Cutting device, cutting head, robot system, cutting method, control method for robot system, method for manufacturing an article, program, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide a small-sized and high-speed cutting device which can be mounted on a small multijoint robot, can cut a soft component or the like with high accuracy, and can correspond to variety of work.SOLUTION: A cutting device includes: a cutting head 100 having an attachment 101 which can be attached to a tip end part of a robot and a cutting blade block 104 for supporting a cutting blade 105 for cutting a material; and a cutting unit having support means for supporting the material and locking means which locks the cutting blade block 104 of the cutting head 100 transferred by the robot in a cutting position for cutting the material. The cutting unit is structured so that the cutting blade block 104 can be positioned in the cutting position for cutting the material by operation for locking the cutting blade block 104 in the cutting position by the locking means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting device and a cutting head capable of attaching a cutting blade to a robot.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the diversification of production and the shortening of tact time, the number of development cases of component assembly devices using small and high-speed six-axis articulated robots and the like has increased, greatly contributing to the miniaturization and high-speedization of the devices.

[0003] When performing cutting operations on various material components, conventionally, a dedicated cutting device is often used. However, by using an articulated robot, it is expected that complex cutting operations and operations such as conveyance can be performed with high precision and high speed without using a dedicated cutting device.

[0004] However, at the time of cutting, if deformation such as minute relief or warping of the cutting blade occurs due to the cutting load received by the cutting blade from the object to be cut, there is a risk of reducing the cutting accuracy.

[0005] In particular, when cutting soft components such as a soft material layer laminated on a release paper, regardless of the cutting method, the position of the cutting edge is not determined, and due to the cutting load, the cutting blade is likely to have relief or deformation, and a decrease in cutting accuracy may not be acceptable. For example, when performing a half-cut so that the soft material layer is cut and the release paper is left uncut, the cutting depth changes due to differences in lots, differences in the thickness of the release paper, sharpness of the cutting blade, etc. When the cutting depth changes, there may be inconveniences such as insufficient cutting amount or full-cutting of the release paper that should be half-cut.

[0006] Therefore, at the time of cutting, it is necessary to precisely control the cutting depth of the cutting blade so as not to cause a decrease in accuracy due to deformation such as minute relief or warping of the cutting blade caused by the cutting load.

[0007] Thus, in a cutting and mounting apparatus for soft parts, since rigidity greater than the load resistance during cutting is required, in a conventional cutting apparatus for soft parts as described in Patent Document 1, a large cutting head having rigidity capable of withstanding the cutting load is used.

[0008] After cutting the soft parts, a method of transferring the entire cutting head to the mounting position is used, and as a transfer means for the cutting head, a large transfer means for transferring a high-rigidity cutting head such as a press machine has been used.

[0009] Also, when it is difficult to transfer the parts that have completed the cutting operation from the cutting position to the mounting position together with the cutting head in terms of space and tact time, after cutting, the parts are temporarily placed on a temporary placement table, and another transfer means is used for the transfer from the temporary placement table to the mounting position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0010]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] In a conventional cutting apparatus, since the cutting head requires rigidity greater than the cutting load resistance of the soft parts, the cutting head becomes large and heavy, and it cannot be attached to an articulated robot with a small transportable mass, making it difficult to realize functions such as high-speed transfer and high workability.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a small and high-speed cutting apparatus that can be attached to a small articulated robot, can cut soft parts and the like with high precision, and can cope with various work requirements.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0013] In order to achieve the above object, according to the cutting device of the present invention, a cutting head having a cutting blade for cutting an object that can be transferred by a robot is provided, and the cutting blade of the cutting head transferred by the robot is in a state where it can move within a predetermined range, or a state where movement within the predetermined range is restricted, and when the cutting blade is in a state where it can move, the cutting blade is movable in a direction to cut the object, and when the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, it is separated from the object so that the movement of the cutting blade is restricted. Interval and the state where the movement of the cutting blade is restricted. And , Cutting the object by moving the cutting blade to a predetermined position while the cutting blade is movable within the predetermined range characterized in that.

