Mating system, control device

Abstract

To more easily suppress a bulge of a container and a lid when the lid is closed by a robot.SOLUTION: A fitting system 1 includes a multi-articulated robot 30 which blocks a storage space of a container with a lid and a control device 40 which controls the operation of the multi-articulated robot 30. The control device 40 causes the multi-articulated robot 30 to execute: the holding operation of holding the lid with a holding mechanism; a push-in operation of pushing the held lid in the direction on the storage space side of the container with a push-in mechanism; and a blocking operation of blocking the storage space of the container with the lid by pressing a fitting part of the lid against a fitting part of the container by a pressing mechanism 310 and making the fitting parts fit to each other in such a state that the lid is pushed in the direction on the storage space side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mating system , regulation Attire Place Regarding. [Background technology]

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

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

[0004] When the object of the lid-fitting work is a container or lid that has a high airtight seal when closed, air may flow into the container during fitting, causing the container or lid to bulge after fitting. If the container or lid bulges in this way, the fitting becomes insufficient, and the lid can easily come off when external force is applied. Taking into consideration the problem of the container and lid expanding, for example, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses multiple independently operable pressing members to alternately press the container while removing air from inside, thereby preventing air from entering the container. However, with this configuration, multiple pressing mechanisms are required to independently drive the multiple pressing members. Control is also required to properly coordinate these multiple pressing mechanisms. Furthermore, because the lid is closed by pressing multiple times, it takes longer to close the lid than if it were closed by pressing once.

[0005] These issues are not limited to situations where a lid is to be closed on a container containing food, but are common to a wide variety of situations in which a robot is used to close a lid, such as in the industrial field. As described above, in the conventional technology, there is still room for improvement in preventing the bulging of the container and the lid when the lid closing work is performed by a robot.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to more easily prevent the bulging of containers and lids when the lid closing work is performed by a robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a fitting system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: A fitting system including a robot having a holding mechanism and a pressing mechanism, and a control device that controls the operation of the robot, The control device a holding operation of holding a lid having a first fitting portion with the holding mechanism to maintain a state in which the lid is close to a container having a second fitting portion; a deformation operation of deforming the flexible pressing mechanism by utilizing the flexibility while the state of proximity is maintained by the holding operation so that the pressing mechanism has a shape that matches the shape of the pressing target portion of the first fitting portion; a fitting operation in which the pressing mechanism, in a state deformed by the deformation operation, presses the pressing target portion, thereby fitting the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion together; The method is characterized in that the robot is made to execute the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when a lid closing operation is performed by a robot, bulging of the container and the lid can be more easily suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0051] [Mating sequence] 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 under the control of the control device 40. FIG.

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

[0053] FIGS. 8(a) to 10, which will be explained below, and FIGS. 13 and 14, which will be described later, are all cross-sectional views taken along the line AA in FIG. 8(a). First, as shown in Figure 8(b), the articulated robot 30 transfers the hand 31 to the lid supply position P2, and then lowers the fitting member 31a from above vertically until it contacts the lid supplied to the lid supply position P2. Then, the articulated robot 30 begins to hold the lid by adsorbing the lid with the suppression mechanism 340. Then, the articulated robot 30 transfers the hand 31 to the fitting position P1 while still holding the lid.

