Work supply system

Abstract

This workpiece supply system (1) for supplying a workpiece (W) to a target device (100) is configured from: a robot placement truck (10) including a truck (20) that has a plurality of wheels (22) and is moved by manual operation, a robot (11) placed on the truck (20), and a control device that controls the robot (11); and a workpiece storage truck (50) including a workpiece storage part (54) that has a plurality of wheels (52), is moved by manual operation, and stores the workpiece (W). One among the robot placement truck (10) and the workpiece storage truck (50) includes one of sets of coordination bodies (15, 55; 14, 56) for coordinating both, and the other includes the other of the sets of coordination bodies (15, 55; 14, 56). The coordination bodies (15, 55; 14, 56) are configured from a camera (15) provided to the robot (11) and an identifier (55) provided to the workpiece storage truck (50), or configured from a body (56) to be engaged provided to one among the robot (11) and the workpiece storage truck (50), and an engaging body (14) provided to the other.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a workpiece supply system that uses a robot to supply a workpiece to a machine tool. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, known examples of the above-described work supply system include those disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-221622 (Patent Document 1) and International Publication No. 2018 / 92222 (Patent Document 2).

[0003] In the work supply system disclosed in Patent Document 1, a robot is disposed in a fixed state near a machine tool, and this robot supplies workpieces to the machine tool and unloads workpieces from the machine tool. Note that Patent Document 1 does not describe a work stocker for stocking workpieces before and after machining, but generally, such a work stocker is disposed near the machine tool and robot, and the robot unloads workpieces that have been machined by the machine tool from the machine tool and stores them in the work stocker, and also removes unmachined workpieces from the work stocker and supplies them to the machine tool.

[0004] Furthermore, the work supply system disclosed in Patent Document 2 (called a machine tool system in Patent Document 2) is composed of a plurality of machine tools, a plurality of work stockers arranged near the machine tools, and a plurality of self-propelled robots capable of autonomous travel. The self-propelled robot is composed of an automated guided vehicle and a manipulator with three or more degrees of freedom mounted on the automated guided vehicle, and is configured to move to the vicinity of a target position while recognizing its own approximate position by observing radio waves or laser light as position reference information, and then to perform precise positioning by recognizing the target object or a marker attached to the target object with a camera.

[0005] Thus, this self-propelled robot is configured to receive work requests sent from multiple machine tools, including work transporting operations to transport workpieces, as well as maintenance operations such as disposal of chips, tool replacement, and lubrication, and to perform the received operations on the machine tools that made the requests. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-221622 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2018 / 92222 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the robot system disclosed in Patent Document 1, one robot is fixedly arranged for one machine tool, so if there are multiple machine tools for which automatic work supply using robots is desired, a robot must be arranged for each machine tool, resulting in excessive equipment costs.

[0008] Furthermore, even if only one machine tool is used, the workpieces to be machined are not always simple in shape, and some are complex in shape. In such cases, the robot hand may not be able to accurately grasp the workpiece, making automatic workpiece supply using a robot impossible. Therefore, in such cases, the robot may become an excessive equipment. Furthermore, without using a robot, an operator must manually load and unload the workpiece, which can result in a problem where a fixedly positioned robot gets in the way and interferes with the operator's work.

[0009] Furthermore, in the work supply system disclosed in Patent Document 2, although one self-propelled robot can serve multiple machine tools, the self-propelled robot is composed of an automated guided vehicle that can travel autonomously, which poses a problem of high equipment costs. Many users wish to achieve automatic work supply while keeping equipment investment costs down, and there is a demand for a work supply system that uses one robot but can flexibly and freely respond to multiple machine tools rather than responding to a fixed machine tool.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its object to provide a work supply system that can realize automatic work supply at low cost and that can handle multiple machine tools with a single robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides: a robot mounting carriage including a manually operated carriage having a plurality of wheels, a robot mounted on the carriage, and a control device for controlling the robot; a work storage cart having a plurality of wheels, being manually moved, and having a work storage section in which the work is stored; a work supply system configured so that the robot mounting carriage and the workpiece storage carriage are disposed in the vicinity of a predetermined target device and supply the workpiece to the target device, One of the robot mounting carriage and the workpiece storage carriage is equipped with one of a pair of linking bodies for linking the two, and the other relates to a workpiece supply system that is equipped with the other of the linking bodies.

[0012] According to this workpiece supply system, the robot placement carriage and the workpiece storage carriage are moved by manual operation of an operator and placed near a predetermined target device, for example, a machine tool. After this, a mutual linkage relationship is established between the robot placement carriage and the workpiece storage carriage by a pair of linkage bodies. In other words, the positional relationship between the two is established or recognized.

[0013] The target device to which the workpieces are supplied is not limited to the above-mentioned machine tools, but includes various processing devices configured to continuously process multiple workpieces, such as a cleaning device that cleans the workpieces, a measuring device that measures the shape and dimensions of the workpieces, etc. Also, the robot may be, for example, a six-axis articulated robot, but is not limited to this, and may be any configuration as long as it can transport the workpieces to the target object.

