Case rotation device and case rotation method

Abstract

To provide a case rotation device capable of reliably rotating a case to a desired angle while reducing labor. [Solution] The case rotation device includes a conveying unit that conveys cases, a clamping mechanism including a pair of clamping units and a drive unit that clamps the side edges of the case, a moving mechanism that moves the pair of clamping units, a first detection unit that detects the height of the case, a second detection unit that detects the state of lifting of the case from the placing surface, and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the case rotation device. Based on the height of the case detected by the first detection unit, the operation control unit controls the operation of each of the conveying unit, the clamping mechanism, and the moving mechanism so that the pair of clamping units clamps the case at a clamping position that is off the center of gravity of the case as viewed in a second direction. The operation control unit controls the conveying speed of the conveying unit and the movement state of the pair of clamping units by the moving mechanism in accordance with the state of lifting of the case detected by the second detection unit, thereby rotating the case clamped by the pair of clamping units.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a case rotation device and a case rotation method. [Background technology]

[0002] A technique for erecting a box-shaped body or inverting it upside down has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The device for erecting and inverting a box-shaped body disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a clamping means for clamping and removing a box-shaped body being fed on a conveyor, and an advancing and retreating means for advancing and retreating the clamping means in a direction toward and away from the conveyor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3188178 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, a box-shaped object on a conveyor is clamped by a clamping means, and the clamping means is then moved away from the conveyor by a reciprocating means. The clamping means then releases the clamping of the box-shaped object, allowing the box-shaped object to stand upright or be turned upside down on the conveyor without stopping the conveyor. However, this method can sometimes be difficult to reliably rotate the box-shaped object, such as standing upright or turning upside down. Furthermore, when rotating a case, the user is often required to input case height data into the case rotation device in advance. In such cases, depending on the situation, the case height may need to be measured in advance, which requires a great deal of effort from the user. It is desirable to reduce the effort required for user rotation when rotating a case.

[0005] Therefore, one of the objects is to provide a case rotation device that can reliably rotate the case to a desired angle while reducing the labor required. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A case rotation device according to the present disclosure is a case rotation device that rotates a case, and includes: a conveying unit that has a placing surface on which a case can be placed and that conveys the case in a first direction, which is a conveying direction; a pair of clamping units that are each rotatable on their own axes and arranged to face each other at a distance in a second direction that intersects the first direction; and a drive unit that moves the pair of clamping units in the second direction, and the drive unit moves the pair of clamping units in a direction that brings the pair of clamping units closer together to clamp the side ends of the case; a moving mechanism that moves the pair of clamping units in at least one of a third direction that intersects each of the first and second directions and the first direction; a first detection unit that detects the height of the case, which is the length from the placing surface to the upper end of the case, upstream of the pair of clamping units in the first direction; a second detection unit that detects the state of lifting of the case from the placing surface; and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the case rotation device. The operation control unit controls the operation of the conveying unit, the clamping mechanism, and the moving mechanism based on the height of the case detected by the first detection unit so that the case is clamped by the pair of clamping units at a clamping position that is off the center of gravity of the case when viewed in the second direction. The operation control unit controls the conveying speed by the conveying unit and the movement state of the pair of clamping units by the moving mechanism in accordance with the lifting state of the case detected by the second detection unit, and rotates the case clamped by the pair of clamping units. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above case rotation device, the case can be reliably rotated to a desired angle while reducing the labor required. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a case rotation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the case rotation device shown in FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the case rotation device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the case rotation device shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a typical process for rotating the case 180 degrees using the case rotation device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the side end portion of the case is clamped by a pair of clamping parts. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the pair of clamping parts are moved so as to be lifted in the direction indicated by the arrow U1. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the state in which the case is rotated 90 degrees. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the pair of clamping parts is lowered. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the case rotated 180 degrees. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Outline of the embodiment] The case rotation device disclosed herein is a case rotation device that rotates a case, and includes: a conveying unit that has a placing surface on which the case can be placed and that conveys the case in a first direction, which is a conveying direction; a pair of clamping units that are each rotatable on their own axes and arranged to face each other at a distance in a second direction that intersects the first direction; and a drive unit that moves the pair of clamping units in the second direction, and the drive unit moves the pair of clamping units in a direction that brings the pair of clamping units closer together to clamp the side ends of the case; a moving mechanism that moves the pair of clamping units in at least one of a third direction that intersects each of the first and second directions and the first direction; a first detection unit that detects the height of the case, which is the length from the placing surface to the upper end of the case, upstream of the pair of clamping units in the first direction; a second detection unit that detects the state of lifting of the case from the placing surface; and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the case rotation device. The operation control unit controls the operation of the conveying unit, the clamping mechanism, and the moving mechanism based on the height of the case detected by the first detection unit so that the case is clamped by the pair of clamping units at a clamping position that is off the center of gravity of the case when viewed in the second direction. The operation control unit controls the conveying speed by the conveying unit and the movement state of the pair of clamping units by the moving mechanism in accordance with the lifting state of the case detected by the second detection unit, and rotates the case clamped by the pair of clamping units.

