Robot Hand

Abstract

To provide a robot hand capable of transferring an object to be transferred without disrupting its arrangement. [Solution] The robot hand of the present invention is attached to the tip of a rotatable robot arm, and is capable of flipping and loading objects on the supports by appropriately changing between multiple supports, and transferring multiple objects that are arranged on the supports at the start of the transfer onto the desired support without disrupting the arrangement.The robot hand has a core plate support frame that detachably supports a core plate to maintain the arrangement, a core plate that has partitions formed at positions corresponding to the objects to be transferred and is selectively attached to the core plate support frame depending on the shape and height of the objects to be transferred, and two first and second hand parts that independently clamp the first and second supports, which are the objects to be clamped, from both sides of the thickness of the core plate support frame or the attached core plate, and is characterized in that the core plate support frame and the two hand parts that clamp the objects to be clamped are flipped upside down together to transfer the objects to be transferred.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot hand, and in particular to a robot hand that is attached to the tip of a robot arm that can rotate around a rotation axis, and that can transfer objects without disrupting their arrangement by independently sandwiching and inverting two appropriately selected supports through a core plate or a core plate support frame for supporting the core plate, which has partitions that match the arrangement of multiple objects to be transferred arranged on the supports. [Background technology]

[0002] A widely used processing method is to arrange the items to be processed on a support such as a tray or mold, and then transport and process them as a group on that support. Even in processing lines that use this type of processing method, the processing is not always carried out on the same support from start to finish, and items are sometimes transferred to a different support. In such cases, it is often preferable to transfer the items while maintaining the same arrangement on the initial support.

[0003] Food products, including confectionery, are an example of items that can be arranged on a support such as a tray or mold and processed in this manner. In the cooking process of foods, including sweets, a common method is to divide and fill baking sheets or molds with dough, heat the baking sheets or molds in a cooking appliance such as an oven or steamer, and then remove the food from the baking sheets or molds after heating. When removing food after heating, the method of removal varies depending on whether the food tends to stick to the baking sheets or molds after heating.

[0004] If the product does not stick to the baking sheet or mold even after it cools down, it does not need to be removed immediately after heating, so there is no problem if it is removed after it has cooled down. Examples of confectionery include choux eclair shells, cookies, cupcakes, and buns. On the other hand, when it is hot, it is easy to remove from the mold, but when it cools down it sticks to the mold and becomes difficult to remove, so if there is a risk that the quality of the product will deteriorate when it is removed, it is necessary to remove it while it is still hot and let it cool down. Examples of confectionery include madeleines, financiers, and tarts.

[0005] There are several methods for removing products from baking sheets or molds: inverting the baking sheet or mold to remove them, sucking up individual products, and pricking them with something like a needle. Of these, sucking up the products is difficult to apply to products with uneven surfaces or soft products, and pricking them with a needle leaves needle marks on the product, which can affect the quality of the product. For this reason, the most common method is to invert the baking sheet or mold to remove them.

[0006] A device has also been proposed that inverts and transfers products arranged on a tray while keeping them arranged in that state.Patent Document 1 discloses a robot hand for transferring workpieces that is attached to a robot arm and includes a tray gripping frame that grips the tray, a servo motor and endless chain that rotate the tray gripping frame, and a workpiece pressure plate that slides open and closed to hold down the workpieces, in which the tray with multiple workpieces placed on it is gripped by the tray gripping frame, the tray gripping frame is rotated 180 degrees while the workpieces are held down by the workpiece pressure plate, and then the workpiece pressure plate is slid to transfer multiple workpieces at once.

[0007] According to Patent Document 1, the tray is inverted while the workpieces are held down by a workpiece pressure plate, so the workpieces on the tray can be transferred to the next process without disrupting their arrangement. However, due to the transfer, one side of the workpiece that was facing up on the tray will now face down after transfer. An example of a workpiece that the transfer robot hand in Patent Document 1 handles is a workpiece packed in a small bag such as a retort food, and there is no need to be particularly aware of the up-down relationship of the workpieces when they are placed on the tray.

