Picking device

Abstract

To provide a picking device superior in component holding performance when extracting a component from a storage container.SOLUTION: A picking device 10 to be mounted to a robot arm comprises holding parts 20 for holding a component according to magnetic attraction. The holding parts 20 each includes: a tip surface 27; and a plurality of side surfaces 28 that are vertical to the tip surface 27 and that are provided over the whole circumference around a virtual perpendicular L of the tip surface 27. According to magnetic force of a magnet 23 being a magnetic generation part, both the tip surface 27 and the plurality of side surfaces 28 are constituted to be adsorption surfaces relative to a component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a picking device for taking out parts from a storage container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the production process of automobiles, a picking operation is known in which parts required on the vehicle body assembly line are taken out one by one from a storage container and set at fixed positions such as on the vehicle body or on a dedicated jig. Patent Document 1 below discloses a technique for performing this type of picking operation without human intervention in order to improve production efficiency.

[0003] In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, an articulated robot having an electromagnetic hand attached to the tip of a robot arm is used. The electromagnetic hand is for adsorbing and holding cylindrical or tubular parts, and a plurality of adsorption surfaces are provided on a holding surface that can be arranged downward so as to face the opening of the box body. The plurality of adsorption surfaces are composed of an electromagnetic adsorption surface of a main electromagnetic adsorption part that adsorbs and holds the circumferential surface or end surface of the part, and an electromagnetic adsorption surface of a sub-electromagnetic adsorption part that adsorbs and holds the circumferential surface of the part, and any of the electromagnetic adsorption surfaces is provided along the holding surface.

[0004] In this picking operation by the articulated robot, the electromagnetic hand is set to a reference posture and brought close to a plurality of parts stored in a box in a stacked state. Here, the reference posture of the electromagnetic hand is a posture in which its holding surface is parallel to the horizontal plane and arranged downward, and is set assuming a plurality of postures that a cylindrical or tubular part can take. By setting the electromagnetic hand to such a reference posture, an attempt is made to adsorb and hold one part using the plurality of adsorption surfaces provided on the holding surface of the electromagnetic hand and take it out of the box.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the articulated robot having the above configuration, the holding surface of the electromagnetic hand is provided only at a limited part of the outer surface of the electromagnetic hand, that is, only on the lower surface when the electromagnetic hand is in the reference posture. For this reason, when taking out a component from the box, the access direction of the electromagnetic hand to the component is restricted. In this case, it is difficult to align the randomly oriented components stacked in the box with the holding surface of the electromagnetic hand in the reference posture, and there may arise a problem that the components are difficult to take out.

[0007] Also, in the vehicle body assembly line, many components having special shapes different from the cylindrical shape and the cylindrical shape assumed in Citation Document 1 are used. For this reason, with the structure in which the holding surface of the electromagnetic hand is provided only on the lower surface, it is difficult to ensure the desired holding performance for various shaped components that can be used in the vehicle body assembly line.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a picking device excellent in component holding performance when taking out a component from a storage container.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a picking device attached to a robot arm, comprising a holding portion for holding a component by magnetic adsorption, the holding portion having a tip surface and a plurality of side surfaces provided perpendicular to the tip surface and around the virtual perpendicular line of the tip surface, the holding portion being configured to form a plurality of adsorption surfaces that face the component in different directions as the adsorption surfaces for both the tip surface and the plurality of side surfaces by the magnetic force of the magnetic generation portion, The holding part has a magnet as the magnetic generation part and a housing space that has the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces as outer surfaces and houses the magnet. and having magnetic permeability It includes a bottomed cylindrical case, a magnetic shielding member that covers the outer peripheries of the plurality of side surfaces of the case, and a driving part that drives the magnet. The magnetic shielding member is provided so as to divide the accommodation space of the case into a magnetic transmission region close to the front end surface and a magnetic shielding region farther from the front end surface than the magnetic transmission region. The magnet is configured to be reciprocable along the virtual perpendicular line between the magnetic transmission region and the magnetic shielding region in the housing space of the case. The holding part is configured such that when the magnet is arranged in the magnetic transmission region by the driving part, both the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces of the case become the adsorption surfaces, while when the magnet is arranged in the magnetic shielding region by the driving part, both the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces of the case become non-adsorption surfaces with respect to the component. A picking device is provided. Further, another aspect of the present invention is A picking device attached to a robot arm, Comprising a holding part for holding parts by magnetic adsorption, The holding part has a front end surface and a plurality of side surfaces provided perpendicular to the front end surface and around the virtual perpendicular line of the front end surface. The holding part is configured to form a plurality of adsorption surfaces that face in different directions with the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces as adsorption surfaces for the part by the magnetic force of the magnetic generation part. The holding part includes a magnet as the magnetic generation part, a bottomed cylindrical case having an accommodation space that houses the magnet with the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces as outer surfaces, and a drive part that drives the magnet. The case includes a part that is close to the front end surface and made of a material having magnetic permeability to form a magnetic transmission region, and a part that is farther from the front end surface than the magnetic transmission region and made of a material having magnetic shielding properties to form a magnetic shielding region. The magnet is configured to be reciprocable along the virtual perpendicular line between the magnetic transmission region and the magnetic shielding region in the accommodation space of the case. The holding part is configured such that when the magnet is arranged in the magnetic transmission region by the drive part, both the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces of the case become the adsorption surfaces, while when the magnet is arranged in the magnetic shielding region by the drive part, both the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces of the case become non-adsorption surfaces for the part. , Picking device, is there.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] The picking device of the above-described aspect is used while being attached to a robot arm. The holding part of this picking device has a function of holding parts by magnetic adsorption. In order to realize this function, the magnetic force of the magnetic generating part is used to make both the tip surface and each side surface of the holding part into adsorption surfaces for the parts. Since each side surface of the holding part is a surface provided over the entire circumference around the virtual perpendicular line of the tip surface, a wide range of surfaces including each side surface in the circumferential direction in addition to the tip surface of the outer surface of the holding part become adsorption surfaces. For this reason, the degree of freedom in the direction in which the adsorption surface faces becomes high, and the number of directions in which the adsorption surface faces can be increased.

