Lid closing device and lid closing method

Abstract

To provide a lid closing device capable of suppressing generation of fitting failure, and to provide a lid closing method.SOLUTION: A lid closing device 1 for fitting container 2 includes: a robot 3; a hand 4 mounted on a tip part of the robot 3; a lid closing table 5 on which a container body 21 is placed; and a control device 6 for controlling a lid closing operation. The hand 4 includes: a hand body 41 whose posture changes by the motion of the robot 3; a lid holding part 42 provided at the hand body 4, and capable of holding a lid 22; and a pressing part 44 provided so as to perform displacement operation with respect to the hand body 41, pressing a lid side fitting part 224 from above based on the displacement operation and the motion of the robot 3, and for fitting it to a container body side fitting part 214. The pressing part 44 presses a predetermined plurality of places of the lid side fitting part 224, and the control device 6 controls the robot 3 and the pressing part 44 so as to press the plurality of places of the lid side fitting part 224 sequentially clockwise or counterclockwise in a plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a device and method for closing a cap on a mating container. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A lid closing device for a fitting container is known, which comprises a container body and a lid that closes the top opening of the container body from above and maintains the closed state by fitting with the container body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-219403 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the lid fastening device of Patent Document 1, since the entire area of ​​the lid-side fitting portion is fitted simultaneously with the container body-side fitting portion, fitting failures are likely to occur.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a lid closing device and a lid closing method that can suppress the occurrence of poor fitting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect, the following solution is provided. A lid closing device for a fitting container, comprising a container body and a lid that closes an upper opening of the container body from above and maintains a closed state by fitting with the container body, Robots and a hand attached to the tip of the robot; a lid closing table on which the container body is placed; a control device for controlling the lid closing operation, The hand a hand body whose posture changes according to the movement of the robot; a lid holding portion provided on the hand body and capable of holding the lid; a pressing section that is provided to be displaceable relative to the hand body and that presses a lid-side fitting section, which is a fitting section on a side of the lid, from above based on the displacement movement and the movement of the robot, to fit the lid into a container body-side fitting section, which is a fitting section on a side of the container body. the pressing portion presses a plurality of predetermined positions of the lid-side fitting portion, The control device controls the robot and the pressing unit to press the plurality of locations on the lid-side fitting portion in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in plan view. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a lid closing device and a lid closing method that can suppress the occurrence of fitting failures. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view showing a schematic configuration of a lid closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view of a robot equipped with a hand. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view of a robot equipped with a hand. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robot equipped with a hand, viewed obliquely from above. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robot equipped with a hand, viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the hand. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a hand. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a hand. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an outline of the lid closing operation by the lid closing device, in which (a) shows the hand in an upper waiting state, (b) shows the hand in a lowered state, (c) shows the pressing state of the pressing part, and (d) shows the hand in a raised state after the lid is closed. [Figure 14] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing the order in which the fitting containers are pressed by the pressing tool. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for controlling the lid closing process. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for controlling the formation of a depression. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for fitting determination control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] The lid closing device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a device that automatically closes the lid of a fitting container 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the fitting container 2 is a resin container that includes a container body 21 and a lid 22, and can contain food items such as prepared dishes, bento boxes, sweets, and ingredients, as well as items other than food.

[0011] The container body 21 includes a storage section 211 that stores an object to be stored, an upper opening 212 that opens the top of the storage section 211, and a flange section 213 that extends outward from the outer peripheral edge of the storage section 211. A step that rises down from the middle of the flange section 213 in the extending direction is formed, and this step functions as a fitting section 214 on the container body 21 side (hereinafter referred to as container body side fitting section 214 as appropriate) that will be described later.

[0012] The lid 22 includes a bulging portion 221 that bulges upward, and a flange portion 223 that extends outward from the outer peripheral edge of the bulging portion 221. A step that rises down from the middle of the flange portion 223 in the extending direction is formed, and this step functions as a fitting portion 224 on the lid 22 side (hereinafter referred to as the lid-side fitting portion 224 as appropriate), which will be described later.

