Mating system, robot, and control device

Abstract

To enable fitting parts of a container and of a lid to fit to each other more surely, in making a robot perform work for closing the lid.SOLUTION: A fitting system 1 comprises a multi-joint robot 30 equipped with a suppressing mechanism 340 and a pressing mechanism 310, and a control device 40 that controls operation of the multi-joint robot 30. The control device 40 makes the multi-joint robot 30 execute: holding operation to hold a lid having a first fitting part, with the suppressing mechanism 340, to maintain a state where the first fitting part is made to approach a second fitting part that a container has; first fitting operation to press a portion to be pressed of the first fitting part by moving the pressing mechanism 310 in a first direction, while the state where the first fitting part is made to approach the second fitting part is maintained by the holding operation; and second fitting operation to press the portion to be pressed again, by moving the pressing mechanism 310 in a second direction which is different from the first direction, after executing the first fitting operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mating system, a robot, and Control equipment Place Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, mechanization has been promoted in various industries, and various tasks are being performed by robots. For example, robots are used for the task of closing containers filled with food such as prepared meals by fitting lids to the containers. Such technology relating to a robot that performs lid closing work is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7126437 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The general technology described in Patent Document 1 and the like, mentioned above, discloses that, in order to align the fitting portion of the container and the fitting portion of the lid, the lid is moved in multiple directions (for example, up and down and left and right when the lid is viewed in plan from vertically above) to achieve the alignment. Furthermore, this general technology is based on the premise that, after the alignment, if the fitting portion of the lid is pressed, the fitting portions will naturally fit together. However, the shapes of the fitting portions of the container and lid have various concave and convex shapes to take into account factors such as airtightness after the lid is closed, and even if they are aligned and then pressed, it is not necessarily the case that they will fit securely.

[0005] This problem is not limited to situations where a lid is to be closed on a container containing food, but is common to a wide variety of situations in which a robot is used to close a lid, such as in the industrial field. As described above, in the conventional technology, there is still room for improvement in terms of ensuring reliable mating when mating is performed by a robot.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to more reliably fit the fitting portions of the container and the lid together when the fitting is performed by a robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a fitting system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: A fitting system including a robot having a holding mechanism and a pressing mechanism, and a control device that controls the operation of the robot, The control device a holding operation of holding a lid having a first fitting portion with the holding mechanism to maintain a state in which the first fitting portion is close to a second fitting portion of the container; a first fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism is moved in a first direction to press a pressing target portion of the first fitting portion while the state in which the two fitting portions are brought into close proximity by the holding operation is maintained; a second fitting operation in which, after the first fitting operation, the pressing mechanism is moved in a second direction different from the first direction to press the pressing target portion again; The method is characterized in that the robot is made to execute the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when the lid closing operation is performed by a robot, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the overall configuration of a fitting system 1 according to the invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control device 40. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device 40. [Figure 4] 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a fitting member 31a attached to the tip of a hand 31. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the pressing mechanism 310 in more detail. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining in detail the structure of the pressing mechanism 310 in a state in which the first support portion 312 and the second support portion 313 are fixed. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the suppression mechanism 340 in more detail. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 under the control of the control device 40. FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 under the control of the control device 40. FIG. [Figure 10] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 under the control of the control device 40. FIG. [Figure 11] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 under the control of the control device 40. FIG. [Figure 12] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 under the control of the control device 40. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the control device 40 in Modification 1. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a plurality of functions are realized by different mechanisms in Modification 2. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a lid fitting process executed by the fitting system 1. [Figure 16]10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a lid fitting process executed by the fitting system 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment] [Overall configuration] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the entire fitting system 1 according to the present invention. The fitting system 1 in this embodiment is intended to be applied to a fitting system that fits a lid to a container that has an object served in it. In the following explanation, an example will be given in which the fitting system 1 fits a lid to a container that has food served in it as an object, thereby closing the opening of the container.

[0011] In this case, the type of food is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a staple food such as noodles or sushi, a main dish such as a meat or fish dish, a side dish such as potato salad (i.e., a prepared meal), or a bento box in which these are packed in separate areas within the container.The shapes of the container and lid are also not particularly limited, and when viewed in plan from above, the container and lid may be polygonal, such as a square or hexagonal, or may be polygonal with an arc added to it, or may be circular, such as a perfect circle or ellipse. That is, the fitting system 1 can generally perform fitting for containers and lids of various shapes that contain various foods.

[0012] 1, the fitting system 1 includes a lid supply unit 10, a container detection sensor 20, an articulated robot 30, and a control device 40. The control device 40, the lid supply unit 10, the container detection sensor 20, and the articulated robot 30 are connected to each other via wired or wireless communication, and are capable of communicating with each other.

[0013] Furthermore, adjacent to the fitting system 1, a belt conveyor 2 is installed that automatically transports containers filled with food from upstream to downstream. A pair of guide members 2A are installed on the belt conveyor 2 on the left and right sides of the containers, with the containers traveling in the forward direction. The guide members 2A have a tapered shape that narrows in width in the forward direction, and are configured to guide the containers to a predetermined position. The containers filled with food are transported at various positions on the belt conveyor 2 upstream of the guide members 2A (for example, different positions in the left-right direction), but are guided by the guide members 2A to fitting position P1, where the lids are fitted.

[0014] In this embodiment, the task of plating food in containers further upstream of the fitting system 1 may be performed manually or by a food plating robot.

[0015] The lid supply unit 10 supplies lids to the lid supply position P2, which is a position where lids are supplied to the articulated robot 30. The lid supply unit 10 stores a plurality of types of lids corresponding to a plurality of types of containers. When the fitting system 1 starts operating, the lid supply unit 10 uses a push-out mechanism provided in the lid supply unit 10 to supply lids of a shape corresponding to the containers being transported on the belt conveyor 2, one by one, to the lid supply position P2. In addition, the lid supply unit 10 supplies a new lid every time the articulated robot 30 obtains a lid to close. In addition, to ensure that the lids are reliably supplied to the lid supply position P2, a member that is open toward the lid discharge portion of the lid supply section 10 and has a concave shape when viewed in a plan view from vertically above may be installed to surround the lid supply position P2.

[0016] The container detection sensor 20 is a sensor that detects the position of a container being transported on the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensor 20 is configured, for example, by an optical sensor. The container detection sensor 20 detects, for example, that a container guided by the guide member 2A has been transported to the fitting position P1 or is about to be transported to the fitting position P1. Data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensor 20 is output to the control device 40.

[0017] The articulated robot 30 is, for example, composed of a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, and is equipped with a hand 31 that fits the lid to the container, an fitting member 31a that is attached to the tip of the hand 31 and fits the lid, and a robot arm 32 that moves the hand 31 to any position within its movable range. Furthermore, a force sensor 30A that measures a reaction force from a contact object (including a force sense obtained by contacting a surface) is installed at a joint that holds the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30, as an example of a means for detecting that the hand 31 has come into contact with a container or a lid. Data on the reaction force measured by the force sensor 30A is output to the control device 40.

[0018] Furthermore, the joint that holds the hand 31 has an axis that rotates the hand 31 in a twisting direction relative to the robot arm 32. Therefore, when the hand 31 fits the lid to the container, the direction in which the hand 31 faces the lid and the container can be adjusted by changing the orientation of the hand 31. This allows for a high degree of freedom in movement, enabling appropriate fitting.

[0019] The control device 40 is configured by an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and executes various programs to control the entire fitting system 1. For example, the control device 40 controls the operation of the lid supply unit 10 to supply lids, and the operation of the articulated robot 30 to obtain a lid from the lid supply position P2 and fit the lid to a container at the fitting position P1. More specifically, for example, the control device 40 controls the operation of moving the hand 31 to a predetermined position along a predetermined route at a predetermined speed by controlling the drive of the robot arm 32, and the operation of controlling the drive of each mechanism included in the fitting member 31a attached to the hand 31.