[0011] By using this picking device, in the picking operation of taking out the parts stacked in a storage container from the storage container, the access direction of the holding part to the parts in a random posture is less likely to be restricted. Therefore, even without precisely adjusting the orientation of the holding part with respect to the parts by controlling the robot arm, it becomes possible to securely hold the parts with the multi-directional adsorption surfaces formed over a wide range of the outer surface of the holding part. Also, no matter from which of a plurality of directions the holding part accesses the parts, it is effective for holding any part of the parts with any adsorption surface of the holding part.

[0012] As described above, according to the above-described aspect, it becomes possible to provide a picking device excellent in part holding performance when taking out parts from a storage container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Preferred embodiments of the above-described aspects will be described below.

[0015] In the picking device of the above-described aspect, the holding part includes a magnet as the magnetic generation part, a bottomed cylindrical case having an accommodation space that houses the magnet with the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces as the outer surface, and a drive part that drives the magnet. The magnet is configured to be reciprocally movable along the virtual perpendicular line between a magnetic transmission region close to the front end surface in the accommodation space and a magnetic shielding region farther from the front end surface than the magnetic transmission region. When the magnet is disposed in the magnetic transmission region by the driving unit, it is preferable that both the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces serve as the adsorption surface, while when the magnet is disposed in the magnetic shielding region by the driving unit, both the front end surface and the plurality of side surfaces are configured to be non-adsorption surfaces with respect to the component.

[0016] According to this picking device, a magnet is accommodated in the accommodation space of the bottomed cylindrical case, and this magnet can reciprocate between the magnetic transmission region and the magnetic shielding region by being driven by the driving unit. By disposing the magnet in the magnetic transmission region, both the front end surface and each side surface of the case can be used as adsorption surfaces, and the product can be held by magnetic adsorption on this adsorption surface. On the other hand, by disposing the magnet in the magnetic shielding region, both the front end surface and each side surface of the case can be used as non-adsorption surfaces to release the holding of the product. Therefore, it is possible to easily perform switching control between holding and releasing the component only by driving the magnet by the driving unit. In addition, the structure for switching between holding and releasing the component can be simplified by using a magnet which is a permanent magnet. Furthermore, since it is a structure in which the magnet is indirectly moved with the case interposed between the product, compared with the case where the product is directly held on the surface of the magnet, it is easy to release the holding of the product once held, and it is possible to prevent the product from moving due to the movement of the magnet when the holding is released.

[0017] In the picking device of the above-described aspect, it is preferable that the holding unit includes a magnetic shielding member that covers the outer periphery of the plurality of side surfaces of the case having magnetic permeability, and the magnetic shielding member is provided so as to divide the accommodation space of the case into the magnetic transmission region and the magnetic shielding region.

