanism 3 moves the holding mechanism 2 by the driving unit 11a and the driving unit 11b, so that the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9 can be moved in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. Note that the moving mechanism 3 may be a part of the arm of a vertically articulated robot or a horizontally articulated robot.

[0013] The conveying unit 4 is held by the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9, moved by the moving mechanism 3, and moves the placed article B in a direction away from the side surface of the article B held by the second holding unit 9 (along the X direction, the direction in which the article B approaches the conveyor 12). For example, the conveying unit 4 includes a belt 13 on which the article B can be placed and a motor 14 that drives the belt 13. The belt 13 is an endless belt. The motor 14 is disposed at one end of the flat annular belt 13. The motor 14 drives the belt 13 by pulling the upper surface 13a of the belt 13 toward the motor 14 side. The conveying unit 4 configured in this way is installed in the housing main body 1 in a posture where the motor 14 is located on the side of the conveyor 12 and the moving direction of the upper surface 13a of the belt 13 is parallel to the front-rear direction. Further, the conveying unit 4 can be moved up and down inside the housing main body 1 by the driving unit 11c.

[0014] The first detection unit 5 detects that the lower end of the article B held by the holding mechanism 2 has been lifted from the position of the upper end of the article B that is next higher in position than the article B held by the holding mechanism 2 to a position a predetermined distance higher. For example, the first detection unit 5 is a sensor capable of measuring the distance to an object such as the article B. The first detection unit 5 is, for example, a laser range finder (LRF) that measures the distance in the X direction (second direction) to the article B by irradiating a laser in the X direction (second direction) and scanning the laser in a horizontal plane, and receiving the reflected light of the laser by a light receiving unit. Note that a plurality of the first detection units 5 may be provided, and the article B may be irradiated with lasers from different angles.

[0015] The first detection unit 5 is movable along a guide rail (not shown) that guides movement in the Y direction. For example, when the handling device A holds the article B, the first detection unit 5 moves up and down from the upper end of the next higher article B to a position a predetermined distance higher to a predetermined position above the article B held by the holding mechanism 2. When the handling device A lifts the article B it holds, the first detection unit 5 irradiates the article B held by the handling device A with a laser. When an article B exists at the same height as the first detection unit 5, the control device 10 determines that the lower end of the held article B has not yet exceeded the upper end of the next higher article B by receiving the reflected light reflected by the article B. Also, since the laser is not reflected by the article B when the lower end of the held article B is lifted to a position above a position a predetermined distance higher than the upper end of the next higher article B (in the direction in which the first holding unit 8 moves away from the article B along the Z direction (first direction)), the reflected light is no longer received, and the control device 10 determines that the lower end of the held article B has been lifted to a position a predetermined distance higher than the upper end of the next higher article B.

[0016] The second detection unit 6 acquires the distance and position to the upper surface of the article B. The second detection unit 6 is fixed to the fixing unit 15. For example, the second detection unit 6 is a 3D camera capable of acquiring depth information. The second detection unit 6 images the upper surfaces of the plurality of articles B placed on the placement unit 16 (pallet, transport assist tool). The second detection unit 6 transmits the captured image to the control device 10. Alternatively, the second detection unit 6 may be composed of a distance sensor and a color camera, or a stereo camera, etc.

[0017] The third detection unit 7 acquires the distance to the bottom surface facing the upper surface of the article B that the handling device A moves. For example, the third detection unit 7 is a laser range finder installed between the handling device A and the placement unit 16. That is, the third detection unit 7 can detect the height to the bottom surface of the article B passing above. As a detection result, the third detection unit 7 transmits the distance from the third detection unit 7 to the bottom surface of the article B that the handling device A moves to the control device 10.

[0018] The handling device A moves the holding mechanism 2 to the mounting portion 16 by the moving mechanism 3, adsorbs and holds the article B by the holding mechanism 2, moves the holding mechanism 2 to the conveying portion 4 by the moving mechanism 3, releases the adsorption, and places the article B on the conveying portion 4. The article B is moved to the conveyor 12 by the conveying portion 4. The conveyor 12 is an example of a conveyance destination where the article B is moved by the handling device A.

[0019] The control device 10 controls the holding mechanism 2, the moving mechanism 3, and the conveying portion 4 based on the detection result acquired from the first detection portion 5, the image acquired from the second detection portion 6, and the distance acquired from the third detection portion 7. Details of the control device 10 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing an example of the holding mechanism 2 of the handling device A according to the embodiment. In the present embodiment, the first holding portion 8 and the second holding portion 9 included in the holding mechanism 2 hold the article B by vacuum adsorption.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the first holding portion 8 holds the upper surface of the article B. For example, the first holding portion 8 includes a housing 100a and an adsorption unit 101a attached to the housing 100a. The housing 100a includes pipes, valves, etc. necessary for vacuum adsorption. The adsorption unit 101a includes a rod 102a and an adsorption pad 103a. The rod 102a extends in the Z direction (the first direction). The adsorption pad 103a is provided at the tip of the rod 102a. The adsorption surface at the tip of the adsorption pad 103a faces downward (along the Z direction (the first direction), in the direction in which the second holding portion 9 approaches the article B).