[0020] [Hardware configuration of the control device 40] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 40. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 711, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 712, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 713, a bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a memory unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719.

[0021] The CPU 711 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 712 or a program loaded from the storage unit 717 into the RAM 713 . The RAM 713 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 711 to execute various processes.

[0022] The CPU 711, ROM 712, and RAM 713 are connected to one another via a bus 714. To the bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a storage unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719 are connected.

[0023] The input unit 715 includes an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard, and receives input of various information to the control device 40. Note that the input unit 715 may also include a microphone, and receive input of various information by voice input from the worker. The output unit 716 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs images and sounds. The storage unit 717 is configured with a hard disk or a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various data managed by each server. The communication unit 718 controls communication with other devices via the network.

[0024] Removable media 731, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately attached to the drive 719. A program read from the removable media 731 by the drive 719 is installed in the storage unit 717 as needed. The above hardware configuration is the basic configuration of the control device 40, and it is possible to configure the control device 40 without some of the hardware, to include additional hardware, or to change the implementation form of the hardware.

[0025] [Functional configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 40 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 40. As shown in FIG. 3, by executing a program for controlling the operation of fitting system 1, a target information acquisition unit 151, a sensor information acquisition unit 152, a lid supply control unit 153, an articulated robot control unit 154, and a recording control unit 155 function in CPU 711 of control device 40. In addition, a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172 are formed in storage unit 717.

[0026] The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the fitting system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores parameters that define the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30, such as the positions of the fitting position P1 and the lid supply position P2, the movement path of the hand 31 when performing fitting, and the procedure for drive control of the fitting member 31a when performing fitting. Note that, as described above, the fitting system 1 can accommodate fitting of various types of containers and lids, and therefore a plurality of these parameters may be set corresponding to each of the various types of containers and lids.

[0027] The history DB 172 stores, as history, parameters related to control acquired when the fitting system 1 operates, or a value indicating the time required for fitting when the fitting system 1 performs fitting (for example, a value obtained by dividing the time required for multiple fittings by the number of fittings), etc. In this case, the recorded parameters related to control are used, for example, when setting a new operation pattern, etc. Furthermore, the value indicating the time required for fitting is used, for example, as an index when considering whether or not a takt time (TT) required by a user of the fitting system 1 can be met.

[0028] The target information acquisition unit 151 acquires target information, which is information about the containers and lids to be fitted. For example, the target information acquisition unit 151 acquires information such as the type of container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2, the type of lid with a corresponding shape, and information such as how many more fittings are required before the containers being transported on the belt conveyor 2 are scheduled to be changed to different types of containers. This information is acquired by the target information acquisition unit 151 when the user inputs it via the input unit 715 of the control device 40. In this case, instead of the input unit 715, for example, an input device such as a touch panel may be installed near the articulated robot 30, and the user may input this information via this input device.

[0029] The sensor information acquisition unit 152 acquires sensor information, which is information detected by various sensors installed in the fitting system 1. For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 152 acquires data on reaction forces measured by force sensors 30A installed at the joints of the articulated robot 30, and data on the position of a container detected by a container detection sensor 20 installed near the articulated robot 30.

[0030] The lid supply control unit 153 controls the lid supply unit 10 and controls the timing of supplying lids to the lid supply position P2. For example, the lid supply control unit 153 causes the lid supply unit 10 to start supplying lids when the fitting system 1 starts operating. The lid supply control unit 153 also causes the lid supply unit 10 to supply a new lid each time the articulated robot 30 acquires a lid for capping. In this case, the lid supply control unit 153 identifies the type of container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2 based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition unit 151, and causes the lid supply unit 10 to supply a lid of a shape corresponding to the identified container.

[0031] The articulated robot control unit 154 controls the operation of the articulated robot 30 and causes the articulated robot 30 to perform a series of operations for fitting a lid to a container in accordance with the operation pattern defined in the fitting system 1. For example, the articulated robot control unit 154 causes the articulated robot 30 to perform various operations, including an operation (transfer operation) of moving the hand 31 toward the fitting position P1 or the lid supply position P2, an operation (lid acquisition operation) of obtaining a lid from the lid supply position P2 by the hand 31, an operation (pushing operation) of pushing the lid into the storage space of the container by the hand 31, and an operation (fitting execution operation including a first fitting operation and a second fitting operation) of fitting the lid to the container multiple times by the hand 31 at the fitting position P1. In this case, the articulated robot control unit 154 identifies the type of container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2 based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition unit 151, and uses the operation pattern corresponding to the identified container.

[0032] The recording control unit 155 stores, in the history DB 172, parameters related to control acquired when the fitting system 1 operates, values ​​indicating the time required for fitting when the fitting system 1 performs fitting, etc. The method of utilizing this information is as described above in the explanation of the history DB 172.

[0033] [Configuration of fitting member 31a] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the fitting member 31a attached to the tip of the hand 31. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the fitting member 31a includes a pressing mechanism 310, a sliding mechanism 320, an opening / closing mechanism 330, a suppression mechanism 340, and a hand attachment unit 350. As shown in the figure, the direction in which the opening / closing mechanism 330 is disposed is defined as the forward direction, based on the longitudinal direction of the pressing unit 311 of the pressing mechanism 310. The direction in which the sliding mechanism 320 is disposed, which is opposite to the forward direction, is defined as the rearward direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in a horizontal plane, when the fitting member 31a is viewed from the rear to the front direction, is defined as the rightward direction, and the direction on the leftward side is defined as the leftward direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is defined as the vertical direction. In this case, with the vertical direction as the reference, the direction on the side where the slide mechanism 320 and the opening / closing mechanism 330 are arranged is vertically upward, and the direction on the side where the pressing mechanism 310 and the suppression mechanism 340 are arranged is vertically downward.

[0034] The pressing mechanisms 310 are arranged in pairs, one on the left and one on the right. Each of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 includes a pressing part 311 made of a flexible material such as silicon or rubber in the shape of a plate, a first support part 312 that supports the pressing part 311, and a second support part 313 that also supports the pressing part 311. When fitting the lid, the pressing mechanism 310 comes into contact with the lid by the pressing part 311, and functions as a mechanism for contacting or pressing the portion of the lid that is to be pressed. The structure of the pressing mechanism 310 will be described in more detail later with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

[0035] The slide mechanism 320 comprises a rail portion 321 having a linear groove in the left-right direction, a hook portion 322 that engages with this groove, and a connecting portion 323 that connects the second support portion 313, the hook portion 322, and the rack 333 together to connect the respective mechanisms. The slide mechanism 320 supports the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 so that they can move linearly in the left-right direction using the rail portion 321, the hook portion 322, and the connecting portion 323, and also functions as a mechanism for moving the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 closer to or farther away from each other in the left-right direction (i.e., opening and closing) in response to the linear force in the left-right direction transmitted from the opening / closing mechanism 330 via the connecting portion 323.

[0036] The opening / closing mechanism 330 includes an actuator 331 that rotates around the vertical axis, a pinion gear 332 connected to the tip of the rotating part of the actuator 331, and a pair of racks 333 that have grooves that mesh with the gears of the pinion gear 332. The pinion gear 332 and the rack 333 form a rack-and-pinion mechanism, and the rotational force generated by the rotational movement of the actuator 331 is converted into a force that moves linearly in the left-right direction by the pinion gear 332 and each of the pair of racks 333. As a result, the opening / closing mechanism 330 functions as a mechanism that drives the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 by transmitting the force that moves linearly in the left-right direction to each of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 via the connecting portion 323.

