Conveying device and conveying method

Abstract

To convey an object with high accuracy without damaging the object.SOLUTION: A conveyance device 100 includes: a placing unit 18 for supporting a blank batch BB, which is a target, from below; moving mechanisms 14, 15 for moving the placing unit 18; and a control device 40 for evacuating the placing unit 18 from below the blank batch BB while dropping the blank batch BB by moving the placing unit 18 toward a downward direction and a horizontal direction at a place where the blank batch BB, which is a target, starts moving. Thereby, the blank batch BB can be conveyed while reducing a force applied to the blank batch BB from the placing unit 18, and the blank batch BB can be conveyed with high accuracy without damaging it.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport device and a transport method for transporting an object, and more particularly to a transport device and a transport method for transferring an object in which a large number of elements are stacked. [Background technology]

[0002] Various conveying devices for transferring paper cup blanks as objects are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this type of conveying device, individual blanks are picked up from a stack of blanks and conveyed to a processing position.

[0003] The above-mentioned conveying device is designed to pick out and convey individual blanks from a stack of blanks, and is not designed to convey the entire stack of blank batches with high precision.One possible method of conveying stacked blank batches is to use a robot hand to hold the blank batches from above and below, but when stacking blank batches in a different location, it is not easy to transfer them without damaging the blank batches that are already stacked or the blank batches that will be stacked in the future. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-65197 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned background art, and aims to provide a conveying device and a conveying method that can transfer stacked objects with high precision without damaging them.

[0006] To solve the above problems ofThe transport device includes a mounting member that supports the object to be transferred from below, a moving mechanism that moves the mounting member, and a control device that moves the mounting member downward and horizontally at the point where the object transfer begins, causing the object to fall and retracting the mounting member from below the object. Here, the horizontal direction corresponds to the front, back, left, and right directions when viewing the mounting member from behind, farther from the object. Depending on the structure of the moving mechanism, the horizontal direction usually means the rear of the moving mechanism for ease of retraction, but is not limited to this.

[0007] According to the conveying device of the present invention, the control device moves the mounting member downward and horizontally while dropping the object, thereby retracting the mounting member from below the object.This allows the object to be transferred while reducing the force applied to the object from the mounting member, and the object can be transferred accurately without damaging it.

[0008] In a specific aspect of the present invention, the moving mechanism lowers the mounting member at an acceleration greater than the gravitational acceleration at the point where transfer of the object starts. In this case, the mounting member can be completely separated from the object without applying force to the object, further reducing the possibility of damaging the object.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, the movement mechanism has a vertical movement mechanism that lowers the mounting member and a front-rear movement mechanism that retracts the mounting member. In this case, the vertical movement mechanism can drop the object, while the front-rear movement mechanism can avoid interference between the mounting member and an object below the object.

[0010] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the vertical movement mechanism starts its lowering operation earlier than the retreating operation (specifically, the retreating operation) by the front-rear movement mechanism. In this case, the object falls first, and it is possible to reliably prevent the upper surface of the mounting member from rubbing against the lower surface of the object.

[0011] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the movement mechanism has an upper support member that supports the object from above. In this case, the object can be sandwiched between the mounting member and the upper support member, making it possible to stably hold the object while keeping the mounting member compact.

[0012] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a drive mechanism that changes the positions of the mounting member and the moving mechanism.

[0013] To solve the above problems of The transport method uses a transport device that includes a mounting member that supports the object to be transferred from below and a moving mechanism that moves the mounting member, and at the point where transfer of the object begins, the object is dropped while the mounting member is moved downward and horizontally, thereby retracting the mounting member from below the object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a conveying device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] (A) is a conceptual perspective view illustrating a blank batch, and (B) is a conceptual view illustrating a body blank, etc. [Figure 3] 5A to 5C are side views illustrating the operating states of first to third moving mechanisms in the gripping device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is a plan view illustrating a stacking pallet, and FIG. 1B is a side view illustrating the pallet. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the transfer of blank batches by a conveying device. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a process diagram illustrating the operation of the conveying device. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the support surface position of the mounting member after the start of descent and the bottom surface position of the blank batch. FIG. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of a transfer operation from a gripping device to a pallet. [Figure 9]10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of a transfer operation from a gripping device to a pallet. [Figure 10] 10A to 10D are diagrams illustrating an example of a receiving operation from the receiving stage to the gripping device. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a gripping device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a conveying device according to the present invention. In Fig. 1, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface is the X direction, the left and right along the paper surface is the Y direction, and the up and down along the paper surface is the Z direction, which corresponds to the vertical direction.