[0022] The second holding part 9 holds the side surface of the article B. For example, the second holding part 9 includes a housing 100b, a suction unit 101b attached to the housing 100b, a drive part 104z, and a drive part 104x. The housing 100b includes pipes, valves, etc. necessary for vacuum suction. The suction unit 101b includes a rod 102b and a suction pad 103b. When the second holding part 9 holds the article B, the rod 102b extends in the X direction (the second direction). The suction pad 103b is provided at the tip of the rod 102b. When the second holding part 9 holds the article B, the suction surface at the tip of the suction pad 103b faces forward (the direction in which the second holding part 9 approaches the article B along the X direction (the second direction)).

[0023] Each of the suction units 101a and 101b is connected to an exhaust system (not shown) such as pipes and valves provided inside the housings 100a and 100b, and an exhaust device provided outside the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9. The suction unit 101a can be exhausted independently of the suction unit 101b.

[0024] A plurality of each of the suction units 101a and 101b may be provided. For example, the first holding part 8 may be a plurality of suction units arranged in at least one of the Z direction and the Y direction, or the second holding part 9 may be a plurality of suction units arranged in at least one of the X direction and the Y direction.

[0025] The drive part 104z moves the second holding part 9 in the Z direction (the first direction) with respect to the first holding part 8. The drive part 104x moves the second holding part 9 in the X direction (the second direction) intersecting the Z direction with respect to the first holding part 8. That is, the second holding part 9 moves in the first direction intersecting the holding surface where the first holding part 8 holds the article B, and the second direction intersecting the first direction.

[0026] The second holding part 9 is connected to the first holding part 8. For example, the second holding part 9 is connected to the connecting part 106a via the driving part 104x. The connecting part 106a is connected to the support frame 105 via the driving part 104z. The first holding part 8 is fixed to the support frame 105 via the rotation axis 108. The support frame 105 is fixed to the moving mechanism 3.

[0027] The tilting mechanism 107 adjusts the tilt of the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 with respect to the X direction. The tilting mechanism 107 includes a rod 102c, a connecting part 106c, and a driving part 104c. The driving part 104c is attached to the support frame 105. One end of the rod 102c is connected to the driving part 104c such that the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 can rotate about the rotation axis 108. The other end of the rod 102c is connected to the first holding part 8 via the connecting part 106c.

[0028] The driving part 104c lifts the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 via the rod 102c in the direction in which the first holding part 8 lifts the article B along the Z direction. The driving part 104c lifts the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 via the rod 102c such that the surface of the first holding part 8 that holds the article B is parallel to the X direction. Thereby, since the surface of the first holding part 8 that holds the article B and the upper surface of the article B to be held are substantially parallel, the upper surface of the article B can be stably held.

[0029] The tilting mechanism 107 tilts the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 by weakening the force that lifts the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9. For example, the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 are rotatable with respect to the support frame 105 about the rotation axis 108. Therefore, by weakening the force with which the drive part 104c lifts the first holding part 8 via the rod 102c, the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 rotate together due to the self-weight of the first holding part 8, and the inclination of the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 with respect to the X direction changes. In other words, due to the operation of the drive part 104c, the inclination of the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 with respect to the support frame 105 and the transfer mechanism 3 changes. Note that the tilting mechanism 107 may operate so that the suction unit of the first holding part 8 is pressed against the upper surface of the article B by the rod 102c, and rotate the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing an example of the operation of the holding mechanism 2 of the material handling device A according to the embodiment. FIG. 3(a) shows a state when the second holding part 9 is in the first position. The first position is a position where the second holding part 9 can hold the side surface of the article B. For example, the first position is a position where the second holding part is moved forward by the drive part 104x, and is a position where the second holding part 9 is moved below at least a part of the first holding part 8 by the drive part 104z. For example, at least a part of the suction unit 101b is located below the lower end of the rod 102a of the first holding part 8.

[0031] The material handling device A performs a first operation of holding the article B using the first holding part and the second holding part at the first position. That is, in the first operation, the article B is held using the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 in a state where the second holding part 9 is disposed below the holding surface where the first holding part 8 holds the article B along the Z direction (the first direction). The details of the flow of the first operation will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

[0032] Figure 3(b) shows the state when the second holding part 9 is in the second position. The second position is a position where the second holding part 9 does not interfere when the first holding part 8 holds the article B. For example, the second position is a position where the second holding part is moved rearward (in the direction in which the second holding part moves away from the article B along the X direction (the second direction)) by the drive part 104x, and is also a position where the second holding part is moved above the holding surface where the first holding part 8 holds the article B by the drive part 104z. For example, at least a part of the suction unit 101b is located above the lower end of the rod 102a of the first holding part 8 and the suction pad 103a.