[0037] The suppression mechanism 340 is a suction pad that suctions an object by creating a vacuum in the space between the suppression mechanism 340 and the object it is in close contact with, using a connected vacuum generator (not shown). In this embodiment, the suppression mechanism 340 holds the lid by adhering to the lid as the object and adhering to it. Furthermore, the suppression mechanism 340 has a structure in which the tip that is in close contact with the lid expands and contracts in the vertical direction when the lid is fitted to the container in the vertical direction. The suppression mechanism 340 then uses this expandable tip to push the top surface of the lid toward the storage space of the container. The structure of the suppression mechanism 340 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 7.

[0038] The hand attachment part 350 is a part for attaching the entire fitting member 31a having the above-described configuration to the tip of the hand 31. The hand attachment part 350 is provided with, for example, a plurality of screw holes (not shown), and the fitting member 31a is attached to the tip of the hand 31 by threading screws into these screw holes.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining in more detail the structure of the pressing mechanism 310. Fig. 5 shows the structure of the pressing mechanism 310 as viewed in plan from vertically below.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 5(a), the pressing unit 311 has a structure in which two different shapes are combined. Specifically, in the left-right direction defined in Fig. 4 (the up-down direction on the paper surface of Fig. 5), the side where one of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 faces the other (i.e., the inner side) has a flat shape. On the other hand, in the left-right direction, the side opposite to the inner side (i.e., the outer side) has a shape in which rectangular columns extending in the vertical direction are arranged at a predetermined interval. As described above, the pressing unit 311 is made of a flexible material.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5(b), the pressing portion 311 is fitted into first support portions 312 each having a shape corresponding to the prismatic shape at each end of the pressing portion 311.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 5(c), the pressing portion 311 is supported by the second supporting portion 313 so as to be sandwiched between the first supporting portion 312. Then, as shown in Fig. 5(d), the first supporting portion 312 and the second supporting portion 313 are fixed by being screwed together with a screw. In order to properly support the pressing portion 311, the first supporting portion 312 and the second supporting portion 313 are made of a material with extremely low flexibility, such as stainless steel, which does not deform during normal use, unlike the pressing portion 311.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining in detail the structure of the pressing mechanism 310 in a state in which the first support portion 312 and the second support portion 313 are fixed.

[0044] Fig. 6(a) shows the pressing mechanism 310 as viewed from the outside as defined in Fig. 5. Fig. 6(b) shows the pressing mechanism 310 as viewed from the inside as defined in Fig. 5. Even if the pressing mechanism 310 is made of the same material, due to its structure, the planar shape of the inside of the pressing unit 311 is relatively flexible and easily deformed. In contrast, the prismatic shape of the outside of the pressing unit 311 is relatively less flexible and less easily deformed.

[0045] Therefore, when the bottom surface of pressing portion 311 (bottom surfaces of the planar shape and prismatic shape) comes into contact with some object and receives a vertical force (for example, a vertically upward force) from that object, the low flexibility of the prismatic shape affects the overall low flexibility and makes it difficult to deform. On the other hand, when the inner planar shape of pressing portion 311 comes into contact with some object and receives an outward force from that object, the planar shape bends outward due to its high flexibility, and because the prismatic shapes are spaced apart, they do not come into contact with each other and do not affect the curvature of the planar shape. This results in an overall high flexibility and easy to deform state.

[0046] FIG. 6(c) shows the pressing mechanism 310 in a plan view from vertically above in the latter case described above (when the inner planar shape of the pressing portion 311 comes into contact with some object and an outward force is applied from that object). As shown in the figure, when an outward force is applied, the planar shape curves outward due to its high flexibility, except for the portions supported by the first support portion 312 and the second support portion 313. It can be seen that the prismatic shape does not affect this curvature of the planar shape. In this embodiment, appropriate fitting is achieved by utilizing the feature that the pressing portion 311 deforms differently based on its flexibility depending on the direction of the applied force.

[0047] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining in more detail the structure of the suppression mechanism 340. Fig. 7 shows the structure of the suppression mechanism 340 as viewed from the front in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 7( a ), the suppression mechanism 340 includes a housing portion 341 , a pushing portion 342 , and a holding portion 343 .

[0048] Housing part 341 is a cylindrical housing that houses the entire pushing part 342, and the top surface of housing part 341 is fixed to the bottom surface of fitting member 31a. In addition, in the drawings, a cross section of housing part 341 is shown to clarify the configuration of pushing part 342. Push-in portion 342 supports holding portion 343 inside housing portion 341. Push-in portion 342 has an elastic body (here, a compression coil spring) that expands and contracts in the vertical direction. The holding portion 343 is a vacuum pad that adheres closely to the lid and holds the lid by suction. The holding portion 343 is inserted vertically through the center portions of the housing portion 341 and the pushing portion 342, and is connected to a vacuum generator (not shown).

[0049] As shown in Fig. 7(b), when the suppression mechanism 340 having such a configuration comes into contact with the lid, it holds the lid in a movable state by suction with the holding portion 343. Also, as shown in Fig. 7(c), during the fitting operation described below, when the lid is in close contact with the tip of the holding portion 343 (i.e., in a state where the lid is being held) and the fitting member 31a is lowered in a state where the lid is supported by the container (details will be described later), the suppression mechanism 340 is pushed vertically downward. Then, a reaction force from the lid is applied to the tip of the holding portion 343 in a direction opposite to the pushing direction (here, vertically upward), and in response, the compression coil spring, which is an elastic body, elastically deforms and contracts in the pushing direction (here, the vertical direction).

[0050] 7(d), when the fitting member 31a further descends, the pushing portion 342 of the suppression mechanism 340 further elastically deforms, and the pushed-in lid deforms due to the flexibility of the lid itself, becoming pushed in the pushing direction (here, vertically downward). In this embodiment, by utilizing such a feature that the tip of the suppression mechanism 340 expands and contracts in the vertical direction, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably when fitting in the lid closing operation. The operation and function during this mating will be further explained below.

[0051] [Mating sequence] 8 to 12 are schematic diagrams showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting that the articulated robot 30 performs based on the control of the control device 40. FIG.

[0052] FIG. 8(a) shows the container and lid in a plan view from vertically above. Food is placed in the serving area at the center of the container and lid. A fitting portion is provided around the serving area, and the opening of the container is closed by the lid by pressing the fitting portion of the container against the fitting portion of the lid and fitting the two fitting portions together. There are various fitting methods for fitting the container and lid, such as an external fitting method, an internal fitting method, and an internal / external fitting method. In this embodiment, any fitting method can be processed as long as it can be achieved by pressing the fitting portion of the lid.

[0053] 8(a) to 9, 11 and 12, which will be described below, and Fig. 13, which will be described later, are all cross-sectional views taken along line AA in Fig. 8(a). Also, Fig. 10, which will be described later, is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 8(a). First, as shown in Figure 8(b), the articulated robot 30 transfers the hand 31 to the lid supply position P2, and then lowers the fitting member 31a from above vertically until it contacts the lid supplied to the lid supply position P2. Then, the articulated robot 30 begins to hold the lid by adsorbing the lid with the suppression mechanism 340. Then, the articulated robot 30 transfers the hand 31 to the fitting position P1 while still holding the lid.

[0054] Next, as shown in Figure 8(c), the articulated robot 30 lowers the fitting member 31a vertically from above onto the container being transported to fitting position P1 by the belt conveyor 2. In this case, the bottom surface of the fitting portion of the lid comes into contact with the top surface of the fitting portion of the container. However, because the pressing mechanism 310 has not yet performed pressing, the fitting portions have not yet mated with each other. As a result, the fitting portions of the lid at both ends are supported vertically from below by the container.