[0014] Also, according to the cutting head of the present invention, a cutting head having a cutting blade, which can be transferred by a robot, and the cutting blade of the cutting head transferred by the robot is in a state where it can move within a predetermined range, or a state where movement within the predetermined range is restricted, and when the cutting blade is in a state where it can move, For the cutting blade is movable in a direction to cut the object, and when the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, it is separated from the object so that the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, characterized by the cutting head. Interval

Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, in a cutting device for soft parts, it is possible to solve the problem of accuracy reduction due to the influence of cutting load, and it is possible to provide a small and high-speed cutting device that can be attached to an articulated robot.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the cutting device of the present invention is applied to a cutting / mounting system 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a cutting / mounting system 1 to which the cutting device of the present invention is applied. On a base 20, a 6-axis articulated robot 2 having a cutting head 100 suitable for cutting soft parts attached to its tip is arranged.

[0019] Also, by attaching the cutting head 100 with the 6-axis articulated robot 2, a cutting unit 200 for cutting soft parts and a mounting unit 300 for attaching the soft parts cut by the cutting unit 200 onto a workpiece W are arranged.

[0020] The 6-axis articulated robot 2 is composed of a first link 22, a second link 23, a third link 24, a fourth link 25, a fifth link 26, and a seventh link 27 that are rotatable around the J1 axis to the J6 axis on a pedestal 21 fixed on the base 20.

[0021] A tool mounting portion 27a is formed on the sixth link 27, and in this embodiment, a cutting head 100 equipped with a cutting blade is attached thereto. Regarding the control of the six-axis articulated robot itself, well-known means can be used, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Also, in the following description, the six-axis articulated robot will simply be referred to as the robot.

[0022] The cutting unit 200 and the mounting unit 300 can be controlled within the operating range of the robot 2 and are respectively installed on straight lines L1 and L2 that form an angle θ with each other around the J1 axis. However, these arrangements can be appropriately determined according to the installation space and the surrounding environment.

[0023] The cutting unit 200 includes a receiving base portion 201 as a supporting means for receiving the sheet-shaped soft component 10 supplied in the direction of arrow A by a supply mechanism (not shown) and supporting it at the cutting position. Further, it includes a cutting head locking portion 202 that locks the cutting blade block 104 in the cutting head 100 moved by the robot 2 in the locking position and moves the cutting blade 105 to the cutting position to perform cutting.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 8, the sheet-shaped soft component 10 uses a material in which a soft material layer 10a such as urethane foam is laminated via an adhesive layer 10b such as double-sided tape on a tape-shaped release paper 10c. Also, it is configured to be supplied in a predetermined length unit required for each cutting operation in the direction of arrow A by a supply mechanism (not shown).

[0025] The mounting unit 300 places the workpiece W conveyed in the direction of arrow B by a conveying mechanism (not shown) at the mounting position. Then, the robot 2 discharges the workpiece W with the soft component attached thereto in the direction of arrow C.

[0026] With the above system, the cutting head 100 is moved by the robot 2 to the cutting unit 200 to cut the sheet-shaped soft component 10 into a predetermined shape, and the cut soft component 10d is transported onto the mounting unit 300 and attached to the workpiece W, thereby realizing the cutting / mounting process. The control means capable of controlling these processes will be described later.

[0027] Also, both the cutting unit 200 and the mounting unit 300 are arranged on straight lines L1 and L2 that form an angle θ with each other around the J1 axis within the operable range of the robot 2. These arrangements may be appropriately determined according to the material, the supply and discharge directions of the workpiece, the installation space, and the surrounding environment. However, it is desirable to consider the tact time and ensure that the operating range of the robot does not become unnecessarily large.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the cutting head 100. The cutting head 100 is fixed to the hand attachment portion 27a of the sixth link 27 of the robot 2 by the attachment 101. Further, the attachment 101 has a cutting blade block 104 attached by attachment plates 102 and 103 integrated by bolts 102a, etc.