[0008] However, some foods, such as confectionery, have a clear up-and-down direction, and most of these foods are sold with the top side facing up after baking. When such foods with a clear up-and-down direction are inverted and removed, the side that should be on top ends up facing down, and if left in this state, they may become crushed or deformed. In order to prevent loss of value as a product, they are inverted again using a plate or similar to allow the heat to dissipate. Currently, the process of inverting a product removed from a support such as a baking sheet and then inverting it again so that the side that should be on top faces up is often done manually.

[0009] It is possible to automate the line if the baking and production equipment is dedicated to a specific product, but it is difficult to automate the line when switching between products with significantly different sizes, thicknesses, shapes, etc., and the burden on the workers who remove the products is particularly heavy for products that must be removed while the baking tray is still hot after heating. Therefore, there is a need for a device that can invert and remove multiple products after heat treatment from a hot and heavy support such as a baking sheet without disturbing the arrangement, and then transfer them by inverting them again and placing them upright on a new, unheated support such as a support plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-18766 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the conventional robot hands described above, and the object of the present invention is to provide a robot hand that is attached to the tip of a robot arm that can rotate around a rotation axis, and that can transfer objects without disrupting their arrangement by independently sandwiching and inverting two appropriately selected supports through a core plate or a core plate support frame for supporting the core plate, which has partitions that match the arrangement of multiple objects to be transferred arranged on the supports. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The robot hand according to the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above object, is attached to the tip of a robot arm that can rotate around a rotation axis, and is a robot hand that, by appropriately changing a plurality of supports, transfers and places objects to be transferred on the supports in an inverted manner, and transfers a plurality of objects to be transferred that are arranged on the supports at the start of transfer onto a target support without disrupting the arrangement, and includes a core plate support frame that detachably supports a core plate for maintaining the arrangement when transferring the objects to be transferred, and ... and a core plate that is selectively attached to the core plate support frame as needed depending on the shape and height of the object to be transferred; and two first and second hand units that independently clamp the first support body and the second support body, which are the objects to be clamped, from both sides in the thickness direction of the core plate support frame or the core plate attached to the core plate support frame, and by rotating the tip of the robot arm, the core plate support frame and the two hand units that clamp the objects to be clamped are rotated upside down together, thereby transferring and loading multiple objects to be transferred without disrupting their arrangement.

[0013] It is preferable that the object to be transferred is food that has been heat-treated, the first support is a top plate on which the food is heat-treated or a backing plate that receives the food on the top plate by inverting it, and the second support is a backing plate that receives the food on the top plate by inverting it, or a receiving plate that further inverts the inverted food on the backing plate and receives it.

[0014] At least one of the two hand units is preferably configured to perform a tapping action on the support held by the hand unit in association with an opening and closing action, thereby facilitating the separation of the object to be transferred from the support. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The robot hand of the present invention uses a core plate support frame that detachably supports a core plate as needed to maintain the arrangement of the objects to be transferred so as not to disrupt the arrangement when transferring the objects, and a core plate that has partitions formed at positions corresponding to the positions between multiple objects to be transferred so as not to disrupt the arrangement of the objects to be transferred, and is selectively attached to the core plate support frame as needed depending on the shape and height of the objects to be transferred, and the object to be transferred is transferred from the first support to the second support by flipping it upside down while clamping the two supports that are the objects to be clamped using two hand parts that individually clamp the object from both sides in the thickness direction of the core plate support frame or the core plate attached to the core plate support frame, so that the transfer can be performed without disrupting the arrangement.

[0016] In addition, the two hand sections located on both sides of the core plate in the thickness direction can individually clamp and release the object to be transferred, so after transferring the object upside down from the top plate to the backing plate, by inserting a backing plate instead of the top plate and then inverting it upside down again, it is possible to transfer the object onto the backing plate with the top side facing up while maintaining the alignment.This makes it possible to cool objects that are easily deformed when upside down in the correct orientation without them sticking.