[0014] Once a cooperative relationship is established between the robot loading cart and the work storage cart as described above, the robot is controlled by the control device, and the work stored in the work storage section of the work storage cart is taken out by the robot and supplied to the target device.

[0015] Thus, according to this work supply system, the robot loading cart and the work storage cart are configured to be movable by manual operation by an operator, so that by selectively placing the robot loading cart and the work storage cart around multiple target devices to which work is to be automatically supplied, as appropriate and as needed, the work can be automatically supplied, and automatic supply of the work can be achieved at low cost.

[0016] Furthermore, when the automatic supply of workpieces to the target device on which the robot loading cart and work storage cart are installed becomes unnecessary, the operator can manually move the robot loading cart and work storage cart and remove them from the target device. Even if the operator needs to perform work on the target device, the robot loading cart and work storage cart have been removed, so they will not get in the way of the operator's work, allowing the operator to perform the work efficiently.

[0017] Furthermore, since the robot loading cart and workpiece storage cart have a relatively simple structure that does not require sensors or control devices to control the movement of the cart, the equipment costs can be reduced compared to conventional unmanned guided vehicles.

[0018] In the work supply system of the above aspect, the linking body can be configured with a coupler that connects the robot placement cart and the work accommodation cart. By connecting the robot placement cart and the work accommodation cart with the coupler in this way, a positional relationship between them is established, and the robot can perform accurate work on the work accommodation cart.

[0019] Alternatively, in the work supply system of the above aspect, the linking body is composed of a camera provided on the robot and an identifier provided on the workpiece storage cart, The identifier has an identifier pattern, The control device may be configured to drive the camera to capture an image of the identifier when the robot is in a predetermined imaging posture, analyze the image, recognize the positional relationship between the robot mounting carriage and the workpiece carriage, and control the operation of the robot relative to the workpiece carriage in accordance with the positional relationship. This configuration also allows the robot to perform accurate work on the workpiece storage carriage.

[0020] Alternatively, in the work supply system of the above aspect, The linking body is composed of an engaged body and an engaging body that engages with the engaged body, the engaged body is disposed on one of the robot and the workpiece storage carriage, and the engaging body is disposed on the other; The control device may be configured to recognize the positional relationship between the robot mounting carriage and the workpiece carriage based on the posture of the robot when the robot is driven to engage the engageable body with the engaging body, and to control the operation of the robot relative to the workpiece storage carriage according to the obtained positional relationship. This configuration also allows the robot to perform accurate work on the workpiece storage carriage.

[0021] In the workpiece supply system of each of the above aspects, it is preferable that the carriage constituting the robot mounting carriage does not have a workpiece storage section for storing the workpiece on the mounting surface on which the robot is placed. In this way, the carriage constituting the robot mounting carriage can be made compact, which improves its ease of handling and reduces equipment costs.

[0022] In addition, in the work supply system of each of the above aspects, The carriages constituting the robot mounting carriage include: Three of the wheels are arranged at predetermined intervals; Three jacks are also placed at regular intervals. a frame on which the wheels and jack are mounted; a mounting table provided on the frame, The robot may be placed on the table.

[0023] With this cart, the wheels of the cart roll while the jack attached to the cart is spaced above the floor, allowing the robot-carrying cart to move. On the other hand, by pressing the jack against the floor, the cart can be made immobile relative to the floor, thereby allowing the robot to be stably supported while in operation.

[0024] Alternatively, in the work supply system of each of the above aspects, The carriages constituting the robot mounting carriage include: Three of the wheels are arranged at predetermined intervals; a wheel frame on which the wheel is mounted; Three jacks are also placed at regular intervals. a jack frame on which the jack is mounted; a mounting table on which the robot is placed, one of the wheel frame and the jack frame is disposed above the other via a lifting mechanism; the platform is disposed on one of the wheel frame and the jack frame; When the wheel frame is moved downward by the lifting mechanism, the wheel abuts on a floor surface, while the jack is moved upward away from the floor surface; The lifting mechanism may be configured such that when the wheel frame moves upward, the wheels move upward away from the floor surface, while the jack comes into contact with the floor surface.

[0025] According to this aspect of the cart, the wheel frame is moved downward by the lifting mechanism so that the wheels come into contact with the floor surface, while the jack is spaced above the floor surface and the wheels roll, thereby moving the robot mounting cart. Conversely, the wheel frame is moved upward by the lifting mechanism so that the wheels are spaced above the floor surface, while the jack is pressed against the floor surface, thereby making the cart immobile relative to the floor surface, thereby enabling stable support of the robot in operation.

[0026] Preferably, the wheels and the jack are arranged so that they form an inverted triangle when viewed from above. Furthermore, the robot is preferably mounted on the carriage so that it is located inside the triangle formed by the wheels and the triangle formed by the jack when viewed from above. This allows the robot to be stably supported both when the robot carriage is moved by the rolling of the wheels and when the jack is pressed against the floor surface to immobilize the carriage relative to the floor surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] As described above, according to the work supply system of the present invention, the robot loading cart and the work storage cart are configured to be movable by manual operation by an operator, and therefore, by selectively placing the robot loading cart and the work storage cart around multiple target devices to which automatic work supply is intended, as appropriate and as needed, automatic work supply can be performed, and the automatic supply of work can be realized at low cost.