[0029] The cutting blade block 104 is fixed to the support plate 106. The support plate 106 has its guide pins 107a, 108a, 107b, and 108b engaged in elongated holes 103a and 103b formed in the support plate 103, and is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction indicated by the arrow D. The cutting blade block 104 can move relative to the support plate 103 by an amount equal to the difference in length between the elongated holes 103a and 103b and the distance between the guide pins 107a(107b) and 108a(108b).

[0030] Also, a bent portion 106a formed at the upper end of the support plate 106 is inserted into a guide hole 103c formed in the attachment plate 103, protrudes to the back side of the attachment plate 103, and faces an operator 111a that is moved up and down by an air cylinder 111 fixed to the back of the attachment plate 103.

[0031] When this air cylinder is turned on by the air control unit 410 for cutting blade lock shown in Fig. 10 described later, as shown in Fig. 6(a), air is fed through the tube 112, and the operator 111a protrudes upward as indicated by the arrow. Also, in the OFF state where the air is stopped, as shown in Fig. 6(b), the operator 111a moves downward as indicated by the arrow and is drawn into the air cylinder 111.

[0032] That is, by turning on the air cylinder 111, the bent portion 106a of the support plate 106 is pressed upward by the operator 111a, and the cutting blade block 104 is moved upward. Then, the upper position is determined by the contact between the upper end of the long hole 103a (103b) and the upper guide pin 107a (107b) or the contact between the upper end portion in the guide hole 103c of the mounting plate 103 and the bent portion 106a of the support plate 106.

[0033] By this operation, the cutting blade block 104 is integrally coupled as a rigid body to the attachment 101, that is, the sixth link 26 of the robot, via the support plate 106, the mounting plates 103 and 102.

[0034] Also, when the air to the air cylinder 111 is turned off, that is, in the state where the operator 111a is drawn in, the support plate 106 moves downward with respect to the mounting plate 103. And in the long hole 103a, it becomes a free release state within the range of the clearance between the lower guide pin 108a (108b) and the lower end of the long hole 103a (103b), and the compliance function in the vertical direction of the cutting blade block 104 is turned on. Thus, the position of the cutting blade block can be adjusted and determined by another means without applying a load to the robot 2 side.

[0035] A coupling means is configured to control the between the mounting plate 103 and the support plate 106 by the air cylinder 111 so that the connection between the robot and the cutting blade block 104 can be switched between a coupled state and a released state.

[0036] Needless to say, the length of the long hole 103a (103b) is greater than the distance between the guide pins 107a (107b), 108a (108b). However, the degree of freedom to be provided can be appropriately determined according to the material to be cut and the mechanism design.

[0037] A cutting head pressing plate 109 is arranged on the cutting blade block 104. Cutting head reference plates 110a and 110b are arranged at both left and right ends on the lower surface side thereof, and a cutting blade 105 having a blade tip 105a formed at the lower end is attached to the central portion.

[0038] The cutting head pressing plate 109, the cutting head reference plates 110a and 110b are for managing the cutting amount by the cutting blade 105 together with the cutting head abutment reference plates 203a and 203b of the cutting unit 200 described later.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 8, the blade tip 105a of the cutting blade 105 uses a total cutting blade having the same shape as the shape for cutting the sheet-like soft part 10. Inside the blade tip, a suction part 114a of an air cylinder 114 arranged in the cutting blade block 104 is arranged.

[0040] Then, the air cylinder 114 is controlled by the suction / attachment air control unit 411 in FIG. 10, and by sucking air through the tube 113, the cut soft part is peeled off from the release paper, adsorbed, held inside the cutting blade 105, and can be transferred together with the cutting head.

[0041] Conversely, by blowing out air, it is possible to attach the adsorbed soft part to the pasting position of the workpiece.

[0042] FIGS. 3 to 5 show the configuration and different operating states of the cutting unit 200. The cutting unit 200 includes a sheet receiving base portion 201 for receiving the sheet-like soft part 10 supplied in the direction of arrow A, and a cutting head locking portion 202 for locking the cutting blade block 104 of the cutting head 100 in the locking position to perform cutting.