[0017] Furthermore, with the robot hand of the present invention, the core plate can be replaced, so by using a core plate that corresponds to the height and arrangement of the objects to be transferred, it is possible to stably transfer a variety of objects to be transferred. Furthermore, with the robot hand of the present invention, at least one of the two hand parts can perform a tapping action on the support body it is holding in conjunction with the opening and closing action, so even products that tend to stick to the baking sheet before they cool can be removed from the baking sheet without losing their quality. This makes it possible to automate the transfer work from the baking sheet, which previously relied on human labor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic structure of a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a core plate and a core plate support frame according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state during the first transfer when no core plate is used according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state during the first transfer when no core plate is used according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state during the first transfer when no core plate is used according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state during the first transfer when no core plate is used according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a midway state of the second transfer using a core plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a midway state of the second transfer using a core plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state during the first transfer when a core plate according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state during the first transfer when a core plate according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of transfer when using a core plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Next, specific examples of embodiments for carrying out the robot hand according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a core plate and a core plate support frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 1, a robot hand 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a core plate support frame 10 and two hand portions 30 for individually clamping an object to be clamped from both sides of the core plate support frame 10 in the thickness direction.

[0020] A robot hand 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to the tip of a robot arm (not shown) that can rotate around a rotation axis 2. The robot hand 1 includes a core plate support frame 10 and a hand unit 30 that independently and individually clamps an object to be clamped from both sides of the core plate support frame 10 in the thickness direction. The rotation axis 2 is the central axis of rotation of the tip of the robot arm, but it also serves as the rotation axis 2 of the robot hand 1, which is attached to the tip of the robot arm and rotates integrally with the tip of the robot arm. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotation axis 2 is an axis for rotating the robot hand 1 upside down. Therefore, the robot hand 1 can clamp various supports for arranging and supporting products as objects to be clamped, as appropriate, and rotate integrally with the tip of the robot arm. This allows the robot hand 1 to transfer an object arranged on one support to the other support. Even products with directional orientations, such as upside down or front and back, can be turned upside down by the rotation, and then turned upside down again to return them to their original orientation, enabling transfer that takes directional orientation into consideration.

[0021] The core plate support frame 10 is also configured to detachably support a core plate 20, as needed, to maintain the arrangement of the objects being transferred. As shown in FIG. 2, the core plate 20 has product pockets 22 partitioned by partition walls 21 formed at positions corresponding to the spaces between the multiple objects being transferred, depending on the arrangement of the products. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the core plate support frame 10 has a base 11 located at the tip of the robot arm and two beams 12 extending from both ends of the base 11. The overall structure is formed in a generally U-shape in plan view, and the two beams 12 are provided with mating protrusions 13 extending along their longitudinal directions for attaching the core plate 20. The core plate 20 has mating grooves 23 on its side surfaces, and when the core plate 20 is inserted between the two beams 12 of the core plate support frame 10, the mating protrusions 13 fit into the mating grooves 23, attaching the core plate 20 to the core plate support frame 10.

[0022] The mounting structure for core plate 20 to core plate support frame 10 shown in Figure 2 is one structural example, and other structures are possible, such as a groove provided on the core plate support frame 10, in which core plate 20 is inserted and slid into the groove, or a mounting method in which a key is inserted into grooves provided on both core plate support frame 10 and core plate 20; there are no particular limitations on the mounting structure.

[0023] Furthermore, although the core plate 20 shown in Figure 2 is provided with rectangular product pockets 22 arranged in a 4-row, 4-column arrangement, the shape and arrangement of the product pockets 22 are not limited to this. Because the core plate 20 is used detachably, it is possible to prepare and use a variety of core plates 20 according to the shape and arrangement of the product to be applied. Regarding the thickness of the core plate 20, various core plates 20 can be prepared according to the height of the product to be applied, and the appropriate one can be selected and used. Furthermore, because the core plate 20 is detachable, it can be easily removed and cleaned after use.