[0010] The inventors considered a mechanism for reliably rotating the case while achieving a compact device configuration, and came up with the following idea. First, they focused on a clamping mechanism that clamps the case from both side edges, and realized that if a mechanism such as a rotating robot cylinder or servo motor were used to lift the case and rotate it using a drive source such as a motor, the device would inevitably become large. Further research led the inventors to focus on the force due to the case's own weight when lifting it and consider whether the force due to the case's own weight could be used to rotate it. Through repeated ingenuity and ingenuity, and also taking into account factors such as reducing labor, the inventors came up with the present invention.

[0011] According to the case rotation device disclosed herein, after the conveying unit starts conveying the case, the first detection unit detects the height of the case. Then, based on the detected case height, the pair of clamping units are moved in a second direction by the drive unit at a clamping position away from the center of gravity of the case to clamp the case. Because each of the pair of clamping units is rotatable, when the pair of clamping units is moved by the movement mechanism to lift the case, the case can be rotated using the force of the case's own weight. Therefore, the case can be rotated without requiring a large power source or a complex rotation mechanism. In this case, because the case height is detected by the first detection unit, the user does not need to input case height data into the case rotation device in advance. This reduces labor. Furthermore, the operation control unit controls the conveying speed of the conveying unit and the movement state of the pair of clamping units by the movement mechanism according to the lifting state of the case detected by the second detection unit, thereby rotating the case clamped by the pair of clamping units. This makes it possible to avoid situations where the case rotates under its own weight and rotates too much, or where the bottom end of the case moves too far away from the surface on which it is placed, causing the case to swing like a pendulum and fail to rotate properly, by controlling the movement of the pair of clamping parts, for example, the speed and distance of movement. Therefore, with the case rotation device configured as described above, it is possible to rotate the case properly while reducing the effort required.

[0012] The case rotation device may further include a third detection unit that detects completion of clamping of the case by the pair of clamping units. The drive unit may move the pair of clamping units so as to change the spacing between the pair of clamping units by supplying current. The third detection unit may detect completion of clamping of the case based on a change in the value of current supplied to the drive unit. In this manner, the third detection unit can detect completion of clamping by the pair of clamping units based on the value of current supplied to the drive unit. This eliminates the need for a mechanism such as a sensor to detect the position of the clamping units. This further simplifies the configuration of the case rotation device.

[0013] In the case rotation device, the first detection unit may include a first light irradiator that irradiates light along a third direction onto the placement surface, a first light receiver that receives reflected light of the light irradiated by the first light irradiator, and a height derivation unit that derives the height of the case based on the amount of reflected light received by the first light receiver. The operation control unit may control the movement state of the pair of clamping units according to the case height derived by the height derivation unit. This allows the case height to be detected non-contact and with high accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably derive an appropriate clamping position when rotating the case under its own weight.

[0014] In the case rotation device, the second detection unit may include a second light emitting unit disposed at a predetermined position downstream of the clamping position in the first direction and emitting light to the case in a direction opposite to the first direction; a second light receiving unit disposed upstream of the predetermined position in the first direction and receiving light irradiated by the second light emitting unit; and a lifting state derivation unit that detects the lifting state of the case in accordance with the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit. The operation control unit may control the movement state of the pair of clamping units in accordance with the lifting state of the case derived by the lifting state derivation unit. In this manner, the lifting state of the case is detected in accordance with an increase or decrease in the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit, and the movement state of the pair of clamping units, such as the movement speed and movement distance, is adjusted based on the detected lifting state of the case, thereby achieving smoother case rotation. This allows for more appropriate case rotation.

[0015] In the case rotation device, the operation control unit may control the movement mechanism to slow down the movement speed of the pair of clamping units as the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit increases. When the pair of clamping units is moved by the movement mechanism, the light emitted from the second light emitting unit is less likely to be blocked by the case being lifted from the mounting surface. This makes it easier for the second light receiving unit to receive the light emitted from the second light emitting unit. Therefore, as the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit increases, it is possible to recognize that the case is gradually being lifted. By slowing down the movement speed, the lower end of the case is lifted forcefully, creating a pendulum-like motion, significantly reducing the risk of the case swinging during rotation. As a result, it becomes easier to avoid situations where the case cannot be rotated properly, making it easier to rotate the case more appropriately.

[0016] In the case rotation device, the operation control unit may control the conveying speed of the conveying unit to change depending on the position of the case in the third direction. This makes it easier to avoid situations where the case is lifted too forcefully, causing it to swing and preventing proper rotation. Therefore, the case can be more reliably rotated to the desired angle.