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

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

[0056] 9(e), the articulated robot 30 continues to push the lid with the suppression mechanism 340 while holding the lid with the suppression mechanism 340, thereby maintaining a state in which the lid is pushed toward the storage space. Then, while this pushed state is maintained, the articulated robot 30 drives the actuator 331 to horizontally move each of the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 in a direction approaching the center part of the horizontal plane of the container (i.e., inward), thereby bringing the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 closer to each other and causing the pressing parts 311 of the pressing mechanisms 310 to abut against a part of the side surface of the lid vertically above the fitting part (hereinafter referred to as the "contact target part"). As described above with reference to Fig. 6, when the planar inner shape of the pressing portion 311 comes into contact with some object (here, the contact target portion of the lid) and a force (here, a reaction force from the contact target portion of the lid) is applied from the object in the outward direction opposite the inward direction, the pressing portion 311 is characterized by bending outward due to the relatively high flexibility of the planar shape. Therefore, due to its flexibility, the pressing portion 311 bends into a shape that follows the shape of the outer periphery of the contact target portion when the lid and the pressing portion 311 are viewed in a plan view from vertically above. That is, in this embodiment, the shape of the horizontal plane of the container (i.e., the shape viewed in a plan view from vertically above) itself is used to deform the pressing mechanism 310 into a shape that follows this shape. Accordingly, the pressing portion 311 is deformed into a shape that fits the portion that is located vertically below the contact target portion of the lid and that needs to be pressed for fitting (hereinafter referred to as the "press target portion").

[0057] Next, as shown in FIG. 9(f), the articulated robot 30 uses the pressing unit 311 of the pressing mechanism 310, which is in a deformed state due to the deformation operation, to press the pressing target portion, which should be pressed to fit the fitting portion of the lid, vertically downward. The position of the pressing target portion varies depending on the container, but typically the pressing target portion is the portion vertically above the fitting portion of the lid. Note that this pressing vertically downward includes pressing in a direction where the main component is the vertical direction component, from vertically above to vertically below. In other words, it also includes pressing diagonally from vertically above to vertically below.

[0058] Furthermore, the contact target portion and the pressing target portion typically have similar shapes when viewed vertically from above, but are spaced apart due to their different sizes. Therefore, it is not the planar shape of the pressing portion 311 that contacts the contact target portion but the prismatic shape of the pressing portion 311 that is spaced outward from this planar shape that presses the pressing target portion. As described above with reference to FIG. 6 , when the bottom surface of the prismatic shape of the pressing portion 311 comes into contact with an object (here, the pressing target portion of the lid) and receives a vertically upward force from the object (here, a reaction force from the pressing target portion of the lid), the prismatic shape is characterized by its low flexibility and therefore being less likely to deform. Therefore, the pressing portion 311 can perform pressing without deformation. Furthermore, upon contact with the contact target portion described above, the pressing portion 311, including its prismatic shape, is deformed into a shape that conforms to the pressing target portion. Therefore, the pressing portion 311 can press the entire pressing target portion evenly with a uniform force, and the fitting portions of the lid and the container can be fitted together more reliably.

[0059] Furthermore, even at this point in time of fitting, the suppression mechanism 340 continues to push the lid toward the storage space, maintaining the state in which the lid is pushed in. This reduces the space closed by the container and the lid, allowing the lid to be fitted while air is being removed. This reduces the amount of air flowing into the container, making it possible to suppress bulging of the container and lid after closure. Furthermore, suppressing bulging allows the container and lid to be fitted more securely.

[0060] Then, when the fitting is complete, the articulated robot 30 stops suction by the suppression mechanism 340 and ends holding of the lid by the suppression mechanism 340. This completes the series of operations during fitting by the fitting system 1. After that, the articulated robot 30 rises to release the fitted container, but during this rise, the pressing mechanism 310 may be opened left and right once to stop contact with the contact target portion before rising, so that the fitted lid does not come off again.

[0061] In this way, in the series of operations involved in mating using the mating system 1, by taking advantage of the characteristic that the way in which the pressing portion 311 deforms based on its flexibility differs depending on the direction of the force applied, the deformation occurs with relatively high flexibility when deforming, and the pressing can be performed with relatively low flexibility without deformation when pressing. This allows the pressing mechanism 310 to be shaped to fit the fitting portion of the container or lid to be fitted, and then press appropriately. This makes it possible to fit multiple types of lids and containers. Therefore, for example, in a situation where containers of different shapes must be fitted on a single production line, fitting can be achieved without changing the member used to close the lid. Furthermore, this deformation can be achieved by utilizing the physical property of the pressing mechanism 310, namely, flexibility. Therefore, in the above-mentioned situation, it is possible to cope with the situation without having to make detailed adjustments to the control method of the articulated robot 30. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, fitting can be performed more generally for various fitting objects.