[0024] By attaching the core plate 20 to the core plate support frame 10 and clamping two supports from both the top and bottom of the core plate 20 and inverting it, products arranged on one support can be transferred in an inverted manner onto the other support without disrupting its arrangement. In this case, the core plate 20 is provided with partitions 21, so that even if the support has a flat structure without pockets or the like, the effects of the partitions 21 on the core plate 20 prevent the products from shifting and disrupting the arrangement during the inversion operation. Conversely, if the support has partitions or recesses that prevent the products from shifting sideways during the inversion operation, the products will not shift and disrupt the arrangement, so it is possible to transfer products without using the core plate 20 without disrupting the arrangement.

[0025] 1, each of the two hand units 30 (30-1, 30-2) includes a rotating lever 31 that rotates around a support shaft 33 to perform an opening and closing operation, and a support member presser 32 that is rotatably attached to the tip of the rotating lever 31 via a mounting shaft 34. The rotating lever 31 is driven by a drive unit (not shown) and a control unit that controls the drive unit, and performs opening and closing operations at a predetermined timing. Furthermore, at least one of the two hand units 30 (30-1, 30-2) is configured to repeat opening and closing operations and perform a hitting operation that applies impact to the support member to promote separation of the product from the support member, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0026] The robot hand 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can transfer products without human intervention, and can therefore be used to transfer products that have been heated by heat treatment or frozen in a freezer. In such cases, a heated support or a support that has been subjected to low-temperature treatment will be clamped, so the core plate support frame 10, support holder 32, and optional core plate 20, which come into contact with the support, are made of heat-resistant materials that can withstand the operating temperature range of the clamped support. If heat resistance is not an issue, these components may be made of resin to reduce weight.

[0027] A method for transferring a product using the robot hand 1 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. Figures 3 to 6 are diagrams showing the intermediate state of the first transfer when no core plate is used according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 shows the state in which two supports for transfer are sandwiched, with Figure 3(a) being a view from the side of the robot hand and Figure 3(b) being a view from the front of the robot hand. These figures are for explaining the transfer method, and details such as the drive unit and control unit of the robot hand are omitted. The same applies to Figures 4 to 10 below.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 3, the robot hand 1, which has already clamped the backing plate 42, which is the second support 40-2, with the second hand unit 30-2 on the upper side, is aligned with the top plate 41, which is the first support 40-1 supporting the arranged products 50, and the top plate 41 is clamped with the first hand unit 30-1 on the lower side. The terms "first" and "second" are used here for convenience of explanation and do not have any special meaning. The same applies to the "third" described below. The top plate 41 has an arrangement of depressions that match the shape and arrangement of the products 50. In one embodiment, the products 50 are food products baked in a heating oven so that the undersides are shaped to match the depressions in the top plate 41. Furthermore, since the products 50 are difficult to remove from the top plate 41 when cooled and have a clear top and bottom, they need to be removed facing up and allowed to cool before the top plate 41 cools.

[0029] When clamping the support bodies 40 (40-1, 40-2), the pivot lever 31 is rotated to close, and the support body presser 32 clamps the support bodies 40 (40-1, 40-2) by pressing them against the core plate support frame 10. However, since the support body presser 32 rotates using the mounting shaft 34, the support bodies 40 (40-1, 40-2) can be clamped without hitting one side of them.

[0030] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the upper side of product 50 rises from the recess in top plate 41 and protrudes above top plate 41. For this reason, if top plate 41 and backing plate 42 are sandwiched so that they are in close contact with each other, product 50 will be crushed. However, as shown in Figure 3(b), top plate 41 and backing plate 42 are sandwiched and supported by the upper and lower surfaces of fitting protrusion 13 of core plate support frame 10, so they can be sandwiched with a distance equal to the thickness of fitting protrusion 13.