[0033] The handling device A performs a second operation of holding the article B using the first holding part at the second position. That is, in the second operation, with the second holding part 9 disposed above the holding surface where the first holding part 8 holds the article B along the Z direction (the first direction), the article B is held using the first holding part. The details of the flow of the second operation will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0034] Note that the first position may also be described as a position where the second holding part 9 is moved downward from the second position by the drive part 104z and then moved forward by the drive part 104x, or the second position may also be described as a position where the second holding part 9 is moved rearward from the first position by the drive part 104x and then moved upward by the drive part 104z.

[0035] Figure 3(c) shows the state when the second holding part 9 is in the first position and the holding mechanism 2 is tilted. When the handling device A holds and places the article B, the drive part 104c weakens the force for lifting the first holding part 8 to tilt the holding mechanism 2. For example, after the holding mechanism 2 holds the article B, the control device 10 controls the holding mechanism 2 and the moving mechanism 3 so that the holding mechanism 2 is tilted and the article B is dragged and placed on the conveying part 4. Thereby, it is possible to prevent damage such as the lid opening due to the weight of the article B.

[0036] Using FIG. 4, the flow of the operation when the handling device A conveys in the first operation will be described. FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing an example of the first operation of the handling device A according to the embodiment.

[0037] When the handling device A conveys the article B in the first operation, the handling device A sequentially holds the article B located closest to the second holding part 9 among the articles B whose upper surfaces are at the highest positions, lifts it, and conveys it to the conveying part 4 while dragging it. That is, in the first operation, among the plurality of articles B, the article B whose upper surface is at the highest position and is closest to the second holding part 9 is held. As shown in FIG. 4(a), when the second holding part 9 is not located at the first position, the control device 10 controls the drive part 104x and the drive part 104z so as to arrange the second holding part 9 at the first position. The control device 10 controls the conveying part 4 so that the upper surface of the conveying part 4 is positioned at the same height as the bottom surface of the article B to be conveyed, based on the distance from the third detection part 7 obtained through the third detection part 7 to the bottom surface of the article B to be conveyed.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4(b), after the control device 10 moves the first holding part 8 directly above the article B, the control device 10 controls the moving mechanism 3 so as to press the first holding part 8 against the upper surface of the article B. Then, the rod 102a is displaced, and the suction pad 103a is deformed according to the shape of the upper surface. The control device 10 controls the pressure inside the suction unit 101a connected to the exhaust system by opening and closing the electromagnetic valve. The first holding part 8 holds the upper surface of the article B when the pressure inside the suction unit 101a becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4(c), the control device 10 controls the drive part 104x so as to press the second holding part 9 against the side surface of the article B. Then, the rod 102b is displaced, and the suction pad 103b is deformed according to the shape of the side surface. The control device 10 controls the pressure inside the suction unit 101b connected to the exhaust system by opening and closing the electromagnetic valve. The second holding part 9 holds the side surface of the article B when the pressure inside the suction unit 101b becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4(d), the control device 10 controls the moving mechanism 3 to lift the article B. When the article B is conveyed from above the placement unit 16 to above the conveying unit 4, the control device 10 controls the tilting mechanism 107 to change the tilts of the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4(e), the control device 10 controls the moving mechanism 3 to convey the article B from above the placement unit 16 to above the conveying unit 4.

[0041] Next, as shown in FIG. 4(f), the control device 10 releases the holding by the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9, separates the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9 from the article B, and controls to place the article B on the conveying unit 4. That is, the control device 10 controls to increase the pressures of the suction units 101a and 101b and weaken the suction force by the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4(g), after releasing the holding of the article B, the control device 10 controls the drive unit 104z to move the second holding unit 9 upward. That is, when holding the article B in the first operation, after placing the article B on the conveying unit 4, the control device 10 controls the drive unit 104z to arrange the second holding unit 9 to be upward along the Z direction (first direction) such that the lower end of the second holding unit is above the lower end of the first holding unit. Thereby, when the conveying unit 4 conveys the article B to the conveyor 12, it is possible to avoid the holding mechanism 2 from obstructing the conveyance of the article B.

[0043] After arranging the second holding unit 9 to be upward along the Z direction (first direction) from the holding surface, the control device 10 controls the conveying unit 4 to convey the article B onto the conveyor 12. The conveyor 12 conveys the article B to another place.

[0044] With reference to FIG. 5, the operation flow when the material handling device A performs the second operation will be described. FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing an example of the second operation of the material handling device A according to the embodiment.