[0013] When the lid 22 is closed, the lid-side fitting portion 224 fits externally into the container body-side fitting portion 214, thereby fitting and holding the lid 22 to the container body 21. This allows the lid 22 to close the upper opening 212 of the container body 21 from above, and to maintain the closed state by fitting with the container body 21.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 14 , the lid-side fitting portion 224 and the container body-side fitting portion 214 in this embodiment are quadrilateral (e.g., rectangular, square, trapezoidal, parallelogram, etc.) in plan view, but may be polygonal (e.g., triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc.) other than quadrilateral. The lid-side fitting portion 224 and the container body-side fitting portion 214 are not limited to polygonal shapes in plan view, and may be circular (e.g., regular circle, oval, ellipse, etc.) in plan view. In this embodiment, the lid-side fitting portion 224 is externally fitted into the container body-side fitting portion 214, but may be internally fitted into the container body-side fitting portion 214. In this embodiment, the container body-side fitting portion 214 and the lid-side fitting portion 224 are continuously provided over the entire circumferential area of ​​the fitting container 2, but the container body-side fitting portion 214 and the lid-side fitting portion 224 may be discontinuous in the circumferential direction.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the lid fastening device 1 includes a robot 3, a hand 4 attached to the tip of the robot 3, a lid fastening table 5 on which a container body 21 is placed, and a control device 6 (see Figure 12) that controls the lid fastening operation. For convenience, in the following description, the direction in which the fitted container 2 is transported by the lid fastening table 5 will be referred to as the forward direction, the opposite direction will be referred to as the rearward direction, the left-hand direction when facing the forward direction will be referred to as the leftward direction, and the opposite direction will be referred to as the rightward direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions will be referred to as the up-down direction, and in the drawings, the forward direction will be referred to as Fr, the rearward direction as Rr, the leftward direction as L, the rightward direction as R, the up direction as U, and the down direction as D.

[0016] 3 to 6, the robot 3 is, for example, a six-axis vertical articulated robot, and has a hand 4 attached to its tip. The robot 3 operates in response to commands from a control device 6, and changes the posture of the hand 4 (including movement, rotation, and tilt). The hand 4 will be described in detail later.

[0017] The lid closing table 5 is, for example, a belt conveyor, and the container body 21 containing the contents is placed on the starting end of the conveyance. The lid closing table 5 transports the container body 21 placed on the starting end of the conveyance to a predetermined lid closing position and positions it. After the lid closing is completed, the lid closing table 5 carries the closed fitted container 2 out to the end of the conveyance. A lid placing table (not shown) is provided near the lid closing table 5 to store a large number of lids 22 in a stacked state.

[0018] The control device 6 controls the robot 3, the hand 4, and the lid closing table 5. The connection configuration and processing contents of the control device 6 will be described later.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 11, the hand 4 includes a hand body 41, a lid holding portion 42, a recess forming portion 43, a pressing portion 44, a distance adjusting portion 45, and a pressing force detecting portion 46 (see FIG. 12).

[0020] The hand body 41 includes a top plate 411, a bottom plate 412, multiple support columns 413, and a removable cover 414 (see FIGS. 3 to 6). The top plate 411 forms the ceiling surface of the hand body 41, and is connected to the tip of the robot 3. The bottom plate 412 forms the bottom surface of the hand body 41. The multiple support columns 413 connect the top plate 411 and the bottom plate 412. The removable cover 414 covers the side surface of the hand body 41. As can be seen in Figure 4, detachable cover 414 is fixed (for example, by welding) with a hinge structure without using screws, allowing detachable cover 414 to move when attached or detached. If screws were used for this fixation, there is a risk that the screws would come loose and come off, causing foreign matter to get in, but by not using screws, it is possible to avoid such foreign matter from getting in.

[0021] The lid holding portion 42 is provided on the underside of the hand body 41 and is configured to be able to hold the center portion of the upper surface of the lid 22. For example, the lid holding portion 42 in this embodiment includes a plurality of suction pads 421 arranged on the underside of the hand body 41.

[0022] The recess forming unit 43 presses downward the center of the upper surface of the lid 22 held by the lid holding unit 42, elastically deforming the center of the lid 22 into a recessed shape. For example, the recess forming unit 43 in this embodiment includes a balloon 431 that is arranged in an area surrounded by multiple suction pads 421 on the underside of the hand main body 41. The balloon 431 is formed using an elastic material that expands when air is injected and contracts when the air is discharged. The balloon 431 is connected to an air pump (not shown) via a balloon valve 432 (see FIG. 12), and is switched between an expanded state and a contracted state depending on whether the balloon valve 432 is turned on or off.