[0028] Furthermore, when automatic supply of workpieces is no longer required in a target device on which a robot loading cart and a work storage cart are installed, the operator can manually move the robot loading cart and work storage cart and remove them from the target device. Even if the operator needs to perform work on the target device, since the robot loading cart and work storage cart have been removed, they will not get in the way of the operator's work, allowing the operator to work efficiently.

[0029] Furthermore, since the robot loading cart and workpiece storage cart have a relatively simple structure that does not require sensors or control devices to control the movement of the cart, the equipment costs can be reduced compared to conventional unmanned guided vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing a workpiece supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention and a machine tool on which the workpiece supply system is provided; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the workpiece supply system and the machine tool shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the robot mounting carriage according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the robot mounting carriage according to the present embodiment, showing the robot mounting carriage with the cover removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a carriage that constitutes the robot mounting carriage according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a carriage that constitutes the robot mounting carriage according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a front view taken in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow BB direction in FIG. 5. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a robot hand according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an identifier (identification figure) according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the engagement relationship between the upper wedge and the lower wedge according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a linkage structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0032] 1 and 2, the workpiece supply system 1 of this example is installed near a door 101 of a machine tool 100, and automatically supplies workpieces W to the machine tool 100. Note that the machine tool 100 of this example is a multi-machining NC machine tool capable of performing turning and milling, but the devices to which the workpiece supply system 1 of this example can be applied are not limited to such machine tools, and include conventionally known machine tools with other configurations, as well as various processing devices configured to continuously process a plurality of workpieces, such as a washing device that washes workpieces and a measuring device that measures the shape and dimensions of workpieces.

[0033] Machine tool 100 is an NC machine tool numerically controlled by a numerical control device, and its machining area includes a spindle that holds a chuck, a tool post that holds tools, and a tool spindle. Under the control of the numerical control device, a workpiece W held in the chuck is machined by tools held on the tool post and tool spindle. The operation of door 101 is also controlled by the numerical control device to open and close the machining area.

[0034] The workpiece supply system 1 of this example is composed of a robot placement carriage 10 and a workpiece storage carriage 50.

[0035] 1 and 2, the workpiece storage cart 50 is a so-called handcart having a handle 51, and is provided on its upper surface with a workpiece storage section 54 for storing a plurality of workpieces W. The workpiece storage section 54 stores workpieces W before they are machined by the NC machine tool 100, and workpieces W after they have been machined by the NC machine tool 100.

[0036] This work storage cart 50 has two fixed wheels (not shown) equipped with brake mechanisms (not shown) on the front side in the push direction, and similarly, two swivel wheels 52 equipped with brake mechanisms 53 on the rear side in the push direction. The operator can move the cart in the push direction (forward) by holding the handle 51 and pushing it forward, and when it is stopped, the respective brake mechanisms (not shown) and brake mechanisms 53 can be activated to fix it in that position (immobile).

[0037] An identifier 55 is provided on the right side of the workpiece storage cart 50 in the pushing direction. An identifier figure as shown in Fig. 10 is drawn on this identifier 55. The identifier figure in this example has a matrix structure in which a plurality of square pixels are arranged two-dimensionally, and each pixel is displayed in white or black. In Fig. 10, black pixels are shaded. This identifier 55 constitutes a linkage together with the camera 15, which will be described in detail later.

[0038] Although not specifically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an identifier identical to this identifier 55 is also provided within the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100.

[0039] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the robot mounting cart 10 includes a movable cart 20 that is moved by manual operation, a robot 11 that is placed on the movable cart 20, a control device 16 that controls the robot 11, and a distribution board 17 that supplies power to the control device 16.

[0040] The robot 11 is composed of a manipulator 12 consisting of multiple arms, a hand 13 as an end effector provided at the tip of the manipulator 12, a camera 15 attached to the hand 13, and the like, and performs the task of transferring a workpiece under the control of the control device 16. Note that, although the robot 11 in this example is a six-axis articulated robot, the robot 11 is not limited to this and may have any configuration as long as it can transfer the workpiece W to the machine tool 100.

[0041] 9, the hand 13 is composed of a so-called three-jaw chuck 13a and a cover 13b provided to surround the chuck 13. Further, an air nozzle 14 that discharges compressed air is provided near the hand 13.

[0042] The mobile cart 20 is composed of a cart portion consisting of a wheel frame 21 having a plurality of wheels (three wheels in this example) 22, 23, a jack frame 25 having a plurality of jacks (three jacks in this example) 26, and a lifting mechanism 30, as well as a platform 41 provided on the cart portion, a handle 43, an operation panel 45, a cover body 44, etc.