[0055] Next, as shown in FIG. 9(d), the articulated robot 30 further lowers the fitting member 31a from vertically above relative to the container. Here, as described above, the fitting portions of the lid at both ends are supported vertically below by the container. Therefore, both ends of the lid do not move vertically downward any further. In contrast, the central region of the lid is not supported like the both ends of the lid. Therefore, as the suppression mechanism 340 pushes the central region of the lid vertically downward, the central region of the lid deforms and becomes pushed toward the storage space of the container (i.e., the side where food is served).

[0056] 9(e), while holding the lid with the suppression mechanism 340, the articulated robot 30 continues to push the lid with the suppression mechanism 340, thereby maintaining a state in which the lid is pushed toward the storage space and the fitting portion of the lid is close to the fitting portion of the container. Then, while this pushed state is maintained, the articulated robot 30 drives the actuator 331 to horizontally move each of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 in a direction approaching the center portion of the horizontal surface of the container (i.e., inward), thereby bringing the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 closer to each other and causing the pressing portion 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 to abut against a portion of the side surface of the lid vertically above the fitting portion (hereinafter referred to as the "contact target portion").

[0057] As described above with reference to Fig. 6, when the planar inner shape of the pressing portion 311 comes into contact with some object (here, the contact target portion of the lid) and a force (here, a reaction force from the contact target portion of the lid) is applied from the object in the outward direction opposite the inward direction, the pressing portion 311 is characterized by bending outward due to the relatively high flexibility of the planar shape. Therefore, due to its flexibility, the pressing portion 311 bends into a shape that follows the shape of the outer periphery of the contact target portion when the lid and the pressing portion 311 are viewed in a plan view from vertically above. That is, in this embodiment, the shape of the horizontal plane of the container (i.e., the shape viewed in a plan view from vertically above) itself is used to deform the pressing mechanism 310 into a shape that follows this shape. Accordingly, the pressing portion 311 is deformed into a shape that fits the portion that is located vertically below the contact target portion of the lid and that needs to be pressed for fitting (hereinafter referred to as the "press target portion").

[0058] 9(f), the articulated robot 30 causes the pressing unit 311 of the pressing mechanism 310, which is in a deformed state due to the deformation operation, to press the pressing target portion, which should be pressed to fit the fitting portion of the lid, vertically downward. The position of the pressing target portion differs depending on the container, but typically the pressing target portion is the portion vertically above the fitting portion of the lid.

[0059] As will be described in detail below, in this embodiment, while the state in which the fitting portion of the lid is brought close to the fitting portion of the container is maintained by the suppression mechanism 340, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a predetermined direction (hereinafter referred to as the "first direction") to perform an operation of pressing the pressing target portion of the lid (hereinafter referred to as the "first fitting operation"). The above fitting operation described with reference to Figure 9(f) corresponds to this first fitting operation. Furthermore, in this embodiment, after performing this first fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a direction different from the first direction (hereinafter referred to as the "second direction") to perform an operation of pressing the pressing target portion again (hereinafter referred to as the "second fitting operation").

[0060] As a result, after moving and pressing in a first direction in the first mating operation, the mating portions of the container and lid can be mated together by moving and pressing in a different direction, i.e., a second direction, in the second mating operation. Therefore, even if the mating portions have various uneven shapes taking into account factors such as airtightness after the lid is closed, gaps between the mating portions can be eliminated as much as possible, allowing for more reliable mating. For example, even if the mating in the first mating operation is insufficient, the second mating operation can achieve more reliable mating. Or, even if the mating in the first mating operation was not successful in the first place, the second mating operation can achieve more reliable mating.

[0061] Here, there is no particular limitation on which directions the first direction and the second direction are, but in this embodiment, as an example, the first direction will be described assuming that it is vertically downward as described above. In this case, the second direction may be any direction different from vertically downward, and may be, for example, a direction in a horizontal plane such as leftward, rightward, forward, or backward, or may be vertically upward. Alternatively, the second direction may be a direction that includes both a vertical component such as vertically upward or vertically downward, and a horizontal component such as left or right. In other words, it may be a diagonal direction. Furthermore, the second direction may be a direction in which the trajectory of the movement is a straight line or a curved line. For example, it may be a direction in which the trajectory of the movement is an arc based on a rotational movement. In addition, the second direction may be a single direction, or may be multiple directions based on, for example, a reciprocating movement. Furthermore, as described above, the first direction being vertically downward is merely an example, and any of the various directions described above may be the first direction.

[0062] That is, in this embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are different, and it is only necessary that the pressing mechanism 310 moving in these different directions can perform pressing in different ways. Therefore, any direction can be selected as the first direction or the second direction, taking into consideration various factors such as the shape, size, and material properties of the container and lid to be fitted.

[0063] Next, the second fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in various second directions to press the pressing target portion again will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 10(a) shows the state of the container and the lid after the first fitting operation is performed as shown in Fig. 9(f). Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of Fig. 8(a), and is a plan view of the container and the pressing mechanism 310 in the longitudinal direction.

[0064] First, in the first fitting operation, pressing is performed by moving the pressing mechanism 310 vertically downward. In this case, if the positional relationship between the container and the lid is appropriate, the fitting portions of the container and the lid will fit together by the first fitting operation. For example, if the container and the lid are both horizontal and the fitting portions of the container and the lid are accurately aligned, the fitting portions of the container and the lid will fit together by the first fitting operation. However, in reality, when the first mating operation is performed, these positional relationships may be misaligned. Furthermore, the shape of the mating portion may be complex, making it difficult to achieve mating by simply moving and pressing in one direction. In these cases, even if the first mating operation is performed, mating may be insufficient or may not occur at all. For example, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the lid may be tilted, resulting in an insufficient mating state in which part of the mating portion of the lid is floating. Therefore, in order to more reliably fit such a container and lid together, a second fitting operation is performed as described below.

[0065] For example, as shown in FIG. 10(b-1), while the pressing mechanism 310 remains in contact with the pressing target portion, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in the second direction to press the pressing target portion again, thereby performing the second fitting operation. In this case, the pressing mechanism 310 is reciprocated in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction on the paper) as the second direction while keeping the bottom surface of the pressing mechanism 310 in contact with the pressing target portion in the horizontal direction, so that the tilt of the lid is corrected. In other words, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved so as to swing back and forth. Note that, including the following explanation, swinging does not only mean simple movement in a certain direction, but may also include, for example, a movement in which the mechanism moves while slightly vibrating. For example, it may include a movement in which the mechanism moves in the front-to-back direction while slightly vibrating in the vertical direction.

[0066] This allows the pressing mechanism 310 to perform pressing while converting the force that moves in the second direction (here, the front-to-rear direction) into a force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to engage the portions. This engaging force includes not only a linear force that acts vertically from above to below, but also a force that acts in an oblique direction. Therefore, unlike the first engaging operation, which only presses vertically downward, it is possible to use forces that act in a variety of directions to engage the portions in a manner that eliminates gaps between the engaging portions in various directions.

[0067] In this case, a relatively stronger pressing force is applied to the portion of the fitting portion of the lid that is floating vertically upward due to the tilt than to the other portions. This allows the floating and insufficiently fitted portion to be fitted more reliably. In particular, in this embodiment, the pressing portion 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 is flexible. Therefore, it can deform into a shape that fits the floating portion of the fitting portion of the lid, and apply a strong fitting force. Furthermore, since the pressing portion 311 is subjected to a force that tries to restore it to its original shape, this force can further apply a fitting force.

[0068] 10 and 12 described later, suppression mechanism 340 is not shown to clarify the positional relationship between pressing mechanism 310 and the container and lid, but it is assumed that suppression mechanism 340 continues to hold and push in the second fitting operation. However, this is not limiting, and the holding and pushing by suppression mechanism 340 may be terminated when the first fitting operation is completed, and the second fitting operation may then be performed.