[0062] Furthermore, in the series of operations involved in fitting by fitting system 1, the feature that the tip of suppression mechanism 340 expands and contracts vertically is utilized to reduce the space closed by the container and lid, allowing fitting while evacuating air. This reduces the amount of air flowing into the container, making it possible to suppress bulging of the container and lid after closure. Furthermore, suppressing bulging allows for a more secure fitting of the container and lid. Furthermore, with the fitting system 1, there is no need to perform complicated processes such as alternately pressing using multiple independently drivable pressing members. Therefore, for example, fitting can be completed with a single pressing, thereby reducing the working time. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, it is possible to more easily suppress the bulging of the container and the lid.

[0063] In addition, with the fitting system 1, the fitting portion of the lid is brought into contact with the fitting portion of the container, so that the container supports the lid, and then the lid is pushed toward the storage space of the container. This allows the container to be used as a member for supporting the lid, and the lid can be pushed in while being supported by the container. Furthermore, according to fitting system 1, suppression mechanism 340 not only holds the lid with holding portion 343, but also pushes it in with the tip of holding portion 343, which expands and contracts vertically, using pushing portion 342. This makes it possible to achieve multiple functions with a single mechanism, simplifying the device configuration.

[0064] Furthermore, according to the fitting system 1, the suppression mechanism 340 presses the central region of the lid, while the pressing mechanism 310 presses the fitting portions provided on both ends of the lid. This allows the lid to be fitted while efficiently removing air from both ends of the container. Furthermore, according to fitting system 1, the direction in which the lid is pushed in and the direction in which the lid is pressed are vertically downward. The tip portion of suppression mechanism 340 that comes into contact with the lid when pushing is located vertically above the bottom portion of pressing mechanism 310 that comes into contact with and presses the lid. This makes it difficult for the vertically downward force imparted to pressing mechanism 310 when pressing to be applied to the tip portion of suppression mechanism 340, thereby suppressing the force with which the pushing mechanism pushes the lid and preventing the lid from being dented too much.

[0065] Furthermore, according to fitting system 1, suppression mechanism 340 utilizes support from an elastic body to expand and contract in the pushing direction in response to the reaction force from the pushed-in lid. As a result, even if there are multiple types of lid shapes, differences in shape can be tolerated as long as they are within the range of the expansion and contraction stroke of suppression mechanism 340, and the same suppression mechanism 340 can be used universally for different types of lids.

[0066] [Effect] 10 and 11 are schematic diagrams for explaining the action of a series of operations relating to fitting by the fitting system 1 described above.

[0067] FIG. 10(A) shows the state of a container closed by a lid after fitting when the fitting portions on both ends of the lid are simultaneously fitted to the fitting portions of the container using conventional technology. Note that this is shown solely for comparison with the present embodiment and does not show the state when fitting is performed according to the present embodiment. If the pushing operation of the present embodiment is not performed, fitting occurs while air is still inside the container. As shown in the figure, the internal air pushes the lid outward, resulting in a bulging container and lid after fitting. If the container or lid bulges in this way, as shown in the figure, the fitting portions also deform as the container and lid bulge, resulting in an insufficient fit and making the lid easily detachable when external force is applied. In addition, in consideration of this problem, for example, if the air inside the container is removed by alternately pressing the container as it is fitted, as in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the time required for the lid closing operation will be longer.

[0068] In contrast, Figure 10(B) shows the state of the container closed by the lid after fitting in the manner described above in this embodiment. As described above, in this embodiment, fitting is performed with the suppression mechanism 340 pushing the central region of the lid toward the storage space of the container. This reduces the space closed by the container and the lid, allowing fitting while evacuating air. Therefore, as shown in the figure, bulging of the container and the lid after closing can be suppressed. Furthermore, suppressing bulging prevents deformation of the fitting portion, allowing the container and the lid to be fitted more reliably. Furthermore, because the fitting portions on both ends of the lid are fitted to the fitting portions of the container simultaneously, the time required for the lid closing operation can be shortened. As described above, it is clear that the present embodiment can more easily suppress the bulging of the container and the lid compared to the general technology.