[0045] When the handling device A conveys the article B in the second operation, the handling device A sequentially holds, lifts, and conveys the article B starting from the article B located at the position where the upper surface of the article B is the highest. That is, in the second operation, among the plurality of articles B, the article B is held starting from the article B located at the position where the upper surface of the article B is the highest. As shown in FIG. 5(a), when the second holding part 9 is not located at the second position, the control device 10 controls the drive part 104x and the drive part 104z so as to arrange the second holding part 9 at the second position. At this time, the control device 10 may control the transfer part 4 so that the upper surface of the transfer part 4 is arranged at the same height as the bottom surface of the article B to be conveyed based on the distance to the bottom surface of the article obtained through the third detection part 7.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 5(b), the control device 10 controls the moving mechanism 3 so that the first holding part 8 is moved directly above the article B to be conveyed and then the first holding part 8 is pressed against the upper surface of the article B. The control device 10 controls the pressure inside the suction unit 101a connected to the exhaust system by opening and closing the electromagnetic valve. The first holding part 8 holds the upper surface of the article B when the pressure inside the suction unit 101a becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5(c), the control device 10 controls the moving mechanism 3 to lift the article B. The control device 10 controls the moving mechanism 3 to lift the article B until it is determined, based on the result detected by the first detection part 5, that the lower end of the held article B has been lifted to a position a predetermined distance higher than the upper end of the next higher article B among the held articles B. At this time, the second holding part 9 remains located at the second position and does not hold the article B.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 5(d), the control device 10 controls the moving mechanism 3 to convey the article B from above the placement part 16 to above the transfer part 4. Next, as shown in FIG. 5(e), the control device 10 controls the moving mechanism 3 to release the holding by the first holding part 8 and separate the holding mechanism 2 from the article B.

[0049] After separating the holding mechanism 2 from the article B, the control device 10 controls the conveying unit 4 to convey the article B onto the conveyor 12. The conveyor 12 conveys the article B to another location.

[0050] Next, the configuration of the control device 10 provided in the handling device A according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the control device 10 provided in the handling device A according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the handling device A includes a processor 701 (control unit), a ROM 702 (read-only memory), a RAM 703 (random-access memory), an NVM 704 (Non-volatile memory) (storage unit), a communication interface 705 (communication unit), and a detection interface 706.

[0051] The processor 701 corresponds to the central part of a computer that performs processes such as operations and controls necessary for the processing of the handling device A, and integrally controls the entire handling device A. The processor 701 executes control to realize various functions of the handling device A based on programs such as system software, application software, or firmware stored in the ROM 702 or the NVM 704. The processor 701 is, for example, a CPU (central processing unit), an MPU (micro processing unit), or a DSP (digital signal processor). Alternatively, the processor 701 is a combination of a plurality of these.

[0052] The ROM 702 corresponds to the main storage device of a computer centered on the processor 701. The ROM 702 is a non-volatile memory exclusively used for reading data. The ROM 702 stores the above programs. In addition, the ROM 702 stores data or various setting values used when the processor 701 performs various processes.

[0053] The RAM 703 corresponds to the main memory device of a computer centered around the processor 701. The RAM 703 is a memory used for reading and writing data. The RAM 703 is utilized as a so-called work area that stores data temporarily used when the processor 701 performs various processes.

[0054] The NVM 704 corresponds to the auxiliary storage device of a computer centered around the processor 701. The NVM 704 is, for example, an EEPROM (electric erasable programmable read-only memory) (registered trademark), an HDD (hard disk drive), or an SSD (solid state drive). The NVM 704 may store the above program. Also, the NVM 704 stores data used when the processor 701 performs various processes, data generated by the processing in the processor 701, or various setting values.

[0055] The program stored in the ROM 702 or the NVM 704 includes a program for controlling the handling device A. As an example, the handling device A is transferred to the administrator of the handling device A or the like in a state where the program is stored in the ROM 702 or the NVM 704. However, the handling device A may be transferred to the administrator or the like in a state where the program is not stored in the ROM 702 or the NVM 704. And a program for controlling the handling device A may be separately transferred to the administrator or the like and written into the NVM 704 under the operation of the administrator or a serviceman or the like. The transfer of the program at this time can be realized, for example, by recording it on a removable storage medium such as a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, or by downloading via a network or the like.

[0056] The communication interface 705 is an interface for communicating with other devices via a network or the like, either wired or wirelessly, receiving various information transmitted from other devices, and transmitting various information to other devices. For example, the processor 701 acquires the loading state of article B via the communication interface.