[0018] According to this picking device, the accommodation space of the case is divided into a magnetic transmission region and a magnetic shielding region by a magnetic shielding member that covers the outer periphery of a plurality of side surfaces of the case having magnetic permeability. When the magnet is disposed in the magnetic transmission region, the magnetic force of the magnet passes through the case without being shielded by the magnetic shielding member. On the other hand, when the magnet is disposed in the magnetic shielding region, the magnetic force of the magnet is shielded by the magnetic shielding member. Therefore, the structure for providing the magnetic transmission region and the magnetic shielding region in the accommodation space of the case can be simplified by using the magnetic shielding member.

[0019] In the picking device according to the above aspect, it is preferable that the case includes a main body portion made of a magnetic material and a covering portion made of an elastic material that covers the surface of the main body portion.

[0020] According to this picking device, by providing a covering portion made of an elastic material on the surface of the main body portion of the case, the main body portion can be protected and the durability can be improved by absorbing the impact when a component interferes with the case.

[0021] Hereinafter, the specific structure of the picking device according to one embodiment of the above aspect will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0022] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the first direction which is the lateral direction of the picking device is indicated by an arrow X, the second direction which is the longitudinal direction of the picking device is indicated by an arrow Y, and the third direction which is the height direction of the picking device and the reciprocating movement direction of the magnet is indicated by an arrow Z.

[0023] (Embodiment 1) As shown in FIG. 1, the assembly facility 1 according to Embodiment 1 is used to perform the picking operation of the vehicle body assembly line unmanned. The assembly facility 1 includes a robot 2, a camera 4, a picking device 10 for taking out the component W, and a control device 30.

[0024] The robot 2 is a multi-joint robot in which a plurality of drive shafts are provided on a robot arm 3. The robot 2 is electrically connected to a control device 30. A picking device 10 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 3.

[0025] The camera 4 is an imaging means for obtaining three-dimensional image data of an object to be photographed. The camera 4 is electrically connected to the control device 30. The camera 4 is disposed above the four storage containers C1, C2, C3, and C4, and photographs the upper portions of the four storage containers C1, C2, C3, and C4 from above.

[0026] Each of the four storage containers C1, C2, C3, and C4 stores a number of parts Wa, Wb, Wc, and Wd in a bulk state. The parts Wa, Wb, Wc, and Wd are irregularly shaped parts with different shapes, and all of them are made of a material that can be attracted by magnetic force.

[0027] The control device 30 is configured with a known CPU, a memory, an input / output unit, etc. The control device 30 includes a camera control unit 31, a picking control unit 32, and a robot control unit 33.

[0028] The camera control unit 31 has a function of controlling the operation of the camera 4 and performing data processing of three-dimensional image data captured by the camera 4. The camera control unit 31 can detect information such as the shape, position, and orientation of the parts stored in each storage container.

[0029] The picking control unit 32 has a function of controlling the picking device 10 based on the information detected by the camera control unit 31.

[0030] The robot control unit 33 has a function of controlling the position and trajectory of the tip of the robot arm 3 based on the information detected by the camera control unit 31. The robot control unit 33 adjusts the position and trajectory of the picking device 10 attached to the tip of the robot arm 3.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the picking device 10 of Embodiment 1 includes a main body portion 10a fixed to the tip of the robot arm 3, and four holding portions 20 that radially extend from the main body portion 10a on the same plane. The four holding portions 20 are fixed to the outer periphery of the main body portion 10a so as to be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction A. The four holding portions 20 are for holding each component W by magnetic adsorption. The picking device 10 is also referred to as a picking magnet device. When the four holding portions 20 are arranged on the same plane, it is effective in suppressing the lateral dimension of the picking device 10 in FIG. 1.

[0032] One of the four holding portions 20, i.e., the holding portion 20A, is used for the picking operation of the component Wa (see FIG. 1) stored in the storage container C1. Further, the holding portion 20B is used for the picking operation of the component Wb (see FIG. 1) stored in the storage container C2. Further, the holding portion 20C is used for the picking operation of the component Wc (see FIG. 1) stored in the storage container C3. Further, the holding portion 20D is used for the picking operation of the component Wd (see FIG. 1) stored in the storage container C4. According to these picking operations, one component is held by the holding portion 20 and taken out from among a plurality of components of the same type stored in each storage container. Then, the component taken out by the holding portion 20 is directly carried to a predetermined fixed position and set.

[0033] Here, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7, the detailed structure of the holding portion 20 of the picking device 10 will be described. Since the four holding portions 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D all have the same structure, hereinafter, only the structure of the holding portion 20A will be described, and the description of the structures of the remaining holding portions 20B, 20C, and 20D will be omitted.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the holding portion 20A includes a drive portion 21, a magnet 23 as a magnetic generation portion, a case 24, and a magnetic shielding member 29.