[0069] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example in which pressing portion 311 of pressing mechanism 310 is brought into contact with the contact target portion. Fig. 11 shows pressing mechanism 310, the container, and the lid before and after deformation, as viewed vertically from above. 11(A) and 11(B), the pressing mechanism 310 before deformation has a length in the longitudinal direction that is equal to or greater than the contact target portion and the pressing target portion. That is, the pressing mechanism 310 before deformation is relatively long in the longitudinal direction. This makes it possible to press the entire pressing target portion regardless of the size of the lid or container.

[0070] 11(A) and 11(B), the contact target portion and the pressing target portion have a shape that includes an arc shape. After deformation, the pressing mechanism 310 is deformed so that at least a portion thereof is curved to conform to this arc shape. This allows appropriate pressing to be performed on containers and lids that include an arc shape, such as those often used for containers and lids for serving food. 11(A) and 11(B) show examples of a rectangular container with arc-shaped corners and a circular container that is a perfect circle with arc-shaped corners, but the objects to be deformed by the pressing mechanism 310 are not limited to these. For example, the pressing mechanism 310 can also be deformed for a polygonal container such as a hexagon that does not have arc-shaped corners.

[0071] [Overall operation] Next, the overall operation of the fitting system 1 will be described. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the lid fitting process executed by the fitting system 1. The lid fitting process is started, for example, when a user performs an operation to start the lid fitting process.

[0072] When the lid fitting process is started, in S11, the articulated robot control unit 154 prepares to fit the lid to the container by reading operation data (operation pattern data, etc.) for executing a series of operations in the lid fitting process from the parameter storage unit 171. At this time, the articulated robot control unit 154 reads the operation pattern corresponding to the container currently being transported on the belt conveyor 2.

[0073] In step S12, the lid supply control unit 153 controls the lid supply unit 10 to supply a lid corresponding to the container currently being transported by the belt conveyor 2 to the lid supply position P2. In step S13, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the lid supply position P2 in accordance with the operation pattern data.

[0074] In step S14, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the restraining mechanism 340 to suck and hold the lid. In step S15, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether the container detection sensor 20 has detected that the container has been transported to the fitting position P1 or is about to be transported to the fitting position P1. If it has been detected, the determination in step S15 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if it has not been detected, the determination in step S15 is No, and the determination in step S15 continues.

[0075] In step S16, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the fitting position P1 in accordance with the data of the operation pattern. In step S17, the articulated robot control unit 154 uses the tip portion of the restraining mechanism 340 to push in the central region of the lid supported by the container. In step S18, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the fitting member 31a to bring the pressing mechanism 310 into contact with the contact target portion, thereby deforming the pressing portion 311.

[0076] In step S19, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the fitting member 31a to press the pressing target portion vertically downward by the pressing unit 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 in a deformed state. In step S20, when the container and the lid are fitted together by pressing, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls the suppression mechanism 340 to end holding of the lid and raises the hand 31. This completes the fitting of the container and the lid.

[0077] In step S21, the recording control unit 155 stores, in the history DB 172, control parameters acquired when the fitting system 1 is operating, values ​​indicating the time required for fitting when the fitting system 1 is used, and the like.

[0078] In step S22, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether the conditions for ending the lid fitting process have been met. In this case, the conditions for ending the lid fitting process can be defined as the fact that lids have been fitted to the planned number of containers, or that the user has performed an operation to end the lid fitting process, etc. If the conditions for ending the lid fitting process are not met, step S22 is judged as No and the process proceeds to step S23. On the other hand, if the conditions for ending the lid fitting process are met, step S22 is judged as Yes and the lid fitting process ends.