[0043] Above the center of the sheet receiving base portion 201, a cutting head mounting portion 211 for receiving the cutting blade block 104 of the cutting head 100 is formed.

[0044] On both the left and right sides of the cutting head mounting portion 211, cutting head abutment reference plates 203a and 203b are arranged. When the cutting blade block 104 is mounted, they come into contact with the cutting head reference plates 110a and 110b on the lower surface of the cutting head pressing plate 109. Thereby, the cutting position by the cutting blade block 104, that is, the cutting blade 105, can be accurately regulated.

[0045] Also, on the chassis 202a and 202b of the cutting head locking portion 202, head locking arms 204a and 204b for pressing and locking the cutting head pressing plate 109 of the cutting blade block 104 to the cutting head abutment reference plates 203a and 203b are arranged.

[0046] The head locking arms 204a and 204b correspond to the locking means in the present invention. They are rotatably supported by shafts 206a and 206b, and pressing members 205a and 205b are arranged at the portions that come into contact with the cutting head pressing plate 109, respectively.

[0047] The head locking arms 204a and 204b are provided with coaxial gears 207a and 207b, and are configured to be rotationally driven in opposite directions and synchronously in the directions shown by arrows Fa and Fb by the drive gears 209a and 209b of motors 208a and 208b.

[0048] When the head locking arms 204a and 204b are rotated counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively, the pressing members 205a and 205b are separated from the cutting head pressing plate 109 and move to the unlocking positions (Figure 3) where they contact the stoppers 210a and 210b.

[0049] Also, when they rotate clockwise and counterclockwise respectively, the pressing members 205a and 205b move the cutting head holding plate 109 to the lock position (Figure 4) where the cutting head holding plate 109 is pressed against the cutting head abutment reference plates 203a and 203b. These are selectively controlled by the head lock arm control system 403 in Figure 10.

[0050] In the above operation, when the cutting blade head 100 is mounted on and positioned in the cutting unit 200 and the cutting operation is performed, the reason for disconnecting the cutting blade block 104 from the robot 2 to enable the compliance function will be explained.

[0051] After the cutting head 100 is transferred to the cutting position by the robot 2, the cutting head lock mechanism operates, and the head lock arms 204a and 204b push in the cutting head holding plate 109 and press it against the cutting head abutment reference plates 203a and 203b.

[0052] Thereby, the clearance between the cutting edge 105a of the cutting blade 105 and the receiving table portion 201 serving as the peeling paper receiving surface can be ensured with high precision. This clearance is managed by the difference between the distance from the upper surfaces of the cutting head abutment reference plates 203a and 203b to the upper surface of the soft component receiving table portion 201 and the distance from the lower surfaces of the cutting head reference plates 110a and 110b to the cutting edge 105a of the cutting blade.

[0053] For example, when the distance from the upper surface of the cutting head abutment reference plate 203 to the upper surface of the soft component receiving table portion 201 is 30.00 mm and the distance from the lower surface of the cutting head reference plate 110 to the cutting edge 105a of the cutting blade is 29.93 mm, the clearance is 0.07 mm.

[0054] When the clearance between the cutting edge of the cutting blade and the soft component receiving surface reaches a predetermined dimension by the above cutting head lock operation, the cutting is performed normally.

[0055] Furthermore, adjustment means for adjusting the cutting amount of the cutting blade 105 into the soft component can be provided by making the cutting head reference plates 110a and 110b replaceable, or by interposing a replaceable spacer between the cutting head reference plates 110a and 110b and the cutting head holding plate 109.

[0056] However, when the cutting blade block 104, that is, the cutting blade 105 and the robot 2 are integrated and the cutting blade block 104 is locked, the load at the time of locking is directly applied to the robot 2. If there is a displacement between the stop position of the robot with respect to the cutting unit 200 and the cutting position at the time of cutting, there is a risk of causing an overload abnormality of the robot during the locking and cutting operations of the cutting blade.