[0043] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the jack frame 25 is made of a plate-like member, and the jacks 26 are fixed to the underside thereof so as to hang down from it. The three jacks 26 are arranged so that the lines connecting the jacks 26 form an isosceles triangle, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 6. The jacks 26 have a known structure consisting of a screw shaft and a nut that screws onto the screw shaft, and the vertical position of the underside can be adjusted by adjusting the screw position between the screw shaft and the nut.

[0044] The wheel frame 21 is also made up of a plate-shaped member and is provided below the jack frame 25. A pair of fixed wheels 22, 22 and one swivel wheel 23 are fixed to the wheel frame 21. As shown by the dashed dotted lines in Fig. 6, the wheels 22, 22, 23 are arranged so that the lines connecting them form an isosceles triangle, and the wheels 22, 22, 23 and the three jacks 26 are arranged so that they form an inverted triangle with respect to each other when viewed from above.

[0045] 7, four guide bars 27 are fixedly attached to the underside of the jack frame 25 so as to hang down from the same. Each of the guide bars 27 is inserted into a bearing 28 that penetrates the wheel frame 21, and the wheel frame 21 and the jack frame 25 are guided by the guide bars 27, allowing them to move toward and away from each other.

[0046] 4, a mounting table 41 supported by a support pillar 42 is provided on the jack frame 25. The support pillar 42 is erected on the jack frame 25, and the mounting table 41 is fixed to the upper end of the support pillar 42. The robot 11 is fixedly mounted on this mounting table 41. The control device 16 and distribution board 17 are also disposed on the jack frame 25, and the cover body 44 is attached to the outer peripheral surfaces of the mounting table 41 and the jack frame 25 so as to surround the space between the mounting table 41 and the jack frame 25 and separate it from the outside. In this example, no workpiece storage section for storing a workpiece W is provided on the upper surface of the mounting table 41.

[0047] A handle 43 is provided on the side of the platform 41 facing the swivel wheels 23, and an operation panel 45 is provided below the handle 43. The operator can move the mobile cart 20 in the manual push direction (forward) by holding the handle 43 and pushing it forward. The operation panel 45 is used to input operation signals to the control device 16, and can input, for example, a start signal for automatically operating the robot 11, a manual operation signal, an emergency stop signal, etc. to the control device 16 by pressing a predetermined operation key.

[0048] 6, the robot 11 is placed on the platform 41 so as to be located inside the triangle formed by the wheels 22, 22, 23 and the triangle formed by the jack 26, as shown by the two-dot chain line in a plan view. Although FIG. 4 shows three support columns 42, in this example, four support columns 42 are provided.

[0049] The lifting mechanism 30 is composed of a drive screw 31 provided on the jack frame 25, a nut member 32 that threads onto the drive screw 31, bearings 33, 33 that support the drive screw 31 so that it can rotate freely, a lower wedge body 38 provided on the wheel frame 21, and an upper wedge body 39 that engages with the lower wedge body 38.

[0050] The drive screw 31 is disposed so as to be perpendicular to the line connecting the pair of fixed wheels 22, 22, and both ends thereof are rotatably supported by the bearings 33, 33 fixed on the jack frame 25. One end of the drive screw 31 is coaxially connected to one end of a transmission shaft 35 via a coupling 37, and the transmission shaft 35 is rotatably supported by a bracket 36 fixed on the jack frame 25, and a handle 34 is attached to the other end of the transmission shaft 35. Thus, by turning the handle 34, the rotational power is transmitted to the drive screw 31 via the transmission shaft 35, causing the drive screw 31 to rotate and the nut member 32 threadedly engaged with the drive screw 31 to move in the axial direction of the drive screw 31.

[0051] The jack frame 25 is formed with a rectangular, elongated through-hole 25a that penetrates vertically along the drive screw 31, and the nut member 32 is inserted into this through-hole 25a. The nut member 32 is connected to the upper wedge body 39 by a connecting plate 40 fixed to the underside of the nut member 32 (see FIG. 8).

[0052] The upper surface of the lower wedge body 38 is an inclined surface at an acute angle (for example, 5° to 15°), while the lower surface of the upper wedge body 39 is an inclined surface at an acute angle (for example, 5° to 15°), and the lower wedge body 38 and the upper wedge body 39 are engaged so that their inclined surfaces abut. This engagement relationship is such that the lower wedge body 38 and the upper wedge body 39 can move relatively along the inclined surfaces, and can take the form shown in Fig. 11, for example, but is not limited to this.

[0053] 11 shows the cross sections of the lower wedge body 38 and the upper wedge body 39. In this example, a dovetail groove 38a is formed along the inclined surface of the lower wedge body 38 so as to open to the upper surface thereof, and a dovetail (tenon) 39a is formed along the inclined surface of the lower surface (inclined surface) of the upper wedge body 39, and the dovetail groove 39a is fitted into the dovetail groove 38a, thereby engaging the lower wedge body 38 and the upper wedge body 39. The lower wedge body 38 and the upper wedge body 39 engaged in this way can move relatively along their respective inclined surfaces without separating from each other.

[0054] 7 and 8, the lower wedge body 38 is fixed onto the wheel frame 21 with its lower surface in contact with the upper surface of the wheel frame 21, while the upper wedge body 39 is connected to the nut member 32 via a connecting plate 40. The jack frame 25 is placed on this connecting plate 40.