[0079] In step S23, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether there has been a change in the container and lid to be fitted together, based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition unit 151. If there has been a change, the result of step S23 is Yes, and the process returns to step S11. The articulated robot control unit 154 then reads a new operation pattern corresponding to the changed container and lid, and performs step S12 and subsequent steps again in accordance with this newly read operation pattern. On the other hand, if there has been no change, the result of step S23 is No, and the process returns to step S12. The articulated robot control unit 154 then performs step S12 and subsequent steps again in accordance with the read operation pattern.

[0080] As described above, the fitting system 1 according to this embodiment can more easily suppress the expansion of the container and the lid when the lid closing operation is performed by the articulated robot 30. In addition, the fitting system 1 according to this embodiment also achieves various effects as described above in the explanation with reference to FIGS.

[0081] [Variation 1] In the above-described embodiment, the tip portion of the suppression mechanism 340 expands and contracts in the vertical direction by elastic deformation of the compression coil spring, which is an elastic body, in response to the reaction force from the lid. This is not limiting, and the tip portion of the suppression mechanism 340 may be expanded and contracted by other configurations. For example, the tip portion of the suppression mechanism 340 and the portion connected to it may be configured using an actuator that can move arbitrarily in the vertical direction so that the tip portion of the suppression mechanism 340 can expand and contract in the vertical direction at any timing. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a series of operations relating to fitting performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the control device 40 in this modified example.

[0082] First, as shown in FIG. 13(a), the articulated robot 30 transfers the hand 31 to the lid supply position P2, and then lowers the fitting member 31a from above vertically until it contacts the lid supplied to the lid supply position P2. Then, the articulated robot 30 begins to hold the lid by adsorbing the lid with the restraining mechanism 340. The articulated robot 30 also controls the drive of an actuator (not shown) that can move the tip of the restraining mechanism 340 and the part connected to it in the vertical direction, thereby moving the tip of the restraining mechanism 340 vertically upward. In other words, the restraining mechanism 340 is retracted in the vertical direction.

[0083] Furthermore, in parallel with controlling the suppression mechanism 340, the articulated robot 30 brings the pair of pressing mechanisms 310 closer to each other and brings the pressing portions 311 of the pressing mechanisms 310 into contact with the contact target portion of the lid. Accordingly, the pressing portions 311 are deformed into a shape that fits the contact target portion, which is located vertically below the contact target portion of the lid. Then, the articulated robot 30 transfers the hand 31 to the fitting position P1 while still holding the lid.

[0084] 13(b), the articulated robot 30 lowers the fitting member 31a from vertically above onto the container transported to the fitting position P1 by the belt conveyor 2. In this case, the states of the suppression mechanism 340 and the pressing mechanism 310 are maintained as in the state shown in FIG.

[0085] 13(c), the articulated robot 30 uses the pressing unit 311 of the pressing mechanism 310 to press the pressing target portion, which should be pressed for fitting the fitting portion of the lid, vertically downward. Furthermore, during the fitting process (i.e., before complete fitting) due to this pressing, the articulated robot 30 controls the drive of an actuator that can move the tip portion of the suppression mechanism 340 and the portion connected thereto in the vertical direction, thereby moving the tip portion of the suppression mechanism 340 vertically downward. In other words, the suppression mechanism 340 is extended in the vertical direction.

[0086] During this mating operation, the mating portions at both ends of the lid are supported vertically downward by the container and vertically upward by the bottom surface of the pressing mechanism 310. Therefore, as in the above-described embodiment, the tip of the suppression mechanism 340 pushes the center of the lid toward the container storage space. In particular, in this modification, the suppression mechanism 340 is actively stretched in the vertical direction by the actuator, rather than passively elastically deforming the compression coil spring in response to the reaction force from the lid, as in the above-described embodiment. Therefore, the tip of the suppression mechanism 340 can be timely pushed toward the center of the lid toward the container storage space during the short time of mating. The articulated robot 30 then continues to press the lid, which has been pushed in at this time, to complete the mating operation.