[0016] The conveying device 100 is a device that conveys the target blank batch BB along a predetermined route and transfers it to a pallet, and is equipped with a gripping device 10, an arm device 20, and a control device 40.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2(A), the blank batch BB, which is the object of transportation and transfer, is a stack of many paper cup body blanks 91. The blank batch BB has a contour corresponding to a fan shape. The blank batch BB is cut out from the original base paper. One side of the blank batch BB is coated with a resin such as polyethylene, and the other side is printed. For this reason, when transporting the blank batch BB, it is desirable to avoid scratches on the top and bottom surfaces due to friction. As shown in Figure 2(B), the body blank 91 can be combined with a circular bottom paper 92 to produce a paper cup (not shown) with a truncated cone shape.

[0018] The blank batch BB has a thickness of 10 cm to several tens of cm. The body blank 91 constituting the blank batch BB is a thin sheet having a width of about 10 cm to several tens of cm in the direction perpendicular to the arc.

[0019] The objects to be transported and transferred by the conveying device 100 are not limited to blank batches BB for paper cups, but can also be stacks of various paper or plastic sheets, and the conveying device 100 can also transport block-shaped products or semi-finished products.

[0020] Returning to FIG. 1, the gripping device 10 includes an upper support 11, a first moving mechanism 13, a second moving mechanism 14, a third moving mechanism 15, an upper support member 17, a mounting member 18, and a connecting member 19.

[0021] The upper support 11 moves three-dimensionally while being supported by a support 21 extending from the arm device 20. The upper support 11 supports a first movement mechanism 13 and a second movement mechanism 14.

[0022] The first moving mechanism 13 has a box-like outline and is fixed to the side of the upper support 11. Specifically, the first moving mechanism 13 is an air cylinder that raises and lowers the upper support member 17 in a vertical direction parallel to the Z direction. By lowering the upper support member 17 using the first moving mechanism 13, the blank batch BB can be sandwiched and fixed between the upper support member 17 and the mounting member 18, allowing for stable transport of the blank batch BB. The operation timing and amount of the first moving mechanism 13 are controlled by the control device 40 via the arm device 20.

[0023] The second movement mechanism 14 has a box-like outline and is fixed to the lower part of the upper support 11. Specifically, the second movement mechanism 14 is an air cylinder that moves the third movement mechanism 15 forward and backward in the horizontal direction, i.e., the ±Y direction, via a connecting member 19. The second movement mechanism 14 is a forward and backward movement mechanism that moves the mounting member 18 backward during transfer. By moving the third movement mechanism 15 forward in the +Y direction using the second movement mechanism 14, the mounting member 18 supported by the third movement mechanism 15 can be positioned directly below the upper support 11. Furthermore, by moving the third movement mechanism 15 backward in the −Y direction using the second movement mechanism 14, the mounting member 18 can be moved backward from directly below the upper support 11. The operation timing and amount of the second movement mechanism 14 are controlled by the control device 40 via the arm device 20.