[0055] Thus, when the handle 34 is turned to rotate the drive screw 31, the nut member 32 threaded thereto moves in the axial direction of the drive screw 31, and the connecting plate 40 connected to the nut member 32 via the connecting plate 40 and the upper wedge body 39 connected to this connecting plate 40 move in the axial direction of the drive screw 31 together with the nut member 32.

[0056] For example, in Figure 8, when the nut member 32, connecting plate 40 and upper wedge body 39 move in the direction of arrow C, the upper wedge body 39 and connecting plate 40 rise upward due to the engagement between the upper wedge body 39 and the lower wedge body 38, and accordingly, the jack frame 25 placed on the connecting plate 40 and the jack 26 fixed thereto move upward, and as a result, the wheels 22, 22, 23 fixed to the wheel frame 21 come into contact with the ground.

[0057] Conversely, when the nut member 32, connecting plate 40 and upper wedge body 39 move in the direction of arrow D, the engagement between the upper wedge body 39 and the lower wedge body 38 causes the upper wedge body 39 and connecting plate 40 to descend downward, and accordingly, the jack frame 25 placed on the connecting plate 40 and the jack 26 fixed thereto move downward, causing the jack 26 to touch the ground. Meanwhile, since the weight of the robot 11 etc. acts on the jack frame 25, the wheel frame 21 and the wheels 22, 22, 23 fixed thereto rise upward as a reaction to this.

[0058] As mentioned above, the wheel frame 21 and the jack frame 25 are arranged to move toward and away from each other under the guidance of the guide bar 27, so that the wheel frame 21 and the jack frame 25 can be raised and lowered in a stable manner by this guide bar 27.

[0059] The control device 16 controls the operation of the robot 11 in accordance with a control signal input from an operation panel 45 provided on the robot mounting cart 10, with the robot mounting cart 10 and workpiece storage cart 50 being positioned as shown in Figures 1 and 2. For example, when a manual operation signal is input from the operation panel 45, the control device 16 operates the robot in accordance with this manual operation signal. Furthermore, when an automatic operation start signal is input from the operation panel 45, the control device 16 operates the robot 11 in accordance with a predetermined program.

[0060] For example, as an operation during automatic driving, the control device 16 causes the robot 11 to perform the following operations. <Identifier imaging operation on the machine tool side> This is an operation in which, in cooperation with the machine tool 100, the camera 15 captures an image of an identifier (not shown) placed within the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100, and is made up of the following operations. The operation of inserting the hand 13 into the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100, bringing the camera 15 opposite the identifier (not shown), and then using the camera 15 to capture an image of the identifier (not shown). After capturing the image, the hand 13 is removed from the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100.

[0061] <Identification object imaging operation on work storage cart> An operation in which the camera 15 is placed opposite the identifier 55 on the workpiece storage cart 50 and then the camera 15 captures an image of the identifier 55.

[0062] <Removal of workpiece after machining> This is an operation of working in cooperation with the machine tool 100 to remove the workpiece W machined by the machine tool 100, and is composed of the following operations. The operation of inserting the hand 13 into the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100. After entering, the workpiece W after machining held by the machine tool 100 is grasped by the hand 13. The operation of withdrawing the hand 13 from the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100 after gripping.

[0063] <Storage of workpiece after machining> This is an operation for storing the workpiece W taken out from the machine tool 100 into the workpiece storage carriage 50, and is made up of the following operations. An operation of moving the hand 13 holding the workpiece W to above the empty space of the workpiece storage section 54 provided on the workpiece storage carriage 50. The operation of lowering the hand 13 holding the workpiece W and placing the workpiece W in an empty space in the workpiece storage section 54.

[0064] <Removal of workpiece before machining> This is an operation for removing the unmachined workpiece W from the workpiece storage carriage 50, and is composed of the following operations. An operation of moving the empty hand 13 above the unmachined workpiece W accommodated in the workpiece accommodation portion 54 of the workpiece accommodation carriage 50. The hand 13 is lowered to grip the unmachined workpiece W, and then the unmachined workpiece W is removed from the workpiece storage section 54.

[0065] <Workpiece mounting operation before machining> This is an operation of loading the unmachined workpiece W onto the machine tool 100 in cooperation with the machine tool 100, and is composed of the following operations. The operation of inserting the hand 13 holding the workpiece W before machining into the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100. After entering, the operation of attaching the unmachined workpiece W held by the hand 13 to the machine tool 100. After attachment is complete, the operation of retracting the hand 13 from the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100.

[0066] The posture of the robot 11 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a standby posture, and when the robot 11 performs each of the above-mentioned take-out, storage, and mounting operations, it may start the operation from this standby posture, or may end the operation in this standby posture.