[0087] According to this modification, as in the above-described embodiment, the bulging of the container and the lid can be suppressed and the lid closing operation can be completed. Furthermore, according to this modification, the pushing and fitting can be performed simultaneously, further shortening the operation time.

[0088] [Variation 2] In the above-described embodiment, suppression mechanism 340 not only holds the lid with holding portion 343, but also pushes it down with the tip of holding portion 343 that expands and contracts in the vertical direction using pushing portion 342. In other words, multiple functions are achieved by a single mechanism, namely suppression mechanism 340. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and multiple functions may be achieved by different mechanisms.

[0089] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which multiple functions are realized by separate mechanisms in this modified example. As shown in Fig. 14, the fitting member 31a-1 in this modified example includes a holding mechanism 360 and a pushing mechanism 370 instead of the suppression mechanism 340. Note that components other than the suppression mechanism 340 are common to the fitting member 31a in the above-described embodiment and the fitting member 31a-1 in this modified example, and therefore are not shown in the figures.

[0090] The holding mechanism 360 is a mechanism that corresponds to the function of the holding portion 343 of the suppression mechanism 340, and holds the lid by adhering closely to the lid as an object and adsorbing it. The housing portion 371 and the pushing portion 372 of the pushing mechanism 370 have the same structures as the housing portion 341 and the pushing portion 372 of the suppression mechanism 340, respectively. However, in the pushing mechanism 370, instead of the holding portion 343 of the suppression mechanism 340, a rod-shaped portion 373 is supported by the pushing portion 372. The rod-shaped portion 373 functions as a portion that pushes in the center of the lid. In this case, the pushing mechanism 370 is disposed at a position corresponding to the central region of the lid in order to push in the center of the lid, while the holding mechanism 360 is disposed at a position spaced apart from the pushing mechanism 370 and capable of holding the lid (here, positions corresponding to both ends of the top surface of the lid).

[0091] With the configuration of this modified example, it is possible to achieve the same function as suppression mechanism 340 of the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, with the configuration of this modified example, even if the lid is not supported on the container, it is possible to push the lid with pushing mechanism 370 while holding the lid with holding mechanism 360. Furthermore, with the configuration of this modified example, it is possible to apply not only to mechanisms that hold the lid by suction, such as vacuum pads, but also to configurations in which the lid is closed by grasping both ends of the container with a manipulator such as a human finger, and it is possible to suppress bulging due to pushing.

[0092] [Variation 3] In the above-described embodiment, the pressing portion 311 has a configuration that combines a planar shape with a prismatic shape. Taking advantage of the high flexibility of the planar shape, the pressing portion 311 is deformed, for example, to be curved outward. However, the pressing portion 311 is not limited to this, and may be configured in any shape that allows appropriate pressing, and does not necessarily have to be deformable. Even in this case, it is possible to achieve pushing using at least the suppression mechanism 340, etc., and therefore it is possible to more easily suppress the bulging of the container and lid.

[0093] [Variation 4] In the above-described embodiment, the articulated robot control unit 154 can control the articulated robot 30 to start pushing the lid, start contacting the contact target portion, start pressing the pressing target portion, or stop these operations based on data on the reaction force from the container or lid measured by the force sensor 30A (i.e., the detection result of contact with the container or lid). This is not limiting, and other control methods may also be used.

[0094] For example, if the width and height of the container and lid are accurately known as data and the articulated robot 30 can be driven with higher precision, the articulated robot 30 may be controlled based only on the data on the width and height of the container and lid. Alternatively, if the cost of installing a camera is not an issue, an image of the lid and container at the fitting position P1 may be taken with a camera (i.e., an imaging device). The image taken by the imaging device may then be analyzed in real time, and the articulated robot 30 may be controlled based on the analysis results. It should be noted that the above-described modified examples 1 to 4 can also be combined appropriately to form separate modified examples.