[0069] 10(b-2), the second fitting operation may be performed by reciprocating the pressing mechanism 310 in the front-to-back direction (the left-to-right direction on the paper) as the second direction while keeping the bottom surface of the pressing mechanism 310 in contact with the pressing target portion in a slightly tilted direction that matches the tilt of the lid so that the tilt of the lid is corrected. In other words, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved so as to swing back and forth.

[0070] 10(b-1), pressing can be performed while converting the force of the pressing mechanism 310 moving in the second direction (here, the front-to-rear direction) into a force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to engage the pressing target portion. In this case, as in FIG. 10(b-1), a relatively stronger pressing force acts on the portion of the engaging portion of the lid that is floating vertically upward due to the inclination than on the other portions. In particular, in this example, even if the entire pressing portion 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 is made of a material with low flexibility and is hardly deformed, the second engaging operation can be achieved as long as the material is such that friction between the pressing portion 311 and the pressing target portion can be ensured.

[0071] 10, a case has been described in which the right portion of the fitting portion of the lid is raised in the plane of the drawing and the pressing mechanism 310 moves in the right direction in the plane of the drawing to more securely fit this portion, but this is merely an example. In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 also moves in the left direction in the plane of the drawing, so that even if the left portion of the fitting portion of the lid is raised in the plane of the drawing, this portion can be more securely fitted. Furthermore, by such reciprocating motion, even if the center portion of the fitting portion of the lid is raised in the plane of the drawing, this portion can be more securely fitted.

[0072] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of deformation of the bottom surface portion of the pressing part 311 accompanying the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 8(a), and is a plan view of the direction (i.e., the short side direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the container and pressing mechanism 310 in the horizontal plane.

[0073] As shown in Figure 11(a), when the positional relationship between the container and the lid is appropriate and the first fitting operation is performed appropriately, the pressing portion 311 does not deform because the rectangular column shape of the above-mentioned pressing portion 311 has a relatively low flexibility in the vertical direction. 11(b), if the positional relationship between the container and the lid is inappropriate, for example, if the lid is tilted relative to the container when the first fitting operation is performed, the pressing portion 311 will deform outward and roll up due to the relatively high outward flexibility of the planar shape of the pressing portion 311. This deformation is not limited to when the first fitting operation is performed, but can also occur when the second fitting operation is performed as shown in FIG.

[0074] When the cover is deformed in this way, only a portion of the bottom surface of the pressing portion 311 comes into contact with the portion of the lid to be pressed, and the fitting force acts only on this portion. Therefore, even if the first fitting operation or the second fitting operation is continued in this state, it will be difficult to properly fit the portion to be pressed. Therefore, as a second fitting operation, the pressing portion 311 is moved vertically upward or diagonally upward from the vertical, which is a second direction different from the first direction, vertically downward. As a result, the pressing portion 311 is released from the state where it is pressed by the lid. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the pressing portion 311 returns to its original shape by a restoring force based on the flexibility of the pressing portion 311.

[0075] In this way, by moving the pressing portion 311 again vertically downward or diagonally vertically downward while it is restoring itself to its original shape, the force of the pressing portion 311 moving again can be converted into a force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to engage the pressing portion. This engaging force includes not only a linear force from vertically upward to downward, but also a force that acts diagonally as the pressing portion 311 returns to its original shape while restoring to its original shape. Therefore, unlike the first engaging operation where the pressing portion 311 is pressed only vertically downward, forces that act in a variety of directions can be used to engage the mating portions in a manner that eliminates gaps in various directions.

[0076] Furthermore, by combining this second mating operation that takes into account the state in the short direction with the second mating operation that takes into account the state in the long direction as shown in Figure 10 (i.e., performing two second mating operations in different second directions in sequence), more reliable mating can be achieved. In particular, since it is difficult to predict how the mating portions of the container and lid will be mated in the first mating operation, and various situations can be envisaged, performing the two second mating operations sequentially in this manner is preferable for ensuring more reliable mating.

[0077] FIG. 12 shows an example of the second fitting operation that is performed by utilizing the characteristics of the pressing portion 311 as shown in FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 12(a-1), for the second fitting operation, the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 are moved once in a second direction (for example, vertically upward or diagonally upward from the vertical), and then the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 are moved vertically downward or diagonally downward from the vertical again. In other words, the pressing mechanisms 310 are moved so as to swing up and down, with a direction including vertically upward or diagonally upward from the vertical being the second direction. This allows for more reliable fitting by utilizing not only the force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to fit, but also the force acting in a diagonal direction as the pressing portion 311 restores inward during its restoration, as described above with reference to FIG. 11.

[0078] Alternatively, for example, in a case where the fitting member 31a can be rotated around a portion of the hand 31 that functions as a joint, as shown in FIG. 12(b-2), the fitting member 31a is rotated for the second mating operation, with the trajectory of movement due to the rotational movement being the second direction. That is, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved like a pendulum swinging about the rotational axis. This also allows for more reliable mating by utilizing not only the force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to mating, but also the diagonal force that acts as the pressing portion 311 returns to its original position during restoration. Furthermore, in this case, the force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to mating is a force based on the rotational movement. Therefore, unlike the case where the pressing target portion is pressed only vertically downward as in the first mating operation, the force acting in various directions can be used to matingly eliminate gaps between the mating portions in various directions.

[0079] Alternatively, for example, when the pair of fitting members 31a can be driven independently, as shown in FIG. 12(b-3), one of the pressing mechanisms 310 (the pressing mechanism 310 on the left side of the drawing) continues to press the pressing target portion. Then, for the second fitting operation, the other pressing mechanism 310 (the pressing mechanism 310 on the right side of the drawing) is moved once in a second direction (e.g., vertically upward or diagonally upward from the vertical), and then this pressing mechanism 310 is moved vertically downward or diagonally downward from the vertical again. In other words, one of the pressing mechanisms 310 is moved so as to swing up and down, with a direction including vertically upward or diagonally upward from the vertical as the second direction. This also allows for more reliable fitting by utilizing not only the force that presses the pressing target portion vertically downward to fit, but also the diagonal force that acts as the pressing portion 311 returns to its original position during restoration. Furthermore, in this case, since each of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 performs pressing in a different way, unlike the first mating operation which only presses vertically downward, it is possible to use forces acting in a variety of directions to perform mating so as to eliminate gaps between mating portions in various directions. Note that in this case, the pressing mechanisms 310 which perform the second mating operation are swapped so that after one pressing mechanism 310 performs the second mating operation, the other pressing mechanism 310 performs the second mating operation.

[0080] 12, the right-hand portion of the lid fitting portion is raised, and the right-hand pressing mechanism 310 on the page presses this portion more securely, but this is merely an example. The left-hand pressing mechanism 310 on the page similarly performs the second fitting operation, so that even if the left-hand portion of the lid fitting portion is raised, this portion can be fitted more securely.

[0081] 10 to 12 is merely an example, and the second fitting operation can be realized by various other methods suited to the container and the lid. Furthermore, the second fitting operation by these various methods can also be performed in appropriate combination.

[0082] Then, when the second fitting operation is completed, the articulated robot 30 stops suction by the suppression mechanism 340 and ends holding of the lid by the suppression mechanism 340. This completes the series of operations during fitting by the fitting system 1. After that, the articulated robot 30 rises to release the fitted container, but during this rise, the pressing mechanism 310 may be opened left and right once to stop contact with the contact target portion before rising, so that the fitted lid does not come off again.