[0067] Furthermore, before repeatedly executing automatic operation, each of the operating postures of the robot 11 is set in advance as a reference posture for control by a so-called teaching operation, and information about each posture is stored in the control device 16. Also, during the teaching operation, an operation is performed in which an identifying object (not shown) on the machine tool 100 side is imaged by the camera 15, and the imaged image of the identifying object (not shown) on the machine tool 100 is stored in the control device 16 as a reference image, and similarly, an operation is performed in which an identifying object 55 on the workpiece storage cart 50 is imaged by the camera 15, and the imaged image of the identifying object 55 is stored in the control device 16 as a reference image.

[0068] When performing automatic operation, the control device 16 performs an operation of capturing an image of an identifying object (not shown) on the machine tool 100 side using the camera 15, analyzes the obtained image of the current identifying object (not shown), i.e., the image of the identifying figure, and the image of the identifying object (not shown) obtained during the teaching operation, i.e., the image of the identifying figure, and more specifically, analyzes, for example, the inclination, scale, rotation, etc. of the identifying figure, and performs a process of calculating the amount of error in the positional relationship between the robot 11 and the machine tool 100 during automatic operation (currently) relative to the positional relationship between the robot 11 and the machine tool 100 during the teaching operation.

[0069] Similarly, the control device 16 performs an operation of capturing an image of the identifier 55 on the work storage cart 50 using the camera 15, analyzes the obtained image of the current identifier 55 and the image of the identifier 55 obtained during the teaching operation in the same manner as above, and performs a process of calculating the amount of error in the positional relationship between the robot 11 and the work storage cart 50 during automatic operation (currently) relative to the positional relationship between the robot 11 and the work storage cart 50 during the teaching operation.

[0070] Then, when the control device 16 performs the operation of removing the workpiece after machining and the operation of mounting the workpiece before machining, it corrects the operating posture based on the calculated error amount related to the current positional relationship between the robot 11 and the machine tool 100, and similarly, when the control device 16 performs the operation of storing the workpiece after machining and the operation of removing the workpiece before machining, it corrects the operating posture based on the calculated error amount related to the current positional relationship between the robot 11 and the work storage cart 50.

[0071] According to the workpiece supply system 1 of this example having the above-described configuration, the workpiece W accommodated in the workpiece storage cart 50 is automatically supplied to the machine tool 100 by the robot 11 in the following manner. At this time, the jack frame 25 of the robot mounting cart 10 is moved in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. 8 by operating the handle 34, so that the wheels 22, 23 are grounded and the cart can be moved by manual pushing by the operator. In addition, the brake mechanisms (not shown) of the swivel wheels (not shown) provided on the workpiece storage cart 50 and the brake mechanisms 53 of the fixed wheels 52 are each released, so that the cart 50 can be moved by manual pushing by the operator. In addition, it is assumed that unmachined workpieces W are appropriately accommodated in the workpiece storage section 54 of the workpiece storage cart 50.

[0072] First, the operator manually moves the robot mounting cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50, and places them in preset positions relative to the machine tool 100. After this, the operator operates the brake mechanisms (not shown) of the fixed wheels (not shown) of the workpiece storage cart 50 and the brake mechanisms 53 of the swivel wheels 52 to lock the fixed wheels (not shown) and the swivel wheels 52, thereby fixing the workpiece storage cart 50 in the installation position.

[0073] The operator also operates the handle 34 of the robot mounting cart 10 to move the jack frame 25 in the direction of arrow D shown in Fig. 8, thereby causing the jack 26 to touch the ground and raising the wheels 22, 22, 23. This causes the robot mounting cart 10 to be fixed in the installation position.

[0074] Next, the operator inputs an automatic operation start signal to the control device 16 by pressing an operation key provided on the operation panel 45 of the robot mounting cart 10. When this automatic operation start signal is input, the control device 16 first, in cooperation with the machine tool 100, drives the robot 11 with the door 101 of the machine tool 100 open, and executes an operation of capturing an image of an identifier (not shown) provided on the machine tool 100 with the camera 15, and calculates, based on the obtained image, an error amount of the current positional relationship between the robot 11 and the machine tool 100 relative to the positional relationship between the robot 11 and the machine tool 100 at the time of the teaching operation. From this error amount, the relative positional relationship between the robot mounting cart 10 and the machine tool 100 is recognized, and a mutual cooperation relationship is established between the robot mounting cart 10 and the machine tool 100 by a pair of cooperation elements consisting of the camera 15 and the identifier (not shown).

[0075] The control device 16 also drives the robot 11 to perform an operation of capturing an image of the identifier 55 provided on the workpiece storage cart 50 with the camera 15, and calculates, based on the image obtained, the amount of error in the current positional relationship between the robot 11 and the workpiece storage cart 50 relative to the positional relationship between the robot 11 and the workpiece storage cart 50 at the time of the teaching operation. Then, in the same manner as above, the relative positional relationship between the robot mounting cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50 is recognized from this amount of error, and a mutually linked relationship is established between the robot mounting cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50 by a pair of linking elements made up of the camera 15 and the identifier 55.

[0076] Next, the control device 16 corrects the posture of the robot 11 based on each calculated error amount, and sequentially causes the robot 11 to perform the above-mentioned ``operation to remove the workpiece after processing,'' ``operation to store the workpiece after processing,'' ``operation to remove the workpiece before processing,'' and ``operation to attach the workpiece before processing,'' and then sends a workpiece attachment / detachment completion signal to the machine tool 100.