[0057] The detection interface 706 is an interface for acquiring various information detected by the first detection unit 5, the second detection unit 6, and the third detection unit 7. For example, the processor 701 acquires, via the detection interface 706, the distance along the X direction (second direction) from the first detection unit 5 to article B existing at the same height position in the Z direction (first direction). Also, the processor 701 acquires, via the detection interface 706, an image indicating the distance and position from the second detection unit 6 to the upper surface of article B. Further, the processor 701 acquires, via the detection interface 706, the distance from the third detection unit 7 to the bottom surface of article B that the handling device A moves to. Note that the detection interface 706 may include different interfaces for the first detection unit 5, the second detection unit 6, and the third detection unit 7 respectively, or one interface may acquire various information from the first detection unit 5, the second detection unit 6, and the third detection unit 7.

[0058] The processor 701 acquires the loading state of article B. For example, the processor 701 communicates with an external device via the communication interface 705 to acquire the loading state of article B. The loading state includes the loading posture in which a plurality of articles B are loaded on the placement unit 16, and the loading posture includes information on whether the articles B are regularly arranged. The information on whether the articles B are regularly arranged indicates whether the heights of the articles B are substantially the same for each stage in which a plurality of articles B are loaded. For example, the loading state is divided into a first arrangement and a second arrangement.

[0059] In the first arrangement, articles B of substantially the same size are arranged in the X and Y directions to form steps, and a plurality of steps with substantially the same height of the articles B are stacked in the Z direction. In the second arrangement, articles B of different sizes are irregularly stacked. In the present embodiment, the articles B stacked in the first arrangement will be described as regularly stacked articles B, and the articles B stacked in the second arrangement will be described as irregularly stacked articles B. Note that the data indicating the stacking state of the articles B on the placement unit 16 may be input by the user, may be acquired by a sensor or device provided in the handling device A, or may be acquired from an external device.

[0060] The processor 701 acquires the distance and position from the second detection unit 6 to the upper surface of the article B via the detection interface 706. For example, the processor 701 acquires, via the detection interface 706, an image of the upper surface of the article B captured by the second detection unit 6. The processor 701 acquires the distance and position, which are the relative coordinates in the X, Y, and Z directions with respect to the position of the second detection unit 6, of the upper surface of the article B based on the acquired image. The processor 701 detects the combination of the position and height of each article B based on the distances and positions of the article B in the X, Y, and Z directions acquired from the second detection unit 6.

[0061] The processor 701 controls to execute either the first operation of holding the article B using the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9 or the second operation of holding the article B using the first holding unit 8 based on the stacking state of the article B and the detection result detected by the second detection unit 6. For example, the processor 701 determines the stacking state of the article B based on the information on whether the article B acquired via the communication interface 705 is regularly described. Further, the processor 701 detects the combination of the position and height of each article B based on the image acquired from the second detection unit 6. The processor 701 determines which of the first operation and the second operation to execute based on the determined stacking state of the article B and the combination of the position and height of each article B, and controls to execute the first operation or the second operation based on the determined result.

[0062] When the article B is regularly loaded, the processor 701 controls the holding mechanism 2 to hold the article B in the first operation. That is, in the first operation, when the article B is irregularly loaded, it controls to execute either the first operation or the second operation based on the distance and position to the article B acquired from the second detection unit 6. When the article B is not regularly loaded and the upper surface of the article B closest to the second holding part 9 is located at the highest position, the processor 701 controls the holding mechanism 2 to hold the article B in the first operation. Further, when the article B is not regularly loaded, the upper surface of the article B is located at the highest position, and the article B is not located closest to the second holding part, the processor 701 controls the holding mechanism 2 to hold the article B in the second operation. Thereby, the processor 701 can efficiently handle the article B with an operation suitable for the loading state of the article B based on the information on whether the article B is regularly loaded. Also, even when the article B is irregularly loaded, the article B can be efficiently handled with an operation suitable for the position and height of the article B to be held based on the distance and position to the article B. Note that the processor 701 may control the holding mechanism 2 to hold the article B in the first operation when the article B is regularly loaded, and control the holding mechanism 2 to hold the article B in the second operation when the article B is not regularly loaded.

[0063] When the processor 701 holds the article B in the first operation, it controls to hold the article B using the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 in a state where the second holding part 9 is arranged below the holding surface where the first holding part 8 holds the article B along the Z direction (the first direction). For example, the processor 701 controls to hold the article B using the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9 in a state where the second holding part is moved to the first position. Thereby, when the second holding part 9 adsorbs the side surface of the article B, the processor 701 can efficiently handle the article B by arranging the second holding part 9 at a position where the side surface of the article B can be adsorbed.

[0064] When the processor 701 holds the article B in the first operation, among the plurality of articles B, it controls to hold from the article B whose upper surface is at the highest position and is closest to the second holding part 9. For example, the processor 701 determines, based on the distance and position from the second detection part 6 to the article B acquired via the detection interface 706, the article B among the plurality of articles B whose upper surface is at the highest position and is closest to the second holding part 9 as the article B to be held. The processor 701 controls the holding mechanism 2 and the moving mechanism 3 to hold the article B determined using the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9. Thereby, the processor 701 can handle the article B in an efficient order when holding the article B in the first operation. Note that the article B to be conveyed may be determined by the user of the handling device A.