[0031] The structure for sandwiching the supports 40 (40-1, 40-2) is not limited to the embodiment in Fig. 3. The outer dimensions of the supports 40 (40-1, 40-2) may be larger than the spacing between the beams 12 of the core plate support frame 10, and the supports may be sandwiched using the upper and lower surfaces of the beams 12 rather than the fitting protrusions 13. These may also be combined, with one support 40 sandwiched by the fitting protrusions 13 and the other support 40 sandwiched by either the upper or lower surface of the beams 12. Furthermore, if it is necessary to change the gap between the two supports 40 (40-1, 40-2) when they are sandwiched by the product 50, spacer members may be attached to the fitting protrusions 13 or the beams 12, and the gap may be adjusted by the thickness of the spacer members, etc.

[0032] Figure 4 shows the first transfer without using a core plate, in which the robot hand is turned upside down. Figure 4(a) is a view from the side of the robot hand, and Figure 4(b) is a view from the front of the robot hand. As shown in Figure 3, while the robot hand 1 is still holding the top plate 41 and the backing plate 42, the tip of the robot arm to which the robot hand 1 is attached rotates 180 degrees around the rotation axis 2, turning the robot hand 1 upside down so that the top plate 41 with the products 50 placed on it is positioned on top and the backing plate 42 for receiving the products 50 is positioned on the bottom. The robot arm may take any form as long as it can be programmed to rotate the tip at a predetermined timing or to perform three-dimensional movements of the robot hand 1, such as removing the top plate 41 from the heating furnace. Because the products 50 are contained within the recesses in the top plate 41, they do not shift sideways during the 180-degree rotation, and their alignment is not disrupted.

[0033] By turning the product 50 upside down, if the product 50 does not stick to the top plate 41 much, the product 50 will move with its top face down onto the backing plate 42. However, if the product 50 tends to stick to the top plate 41, it may not separate from the top plate 41 even when the product is turned upside down. In this case, an impact is applied to the top plate 41 to promote the movement of the product 50, as will be explained below with reference to FIG. 5.

[0034] Figure 5 shows the situation in which the hammering operation is performed after the first transfer is performed by turning the workpiece upside down when no core plate is used, where Figure 5(a) is a view from the side of the robot hand and Figure 5(b) is a view from the front of the robot hand. When the robot hand 1 is turned upside down, the top plate 41, which is now positioned on the upper side, is supported from below by the core plate support frame 10, so even if the first hand unit 30-1, which holds the top plate 41, is rotated to open, the top plate 41 will not fall. Therefore, the first hand unit 30-1 can be moved to perform an opening and closing operation to strike and impact the top plate 41. The number of times the striking operation is repeated may be input from the operation unit of the robot hand 1 so that it can be changed as needed depending on how easily the product 50 adheres to the top plate 41.

[0035] Conventionally, the top plate 41 with the backing plate 42 placed on it has been flipped over and impacted manually, but in the robot hand 1 according to the embodiment, the independently movable hand section 30 can apply a striking action to the top plate 41, making it possible to reliably transfer the product 50 to the backing plate 42 without human intervention.

[0036] Figure 6 shows the situation in which the top plate is removed after the product has been transferred in the first transfer without using a core plate, where Figure 6(a) is a view from the side of the robot hand and Figure 6(b) is a view from the front of the robot hand. After the product 50 is transferred to the backing plate 42 by the hitting operation shown in FIG. 5, the top plate 41 is no longer needed, so the first hand unit 30-1 is opened and the top plate 41 is removed.

[0037] When the top plate 41 and the backing plate 42 are clamped from above and below, if the distance between the top plate 41 and the backing plate 42 is equal to or greater than the height of the product 50, the product 50 that has been moved onto the backing plate 42 will be positioned below the top plate 41, and the top plate 41 can be simply slid horizontally to be removed. However, if the distance between the top plate 41 and the backing plate 42 is equal to or greater than the height of the product 50, there is a risk that the product 50 that does not adhere well to the top plate 41 will come off and fall during the upside-down operation.