[0077] Then, upon receiving a workpiece mounting / removal completion signal from control device 16, machine tool 100 closes door 101 and performs machining of the mounted workpiece W, and upon completing machining of workpiece W, opens door 101 and transmits a machining completion signal to control device 16. Thereafter, control device 16 cooperates with machine tool 100 to have robot 11 repeatedly perform the above-described workpiece mounting / removal operation, and supplies the set number of workpieces W to machine tool 100.

[0078] According to the work supply system 1 of this example configured as described above, the robot loading cart 10 and the work storage cart 50 are configured to be movable by manual operation by an operator, so that the work W can be automatically supplied by selectively installing the robot loading cart 10 and the work storage cart 50 around a plurality of target devices to which the automatic supply of the work W is intended, such as the machine tool 100 in the above example, as appropriate and as needed, and the automatic supply of the work W can be realized at low cost.

[0079] Furthermore, when the automatic supply of workpieces W by the robot loading cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50 is no longer required, the operator can manually move the robot loading cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50, thereby removing them from the machine tool 100 that was supplying the workpieces W. Even if the operator subsequently needs to perform work on the machine tool 100, the robot loading cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50 have been removed, so they will not interfere with the operator's work, allowing the operator to perform the work efficiently.

[0080] Furthermore, the robot loading cart 10 and the work storage cart 50 have a relatively simple structure that does not require sensors or control devices to control the movement of the carts, so the equipment costs can be reduced compared to conventional unmanned guided vehicles.

[0081] Furthermore, since the mounting surface on which the robot 11 of the robot mounting cart 10 is placed does not have a work storage section for storing the work W, the movable cart 20 constituting the robot mounting cart 10 can be made compact, improving its ease of handling and enabling reduction in equipment costs.

[0082] Furthermore, according to the robot mounting cart 10 of this example, the wheels 22, 23 are brought into contact with the floor surface with the jack 26 moved upward by the lifting mechanism 30, thereby making it possible to move the robot mounting cart 10. On the other hand, by pressing the jack 26 against the floor surface with the wheels 22, 23 moved upward, the robot mounting cart 10 can be made immobile relative to the floor surface, thereby making it possible to stably support the robot in an operating state.

[0083] Furthermore, the wheels 22, 23 and the jack 26 are arranged so that they form an inverted triangle when viewed from above, and the robot 11 is placed on the mobile cart 20 so that it is located inside the triangle connecting the wheels 22, 23 and the triangle connecting the jack 26 when viewed from above.Therefore, the robot 11 can be supported in a stable state both when the robot carrying cart 10 is moved by the rolling of the wheels 22, 23, and when the jack 26 is pressed against the floor surface to make the robot carrying cart 10 immobile relative to the floor surface.

[0084] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the aspects that the present invention can adopt are not limited to the above examples.

[0085] For example, in the above example, the linking body is made up of the camera 15 and the identifier 55, but the linking body for linking the robot loading cart 10 and the work storage cart 50 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the air nozzle 14 shown in Figures 3, 4 and 9 can be used as the engaging body, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, an engaged body 56 having an engaged hole through which the air nozzle 14 is inserted can be provided on the work storage cart 50, and the linking body can be made up of these air nozzles 14 and engaged body 56.

[0086] In this case, after the robot mounting cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50 are placed at preset positions relative to the machine tool 100, the robot 11 is operated manually to insert the air nozzle 14, which is the engaging body, into the engaging hole of the engaged body 56 provided on the workpiece storage cart 50. Then, the control device 16 recognizes the positional relationship between the robot mounting cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50 from the posture of the robot 11 at this time.

[0087] More specifically, the posture of the robot 11 when the air nozzle 14 is inserted into the engagement hole of the engageable body 56 is acquired in advance during a teaching operation, and then the posture of the robot 11 when the air nozzle 14 is currently inserted into the engagement hole of the engageable body 56 is acquired. Based on these postures, the amount of error in the current positional relationship between the robot 11 and the workpiece storage cart 50 relative to the positional relationship between the robot 11 and the workpiece storage cart 50 during the teaching operation is calculated. Then, the control device 16 recognizes the relative positional relationship between the robot placement cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50 based on this amount of error. In this way, a mutually linked relationship between the robot placement cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50 is established by a set of linked bodies consisting of the air nozzle 14 and the engageable body 56.

[0088] The control device 16 controls the operation of the robot 11 relative to the workpiece storage cart 50 according to the relative positional relationship between the robot mounting cart 10 and the workpiece storage cart 50 obtained in this manner. This also allows the robot 11 to perform accurate work on the workpiece storage cart.

[0089] In this example, the positional relationship between the engaging body (air nozzle 14) and the engaged body 56 is relative, and the engaged body 56 may be provided on the hand 13 of the robot 11, and the engaging body corresponding to the air nozzle 14 may be provided on the work storage cart 50.