[0024] The third moving mechanism 15 has a box-shaped outline and is supported by the second moving mechanism 14 via an L-shaped connecting member 19. The third moving mechanism 15 is specifically an air cylinder, and raises and lowers the mounting member 18 up and down in the ±Z directions. The third moving mechanism 15 is a vertical moving mechanism that lowers the mounting member 18 during transfer. By lowering the mounting member 18 with the third moving mechanism 15, the mounting member 18 can be separated from the blank batch BB sandwiched between the upper support 11 and the mounting member 18. The mounting member 18 is moved by a gravitational acceleration of 9.8 m / s 2 By lowering the third moving mechanism 15 at an acceleration greater than that of the blank batch BB, the blank batch BB can be separated from the mounting member 18 without having to support the blank batch BB from below with another member to prevent the blank batch BB from falling, and interference between the blank batch BB and the mounting member 18 can be avoided. The operation timing and amount of the third moving mechanism 15 are controlled by the control device 40 via the arm device 20.

[0025] The upper support member 17 is driven by the first moving mechanism 13 to move up and down in the ±Z directions. The upper support member 17 abuts against the top surface Ba of the blank batch BB, enabling it to grip the blank batch BB from above. The pressing surface 17a of the upper support member 17 is flat, but it can also have support protrusions or embossments formed on it.

[0026] The mounting member 18 is driven by the second moving mechanism 14 to move back and forth in the ±Y direction, and by the third moving mechanism 15 to move up and down in the ±Z direction. The mounting member 18 abuts against the underside Bb of the blank batch BB, enabling it to grip the blank batch BB from below. The support surface 18a of the mounting member 18 is flat, but may have support protrusions or embossments formed thereon. The underside 18c of the mounting member 18 is inclined so that the mounting member 18 becomes thinner toward the tip 18t to facilitate the pulling operation described below. In addition, a chamfered portion 18f is formed on the upper surface of the tip 18t to prevent the tip 18t from scratching the underside Bb of the blank batch BB.

[0027] 3, the upper support member 17 driven by the first moving mechanism 13 to the operating position P11 is indicated by a solid line, and the upper support member 17 at the retracted position P12 is indicated by a dashed line. The pressing surface 17a of the upper support member 17 at the operating position P11 abuts against the upper surface Ba of the blank batch BB and urges the blank batch BB downward with a predetermined force.

[0028] The mounting member 18, which is driven by the second moving mechanism 14 and the third moving mechanism 15 to the operating position P21, is shown by a two-dot chain line, and the mounting member 18, which is at the retracted position P22, is shown by a solid line. The support surface 18a of the mounting member 18 at the operating position P21 abuts against the lower surface Bb of the blank batch BB to support the blank batch BB from below.

[0029] 4(A) and 4(B) are diagrams illustrating the destination of blank batches BB transported by the transport device 100. Blank batches BB are formed by stacking a large number of blanks 91 cut out from base paper (see FIG. 2(A)). Once a certain number of blanks 91 have been stacked, they are transported sequentially to a stacking pallet 60 as blank batches BB. The pallet 60 has a horizontal support plate 62 on which a large number of vertically extending guide rods 63 are installed. Two-dimensional placement areas PA are formed on the pallet 60 for arranging stacked blanks IB, each of which is made up of multiple stacked blank batches BB. The multiple placement areas PA are divided by the guide rods 63. In the illustrated example, the stacked blanks IB are supported by six guide rods 63 to prevent them from tipping over. The guide rods 63 allow the multiple stacked blanks IB to be stably arranged in the X and Y directions on the pallet 60.

[0030] In the placement area PA at the -Y side end on the left side of the paper in Figure 4(A), a single blank batch BB has been transferred, and the next blank batch BB' is being transferred by the gripping device 10 of the conveying device 100.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the process of transferring the next blank batch BB' onto the lowest blank batch BB by the gripping device 10 of the conveying device 100. The conveying device 100 lowers the gripping device 10 holding the blank batch BB' from above the placement area PA, and at a predetermined height position directly above the lowest blank batch BB, the placement member 18 is lowered in the -Z direction at an acceleration greater than the gravitational acceleration and retreated in the -Y direction at a similar acceleration, thereby retracting the placement member 18 from below the next blank batch BB' being transferred, and the blank batch BB' can be stacked on the blank batch BB directly below. Note that FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram and shows only multiple placement areas PA arranged in the Y direction, but multiple placement areas PA can also be arranged in the X direction.