[0038] On the other hand, if the distance between the top plate 41 and the backing plate 42 is less than the height of the product 50, a part of the product 50 will be located in the recess of the top plate 41 even when the product 50 is moved onto the backing plate 42, so the top plate 41 is lifted up so as not to interfere with the product 50 before being removed. When removing the top plate 41 in this way, it is necessary to avoid interference with the products 50, so in another embodiment, the backing plate 42 onto which the products 50 have been transferred is temporarily stored in a rack, and with the second hand unit 30-2 open, the robot hand 1 is lifted and pulled back, separating the backing plate 42 and the top plate 41. The top plate 41 is then stored in a recovery rack.

[0039] The first transfer when no core plate is used is completed through the series of steps shown in Figures 3 to 6. At the end of the first transfer, the product 50 is in a state where its top face is facing down, so a second transfer is then performed to turn the top face up.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state during the second transfer using a core plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 shows the situation where a backing plate and a support plate are sandwiched together for the second transfer, where Figure 7(a) is a view from the side of the robot hand and Figure 7(b) is a view from the front of the robot hand. 7 shows a state in which a core plate 20, in which product pockets 22 are formed by partitions 21 that correspond to the arrangement of the products, is attached to the core plate support frame 10, with the first hand unit 30-1 located on the upper side clamping a backing plate 43, which is the third support body 40-3, and the second hand unit 30-2 located on the lower side clamping a backing plate 42 on which products 50 have been transferred. The core plate 20 has a thickness equal to or greater than the height of the products 50, and the products 50 fit completely within the product pockets 22, so even if the flat backing plate 42 and backing plate 43 are tightly attached to the core plate 20 and clamped therein, the products 50 are not affected.

[0041] As mentioned above, if the core plate 20 is not used for the first transfer, the core plate 20 must be attached to the robot hand 1 in order to perform the second transfer, so the backing plate 42 onto which the product 50 has been transferred is temporarily stored in a rack before the core plate 20 is attached. The robot hand 1, to which the core plate 20 is attached, clamps the backing plate 43 and then moves above the backing plate 42 on which the transferred product 50 is placed. After aligning the product 50 so that it fits into the product pocket 22, the robot hand 1 is lowered to clamp the backing plate 42.

[0042] Figure 8 shows the situation in which the robot hand is turned upside down while the backing plate and support plate for the second transfer are still sandwiched in place, with Figure 8(a) being a view from the side of the robot hand and Figure 8(b) being a view from the front of the robot hand. 7, while the backing plate 42 and the backing plate 43 are held between them, the robot hand 1 is rotated 180 degrees around the rotation axis 2 by rotating the tip of the robot arm, so that the backing plate 42 with the product 50 placed on it is positioned on top, and the backing plate 43 for receiving the product 50 is positioned on the bottom. Because the product 50 is housed in the product pocket 22 of the core plate 20, it does not shift sideways during the 180-degree rotation, and the arrangement is not disrupted.

[0043] By the second transfer, the product 50 is transferred with its upper surface facing upward onto the support plate 43. In this state, the upper surface of the product 50 will not be deformed, so the support plate 43 after transfer is stored in a rack and left to cool. By combining the first transfer described above with reference to Figures 3 to 6 and the second transfer described above with reference to Figures 7 and 8, the product 50 is removed from the top plate 41, which is still hot after heating, and transferred to the support plate 43 with its top surface facing upward.

[0044] If the first transfer does not require the core plate 20, it would be inefficient to perform the first transfer and the second transfer consecutively with one robot hand 1, since the core plate 20 would have to be attached and detached. Therefore, it is possible to prepare two robot hands 1, one of which is dedicated to the first transfer without the core plate 20 attached, and the other is dedicated to the second transfer with the core plate 20 attached, and the backing plate 42 on which the product 50 has been transferred upside down by the first robot hand 1 is handed over to the second robot hand 1 which holds a backing plate 43 on top of the core plate 20, and the second robot hand 1 further holds the backing plate 42 and then turns it upside down, so that the product 50 is transferred onto the backing plate 43 with the top facing upward.