[0017] In the case rotation device, the operation control unit may control the transport unit to stop transport of the case when the clamping mechanism clamps the case. This allows the pair of clamping units to more reliably clamp the side edge of the case at the desired clamping position, thereby achieving more appropriate case rotation.

[0018] In the above-described case rotation device, a suction pad may be provided on the end of at least one of the pair of clamping parts in the second direction. The clamping mechanism may clamp the case by using a vacuum pump to suction the suction pad onto the side edge of the case. This allows the side edge of the case to be firmly held by the suction pad provided on one end of the pair of clamping parts without applying excessive pressure. This significantly reduces the risk of the center of rotation of the case shifting or the case being released from clamping during rotation. This allows the case to be rotated more reliably and stably.

[0019] In the case rotation device, the transport unit may include a belt conveyor having a mounting surface. This allows the case to be rotated efficiently while smoothly transporting the case in the first direction as an endless transport mechanism.

[0020] In the case rotation device, the second light emitting unit may be disposed on one end side of the conveying unit in the second direction. The second light receiving unit may be disposed on the other end side of the conveying unit in the second direction. By doing so, the second light emitting unit emits the first light in a direction inclined with respect to the first direction. This makes it easier to reduce detection errors in the position of the front end of the case by the second detecting unit due to the shape of the case. Therefore, the case can be rotated more reliably and stably.

[0021] A case rotation method according to the present disclosure is a case rotation method for rotating a case using a case rotation device, the case rotation device including a pair of clamping sections, each rotatable on its own axis and arranged to face each other at a distance in a second direction intersecting a first direction that is a conveying direction of the case, and a drive section for moving the pair of clamping sections in the second direction, and a clamping mechanism for clamping a lateral edge of the case by moving the pair of clamping sections toward each other using the drive section. The case rotation method includes a conveying step for conveying the case in the first direction, a first detection step for detecting the height of the case, a second detection step for detecting a lifted state of the case, a clamping step for clamping the lateral edge of the case with the pair of clamping sections at a clamping position off the center of gravity of the case based on the case height detected in the first detection step and the lifted state of the case detected in the second detection step, a moving step for lifting and moving the case clamped in the clamping step in a third direction intersecting both the first direction and the second direction, and a rotation step for rotating the case moved in the moving step by its own weight.

[0022] According to this method of rotating the case, the case can be reliably rotated to a desired angle while reducing the amount of labor required.

[0023] [Specific example of embodiment] Next, an example of a specific embodiment of the case rotation device and case rotation method of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0024] (Embodiment 1) The configuration of a case rotation device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the case rotation device according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are each schematic diagrams illustrating the case rotation device illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a view of the case rotation device as viewed in the direction indicated by arrow Y, which will be described later. FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of the case rotation device as viewed in the opposite direction to arrow Z, which will be described later. FIG. 3 illustrates a state in which a pair of clamping units, which will be described later, are not in contact with the side portions of the case, and FIG. 4 illustrates a state in which the pair of clamping units are in contact with the side portions of the case. The case is transported in the direction indicated by arrow X. For ease of understanding, in the following figures, the direction indicated by arrow Y indicates the direction from right to left, and the direction indicated by arrow Z indicates the direction from bottom to top. The direction indicated by arrow X or its opposite indicates the front-to-back direction, the direction indicated by arrow Y or its opposite indicates the left-to-right direction, and the direction indicated by arrow Z or its opposite indicates the up-to-down direction. The direction opposite to the direction indicated by arrow Z is the vertical direction. Furthermore, a first direction (described later) is the direction indicated by an arrow X (transport direction), a second direction is the direction indicated by an arrow Y, and a third direction is the direction indicated by an arrow Z.

[0025] 1, 2, 3, and 4, the case rotation device 10 in the first embodiment rotates the case 11. In this embodiment, the case 11 has a box shape, specifically, a rectangular parallelepiped shape such as a cardboard box. The following description will be given of a case in which a rectangular parallelepiped case 11 is rotated. However, the shape of the case 11 to be rotated is not particularly limited. For example, the description also applies to a case in which part of the outer shape of the case 11 has a curved surface, such as an arcuate surface, or a case in which the outer shape is composed of a curved surface and a flat surface. The corners of the case 11 may be rounded or sharp. In this embodiment, the case rotation device 10 rotates the case 11 by 90 degrees or 180 degrees. When the case 11 is rotated by 90 degrees, the case 11 is in a so-called upright position. When the case 11 is rotated by 180 degrees, the case 11 is in an inverted position, i.e., upside down in the vertical direction.

[0026] The case 11 includes a case upper end 12a located above the case 11 and serving as the upper end of the case 11, a case lower end 12b located below the case 11 and serving as the lower end of the case 11, a case front end 13a located upstream in the conveying direction, i.e., the front end of the case 11 in the first direction, a case rear end 13b located downstream in the conveying direction, i.e., the rear end of the case 11 in the first direction, a case lateral end 14a located on one side of the case 11 in the left-right direction, and a case lateral end 14b located on the other side of the case 11 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the case upper end 12a, the case lower end 12b, the case front end 13a, the case rear end 13b, and the case lateral end 14a, 14b are all flat. In this embodiment, the case lateral end 14a corresponds to the right side, and the case lateral end 14b corresponds to the left side.