[0083] A series of operations during fitting by the fitting system 1 has been described above. This series of operations provides, for example, the following effects. First, in such a fitting operation, the contact target portion and the pressing target portion usually have similar shapes when viewed vertically from above, but are spaced apart due to their different sizes. Therefore, it is not the planar shape of the pressing portion 311 that contacts the contact target portion but the prismatic shape of the pressing portion 311 that is spaced outward from this planar shape that presses the pressing target portion. Here, as described above with reference to FIG. 6 , when the bottom surface of the prismatic shape of the pressing portion 311 comes into contact with some object (here, the pressing target portion of the lid) and a vertically upward force (here, a reaction force from the pressing target portion of the lid) is applied from the object, the prismatic shape is characterized by its low flexibility and therefore being less likely to deform. Therefore, the pressing portion 311 can perform pressing without deformation. Furthermore, due to the contact with the contact target portion described above, the pressing portion 311, including its prismatic shape, is deformed into a shape that fits the pressing target portion. Therefore, the pressing portion 311 can press the entire pressing target portion evenly with a uniform force, and the mating portions of the lid and the container can be more reliably mated with each other.

[0084] Furthermore, by continuing to push the lid in the first and second fitting operations using the suppression mechanism 340, the lid remains pushed toward the storage space. This reduces the space closed by the container and the lid, allowing the lid to be fitted while removing air. This reduces the amount of air flowing into the container, preventing the container and lid from expanding after closing. Furthermore, by preventing expansion, the container and lid can be fitted more securely together.

[0085] In this way, in the series of operations involved in mating using the mating system 1, by taking advantage of the characteristic that the way in which the pressing portion 311 deforms based on its flexibility differs depending on the direction of the force applied, the deformation occurs with relatively high flexibility when deforming, and the pressing can be performed with relatively low flexibility without deformation when pressing. This allows the pressing mechanism 310 to be shaped to fit the fitting portion of the container or lid to be fitted, and then press appropriately. This makes it possible to fit multiple types of lids and containers. Therefore, for example, in a situation where containers of different shapes must be fitted on a single production line, fitting can be achieved without changing the member used to close the lid. Furthermore, this deformation can be achieved by utilizing the physical property of the pressing mechanism 310, namely, flexibility. Therefore, in the above-mentioned situation, it is possible to cope with the situation without having to make detailed adjustments to the control method of the articulated robot 30. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, fitting can be performed more generally for various fitting objects.

[0086] Furthermore, in the series of operations involved in fitting by fitting system 1, the feature that the tip of suppression mechanism 340 expands and contracts vertically is utilized to reduce the space closed by the container and lid, allowing fitting while evacuating air. This reduces the amount of air flowing into the container, making it possible to suppress bulging of the container and lid after closure. Furthermore, suppressing bulging allows for a more secure fitting of the container and lid. Furthermore, with the fitting system 1, there is no need to perform complicated processes such as alternately pressing using multiple independently drivable pressing members. Therefore, for example, fitting can be completed with a single pressing, thereby reducing the working time. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably.

[0087] In particular, according to the fitting system 1, after moving and pressing in a first direction in the first fitting operation, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together by moving and pressing in a different direction, i.e., a second direction, in the second fitting operation. This allows for more reliable fitting, eliminating gaps between the fitting portions as much as possible, even for fitting portions with various concave and convex shapes that take into account factors such as airtightness after the lid is closed. For example, even if the fitting in the first fitting operation is insufficient, the second fitting operation can achieve more reliable fitting. Or, even if the first fitting operation did not achieve proper fitting, the second fitting operation can achieve more reliable fitting. In this way, the mating system 1 takes into consideration the problem that was not even anticipated in conventional technology, that is, "moving and pressing in a certain direction does not necessarily result in a secure mating," and further solves this problem. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably.

[0088] Furthermore, according to the fitting system 1, the pressing mechanism 310 is swung in the second direction to press the pressing target portion again. This allows the mating portions of the container and the lid to be more reliably fitted together by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 (for example, by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 to cause it to move back and forth in the second direction, or by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 to vibrate).

[0089] Furthermore, according to the mating system 1, as shown in Figures 10(b-1) and 10(b-2), in the second mating operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in the second direction while maintaining contact with the portion to be pressed, thereby pressing the portion to be pressed again. This allows the pressing mechanism 310 to perform pressing while converting the force of moving in the second direction into a force that presses the pressing target portion.

[0090] Furthermore, according to the mating system 1, as shown in Figures 12(a-2) and 10(a-3), in the second mating operation, the pressing target portion is pressed again by pressing the first region of the pressing target portion and pressing the second region of the pressing target portion at different times. This allows pressing to be performed in a different way by distributing the pressing force to a plurality of pressing target portions, rather than pressing the same pressure uniformly.

[0091] Furthermore, according to the mating system 1, by performing the second mating operation in a plurality of ways, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a second direction different from the first direction, in a plurality of second directions, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again. This allows, for example, pressing to be performed from a direction suitable for the pressing target portion to be pressed again.

[0092] Furthermore, according to the fitting system 1, as shown in FIG. 12(a-2), the pressing mechanism 310 is rotated around the hand 31 supporting the pressing mechanism 310 as the rotation axis, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again. This allows the pressing force to be applied in various directions by utilizing the regularity of the rotational movement.

[0093] Furthermore, according to the fitting system 1, as shown in FIG. 12, the pressing mechanism 310 presses the pressing target portion again without swinging it in the horizontal direction. As a result, even if, for example, the frictional force between the belt conveyor 2 and the bottom surface of the container is low and the container moves on the belt conveyor 2 when the pressing mechanism 310 is swung horizontally, causing the container to deviate from the fitting position P1 where the lid is fitted, the container can be kept at the fitting position P1. Therefore, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably.

[0094] [Effect] 13 and 14 are schematic diagrams for explaining the action of a series of operations relating to fitting by the fitting system 1 described above.

[0095] FIG. 13(A) shows the state of a container closed by a lid after mating when the mating portions on both ends of the lid are simultaneously mated with the mating portions of the container using conventional technology. Note that this is shown solely for comparison with the present embodiment and does not represent the state when mating is performed according to the present embodiment. Without an operation like the second mating operation of the present embodiment, the mating portions may not be mated securely, resulting in insufficient mating. Furthermore, without an operation like the pushing operation of the present embodiment, mating occurs while air is still inside the container. As shown in the figure, the internal air pushes the lid outward, resulting in a bulging container or lid after mating. If the container or lid swells in this way, the mating portions also deform as the container or lid swells, resulting in insufficient mating, and the lid can easily come off when an external force is applied.

[0096] In contrast, Figure 13(B) shows the state of the container closed with the lid after the first fitting operation is performed as described above in this embodiment, followed by the second fitting operation. As described above, in this embodiment, the second fitting operation more securely fits the fitting portions together. Also, in this embodiment, the fitting is performed in a state in which the suppression mechanism 340 pushes the central region of the lid toward the storage space of the container. This reduces the space closed by the container and the lid, allowing the fitting to be performed while removing air. Therefore, as shown in the figure, bulging of the container and the lid after closing can be suppressed. Furthermore, suppressing bulging prevents deformation of the fitting portion, allowing the container and the lid to fit more securely. As described above, it is clear that the present embodiment can more reliably fit the fitting portions of the container and the lid together compared to the general technology.

[0097] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a modified example in which pressing portion 311 of pressing mechanism 310 is brought into contact with the contact target portion. Fig. 14 shows pressing mechanism 310, the container, and the lid before and after deformation, as viewed vertically from above. 14A and 14B, the pressing mechanism 310 before deformation has a length in the longitudinal direction that is equal to or greater than the contact target portion and the pressing target portion. That is, the pressing mechanism 310 before deformation is relatively long in the longitudinal direction. This makes it possible to press the entire pressing target portion regardless of the size of the lid or container.