[0035] The drive unit 21 is for driving the magnet 23 and incorporates an air cylinder 21a as an actuator. The air cylinder 21a uses an air motor (not shown) as a drive source, and its drive shaft is connected to one end side of a rod 22 extending in the third direction Z. According to this drive unit 21, the rod 22 can be reciprocated in the third direction Z by the air cylinder 21a. Note that instead of this air cylinder 21a, an electric cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder may be used.

[0036] The magnet 23 has a substantially quadrangular prism shape and is fixed to the other end side of the rod 22 by a bolt member 23a. This magnet 23 is configured to reciprocate between an initial position P1 and an operating position P2 by the driving force of the air cylinder 21a. This magnet 23 always has the function of a magnet and is a permanent magnet in which the position of the magnetic poles and the magnetic force do not change. For example, the part of the magnet 23 closer to the front end face 27 of the case 24 is the N pole, and the part farther from the front end face 27 of the case 24 is the S pole. The type of this magnet 23 is not particularly limited, and a ferrite-based, neodymium-based, samarium cobalt-based, or alnico-based permanent magnet can be appropriately selected and used.

[0037] The case 24 is a bottomed cylindrical container having a housing space 24a for housing the magnet 23. The cross-sectional shape of this case 24 is square corresponding to the shape of the magnet 23, and it is configured to have the front end face 27, which is also the bottom face, and four side faces 28 as the outer surface. Therefore, the front end face 27 of the case 24 is also the front end face of the holding part 20A itself, and the side faces 28 of the case 24 are also the side faces of the holding part 20A itself.

[0038] All four side faces 28 are perpendicular to the front end face 27 and are provided over the entire circumference around the virtual perpendicular line L of the front end face 27. At this time, the four side faces 28 are faces facing different directions. Each of the four side faces 28 is configured as a face having the respective four directions D1, D2, D3, D4 perpendicular to the virtual perpendicular line L as the normal direction.

[0039] The magnetic shielding member 29 is a cylindrical member having an insertion space 29a into which the case 24 can be inserted. The case 24 is configured such that a part of its tip side protrudes from the magnetic shielding member 29 in a state where it is inserted into the insertion space 29a of the magnetic shielding member 29. At this time, the magnetic shielding member 29 is configured to partially cover the outer peripheries of the four side surfaces 28 of the case 24. The portion on the tip surface 27 side of the case 24 is not covered by the magnetic shielding member 29, and the magnetic shielding member 29 is provided so as to divide the accommodation space 24a of the case 24 into a magnetic transmission region 24b and a magnetic shielding region 24c. This magnetic shielding member 29 is made of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum. The magnet 23 is configured to be reciprocable along a virtual perpendicular line L (see FIG. 3) between these magnetic transmission region 24b and magnetic shielding region 24c.

[0040] Here, the magnetic transmission region 24b is a region partitioned by the protruding portion on the tip side of the case 24 with respect to the magnetic shielding member 29 (the portion not covered by the magnetic shielding member 29), and is a region close to the tip surface 27 in the accommodation space 24a of the case 24. On the other hand, the magnetic shielding region 24c is a region partitioned by the portion of the case 24 covered by the magnetic shielding member 29, and is a region farther from the tip surface 27 than the magnetic transmission region 24b in the accommodation space 24a of the case 24.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, when the air cylinder 21a controls the magnet 23 to the operating position P2, the magnet 23 is disposed in the magnetic transmission region 24b in the accommodation space 24a of the case 24. When the magnet 23 is disposed in the magnetic transmission region 24b, the holding portion 20A is configured such that the magnetic force of the magnet 23 at the operating position P2 penetrates the case 24, so that both the front end surface 27 and the side surfaces 28 of the case 24 serve as the adsorption surfaces Sa for the respective components W. Thereby, five adsorption surfaces Sa can be formed on the outer surface of the holding portion 20A. In this holding portion 20A, the number of directions in which the adsorption surface Sa faces is five. Therefore, when the magnet 23 is in the magnetic transmission region 24b, each component W can be held by magnetic adsorption on any of the five holding surfaces (the front end surface 27 and the four side surfaces 28 of the case 24).