[0027] Case rotation device 10 in the first embodiment includes a conveying unit 21, a clamping mechanism 22, a moving mechanism 23, a first detection unit 24, a second detection unit 25, and an operation control unit 27. Case rotation device 10 may also include a third detection unit 26. The configuration of each unit will be described below.

[0028] The transport unit 21 has a placement surface 15 on which the case 11 can be placed. When the case 11 is placed on the placement surface 15, the case lower end 12b comes into contact with the placement surface 15. That is, the case lower end 12b faces the placement surface 15. The transport unit 21 transports the case 11 placed on the placement surface 15 in a first direction (the direction indicated by the arrow X). The first direction is the transport direction of the case 11. In this embodiment, the transport unit 21 is a belt conveyor having the placement surface 15. That is, an endless circular belt is rotated by two tensioned rotors 16a and 16b to transport the case 11 in the transport direction indicated by the arrow X. Of course, the transport unit 21 can transport the case 11 in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow X by rotating the rotors 16a and 16b in the opposite direction.

[0029] The clamping mechanism 22 includes a pair of clamping units 31a, 31b and a drive unit 32. The pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are rotatable. The pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are arranged to face each other at a distance in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, which in this embodiment is a direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second direction is the direction indicated by arrow Y as described above. The pair of clamping units 31a, 31b each include shafts 33a, 33b that serve as the center of rotation and suction pads 34a, 34b that come into contact with both case side ends 14a, 14b when the case 11 is rotated. The drive unit 32 moves the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b in the second direction or the opposite direction, that is, the left-right direction. Specifically, the drive unit 32 can move the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b in the direction indicated by arrow V1 in FIG. 3 to bring the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b closer together, or move the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b in the direction indicated by arrow V2 in FIG. 3 to move the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b farther apart. The drive unit 32 moves the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b by supplying current to change the distance between the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b. The clamping mechanism 22 uses the drive unit 32 to move the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b closer together, thereby clamping the case side ends 14a, 14b with the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b. Specifically, the clamping mechanism 22 clamps the case 11 by adsorbing the suction pads 34a, 34b to the case side ends 14a, 14b using a vacuum pump 35 included in the drive unit 32. The case rotation device 10 does not include a large-scale rotation mechanism such as a rotating robot cylinder or a servo motor.

[0030] The moving mechanism 23 moves the pair of clamping units 31a and 31b included in the clamping mechanism 22. Specifically, the moving mechanism 23 moves the pair of clamping units 31a and 31b in at least one of the first direction and the third direction. That is, the moving mechanism 23 can move the pair of clamping units 31a and 31b within the XZ plane. In this embodiment, the moving mechanism 23 moves the clamping unit 31a included in the clamping mechanism 22 between a first position T1 and a second position T2, as indicated by the dashed arrow D. The moving mechanism 23 also moves the clamping unit 31b in the same manner as the clamping unit 31a.

[0031] The first detection unit 24 detects the height H of the case 11, which is the distance from the placement surface 15 to the case upper end 12a, upstream of the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b in the first direction (X direction). Specifically, the first detection unit 24 includes a first light irradiator 41, a first light receiver 42, and a height deriving unit 43. The first light irradiator 41 and the first light receiver 42 are disposed in the same housing and are attached and fixed to, for example, a wall surface 17 located above the conveying unit 21. The first light irradiator 41 irradiates the placement surface 15 with light (first light L1 indicated by a dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 2) in a downward direction, which is the second direction. In this embodiment, the first light L1 is irradiated vertically. The first light receiver 42 receives reflected light of the light irradiated by the first light irradiator 41. That is, when there is no object directly below the first light irradiator 41, the first light L1 irradiated in the vertical direction from the first light irradiator 41 is reflected by the placement surface 15 of the belt conveyor, and the reflected light is received by the first light receiver 42. The height derivation unit 43 derives the height H of the case 11 based on the amount of reflected light received by the first light receiver 42. Specifically, the height H of the case 11 is derived based on the time difference between the time when the first light L1 emitted from the first light irradiator 41 is reflected by the placement surface 15 and the reflected light is received by the first light receiver 42, and the time when the first light L1 emitted from the first light irradiator 41 is reflected by the case upper end 12a and the reflected light is received by the first light receiver 42.