[0023] The pressing unit 44 is provided so as to be displaceable relative to the hand body 41, and presses the lid-side fitting portion 224 from above based on the displacement movement and the movement of the robot 3, causing it to fit into the container body-side fitting portion 214. For example, the pressing unit 44 of this embodiment includes a first pressing tool 441, a second pressing tool 442, a first pressing actuator 443, and a second pressing actuator 444.

[0024] The first pressing tool 441 comprises a first pressing tool body 441a arranged on the lower left side of the hand body 41, and a support arm 441b extending upward from the first pressing tool body 441a and supported by a first pressing actuator 443 via a first long hole 412a formed in the bottom plate 412.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 14, the first pressing tool body 441a has a shape (e.g., a U-shape in plan view) that can press from above the first side H1 (left side) of the lid side fitting portion 224, which is rectangular in plan view, and the first corner K1 (left front corner) and fourth corner K4 (left rear corner) located at both ends thereof.

[0026] The second pressing tool 442 comprises a second pressing tool main body 442a arranged on the lower right side of the hand main body 41, and a support arm 442b extending upward from the second pressing tool main body 442a and supported by a second pressing actuator 444 via a second long hole 412b formed in the bottom plate 412.

[0027] 14, the second pressing tool main body 442a has a shape (for example, a U-shape in plan view) that can press from above the third side H3 (right side) parallel to the first side H1 (left side) of the lid-side fitting portion 224, and the second corner K2 (right front corner) and the third corner K3 (right rear corner) located on both ends of the third side H3. The side connecting the first corner K1 and the second corner K2 is the second side H2 (front side), and the side connecting the third corner K3 and the fourth corner K4 is the fourth side H4 (rear side).

[0028] As can be seen from Figure 11, the first pressing tool body 441a and the second pressing tool body 442a have walls formed around the upper sides, which can catch grease or the like used in the drive system inside the hand 4 even if it drips from the first long hole 412a (see Figure 6) and the second long hole 412b (see Figure 6), thereby preventing the grease or the like from getting into the product.

[0029] 11, the inside portions of the first elongated hole 412a (see FIG. 6) and the second elongated hole 412b (see FIG. 6) formed in the bottom plate 412 have a stepped structure around the opening, and are provided with a peripheral wall W (see hatched portion) that covers the periphery of the opening. Therefore, even if a foreign object or the like is generated by driving the drive system or the like inside the hand 4, the peripheral wall W (see hatched portion) prevents the foreign object or the like from easily falling from the first elongated hole 412a (see FIG. 6) and the second elongated hole 412b (see FIG. 6), thereby suppressing the intrusion of foreign objects into products.

[0030] The first pressing actuator 443 is provided inside the hand body 41 and moves the first pressing tool 441 up and down. For example, the first pressing actuator 443 in this embodiment is configured using an electric slide table controlled by a stepping motor, a servo motor, or the like.

[0031] The second pressing actuator 444 is provided inside the hand body 41 and moves the second pressing tool 442 up and down. For example, the second pressing actuator 444 in this embodiment is configured using an electric slide table controlled by a stepping motor, a servo motor, or the like.

[0032] The gap adjustment unit 45 adjusts the left-right gap between the first pressing tool 441 and the second pressing tool 442. For example, the gap adjustment unit 45 of this embodiment includes a pair of front and rear rails 451, a pair of left and right slide members 452, a pair of left and right connecting blocks 453, and a gap adjustment actuator 454.