[0095] [Configuration example] As described above, the fitting system 1 in this embodiment includes the articulated robot 30 that closes the container storage space with a lid, and the control device 40 that controls the operation of the articulated robot 30. The control device 40 a holding operation of holding the lid by the holding mechanism; a pushing action in which the held lid is pushed toward the container storage space side by the pushing mechanism; a closing operation in which, while the lid is pushed toward the storage space, the pressing mechanism 310 presses the fitting portion of the lid against the fitting portion of the container to fit the fitting portions together, thereby closing the storage space of the container with the lid; The articulated robot 30 executes the above. This reduces the space closed by the container and lid, allowing them to be fitted together while removing air. This reduces the amount of air that flows into the container, preventing the container and lid from expanding after closing. Furthermore, by preventing expansion, the container and lid can be fitted together more securely. Furthermore, with the fitting system 1, there is no need to perform complicated processes such as alternately pressing using multiple independently drivable pressing members. Therefore, for example, fitting can be completed with a single pressing, thereby reducing the working time. That is, according to the fitting system 1, when fitting is performed by the articulated robot 30, it is possible to more easily suppress the bulging of the container and the lid.

[0096] In the pushing operation, the fitting portion of the lid is brought into contact with the fitting portion of the container, so that the container supports the lid, and then the lid is pushed in the direction of the storage space of the container. This allows the container to be used as a member for supporting the lid, and the lid can be pushed in while being supported by the container.

[0097] The suppression mechanism 340, which functions as a holding mechanism and performs a holding action, also performs a pushing action, so that the suppression mechanism 340 also functions as a pushing mechanism. This allows the holding mechanism and the pushing mechanism to function as the same mechanism, simplifying the device configuration.

[0098] In a pushing action, the pushing mechanism pushes the central region of the lid. In the closing operation, the pressing mechanism 310 presses the fitting portions provided on both ends of the lid. This allows the containers to be fitted together while efficiently removing air from both ends.

[0099] The pushing direction in the pushing operation and the pressing direction in the closing operation are vertically downward. The portion of the pushing mechanism that comes into contact with and pushes the lid is located vertically above the portion of the pressing mechanism 310 that comes into contact with and pushes the lid. This makes it difficult for the vertical downward force given to the pressing mechanism when pressed to be applied to the part where the pushing mechanism comes into contact with and pushes the lid, thereby suppressing the force with which the pushing mechanism pushes the lid and preventing the lid from being depressed too much.

[0100] The pushing mechanism is supported by an elastic body, and expands and contracts in the pushing direction in response to the reaction force from the pushed lid during the pushing operation. As a result, the elastic body expands and contracts in the pushing direction according to the amount of pushing, so that the lid can be prevented from being dented too much even if the pushing mechanism is pushed in the pushing direction together with pressing mechanism 310. Furthermore, as a result, even if there are multiple types of lid shapes, differences in these shapes can be tolerated as long as they are within the range of the stretching stroke of suppression mechanism 340, and the same pushing mechanism can be used universally for different types of lids.

[0101] The pushing mechanism can control the expansion and contraction in the pushing direction by driving the actuator. While the pressing mechanism 310 is performing the closing operation, the pushing mechanism is extended in the pushing direction to achieve the pushing operation. This allows the pushing and fitting to be performed simultaneously, further reducing the working time.

[0102] The above-described embodiment and modifications are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments that realize the functions of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the present invention has been described as being applied to a fitting system for fitting a lid onto a container containing food, but the present invention can be applied to systems for fitting various objects, such as various systems in the industrial field that use robots to perform fitting operations. Furthermore, the examples described in the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate to implement the present invention. The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. In other words, the functional configuration in Fig. 3 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient for fitting system 1 to be provided with a function that can execute the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Fig. 3. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

[0103] When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs that make up the software are installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0104] The storage medium for storing the program may be a removable medium distributed separately from the device itself, or may be a storage medium pre-installed in the device itself. Removable media may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. Optical disks may be, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), or Blu-ray Discs (registered trademarks). Magneto-optical disks may be, for example, MDs (Mini-Disks). Flash memories may be, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories or SD cards. Storage media pre-installed in the device itself may be, for example, a ROM or hard disk on which the program is stored.