[0032] The second detection unit 25 detects the state of lifting of the case 11 from the placement surface 15. The second detection unit 25 includes a second light emitting unit 44, a second light receiving unit 45, and a lifting state deriving unit 46. The second light emitting unit 44 is disposed at a predetermined position P1 in the first direction (X direction). Specifically, the second light emitting unit 44 is disposed on one end side of the transport unit 21 in the second direction, more specifically, on the left end side of the belt conveyor. The second light emitting unit 44 irradiates the case 11 with light (second light L2 indicated by the two-dot chain arrow in Figures 2 and 3) in the direction opposite to the first direction. The second light receiving unit 45 is disposed at a position P2 upstream of the predetermined position P1. The second light receiving unit 45 is disposed on the other end side of the transport unit 21 in the second direction, more specifically, on the right end side of the belt conveyor. The second light receiving unit 45 receives light irradiated by the second light irradiating unit 44 when the light is not blocked by the case 11. The lifted state deriving unit 46 derives the lifted state of the case 11 based on the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit 45. Furthermore, as the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit 45 increases, the lifted state deriving unit 46 derives that the case 11 is being lifted higher.

[0033] The third detection unit 26 detects the completion of clamping by the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b. The third detection unit 26 detects the completion of clamping of the case 11 based on a change in the value of the current supplied to the drive unit 32. Specifically, the completion of clamping of the case 11 is detected at the timing when the value of the supplied current increases from a fixed value.

[0034] The operation control unit 27 controls the operation of the case rotation device 10. That is, the operation control unit 27 controls the overall operation of the case rotation device 10, such as controlling the transport speed of the case 11 by the transport unit 21 when rotating the case 11, controlling the operation of the pair of clamping units 31a and 31b by the clamping mechanism 22 including the drive unit 32, and controlling the movement of the pair of clamping units 31a and 31b by the movement mechanism 23. This will be described later.

[0035] Next, a method for rotating the case 11 using the case rotation device 10 will be described. In this embodiment, a case where the case 11 is inverted, that is, where the case 11 is rotated 180 degrees, will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing typical steps when the case rotation device 10 is used to rotate the case 11 180 degrees.

[0036] Referring also to FIG. 5, first, the case 11 to be rotated 180 degrees is placed on the placement surface 15 of the conveying unit 21. The case 11 may be placed on the placement surface 15 manually or by another conveying mechanism. Thereafter, the case rotation device 10 is powered on, and conveying by the conveying unit 21 begins (step S11 in FIG. 5; hereinafter, "step" will be omitted). That is, the belt conveyor is rotated to convey the case 11 in the conveying direction indicated by the arrow X. In this case, conveying by the conveying unit 21 begins at a first conveying speed. Furthermore, when the case rotation device 10 is powered on, irradiation of the second light L2 from the second light irradiating unit 44 included in the second detecting unit 25 also begins.

[0037] When the case 11 is conveyed by the conveying unit 21 and reaches the detection position of the first detecting unit 24, the first detecting unit 24 derives the height H of the case 11, i.e., the length from the placing surface 15 to the upper end 12a of the case, from the time required for the first light receiving unit 42 to receive the light irradiated by the first light irradiating unit 41 (S12). The arrival at the detection position in S12 is detected when the time for the first light receiving unit 42 to receive the light, which is irradiated by the first light irradiating unit 41 constantly or periodically, changes.

[0038] After the first detector 24 detects the height H of the case 11, the transport unit 21 continues transporting the case 11. The movement mechanism then moves the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b in at least one of the first and third directions (S13). As will be described later, this movement is movement of the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b to a position away from the center of gravity G of the case 11. In this embodiment, the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are moved to position T1. Position T1 is half the height H of the case 11. Thereafter, the transport speed starts to be decelerated, and transport is stopped when the case 11 reaches the clamping position of the case 11 (S14). Thereafter, the clamping mechanism 22 drives the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b by the drive unit 32 to move in the direction of arrow V1 so that the distance between the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b narrows, thereby clamping the case side ends 14a, 14b between the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b (S15). FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b clamp the case side ends 14a, 14b. The clamping state between the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b is as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, with reference to FIG. 6 as well. The first position T1, which is the clamping position, is half the height of the case 11 in the Z direction (third direction) and is located away from the center of gravity G of the case 11 in the X direction (first direction), specifically, is located closer to the case front end 13a than the center of gravity G of the case 11.

[0039] Thereafter, the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are moved by the movement mechanism 23 while the conveying speed is reduced to a second conveying speed that is slower than the first conveying speed (S16). In this embodiment, the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are moved by the movement mechanism 23 in the direction indicated by the arrow U1, specifically, are raised from position T1 to position T2. ​​FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are moved so as to be lifted in the direction indicated by the arrow U1. That is, while the case 11 is being conveyed by the conveying unit 21 at the second conveying speed, the portion clamped by the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b is lifted in the direction indicated by the arrow U1. In this case, since the pair of clamping portions 31a, 31b are each rotatable, the case 11 rotates under its own weight with the first position T1, which is the clamping position and the center position of the shaft portions 33a, 33b, as the center of rotation, and the lower end, specifically the connection portion between the case lower end portion 12b and the case rear end portion 13b, comes into contact with the mounting surface 15 and becomes inclined.