[0032] Returning to FIG. 1 , the arm device 20 supports the gripping device 10 via a support 21. The arm device 20 has a drive mechanism 22 that enables movement and rotation around three axes, and is able to move the gripping device 10 three-dimensionally and freely change the posture of the gripping device 10. The arm device 20 may also have a movement device that moves the arm device 20 itself three-dimensionally. The arm device 20 operates under the control of a control device 40, and is able to change the position and posture of the gripping device 10 along any desired trajectory and at any desired speed, and is able to operate the first to third movement mechanisms 13 to 15 of the gripping device 10 at any desired timing.

[0033] The control device 40 is a computer that manages the operating state of the arm device 20 according to a program or instructions from an operator, and manages the operation of the gripping device 10 via the arm device 20. This makes it possible to transport prepared blank batches BB to a pallet 60, transfer them to multiple placement areas PA on the pallet 60, and stack the blank batches BB in multiple layers in each placement area PA.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a process diagram illustrating the operation of the conveying device 100. First, the conveying device 100 moves the arm device 20 to multiple receiving stages and receives the blank batch BB by appropriately operating the arm device 20 and the gripping device 10 (step S11). Next, the conveying device 100 moves the arm device 20 and the gripping device 10 to the installation location of the pallet 60 (step S12). Next, the conveying device 100 moves the gripping device 10 via the arm device 20 and positions the gripped blank batch BB' above the placement area PA to which it is to be transferred (step S13). Next, the conveying device 100 lowers the gripping device 10 and places the gripped blank batch BB' at a setting position spaced a predetermined distance from the blank batch BB directly below it (step S14). The setting position is the position where transfer of the blank batch BB' begins. The conveying device 100 then operates the first moving mechanism 13 of the gripping device 10 to retract the upper support member 17. Synchronously, the conveying device 100 operates the second moving mechanism 14 and the third moving mechanism 15 of the gripping device 10 to retract the mounting member 18 and release the gripped blank batch BB' (step S15). At this time, the mounting member 18 is driven by the third moving mechanism 15 to descend in the -Z direction at an acceleration greater than the gravitational acceleration, and is driven by the second moving mechanism 14 to retreat in the -Y direction at a similar acceleration. In other words, the mounting member 18 moves from the operating position P21 to the retreat position P22 relative to the upper support 11. As a result, the mounting member 18 is moved downward by the third moving mechanism 15, and the mounting member 18 is moved backward (i.e., horizontally) by the second moving mechanism 14. By taking advantage of the delay in the fall of the blank batch BB' due to the free fall of the mounting member 18, the blank batch BB' can be stacked on the blank batch BB directly below in a non-contact process.

[0035] 7 shows the relationship between the position of the support surface 18a of the mounting member 18 and the position of the underside Bb of the blank batch BB' after the start of descent. The position of the support surface 18a of the mounting member 18 (two-dot chain line) as it is forcibly falling is always lower than the position of the underside Bb of the blank batch BB' (solid line) as it falls freely. The end point PE of the two-dot chain line representing the support surface 18a of the mounting member 18 indicates that the mounting member 18 has sufficiently retracted, has cleared the position below the blank batch BB', and no longer interferes with each other, completing the retraction.