[0098] 14(A) and 14(B), the contact target portion and the pressing target portion have a shape that includes an arc shape. After deformation, the pressing mechanism 310 is deformed so that at least a portion thereof is curved to conform to this arc shape. This allows appropriate pressing to be performed on containers and lids that include an arc shape, such as those often used for containers and lids for serving food. 14(A) and 14(B) show examples of a rectangular container with arc-shaped corners and a circular container that is a perfect circle with arc-shaped corners, but the objects to be deformed by pressing mechanism 310 are not limited to these. For example, pressing mechanism 310 can also be deformed for a polygonal container such as a hexagon that does not have arc-shaped corners.

[0099] [Overall operation] Next, the overall operation of the fitting system 1 will be described. 15 and 16 are flowcharts showing the flow of the lid fitting process executed by the fitting system 1. The lid fitting process is started, for example, when a user performs an operation to start the lid fitting process.

[0100] 15, when the lid fitting process is started, in S11, the articulated robot control unit 154 prepares to fit the lid to the container by reading operation data (operation pattern data, etc.) for executing a series of operations in the lid fitting process from the parameter storage unit 171. At this time, the articulated robot control unit 154 reads the operation pattern corresponding to the container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2.

[0101] In step S12, the lid supply control unit 153 controls the lid supply unit 10 to supply a lid corresponding to the container currently being transported by the belt conveyor 2 to the lid supply position P2. In step S13, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the lid supply position P2 in accordance with the operation pattern data.

[0102] In step S14, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the restraining mechanism 340 to suck and hold the lid. In step S15, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether the container detection sensor 20 has detected that the container has been transported to the fitting position P1 or is about to be transported to the fitting position P1. If it has been detected, the determination in step S15 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if it has not been detected, the determination in step S15 is No, and the determination in step S15 continues.

[0103] In step S16, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the fitting position P1 in accordance with the data of the operation pattern. In step S17, the articulated robot control unit 154 uses the tip portion of the restraining mechanism 340 to push in the central region of the lid supported by the container. In step S18, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the fitting member 31a to bring the pressing mechanism 310 into contact with the contact target portion, thereby deforming the pressing portion 311.

[0104] Moving to FIG. 16, in step S19, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the engaging member 31a to perform a first engaging operation by pressing the pressing target portion in a first direction (here, vertically downward) using the pressing portion 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 in a deformed state. In step S20, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the engaging member 31a to perform the first engaging operation by pressing the pressing target portion in the second direction with the pressing portion 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 in a deformed state.

[0105] In step S21, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether or not to further execute a different second fitting operation from another second direction. If the second fitting operation is to be further executed, the determination in step S21 is Yes, and the process returns to step S20. Then, in this step S20, a different second fitting operation is further executed from another second direction. On the other hand, if the second fitting operation is not to be further executed, the determination in step S21 is No, and the process proceeds to step S22. In step S22, when the container and the lid are fitted together by the pressing forces in the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the suppression mechanism 340 to end holding of the lid and raises the hand 31. This achieves fitting of the container and the lid.

[0106] In step S23, the recording control unit 155 stores, in the history DB 172, control parameters acquired when the fitting system 1 is operating, values ​​indicating the time required for fitting when the fitting system 1 performs fitting, and the like.

[0107] In step S24, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether the conditions for ending the lid fitting process have been met. In this case, the conditions for ending the lid fitting process can be defined as the fact that lids have been fitted to the planned number of containers, or that the user has performed an operation to end the lid fitting process, etc. If the conditions for ending the lid fitting process are not met, step S24 is judged as No and the process proceeds to step S25. On the other hand, if the conditions for ending the lid fitting process are met, step S24 is judged as Yes and the lid fitting process ends.

[0108] In step S25, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether there has been a change in the container and lid to be fitted together, based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition unit 151. If there has been a change, the result of step S25 is Yes, and the process returns to step S11 shown in FIG. 15. The articulated robot control unit 154 then reads a new operation pattern corresponding to the changed container and lid, and performs step S12 and subsequent steps again in accordance with the newly read operation pattern. On the other hand, if there has been no change, the result of step S25 is No, and the process returns to step S12 shown in FIG. The articulated robot control unit 154 then performs step S12 and subsequent steps again in accordance with the read operation pattern.

[0109] As described above, according to the fitting system 1 of this embodiment, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably when the lid closing operation is performed by the articulated robot 30. In addition, the fitting system 1 of this embodiment also has various effects as described above in the explanation with reference to the drawings.

[0110] [Variation 1] In the above-described embodiment, the articulated robot control unit 154 can control the articulated robot 30 to start pushing the lid, start contacting the contact target portion, start pressing the pressure target portion in the first fitting operation or the second fitting operation, or end these operations, based on data on the reaction force from the container or the lid measured by the force sensor 30A (i.e., the detection result of contact with the container or the lid), for example. The present invention is not limited to this, and other control methods may also be used.

[0111] For example, if the width and height of the container and lid are accurately known as data and the articulated robot 30 can be driven with higher precision, the articulated robot 30 may be controlled based only on the data on the width and height of the container and lid. Alternatively, if the cost of installing a camera is not an issue, an image of the lid and container at the fitting position P1 may be taken with a camera (i.e., an imaging device). The image taken by the imaging device may then be analyzed in real time, and the articulated robot 30 may be controlled based on the analysis results.

[0112] [Variation 2] In the above-described embodiment, the pressing portion 311 has a configuration that combines a planar shape with a prismatic shape. Taking advantage of the high flexibility of the planar shape, the pressing portion 311 is deformed, for example, to be curved outward. However, the pressing portion 311 is not limited to this, and may be configured in any shape that allows appropriate pressing, and does not necessarily have to be deformable. Even in this case, it is possible to achieve pushing using at least the suppression mechanism 340, etc., and this has the effect of more reliably fitting the mating portions of the container and lid together.

[0113] [Variation 3] In the above-described embodiment, during the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation, the lid is held by the pushing portion 342 of the suppression mechanism 340 and pushed in the direction of the container storage space. However, this is not limiting, and for example, if the container or the lid has low flexibility and is difficult to expand, the pushing portion 342 of the suppression mechanism 340 may not push in the lid. In this case, it is only necessary to provide a mechanism that corresponds to the function of the holding portion 343 in place of the suppression mechanism 340, and the device configuration can be simplified. This modified example may be further modified. For example, if the worker, who is the user of fitting system 1, is able to hold the lid, the holding portion 343 of suppression mechanism 340 may not hold the lid. That is, the worker may hold the lid to keep the fitting portion of the lid close to the fitting portion of the container, while articulated robot 30 performs the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation. In this case, the suppression mechanism 340 itself can be omitted, and the device configuration can be further simplified. It should be noted that the above-described Modifications 1 to 3 can also be combined appropriately to form separate modifications.

[0114] [Configuration example] As described above, the fitting system 1 in this embodiment includes the articulated robot 30 including the suppression mechanism 340 and the pressing mechanism 310, and the control device 40 that controls the operation of the articulated robot 30. The control device 40 a holding operation of holding the lid having the first fitting portion with the suppression mechanism 340, thereby maintaining a state in which the first fitting portion is close to the second fitting portion of the container; a first fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a first direction to press the pressing target portion of the first fitting portion while the state in which the two fittings are brought into close proximity by the holding operation is maintained; a second fitting operation in which, after the first fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a second direction different from the first direction to press the pressing target portion again; The articulated robot 30 executes the above. This allows the mating portions to move in one direction and then press further in another direction. Therefore, even if the mating portions have various concave and convex shapes in consideration of airtightness after the lid is closed, gaps between the mating portions can be eliminated as much as possible, allowing for more reliable mating. For example, even if the mating is insufficient in the first mating operation, the second mating operation can achieve a more reliable mating. Or, even if the mating is not achieved in the first place in the first mating operation, the second mating operation can achieve a more reliable mating. In this way, the mating system 1 takes into consideration the problem that was not even anticipated in conventional technology, that is, "moving and pressing in a certain direction does not necessarily result in a secure mating," and further solves this problem. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, the fitting portions of the container and the lid can be fitted together more reliably.