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, when the air cylinder 21a controls the magnet 23 to the initial position P1, the magnet 23 is disposed in the magnetic shielding region 24c in the accommodation space 24a of the case 24. When the magnet 23 is disposed in the magnetic shielding region 24c, the holding portion 20A is configured such that the magnetic force of the magnet 23 at the initial position P1 is blocked by the magnetic shielding member 29, so that both the front end surface 27 and the side surfaces 28 of the case 24 serve as the non-adsorption surfaces Sb for the respective components W. When the magnet 23 is at the initial position P1, the distance between the magnet 23 and the front end surface 27 increases as the magnet 23 moves away from the front end surface 27 of the case 24, and the magnetic force from the magnet 23 toward the front end surface 27 decreases. Therefore, when the magnet 23 is in the magnetic shielding region 24c, each component W cannot be held by magnetic adsorption on any of the five holding surfaces (the front end surface 27 and the four side surfaces 28 of the case 24).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, the case 24 has a main body portion 25 made of a magnetic material such as stainless steel, and a coating portion 26 made of an elastic material such as rubber or resin and covering the surface of the main body portion 14. The coating portion 26 is preferably joined to the surface of the main body portion 25 by a simple joining method such as welding or adhesion. Non ​

[0044] By providing a covering portion 26 made of an elastic material on the surface of the main body portion 25 of the case 24, the main body portion 25 is protected, and the durability is improved by absorbing the impact when each component W interferes with the case 24. Also, an adsorption surface is secured, which has the effect of enhancing the holding force of the component W. In order to prevent the magnetic force acting on each component W from weakening from the magnet 23, it is preferable to configure the covering portion 26 with a thin sheet material such as a rubber sheet or a resin sheet (for example, a sheet material with a thickness of less than 0.5 mm).

[0045] Next, with reference to FIGS. 1, 8 to 13, the case where the picking operation is performed unmanned using the picking device 10 will be described.

[0046] The picking operation in this embodiment is an operation in which each of the four components Wa, Wb, Wc, and Wd is taken out from the storage containers C1, C2, C3, and C4 by each of the four holding portions 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D of the picking device 10 and sequentially set at predetermined fixed positions.

[0047] Here, only the operation of the holding portion 20A among the four holding portions 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D of the picking device 10 will be exemplarily described, and the description of the operations of the remaining holding portions 20B, 20C, and 20D will be omitted. The operations of taking out and setting the components Wb, Wc, and Wd stored in the remaining three storage containers C2, C3, and C4 by each of the three holding portions 20B, 20C, and 20D are the same as those shown in FIGS. 8 to 13.

[0048] In FIG. 1, when taking out the component Wa stored in the storage container C1, first, the camera control unit 31 of the control device 30 identifies the target component Wa based on the three-dimensional image data obtained by the camera 4 and detects the posture of this component Wa.

[0049] Based on the information obtained by the camera control unit 31, the picking control unit 32 of the control device 30 determines a holding surface suitable for the posture of this component Wa as the target holding surface (the target holding surface T described later) from among the five holding surfaces of the holding unit 20A (the tip surface 27 and the four side surfaces 28 of the case 24). At this time, the picking control unit 32 sets any one of the five holding surfaces of the holding unit 20A as the target holding surface T. Then, the picking control unit 32 controls the drive unit 21 to place the magnet 23 in the magnetic transmission region 24b so that the target holding surface T becomes the adsorption surface Sa.

[0050] Here, FIGS. 8 to 10 illustrate the case where the tip surface 27 of the holding unit 20A is set as the target holding surface T by the picking control unit 32, and FIGS. 11 to 13 illustrate the case where one of the four side surfaces 28 of the holding unit 20A is set as the target holding surface T by the picking control unit 32.

[0051] Based on the information obtained by the picking control unit 32, the robot control unit 33 of the control device 30 controls the position and trajectory of the tip of the robot arm 3 so that the target holding surface T of the holding unit 20A approaches the target component Wa.

[0052] FIGS. 8 to 10 illustrate the case where the tip surface 27 of the holding unit 20A is set as the target holding surface T by the picking control unit 32.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 8, when the tip surface 27 among the five holding surfaces of the holding unit 20A is set as the target holding surface T, the holding unit 20A of the picking device 10 is lowered downward and then lowered toward the upper part of the storage container C1 under the control of the robot arm 3. Then, the tip surface 27 of the holding unit 20A is brought close to the target component Wa.

[0054] At this time, the air cylinder 21a controls the magnet 23 from the initial position P1 to the operating position P2 and places it in the magnetic transmission region 24b. As a result, the tip surface 27 of the holding unit 20A becomes the adsorption surface Sa, so that the target component Wa can be held on the tip surface 27 by magnetic adsorption.

[0055] In addition, in FIG. 8, even if for some reason the component Wa cannot be quickly held due to a slight positional deviation of the front end surface 27 of the holding portion 20A with respect to the component Wa, since all five surfaces including the front end surface 27 and each side surface 28 of the holding portion 20A are all suction surfaces Sa, the component Wa can be held by any one of the remaining four surfaces (the four side surfaces 28). Thereby, the time required to hold the desired component Wa can be shortened.