[0033] A pair of front and rear rails 451 are installed between the left and right support columns 413 in the left-right direction. The left slide member 452 is supported by the pair of front and rear rails 451 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction, and integrally supports the first pressing actuator 443. The right slide member 452 is supported by the pair of front and rear rails 451 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction, and integrally supports the second pressing actuator 444. The distance adjustment actuator 454 is configured using, for example, an electric clipper that slides a pair of claws 454a in the approaching direction and the separating direction. The left connecting block 453 connects the left claw 454a of the distance adjustment actuator 454 to the left slide member 452, and the right connecting block 453 connects the right claw 454a of the distance adjustment actuator 454 to the right slide member 452. This makes it possible to adjust the left-right distance between the first pressing tool 441 and the second pressing tool 442 by sliding the first pressing actuator 443 and the second pressing actuator 444 based on the operation of the distance adjustment actuator 454. As a result, it is possible to accommodate various types of interlocking containers 2 with different dimensions. Furthermore, by replacing the first pressing tool 441 and the second pressing tool 442, it is possible to accommodate a greater number of interlocking containers 2.

[0034] The pressing force detection unit 46 (see FIG. 12) detects the pressing forces of the first pressing tool 441 and the second pressing tool 442. For example, the pressing force detection unit 46 of this embodiment detects the pressing forces of the first pressing tool 441 and the second pressing tool 442 based on the current values ​​(actuator loads) of the first pressing actuator 443 and the second pressing actuator 444, and transmits the detection data to the control device 6. Here, communication between the pressure detection unit 46 and the control device 6 can be performed with a delay speed of 5 ms or less, which reduces the time lag in obtaining detection data and improves the accuracy of the fit determination operation described below. Specifically, such communication means can be fieldbus communication with a transmission cycle of 5 ms or less (more specifically, communication methods such as PROFIBUS, Modbus RTU, CC-Link, DeviceNet, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, HSE, MECHATROLINK-II, MECHATROLINK-III, and MECHATROLINK-4), and among these, synchronous fieldbus communication, which has particularly good communication synchronism and a constant cyclic cycle, can be used.

[0035] In addition, the detection frequency (sampling period) of the pressing force here can be set to a high frequency of 200 times per second or more, which allows for the collection of more precise detection data and improves the accuracy of the fit determination operation described below. Specifically, such a detection method can be achieved by configuring the control device 6 to include at least a main control means (not shown) and an actuator control means (not shown), and setting the control period of the actuator control means to 5 ms or less. The actuator control means is a means for controlling actuators such as the first pressing actuator 443 (see FIG. 12), the second pressing actuator 444 (see FIG. 12), and the distance adjusting actuator 454 (see FIG. 12). In this way, by separating the control of the actuator from the main control of the PC or PLC, etc., detection can be performed at high frequency.

[0036] Furthermore, the first pressing actuator 443 and the second pressing actuator 444 may be electric slide tables controlled by servo motors, which makes it possible to detect pressing forces over a wider range than electric slide tables controlled by stepping motors.

[0037] 12, the control device 6 is connected to the robot 3, the lid closing table 5, the balloon valve 432, the first pressing actuator 443, the second pressing actuator 444, the gap adjustment actuator 454, and the pressing force detection unit 46. The control device 6 realizes the lid closing operation, the recess forming operation, and the fitting determination operation, which will be described below, through cooperation between hardware and software.

[0038] Figure 13 is a diagram showing an outline of the lid closing operation by the lid closing device 1, where (a) is a diagram showing the upper waiting state of the hand 4, (b) is a diagram showing the lowered state of the hand 4, (c) is a diagram showing the pressing state of the pressing part 44, and (d) is a diagram showing the raised state of the hand 4 after closing the lid. As shown in FIG. 13(a), the control device 6 causes the hand 4 to wait above the lid closing position with the lid 22 held by the lid holding portion .

[0039] When the container body 21 is positioned at the lid closing position, the control device 6 causes the robot 3 to move down the hand 4 and place the lid 22 on the container body 21, as shown in FIG. 13(b).

[0040] Next, as shown in Fig. 13(c), the control device 6 lowers the first pressing tool 441 and the second pressing tool 442 to press downward the lid-side fitting portion 224. As a result, the lid 22 closes the upper opening 212 of the container body 21 from above, and the lid-side fitting portion 224 fits into the container body-side fitting portion 214 to maintain the closed state.

[0041] Thereafter, the control device 6 releases the lid 22 from the lid holding portion 42, and then, as shown in (d) of Figure 13, causes the robot 3 to operate to raise the hand 4, and causes the lid-closed fitting container 2 to be transported out of the lid-closed position by operating the lid-closing table 5.