[0040] As the conveyance unit 21 and the movement mechanism 23 move the pair of clamping units 31a and 31b, the case 11 is rotated 90 degrees. FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the state in which the case 11 is rotated 90 degrees. Referring also to FIG. 8, the case 11 is now upright, with the rear end 13b facing downward and the front end 13a facing upward. Then, as the pair of clamping units 31a and 31b move in the direction of arrow U1, the case 11 is temporarily separated from the placement surface 15, resulting in a hanging state. At this time, the second light L2 emitted by the second light irradiator 44 included in the second detector 25 is more strongly received by the second light receiver 45, detecting that the case 11 is almost completely lifted. In this state, the lifting of the pair of clamping units 31a and 31b is stopped, and the lifting of the case 11 is completed (S17).

[0041] Thereafter, the movement mechanism 23 moves the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b in the direction indicated by the arrow U2 (S18). In this case, the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are lowered while the conveying unit 21 conveys the case 11 at the second conveying speed. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing the state in which the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b have been lowered. Referring also to FIG. 9, when the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are lowered, the case 11 is rotated by 90 degrees or more and placed in an inclined state. Specifically, the connection between the case upper end 12a and the case rear end 13b is in contact with the placement surface 15, placing the case in an inclined state.

[0042] Then, the portion in contact with the placement surface 15 is pressed, and as a result, the case 11 is turned upside down. In this way, the case 11 is rotated 180 degrees (S19), as shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the case 11 has been rotated 180 degrees.

[0043] After rotating the case 11 by 180 degrees, the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are each moved in the direction indicated by the arrow V2 to release the clamping state by the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b, and the case 11 is then transported by the transport unit 21 (S20). In this way, the inversion of the case 11 is completed.

[0044] In this case rotation device 10, after the conveying unit 21 starts conveying the case 11, the first detection unit 24 detects the height H of the case 11. Based on the detected height H of the case 11, the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are moved in a second direction by the drive unit 32 at a clamping position offset from the center of gravity G of the case 11 to clamp the case 11. Because the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b are rotatable, when the case 11 is clamped in this position, the force of the case 11's own weight can be used to rotate the case 11 when the movement mechanism 23 moves the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b to lift the case 11. Therefore, the case 11 can be rotated without requiring a large amount of power or a complex rotation mechanism. In this case, because the height H of the case is detected by the first detection unit 24, the user does not need to input the data of the height H of the case 11 into the case rotation device 10 in advance. This reduces the amount of work required. Furthermore, operation control unit 27 controls the transport speed of transport unit 21 and the movement state of pair of clamping units 31a, 31b by movement mechanism 23 in accordance with the lifted state of case 11 detected by second detection unit 25, thereby rotating case 11 clamped by pair of clamping units 31a, 31b. By controlling the movement state of pair of clamping units 31a, 31b, for example, the movement speed and movement distance, it is possible to easily avoid situations in which case 11, which rotates due to its own weight, rotates too much, or the lower end of case 11 moves too far away from placement surface 15, causing case 11 to swing like a pendulum and fail to rotate properly. Therefore, case rotation device 10 configured as described above can rotate case 11 properly while reducing labor.

[0045] In this embodiment, the case rotation device 10 includes a third detection unit 26 that detects completion of clamping of the case 11 by the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b. The drive unit 32 moves the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b by supplying current to change the spacing between the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b. The third detection unit 26 detects completion of clamping of the case 11 based on a change in the value of the current supplied to the drive unit 32. Therefore, the third detection unit 26 can detect completion of clamping by the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b based on the value of the current supplied to the drive unit 32. This eliminates the need for a mechanism such as a sensor to detect the positions of the clamping units 31a, 31b. This further simplifies the configuration of the case rotation device 10.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first detection unit 24 includes a first light irradiator 41 that irradiates light onto the placement surface 15 along a third direction, a first light receiver 42 that receives reflected light of the light irradiated by the first light irradiator 41, and a height derivation unit 43 that derives the height H of the case 11 based on the amount of reflected light received by the first light receiver 42. The operation control unit 27 controls the movement state of the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b in accordance with the height H of the case 11 derived by the height derivation unit 43. This makes it possible to detect the height H of the case 11 contactlessly and with high accuracy. This makes it possible to more reliably derive an appropriate clamping position when the case 11 is rotated by its own weight.

[0047] In this embodiment, the second detection unit 25 includes a second light irradiator 44 that is disposed at a predetermined position downstream of the clamping position in the first direction and irradiates light onto the case 11 in a direction opposite to the first direction, a second light receiver 45 that is disposed upstream of the predetermined position in the first direction and receives the light irradiated by the second light irradiator 44, and a lifting state derivation unit 46 that detects the lifting state of the case 11 in accordance with the amount of light received by the second light receiver 45. The operation control unit 27 controls the movement state of the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b in accordance with the lifting state of the case 11 derived by the lifting state derivation unit 46. Thus, the movement state of the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b, such as the movement speed and movement distance, is detected by detecting the lifting state of the case 11, thereby enabling smoother rotation of the case 11. Therefore, the case 11 can be rotated more appropriately.