[0056] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9, with the magnet 23 placed in the magnetic transmission region 24b, the holding portion 20A is raised by controlling the robot arm 3. Thereby, the component Wa held on the front end surface 27 of the holding portion 20A can be taken out from the storage container C1.

[0057] Next, as shown in FIG. 10, after the holding portion 20A is moved by controlling the robot arm 3 toward a fixed position to set the component Wa at the fixed position, the air cylinder 21a controls the magnet 23 from the operating position P2 to the initial position P1 and arranges it in the magnetic shielding region 24c. Thereby, the front end surface 27 of the holding portion 20A becomes a non-suction surface Sb, and the holding of the component Wa by this front end surface 27 is released.

[0058] FIGS. 11 to 13 illustrate the case where one of the four side surfaces 28 of the holding portion 20A is the target holding surface T by the picking control unit 32.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 11, when one side surface 28 of the five holding surfaces of the holding portion 20A is the target holding surface T, the holding portion 20A of the picking device 10 is arranged downward by controlling the robot arm 3 and lowered toward the upper part of the storage container C1. Then, the side surface 28 of the holding portion 20A is brought close to the component Wa to be targeted.

[0060] At this time, the air cylinder 21a controls the magnet 23 from the initial position P1 to the operating position P2 and arranges it in the magnetic transmission region 24b. As a result, the side surface 28 of the holding portion 20A becomes the adsorption surface Sa, so that the target component Wa can be held on the side surface 28 by magnetic adsorption.

[0061] In addition, in FIG. 11, even if the component Wa cannot be quickly held due to factors such as a slight positional deviation of one side surface 28 of the holding portion 20A with respect to the component Wa, since the total of five surfaces including the tip surface 27 and each side surface 28 of the holding portion 20A are all adsorption surfaces Sa, the component Wa can be held by any one of the remaining four surfaces (the tip surface 27 and three side surfaces 28). Thereby, the time required to hold the desired component Wa can be shortened.

[0062] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12, with the magnet 23 arranged in the magnetic transmission region 24b, the holding portion 20A is lifted by controlling the robot arm 3. As a result, the component Wa held on the side surface 28 of the holding portion 20A can be taken out from the storage container C1.

[0063] Next, as shown in FIG. 13, after moving the holding portion 20A toward a fixed position by controlling the robot arm 3 and setting the component Wa at the fixed position, the air cylinder 21a controls the magnet 23 from the operating position P2 to the initial position P1 and arranges it in the magnetic shielding region 24c. As a result, the side surface 28 of the holding portion 20A becomes the non-adsorption surface Sb, and the holding of the component Wa by this side surface 28 is released.

[0064] According to the above-described Embodiment 1, the following operational effects can be obtained.

[0065] The picking device 10 of Embodiment 1 is used while being attached to the robot arm 3. The holding part 20 of this picking device 10 has a function of holding each component W by magnetic adsorption. In order to realize this function, the front end surface 27 and each side surface 28 of the case 24 of the holding part 20 are both used as adsorption surfaces Sa for each component W by utilizing the magnetic force of the magnet 23 which is a magnetic generation part. Since each side surface 28 of the case 24 of the holding part 20 is a surface provided on the entire circumference around the virtual perpendicular line L of the front end surface 27, a wide range of multi-faceted surfaces including each side surface 28 in the circumferential direction in addition to the front end surface 27 of the outer surface of the holding part 20 become the adsorption surfaces Sa. For this reason, the degree of freedom in the direction in which the adsorption surface Sa faces becomes high, and the number of directions in which the adsorption surface Sa faces can be increased.

[0066] By using this picking device 10, in the picking operation of taking out the components W stacked in a storage container from the storage container, the access direction of the holding part 20 to the components W in a random posture is not easily restricted. Therefore, even without precisely adjusting the orientation of the holding part 20 with respect to the component W by controlling the robot arm 3, it becomes possible to reliably hold the component W with the multi-directional adsorption surfaces Sa formed over a wide range of the outer surface of the holding part 20. Also, even if the holding part 20 accesses the component W from any of a plurality of directions, it is effective for holding any part of this component W with any of the adsorption surfaces Sa of the holding part 20.

[0067] Therefore, according to the above-described Embodiment 1, it becomes possible to provide a picking device 10 having excellent component holding performance when taking out the component W from the storage container.