[0057] For example, when half-cutting a sponge seal such as moltopren, a cutting load of about 300 N is applied during cutting. The lock arms 204a and 204b need to be a locking mechanism that can withstand the cutting load, and it is preferable to prevent the force required for the locking operation from reaching the robot.

[0058] Also, depending on the combination of the robot and the cutting unit, it is conceivable that, conversely, the rigidity of the robot becomes a load for the positioning operation of the cutting blade block, that is, at the time of locking, and the accuracy is reduced.

[0059] Therefore, in the present invention, when positioning the cutting blade, the cutting blade block 104 that supports the cutting blade 105 is separated from the robot, and the load transmission path between the two is configured to be blocked.

[0060] Furthermore, since the cutting operation is performed by the displacement of the cutting blade in the vertical (Z) direction, it is desirable that the compliance function of the cutting blade block is only the displacement in the Z direction, and the displacements in the X and Y directions are suppressed as much as possible. Therefore, the locking operation by the locking mechanism using the head lock arms 204a and 204b, that is, the pressing operation on the cutting head holding plate 109, is also configured to be only in the Z direction.

[0061] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing system means for controlling a cutting / implementation system and controlling a series of cutting / implementation process steps of cutting a sheet-like soft component and attaching and implementing it on a workpiece.

[0062] A system controller 400, which is system means for controlling the cutting / implementation process steps, is constituted by a microcomputer and executes a program stored in a memory 402 according to an operation of an operation unit 401. Then, the system controller 400 integrally controls a robot 2, a cutting head 100, a cutting unit 200, and an implementation unit 300.

[0063] The cutting unit 200 is provided with a head lock arm control system 403 that drives motors 208a and 208b, rotates head lock arms 204a and 204b, and controls the lock / unlock state of a cutting blade block 104. Also provided are a sheet-like conveyance unit 405 for conveying the sheet-like soft component 10 to a cutting position of the cutting unit and a component conveyance control system 404 for controlling its conveyance operation.

[0064] The implementation unit 300 is provided with a workpiece conveyance unit 406 that conveys the workpiece W to an implementation position of the cut soft component and discharges the workpiece after implementation, and a workpiece conveyance control system 407 for controlling its conveyance operation.

[0065] The cutting head 100 is provided with a cutting blade lock control unit 410 that controls an air cylinder 111 for turning on / off the compliance function of the cutting blade block 104, and a suction / attachment control unit 411 that controls an air cylinder 114 for sucking / attaching the cut component.

[0066] Regarding the robot 2, a robot controller 408 is provided that controls a 6-axis joint drive system 409 that operates the drive systems of the respective joints of the robot 2 according to the movement target position and movement path of the robot.

[0067] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing control operations executed by operating a program stored in the memory 402 on the system controller 400 when executing the cutting / implementation process steps.

[0068] In the initial state of FIG. 1, the robot 2 is located at the initial position shown in the figure. On the cutting unit 200, the component transfer mechanism 405 is operated by the component transfer control system 404 to supply the sheet-like flexible component 10. Also, on the mounting unit 300, the work W is supplied by operating the work transfer mechanism 406 by the work transfer control system 407 (S1).

[0069] The air cylinder 111 of the cutting head 100 is in the ON state. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6(a), the operator 111a presses the bent portion 106a of the support plate 106 upward, and the cutting blade block 104 is in a state of being moved upward. That is, during the transfer of the cutting head, the cutting blade block 104 is integrated with the attachment 101, that is, the robot 2 as a rigid body, and the compliance function is in the OFF state (S2).

[0070] Subsequently, the robot 2 is operated to move the cutting head 100 onto the cutting unit 200, and the cutting blade block 104 is started to descend in the direction of arrow E to the cutting head mounting portion 211. In the cutting unit 200, the head lock arms 204a and 204b are respectively in the unlocking positions (FIG. 3) where they rotate counterclockwise and clockwise and abut against the stoppers 210a and 210b. In this state, the descent of the cutting head is not hindered (S3).