[0045] Furthermore, even with a single robot hand 1, the backing plate 42 may be shaped to have a bottomed pocket structure in which the product 50 can be accommodated by combining the core plate 20 and the flat backing plate 42, and after the first transfer, the second transfer may also be performed without using the core plate 20, by clamping the flat support plate 43 and inverting the product. Although the above describes a case where the first transfer does not require the core plate 20, there are cases where the core plate 20 is required from the first transfer depending on the product 50. This embodiment will be described below with reference to Figs.

[0046] 9A and 9B are diagrams showing the state during the first transfer when using a core plate according to an embodiment of the present invention, where Fig. 9A is a view from the side of the robot hand, and Fig. 9B is a view from the front of the robot hand. Referring to Figure 9, a core plate 20 having product pockets 22 arranged to match the products 50 is attached to the core plate support frame 10, and the robot hand 1, which has the backing plate 42, which is the second support body 40-2, clamped by the second hand section 30-2 located on the upper side, is aligned with the position of the top plate 41, which is the first support body 40-1 that supports the arranged products 50, and the top plate 41 is clamped by the first hand section 30-1 located on the lower side. By providing the core plate 20, even when the recess in the top plate 41 is shallow or the top plate 41 has a flat structure without a recess, the lateral movement of the product 50 can be suppressed during upside-down inversion, and the product can be transferred without disrupting the arrangement.

[0047] 9 shows that the top plate 41 and the first support 40-1 are both pressed against and fixed to the upper or lower surface of the core plate 20, but the top plate 41 and the first support 40-1 may be made wider than the core plate 20 and provided with protruding portions at both ends that fit over the core plate 20 to make them less likely to shift in the width direction. Conversely, the width of the core plate 20 may be made wider than the width of the top plate 41 and the first support 40-1, and grooves may be formed on the upper or lower surface of the core plate 20 to fit the top plate 41 or the first support 40-1.

[0048] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the state during the first transfer when using a core plate according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the robot hand is rotated upside down. Fig. 10(a) is a diagram seen from the side of the robot hand, and Fig. 10(b) is a diagram seen from the front of the robot hand.

[0049] By rotating the tip of the robot arm, the robot hand 1 is rotated 180 degrees around the rotation axis 2, so that the top plate 41 on which the product 50 is placed is positioned at the top, and the backing plate 42 for receiving the product 50 is positioned at the bottom. Even when the core plate 20 is used, the first hand unit 30-1 may be used to apply a hitting action to the top plate 41 after turning it upside down, as described with reference to FIG. 5. The core plate 20 has a thickness equal to or greater than the height of the products 50, and the products 50 transferred to the backing plate 42 by inversion are accommodated one by one in the product pockets 22 of the core plate 20, so that the top plate 41 after transfer can be removed by sliding it as it is without lifting it.

[0050] The second transfer after the first transfer is completed is basically the same as the transfer method described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. However, when using the core plate 20 for the first transfer, since the core plate 20 is attached to the robot hand 1 from the beginning, after the top plate 41 is removed, the backing plate 43 can be clamped by the first hand section 30-1 as is, and therefore it is possible to move from the first transfer to the second transfer while supporting the backing plate 42 on which the product 50 has been transferred.

[0051] FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of transfer when using a core plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 11, in step S1110, the second hand unit 30-2 sandwiches the backing plate 42, which is the second support body 40-2, between the core plate 20 and the backing plate 42. After aligning the backing plate 42 with the top plate 41, which is the first support body 40-1, the top plate 41 is sandwiched between the first hand unit 30-1 and the core plate 20.

[0052] Next, in step S1120, the robot hand 1 is rotated 180 degrees while sandwiching the backing plate 42 and the top plate 41, thereby turning the product 50 upside down. By this upside-down turning, products 50 that do not stick well to the top plate 41 are transferred face down onto the backing plate 42, but products 50 that tend to stick to the top plate 41 may remain on the top plate 41. Therefore, in step S1130, for products 50 that tend to stick to the top plate 41, a hitting action is applied to the top plate 41 by an opening and closing action of the first hand unit 30-1. The impact applied to the top plate 41 by this hitting action moves the product 50 from the top plate 41 onto the backing plate 42.