[0068] According to the picking device 10 of Embodiment 1, the magnet 23 is accommodated in the accommodation space 24a of the bottomed cylindrical case 24, and this magnet 23 can reciprocate between the magnetic transmission region 24b and the magnetic shielding region 24c by being driven by the air cylinder 21a.

[0069] By arranging the magnet 23 in the magnetic transmission region 24b, both the front end surface 27 and each side surface 28 of the case 24 can be used as the adsorption surface Sa, and the product W can be held on this adsorption surface Sa by magnetic adsorption. On the other hand, by arranging the magnet 23 in the magnetic shielding region 24c, the holding of the product W can be released by using both the front end surface 27 and each side surface 28 of the case 24 as the non-adsorption surface Sb. Therefore, by simply driving the magnet 23 by the air cylinder 21a, the switching control between the holding and the release of the component W can be easily performed. In addition, the structure for switching between the holding and the release of the component W can be simplified by using the magnet 23 which is a permanent magnet. Moreover, since it is a structure in which the magnet 23 is indirectly moved with the case 24 interposed between the product W, compared with the case where the product W is directly held on the surface of the magnet 23, the holding of the product W once held is easy, and it is possible to prevent the product W from moving due to the movement of the magnet 23 at the time of release.

[0070] According to the picking device 10 of the first embodiment, the accommodation space 24a of the case 24 is divided into a magnetic transmission region 24b and a magnetic shielding region 24c by the magnetic shielding member 29 that partially covers the outer periphery of the four side surfaces 28 of the case 24 having magnetic permeability. When the magnet 23 is arranged in the magnetic transmission region 24b, the magnetic force of this magnet 23 passes through the case 24 without being shielded by the magnetic shielding member 29. On the contrary, when the magnet 23 is arranged in the magnetic shielding region 24c, the magnetic force of this magnet 23 is shielded by the magnetic shielding member 29. Therefore, the structure for providing the magnetic transmission region 24b and the magnetic shielding region 24c in the accommodation space 24a of the case 24 can be simplified by using the magnetic shielding member 29.

[0071] In a modification example particularly related to the first embodiment, in the picking device 10, the four holding portions 20 may be arranged at irregular intervals in the circumferential direction A, or the number of the holding portions 20 may be changed to a number other than four.

[0072] In another modification particularly related to Embodiment 1, instead of each of the four holding parts 20 holding different types of parts W, at least two of the four holding parts 20 may hold the same type of part W.

[0073] Hereinafter, other embodiments related to Embodiment 1 described above will be described with reference to the drawings. In other embodiments, the same elements as those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same elements will be omitted.

[0074] (Embodiment 2) As shown in FIG. 14, in the picking device 110 of Embodiment 2, the structure of the holding part 120 is different from that of the holding part 20 of the picking device 10 of Embodiment 1.

[0075] In the holding part 120, the magnet 23 has a substantially octagonal prism shape. Further, the case 24 is a bottomed cylindrical container having an octagonal cross-sectional shape corresponding to the shape of the magnet 23, and is configured to have a front end surface 27 and eight side surfaces 28 as outer surfaces. All of the eight side surfaces 28 are perpendicular to the front end surface 27 and are provided on the entire circumference around the virtual perpendicular line L of the front end surface 27. At this time, each of the eight side surfaces 28 is configured as a surface having a normal direction in each of the eight directions D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8 orthogonal to the virtual perpendicular line L.

[0076] Other configurations are the same as those in Embodiment 1.

[0077] According to the picking device 110 of Embodiment 2, by controlling the magnet 23 to the operating position P2 by the air cylinder 21a, nine suction surfaces Sa can be formed on the outer surface of the holding part 120. In this holding part 120, the number of directions in which the suction surface Sa faces is nine. Therefore, compared with the picking device 10 of Embodiment 1, the number of suction surfaces Sa formed on the outer surface of the holding part 120 can be increased.

[0078] In addition, the same operational effects as those in Embodiment 1 are achieved.

[0079] In a modification particularly related to Embodiment 2, the cross-sectional shape of the case 24 can be a polygon other than a quadrilateral and an octagon.

[0080] (Embodiment 3) As shown in FIG. 15, in the picking device 210 of Embodiment 3, the structure of the holding part 220 is different from that of the holding part 20 of the picking device 10 of Embodiment 1.

[0081] In the holding part 220, the case 24 is configured such that the part partitioning the magnetic transmission region 24b is made of a material having magnetic permeability, and the part partitioning the magnetic shielding region 24c is made of a material having magnetic shielding property. That is, in this holding part 220, a function corresponding to the magnetic shielding member 29 is added to a part of the case 24.

[0082] Other configurations are the same as those in Embodiment 1.