[0065] When the processor 701 holds the article B in the first operation, after placing the article B on the conveying part 4, it controls the driving part 104z to arrange the second holding part 9 upward so that the lower end of the second holding part 9 is above the lower end of the first holding part 8. For example, after releasing the adsorption of the first holding part 8 and the second holding part 9, the processor 701 controls the driving part 104x to arrange the second holding part 9 backward and controls the driving part 104z to move the second holding part 9 upward. Thereby, when the processor 701 conveys the article B placed on the conveying part 4 to the conveyor 12, it can retract the holding mechanism 2 to avoid interference between the article B and the holding mechanism 2. Also, the processor 701 can retract the holding mechanism 2 by controlling the second holding part 9 to move upward, and since there are fewer places to operate than driving the moving mechanism 3 to retract the holding mechanism 2, it can handle the article B efficiently. Note that the processor 701 may simultaneously control the control to arrange the second holding part 9 backward by the driving part 104x and the control to arrange the second holding part 9 upward by the driving part 104z.

[0066] When the processor 701 holds the article B in the second operation, it controls to hold the article B using the first holding part 8 in a state where the second holding part 9 is disposed above the holding surface of the first holding part 8 that holds the article B along the Z direction (the first direction). For example, the processor 701 controls to hold the article B using the first holding part 8 in a state where the second holding part is moved to the second position. When the processor 701 does not adsorb the side surface of the article B by the second holding part 9, it retracts the second holding part 9 to a position where it does not interfere with the article B placed on the placement part 16, so that the handling of the article B can be efficiently performed.

[0067] When the processor 701 holds the article B in the second operation, it controls to hold the article B from the article B among the plurality of articles B whose upper surface of the article B is located at the highest position. For example, the processor 701 determines, based on the distance and position from the second detection part 6 to the article B acquired via the detection interface 706, the article B that holds the article B whose upper surface of the article B is located at the highest position among the plurality of articles B. The processor 701 controls the holding mechanism 2 and the moving mechanism 3 to hold the article B determined using the first holding part 8. Thereby, when the processor 701 holds the article B in the second operation, it can handle the article B in an efficient order. Note that, similar to the first operation, the article B to be conveyed may be determined by the user of the handling device A.

[0068] Until the first detection part 5 detects, the processor 701 controls the moving mechanism 3 to lift the article B held by the moving mechanism 3. For example, the processor 701 acquires, via the detection interface 706, the distance along the X direction (the second direction) from the first detection part 5 to the article B existing at the same height position in the Z direction (the first direction). Based on the acquired distance, the processor 701 can detect that the lower end of the article B held by the moving mechanism has been lifted from the position of the upper end of the article B located at the next higher position to a position a predetermined distance higher. Thereby, when the processor 701 moves the article B held by the handling device A, it can avoid interfering with other articles B due to insufficient lifting height.

[0069] The processor 701 calculates the adsorption position where the first holding unit 8 adsorbs when holding the article B. For example, the processor 701 detects the position of the approximate center of the upper surface of each of the plurality of articles B on the placement unit 16 based on the image acquired from the second detection unit 6. When holding the article B, the processor 701 calculates, as the adsorption position, the position where the approximate center of the upper surface of the article B determined as the article B to be held faces the approximate center of the first holding unit 8 in the Z direction. Note that the adsorption position may be calculated by any method or may be determined by the user of the material handling device A.

[0070] With reference to FIG. 7, the flow of the control device 10 controlling the material handling device A will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the control of the processor 701 of the material handling device A according to the embodiment.

[0071] First, the processor 701 acquires the loading state (ST1). Also, the processor 701 acquires the distance and position from the second detection unit 6 to the upper surface of the article B via the detection interface 706 (ST2). The processor 701 determines whether there is an article B on the placement unit 16 based on the distance and position acquired from the second detection unit 6 (ST3). If there is no article B on the placement unit 16 (ST3, No), the control ends. If there is an article B on the placement unit 16 (ST3, Yes), the processor 701 determines whether the loading posture of the article B is regular loading or irregular loading based on the acquired loading state (ST4).