[0042] The lid closing operation by the lid closing device 1 has been outlined above, but when pressing the lid side fitting portion 224 downward, the control device 6 controls the robot 3 and the pressing unit 44 so that multiple locations on the lid side fitting portion 224 are pressed in sequence clockwise (or counterclockwise) in plan view. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 14, the four sides H1 to H4 and H1 of the lid side fitting portion 224 are pressed in sequence clockwise in plan view, while the corners K1 to K4 are pressed in sequence clockwise in plan view. The pressing order may be changed as appropriate, for example, starting from the fitting portion on the first side H1 (left side) of the lid-side fitting portion 224, such as K4 → K1 → K2 → K3. Furthermore, after completing this pressing, additional pressing may be performed, for example, starting from the mating portion on the first side H1 (left side) of the lid side mating portion 224, and then performing the pressing in the overlapping order of H1 → H2 → H3 → H4 → H1.

[0043] At each point (H1 to H4 or K1 to K4) of these pressing operations, the control device 6 can be configured not to perform timer control. By not performing timer control, not only can the control operation be accelerated, but also, in the mating determination operation described below, temporal variations in the detection data of the pressing force detection unit 46 can be suppressed, thereby realizing a more accurate mating determination operation.

[0044] With this type of lid closing operation, the four corners K1 to K4 of the lid side fitting portion 224 are reliably fitted one by one in order to the container body side fitting portion 214, thereby reducing the occurrence of poor fitting compared to when the entire lid side fitting portion 224 is fitted simultaneously.

[0045] Incidentally, the control device 6 of this embodiment controls the up and down movement and tilting movement of the hand body 41 by the robot 3, the up and down movement of the first pressing tool 441 by the first pressing actuator 443, and the up and down movement of the second pressing tool 442 by the second pressing actuator 444, thereby pressing the four corners K1 to K4 of the lid side fitting portion 224 in order clockwise in plan view, the details of which will be described later.

[0046] Furthermore, the control device 6 inflates the balloon 431 before or after the pressing unit 44 starts pressing the lid-side fitting portion 224. As a result, the center of the upper surface of the lid 22 held by the lid holding unit 42 is pressed downward, and the center of the lid 22 is elastically deformed into a concave shape. Thereafter, the control device 6 contracts the balloon 431 after the pressing unit 44 finishes pressing the lid-side fitting portion 224. As a result, the center of the lid 22 returns to a flat state, and the internal pressure of the fitting container 2 decreases accordingly, thereby preventing the fitting between the container body 21 and the lid 22 from coming loose due to an increase in internal pressure caused by closing the lid.

[0047] Furthermore, the control device 6 determines whether the lid-side fitting portion 224 is fitted into the container body-side fitting portion 214 for each of the four corners K1 to K4, based on the pressing force of the pressing portion 44 detected by the pressing force detection unit 46. The control device 6 of this embodiment stores detection data of the pressing force detection unit 46 during a normal lid closing operation as comparison data, and determines that a fitting failure has occurred when the detection data of the pressing force detection unit 46 during the lid closing operation deviates significantly from the comparison data. For example, a fitting failure can be determined when the detection data of the pressing force detection unit 46 accompanying pressing of the corners K1 to K4 is smaller or larger than the comparison data, or when there is a timing discrepancy.

[0048] Furthermore, the control device 6 can measure the detection data of the pressing force detection unit 46 multiple times during normal lid closing operation and store the normal range as comparison data using a statistical method using standard deviation or a machine learning method, etc. By combining suppression of the time lag in obtaining detection data, suppression of temporal variations in detection data, and detection of pressing force over a wide range, etc., it is possible to obtain high-quality comparison data, thereby achieving accurate mating determination operation.

[0049] Next, the processing procedures of the lid closing control, recess forming control and fitting determination control of the control device 6 that realizes the above lid closing operation, recess forming operation and fitting determination operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0050] 15, in the lid closing control, the control device 6 first causes the robot 3 to move the hand 4 to the lid receiving position of the lid stand (S101), and then causes the lid holder 42 to pick up the lid 22 by suction (S102). Next, the control device 6 causes the robot 3 to move the hand 4 to a standby position above the lid closing position (S103), and then determines whether the container body 21 has been positioned at the lid closing position (S104).