[0036] 3 and 4, the acceleration and speed of the retraction of the mounting member 18 by the third movement mechanism 15 are desirably set to be sufficiently large so that the mounting member 18 does not interfere with the upper surface Ba of the blank batch BB when it is simultaneously lowered in parallel. Specifically, if the retraction time Tr is the time it takes for the mounting member 18 to retract at a predetermined acceleration after the second movement mechanism 14 and the third movement mechanism 15 start operating, and for the effective support length d of the support surface 18a to clear the lower surface Bb of the blank batch BB, the downward movement amount of the mounting member 18 during this retraction time Tr, i.e., the movement distance Lt, which is the integral of the downward movement speed of the mounting member 18 or the second-order integral of the downward acceleration of the mounting member 18, is set to be equal to or less than Ls = Dh, which is the distance D between the blank batches BB and BB' minus the thickness h of the tip of the mounting member 18. This prevents the mounting member 18 from coming into contact with the upper surface Ba of the blank batch BB when it moves from operating position P21 to operating position P22. Furthermore, the timing at which the second movement mechanism 14 starts to move the mounting member 18 backward is slightly delayed relative to the timing at which the third movement mechanism 15 starts to move the mounting member 18 downward. In other words, the third movement mechanism 15, which is a vertical movement mechanism, starts operating earlier than the second movement mechanism 14, which is a forward / backward movement mechanism. In other words, the downward movement starts earlier than the retraction movement (specifically, the retreat movement). This eliminates contact between the gripped blank batch BB' and the mounting member 18 from the beginning or early on, preventing scratches on the bottom surface Bb of the blank batch BB' due to friction applied to the bottom surface Bb by the retreat of the mounting member 18. Note that the acceleration of the mounting member 18 may temporarily be lower than the acceleration of gravity in the sense that the mounting member 18 operates to prevent being overtaken by the blank batch BB'.

[0037] 8 and 9 are side views specifically illustrating the transfer operation from the gripping device 10 to the pallet 60. As shown in FIG. 8(A), the gripping device 10 is moved under the control of the control device 40 shown in FIG. 1 to position the gripped blank batch BB' above the placement area PA to which it is to be transferred. Next, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the gripping device 10 is lowered under the control of the control device 40 to place the gripped blank batch BB' at a placement position spaced a predetermined distance from the blank batch BB directly below. Next, as shown in FIG. 8(C), the conveying device 100 operates the first movement mechanism 13 of the gripping device 10 to move the upper support member 17 upward and cause the upper support member 17 to perform a retraction operation. Next, as shown in FIG. 9(A), the conveying device 100 operates the third movement mechanism 15 of the gripping device 10 to start moving the placement member 18 downward. Next, as shown in Figure 9(B), the conveying device 100 operates the second movement mechanism 14 while continuing to operate the third movement mechanism 15 of the gripping device 10, causing the mounting member 18 to begin moving backward. At this time, the blank batch BB' supported on the mounting member 18 falls freely, but the mounting member 18 descends faster than the blank batch BB', so the mounting member 18 moves from the operating position P21 to the retracted position P22 while remaining separated from the blank batch BB'. Thereafter, as shown in Figure 9(C), the blank batch BB' released from the gripping device 10 falls freely and is stacked on the blank batch BB directly below.

[0038] 10(A) to 10(D) are side views specifically illustrating the receiving operation from the receiving stage 80 to the gripping device 10. As shown in FIG. 10(A), the gripping device 10 is moved and positioned in front of the receiving stage 80 under the control of the control device 40 shown in FIG. 1. A blank batch BB' is placed on the receiving stage 80 and is positioned horizontally by a guide rod 83. Note that, in preparation for positioning the gripping device 10 in front of the blank batch BB', the upper support member 17 is driven by the first moving mechanism 13 and moved to an upper retracted position. Next, as shown in FIG. 10(B), the gripping device 10 is moved forward under the control of the control device 40, and the placement member 18 is inserted below the blank batch BB'. A slit 81 into which the placement member 18 is inserted is formed in the receiving stage 80. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10(C), the first moving mechanism 13 is operated to move the upper support member 17 downward to its operating position. This allows the blank batch BB' to be clamped with an appropriate force between the upper support member 17 and the mounting member 18, and the blank batch BB' can be stably held by the gripping device 10. Thereafter, as shown in Figure 10(D), the gripping device 10 is raised, and the blank batch BB' held by it is raised until it no longer interferes with the guide rod 83. The gripping device 10 then moves the blank batch BB' to the installation location on the pallet 60.

[0039] 11 shows a modified example of the gripping device 10 shown in the figures. In this case, the second moving mechanism 14 is omitted, and the third moving mechanism 215 moves the mounting member 18 in a diagonal direction. When the mounting member 18 moves diagonally downward and rearward, the mounting member 18 releases support for the blank batch BB', and the mounting member 18 is also retracted rearward. Note that the third moving mechanism 15 is not limited to one that moves the mounting member 18 translationally, and may instead be one that rotates the mounting member 18 at its base.