[0048] In this embodiment, the operation control unit 27 controls the movement mechanism 23 to slow the movement speed of the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b as the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit 45 increases. When the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b is moved by the movement mechanism 23, the light emitted from the second light emitting unit 44 is less likely to be blocked by the case 11 being lifted from the mounting surface 15. This makes it easier for the second light receiving unit 45 to receive the light emitted from the second light emitting unit 44. Therefore, as the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit 45 increases, it can be recognized that the case 11 is gradually being lifted. By slowing down the movement speed, the lower end of the case is lifted forcefully, creating a pendulum-like movement, significantly reducing the risk of the case 11 swinging during rotation. As a result, it becomes easier to avoid situations where the case 11 cannot be rotated properly, making it easier to rotate the case 11 more appropriately.

[0049] In this embodiment, the operation control unit 27 controls the conveying speed of the conveying unit 21 to change depending on the position of the case 11 in the third direction. This makes it easier to avoid situations where the case 11 is lifted forcefully, causing it to swing and making it impossible to rotate properly. This makes it possible to more reliably rotate the case 11 to the desired angle.

[0050] In this embodiment, the operation control unit 27 controls the conveying unit 21 to stop conveying the case 11 when the clamping mechanism 22 clamps the case 11. This allows the pair of clamping units 31a, 31b to more reliably clamp the case side ends 14a, 14b at the derived target clamping position, thereby achieving more appropriate rotation of the case 11.

[0051] In this embodiment, suction pads 34a, 34b are provided on both ends of the pair of clamping portions 31a, 31b in the second direction. The clamping mechanism 22 clamps the case 11 by using a vacuum pump 35 to cause the suction pads 34a, 34b to adhere to the case side ends 14a, 14b. Therefore, the suction pads 34a, 34b provided on both ends of the pair of clamping portions 31a, 31b can firmly hold the case side ends 14a, 14b without applying excessive pressure. This significantly reduces the risk of the case 11 being displaced from its center of rotation or released from clamping during rotation. This allows the case 11 to be rotated more reliably and stably.

[0052] In this embodiment, the transport unit 21 includes a belt conveyor having a placement surface 15. Therefore, as an endless transport mechanism, it is possible to smoothly transport the case 11 in the first direction while enabling efficient rotation of the case 11.

[0053] In this embodiment, the second light irradiator 44 is disposed on one end side of the conveyor 21 in the second direction. The second light receiver 45 is disposed on the other end side of the conveyor 21 in the second direction. Therefore, the second light irradiator 44 emits the second light in a direction inclined with respect to the first direction. This makes it easy to reduce detection errors in the position up to the case front end 13a by the second detector 25 due to the shape of the case 11. Therefore, the case 11 can be rotated more reliably and stably.

[0054] A case rotation method according to the present disclosure is a case rotation method for rotating a case using a case rotation device, the case rotation device including a pair of clamping sections, each rotatable on its own axis and arranged to face each other at a distance in a second direction intersecting a first direction that is a conveying direction of the case, and a drive section for moving the pair of clamping sections in the second direction, and a clamping mechanism for clamping a lateral edge of the case by moving the pair of clamping sections toward each other using the drive section. The case rotation method includes a conveying step for conveying the case in the first direction, a first detection step for detecting the height of the case, a second detection step for detecting a lifted state of the case, a clamping step for clamping the lateral edge of the case with the pair of clamping sections at a clamping position off the center of gravity of the case based on the case height detected in the first detection step and the lifted state of the case detected in the second detection step, a moving step for lifting and moving the case clamped in the clamping step in a third direction intersecting both the first direction and the second direction, and a rotation step for rotating the case moved in the moving step by its own weight.

[0055] According to this method of rotating the case, the case can be reliably rotated to a desired angle while reducing the amount of labor required.

[0056] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiment, the operation control unit may control the transport unit to stop transport of the case when the clamping mechanism clamps the case. This allows the pair of clamping units to more reliably clamp both sides of the case at the desired clamping position. This allows for more appropriate rotation of the case.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the conveying unit is a belt conveyor, but this is not limiting and other conveying means may be used. In the above embodiment, the pair of clamping units clamps the workpiece with suction pads using a vacuum pump, but this is not limiting and the pair of clamping units may be configured with elastic material attached to their ends that can be elastically deformed, or may be made of an adhesive material.