[0072] When the loading state of article B is not regular (irregular loading) (ST4, No), the processor 701 determines the article B that holds the article B whose upper surface is at the highest position as the article B to be held (ST5-1). The processor 701 determines whether the determined article B to be held is the foremost one (ST6). When the determined article B to be held is not the foremost one (ST6, No), the processor 701 controls the holding mechanism 2 to hold the article B in the second operation (ST7). When the determined article B to be held is the foremost one (ST6, Yes), the processor 701 controls the holding mechanism 2 to hold the article B in the first operation (ST8). Also, when the loading state of article B is regular (ST4, Yes), the processor 701 determines the article B that holds the article B whose upper surface is at the highest position and is closest to the second holding part 9 as the article B to be held (ST5-2), and controls the holding mechanism 2 to hold the article B in the first operation (ST8).

[0073] Regarding the first operation and the second operation, details will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. After performing ST7 or ST8, the processor 701 controls the moving mechanism 3 to lift the held article B (ST9). The processor 701 controls to adjust the position of the conveying part 4 based on the distance from the third detection part 7 to the bottom surface of the article B held by the holding mechanism 2 via the detection interface 706 (ST10). The processor 701 controls the moving mechanism 3 to move the held article B to the conveying part 4 (ST11). The processor 701 controls the holding mechanism 2 and the moving mechanism 3 to release the article B to the conveying part 4 for the moved article B (ST12). Details of the release of the article B will be described with reference to FIG. 10. After releasing the article, the processor 701 returns the control to ST2.

[0074] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a first operation controlled by the processor 701 of the handling device according to the embodiment. First, the processor 701 determines whether or not the second holding unit 9 is located at the second position (ST100). If the second holding unit 9 is not located at the second position (ST100, No), the processor 701 controls the drive unit 104x and the drive unit 104z to arrange the second holding unit 9 at the second position (ST101). Thereafter, the processor 701 controls the drive unit 104x and the drive unit 104z to move the second holding unit 9 downward (ST102).

[0075] Next, the processor 701 calculates the positions at which the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9 adsorb the article B (ST103). After the processor 701 controls the moving mechanism 3 to move the holding mechanism 2 to the calculated adsorption positions (ST104), the processor 701 controls the drive unit 104x to move the second holding unit 9 forward (ST105). Thereby, the processor 701 can hold the article B in a state where the second holding unit 9 is located at the first position. Thereafter, the processor 701 starts the adsorption of the article B by the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9, and controls to hold the article B (ST106). The processor 701 controls to weaken the force for lifting the holding mechanism 2 so as to perform tilting when holding the article B by the tilting mechanism 107 (ST107), and returns the control to ST9 shown in FIG. 7.

[0076] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a second operation controlled by the processor 701 of the handling device A according to the embodiment. First, the processor 701 determines whether or not the second holding unit 9 is located at the second position (ST200). If the second holding unit 9 is not located at the second position (ST200, No), the processor 701 controls the drive unit 104x and the drive unit 104z to arrange the second holding unit 9 at the second position (ST201). Thereafter, the processor 701 calculates the position at which the first holding unit 8 adsorbs the article B (ST202). The processor 701 moves the holding mechanism 2 to the calculated adsorption position (ST203), starts the adsorption of the article B by the first holding unit 8, and controls to hold the article B (ST204). Thereafter, the control is returned to ST9 shown in FIG. 7.

[0077] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the release of the article B by the processor 701 of the handling device A according to the embodiment. First, the processor 701 controls to release the suction of the first holding portion 8 (ST302). The processor 701 determines whether or not the article B is being held by the first operation (ST303). If the article B is not being held by the first operation (ST303, No), the release of the article B is terminated, and the control returns to ST2 in FIG. 7. If the article B is being held by the first operation (ST303, Yes), the processor 701 controls to release the suction of the second holding portion 9 (ST304). After the processor 701 controls to release the suction of the second holding portion 9, the drive unit 104x is controlled to move the second holding portion 9 backward (ST305). After the backward movement is completed, the drive unit 104z is controlled to move the second holding portion 9 upward so that the lower end of the second holding portion 9 is above the lower end of the first holding portion 8 (ST306). Note that ST305 and ST306 may be performed simultaneously. Thereafter, the processor 701 controls to increase the force for lifting the holding mechanism 2 so that the tilting mechanism 107 does not tilt when holding the article B (ST307), and the control returns to ST2 shown in FIG. 7.

[0078] As described above, the handling device A is a control method for controlling a handling device A having a first holding portion 8 that holds the upper surface of the article B and a second holding portion 9 that moves in the Z direction (first direction) intersecting the surface of the first holding portion 8 that holds the article B and holds the side surface of the article B. A handling operation is performed using a control method for controlling the handling device A to execute either a first operation of holding the article B using the first holding portion 8 and the second holding portion 9 or a second operation of holding the article B using the first holding portion 8 based on the loading state of the article B.