[0051] When the determination result in step S104 is YES, the control device 6 causes the robot 3 to move downwards to lower the hand 4 (S105), and places the lid 22 on the container body 21. At this time, the control device 6 causes the robot 3 to move downwards to the left (S106), and lowers the first pressing tool 441 (S107).

[0052] Thereafter, the control device 6 causes the robot 3 to operate and tilt the hand 4 downward with the front left (S108). As a result, the first pressing tool 441 presses the first corner K1 of the lid-side fitting portion 224 downward.

[0053] Next, the control device 6 lowers the second pressing tool 442 (S109), while tilting the hand 4 downward with the front right side downward by the operation of the robot 3 (S110). As a result, the second pressing tool 442 presses the second corner K2 of the lid-side fitting portion 224 downward.

[0054] Next, the control device 6 causes the robot 3 to operate and tilt the hand 4 downward and rearward to the right (S111). As a result, the second pressing tool 442 presses the third corner K3 of the lid-side fitting portion 224 downward.

[0055] Next, the control device 6 causes the robot 3 to operate and tilt the hand 4 downward and rearward to the left (S112). As a result, the first pressing tool 441 presses the fourth corner K4 of the lid-side fitting portion 224 downward.

[0056] Next, the control device 6 releases the suction of the lid 22 by the lid holding portion 42 (S113), then raises the hand 4 by the operation of the robot 3 (S114), and raises the first pressing tool 441 and the second pressing tool 442 (S115), before returning to step S101.

[0057] 16, in the depression formation control, the control device 6 first determines whether the pressing unit 44 has started pressing the lid-side fitting unit 224 (S201), and if the determination result is YES, turns on the balloon valve 432 to inflate the balloon 431 (S202). As a result, the central portion of the upper surface of the lid 22 held by the lid holding unit 42 is pressed downward, and the central portion of the lid 22 is elastically deformed into a concave shape.

[0058] Thereafter, the control device 6 determines whether the pressing unit 44 has finished pressing the lid-side fitting unit 224 (S203), and if the determination result is YES, turns off the balloon valve 432 to deflate the balloon 431 (S204). This causes the center of the lid 22 to return to a flat state, thereby reducing the internal pressure of the fitting container 2.

[0059] 17, in the fit determination control, the control device 6 first determines whether pressing of the first corner K1 has been completed (S301). If the result of this determination is YES, the control device 6 compares the detection data of the pressing force detection unit 46 with the comparison data and determines whether the fit is poor (S302). Next, the control device 6 determines whether pressing of the second corner K2 has been completed (S303). If the result of this determination is YES, the control device 6 compares the detection data of the pressing force detection unit 46 with the comparison data and determines whether the fit is poor (S304). Next, the control device 6 determines whether pressing of the third corner K3 has been completed (S305). If the result of this determination is YES, the control device 6 compares the detection data of the pressing force detection unit 46 with the comparison data and determines whether the fit is poor (S306). Next, the control device 6 determines whether pressing of the fourth corner K4 is complete (S307), and if the result of this determination is YES, compares the detection data of the pressing force detection unit 46 with the comparison data and determines whether there is a misfit (S308). Thereafter, the control device 6 determines whether there is a misfit (S309), and if there is a misfit, executes a predetermined error process (S310). For example, the error processing is a process of excluding parts that are determined to have a fitting error after being transported on a belt conveyor. The rejected items can be treated as non-defective items by, for example, having the worker refit them. Another example of error processing is to press again the portion determined to have a poor fit to correct the poor fit and make it a non-defective product. It should be noted that this determination of fit does not need to be made in real time at the time of pressing, but may be made after the lid closing control described with reference to Figure 5 has been completed and the pressing force detection unit 46 has obtained detection data for a series of pressing forces from K1 to K4.

[0060] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims. In addition, it is also possible to combine all or a plurality of components of the above-described embodiments.