[0105] In this specification, the steps describing the program to be recorded on the recording medium include not only processes that are performed in chronological order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed in chronological order but are performed in parallel or individually. In addition, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall device that is made up of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

[0106] The above-described embodiment shows an example of application of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention can be modified in various ways, such as by omission or substitution, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and various embodiments other than the above-described embodiment can be adopted. The various embodiments and modifications that the present invention can adopt are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1 fitting system, 2 belt conveyor, 2A guide member, 10 lid supply unit, 20 container detection sensor, 30 articulated robot, 30A force sensor, 31 hand, 31a, 31a-1 fitting member, 32 robot arm, 40 control device, 51 container, 52 lid, 151 object information acquisition unit, 152 sensor information acquisition unit, 153 lid supply control unit, 154 articulated robot control unit, 155 recording control unit, 171 parameter storage unit, 172 history database (history DB), 310 pressing mechanism, 311 pressing unit, 312 first support unit, 313 second support unit, 320 slide mechanism, 321 rail unit, 322 hook unit, 323 connecting unit, 330 opening / closing mechanism, 331 actuator, 332 pinion gear, 333 rack, 340 Suppression mechanism, 341, 371 housing part, 342, 372 pushing part, 343 holding part, 350 hand attachment part, 360 holding mechanism, 370 pushing mechanism, 373 rod-shaped part, 711 CPU, 712 ROM, 713 RAM, 714 bus, 715 input part, 716 output part, 717 memory part, 718 communication part, 719 drive, 731 removable media

Claims

1. A fitting system including a robot that closes a storage space of a container with a lid, and a control device that controls the operation of the robot, The control device a holding operation of holding the lid by suction while a tip end of the holding mechanism is in contact with the lid; a pushing operation in which the tip of the holding mechanism, which also functions as a pushing mechanism, pushes the held lid toward the storage space of the container; a closing operation in which, while the lid is pushed toward the storage space, a pressing mechanism presses the fitting portion of the lid against the fitting portion of the container to fit the fitting portions together, thereby closing the storage space of the container with the lid; causing the robot to execute The tip of the holding mechanism, which also functions as the pushing mechanism, is supported by an elastic body and expands and contracts in the pushing direction in response to the reaction force from the pushed-in lid during the pushing operation. A mating system comprising:

2. In the pushing operation, the fitting portion of the lid is brought into contact with the fitting portion of the container, thereby making the container support the lid, and then the lid is pushed in the direction of the storage space of the container. The mating system of claim 1 .

3. In the pushing operation, the tip of the holding mechanism, which also functions as the pushing mechanism, pushes the central region of the lid, In the closing operation, the pressing mechanism presses fitting portions provided on both ends of the lid.

3. The fitting system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

4. The pushing direction in the pushing operation and the pressing direction in the closing operation are vertically downward, a portion where a tip end of the holding mechanism, which also functions as the pushing mechanism, contacts and pushes the lid is located vertically above a portion of the pressing mechanism that contacts and presses the lid; 3. The fitting system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A control device including a control means for controlling the operation of a robot that closes a storage space of a container with a lid, The control means a holding operation of holding the lid by suction while a tip end of the holding mechanism is in contact with the lid; a pushing operation in which the tip of the holding mechanism, which also functions as a pushing mechanism, pushes the held lid toward the storage space of the container; a closing operation in which, while the lid is pushed toward the storage space, a pressing mechanism presses the fitting portion of the lid against the fitting portion of the container to fit the fitting portions together, thereby closing the storage space of the container with the lid; causing the robot to execute The tip of the holding mechanism, which also functions as the pushing mechanism, is supported by an elastic body and expands and contracts in the pushing direction in response to the reaction force from the pushed-in lid during the pushing operation. A control device characterized by:

Images