[0071] When the cutting blade block 104 descends and the cutting head reference plates 110a and 110b on the lower surface of the cutting head presser plate 109 are about to contact the cutting head abutment reference plates 203a and 203b, the air supply to the air cylinder 111 is turned off. As a result, the operator 111a of the air cylinder 111 is retracted, and the support plate 106 of the cutting blade block 104 becomes free within the clearance range between the lower ends of the long holes 103a and 103b in the mounting plate 103 and the lower ends of the lower guide pins 108a and 108b. That is, the compliance function of the cutting blade block 104 in the vertical direction (Z direction) becomes an ON state enabling it (S4).

[0072] Subsequently, the motors 208a and 208b are driven to rotate the head lock arms 204a and 204b clockwise and counterclockwise respectively. By the rotation of the head lock arms 204a and 204b, the pressing members 205a and 205b press the cutting head presser plate 109 against the cutting head abutment reference plates 203a and 203b. As a result, the cutting blade block 104 is in a locked state (Figure 4), and the cutting edge 105a of the cutting blade 105 cuts into the sheet-like soft component 10 in the direction indicated by the arrow E and reaches the cutting position, and the cutting operation is performed (S5).

[0073] The clearance between the cutting edge 105a of the cutting blade and the receiving base 201 for receiving the sheet-like soft component is precisely controlled to a predetermined dimension, which becomes the cutting amount. Figure 4 shows a case where the soft material layer 10a and the adhesive layer 10b are fully cut and the release paper 10c is half-cut. To control the cutting amount, it is sufficient to maintain high precision in the flatness between the lower surfaces of the cutting head abutment reference plates 110a and 110b and the sheet-like soft component receiving base 201, and the flatness between the lower surfaces of the cutting head reference plates 110a and 110b and the cutting edge 105a of the cutting blade 105.

[0074] When the cutting of the sheet-shaped soft component is completed, the air cylinder 114 operates to suck the soft component 10d cut into the shape of the cutting edge 105a of the cutting blade by the suction part 114 arranged within the cutting blade 105. As a result, the cut soft component 10d is peeled from the release paper 10c and held within the cutting blade 105, and becomes movable together with the cutting head 100 (S6).

[0075] After the elapse of the time required for the suction of the cut soft component 10d to stabilize by the timer (S7), the head lock arms 204a, 204b are rotated counterclockwise and clockwise respectively to move to the unlock position, and the lock of the cutting blade block 104 is released. As a result, the cutting head 100 becomes in a state where it can be separated from the cutting unit 200 (S8).

[0076] Also, the air cylinder 111 within the cutting head 100 becomes ON again. Then, as shown in Fig. 6(a), the bending part 106a of the support plate 106 is pressed upward by the operator 111a so that the cutting blade block 104 is integrated as a rigid body with the sixth link 26 of the robot (S9).

[0077] Subsequently, by the operation of the robot 2, the cutting head 100 is lifted in the direction indicated by the arrow G in Fig. 5 to retract from the cutting unit 200, and is rotated in the direction of the arrow H as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, and transferred to the mounting unit 300 (S10).

[0078] On the mounting unit 300, a workpiece W is conveyed and positioned by a workpiece supply mechanism. The robot 2 lowers the cutting head 100 onto the workpiece W, and discharges air from the air cylinder 114 in a state where the cutting edge 105a of the cutting blade is close to and opposed to the pasting position, thereby pasting the soft component (S11).

[0079] The operation of one cycle for cutting the sheet-shaped soft component into a predetermined shape, peeling it from the release paper, and pasting it onto the workpiece W is completed as above. The robot 2 retracts the cutting head 100 upward from the mounting unit 200, rotates it to the initial position, and shifts to the next cutting operation (S12).

[0080] If the operation continues here (NO), return to S1 and repeat the above-described process. If not (YES), end the process.