[0083] According to the picking device 210 of Embodiment 3, compared with the picking device 10 of Embodiment 1, the number of parts can be reduced by omitting the magnetic shielding member 29.

[0084] In addition, the same operational effects as those in Embodiment 1 are achieved.

[0085] The present invention is not limited to only the above-described typical embodiments, and various applications and modifications can be considered without departing from the object of the present invention. For example, the following embodiments applying the above-described embodiments can also be implemented.

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the magnet 23 is used as the magnetic generation part is exemplified. Instead of this, an electromagnet that functions as a magnet only when an electric current is flowing, the magnetic pole changes when the direction of the electric current changes, and the magnetic force becomes stronger when the electric current becomes stronger can also be used.

[0087] In the above-described embodiments, the picking devices 10, 110, and 210 used for the picking operation of taking out one part W from a plurality of parts W of the same type stored in the storage container have been exemplified. However, these picking devices 10, 110, and 210 can also be used for the picking operation of selecting and taking out a specific type of part from among a plurality of types of parts stored in the storage container.

Explanation of Signs

[0088] 3 Robot Arm 10 Picking Device 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D Holding Part 21 Driving Part 23 Magnet (Magnetic Generation Part) 24 Case 24a Accommodation Space 24b Magnetic Transmission Region 24c Magnetic Shielding Region 25 Main Body Part 26 Coating Part 27 Tip Surface 28 Side Surface 29 Magnetic Shielding Member 120, 220 Holding Part 110, 210 Picking Device Sa Adsorbing Surface Sb Non-adsorbing Surface W, Wa, Wb, Wc, Wd Parts

Claims

1. A picking device attached to a robotic arm, comprising: a holding part for holding components by magnetic adsorption; the holding part has a tip surface and a plurality of side surfaces provided perpendicular to the tip surface and around the entire circumference of the virtual perpendicular line of the tip surface; the holding part is configured to form a plurality of adsorption surfaces that face the component in different directions with both the tip surface and the plurality of side surfaces serving as adsorption surfaces for the component by the magnetic force of a magnetic generation part; the holding part includes a magnet as the magnetic generation part, a bottomed cylindrical case having an accommodation space for accommodating the magnet with the tip surface and the plurality of side surfaces as outer surfaces and having magnetic permeability, a magnetic shielding member covering the outer circumferences of the plurality of side surfaces of the case, and a driving part for driving the magnet; the magnetic shielding member is provided so as to divide the accommodation space of the case into a magnetic transmission region close to the tip surface and a magnetic shielding region farther from the tip surface than the magnetic transmission region; the magnet is configured to be reciprocable along the virtual perpendicular line between the magnetic transmission region and the magnetic shielding region in the accommodation space of the case; the holding part is configured such that when the magnet is arranged in the magnetic transmission region by the driving part, both the tip surface and the plurality of side surfaces of the case become adsorption surfaces, while when the magnet is arranged in the magnetic shielding region by the driving part, both the tip surface and the plurality of side surfaces of the case become non-adsorption surfaces with respect to the component; A picking device.

2. A picking device attached to a robotic arm, comprising: a holding part for holding components by magnetic adsorption; the holding part has a tip surface and a plurality of side surfaces provided perpendicular to the tip surface and around the entire circumference of the virtual perpendicular line of the tip surface; the holding part is configured to form a plurality of adsorption surfaces that face the component in different directions with both the tip surface and the plurality of side surfaces serving as adsorption surfaces for the component by the magnetic force of a magnetic generation part; the holding part includes a magnet as the magnetic generation part, a bottomed cylindrical case having an accommodation space for accommodating the magnet with the tip surface and the plurality of side surfaces as outer surfaces, and a driving part for driving the magnet; The above case includes a portion close to the above front end surface, which is made of a material having magnetic permeability and forms a magnetic transmission region, and a portion farther from the above front end surface than the above magnetic transmission region, which is made of a material having magnetic shielding property and forms a magnetic shielding region. The above magnet is configured to be reciprocally movable along the above virtual perpendicular line between the above magnetic transmission region and the above magnetic shielding region in the above accommodation space of the above case. When the above magnet is arranged in the above magnetic transmission region by the above driving unit, the above front end surface and the above plurality of side surfaces of the above case both serve as the above adsorption surface, while when the above magnet is arranged in the above magnetic shielding region by the above driving unit, the above front end surface and the above plurality of side surfaces of the above case are both configured to be non-adsorption surfaces with respect to the above component. A picking device.

3. The picking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the above case has a main body portion made of a non-magnetic material and a coating portion made of an elastic material that covers the surface of the above main body portion.

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