[0061] For example, in the embodiment described above, the four corners K1 to K4 of the lid-side fitting portion 224 are sequentially pressed by two pressing tools 441 and 442, but a configuration may be adopted in which four pressing tools are provided to press each of the corners K1 to K4. In such a configuration, the number of pressing actuators required increases in addition to the number of pressing tools, but the tilting operation of the hand 4 is no longer necessary, and therefore the control of the robot 3 can be simplified. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Lid closing device 2. Fitting container 21 Container body 211 Storage Unit 212 Upper opening 213 Flange 214 Container body side fitting part 22 Lid 221 Bulge 223 Flange 224 Lid side fitting part 3. Robot 4 hands 41 Hand body 411 Top plate 412 Bottom plate 412a long hole 412b long hole 413 Post 414 Detachable cover 42 Lid holding part 421 Suction Pad 43 Recess formation part 431 Balloon 432 Balloon Valve 44 Pressing part 441 First pressing tool 441a First pressing tool body 441b Support arm 442 Second pressing tool 442a Second pressing tool body 442b Support arm 443 First pressing actuator 444 Second pressing actuator 45 Spacing adjustment section 451 Rail 452 Slide member 453 Connecting Block 454 Spacing adjustment actuator 454a Claw part 46 Pressing force detection unit 5 Lid closing stand 6. Control device K1~K4 corner H1~H4 sides W Peripheral wall

Claims

1. A lid closing device for a fitting container, comprising a container body and a lid that closes an upper opening of the container body from above and maintains a closed state by fitting with the container body, Robots and a hand attached to the tip of the robot; a lid closing table on which the container body is placed; a control device for controlling the lid closing operation, The hand a hand body whose posture changes according to the movement of the robot; a lid holding portion provided on the hand body and capable of holding the lid; a pressing section that is provided to be displaceable relative to the hand body and that presses a lid-side fitting section, which is a fitting section on the lid side, from above based on the displacement movement and the movement of the robot, to fit the lid-side fitting section into a container body-side fitting section, which is a fitting section on the container body side; the pressing portion presses a plurality of predetermined positions of the lid-side fitting portion, the control device controls the robot and the pressing unit to press the plurality of locations of the lid-side fitting portion in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in plan view, the hand further includes a pressing force detection unit that detects the pressing force of the pressing unit, the control device determines whether the lid-side fitting portion is fitted into the container body-side fitting portion for each of the plurality of positions based on the pressing force of the pressing portion detected by the pressing force detection portion; The pressing section includes a plurality of pressing tools and a plurality of pressing actuators that operate each of the plurality of pressing tools.

2. the lid-side fitting portion has a polygonal shape in a plan view, The lid closing device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing portion presses the plurality of corners of the lid-side fitting portion in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in plan view in turn.

3. The lid-side fitting portion has a rectangular shape in a plan view, The pressing portion is a first pressing tool capable of pressing a first side of the rectangle and corners located at both ends thereof; a second pressing tool capable of pressing a third side of the rectangle parallel to the first side and corners located at both ends of the third side; a first pressing actuator that moves the first pressing tool up and down; a second pressing actuator that moves the second pressing tool up and down, The lid closing device of claim 1, wherein the control device controls the up and down movement and tilting movement of the hand body by the robot, the up and down movement of the first pressing tool by the first pressing actuator, and the up and down movement of the second pressing tool by the second pressing actuator, thereby pressing the four corners of the lid side fitting portion in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in a plan view.

4. The lid closing device according to claim 3 , wherein the hand further comprises a distance adjusting portion that adjusts the distance between the first pressing tool and the second pressing tool.

5. The lid closing device according to claim 1 , wherein the hand further comprises a recess forming portion that presses downward a central portion of the lid held by the lid holding portion, thereby elastically deforming the central portion of the lid into a recessed shape.

6. A method for closing a lid on a fitting container, which comprises a lid that is maintained in a closed state by fitting with a container body, using a lid closing device, comprising: The lid closing device includes a hand having a pressing portion, a pressing step in which the pressing part of the lid closing device presses the lid-side fitting part from above to fit it into the container body-side fitting part, In the pressing step, the pressing unit sequentially presses a plurality of predetermined positions of the lid-side fitting portion in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in a plan view, the hand further includes a pressing force detection unit that detects the pressing force of the pressing unit, and determining whether the lid-side fitting portion is fitted into the container body-side fitting portion for each of the plurality of positions based on the pressing force of the pressing portion detected by the pressing force detection portion, The lid closing method is characterized in that the pressing unit includes a plurality of pressing tools and a plurality of pressing actuators that operate each of the plurality of pressing tools.

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