[0081] As described above, when performing a cutting operation that requires a large load, the cutting blade can be separated from the six-axis articulated robot, enabling a compliance function in the cutting direction. Therefore, the transmission path through which the cutting load received by the cutting blade is transmitted to the robot is blocked, preventing the occurrence of an overload abnormality.

[0082] Also, during conveyance and mounting other than during cutting, the cutting blade is integrated with the six-axis articulated robot, the compliance function is turned off, and it is configured such that position control can be performed with high precision according to the operation of the robot, enabling high-precision throughout one cycle.

[0083] Therefore, by using the manufacturing system equipped with the cutting device of the present invention, the problem of accuracy degradation due to the influence of the cutting load can be solved, and it becomes possible to manufacture an article in which a soft component is attached to a workpiece at a high-precision position. Further, according to the cutting device of the present invention, since the cutting load does not reach the mechanism that moves the cutting blade, the cutting blade can be moved by a robot that is small and can move at high speed, so the productivity of the article with the soft component attached can be increased.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and many modifications are possible within the technical idea of the present invention. Also, the effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely an enumeration of the favorable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0085] In the above-described embodiment, the case of using the six-axis articulated robot 2 has been described, but the robot that moves the cutting blade is not limited to this. For example, the same configuration as above can be implemented in different types of robots such as a horizontal articulated robot, a parallel link robot, and an orthogonal robot.

[0086] The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a cutting / installation system via a network or a storage medium. One or more processors in a computer of the cutting / installation system can realize a process of reading and executing the program. In this case, the program itself read from the recording medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program itself and the recording medium on which the program is recorded constitute the present invention.

[0087] In addition, as a computer-readable recording medium for supplying the program, a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, etc. can be used. Also, the program in this embodiment may be downloaded via a network and executed by a computer.

[0088] Moreover, it is not limited to the case where the functions of this embodiment are realized only by executing the program read by the computer. Based on the instructions of the program code, an OS (operating system) or the like running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. This case is also included.

[0089] Furthermore, the program read from the recording medium may be written into the memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Based on the instructions of the program, a CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit may perform part or all of the actual processing, and the case where the functions of the present embodiment are realized by the processing is also included. The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus via a network or a storage medium. One or more processors in the computer of the system or apparatus can realize the process of reading and executing the program. Also, the control of the present invention can be realized by a hardware circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

Explanation of Signs

[0090] 2 6-axis multi-joint robot 10 Sheet-shaped soft parts 100 Cutting head 101 Attachment 104 Cutting blade block 105 Cutting blade 109 Cutting head pressing plate 110a, 110b Cutting head reference plate 111 Air cylinder 114 Air cylinder 200 Cutting unit 201 Receiving base part 202 Cutting head locking part 203a, 203b Cutting head abutting reference plate 204a, 204b Head locking arm 211 Cutting head mounting part 300 Mounting unit W Workpiece

Claims

1. A cutting device comprising a cutting head having a cutting blade capable of cutting an object and being transferable by a robot, wherein the cutting blade of the cutting head transferred by the robot is in a state where it can move within a predetermined range or a state where movement within the predetermined range is restricted, when the cutting blade is in a state where it can move, the cutting blade can move in a direction to cut the object, and when the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, the cutting blade is separated from the object and the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, and the object is cut by moving the cutting blade to a predetermined position when the cutting blade can move within the predetermined range. The cutting device is characterized by the above.

2. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting blade can move within the predetermined range regardless of the operation of the robot. The cutting device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The cutting blade is supported by a cutting blade block, and the cutting blade block is positioned at the predetermined position by moving the cutting blade block and locking it at the predetermined position, and the cutting blade is positioned at the predetermined position by moving it. The cutting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

4. The cutting head includes an attachment for attaching to the robot, wherein the state where the movement of the cutting blade is restricted is a combined state in which the attachment and the cutting blade are integrated, and the state where the cutting blade can move within the predetermined range is a released state in which the cutting blade can move relatively within the predetermined range with respect to the attachment. The cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

5. The cutting device according to claim 4, wherein when the cutting head is transferred by the robot, the combined state is adopted, and when the cutting blade is moved and locked at the predetermined position, the released state is adopted. The cutting device according to claim 4, characterized by the above.