[0053] After the products 50 have been transferred, the top plate 41 is no longer needed, so in step S1140 the first hand unit 30-1 is released and the top plate 41 is removed from the robot hand 1. Next, in order to perform the second transfer, in step S1150, the support plate 43 is clamped by the first hand unit 30-1 located on the upper side. In step S1160, the robot hand 1 is rotated 180 degrees to move the products 50 on the backing plate 42 to the support plate 43. As a result, the products 50 are transferred onto the support plate 43, which is the target support 40, with their upper surfaces facing upward while maintaining their alignment.

[0054] Finally, in step S1170, the first hand unit 30-1 is opened to remove the take-up plate 43 carrying the product 50. At this time, the robot hand 1 is moved to the storage position of the rack, and then the first hand unit 30-1 is opened, so that the take-up plate 43 carrying the product 50 can be removed in a state where it is stored in the rack. After removal, the product 50 is left as is until its temperature cools down.

[0055] The robot hand 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can clamp various supports 40 separately on the upper and lower surfaces of the core plate support frame 10 and turn it upside down, so that the supports 40 can be replaced as needed and the product 50 can be transferred from the initial support 40 to the target support 40 while maintaining the vertical direction and arrangement of the product 50. When transferring the product 50, the core plate 20 can be attached to the core plate support frame 10 as needed, so even if a flat support 40 is used, the product 50 can be transferred without disrupting its arrangement.

[0056] In addition, in the explanation of the transfer of product 50, a food product that has been heated is used as an example of product 50, but food that has been frozen by cooling may also be used as product 50. Furthermore, product 50 does not have to be a food product, and the method can also be applied to transferring industrial products 50 that have a distinguishable top and bottom between different supports while maintaining their alignment.

[0057] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1. Robot Hand 2 Rotation axis (at the end of the robot arm) 10 Core plate support frame 11 Base 12 Beam section 13 Mating protrusion 20 Core board 21 Bulkhead 22 product pockets 23 Fitting groove 30, 30-1, 30-2 Hand section 31 Rotating lever 32 Support holder 33 Support shaft 34 Mounting shaft 40, 40-1, 40-2, 40-3 Support 41 Top plate 42 Backing plate 43 Cutting board 50 products

Claims

1. A robot hand is attached to the tip of a robot arm that can rotate around a rotation axis, and the robot hand appropriately replaces a plurality of supports to transfer and place objects on the supports, and transfers a plurality of objects arranged on the supports at the start of transfer onto a target support without disrupting the arrangement, a core plate support frame that detachably supports a core plate as needed to maintain the arrangement when transferring the object to be transferred; a core plate provided with partition walls formed at positions corresponding to the positions between the plurality of objects to be transferred so as not to disrupt the arrangement of the objects to be transferred, and selectively attached to the core plate support frame as necessary depending on the shape and height of the objects to be transferred; and two first and second hand portions that independently hold the first support body and the second support body, which are objects to be held, from both sides in the thickness direction of the core plate support frame or the core plate attached to the core plate support frame, This robot hand is characterized by the fact that by rotating the tip of the robot arm, the core plate support frame and the two hand parts that clamp the object to be clamped are rotated upside down together, thereby transferring multiple objects to be transferred without disrupting their arrangement.

2. The object to be transferred is a food that has been heat-treated, the first support is a baking sheet on which food is heated or a backing plate that receives the inverted food on the baking sheet, 2. The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the second support is a backing plate that receives food on a top plate by inverting it, or a receiving plate that further inverts and receives food that has been inverted on the backing plate.

3. The robot hand according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the two hand sections is configured to perform a tapping action on the support body held by the hand section in conjunction with an opening and closing action, thereby promoting the separation of the object to be transferred from the support body.

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