[0115] In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is swung in the second direction to press the pressing target portion again. This allows the mating portions of the container and the lid to be more reliably fitted together by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 (for example, by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 to cause it to move back and forth in the second direction, or by rocking the pressing mechanism 310 to vibrate).

[0116] In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in the second direction while maintaining contact with the pressing target portion, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again. This allows the pressing mechanism 310 to perform pressing while converting the force of moving in the second direction into a force that presses the pressing target portion.

[0117] In the second fitting operation, the pressing target portion is pressed again by pressing the first region of the pressing target portion and pressing the second region of the pressing target portion at different timings. This allows pressing to be performed in a different way by distributing the pressing force to a plurality of pressing target portions, rather than pressing the same pressure uniformly.

[0118] In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is moved in a second direction different from the first direction, in a plurality of second directions, to press the pressing target portion again. This allows, for example, pressing to be performed from a direction suitable for the pressing target portion to be pressed again.

[0119] In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism 310 is rotated around the support portion that supports the pressing mechanism 310 as the rotation axis, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again. This allows the pressing force to be applied in various directions by utilizing the regularity of the rotational movement.

[0120] The control device 40 While the state where the pressing mechanism 310 is brought into close proximity by the holding operation is maintained, the articulated robot 30 is further caused to perform a deformation operation in which the pressing mechanism 310 having flexibility is deformed by utilizing the flexibility so that the shape of the pressing mechanism 310 is adapted to the shape of the pressing target portion; The pressing mechanism 310 in the deformed state caused by the deformation operation causes the articulated robot 30 to perform at least one of the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation. This allows the fitting portions of the container and the lid to be fitted together more reliably with a shape that matches the portion to be pressed.

[0121] The above-described embodiment and modifications are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments that realize the functions of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the present invention has been described as being applied to a fitting system for fitting a lid onto a container containing food, but the present invention can be applied to systems for fitting various objects, such as various systems in the industrial field that use robots to perform fitting operations. Furthermore, the examples described in the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate to implement the present invention. The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. In other words, the functional configuration in Fig. 3 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient for the fitting system 1 to be provided with a function that can execute the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Fig. 3. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

[0122] When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs that make up the software are installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0123] The storage medium for storing the program may be a removable medium distributed separately from the device itself, or may be a storage medium pre-installed in the device itself. Removable media may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. Optical disks may be, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), or Blu-ray Discs (registered trademarks). Magneto-optical disks may be, for example, MDs (Mini-Disks). Flash memories may be, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories or SD cards. Storage media pre-installed in the device itself may be, for example, a ROM or hard disk on which the program is stored.

[0124] In this specification, the steps describing the program to be recorded on the recording medium include not only processes that are performed chronologically in accordance with the order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically but are performed in parallel or individually. In addition, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall device that is made up of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

[0125] The above-described embodiment shows an example of application of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention can be modified in various ways, such as by omission or substitution, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and various embodiments other than the above-described embodiment can be adopted. The various embodiments and modifications that the present invention can adopt are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1 fitting system, 2 belt conveyor, 2A guide member, 10 lid supply unit, 20 container detection sensor, 30 articulated robot, 30A force sensor, 31 hand, 31a, 31a-1 fitting member, 32 robot arm, 40 control device, 151 object information acquisition unit, 152 sensor information acquisition unit, 153 lid supply control unit, 154 articulated robot control unit, 155 recording control unit, 171 parameter storage unit, 172 history database (history DB), 310 pressing mechanism, 311 pressing unit, 312 first support unit, 313 second support unit, 320 slide mechanism, 321 rail unit, 322 hook unit, 323 connecting unit, 330 opening / closing mechanism, 331 actuator, 332 pinion gear, 333 rack, 340 suppression mechanism, 341 housing unit, 342 Pushing unit, 343 holding unit, 350 hand mounting unit, 711 CPU, 712 ROM, 713 RAM, 714 bus, 715 input unit, 716 output unit, 717 storage unit, 718 communication unit, 719 drive, 731 removable media

Claims

1. A fitting system including a robot having a holding mechanism and a pressing mechanism, and a control device that controls the operation of the robot, wherein the fitting system is configured to fit a lid having a first fitting portion that is compatible with an internal fitting method or an internal / external fitting method, and a container having a second fitting portion that is compatible with the same method as the first fitting portion, The control device a holding operation of holding the lid with the holding mechanism to maintain a state in which the first fitting portion is close to the second fitting portion of the container; a first fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism is moved in a first direction to press a pressing target portion of the first fitting portion while the state in which the fitting portions are brought into close proximity by the holding operation is maintained; a second fitting operation in which, after the first fitting operation, the pressing mechanism is moved in a second direction different from the first direction to press the pressing target portion again; The fitting system is characterized in that the robot performs fitting by two different fitting operations.

2. In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism is swung in the second direction to press the pressing target portion again. The mating system of claim 1 .

3. the lid has a top surface portion and the first fitting portion, The pressing target portion of the first fitting portion is located around the top surface portion and is at a different height from the top surface portion.

3. The fitting system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism is moved in the second direction while maintaining contact with the pressing target portion, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again.

3. The fitting system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. In the first fitting operation, the first direction is a vertical direction, and the pressing mechanism is moved vertically downward to press a pressing target portion of the first fitting portion.

5. The mating system according to claim 1 or 4.

6. In the second fitting operation, the pressing target portion is pressed again by pressing the first region of the pressing target portion and pressing the second region of the pressing target portion at different timings.

3. The fitting system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism is moved in a second direction different from the first direction, and in a plurality of second directions, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again.

3. The fitting system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. In the second fitting operation, the pressing mechanism is rotated around a support portion that supports the pressing mechanism as a rotation axis, thereby pressing the pressing target portion again.

3. The fitting system according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The control device While the state where the pressing mechanism is brought into close proximity by the holding operation is maintained, the robot is further caused to perform a deformation operation in which the pressing mechanism, which has flexibility, is deformed by utilizing the flexibility so that the shape of the pressing mechanism conforms to the shape of the pressing target portion; causing the robot to perform at least one of the first fitting operation and the second fitting operation using the pressing mechanism in a state deformed by the deformation operation; 3. The fitting system according to claim 1 or 2.

10. A robot having a pressing mechanism that operates under the control of a control device, and is configured to fit a lid having a first fitting portion that corresponds to an internal fitting method or an internal / external fitting method to a container having a second fitting portion that corresponds to the same method as the first fitting portion, a first fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism is moved in a first direction to press a pressing target portion of the first fitting portion while a state in which the first fitting portion of the lid is close to the second fitting portion of the container is maintained; a second fitting operation in which, after the first fitting operation, the pressing mechanism is moved in a second direction different from the first direction to press the pressing target portion again; The robot performs two different mating operations by executing the above steps under the control of the control device.

11. A control device including a control means for controlling the operation of a robot having a holding mechanism and a pressing mechanism, the control device being configured to fit a lid having a first fitting portion corresponding to an internal fitting method or an internal / external fitting method to a container having a second fitting portion corresponding to the same method as the first fitting portion, The control means a holding operation of holding the lid with the holding mechanism to maintain a state in which the first fitting portion is close to the second fitting portion of the container; a first fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism is moved in a first direction to press a pressing target portion of the first fitting portion while the state in which the fitting portions are brought into close proximity by the holding operation is maintained; a second fitting operation in which, after the first fitting operation, the pressing mechanism is moved in a second direction different from the first direction to press the pressing target portion again; a control device for controlling the robot to perform two different fitting operations.

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