6. Before the cutting blade contacts the object, the cutting blade is in a state where it can move within the predetermined range, and the object is cut by moving the cutting blade to the predetermined position and positioning it in a state where the cutting blade can move within the predetermined range and then bringing the cutting blade into contact with the object. The cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the above.

7. The cutting blade is provided with holding means for holding the object. The cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that...

8. It is provided with a timer for measuring the time during which the object is held by the holding means. The cutting device according to claim 7, characterized in that...

9. The object is a soft component in which a soft material is disposed on a base paper via an adhesive material, and it has adjusting means for adjusting the cutting amount by the cutting blade. The cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that...

10. By making it possible to switch the cutting blade to either a state where it can move within a predetermined range or a state where its movement within the predetermined range is restricted, the compliance function of the cutting blade is controlled. The cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that...

11. The cutting head is provided with an attachment for attaching to the robot. The cutting blade is provided in a cutting blade block. It includes an air cylinder and an operator that moves by the air cylinder. The air cylinder is provided in the cutting blade block. By turning on the air cylinder and bringing the operator into contact with a support portion that supports the cutting blade provided in the attachment, the cutting blade block and the cutting blade are moved in a direction away from the object to restrict the movement of the cutting blade block and the cutting blade. By turning off the air cylinder and separating the operator from the support portion, the cutting blade block and the cutting blade are allowed to move in a direction for cutting the object. The cutting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that...

12. A guide pin is provided in the cutting blade block. The support portion is provided with a hole into which the guide pin is engaged. The hole defines the predetermined range. The cutting device according to claim 11, characterized in that...

13. A cutting head having a cutting blade, It can be transferred by a robot, The cutting blade of the cutting head transferred by the robot is set to a state where it can move within a predetermined range or a state where its movement within the predetermined range is restricted. When the cutting blade is in a state where it can move, it is set to a state where the cutting blade can move in a direction for cutting the object, and when the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, the cutting blade is separated from the object and the movement of the cutting blade is restricted. A cutting head characterized by the above.

14. A robot, A cutting head having a cutting blade that can be transferred by the robot, comprising: The cutting blade of the cutting head transferred by the robot is set to a state where it can move within a predetermined range or a state where movement within the predetermined range is restricted, When the cutting blade is in a movable state, the cutting blade is movable in the direction of cutting the object, and when the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, the cutting blade is separated from the object and the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, A robot system characterized by the above.

15. A cutting method for cutting an object using a cutting head having a cutting blade that can be transferred by a robot, comprising: The cutting blade of the cutting head transferred by the robot is set to a state where it can move within a predetermined range or a state where movement within the predetermined range is restricted, When the cutting blade is in a movable state, the cutting blade is movable in the direction of cutting the object, and when the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, the cutting blade is separated from the object and the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, When cutting the object, the object is cut by moving the cutting blade of the cutting head transferred by the robot to a predetermined position, A cutting method characterized by the above.

16. A control method for a robot system including a robot and a cutting head having a cutting blade that can be transferred by the robot, comprising: The cutting blade of the cutting head transferred by the robot is set to a state where it can move within a predetermined range or a state where movement within the predetermined range is restricted, When the cutting blade is in a movable state, the cutting blade is movable in the direction of cutting the object, and when the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, the cutting blade is separated from the object and the movement of the cutting blade is restricted, A control method characterized by the above.

17. A method for manufacturing an article, characterized in that the article is manufactured by moving the cutting blade to a predetermined position and cutting the object in a state where the cutting blade can move within the predetermined range using the robot system according to Claim 16.

18. A method for manufacturing an article, characterized in that the article is manufactured using the cutting device according to any one of Claims 1 to 12.

19. A program for causing a computer to execute the cutting method according to claim 15 or the control method according to claim 16.

20. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon the program according to claim 19.

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