[0040] The conveying device 100 of the embodiment described above comprises a mounting member 18 that supports the blank batch BB to be transferred from below, moving mechanisms 14, 15 that move the mounting member 18, and a control device 40 that moves the mounting member 18 downward and horizontally at the point where the transfer of the blank batch BB to be transferred begins, thereby dropping the blank batch BB and retracting the mounting member 18 from below the blank batch BB.

[0041] According to the conveying device 100, the control device 40 drops the target blank batch BB while moving the placing member 18 downward and horizontally, specifically backward, thereby moving the placing member 18 away from below the target. This allows the blank batch BB to be transferred while reducing the force applied to the blank batch BB from the placing member 18, and allows the blank batch BB to be transferred accurately without damaging it.

[0042] In the transfer device 100 of the embodiment described above, the third movement mechanism 15 lowers the mounting member 18 at an acceleration greater than the gravitational acceleration at the point where the transfer of the blank batch BB begins. In this case, the mounting member 18 can be completely separated from the blank batch BB without applying force to the blank batch BB, further reducing the possibility of damaging the blank batch BB.

[0043] The transport device 100 of the embodiment described above is merely an example, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0044] The second moving mechanism 14 may move the third moving mechanism 15 left and right, i.e., in the ±X direction. In this case, it is necessary to secure a retraction space for the placement members 18, etc., on either the left or right side of the blank batch BB, rather than behind it.

[0045] The first to third moving mechanisms 13 to 15 use air cylinders, but an electric motor or the like can be used instead of the air cylinders.

[0046] The object to be conveyed by the conveying device 100 is not limited to the blank batch BB' made by stacking paper cylinder blanks 91, but may also be a sheet stack made by stacking resin sheets.Furthermore, the object to be conveyed by the conveying device 100 is not limited to the sheet stack, but may also be a container stack made by stacking cup-shaped containers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10...gripping device, 13...first moving mechanism, 14...second moving mechanism, 15...third moving mechanism, 17...upper support member, 17a...pressing surface, 18...placing member, 18a...support surface, 18f...chamfered portion, 20...arm device, 22...driving mechanism, 40...control device, 60...pallet, 80...receiving stage, 91...cylinder blank, 100...conveyor device, BB, BB, BB'...blank batch, IB...accumulated blank, P11...operating position, P12...retracting position, P21...operating position, P22...retracting position, PA...placement area

Claims

1. a mounting member that supports an object to be transferred from below; a moving mechanism for moving the mounting member; a control device that moves the placement member downward and horizontally at a location where transfer of the object starts, thereby dropping the object and retracting the placement member from below the object; the movement mechanism includes a vertical movement mechanism that moves the placement member downward, and a front-rear movement mechanism that moves the placement member horizontally to move it backward to the outside below the object, The up-down movement mechanism and the front-back movement mechanism are independent. Conveying device.

2. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism lowers the placement member at an acceleration greater than gravitational acceleration at a point where transfer of the object starts.

3. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical movement mechanism starts operation at an earlier timing than the retreating operation of the front-rear movement mechanism.

4. 4. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the movement mechanism has an upper support member that supports the object from above.

5. 5. The transport device according to claim 1, further comprising a drive mechanism that changes the positions of the mounting member and the moving mechanism.

6. A transport method using a transport device including a mounting member that supports an object to be transferred from below and a movement mechanism that moves the mounting member, the movement mechanism includes a vertical movement mechanism that moves the placement member downward, and a front-rear movement mechanism that moves the placement member horizontally to move it backward to the outside below the object, The up-down movement mechanism and the front-back movement mechanism are independent of each other, A transport method in which, at a location where transfer of the object begins, the placing member is moved downward and horizontally while dropping the object, thereby retracting the placing member from below the object.

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