[0079] According to the handling device A of the present embodiment, the handling device A acquires the loading state of the article B placed on the placement unit 16 via the communication interface 705 and the detection interface 706. The loading state includes information on whether the articles B are regularly placed. Based on the loading state of the article B, the handling device A determines whether to execute either the first operation of holding the article B using the first holding unit 8 and the second holding unit 9 or the second operation of holding the article B using the first holding unit 8. The handling device A executes the first operation or the second operation based on the determined result and holds the article B. The handling device A drives the moving mechanism 3 to place the held article B on the conveying unit 4, and moves the article B to the conveyor 12 by the conveying unit 4, thereby performing the handling of the article B. Thereby, the handling device A can efficiently handle the article B by switching the operation of holding the article B based on the loading state of the article B.

[0080] In the flowcharts of the above-described embodiments, although an example is shown in which each step is executed in series, the sequence of each step is not necessarily fixed, and the sequence of some steps may be interchanged. Also, some steps may be executed in parallel with other steps.

[0081] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0082] 1 Housing main body 2 Holding mechanism 3 Moving mechanism 4 Conveying unit 5 First detection unit 6 Second detection unit 7 Third detection unit 8 First Holding Part 9 Second Holding Part 10 Control Device 11a Driving Part 11b Driving Part 11c Driving Part 12 Conveyor 13 Belt 13a Upper Surface 14 Motor 15 Fixed Part 16 Placing Part 100a Housing 100b Housing 101a Suction Unit 101b Suction Unit 102a Rod 102b Rod 102c Rod 103a Suction Pad 103b Suction Pad 104c Driving Part 104x Driving Part 104z Driving Part 105 Support Frame 106a Connecting Part 106c Connecting Part 107 Tilting Mechanism 108 Rotation Axis 701 Processor 702 ROM 703 RAM 704 NVM 705 Communication Interface 706 Detection Interface A Handling Device B Article

Claims

1. a first holding part for holding the upper surface of the article; a first direction in which the first holding part moves intersecting the holding surface for holding the article, and the a second holding part for holding the side surface of the article; a moving mechanism for moving both the first holding part and the second holding part; based on the loading state of the article, using the first holding part and the second holding part to hold the article a control unit that controls to execute either a first operation of holding the article or a second operation of holding the article using the first holding part; a handling device comprising:

2. In the first operation, with the second holding part disposed below the holding surface along the first direction, the article is held using the first holding part and the second holding part. The handling device according to claim 1

3. In the second operation, with the second holding part disposed above the holding surface along the first direction, the article is held using the first holding part. The handling device according to claim 1 or claim 2

4. In the first operation, among a plurality of the articles, the article having the highest upper surface position and closest to the second holding part is held. The handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3

5. In the second operation, among a plurality of the articles, the article having the highest upper surface position is held. The handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4

6. The second holding part moves in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5

7. further comprising a first detection part for detecting that the lower end of the article held by the first holding part is lifted to a position a predetermined distance higher than the upper end position of the article having the next highest position among the articles held by the first holding part; The control unit controls the moving mechanism to lift the article held by the first holding part until the first detection part detects. The handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6

8. further comprising a conveying part that is held using at least one of the first holding part and the second holding part, moved by the moving mechanism, and moves the placed article in a direction away from the side surface of the article. The handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 7

9. In the first operation, after placing the article on the conveying part, the lower end of the second holding part is the first Position the second holding part upward along the first direction so as to be above the lower end of the first holding part. The cargo handling device according to claim 8. **Claim 10** The loaded state includes a loaded posture in which a plurality of the articles are loaded on the transport aid, and the loaded posture includes information on whether the heights of the articles are substantially the same for each stage on which the plurality of articles are loaded. The cargo handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. **Claim 11** When the heights of the articles are substantially the same for each stage on which the plurality of articles are loaded, the control unit controls the cargo handling device to execute the first operation. The cargo handling device according to claim 10. **Claim 12** When the heights of the articles are not substantially the same for each stage on which the plurality of articles are loaded, the control unit controls the cargo handling device to execute the second operation. The cargo handling device according to claim 10 or claim 11. **Claim 13** The cargo handling device further includes a second detection unit that acquires the distance and position to the upper surface of the article. Based on the loaded state and the detection result of the second detection unit, when the articles are not regularly loaded and the upper surface of the article closest to the second holding part is at the highest position, the control unit controls the cargo handling device to execute the first operation. When the heights of the articles are not substantially the same for each stage on which the plurality of articles are loaded, the upper surface of the article is at the highest position, and the article is not at the position closest to the second holding part, the control unit controls the cargo handling device to execute the second operation. The cargo handling device according to claim 10 or claim 11. **Claim 14** A control method for a cargo handling device having a first holding part that holds the upper surface of an article and a second holding part that moves in a first direction intersecting the surface of the first holding part that holds the article and holds the side surface of the article. Based on the loaded state of the article, the control method controls the cargo handling device to execute either a first operation of holding the article using the first holding part and the second holding part or a second operation of holding the article using the first holding part. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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