[0090] Alternatively, the linking body may be constituted by the coupler 57 shown in Figures 2 and 12. This coupler 57 is constituted by an engaged block 58 having two engaging holes 58a and an engaging block 59 having two engaging protrusions 59a corresponding to the engaging holes 58a, one of which is disposed on the side surface of the robot mounting cart 10 and the other of which is disposed on the side surface of the workpiece storage cart 50.

[0091] In this case, when the robot mounting carriage 10 and the workpiece accommodating carriage 50 are placed at predetermined positions relative to the machine tool 100, the robot mounting carriage 10 and the workpiece accommodating carriage 50 are placed with the engaging protrusions 59a of the engaging blocks 59 inserted into the engaging holes 58a of the engaged blocks 58. This determines the relative positional relationship between the robot mounting carriage 10 and the workpiece accommodating carriage 50.

[0092] To reiterate, the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. Variations and modifications are possible for those skilled in the art. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the above-described embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention includes modifications from the embodiments within the scope of the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1 Work supply system 10 Robot mounting cart 11. Robot 13 hands 15 Camera 16 Control device 20 Mobile cart 21 Wheel frame 22 fixed wheels 23 Swivel wheel 25 Jack frame 26 Jack 30 Lifting mechanism 31 Drive screw 32 Nut 34 Handle 35 Transmission shaft 38 Lower cuneus 39 Upper cuneus 40 Connecting plate 41 Mounting table 42 Post 43 Toride 44 Cover body 45 Control panel 50 Work storage cart 51 Toride 52 wheels 53 Brake 54 Work storage section 55 Identification body 100 Machine tools 101 Door

Claims

1. a robot mounting carriage including a manually operated carriage having a plurality of wheels, a robot mounted on the carriage, and a control device for controlling the robot; a work storage cart having a plurality of wheels, being manually moved, and having a work storage section in which the work is stored; a work supply system configured so that the robot mounting carriage and the workpiece storage carriage are disposed in the vicinity of a predetermined target device and supply the workpiece to the target device, One of the robot mounting carriage and the workpiece storage carriage is provided with one of a pair of linking bodies for linking the two, and the other is provided with the other of the linking bodies, The carriages constituting the robot mounting carriage include: Three of the wheels are arranged at predetermined intervals; Three jacks also arranged at predetermined intervals, a frame on which the wheels and jack are mounted; a mounting table provided on the frame, the robot is placed on the mounting table; A work supply system characterized in that the wheels and the jack are arranged so as to form an inverted triangle when viewed from above.

2. the linking body is composed of a camera provided on the robot and an identifier provided on the workpiece storage cart, The identifier has an identifier pattern, 2. The work supply system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to drive the camera to capture an image of the identifier when the robot is in a predetermined imaging posture, analyze the obtained image, recognize the positional relationship between the robot mounting cart and the work storage cart, and control the operation of the robot relative to the work storage cart in accordance with the obtained positional relationship.

3. the linking body is composed of an engaged body and an engaging body that engages with the engaged body, the engaged body is disposed on one of the robot and the workpiece storage carriage, and the engaging body is disposed on the other; The work supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device is configured to recognize the positional relationship between the robot mounting cart and the work storage cart based on the posture of the robot when the robot is driven to engage the engageable body with the engaging body, and to control the operation of the robot relative to the work storage cart according to the obtained positional relationship.

4. 4. The work supply system according to claim 1, wherein the carriage constituting the robot mounting carriage does not have a work storage section for storing the work on a mounting surface on which the robot is placed.

5. 2. The workpiece supply system according to claim 1, wherein the robot is mounted on the carriage so as to be located inside a triangle formed by the wheels and a triangle formed by the jack when viewed from above.

6. A robot-mounted cart having a plurality of wheels and manually movable, a robot mounted on the cart, and a control device for controlling the robot; a work storage cart having a plurality of wheels, being manually moved, and having a work storage section in which the work is stored; a work supply system configured so that the robot mounting carriage and the workpiece storage carriage are disposed in the vicinity of a predetermined target device and supply the workpiece to the target device, One of the robot mounting carriage and the workpiece storage carriage is provided with one of a pair of linking bodies for linking the two, and the other is provided with the other of the linking bodies, The carriages constituting the robot mounting carriage include: Three of the wheels are arranged at predetermined intervals; a wheel frame on which the wheel is mounted; Three jacks also arranged at predetermined intervals, a jack frame on which the jack is mounted; a mounting table on which the robot is placed, one of the wheel frame and the jack frame is disposed above the other via a lifting mechanism; the platform is disposed on one of the wheel frame and the jack frame; When the wheel frame is moved downward by the lifting mechanism, the wheel abuts on a floor surface, while the jack is moved upward away from the floor surface; When the wheel frame is moved upward by the lifting mechanism, the wheel is separated upward from a floor surface, and the jack is configured to abut on the floor surface, A work supply system characterized in that the wheels and the jack are arranged so as to form an inverted triangle when viewed from above.

7. A work supply system as described in Claim 6, characterized in that the robot is placed on the cart so that, when viewed from above, it is located inside the triangle connecting the wheels and the triangle connecting the jack.

Images