[0058] The present invention is intended to cover a wide range of applications, including those related to the present invention, including those related to the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10 case rotation device, 11 case, 12a case upper end, 12b case lower end, 13a case front end, 13b case rear end, 14a, 14b case side end, 15 placement surface, 16a, 16b rotating body, 17 wall surface, 21 conveying unit, 22 clamping mechanism, 23 moving mechanism, 24 first detection unit, 25 second detection unit, 26 third detection unit, 27 operation control unit, 31a, 31b clamping unit, 32 drive unit, 33a, 33b shaft unit, 34a, 34b suction pad, 41 first light emitting unit, 42 first light receiving unit, 43 height derivation unit, 44 second light emitting unit, 45 second light receiving unit, 46 lifting state derivation unit.

Claims

1. A case rotation device that rotates a case, a conveying unit having a placement surface on which the case can be placed and configured to convey the case in a first direction, which is a conveying direction; a clamping mechanism including a pair of clamping sections, each of which is rotatable on its axis and which are arranged to face each other with a gap in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a drive section which moves the pair of clamping sections in the second direction, and which clamps a side end of the case by moving the pair of clamping sections in a direction in which they approach each other using the drive section; a moving mechanism that moves the pair of clamping units in at least one direction selected from the first direction and a third direction that intersects with the first direction and the second direction, respectively; a first detection unit that detects a height of the case, which is a length from the placement surface to an upper end of the case, on an upstream side of the pair of clamping units in the first direction; a second detection unit that detects a state in which the case is lifted from the placement surface; an operation control unit that controls the operation of the case rotation device, the operation control unit controls the operations of the transport unit, the clamping mechanism, and the moving mechanism so as to clamp the case between the pair of clamping units at a clamping position that is offset from the center of gravity of the case when viewed in the second direction, based on the height of the case detected by the first detection unit; The operation control unit controls the conveying speed by the conveying unit and the movement state of the pair of clamping units by the moving mechanism in accordance with the lifted state of the case detected by the second detection unit, and rotates the case clamped by the pair of clamping units.

2. a third detection unit that detects completion of clamping of the case by the pair of clamping units, the drive unit moves the pair of clamping units by supplying current to change the interval between the pair of clamping units, The case rotation device according to claim 1 , wherein the third detection unit detects completion of clamping of the case based on a change in a value of a current supplied to the drive unit.

3. The first detection unit a first light irradiating unit that irradiates the placement surface with light along the third direction; a first light receiving unit that receives reflected light of the light irradiated by the first light irradiating unit; a height deriving unit that derives a height of the case based on the amount of reflected light received by the first light receiving unit, 3. The case rotation device according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit controls the movement of the pair of clamping units in accordance with the height of the case derived by the height deriving unit.

4. The second detection unit a second light irradiation unit that is disposed at a predetermined position downstream of the clamping position in the first direction and that irradiates light onto the case in a direction opposite to the first direction; a second light receiving unit that is disposed upstream of the predetermined position in the first direction and receives the light irradiated by the second light irradiating unit; a lifting state deriving unit that detects a lifting state of the case according to the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit, 3. The case rotation device according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit controls the movement state of the pair of clamping units in accordance with the lifting state of the case detected by the lifting state deriving unit.

5. The case rotation device according to claim 4 , wherein the operation control unit controls the movement mechanism to reduce the movement speed of the pair of clamping units as the amount of light received by the second light receiving unit increases.

6. 3. The case rotation device according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit controls the conveying unit to change a conveying speed depending on a position of the case in the third direction.

7. 3. The case rotation device according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit controls the transport unit to stop transport of the case when the clamping mechanism clamps the case.

8. a suction pad is provided on an end portion in the second direction of at least one of the pair of clamping portions, 3. The case rotation device according to claim 1, wherein the clamping mechanism clamps the case by using a vacuum pump to cause the suction pads to adhere to the side edges of the case.

9. 3. The case rotation device according to claim 1, wherein the transport section includes a belt conveyor having the placement surface.

10. the second light irradiation unit is disposed on one end side of the transport unit in the second direction, The case rotation device according to claim 4 , wherein the second light receiving unit is disposed on the other end side of the transport unit in the second direction.

11. A case rotation method for rotating a case using a case rotation device, comprising: the case rotation device includes a pair of clamping sections that are rotatable on their own axes and that are arranged to face each other at a distance in a second direction that intersects a first direction that is a conveying direction in which the case is conveyed, and a drive section that moves the pair of clamping sections in the second direction, and includes a clamping mechanism that clamps a side end of the case by moving the pair of clamping sections in a direction that brings them closer together using the drive section; The case rotation method includes: a conveying step of conveying the case in the first direction; a first detection step of detecting a height of the case; a second detection step of detecting a lifted state of the case; a clamping step of clamping a lateral end of the case with the pair of clamping parts at a clamping position offset from the center of gravity of the case based on the height of the case detected in the first detection step and the lifted state of the case detected in the second detection step; a moving step of lifting and moving the case clamped in the clamping step in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction; a rotating step of rotating the case moved by the moving step by its own weight.

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